Development – Page 4 – Baby Care Journals

More Parents Are Refusing Vitamin K Shots for Their Newborns Amid Fears of Reactions

October 31, 2014November 26, 2014 admin

A recent study from the University of Calgary has found that increasing numbers of parents are refusing to consent to their newborns receiving a shot of vitamin K at birth, due to fears about possible reactions to the high single dose of the vitamin, as well as the other ingredients that come with it.

Vitamin K is necessary for normal blood-clotting in both adults and children; however, babies are usually born with insufficient amounts of the vitamin in their system, as it doesn’t cross very well from the mother’s blood through the placenta. The mother’s diet does not affect the levels of vitamin K that her baby is born with to any large degree.

As Few as Five Alcoholic Drinks a Week Could Harm Male Sperm, Says New Study

October 24, 2014 admin

Bottles of assorted alcoholic beverages isolated on white

More than a hundred studies in recent years have documented the apparent benefit of moderate alcohol consumption to the health of men and women. One to two daily drinks for men, and one for women, are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and the most common type of stroke. Studies have also found that this low alcohol intake may protect against gallstones and improve insulin sensitivity, thus decreasing the risk for type 2 diabetes.

But when it comes to women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, most health authorities agree that not drinking any alcohol is best, given the degree of harm that it can cause to a developing baby.

Breast Milk Protects Newborns Against Deadly Intestinal Tract Disease

October 9, 2014October 9, 2014 admin

As recently as the 1950’s, American moms were being told that formula was better for their babies than breast milk. A lot of moms bought into that fallacy, and more and more babies started being fed formula, instead of breast milk, even in the decades that followed. Food allergies subsequently exploded in numbers, and other potentially deadly newborn digestive diseases also saw a rise in incidences.

But in recent years, scientists have uncovered an increasing number of reasons why breast milk is in fact the perfect food for a baby — yet another case where Mother Nature knew best, after all.

Is It Safe to Eat Canned Tuna During Pregnancy?

September 5, 2014 admin

You may have heard about the recent recommendation from Consumer Reports that all pregnant and nursing women avoid all types of tuna, due to concerns about mercury exposure for the unborn baby or newborn. This has a lot of women, and even some doctors, confused about whether to nix all tuna for pregnant or nursing women, or whether it is still safe to consume some tuna varieties.

Until now, public health experts agreed that albacore tuna (the white variety) was unsafe, due to its higher mercury content. But chunk “light” tuna (the darker kind) was always recommended as safe, so long as it was eaten in moderation. In fact, only in June of this year, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration issued a joint recommendation that pregnant or nursing women eat a minimum of 8 to 12 ounces (2-3 servings) of low-mercury fish per week. Canned light tuna was included on the list of these safer fish that pregnant or nursing women could consume.

Cigarettes and Nicotine Products in Pregnancy All Linked to Higher ADHD Risk in Children

August 27, 2014December 22, 2014 admin

For years, doctors have been urging women who get pregnant to give up cigarettes due to the many serious dangers that they pose to unborn babies and pregnant women. In the age of nicotine patches and nicotine gum, some physicians have even advised expecting women to switch to these, as they are believed to be less harmful to the baby than cigarette smoke.

But that may not be the case when it comes to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. Read More

Placenta Is a Gateway to Friendly (and Unfriendly) Bacteria for Fetus

August 11, 2014 admin

The placenta is the organ that a pregnant woman develops inside her uterus, to transfer oxygen and nutrients to her baby via the blood, while removing gasses and other waste from the infant. Researchers once thought that the placenta was a “sterile” environment, devoid of any bacteria that might find its way to the growing baby attached by the umbilical cord. But a new study has uncovered that the placenta actually harbors hundreds of bacteria species; most of them are harmless or beneficial.

Scientists found about 300 types of bacteria; they then compared the distribution of bacteria types with those that had been found previously in other parts of mothers’ bodies, including the mouth, skin, gut and vagina.

Study Finds Link Between Pesticides and Autism, Developmental Delays

July 22, 2014July 29, 2014 admin

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, MIND Institute have found that exposure to certain synthetic pesticides is linked to a higher risk of autism and developmental delays in children whose mothers were exposed to the pesticides while pregnant.

The study team found that the risk for autism increased from 60 to 200 percent, depending on the type of pesticide used, how close the mother had lived to the treated areas, and when in the pregnancy the mother was exposed.

Pregnancy Weight Gain Helps Protect Babies in Uterus from Pollutants

June 24, 2014 admin

Measuring tape around protuberant abdomen

Women of average weight who become pregnant are told by their doctors that they should put on between 25 and 30 pounds by the end of their pregnancy. This weight is the combined weight of the baby, amniotic fluid and the placenta. But it also factors in a little extra fat that will accumulate around the mother’s waist and over her belly. This new fat will help nourish the fetus, especially in the third trimester, when it starts to grow a lot more.

A new study finds that the new fat that mothers-to-be put on during pregnancy also serves to protect the unborn infant from exposure to some highly toxic chemicals that have accumulated in the mother’s pre-pregnancy fat over the years.

How to Protect Your Unborn Baby from Toxic Substances

June 11, 2014 admin

It’s always smart to do our best to avoid artificial chemicals and other harmful substances in our lives; but it is all the more important for a woman who is expecting a child. A baby developing in the uterus is much more sensitive to many substances that the mother may be better able to tolerate. And some toxic agents can result in birth defects, other life-long adverse consequences, or even death.

While the list of harmful substances for unborn baby and mother is increasingly long in our modern times, the following are important steps you can take during your pregnancy, to help insure the well-being of both you and your unborn infant.