Pregnancy – Page 2 – Baby Care Journals

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.

Is Delaying Clamping of Umbilical Cord Beneficial for Baby?

May 16, 2014 admin

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.

Which Foods Are Not Safe to Eat During Pregnancy? (And Which Ones Are?)

May 9, 2014 admin

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.

U.S. Government Calls on All Pregnant Women to Be Screened for Gestational Diabetes

February 13, 2014 admin

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 those of other medical organizations, including the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Hospitalization during Pregnancy Raises Risk for Dangerous Blood Clots

January 22, 2014 admin

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 for three or more days, women older than 35, and in the third trimester of pregnancy.

The study, published recently on bmj.com, found that hospitalized women in the above groups had 17.5 times the risk of developing the potentially deadly clots, compared to women who were not hospitalized.