Baby en zwangerschap
Tijdens zwangerschap extra vitamine
D, foliumzuur, vit A, B6, ijzer, selenium + zink
De voedingsraad doet aanbevelingen om
tijdens de zwangerschap extra vitamine D en foliumzuur in te nemen, omdat is aangetoond
dat voldoende inname ervan de kans op aangeboren afwijkingen vermindert. Uit onderzoek
blijkt dat de dagelijkse voeding onvoldoende vitamine A, vitamine B6, ijzer, selenium en
zink bevat. Deze stoffen zijn van groot belang voor de groei en ontwikkeling van het
ongeboren kind ook al heeft men relatief weinig ervan nodig. Voedingssupplementen bij
zwangerschap kunnen wel degelijk zin hebben als aanvulling op een normaal en gevarieerd
voedingspatroon, mits er op gelet wordt dat er niet te veel vitamine A en D en mineralen
wordt ingenomen.
Vitamine B6 tekort
Lage concentraties vitamine B6 bij zwangere vrouwen kunnen de ontwikkeling van het
centraal zenuwstelsel van de baby verstoren. Deficiëntie kan ook bijdragen tot
waterretentie en ochtend misselijkheid. Het kan mogelijk zelfs leiden tot
zwangerschapsdiabetes. Vitamine B6 supplementen zijn bovendien effectief gebleken bij de
behandeling van zwangerschapsmisselijkheid en braken.
http://geneesmiddelen.wewi.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/FILES/root/artikelen/2000/
Transvetzuren zorgen voor dikkere
babies
Opnieuw een hoofdrol voor transvetzuren, de
zogenaamde geharde plantaardige vetten, die met name voorkomen in industrievoeding,
fabrieksbrood (supermarkten zoals Aldi, Plus etc etc ) en het beruchte koffiemelkpoeder
(1/3 gehard vet!!) dat sommige mensen iedere dag in hun koffie doen (met name
koffiemachines op het werk). Ditmaal een relatie tussen inname van transvetzuren door
zwangere moeders en het effect op het vet van de baby. Bij ratten zorgde dit voor 40%
vettoename en verhoogde insuline produktie (dus meer kans op diabetes 2).
Vermijdt dus alles dat geharde plantaardige
vetten bevat, de supermarkten liggen er vol mee, fabrikanten blijven deze ziekmakers dag
in dag uit gebruiker omdat ze goedkoop zijn, ten kosten van uw gezondheid !
Ron
Pregnant mothers' diet linked to baby's
obesity
Pregnant and lactating rats fed on a diet of hydrogenated fat during pregnancy and
lactation had babies who were fatter than rats fed a normal diet, according to research
published in Lipids in Health and Disease. The unhealthy diet has deleterious consequences
even after the fats were removed from the diet and has links to insulin production.
“We know that foetal growth is
influenced by the mother’s nutritional status,” explained Brazilian nutritionist
Luciana Pisani. ”The nutritional conditions during pregnancy has a major role in the
metabolic and hormonal interactions between the mother’s body, placenta and foetus.
To date only a few studies have looked at the effects on trans fatty acids during
pregnancy and lactation on the metabolism of offspring in adulthood. We found that the
fatty content of the babies’ bodies increased when the mothers were fed the
hydrogenated fat rich diet and this could be traced to the gene expression of
adipokines.”
In an investigation to examine whether
feeding pregnant and lactating rats hydrogenised fats rich in trans fatty acids, increased
the fat content in carcass, the researchers found that their metabolic rate dropped
dramatically. Interestingly young rats that were fed a normal diet after they were born
ate less and weighed less even though their mothers had been eating the trans fatty acids
while pregnant. The gene expression of adipokines was also examined in relation to insulin
production.
The offspring were weighed weekly and
exposure to the trans-fatty acid enriched diet after weaning led to a 40% increase in body
fat content for the young rats. Rats whose mothers were fed the trans fatty acids and
continued to eat the fats into adulthood had the highest metabolic efficiency. The same
rats increased their insulin production.
Pisani continued, “Fats play a
fundamental role in foetal development and changes in dietary fatty acids has important
implications for foetal and postnatal development. Heavy ingestion of very hydrogenated
fats rich in trans fatty acids increases risk of cardiovascular diseases and reduces
insulin sensitivity and so leads to type 2 diabetes. We need to investigate this further
as this has important implications for people’s own diets, especially pregnant
women.”
Gsm'en tijdens zwangerschap
schadelijk voor baby
Vrouwen die tijdens hun zwangerschap bellen
met een gsm, verhogen de kans dat hun baby gedragsproblemen zal vertonen. Dat blijkt uit
een wetenschappelijk onderzoek onder 13.159
moeders van kinderen die in de jaren '90 geboren werden.
http://www.datanews.be/nl/news/90-104-18267/gsm-en-tijdens-zwangerschap
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news
De studie
Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Cell
Phone Use and Behavioral Problems in Children.
Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J.
From the aDepartment of Epidemiology, UCLA
School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA; and bInstitute of
Public Health, Department of General Practice, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark.
BACKGROUND:: The World Health Organization
has emphasized the need for research into the possible effects of radiofrequency fields in
children. We examined the association between prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell
phones and behavioral problems in young children. METHODS:: Mothers were recruited to the
Danish National Birth Cohort early in pregnancy. When the children of those pregnancies
reached 7 years of age in 2005 and 2006, mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire
regarding the current health and behavioral status of children, as well as past exposure
to cell phone use. Mothers evaluated the child's behavior problems using the Strength and
Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS:: Mothers of 13,159 children completed the follow-up
questionnaire reporting their use of cell phones during pregnancy as well as current cell
phone use by the child. Greater odds ratios for behavioral problems were observed for
children who had possible prenatal or postnatal exposure to cell phone use. After
adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio for a higher overall behavioral
problems score was 1.80 (95% confidence interval = 1.45-2.23) in
children with both prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phones. CONCLUSIONS:: Exposure
to cell phones prenatally-and, to a lesser degree, postnatally-was associated with
behavioral difficulties such as emotional and hyperactivity problems around the age of
school entry. These associations may be noncausal and may be due to unmeasured
confounding. If real, they would be of public health concern given the widespread use of
this technology.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18467962
Roken kan zwangerschappen stoppen
door veranderingen in de baarmoeder
Zware rokers kunnen eventuele
zwangerschappen ondermijnen doordat het voor de embryo lastiger wordt om zich in de
baarmoeder te nestelen.Al eerder werd bekend dat roken voor verminderde vruchtbaarheid en
kleiner geboortegewicht kan zorgen. Onderzoeker Dr Sergio Soares hoopt dat er nu meer
studies naar deze nieuwe complicatie gaan volgen.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/
womenfamily.html?in_article_id=415431&in_page_id=1799
Contact gegevens onderzoeker
Dr Sérgio Reis Soares
Av. Infante D. Henrique, nº 333 H, Esc. 1-9
1800-282 LISBOA
Telefone: 21 853 91 22
Fax: 21 853 70 77
E-mail: ivilisboa@ivi.es
http://www.ivi.es
Brandwonden door thee 3 maal
ernstiger dan overige ongevallen
Jaarlijks belanden 1.400 baby's en peuters
op de spoedeisende eerste hulp met brandwonden door een ogenschijnlijk klein ongeval met
hete vloeistoffen. De gevolgen van dit soort brandwondenongevallen zijn echter drie maal
zo ernstig als gemiddeld: 17% van de kindjes met brandwonden die bij de spoedeisende
eerste hulp komen, wordt opgenomen in het ziekenhuis (gemiddeld overige privé-ongevallen
6%). Onderzoek toont aan dat ouders geen besef hebben van de ernstige gevolgen van een
ongeval met hete thee. De Brandwonden Stichting voert dit najaar campagne om ouders
hiervan meer bewust te maken.
Het gevaar schuilt in kleine dagelijkse
dingen. Het drinken van een kopje thee geeft een gevoel van rust en gezelligheid, maar is
550 keer per jaar de oorzaak van een ernstig ongeval. Kleine kinderen hebben een dunnere
huid, die veel minder warmte kan hebben dan een volwassen huid. Daarom geeft een ongelukje
met hete thee bij volwassenen vaak slechts een pijnlijke plek, maar worden baby's
opgenomen in een brandwondencentrum.
Bewustwording
Onderzoek toont aan dat ouders het risico en de ernst van de gevolgen (soms meerdere
operaties en blijvende littekens) wordt onderschat. Ook blijkt dat ouders de snelheid
waarmee een verbranding gebeurt onderschatten: Het omtrekken van een kopje thee, of tussen
de 0 en 5 seconden alleen in bad met een hete kraan, is al voldoende. Rob Baardse,
programmacoördinator Preventie bij de Brandwonden Stichting, ziet daarom voldoende kansen
om het aantal ongevallen drastisch te verlagen: 'Het is aan ons om ouders zoveel mogelijk
te wijzen op de gevaren en de gevolgen. Als je weet dat iets gevaarlijk is, zorg je er wel
voor dat je kind er niet mee in contact komt. Ouders monteren bijvoorbeeld wel een
traphekje, maar drinken rustig een kopje thee met de baby op schoot...'
De Brandwonden Stichting werkt samen met de
Stichting Consument en Veiligheid met een twee jaar durende campagne aan deze
bewustwording. Dit najaar, hét tijdstip om weer gezellige binnen een kopje thee te
drinken, start een radiocampagne ondersteund door krantenadvertenties. In de campagne
worden vier simpele tips gegeven om brandwonden door hete thee te voorkomen:
- Drink geen thee met een kind op schoot
- Houd de theepot en waterkoker buiten bereik van kinderen
- Zet kopjes thee niet aan de rand van de tafel
- Gebruik geen tafelkleed waar kinderen aan kunnen trekken
Naast de radiocampagne en de advertenties
worden alle peuterspeelzalen en
kinderdagverblijven aangeschreven met het aanbod om een gratis preventielezing bij de
Brandwonden Stichting aan te vragen. Want dat werkt, weet Rob Baardse: 'Eén
lezing, en je weet als ouder precies wat het probleem is en hoe je met simpele
maatregelen de ellende kunt voorkomen. Eén van de eerste foto's toont een heftige
brandwond op de borst van een kindje. Ouders schrikken en denken aan een groot ongeval.
Als je dan zegt dat die brandwond komt door een simpel kopje thee... Dát vergeten ouders
niet meer.'
Moet men de cellen die afstammen
van de baby invriezen ?
Cellen van de baby invriezen in vloeibare
stikstof; dit toevertrouwen aan een particulier bedrijf; is het werkelijk net zo
onschuldig als het aangaan van een verzekering voor de toekomst ?
Overzicht :
De rol van de openbare banken?
- Commerciële behandelingen rond het bloed van de navelstreng !
Wat moet men van de marketing van de
particuliere banken geloven?
- en hoe zit het met de medische ethiek ?
Zich op het onderzoek en de solidariteit
richten?
Openbare bank en het wereldregister: cellen die afstammen uit het bloed ter beschikking
van iedereen.
Nuttig adres :
Banque de sang foeto-placentaire
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
rue Micheli-du-Crest 24
1205 Genève GE / SUISSE
Zwitserland
Tel. 022 / 372 98 59
Bron : www.tsr.ch
> 36.9 Magazine Santé > 1 november 2006 (franstalige reportage).
Korte vertaalde samenvatting door Ditta van
Herk
Internationaal
Typical diet not best for mothers
and babies - “Eat more fish” is expert advice
Diets high in red meat and low in fish may
pose a risk to optimum brain development in babies. Canadian scientists say new research
shows the typical North American diet of eating lots of meat and not much fish is
deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids and this may pose a risk to infant neurological
development. The scientists announced their results last Friday, saying: “This
discovery is an important step towards developing dietary fat guidelines for pregnant and
breastfeeding women.” “Omega 3 fatty acids are important for the
baby’s developing eyes and brain,” said Dr. Sheila Innis, the study’s
principal investigator, head of the nutrition and metabolism program at the Child &
Family Research Institute at British Columbia Children’s Hospital and Professor of
Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia.
“During pregnancy and breastfeeding,
fat consumed by the mum is transferred to the developing baby and breastfed infant, and
this fat is important for the baby’s developing organs. Our next task is to find out
why the typical North American diet puts mothers at risk. Then we can develop dietary
recommendations to help women consume a nutritious diet that promotes optimal health for
mums and babies.” The researchers found women who ate lots of meat and little
fish were deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids, and their babies did not do as well on eye
tests as babies from mothers who were not deficient. The results were noticeable as early
as two months of age. The study is ongoing, as the researchers intend to follow the
children’s development until four years of age.
Mr Roy Palmer, the Australian link in
Seafood Services Australia’s Global Seafood Health Network, a worldwide network
researching and communicating information on the health benefits of seafood, said the
results could also be applied in Australia, given the similarities between typical diets
here and in North America. Mr Palmer said “the Australian Government and health
agencies should take note of the findings of the Canadian study, given the importance of
healthy eating, especially in mothers and babies, and the increasing recognition of
preventative health care required to reduce chronic health conditions affecting
Australians of all ages. And Dr Innis’ final word on the subject: “For better
health, it’s important for pregnant and nursing mums – and all of us – to
eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, eggs, and fish while
minimizing consumption of processed and prepared foods.” The study was published in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It was funded by the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research.
The Canadian research was published in the
March edition of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition See
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/3/548
http://www.cfri.ca/aboutus/news/media/documents/CFRI_
nutrition_Innis_JCN_mar07-08.pdf
Common Drug (indomethacin) for
Stopping Preterm Labor may be Harmful for Babies
A drug commonly used to halt premature
labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies,
according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published this month in American
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1737
Maternal Smoking and Speech Perception
in Newborns
Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the
central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental
blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate
maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific
language/auditory tests. Key et al. (p. 623) examined the effects of maternal smoking
during pregnancy on newborns' speech discrimination ability. The findings indicate that
prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant
changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the
infant at risk for later developmental problems.
http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/9521/abstract.html
Premature births may be linked to seasonal levels of pesticides and nitrates in surface
water
The growing premature birth rate in the United States appears to be strongly
associated with increased use of pesticides and nitrates, according to work conducted by
Paul Winchester, M.D., of Indiana University School of Medicine. Preterm birth rates
peaked when pesticides and nitrates measurements in surface water were highest --
April-July -- and were lowest when nitrates and pesticides were lowest --
August-September.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/iu-pbm050407.php
Promising protein may prevent eye damage in premature babies
Researchers have identified a protein that is part of the body's natural defenses
in oxygen-deprived conditions, a finding that could rapidly lead to treatments for babies
born before their eyes are finished growing.
http://news.ufl.edu/2007/06/18/preemie-eye/
Why You Want to Keep Your Baby Away From the TV!
Allowing children under 3 to watch television can impair their linguistic and
social development, and also put them at risk of health problems including
attention-deficit disorder, autism and obesity.
http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Why-You-Want-to-Keep-Your-
Baby-Away-From-the-TV--12053.aspx
Does feeding babies pureed food harm their health?
Feeding babies on pureed food is unnecessary and could be harmful to their
health, a leading child care expert has warned. Instead infants should be fed exclusively
on breast or formula milk for the first six months, then weaned onto solids.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/
womenfamily.html?in_article_id=462599&in_page_id=1799
Experts Say Soy Formulas Should Be Last Choice
Experts are now saying that soy-based formulas should be the last
choice when it comes to feeding your baby. Breast milk is best, and cow's milk comes
closest to mimicking the nutrient dense drink.
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_9499.aspx
Toxic baby bottles
Reports that a chemical called bisphenol A may leech from the
plastic bottles into milk have some parents scrambling to replace their plastic feeding
arsenal with glass bottles.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/lifestyle/article.aspx?articleID=070514_238_D1_Somer24770
Researchers disprove RSV assumption, open new avenues of treatment
For four decades, medical science thought that severe RSV
infections in infants were caused by an overreactive immune system. A team of researchers,
including UTMB's Robert Garafolo and his colleagues, have turned that dogma on its head.
They’ve shown that severe RSV infections in the lower respiratory tract actually are
associated with an inadequate immune reaction. Their findings have major implications for
efforts to develop therapies for RSV and perhaps other viral respiratory infections during
infancy.
http://blog.utmb.edu/newsroom/?p=1634
Apple consumption during pregnancy reduces risk for childhood wheezing and asthma
Eating apples while pregnant may give new meaning to an
apple a day keeping the doctor away. Compelling new research has concluded that mothers
who eat apples during pregnancy may protect their children from developing asthma later in
life. The study was published in Thorax online.
This unique longitudinal study tracked dietary intake by nearly 2000 pregnant women, then
examined the effects of the maternal diet on airway development in more than 1200 of their
children five years later. Among a wide variety of foods consumed and recorded by the
pregnant women, the researchers concluded that the children of mothers who ate apples had
a significantly reduced risk for the development of asthma and childhood wheezing.
This study focuses on medical evaluations for asthma and related symptoms (i.e., wheezing)
when the children were five years old. As a result of the evaluations cited in this
research, other than apples, there were no consistent associations found between prenatal
consumption of a range of healthful foods and asthma in the 1253 children who were
evaluated.
Children of mothers who ate apples during pregnancy were much less likely to exhibit
symptoms of asthma (including wheezing), say the researchers who hail from institutions in
The Netherlands and Scotland. These same researchers previously reported positive
associations between maternal consumption of vitamins A, E, D and zinc with reduced risk
of asthma, wheeze and eczema in children.
The only other positive association found between prenatal food intake and risk reduction
in the children was with fish, for which the researchers found that children of mothers
who ate fish had a lowered incidence of doctor-confirmed eczema.
According to the research, "The present study suggests beneficial associations
between maternal apple intake during pregnancy and wheeze and asthma at age five
years." They add that their findings "suggest an apple specific effect, possibly
because of its phytochemical content, such as flavonoids." The research paper cites
other related studies on apples, including those which found that "intake of apples
as a significant source of flavonoids and other polyphenols has been beneficially
associated with asthma, bronchial hypersensitivity, and lung function in adults."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/kc-abr040507.php
Four Steps To Organic Motherhood
For those looking to take the first steps toward a
more organic pregnancy, Zissu made these recommendations as the best common-sense first
steps;Don’t renovate your home during pregnancy or early childhood, Switch cleaning
products to non-toxic alternatives, Choose certified organic foods when possible, Pamper
yourself with products that aren’t loaded with toxic or untested chemicals.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/05/12/four-steps-to-organic-motherhood/
Development of the Human Infant Intestinal Microbiota
Almost immediately after a human being is born, so
too is a new microbial ecosystem, one that resides in that person's gastrointestinal
tract. Although it is a universal and integral part of human biology, the temporal
progression of this process, the sources of the microbes that make up the ecosystem, how
and why it varies from one infant to another, and how the composition of this ecosystem
influences human physiology, development, and disease are still poorly understood. As a
step toward systematically investigating these questions, we designed a microarray to
detect and quantitate the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences of most
currently recognized species and taxonomic groups of bacteria. We used this microarray,
along with sequencing of cloned libraries of PCR-amplified SSU rDNA, to profile the
microbial communities in an average of 26 stool samples each from 14 healthy, full-term
human infants, including a pair of dizygotic twins, beginning with the first stool after
birth and continuing at defined intervals throughout the first year of life. To
investigate possible origins of the infant microbiota, we also profiled vaginal and milk
samples from most of the mothers, and stool samples from all of the mothers, most of the
fathers, and two siblings. The composition and temporal patterns of the microbial
communities varied widely from baby to baby. Despite considerable temporal variation, the
distinct features of each baby's microbial community were recognizable for intervals of
weeks to months. The strikingly parallel temporal patterns of the twins suggested that
incidental environmental exposures play a major role in determining the distinctive
characteristics of the microbial community in each baby. By the end of the first year of
life, the idiosyncratic microbial ecosystems in each baby, although still distinct, had
converged toward a profile characteristic of the adult gastrointestinal tract.
http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-
document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0050177
NIDA-Supported Study Shows Significant Association between Smoking, Mental Disorders in
Pregnant Women
New research has identified an association
between mental disorders and nicotine dependence among pregnant women in the United
States, not unlike what has been reported in the general population. The presence of these
mental disorders in nicotine addicted pregnant women may make quitting smoking more
difficult. Published in the April 2007 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, this study was
supported in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National
Institutes of Health.
The study included 1,516 pregnant women at least 18 years old who took part in the
2001Ð2002 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally
representative survey of more than 43,000 U.S. adults administered by the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Researchers found that 21.7% of the pregnant women in the study used cigarettes and among
those women, 57.2% were nicotine dependent. These results indicate that in the United
States an estimated 12.4% of pregnant women are addicted to cigarettes. Women with
nicotine dependence were more likely to meet criteria for at least one mental disorder
compared to those that did not use cigarettes during pregnancy. Significant associations
were found for dysthymia (a chronic depressive condition), major depressive disorder, and
panic disorder.
"Understanding that these co-morbidities exist may shed light on why some women are
unable to abstain from smoking during pregnancy even though they understand the negative
health impact for them and their unborn children," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D.
Volkow. "There is tremendous value in screening pregnant women who are unable to
abstain from smoking for mental disordersÑto not only identify and treat those who have
been undiagnosed but also to improve successful quit smoking attempts."
Encouraging women to quit smoking before they become pregnant is important to the health
of the fetus, in addition to improving the health of the mother. Pregnant women who smoke
cigarettes run an increased risk of having infants with low birth weight and their
children face an increased risk for learning and behavioral problems.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/newsroom/07/NR4-03.html
100 percent of pregnant women have at least one kind of pesticide in their placenta
A doctoral thesis written at the
Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the University of Granada reveals an
average presence of eight organochlorine contaminants in the organisms of pregnant women,
which are usually ingested by means of food, water and air. These chemical substances may
cause some malformations in the genito-urinary system of the foetus, such as
cryptorchidism and hypospadias.
http://prensa.ugr.es/prensa/research/verNota/prensa.php?nota=377
Weight gain in pregnancy linked to overweight in kids
Pregnant women who gain excessive or
even appropriate weight, according to current guidelines, are four times more likely than
women who gain inadequate weight to have a baby who becomes overweight in early childhood.
These findings are from a new study at the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of
Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and are published in the April
issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/hms-wgi032807.php
New placenta screening for high-risk pregnancies
For the first time ever, a team of Toronto researchers are using a combination of
ultrasound and blood tests to screen high-risk pregnant mothers for placental damage.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/uot-nps032807.php
Potatoes during pregnancy linked to juvenile diabetes
Australian researchers believe
they have found a trigger of type 1 diabetes in children - their mothers eating potatoes
and other tuberous vegetables during pregnancy.
http://paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?182268
Alcohol use during pregnancy leads to greater risk of extreme preterm delivery
Preterm delivery, and
particularly "extreme prematurity" -- defined as less than 32 weeks of gestation
-- are major contributors to perinatal sickness and death worldwide. A new study has found
that maternal alcohol use during pregnancy can contribute to a substantial increase in
risk for extreme preterm delivery.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/ace-aud051707.php
Different approach needed to protect brains of premature infants
A study of how the
brain of a premature infant responds to injury has found vulnerabilities similar to those
in the mature brain but also identified at least one significant difference, according to
neuroscientists and neonatologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis.
In an animal model of brain injury, researchers showed for the first time that parts of
the developing brain are vulnerable to damage from glutamate, a nervous system messenger
compound. Glutamate is already well-known for its links to injury in the mature brain. But
scientists also found damage in the developing brain that could not be linked to
glutamate, suggesting that different treatments are needed to prevent brain injury in
premature infants.
More than two percent of babies are born before the completion of their eighth month of
gestation, and up to half of these infants suffer brain injury. Unlike adults, premature
infants receive the most damage in the white matter, the portions of the brain that
connect different brain regions.
"These injuries can lead to behavioral problems, developmental delay, cognitive
impairment or cerebral palsy," says senior author Mark P. Goldberg, M.D., professor
of neurology and of neurobiology. "In this study, we've identified a unique
vulnerability in the developing brain's white matter that likely contributes to those
disabilities. We will be looking for new drug treatments to prevent injury."
http://mednews.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/9247.html
Vitamin D Deficiency Widespread During Pregnancy
Significant racial
disparities also noted despite use of prenatal multivitamin supplements
Even regular use of prenatal multivitamin supplements is not adequate to prevent vitamin D
insufficiency, University of Pittsburgh researchers report in the current issue of the
Journal of Nutrition, the publication of the American Society for Nutrition. A condition
linked to rickets and other musculoskeletal and health complications, vitamin D
insufficiency was found to be widespread among women during pregnancy, particularly in the
northern latitudes.
A vitamin closely associated with bone health, vitamin D deficiency early in life is
associated with rickets – a disorder characterized by soft bones and thought to have
been eradicated in the United States more than 50 years ago – as well as increased
risk for type 1 diabetes, asthma and schizophrenia.
Vitamin D is found naturally in fatty fish but few other foods. Primary dietary sources
include fortified foods such as milk and some ready-to-eat cereals and vitamin
supplements. Sun exposure for skin synthesis of vitamin D also remains critical."Our
study shows that current vitamin D dietary intake recommendations are not enough to meet
the demands of pregnancy," Dr. Bodnar said. "Improving vitamin D status has
tremendous capacity to benefit public health."
http://www.upmc.com/Communications/NewsBureau/NewsRelease
Archives/2007/February/VitaminDDeficiency.htm
Common Plastics May Increase Your Child's Obesity Risks
On the heels
of yesterday's warning about the dire effects of bisphenol A on your baby's fertility
comes another report that blames endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA on exacerbating
your child's risks of obesity.
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the womb may change how an unborn child's
genes work, scientists say, predisposing him or her to obesity. Those very same chemicals
caused mice to be born at low body weights, then forced their bodies to double their
weights in just seven days. And, as mice got older, the more obese they became throughout
their little lives.
As a result, babies are born with a metabolic system programmed for starvation that
maximizes the use of all food children consume. Scientists estimate there's about 1,000
man-made chemicals that can be designated as endocrine disruptors and they can be found in
common plastics, pesticides and electronics.
http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Common-Plastics-May
-Increase-Your-Child-s-Obesity-Risks-6003.aspx
Eating Apples and Fish During Pregnancy May Protect Against Childhood Asthma and
Allergies
Women who
eat apples and fish during pregnancy may reduce the risk of their children developing
asthma or allergic disease, suggests a new study presented at the American Thoracic
Society 2007 International Conference, on Sunday, May 20. The SEATON study, conducted at
the University of Aberdeen, UK, found that the children of mothers who ate the most apples
were less likely to ever have wheezed or have doctor-confirmed asthma at the age of 5
years, compared to children of mothers who had the lowest apple consumption. Children of
mothers who ate fish once or more a week were less likely to have had eczema than children
of mothers who never ate fish. The study did not find any protective effect against asthma
or allergic diseases from many other foods, including vegetables, fruit juice, citrus or
kiwi fruit, whole grain products, fat from dairy products or margarine or other low-fat
spreads. The researchers studied 1212 children born to women who had filled out food
questionnaires during their pregnancy. When the children were 5 years old, the mothers
filled out a questionnaire about the children’s respiratory symptoms and allergies,
as well as a questionnaire about their child’s food consumption. The children were
also given lung function and allergy tests. Previous studies in the same children have
found evidence for protective effects of vitamin E and D and zinc during pregnancy in
reducing the risk of children’s wheeze and asthma, notes researcher Saskia Willers,
M.Sc. of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. If the new results are confirmed, she
says, “recommendations on dietary modification during pregnancy may help to prevent
childhood asthma and allergy.”
http://www.thoracic.org/sections/publications/press-releases/conference/articles/2007
/press-releases/eating-apples-and-fish-during-pregnancy-may-protect-against-
childhood-asthma-and-allergies.html
Chemical exposure may lower birth weight
Newborns
exposed to chemicals used to produce nonstick cookware, firefighting foam, paper products
and other items weigh slightly less and have slightly smaller skulls, according to
preliminary research conducted at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Lynn Goldman, a pediatrician and professor at the university's Bloomberg School of
Public Health, said the study of 300 babies found "very small decreases" in
birth weight and head circumference. The babies were born at John Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore between 2004 and early 2005. The mothers ranged in age from 14 to 43.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070223/ap_on_he_me/c8_study&
printer=1;_ylt=Ask34Xcx2e4v7Tmdwi_f6KRa24cA
How Poorly You Handle Your Child's Pain Can Harm Your Own Health
Because
pessimism can be a deadly thing, it's no surprise to learn the life-threatening health
problems of children can also harm their parents.
This study is more unique than others for good reason: It's based on comparing the health
of parents whose children were injured or killed in a fire at a New Year's Eve party in
2001 to a control group of adults who wasn't affected by the disaster at all.
Parents whose children were involved in that real world fire that took place in the
Netherlands had a higher risk of developing hypertension over the next four years --
nearly 50 percent -- than patients whose children were safely out of harm's way.
http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=7486249&itemid=835
Link between mild infection and hypoxic apnoea
Apnoea
and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) represent major medical concerns in the neonatal
population, and infection may play a crucial role in their pathogenesis. Scientists at
Karolinska Institutet have now exposed a mechanism for how mild infection can cause apnoea
and death due to hypoxia in neonates.
http://www.expertsvar.nu/publicIndex.asp?page=10&fromPage=public&lang=2&PRID=8093
Plastic Baby Bottles Leach Toxic Chemical
Several
popular baby bottle brands have been found to leach potentially harmful levels of a toxic
chemical linked to developmental, neural and reproductive problems, according to a study
released today by an environmental policy group.
http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_058144437.html
Stress-Related Adult Disease May Originate In Fetal Development
Birth
Weight, Gestation Period may be Linked to Depression, Chronic painAccording to a review in
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, evidence is mounting that
lifelongstress-related conditions such as depression and chronic pain may belinked to
fetal growth and timing of delivery. [Ben Licher]
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/press/pressitem.asp?ref=1137&site=1
Pregnancy diet may impact child's allergy risk
What
a woman eats during pregnancy may influence the odds that her child will develop
allergies, a new study hints. After adjusting for potentially confounding factors,
positive associations were observed between high maternal intakes of margarine and
vegetable oils during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy and eczema during the first 2 years in
the offspring. On the other hand, eating a lot of fish late in pregnancy seemed to offer
some protection against eczema in offspring. The study also found that children born to
moms who ate a lot of celery and citrus fruit were at increased risk for sensitization to
food allergens. Sensitization to inhaled allergens was also associated with high maternal
intakes of deep-frying vegetable fat, raw sweet pepper and citrus fruit. [Ben Licher]
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2007-02-28T
194850Z_01_COL871260_RTRUKOC_0_US-PREGNANCY-DIET.xml
Genetic Inability To Detoxify Cigarette Smoke Increases Cleft Lip Risk
A
fetus that lacks both copies of a gene involved in detoxifying cigarette smoke and whose
mother smokes during the pregnancy has a substantially increased risk of developing a
cleft lip and/or palate, according a University of Iowa-led international study.
About 25 percent of babies of European ancestry and up to 60 percent of those of Asian
ancestry lack both copies of the gene, which is called GSTT1. The finding is believed to
mark the first time a gene-environment interaction in clefting has been documented at the
molecular level. The study, which appears in the January issue of the American Journal of
Human Genetics, was funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
(NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health.
"If a pregnant woman smokes 15 cigarettes or more per day, and her fetus doesn't have
any working copies of the GSTT1 gene, then the chances of the fetus developing a cleft
increase nearly 20 fold," said Jeff Murray, M.D., the study's senior author and
professor of pediatrics in the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine with
joint appointments in pediatric dentistry in the College of Dentistry, biology in the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and epidemiology in the College of Public Health.
http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2007/january/010307cleft-lip-risk.html
Genes and stressed-out parents lead to shy kids
New
research from the Child Development Laboratory at the University of Maryland shows that
shyness in kids could relate to the manner in which a stress-related gene in children
interacts with being raised by stressed-out parents.
In a study published in the February issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science,
Nathan Fox, professor and director of the Child Development Laboratory, and his team found
that kids who are consistently shy while growing up are particularly likely to be raised
by stressed-out parents, and to possess a genetic variant associated with stress
sensitivity.
This suggests that shyness relates to interactions between genes and the environment, as
opposed to either genes or the environment acting alone. "Moms who report being
stressed are likely to act differently toward their child than moms who report little
stress," said Fox. "A mom under stress transfers that stress to the child.
However, each child reacts to that stress somewhat differently. Our study found that genes
play a role in this variability, such that those children who have a stress-sensitive
variant of a serotonin-related gene are particularly likely to appear shy while growing up
when they also are raised by mothers with high levels of stress.
"We
don't understand how the environment directly affects the gene, but we know that the gene
shows particularly strong relationships to behavior in certain environments."
Like all genes, the particular serotonin-related gene examined in this study has 2
alleles, which can be long or short. The protein produced by the short form of the gene is
known to predispose towards some forms of stress sensitivity.
Fox's research found that among children exposed to a mother's stress, it was only those
who also inherited the short forms of the gene who showed consistently shy behavior.
"If you have two short alleles of this serotonin gene, but your mom is not stressed,
you will be no more shy than your peers as a school age child," says Fox. "But
we found that when stress enters the picture, the gene starts to show a strong
relationship to the child's behavior," says Fox. "If you are raised in a
stressful environment, and you inherit the short form of the gene, there is a higher
likelihood that you will be fearful, anxious or depressed."
Fox's group studies how genes and the family environment work together to shape the
development of social competence in infants and young children. "We are particularly
interested in very shy children. What keeps them shy and what may change them from being
shy to not being shy anymore?
"We identify these children early in the first years of life, but it's not enough to
identify a child with a certain disposition or gene. We want to understand how the
environment works together with genes, what are the mechanisms that shape behavior."
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-03/afps-gas030207.php
PFOA and PFOS Detected in Newborns
An
analysis of nearly 300 umbilical cord blood samples led by researchers at the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that newborn babies are exposed to
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) while in the womb. PFOS and
PFOA are polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs)—ubiquitous man-made chemicals used in a
variety of consumer products, including as a protective coating on food-contact packaging,
textiles and carpets, and in the manufacturing of insecticides. The health impact from
exposure to these compounds is not fully known, but previous studies found these compounds
could cause tumors and developmental toxicity in laboratory animals at doses much higher
than those observed in the Hopkins study.
The analysis conducted in Baltimore, Md., detected PFOS in 99 percent of the infant
samples examined and PFOA in 100 percent of those examined. The results are published in
the April 20, 2007, online edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Some of the study’s findings were previously reported at the Society of Toxicology
workshop held in February and at the International Conference on Environmental
Epidemiology and Exposure held last September.
“When we began this research we weren’t sure what we would find, because
previously there was very little information about fetal exposure to PFOS and PFOA. Even
though these chemicals are not bioaccumulative in fat, they are very persistent, which
probably accounts for their presence in nearly every newborn,” said Benjamin
Apelberg, PhD, lead author of the study and a research associate in the Bloomberg School
of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology. Apelberg conducted this work as part
of his doctoral research.
http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2007/goldman_pfoa_pfos.html
Choline shows promise in reducing behavioral effects associated with prenatal alcohol
exposure
Giving
choline to infants who were exposed in the womb to alcohol may mitigate some of the
resulting problems. Prenatal alcohol exposure affects physical and central nervous system
development, putting children at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders that at their
worst include full-blown fetal alcohol syndrome. These disorders can mean a lifetime of
potentially serious problems with learning, attention, motor skills and social behavior.
The findings appear in the February issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published
by the American Psychological Association (APA).
At San Diego State University, research led by Jennifer Thomas, PhD, is using an animal
model to assess the potential therapeutic value of choline. Because scientists have been
unable to determine a safe threshold for alcohol consumption during human pregnancy,
abstention is the only sure means of prevention. However, warnings about the dangers of
drinking during pregnancy either don’t reach or aren’t heeded by all pregnant
women. As a result, researchers are seeking effective remedies to give after birth, when
health professionals may be better able to intervene.
Choline plays a number of roles in brain development. It is also a precursor to
acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in learning and cognition, among other
functions. Choline is available in many foods, such as eggs and liver, and sold over the
counter in well-tolerated forms such as lecithin, choline bitartrate or chloride, and
phosphatidylcholine. Due to choline’s beneficial effects on nervous-system
development, women are advised to consume 450 mg a day while pregnant and 550 mg a day
while breast feeding (the tolerable upper limit has been set at 3.5 g per day). For
infants, 125-150 mg/day is considered adequate during the first year, rising as the child
grows older. Choline is added to some prenatal vitamins and baby formulas, and is now
added to some children’s multivitamins and cereals.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-02/apa-csp022607.php
U.S. Reviewing Safety of Children's Cough Drugs
The
medicine sections of supermarkets and drugstores usually carry products marketed for young
children. Federal drug regulators have started a broad review of the safety of popular
cough and cold remedies meant for children, a top official said Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/02/health/02cough.html?ei=5088&en=48ffee0b869dcaf5&
ex=1330491600&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1172830225-cWjcL
DetnYdNm33o59SR1w
Aspartame's Safety Questioned Again
The
researchers cautioned that pregnant moms that consumed aspartame appeared to pass on the
cancer risk to fetuses, with the vulnerability of fetuses being such that exposure in womb
seemed to add to cancer risk later in life. The researchers noted that that parallels the
human experience.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/24/earlyshow/health/main2721195.shtml
Children Under Stress Develop More Fevers
Children
whose parents and families are under ongoing stress have more fevers with illness than
other children. Published this month in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine,
the study also shows the unanticipated conclusion that children’s natural killer cell
function, part of the body’s innate immune system, increases under chronic stress,
unlike adults, whose function is decreased.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1396
Cholesterol Could be Key to Treating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Small
amounts of alcohol can interfere with the growth of a fetus, but added cholesterol may
help prevent a wide array of neurological and physical defects from alcohol exposure,
according to a new study in laboratory fish. Cholesterol is so important to fetal
development that pregnant women who do not have high enough cholesterol levels are at
increased risk of having babies with developmental problems, even without consuming
alcohol. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center, led by Yin-Xiong Li, MD., Ph.D.,
found that alcohol, even in small amounts, blocks the ability of cholesterol to
orchestrate the complex series of events involved in regulating cell fates and organ
development in the embryo. Encouragingly, the researchers also found that giving
supplemental cholesterol to zebrafish embryos exposed to alcohol restored normal
development. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a term to describe an array of developmental
defects affecting the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The syndrome also can lead to
growth retardation, facial abnormalities and lowered mental functioning. It is estimated
that approximately 100 babies are born in the United States each day with some degree of
alcohol induced birth defects, at an annual cost of $10 billion to the health care system.
http://www.dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=10021
Child medicine additive concern
Medicines
for babies and young children frequently contain additives banned from foods and drinks
aimed at under-threes, research shows.
The Food Magazine examined 41 medicines aimed at the under-threes, and found only one was
free of the additives.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6433897.stm
Evidence Mounts: Seafood Essential to a Healthy Pregnancy
Research
from the University of Bristol announced yesterday and set for publication in the
peer-reviewed scientific journal, The Lancet, shed new light on an ongoing debate between
scientists in the United States and the UK over the risks versus the benefits of the
consumption of seafood during pregnancy. Updated research suggests that the official U.S.
guideline of limiting a pregnant women's consumption of seafood to 12 ounces per week
could be harmful instead of beneficial to baby's development.
http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Food_and_Nutrition_690/Evidence_Mounts_
Seafood_Essential_to_a_Healthy_Pregnancy.shtml
Eating fish during pregnancy raises IQ in children
Children
born to mothers who ate at least three servings of fish a week during pregnancy had
significantly higher scores in tests of mental function in their early years, according to
a new British-American study published in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal The Lancet. The
conclusion conflicts with the United States government's fish advisory on fish consumption
for pregnant women.
http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_hildren_amp_W_omen_33/021611172007_Fish_
During_Pregnancy_Helps_Child_s_Development.shtml
Cancer-causing chemical found in children's bath products
A
hidden cancer-causing petrochemical has been found in dozens of children’s bath
products and adults’ personal care products, in some cases at levels that are more
than twice the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s lenient recommended maximum.
Laboratory tests released today revealed the presence of 1,4-Dioxane in products such as
Hello Kitty Bubble Bath, Huggies Baby Wash, Johnson’s Baby Wash, Scooby-Doo Bubble
Bath and Sesame Street Bubble Bath. The tests also found the carcinogen in Clairol Herbal
Essences shampoo, Olay Complete Body Wash and many other personal care products.
1,4-Dioxane is a petroleum-derived contaminant considered a probable human carcinogen by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a clear-cut animal carcinogen by the National
Toxicology Program. It is also on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known
or suspected by the state to cause cancer or birth defects. Because it is a contaminant
produced during manufacturing, the FDA does not require it to be listed as an ingredient
on product labels.
The problem of 1,4-Dioxane contamination in personal care products is highlighted in a new
book, “Safe Trip to Eden: Ten Steps to Save the Planet Earth from the Global Warming
Meltdown,” by David Steinman. The laboratory results were released jointly today at
the National Press Club by Steinman and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of
U.S.-based health and environmental groups working to protect cosmetics consumers from
toxic chemicals and hold companies accountable for the safety of their products.
“Regrettably, 1,4-Dioxane contamination is just the tip of the iceberg,” said
Jeanne Rizzo, R.N., executive director of the Breast Cancer Fund, a founding member of the
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. “Because the FDA does not require cosmetics products to
be approved as safe before they are sold, companies can put unlimited amounts of toxic
chemicals in cosmetics.”
Steinman said parents should be outraged that companies are willing to spend a significant
amount of money on entertainment licensing agreements that entice children but won’t
spend pennies to remove contaminants such as 1,4-Dioxane.
“Consumers who have young children, as I do, have the right to expect the highest
purity in children’s products,” Steinman said. “I call on American
consumers to say no to dangerous petrochemicals in their children’s cosmetic and
personal care products.”
Contrary to what many consumers may believe, the FDA does not review or regulate cosmetics
products or ingredients for safety before they are sold to the public and has no legal
authority to require safety assessments of cosmetics.
http://www.safecosmetics.org/newsroom/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=21
They are what you feed them - Dr Alex Richardson
Dr
Alex Richardson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and
Genetics, University of Oxford, and co-founder of the UK charity Food and Behaviour
Research. She has become internationally known for her research into the effects of food
and diet - and particularly omega-3 fatty acids - on behaviour, learning and mood. Her
work has centred on developmental conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia,
attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism, but her research interests
also extend into mental health and the biology of individual differences in perception and
cognition. She is involved in several collaborative research programmes that include
studies of genetics, brain imaging, biochemistry and nutrition as well as physiological
and psychological functioning. Her current studies include controlled treatment trials of
omega-3 supplementation in both children and adults.
http://www.theyarewhatyoufeedthem.com
Diabetes in pregnancy can hamper baby memory
Babies
whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy may be less able to form early memories than
children whose mothers had normal pregnancies, a US researcher said on Friday.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=qw1171803240509B255
Baby milk firms told to drop nutrition claims
Baby
milk manufacturers have been ordered to drop nutrition claims which suggest they are a
valid alternative to breastfeeding. Claims such as 'Closer than ever to breast milk' and
'helps growth and the immune system' have been banned.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/womenfamily.html?in_article
_id=441566&in_page_id=1774&ito=1490
Chemicals Faulted For Increasing Obesity: US Scientists
At
the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in
California held this week, several research teams presented explanations for the
world-wide obesity epidemic that involve chemicals found in everyday plastics and
pesticides. Animal experiments showed that a mother's exposure to certain chemicals, above
all environmental estrogen, can pre-programme a baby to become overweight.
http://www.playfuls.com/news_004777_Chemicals_Faulted_For_
Increasing_Obesity_US_Scientists.html
Prenatal Vitamins Could Have Long-Lasting Effects
Canadian
researchers say prenatal vitamins can reduce the risk a woman's child will develop
leukemia, brain tumors and neurobastomas, which is a cancer of specialized nerve cells.
http://www.wrex.com/News/index.php?ID=15724
Baby Boomers in Bad Shape
Baby
boomers appear to be heading for retirement in worse shape than their elders born in the
years before World War II. That's according to a study published by the National Bureau of
Economic Research. The study shows that baby boomers aged 51-56 report worse health and
more pain, drinking, psychiatric problems, and difficulty with daily physical tasks than
their predecessors.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/553238
Causes of Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder During Pregnancy
This
report is the result of a 1997 Graduate Student Research Project conducted through the
Special Education Department at the University of South Florida. The project involved
extensive research of published peer reviewed medical journal articles which have shown
environmental and chemical exposure factors can cause damage to the delicate brain growth
processes in the unborn child during pregnancy, thereby demonstrating potential to cause
Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, Hyperactivity and other child behavior
anomalies. This report generates serious concern as public exposure to identified chemical
sources continues to grow due to increased use in homes, jobs and consumer products.
http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/learning_disabilities.htm
Chemical Linked to Birth Defects Found at Unsafe Levels in Canned Food
In
the most comprehensive U.S. tests for an industrial chemical used to line cans of foods,
an independent laboratory found a compound linked to birth defects in more than half of
the samples of canned fruit, vegetables, soda, and baby formula from supermarket shelves,
according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) report released today.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/newsrelease.php
Babies are vulnerable to chemical harm
Parents
know intuitively that babies in the womb are more vulnerable to the effects of industrial
chemicals than adults. A pregnant woman may avoid using hair dye and nail polish, pumping
gas, or painting the nursery, for example, to protect her baby. This intuition is backed
by science that has unfolded primarily over the past two decades.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bodyburden2/part2.php
Why children love their security blankets
Every
parent of a young child knows how emotionally attached children can become to a soft toy
or blanket that they sleep with every night. New research, published today in the
international journal Cognition, suggests that this might be because children think the
toy or blanket has a unique property or ‘essence’. To support this theory,
Professor Bruce Hood from the University of Bristol and his colleague Dr Paul Bloom of
Yale University, USA, showed that 3-6 year-old children have a preference for their
cherished items over apparently identical duplicates.
http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2007/5335.html
Common environmental chemicals in diet affect fetal ovarian development
Exposing
a developing female sheep fetus to low doses of chemicals commonly present in the
environment can disturb the development of the ovary, a scientist told the 23rd Annual
Conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday,
July 4). Dr. Paul Fowler, of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, said that this
research would help to establish the importance of the effect of environmental chemicals
for fertility.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/esfh-cec070407.php
UAMS Researcher Helps Identify How Thalidomide Causes Birth Defects
Researchers
including John Shaughnessy, Ph.D., from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
(UAMS) have identified the molecular trigger for birth defects caused by the drug
thalidomide, a discovery that also could lead to new cancer-fighting treatments.
The sedative was given to pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s to treat morning sickness
until it was found to cause birth defects – mostly deformities to the arms or legs.
It is currently used as a treatment for the blood cancer known as multiple myeloma.
http://www.uams.edu/update/absolutenm/templates/news_release_andrea.asp?articleid=
6031&zoneid=35
Don't Push Babies' Growth
Parents
and doctors alike fret over especially low-birthweight newborns. Their diminutive size
means these babies have little energy reserve—body fat—to sustain them during
illness or throughout fussy eating patterns. A trend has therefore developed to fortify
the formulas fed to such tiny babes. The booster beverage contains extra nutrients and
protein. Unfortunately, a British study finds, this practice could have a negative
long-term
repercussion
- high-blood-pressure in adulthood.
http://blog.sciencenews.org/food/2007/02/dont_push_babies_growth.html
Study Links Health to Day Care Equipment
Fewer
children and workers at out-of-home day care centers would get sick if the centers had
better equipment for changing diapers, washing hands and preparing food, according to a
study.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/02/ap3879377.html
Mild stress in the womb may worsen risk of cerebral palsy
Chronic
mild stress in pregnant mothers may increase the risk that their offspring will develop
cerebral palsy -- a group of neurological disorders marked by physical disability --
according to new research in mice. The results may be the first to demonstrate such
effects of stress on animals in the womb.
http://www.sfn.org/?pagename=news_070907
Deakin University researcher unveils pregnancy mystery
A
Deakin University study has unlocked one of the many mysteries of pregnancy—how the
trace element copper is transported across the placenta. The findings provide a lead to
the possible cause, treatment and prevention of a number of potentially fatal conditions.
Belinda Hardman completed the study for her PhD with Deakin’s Centre for Cellular and
Molecular Biology under the supervision of Dr Leigh Ackland. Ms Hardman is the first to
find that copper is delivered to the developing foetus via specific transporters in the
placenta that are regulated by the mother’s oestrogen and insulin levels.
These findings have implications for better understanding preeclampsia, intrauterine
growth retardation, the development of babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes
and some genetic disorders.
http://www.deakin.edu.au/news/upload/050307copper.pdf
Canned baby formula laced with toxic chemical
A
recent EWG investigation found the toxic plastics compound Bisphenol A in more than half
of our samples of canned fruit, vegetables, soda, and--with the highest levels of all--in
canned baby formula. BPA is used in the resin lining of the cans and is linked to birth
defects of the male and female reproductive systems. Our advice? Avoid canned foods when
possible and use powdered baby formula rather than canned.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola/newsrelease.php
New analysis puts cot death under scrutiny once again
An
analysis published in this week’s BMJ is set to re-open the debate over sudden
unexpected infant death (cot death). The Lancet recently published a study on repeat
infant deaths in 46 families, which suggested that almost 90% of second deaths in the same
family are natural. These findings contrasted with earlier studies, which found a much
higher proportion of repeat cot deaths were probably homicide. Yet the Lancet study has
proved very influential, being accepted by bodies such as the American Academy of
Pediatrics.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/bmj-nap071907.php
Very young babies vulnerable to sudden death while seated
Very
young babies are vulnerable to sudden death, when seated, warns a study published ahead of
print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Babies less than a month old are most at
risk, the research indicates.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/bsj-vyb071807.php
Regulation Of A Protein May Lead To Pregnancy
In
its early and most critical stages, human reproduction requires precise, vital functions.
The role of one sperm-delivered protein, which is crucial to the process, is being closely
observed by scientists from the United States and Canada. Lab tests in recent years have
produced valuable information and hopes of regulating that protein to enhance fertility.
[Ben Licher]
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319174520.htm
Flu while pregnant can harm fetus
WOMEN
who catch the flu during pregnancy are up to seven times more likely to have a child with
schizophrenia - and scientists believe they have finally figured out why.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22080530-601,00.html
Warning over food additive widens
The
Food Standards Safety Authority alerted consumers to Nutricia's Karicare Gold Plus Infant
Formula and Follow-On Formula on Monday, saying both contain
fructo-oligosaccharidespre-biotic (FOS), an additive not yet tested in New Zealand, which
may affect infant bowel movements.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1237748
Low cholesterol diet improves blood flow in fetus
Consuming
a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet during pregnancy seems to have a beneficial effect on
blood flow in the fetus, Norwegian researchers report.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSARM00885320070720
Pregnant pause before eating peanuts
New
research says it’s time to rethink the pregnant pause before eating peanuts New
scientific research has found that most women who follow general medical precautionary
advice and avoid peanuts when pregnant may be doing so unnecessarily as the advice does
not apply to them. The standard medical advice - given by most GPs and health
professionals such as midwives - is based on a 1998 UK Government issued precautionary
notice for women with a family history of atopy (asthma, eczema or hay fever) to avoid
eating peanuts during pregnancy and breast-feeding as this could increase the chances of
peanut sensitization in children. But the findings of a study by scientists Dr Tara Dean
and Dr Carina Venter at the University of Portsmouth of 858 pregnant women and 660
children suggests the Government medical advice is being followed mostly by first-time
mothers regardless of family history of atopy. Researchers questioned the women about
their diets, and two years later, conducted skin prick tests on the children to detect
peanut sensitization.
http://www.port.ac.uk/aboutus/newsandevents/frontpagenews/title,62665,en.html
Prenatal alcohol exposure alters brain activity in the frontal-striatal areas
Heavy
prenatal alcohol exposure does not always lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS); sometimes
it can lead to cognitive and behavioral deficits in the absence of craniofacial features
needed to make an FAS diagnosis. A new study has found that children and adolescents
prenatally exposed to alcohol have altered responses in frontal-striatal areas, brain
regions that may inhibit behavior.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-07/ace-pae071607.php
Prenatal stress keeps infants, toddlers up at night, study says
Anxious
or depressed mothers-to-be are at increased risk of having children who will experience
sleep problems in infancy and toddlerhood, finds a study that published this month in
Early Human Development. The study tracked 14,000 pregnant women (and an index child)
living in Avon, England and found that women classified as "mood disturbed"
during their pregnancies were 40 percent more likely to have a child with significant
trouble sleeping.
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/pr/news/story.cfm?id=1607
Yeast infection can trigger diaper rash
We
all have yeast in our intestines, and the bacteria there keep its growth in check.
Antibiotics can throw off that balance, allowing the yeast to multiply and seep into a
baby's poop, resulting in a rash on his bottom.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/LIFESTYLE/707240382/1005
More tiny babies being born in UK
The
study was carried out by the Fabian Society, a left-leaning think-tank, which called the
finding a "scar on the national conscience". It calls for more financial support
for at-risk women, better access to antenatal services and one-to-one care for all
newborns in intensive care. [Ben Licher]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6496253.stm
Poor Behavior Is Linked to Time in Day Care
A
much-anticipated report from the largest and longest-running study of American child care
has found that keeping a preschooler in a day care center for a year or more increased the
likelihood that the child would become disruptive in class — and that the effect
persisted through the sixth grade. [Ben Licher]
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/us/26center.html?ex=1332561600&en=
756a343aec2c044e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Toddlers Engage In 'Emotional Eavesdropping' To Guide Their Behavior
Little
children never cease to amaze. University of Washington researchers have found that
18-month-old toddlers engage in what they call "emotional eavesdropping" by
listening and watching emotional reactions directed by one adult to another and then using
this emotional information to shape their own behavior.
