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 […]
Is It Safe to Eat Canned Tuna During Pregnancy? Read More »
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
Cigarettes and Nicotine Products in Pregnancy All Linked to Higher ADHD Risk in Children Read More »
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
Placenta Is a Gateway to Friendly (and Unfriendly) Bacteria for Fetus Read More »
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
Study Finds Link Between Pesticides and Autism, Developmental Delays Read More »
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
Pregnancy Weight Gain Helps Protect Babies in Uterus from Pollutants Read More »
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.
How to Protect Your Unborn Baby from Toxic Substances Read More »
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
Is Delaying Clamping of Umbilical Cord Beneficial for Baby? Read More »
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
Which Foods Are Not Safe to Eat During Pregnancy? (And Which Ones Are?) Read More »
New federal recommendations in the United States are for all pregnant women to be screened for gestational diabetes at 24 weeks of pregnancy, even when they have no symptoms of the condition. The new guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, are now the same as
U.S. Government Calls on All Pregnant Women to Be Screened for Gestational Diabetes Read More »
Women who are hospitalized during pregnancy for reasons other than to give birth have a much greater risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) during and after their hospital stay, according to a new study. Clot risk was also higher in the 28 days following discharge from the hospital. The risk was especially high for women hospitalized
Hospitalization during Pregnancy Raises Risk for Dangerous Blood Clots Read More »
