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.
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Yet another study has found that carrying a cellular phone in close proximity to a man’s testicles reduces the sperm’s ability to swim toward the egg, and it decreases the number of sperm that are alive to try to fertilize the egg.
Researchers from the University of Exeter in England reviewed findings of 10 studies that examined how exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phones might affect male fertility when the phones are carried in a front pocket or clipped to the waist.
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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.
Read More“Baby Blues.” “Depressed.” “Sad.” These are all ways to describe postpartum depression, which can kick in about five days after a newborn’s delivery, and usually goes away after two weeks. For some mothers (and dads!), postpartum depression is much more serious and treatment is needed. A new mother with postpartum depression will often feel sad, guilty, worthless and take no interest in her new baby. These moms feel shamed for feeling this way, and are too embarrassed to seek help. As a result, postpartum depression can be overlooked.
A 2006 study done by Brown University shows that it is vital for mothers who have the baby blues get professional help. Why? The study says there can be a link between a mother’s depression and a colicky baby. The study, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and is run by the state of Rhode Island, consists of a survey titled “Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.” The idea behind it is to help prevent infant mortality and ask about health and environmental factors in the baby’s household that may impact his, as well as the mother’s, health. The survey had already asked about depression, but in 2006 a new question was asked, “How inconsolable is your baby?” From these answers, it was determined that those mothers who were depressed also commented that their baby was very inconsolable, or, colicky.
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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.
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In most hospitals, a newborn’s umbilical cord is clamped within 15-20 seconds after birth. Doctors do this to lessen the possibility of hemorrhaging for the mother. But a review of studies has found that delaying clamping of the cord just a little longer is very beneficial for the baby, and does not appear to increase the risk of severe bleeding (or other complications) for the mother.
The review, published online recently in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, found that delaying cord-clamping for at least one minute after birth greatly improves iron and hemoglobin levels in newborns (hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all the tissues and organs; more iron means more hemoglobin will be made). Delaying clamping of the cord allows more blood and its iron to pulsate from the placenta and umbilical cord into the baby.
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You may have heard that some foods are not safe to eat during pregnancy. That’s because your developing baby is much more sensitive to germs and other toxins that a fully grown person is generally better able to fight off.
As a mom-to-be who wants to do what she can to help insure the health and comfort of her unborn baby, your diet should consist of natural, whole foods: lean meats, lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.
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Many American adults and teens have turned to e-cigarettes in the last few years, as a way to avoid the harmful smoke that conventional cigarettes produce, while still getting the nicotine they want. E-cigarettes are also allowed in some places where people can’t smoke regular cigarettes.
But as more e-cigarette liquids, with their nicotine, make it into American homes, increasing numbers of small children are being inadvertently poisoned by the liquids and their vapors.
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With autism rates soaring at an alarming rate in the United States, medical researchers are looking for answers as to what causes this mysterious condition, both on an anatomical and physiologic level.
A study published online in late March, 2014 in the New England Journal of Medicine is adding weight to scientific belief that autism may start in the fetal or even the embryonic stage of child development.
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Ear infections are the most common condition why children see a doctor in their first years of life. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised its recommendations to pediatricians, asking doctors not to be so quick to prescribe antibiotics, the usual cure, because of the long-term harm that excessive antibiotic use can cause to a person’s immune system.
About 80 percent of ear infections will go away on their own after a few days. And because of what we know now about how harmful heavy antibiotic use can be, many parents are looking for natural ways to cure their babies’ ear infections when a cure is needed.
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