Pregnancy

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REVIEW our Selected Pregnancy Articles in 2008. Stay informed and updated!

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Pregnancy

CDC - Having a Healthy Pregnancy: ABC's...Pregnancy Tips (A-Z) “Not all birth defects can be prevented, but a woman can take some actions that increase her chance of having a healthy baby. Many birth defects happen very early in pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Remember that about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. A Avoid exposure to toxic substances and chemicals --- such as cleaning solvents, lead and mercury, some insecticides, and paint. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to paint fumes. B Be sure to see your doctor and get prenatal care as soon as you think you're pregnant. It's important to see your doctor regularly throughout pregnancy, so be sure to keep all your prenatal care appointments. and... Breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for both you and your baby. Talk to your doctor, your family and friends, and your employer about how you choose to feed your baby and how they can support you in your decision. C Cigarette smoking during pregnancy increases the chances of premature birth, certain birth defects, and infant death. Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have a miscarriage and to have a baby born with a cleft lip or cleft palate--types of birth defects. Smoking is one of the causes of problems with the placenta and can cause a baby to be born too early and have low birth weight. Smoking is also one of the causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). D Drink extra fluids (water is best) throughout pregnancy to help your body keep up with the increases in your blood volume. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water, fruit juice, or milk each day. A good way to know you're drinking enough fluid is when your urine looks like almost-clear water or is very light yellow. E Eat healthy to get the nutrients you and your unborn baby need. Your meals should include the five basic food groups. Each day you should get the following: 6-11 servings of grain products, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruits, 4-6 servings of milk and milk products, 3-4 servings of meat and protein foods. Foods low in fat and high in fiber are important to a healthy diet. F Take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily both before pregnancy and during the first few months of pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine. All women who could possibly become pregnant should take a vitamin with folic acid, every day. It is also important to eat a healthy diet with fortified foods (enriched grain products, including cereals, rice, breads, and pastas) and foods with natural sources of folate (orange juice, green leafy vegetables, beans, peanuts, broccoli, asparagus, peas, and lentils). G ... “

NIH – Pregnancy

NIH - Pregnancy and Reproduction

NIH – Pregnancy

NHS - The pregnancy care planner: Your NHS guide to having a baby

NHS - The pregnancy care planner: What should you eat?

NHS - The pregnancy care planner: Vitamins, minerals and special diets

NHS - Exercise in pregnancy “Exercise builds muscle tone, strength and stamina, which can help your body cope with pregnancy weight gain (12.7kg, or two stones, on average). Exercise can also make it easier to regain pre-pregnancy fitness levels after the birth, and can help offset constipation, tiredness and circulation problems. General dos and don’ts • Do remember that the appropriate level of exercise will depend on how fit you were before becoming pregnant. • Do wear loose, comfortable clothes. Drink plenty of fluids and don't allow yourself to get overheated as this can be harmful to the baby. • Do take a gentle approach to exercises that put strain on joints and ligaments. During pregnancy women are more vulnerable to joint and ligament injury because the body produces relaxin, a hormone which loosens joints and ligaments in preparation for childbirth. • Do listen to your body. Dizziness and fatigue is not uncommon in the first trimester and some women lose their balance more easily in the second and third trimesters as the baby grows and their centre of gravity shifts. Stop and consult your health care provider if you experience vaginal bleeding, shortness of breath, palpitations (faster heartbeat) or pain in the back or pelvis. • Do avoid contact sports and any activity with a potential for hard falls, such as horse riding. • Don’t exercise in order to lose weight during pregnancy as this may harm your baby. • Don’t exercise flat on your back as this can restrict the flow of blood to the womb. • Don't use saunas or steam rooms. They can make you too hot, which can be harmful to the baby. If you can’t talk easily while exercising, you’re overdoing it, so slow down. “

Highlighted Articles

Don’t bat Your Eyes at FAS (2008) “The effects of drinking while pregnant can be profound and obvious, with telltale signs of atypical facial features like small eye openings, a small upper lip and a flat nose bridge. However, some children have been heavily exposed, yet do not exhibit the marked features, leaving their developmental deficits undiagnosed. In addition to atypical facial features indicative of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), heavily drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause reduced growth and cognitive development. Many children with FAS have poor reasoning and judgment skills, learning disabilities and poor coordination. If diagnosed early, some of these deficits can be offset with intervention programs. But that early diagnosis is difficult in patients without the obvious physical signs. A simple test to identify alcohol-exposed children can be done in the blink of an eye -- literally! Researchers from Wayne State School of Medicine in Detroit found performing an eyeblink conditioning test -- sounding a tone followed by a quick puff of air to the eye over several trials to see if the subject can learn to blink before the air puff -- was fairly conclusive.“

Treating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (2008) “Results of a new study reveal the prenatal damage to peptides in the fetal brain may endure into adulthood despite environmental enrichment provided in a child's early years.”

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy. (Nicotine Tob Res. 2008) “Maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with several adverse developmental outcomes in the offspring. These include preterm delivery, spontaneous abortion, growth restriction, increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as long-term behavioral and psychiatric disorders.”

Effect of a single bout of exercise on the mood of pregnant women. (J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2007) "CONCLUSIONS: Although the physiological and hormonal reactions are different for aqua- and land-based exercise both modes of exercise appear to be equally beneficial for pregnant women to engage in to improve mood. Additionally, exercise, but not parentcraft classes, resulted in enhanced mood in women in their 2(nd) or 3(rd) trimester of pregnancy. Although exercise has mood benefits that are comparable to other mood management techniques, it also has additional physiological and physical benefits to both the mother and the fetus."

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Pregnancy

Risks

NEWS:

Air Pollution Exposure May Slow Fetal Growth “The study found that the risk of a small birth-weight baby increased significantly with each increase in particulate matter of 4 micrograms per cubic meter during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Each 10 parts per billion increase in nitrogen oxide exposure was also associated with a large increase in the risk of a small birth-weight baby. The findings suggest that traffic pollution or living close to a major road could be linked to restricted fetal growth, said David Rich and colleagues from the department of epidemiology at the School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in Piscataway, N.J. They also found that exposure to particulate matter in later pregnancy was associated with a two- to fivefold increased risk of restricted fetal growth among mothers with separation of the placenta before birth and premature rupture of the membrane, compared with mothers who did not have these complications.“

Babies Born To Women With Anxiety Or Depression Are More Likely To Sleep Poorly “Results indicate that preconceptional psychological distress – anxiety or depression - was a strong predictor of infant night waking, independent of the effects of postnatal depression, bedroom sharing and other confounding factors. Significant psychological distress prior to conception was associated with a 23-percent increased risk of infant night wakings at 6 months of age and a 22-percent increased risk at 12 months of age.”

Brucellosis in pregnancy: a 6-year clinical analysis. (Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2009)

Early Fetal Exposure to Hong Kong Flu Linked to Low Adult IQ “Maternal infection with Hong Kong influenza during the first trimester in the 1969-1970 season is associated with reduced intelligence in adult offspring, according to a Norwegian study published online by the Annals of Neurology on April 15. Previous research has tied prenatal influenza exposure to mental retardation, explain Dr. Willy Eriksen and co-authors at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo. However, the effect of prenatal exposure to epidemic influenza on mean intelligence in the general population has yet to be explored. The Honk Kong flu, which had antigenic properties from both an avian virus and a human virus, emerged worldwide in the late 1960s. Norway was affected primarily between November 1969 and January 1970, with an estimated attack rate of 15% to 40%.”

Eating liquorice in pregnancy may affect a child's IQ and behavior “Expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of liquorice during pregnancy could adversely affect their child's intelligence and behaviour, a study has shown. A study of eight year old children whose mothers ate large amounts of liquorice when pregnant found they did not perform as well as other youngsters in cognitive tests. They were also more likely to have poor attention spans and show disruptive behaviour such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). It is thought that a component in liquorice called glycyrrhizin may impair the placenta, allowing stress hormones to cross from the mother to the baby. High levels of such hormones, known as glucocorticoids, are thought to affect fetal brain development and have been linked to behavioural disorders in children. “

Exposure to Antiepileptic Drugs During Pregnancy Linked to Adverse Outcomes

Exposure to Common Pollutant in Womb Might Lower IQ “"And here we're talking about extremely common urban pollutants, found all across the U.S. and the world," Perera added. "Traffic emissions from diesel and gasoline vehicles -- like buses, trucks and cars -- are a major source of these pollutants, as is fuel-burning coal. So, certainly the exposure is widespread and not confined to any one population or area, and we have no reason to think that the effects that we see in our study will be any different for other ethnicities or locations. … "Children exposed to prenatal or in-utero air pollution from traffic oftentimes have lower birth weights, somewhat smaller head circumferences, and a number of adverse outcomes," he noted. "There's certainly enough there to suggest an effect. And I think any one of those outcomes -- if they happen early enough in life -- can affect development through childhood and exert an impact on intelligence," Jerrett said.”

Exposure To Phthalates May Be A Risk Factor For Low Birth Weight In Infants “A new study soon to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics examines the possibility that in utero phthalate exposure contributes to low birth weight in infants. Low birth weight is the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age and increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adulthood.”

Flu During Pregnancy May Increase Risk Of Schizophrenia In Certain Offspring ““The good news is that most fetuses exposed to influenza virus while in the womb will not go on to develop schizophrenia. The bad news is that the prior association between influenza infection and later development of psychotic disorders was supported,” comments John Krystal, M.D., the editor of Biological Psychiatry. This finding has the potential to influence efforts to develop prevention, early intervention and treatment strategies, such as taking steps to maintain careful hygiene and, if clinically appropriate, administration of the influenza vaccination to reduce infection among women prior to pregnancy. Dr. Krystal notes, “It also raises an important unanswered question: How does influenza virus affect the vulnerable developing brain and how can we prevent or reverse the consequence of fetal influenza infection in vulnerable individuals before they develop schizophrenia?” “

Frequent Snoring in Pregnancy Could Signal Blood Sugar Trouble “"Snoring may be a sign of poor air flow and diminished oxygenation during sleep that can cause a cascade of events in your body," Facco explained. "This may activate your sympathetic nervous system, so your blood pressure rises at night. This can also provoke inflammatory and metabolic changes, increasing the risk of diabetes or poor sugar tolerance." The study also found that pregnancy increases the likelihood that a woman will snore. Early in pregnancy, frequent snoring was reported by only 11 percent of the women in the study, but by the third trimester, 16.5 percent snored frequently. Although the cause for the link between snoring and gestational diabetes in not well understood, Facco suggested that it could be due to weight gain and fluid retention, which could cause increased airway resistance. In gestational diabetes, pregnant women who had not previously been diagnosed with diabetes develop high blood sugar levels. It is estimated to occur in about 4 percent of pregnant women, and those who develop it are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes later in life, according to background information in the news release.”

Increased Risk Of Birth Defects After PCE Exposure “Prenatal exposure was associated with increases in the risk of oral clefts and neural tube defects (particularly anencephaly). Speaking about these findings, Aschengrau said, "Because PCE remains a commonly used solvent and frequent contaminant of ground and drinking water supplies, it is important to understand its impact on the developing fetus." “

Link Between Vitamin D Insufficiency And Bacterial Vaginosis In Pregnant Women “Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in US women of childbearing age, and is common in pregnant women. BV occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria. Because having BV puts a woman at increased risk for a variety of complications, such as preterm delivery, there is great interest in understanding how it can be prevented. Vitamin D may play a role in BV because it exerts influence over a number of aspects of the immune system. This hypothesis is circumstantially supported by the fact that BV is far more common in black than white women, and vitamin D status is substantially lower in black than white women. This relation, however, has not been rigorously studied.”

Maternal tobacco, cannabis and alcohol use during pregnancy and risk of adolescent psychotic symptoms in offspring (The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009))

Mom's obesity tied to higher infant mortality “Research shows that babies born to obese mothers are at increased risk for dying, particularly in the first weeks of life, compared to babies born to normal-weight mothers. Given high infant mortality rates in the US as compared to other developed nations, the researchers say, if the results are confirmed, "obesity prevention should be explored as a measure to reduce infant mortality."”

Obese mothers 'risk spina bifida' “Mothers-to-be who are obese increase their odds of having a baby with abnormalities including spina bifida, researchers say. Their analysis of data from 39 studies found obese women were more than twice as likely to have a baby with spina bifida or another neural tube defect. The risk of heart defects and cleft lip was also raised, the Journal of the American Medical Association says. “

Obesity Significantly Cuts Odds Of Successful Pregnancy, Study Finds

Occasional Binge Drinking During Pregnancy Linked to Child Mental Health Problems “Any episodes of consuming 4 or more drinks per day were independently associated with greater risks for mental health problems, particularly hyperactivity and inattention, in girls at 47 months and in both girls and boys at 81 months, after adjustment for a range of prenatal and postnatal factors. Binge drinking was not associated with IQ scores at 49 months, after adjustment for confounders. In the absence of regular daily drinking, consuming 4 or more drinks in a day was still associated with a greater risk for mental health problems, particularly hyperactivity and inattention. "The consumption of = 4 drinks in a day on an occasional basis during pregnancy may increase risk for child mental health problems in the absence of moderate daily levels of drinking," the study authors write. "The main risks seem to relate to hyperactivity and inattention problems."”

Panel: Avoid Epilepsy Drug in Pregnancy

Pregnancy: Bad Oral Hygiene Can Lead To Complications In Pregnancy And Problems For Babies “Bacteria from a mother's mouth can be transmitted through the blood and amniotic fluid in the womb to her unborn child. This could contribute to the risk of a premature delivery, a low birth-weight baby, premature onset of contractions, or infection of the newborn child.”

Pregnancy: Summer Heat Increases Risk Of Amniotic Fluid Level Deficiency, Study Reveals

Pregnant and Older May Mean More Complications “Although the rate of complications during pregnancy has remained unchanged since 1993, the percentage of pregnant women with preexisting conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, has increased, a new study finds. The scientists speculated that the increase was driven by more obese women and more older women having babies. Both obesity and the mother's age have been linked to increased complications during pregnancy and delivery, according to researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There's the good news and the bad news," said study co-author Dr. William Callaghan, a senior scientist in the CDC's Maternal and Infant Health Branch in the Division of Reproductive Health. "The good news is that we are seeing some improvements. The bad news is that some of the traditional complications of pregnancy -- hemorrhage and hypertension -- are increasing." “

Pregnant women more at risk from swine flu

Pregnant Women Who Smoke, Urged To Give Up Before 15 Week 'Deadline'

Pregnant Women With Mildly Abnormal Blood Sugar Levels At Higher Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes “"These results show that even a mild abnormality in glucose testing during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of diabetes later in life. Although we already know that women who've had gestational diabetes need to be monitored, the study suggests that even women with mild glucose abnormalities might benefit from diabetes prevention and detection strategies," says Baiju Shah, ICES researcher.”

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure May Compromise Neurocognitive Development

Prenatal Exposure To Chemicals With Higher BMI In Toddlers

Prenatal psychosocial stress exposure is associated with subsequent working memory performance in young women. (Behav Neurosci. 2009)

Pre-natal Alcohol Exposure Linked to Trouble Sleeping

Problems for Babies of Obese Mothers Start in Womb “A pre-diabetic condition -- insulin resistance -- is more often present at birth in babies of obese mothers than in those of lean mothers, according to a new report. Insulin resistance means that glucose processing is impaired, so there's a risk of developing diabetes. While it's recognized that children of obese women may have metabolic irregularities when they become adolescents and adults, "our study supports the contention that this may have its onset during pregnancy," Dr. Patrick M. Catalano told Reuters Health.”

Reducing stillbirths: prevention and management of medical disorders and infections during pregnancy. (BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2009)

Severe Adverse Effects of Smoking May Be Reversible if Mothers Quit Early in Pregnancy

Smoking During Pregnancy Fosters Aggression In Children

Smoking in pregnancy cuts blood flow to the fetus “Smoking during pregnancy reduces blood flow to the developing fetus and, in turn, retards growth, new research suggests.”

Smoking in pregnancy risks psychotic children “Mothers who smoke during pregnancy put their children at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms as teenagers, British scientists said on Thursday. Researchers from four British universities studied 6,356 12-year-olds and interviewed them for psychotic-like symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. Around 19 percent had mothers who smoked during pregnancy. “

Snacking On High GI Foods During Late Pregnancy May Lead To The Birth Of A Heavier Baby With An Increased Risk Of Childhood Obesity “Mothers who snack on high GI (Glycaemic Index) foods like chocolate and white bread during later pregnancy may give birth to heavier babies with a greater risk of childhood obesity, according to new research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.”

SSRI Exposure in Pregnancy May Increase Gestational Hypertension Risk “These findings suggest that "women who are exposed to SSRIs during pregnancy should be carefully monitored for the occurrence of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia," Sengwee Toh and colleagues write.”

Study finds new evidence of periodontal disease leading to gestational diabetes “A new study by NYU dental researchers has uncovered evidence that pregnant women with periodontal (gum) disease face an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes even if they don't smoke or drink, a finding that underscores how important it is for all expectant mothers – even those without other risk factors – to maintain good oral health.”

Study Ties Common Antibiotics With Birth Defects “Researchers studying antibiotics in pregnancy have found a surprising link between common drugs used to treat urinary infections and birth defects. Reassuringly, the most-used antibiotics in early pregnancy -- penicillins -- appear to be the safest. Bacterial infections themselves can cause problems for the fetus if left unchecked, experts said, so pregnant women shouldn't avoid antibiotics entirely. Instead, women should discuss antibiotics choices with their doctors.”

Sugary cola drinks linked for first time to higher risk of gestational diabetes “ … have found for the first time that drinking more than 5 servings of sugar- sweetened cola a week prior to pregnancy appears to significantly elevate the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy.”

The Effect of Excess Weight Gain in Teenage Pregnancies. (Am J Perinatol. 2009)

The new 'epigenetics:' Poor nutrition in the womb causes permanent genetic changes in the offspring “You are what your mother did not eat during pregnancy. In the research report, scientists from the University of Utah show that rat fetuses receiving poor nutrition in the womb become genetically primed to be born into an environment lacking proper nutrition. As a result of this genetic adaptation, the rats were likely to grow to smaller sizes than their normal counterparts. At the same time, they were also at higher risk for a host of health problems throughout their lives, such as diabetes, growth retardation, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and neurodevelopmental delays, among others. Although the study involved rats, the genes and cellular mechanisms involved are the same as those in humans.”

Trichomoniasis in pregnancy and mental retardation in children. (Ann Epidemiol. 2009)

Twins Born After Fertility Treatment Have Higher Risk Of Problems, Study Finds “Ms Hansen continued: "Couples undergoing fertility treatment should be aware that, in addition to the known increased perinatal risks associated with a twin birth, ART twins are more likely than spontaneously conceived twins to be admitted to neonatal intensive care and to be hospitalised in their first three years of life.”

What Every Woman Should Know about Alcohol and Pregnancy

Women's First-trimester Working Conditions Impact Infant Birthweight

ARTICLES:

Does Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Prevent and Treat Urinary and Fecal Incontinence in Pregnancy? (Nat Clin Pract Urol. 2009)

Melanoma and Maternity

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Fetal exposure to phthalates - a pilot study. (Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2009) “Our results suggest that several phthalates or their metabolites, respectively, reach the human fetus, which might be able to affect fetal health.”

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women and their newborns in an Iranian population. (J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2009)

Infection and stillbirth. (Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2009)

Maternal Licorice Consumption and Detrimental Cognitive and Psychiatric Outcomes in Children. (Am J Epidemiol. 2009)

Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Children's Cognitive and Physical Development: A Causal Risk Factor? (American Journal of Epidemiology 2009)

Prenatal Exposure to Maternal Cigarette Smoking and Accumulation of Intra-abdominal Fat During Adolescence. (Obesity (Silver Spring). 2009)

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in pregnancy and congenital malformations: population based cohort study (BMJ 2009) “Conclusion There is an increased prevalence of septal heart defects among children whose mothers were prescribed an SSRI in early pregnancy, particularly sertraline and citalopram. The largest association was found for children of women who redeemed prescriptions for more than one type of SSRI.”

The association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood obesity persists to the age of 9-10 years. (J Epidemiol. 2009) “CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that fetal environment, including exposure to maternal smoking, continues to be associated with childhood obesity at the age of 9-10 years.”

The influence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on spontaneous abortions. (Adv Med Sci. 2009)

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