Researchers Say Stress In The Womb Can Last A Lifetime

Researchers Say Stress In The Womb Can Last A Lifetime

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The Lie of the EDD: Why Your Due Date Isn't when You Think
How the 40 week pregnancy myth came about and why it's totally wrong.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1047180/the_lie_of_the_edd_why_your_due_date.html

Low Levels Of Vitamin D Linked To Common Vaginal Infection In Pregnant Women

Low Levels Of Vitamin D Linked To Common Vaginal Infection In Pregnant Women

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Vitamin D really seems to be the miracle drug of the day.

Great website

I went to the Midwives Association of Washington State (MAWS) conference last Friday in Seattle. It was great- I learned a ton, and was very inspired. A friend introduced me to this website you all must check out: mothersnaturally.org
It has a fabulous due date calculator, among many other helpful tools, articles and info. I will add it to my link list on the right side of the blog here.

Well put, Jan Tritten

Please jump on over to Midwifery Today's community forum, where midwife Jan Tritten very beautifully articulates how I feel about birth.
Click here to read "Fear not; it is a miracle"

Brain Maturation In Preemies May Be Delayed By Iron Deficiency In Womb

(Terri here- all the more reason to be eating lots of leafy greens, liver, lentils and blackstrap molasses during your pregnancy. I'm serious!)

05 May 2009

Iron plays a large role in brain development in the womb, and new University of Rochester Medical Center research shows an iron deficiency may delay the development of auditory nervous system in preemies. This delay could affect babies ability to process sound which is critical for later language development in early childhood.

The study evaluated 80 infants over 18 months, testing their cord blood for iron levels and using a non-invasive tool -- auditory brainstem-evoked response (ABR) -- to measure the maturity of the brain's auditory nervous system soon after birth. The study found that the brains of infants with low iron levels in their cord blood had abnormal maturation of auditory system compared to infants with normal cord iron levels.

"Sound isn't transmitted as well through the immature auditory pathway in the brains of premature babies who are deficient in iron as compared to premature babies who have enough iron," said Sanjiv Amin, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and author of the abstract presented today at the Pediatric Academic Society meeting in Baltimore. "We suspect that if the auditory neural system is affected during developmental phase, then other parts of the brain could also be affected in the presence of iron deficiency."

As many as 20 to 30 percent of pregnant women with lower socio-economic status are iron deficient. Iron deficiency in pregnant woman can cause anemia, a condition in which there are not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. Anemia can cause a range of problems in pregnancy from exhaustion to preterm labor and low birth weight. But physicians didn't know that an iron deficiency in a fetus may also delay auditory neural maturation. which could lead to language problems.

"We are concerned by these findings because of its potential implications for language development," Amin said. "More study is needed to fully understand what this delay in maturation means. This finding at least underscores an already understood need to monitor iron levels in pregnant women."

Source:
Heather Hare
University of Rochester Medical Center

Taking probiotics during pregnancy 'can reduce obesity in mothers'

From Times Online

May 7, 2009

(Eyewire)

Researchers found adiposity in 25 per cent of the women who received the probiotics along with dietary counselling, compared with 43 per cent of the women who received diet advice alone

Sam Lister, Health Editor

Women who take probiotics during their first trimester of pregnancy may be less likely to suffer from the most unhealthy form of obesity after giving birth, according to research.

A study by scientists at the University of Turku in Finland suggests that manipulating the balance of bacteria in the gut may help to fight obesity.

Probiotics are bacteria that help to maintain a bacterial balance in the digestive tract by reducing the growth of harmful bacteria. They are part of the normal digestive system and play a role in controlling inflammation.

Researchers have for many years been studying the potential of using probiotic supplementation to address a number of intestinal diseases. More recently, obesity researchers have investigated whether the balance of bacteria in the gut might play a role in making people fat.

Kirsi Laitinen, a nutritionist and senior lecturer at the University of Turku, said that the results of the study, presented today at the European Congress on Obesity, were an encouraging sign of the impact of a diet supplemented with probiotics on adiposity. Adiposity, or central obesity, is a particularly unhealthy form of obesity associated with fat bellies.

“The women who got the probiotics fared best,” she said. “One year after childbirth, they had the lowest levels of central obesity as well as the lowest body fat percentage.

“We found [adiposity] in 25 per cent of the women who had received the probiotics along with dietary counselling, compared with 43 per cent of the women who received diet advice alone.”

In the study, 256 women were randomly divided into three groups during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Two of the groups received dietary counselling consistent with what is recommended during pregnancy for healthy weight gain and optimal foetal development. They were also given food such as spreads and salad dressings with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as fibre-enriched pasta and breakfast cereal to take home.

One of those groups also received daily capsules of probiotics containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which are the most commonly used probiotics. The other group received dummy capsules.

A third group received dummy capsules and no dietary counselling. The capsules were continued until the women stopped exclusive breastfeeding, after up to six months.

The researchers weighed the women at the start of the study, which was funded by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Academy of Finland and the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, a medical research charity.

At the end of the study they weighed them again and measured their waist circumference and skin fold thickness.

Central obesity — defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more or a waist circumference over 80 centimetres — was found in 25 per cent of the women who had been given the probiotics as well as diet advice.

That compared with 43 per cent of the women who got dietary counselling alone and 40 per cent of the women who got neither diet advice nor probiotics. The average body fat percentage in the probiotics group was 28 per cent, compared with 29 per cent in the diet advice only group and 30 per cent in the third group.

Ms Laitinen said that further research was needed to confirm the potential role of probiotics in fighting obesity. One of the limitations of the study was that it did not take into account the mothers’ weight before pregnancy, which may influence how fat they later become.

She said that she and her colleagues would continue to follow the women and their babies to see whether giving probiotics during pregnancy had any influence on the health of the women’s children.

“The advantage of studying pregnant women to investigate the potential link between probiotics and obesity is that it allows us to see the effects not only in the women, but also in their children,” she said.

“Particularly during pregnancy, the impacts of obesity can be immense, with the effects seen both in the mother and the child. Bacteria are passed from mother to child through the birth canal, as well as through breast milk, and research indicates that early nutrition may influence the risk of obesity later in life. There is growing evidence that this approach might open a new angle on the fight against obesity, either through prevention or treatment.”

D&C Versus a Natural Miscarriage

D&C Verses a Natural Miscarriage
Going through the process of a miscarriage is not only emotionally heartbreaking but physically draining as well. This article is informative from what happens during and after a miscarriage.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1276333/dc_verses_a_natural_miscarriage.html

Early Miscarriage

Early Miscarriage - Losing a Baby in the First Trimester
"Why?" is a question often asked when an early miscarriage occurs. Most of the time, that is a question that cannot be accurately answered. It is assumed that about 30% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/76163/early_miscarriage_losing_a_baby_in.html

National Cesarean Rate Continues to Rise

(Terri here: This report is so disheartening. Please check out Lamaze's website for great information, as noted in the last paragraph of this article. I LOVE Lamaze's Care Practice Papers- they are essential to any pregnant mama.)

Evidence Increases for Risks in Cesarean
Surgery as National Rate Continues to Rise

WASHINGTON (March 18, 2009)—As research continues to mount for the risks of cesarean surgery, the Centers for Disease Control released new, staggering statistics reporting that 31.8% of women endure birth by cesarean in the United States (2007). This announcement comes after the release of significant findings from the New England Journal of Medicine reinforcing that birth by cesarean surgery before 39 weeks of pregnancy causes increased complications in newborns.

Despite the latest advances in medical technology, health care providers cannot determine a baby’s due date with 100% accuracy. Therefore, cesarean surgeries scheduled before a woman’s estimated due date could result in a baby born as early as 36 weeks to a few days before the baby is actually due. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, a baby’s lungs mature and a protective layer of fat forms, both of which are vital developments for a healthy baby. In addition, babies need time for their lung cells to shift from being fluid producing to fluid absorbing cells. Without time during labor to prepare the baby to breathe, lungs cells may not be ready. Thus, babies born by cesarean surgery, even when they are full-term, need to go to an intensive care unit more frequently than babies who were born vaginally to get help breathing.

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) supports earlier findings that cesarean surgery performed prior to 39 weeks of pregnancy increases poor outcomes in babies. Of the babies in the NEJM study born before 39 weeks, more than 26% had complications, including the need to be on a ventilator, respiratory distress syndrome, low blood sugar and severe infection (sepsis).

“Overuse of cesarean surgery complicates the otherwise natural process of birth,” says Lamaze Institute Chair Debra Bingham, LCCE, MS, RN, DrPH, “Allowing the natural process to occur not only reduces risks for mothers in this and future pregnancies, but also reduces health risks for her baby.”

Spontaneous labor is almost always the best indication for a baby’s physical readiness for life outside of the womb. As one of the key steps to a healthy birth, Lamaze International recommends that women let labor begin on its own. Allowing labor to begin naturally increases the likelihood that a baby is healthy and ready for birth. When a birth outcome is good, mother and baby can bond and start breastfeeding immediately after birth—both of which provide the best start for a baby’s growth and development.

Lamaze International President Pam Spry, PhD, CNM, FACNM, LCCE says, “Maternity care in the United States is at a crossroads. The most commonly used practices don’t align with the best evidence for a healthy birth.” The Milbank Report’s Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve reveals that several routine maternity care practices, including cesarean surgery, contradict best evidence and are overused in the United States.

Cesarean surgery—a major abdominal surgery—also carries risks for women, such as blood loss, clotting, infection and severe pain, and poses future risks, such as infertility and complications during future pregnancies such as stillbirth and placenta problems like percreta and accreta, which can lead to excessive bleeding, bladder injury, hysterectomy and maternal death. The research is clear, however, that when medically necessary, cesarean surgery can be a lifesaving procedure for both mother and baby, and worth the risks involved.

Two of the most important decisions a woman can make are where she gives birth and who she chooses as her care provider. Lamaze International has developed tools to help women with these decisions, including the questions to ask and other reference material. Visit http://magazine.lamaze.org/ to learn more about the Lamaze during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

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About Lamaze International
Since its founding in 1960, Lamaze International has worked to promote, support and protect birth through education and advocacy through the dedicated efforts of professional childbirth educators, providers and parents. An international organization with regional, state and area networks, its members and volunteer leaders include childbirth educators, nurses, midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, physicians, students and consumers. For more information about Lamaze International, visit www.lamaze.org.

Eating Eggs When Pregnant Affects Breast Cancer In Offspring

Terri here: This explains my egg cravings when I'm preggers. What an amazing food- the incredible, edible egg. Good protein too!

02 Dec 2008

A stunning discovery based on epigenetics (the inheritance of propensities acquired in the womb) reveals that consuming choline - a nutrient found in eggs and other foods - during pregnancy may significantly affect breast cancer outcomes for a mother's offspring. This finding by a team of biologists at Boston University is the first to link choline consumption during pregnancy to breast cancer. It also is the first to identify possible choline-related genetic changes that affect breast cancer survival rates.

"We've known for a long time that some agents taken by pregnant women, such as diethylstibesterol, have adverse consequences for their daughters," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "But there's an upside. The emerging science of epigenetics has yielded a breakthrough. For the first time, we've learned that we might be able to prevent breast cancer as early as a mother's pregnancy."

The researchers made the discovery in rats by studying females whose mothers were fed varying amounts of choline during pregnancy. Different groups of pregnant rats received diets containing standard amounts of choline, no choline at all, or extra choline. Then the researchers treated the female offspring with a chemical that causes cancer of the mammary gland (breast cancer). Although animals in all groups developed mammary cancer, the daughters of mothers that had received extra choline during pregnancy had slow growing tumors while daughters of mothers that had no choline during pregnancy had fast growing tumors.

"Our study provides additional support for the notion that choline is an important nutrient that has to be considered when dietary guidelines are developed," said Krzysztof Blusztajn, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology at Boston University and the study's senior researcher. "We hope it will be possible to develop nutritional guidelines for pregnant women that ensure the good health of their offspring well into old age."

The researchers also found multiple genetic and molecular changes in the rats' tumors that correlated with survival outcomes. For example, the slow growing tumors in rats had a genetic pattern similar to those seen in breast cancers of women who are considered to have a good prognosis. The fast growing tumors in mice had a pattern of genetic changes similar to those seen in women with a more aggressive disease. The researchers also found evidence that these genetic changes may result from the way that choline affects modifications of the DNA within the mammary gland of fetuses as they develop in the womb.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be more than 184,000 new cases of breast cancer in 2008 and more than 40,000 deaths. Treatments for women suffering from breast cancer range from hormone therapy to surgery.

Aquarobics May Help Ease Labor-

Women who exercised during pregnancy needed less pain meds, study found

Terri here: I HIGHLY recommend this. I did prenatal water aerobics during my last two trimesters when I was pregnant with my daughter. There are SO many benefits to this: easy on your joints, low-impact exercise keeps you in shape for the upcoming marathon of labor, it feels fantastic to be weightless when you're so big, AND being in water actually helps keep or get the baby in a good position (meaning vertex and anterior: head down and facing the right way!). The classes do not need to be prenatal necessarily, and if you do nothing else- just go swimming on your own.

Caffiene more of a concern, occasional alcohol- not so much

Cautionary note: No guilt allowed here upon reading this article! I understand how strong the morning coffee addiction can be. And, the occasional festive drink (ie. weekly sabbath wine) appears to be harmless, as we suspected.

Well, duh. . .

(Terri here: sorry, but this seems like one of those "Why did they have to spend tons of money to study this when it seems like common sense?" kind of studies. But anyway, here it is:

Big Baby? Expectant Mothers Should Monitor BMI Increase During Pregnancy

11 Nov 2008

Expectant mothers whose body mass index (BMI) increases 25 percent or more during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to big babies. Analyzing data from 186 deliveries at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, researchers found that 86.2 percent of those babies whose birth weight was above the 90th percentile (4000 grams or 8 pounds 13 ounces) had mothers whose BMI increased 25 percent or more during pregnancy, compared with 6.6 percent of the mothers with normal-weight infants. After adjusting for other maternal characteristics, they found the odds of giving birth to a high-birth-weight baby were more than 200 times higher among mothers whose BMI increased at least 25 percent. The researchers conclude that given the considerable complications associated with delivering high-birth-weight babies, having an indicator that helps diagnose the condition may allow clinicians to make better choices regarding timing and mode of delivery, as well as prepare for emergencies. They call for future studies in larger more heterogeneous populations.

Percentage Change in Antenatal Body Mass Index as a Predictor of Neonatal Macrosomia
By Chad A. Asplund, M.D., et al
Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia

Annals of Family Medicine - November/December 2008

The Annals of Family Medicine is a new peer-reviewed research journal to meet the needs of scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and the patients and communities they serve. The Annals of Family Medicine is dedicated to advancing knowledge essential to understanding and improving health and primary care. The Annals supports a learning community of those who generate and use information about health and generalist health care.

http://www.annfammed.org/current.shtml

Angela Sharma
American Academy of Family Physicians

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/128921.php

Flu Shot During Pregnancy?

Here is a link to an article that says yes, and it protects your baby too. My advice? Like other vaccinations, I say: Do your research, and then confidently take responsibility for what you decide for your family.

Greater Risk Of Blood Pressure Disorders During Pregnancy In Rural Areas

(Terri here: My humble opinion on this article- I believe there is a correlation here due to diet. "Maternal poverty and social deprivation" are referenced, but no credence is given to maternal nutrition. I assume that poverty often infers a high-carb (low protein, less fruit and vegetable variety) diet. Please see Dr. Tom Brewer's research on increasing protein levels during pregnancy, and it's effect on lowering occurrence of PIH and Preclampsia at http://blueribbonbaby.org/.)

10 Nov 2008

Several factors, such as older age and high weight gain, are known risk factors for pre-eclampsia and other pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders. Now a new report suggests that social factors - including living in a rural county - may also increase the risk of pre-eclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), according to research presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 41st Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Our study showed an increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia and PIH associated with living in a rural area," comments lead researcher Rebecca Moore, MD, of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado. "The reason for this increased risk is unclear, but may possibly be associated with maternal poverty and social deprivation."

Using birth certificate data on infants born in Colorado from 2000 to 2006, the researchers analyzed risk factors for pre-eclampsia and PIH in more than 362,000 mothers. All of the women were free of chronic medical conditions at delivery. Women with pre-eclampsia develop rapid increases in blood pressure, along with kidney damage. Pre-eclampsia is a very common condition and the third most common cause of maternal death in the United States. The cause is unknown and there is no known cure, although the problem usually resolves after delivery.

The overall rate of PIH/pre-eclampsia was 3.3 %. The study confirmed the known risk factors, including age over 35 years, first pregnancy, multiple gestation (twins or more), and gaining more than 30 pounds during pregnancy. Smoking was associated with a lower risk of pre-eclampsia (but smoking increases the risk of other pregnancy complications).

After adjusting for all of these factors, the researchers identified some intriguing new risk factors for PIH/pre-eclampsia. Women living in rural counties were at increased risk: 56 percent higher than for women in other areas.

There was also a link to education, with a 19 % increase in risk for women who had some college education (compared to a high school education). Although the rate of PIH/pre-eclampsia was also higher for women with more than a college education, the difference was not significant. "These novel risks were independent of other risk factors, including adequacy of prenatal care," Dr. Moore adds.

The new information linking PIH/pre-eclampsia risk to the mother's social characteristics is an important first step to toward identifying new, nontraditional risk factors. "Although traditional risk factors for pre-eclampsia and PIH are well recognized, these diseases remain enigmatic, and there is no known effective way to reduce their incidence," says Dr. Moore. "Nontraditional risk factors may be of great importance in the design of future interventions to prevent the occurrence of PIH and pre-eclampsia, but data regarding these risk factors are scarce."

The data provided in the study were all self-reported, and are therefore subject to bias. Also, the study database did not include information on some potentially important factors, including the women's body weight and income level.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The study abstract, "Relationship between Novel Risk Factors and the Development of Pre-Eclampsia and Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension in Women without Pre-Existing Medical Conditions," (SA-FC408) was presented as part of a Free Communications session on the topic of "Clinical Aspects of Hypertension in Kidney Disease" on Saturday, November 8.

ASN is a not-for-profit organization of 11,000 physicians and scientists dedicated to the study of nephrology and committed to providing a forum for the promulgation of information regarding the latest research and clinical findings on kidney disease. ASN Renal Week 2008, the largest nephrology meeting of its kind, provided a forum for 11,000 nephrologists to discuss the latest findings in renal research and engage in educational sessions related to advances in the care of patients with kidney and related disorders. Renal Week 2008 took place November 4 - November 9 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Source: Shari Leventhal
American Society of Nephrology

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Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/128712.php

Depression can double risk of having a preemie

Depression during pregnancy, that is.
Here is the link.

Preeclampsia may lead to future heart disease-

(The CNM I trained with in Colorado did some research in this area as well. Also, body types seems to correlate: apple-shaped women vs. pear-shaped women. Apples are more prone to heart disease.)
Here is the link.