A recent study reveals that — the heavy females are at higher risk of developing number of problems which are related to pregnancy. The researcher collected the data from nearly 24,000 UK females who delivered their babies from 1976 to 2005, and they discovered that the weight of females before pregnancy counts much, as this can cause a number of risks like high BP, pre-eclampsia and also it can result in premature delivery. This study gives proof that obesity can cause a number of risks to the mothers and their newly born infants. The lead researcher of the study is Dr. Sohinee Bhattacharya of Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. The researcher told that pregnancy of a heavy woman is always considered to be risky and it is looked on and monitored with utmost care. The researchers discovered that in comparison to the females, who have normal or ideal weight, the obese females have 50% more chances of having post-delivery bleeding and they are at higher risk of giving premature births at least by twice. They are at greater risk of getting operated for delivering baby due to some emergency complications. Females who are morbidly obese are at greater risk of having the problem of pre-eclampsia — a medical problem where hypertension arises during pregnancy and also kidney complications. In opposite to this, the study discovered that underweight females before pregnancy pose to have less chances of developing these complications. These females are like the normal-weight females and generally deliver underweight baby. The obesity is considered to be a main factor which can raise complications during the pregnancy. And now doctors should start awareness among their patients regarding this issue. In spite of giving best prenatal care, the counseling of the obese females is urgently required to advice them to shed their extra weight before getting pregnant. The study appeared in an online journal — BMC Public Health.
Obese women are at greater risk of having pregnancy comlications
China bans obnoxious birth control slogans
China’s health authorities have now banned all birth control slogans that are offensive and crude as such slogans have been reported to be tarnishing the image of the government. Obnoxious slogans such as ‘Raise fewer babies but more piggies’ and ‘One more baby means one more tomb’ have been banned. The authorities have issued a list of 190 slogans that are acceptable and these include "Mother earth is too tired to sustain more children" and "Both boys and girls are parents’ hearts". China’s family planning policy that came into effect 28 yrs ago limits urban couples to just one child and rural couples to go in for a second one if the first child is a girl. According to the government sources, this rule has helped prevent at least 300 million births. The preference for a male heir has resulted in forced abortions when the fetus is confirmed as a female leading to a dangerously imbalanced sex ratio. There have been protests in China among rural folks as the authorities have been levying heavy fines on those who are violating the one-child rule that has been enforced. The authorities are so harsh that they demolish the houses of those who fail to pay up the hefty fines which could be an amount equivalent to $1300 while the annual average income of these farmers is about $130. The low quality slogans painted on the walls in the rural areas are giving a false impression that the government is forcing people not to have more babies and tarnishing the image of the government, according to the National Population and Family Planning Commission. It would probably be a better idea to educate people about the benefits of having smaller families rather than use abominable slogans and infuriate the public. Image Source
Living close to the highway could have adverse influences on infants
If you are living close to a highway during pregnancy, be advised that your baby will suffer some consequences. A recent study has proved that there is a direct correlation between the unborn infants and the proximity to the highway. Quebec’s Institute of Public Health recently conducted a study which examined about 100,000 births between the years 1997 and 2001 in Montreal.Out of 100,000 infants, the mothers of 6000 infants lived close to the expressway. Due to the increased exposure to car exhaust, air pollution, etc. the mothers give birth to infants who are weak or give premature births. So just a word of caution. If you are in close proximity to the freeway during pregnancy, you might want to move away. Most of the vehicles on the expressway release throat and respiratory irritants which are harmful for the mother as well as her baby. Dr. Melissa Genereux is the lead study author and she recently said: In this study, we wanted to see if there was a relationship between proximity to highways and infant health Not only in Montreal, but also in big cities like Los Angeles, similar correlation have been found. The permanent air pollution and the exhaust fumes coming from the car smokes are trouble for the pregnant mothers and their infants that are yet to be born. Image Credit: Rmaonline
Eat plenty of fish and seafoods during your pregnancy
A recent study claims that pregnant women and breastfeeding mums should consume at least twelve ounces of fish in a week to get omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids present in fish & seafood’s should be consumed during pregnancy because it is very important and required by the body like we need minerals and vitamins for normal body growth. Pregnant females & breastfeeding mothers use to fear when it comes to the consumption of fish that have mercury, as a result these females are not eating required amount of fish and seafood’s & thus they are causing harm not only to their bodies & as well as risking proper development & brain growth of their kid’s. Most of the women stopped eating or reduced their fish consumption due to the danger of mercury poisoning. It is suggested that pregnant females & breastfeeding mother’s to consume at least twelve ounces of fish such as — tuna, sardines, salmon & mackerel & other seafood’s in a week to make it sure that brain growth of their babies & fetuses is going on normally. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to understand & follow these suggestions & recommendations because previously – the government recommended pregnant & breastfeeding women to restrict their seafood consumption due to level of mercury in fish & seafood’s based on earlier studies & researches. But now this latest study says that it is beneficial to consume fish and the seafood’s. So it’s very confusing what to do. Ashley Roman, a medicine obstetrician, mentioned in a statement that they are coming forward to clear all these existing rum-ours associated with the consumption of fish and seafood. He also mentioned that now there are enough proofs which stand in support of this statement that – by eating fish or seafood you move ahead and progress to get good results through out your pregnancy period and even after this. One important thing about the seafood’s is — it is generally believed that they make the brain sharp & that why known as brain food. These foods are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which is very essential for brain development. A recent research that took place this year discovered that pregnant females who consumed more and more seafood’s had kids who had highly developed brain with high IQ levels. Consumption of seafood’s during pregnancy is quite nutritional. The researchers conclude that advantages of consuming fish now sidelines the harms caused by the mercury.
High level prenatal testosterone-exposure may cause autism later in life: Study
With a new case of autism diagnosed nearly every 20 minutes in the United States, one in every 150 children born in the country have autism, which goes with the estimation of approximately 1 million suffering from the brain development disorder. Astoundingly, every year, 24,000 new cases of autism are diagnosed in the U.S. alone and the researchers all set to decode the cause at the roots, have come up with a surprising, but interesting finding. The reason for children’s developing the symptoms of the impairing disorder in social interaction and communication can actually be traced back to their life in their mothers’ womb! – yes, a new study has found that it is a child’s exposure to high levels of testosterone in the womb that lead to his developing more autism-related traits later in life. Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre at Britain’s Cambridge University said, It is a significant correlation and remains significant after you control for other factors. But, the mystery behind the spike in testosterone is not yet clear as ‘environment’ can be a possible cause. Although the new finding is thus still to go a long way for establishing a direct link between autism and testosterone, it surely brings hope for future autism treatments or rather prevention at the roots. Image
A smile and a pool should ease labor pains!
A woman forgets the pains she goes through the labor the minute she holds her baby in her arms. But, it’s really not easy when she has to go through the pains and doctors administer epidural to the ease the pain and make the process of delivery a comfortable one. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has now offered guidelines to doctors and nurses on how to ease the labor pains. The guidelines say that drugs should not be offered when the delivery is progressing normally even if this means longer labors. The advice is to use water pool as an effective epidural for easy delivery and also advises the mid-wives to constantly smile, talk and reassure women during the delivery. I would like to see more women using water and fewer women using the types of pain relief that are less effective Says Dr Julia Sanders, a consultant midwife. The institute stresses that women should be given information and support to make an informed decision about "where to give birth that is right for her and her baby". The women may chose to give birth at home if they are armed with the right information and are assured a one-to-one care in labor though the chances of women opting for a home deliver is far less due to the shortage of midwives. Most women feel comfortable with the idea of delivery in a hospital as they are assured of clinical intervention in case of emergencies. HypnoBirthing is a another unique antenatal program that teaches simple but specific self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques for an easier, more gentle birth that is often accompanied by a significant reduction in pain. HypnoBirthing is not about "training mothers to give birth"-when undisturbed we already know how to do that instinctively; it is about getting rid of fear and allowing our bodies and minds to relax so we can birth our babies gently, according to midwiferytoday. Relax women, Babies need not be hard work after all!!!(no, not at the moment atleast 
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Pregnant ladies! Quit smoking or suffer depression
Smoking among women is nothing unusual, but is disadvisable during pregnancy. It is not just a decades-old message, generally taken casually by many women. If are a mom-to-be and have not been able to or bother to quit smoking – do you know, your this habit might be responsible for your depression?! Though, you may straightaway rebuff this apparently unlikely link, this is exactly what the emerging science suggests. Warning on this finding, researchers suggest smoking pregnant women — going for prenatal checkups — with screening for mental health disorders as well. It’s agreeable that quitting smoking is not a easy task, but what is harder to treat is a smoker’s depression or anxiety disorders. But, what is worrisome is women’s worrisome reluctance to quit smoking during pregnancies. The only booster to encourage women to quit smoking is perhaps awareness programs showing how dangerous smoking is to their developing baby. Smoking’s increasing risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth-weight, death from SIDS, and learning and behavior disorders if fails to prompt women to even try to quit smoking, their depressions’ fatal impact on the baby might help.
Gene links breast-feeding to kids’ intelligence
While many new moms are busy deciding on whether to feed her baby with breast milk or exclusively bottled milk, many ponders on the reason for a child to grow intelligent on breastfeeding! Yes, it is already a well-established fact that breast-fed babies tend to grow up to be more intelligent compared to their exclusively bottle-fed counterparts. But, the question on ‘why’ and ‘how’ on ‘the intelligence quotient link’ has been established only recently after about 100 years of debate on it. Thanks to researchers who have zeroed-in to a very common gene found responsible for it. Breast-fed babies share the genetic variant to the FADS2 gene — found in about 90 percent of people! This gene is involved in processing the omega 3 fatty acids found in foods — like salmon, nuts and avocados — turning them into nutrients required by the brain. Besides providing intelligence to a child, breast-feeding also reduces infections, respiratory illnesses and diarrhea. In a recent study it is also found that breast-feeding adds healthier blood cholesterol levels in a child. So, would-be-moms and new moms, it’s time to be aware of the goodness of breastfeeding for your child and stop pondering on whether to bottle-feed or breastfeed your young one. Image
Food junky kids; are mothers to blame?
Hey mothers! If your kids are too crazy for junk food, so may be that you are to blame for that. This theory rolled out after a study by Royal Veterinary College researchers revealed that babies of pregnant rats who were fed on a diet of biscuits, crisps, and sweets had higher inclination to such junk food. Supporting findings of this study, researchers opine that may be ‘pleasure chemicals’ released by the mother while eating junk food had an effect on the developing brain of the fetus. If we look back at the studies conducted on mothers-to-be, then many results come to the fore showing that eating habits adopted by them during pregnancy have a significant effect on the developing fetus. And this very thing seems to be bolstering the assumption leaping out of this study. Still, regarding this study, there is a sect of researchers with a different opinion who feels that due to lack of strong evidence, it is difficult to state whether this theory is applicable for humans or not. Therefore, focus should be on further study over this issue, as only then precise facts would shine clearly. In this regard, Tracy Kelly of the charity Diabetes UK is right when he says: Much more work needs to be done before we draw any firm conclusions on how a junk food diet in pregnancy can affect the baby’s craving for the same diet. However, there is none denying the fact that junk food lacks the level of nutrition, which ought to be consumed by the expectant moms. Therefore, relying on nutritious diet, instead of junk food would be better for mom as well as for her baby. Image Via: True More
Asthma and allergies linked to birth order and childbirth procedures
With science probing deeper into medical problems, there is a need to not only be informed by keeping abreast with latest research but also by taking necessary precautions. Some risk of asthma and allergic reactions in humans have been traced back to the prenatal stage in the American Thoracic Society’s International Conference, Toronto, Canada. The predisposition to such health problems was attributed not only to birth order but also to the very process of childbirth. It’s reported that the first born babies are more susceptible to Asthma and allergic reactions while the converse is true for subsequent birth order. Also, children taking birth by caeserean sections are more disposed to health problem than vaginal deliveries. An underlying gene, IL-13, has been identified as a potential determinant of this susceptibility. Being an unprecedented research topic, this hypothesis needs to be substantiated with much follow-up and parallel researches. In the meantime, what most mothers-to-be can do is to visit a lot of farms and drink farm milk for a German study has shown that it is of some preventive value! Via: canadianpress Image