Pregnancy News

Week Of August 14 To August 20, 2004

August 14, 2004

Cocaine Use During Pregnancy Spells Trouble for Boys
A study conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Michigan found that boys who had been repeatedly exposed to cocaine in the womb were more likely to suffer from behavioral problems than those that were not. Girls who had been repeatedly exposed to cocaine in the womb did not appear to have an increased risk for behavioral problems. Some of the problems that the boys were more at risk for included hyperactivity and troubles with motor skills and abstract thinking. However, the researchers did not offer any insight as to why sex made a difference.
Source: Robert Preidt, Forbes.com

Pelvic Exercises Ease First-Time Labour
A study done at the Trondheim University Hospital in Norway has found that kegel exercises can help women have an easier labor. The researchers examined 300 pregnant women, half of which did kegel exercises from 20 weeks through to the end of their pregnancy. These women were found to have more control of their pelvic muscles and therefore had an easier labor. Previously there had been little research on this subject while the common belief was that stronger pelvic muscles actually made labor more difficult.
Source: Kelli A. Miller, WebMD.com

Quads from a Twin Make Baby One in a Million
A woman in Philadelphia has given birth to two sets of twins, two girls and two boys. What makes this birth especially unique is that the woman herself is a fraternal twin. The doctor who delivered the quadruplets put the odds of this kind of birth happening to a fraternal twin at one in a million quadruplet births. Mom and babies are doing well.
Source: The New Zealand Herald

August 16, 2004

Depression, Substance Abuse Linger After Pregnancy
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have found that women who abuse alcohol or tobacco or become depressed during pregnancy are more likely to suffer from depression after the pregnancy. The study followed 595 women during their pregnancy and up to eight months after the pregnancy. They found that women who smoked during their first trimester were twice as likely to suffer from depression or have problems with alcohol after their pregnancy. Women who tended to binge drink during their first trimester had a five times higher risk of developing problems with depression and alcohol after their pregnancy. The researchers feel that these findings provide evidence of alcohol and depression problems occurring during pregnancy. They suggest health care providers start doing more thorough screening for these problems.
Source: Kathleen Doheny, Health News Yahoo!.com

Birth Month May Influence Brain Cancer Risk
A study done at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland has found a possible connection between a person’s birth month and their risk for developing brain cancer. The study, which included a total of 1485 participants, found that those people who were born in the late fall to early spring had a higher risk of developing brain cancer with January and February being the birth months with the highest risk. People born in July or August appeared to have the lowest risk. The study also found that those people who were left-handed or ambidextrous also appeared to be at higher risk for developing brain cancer, a finding that contradicts a previous study, which found that left-handed people had a lower risk of brain cancer. However, the researchers are quick to point out that these findings may just be chance and that more research needs to be done before any conclusions can be drawn.
Source: China Daily 

August 17, 2004

World Population Expected to Climb Despite Drops in Fertility Rate
The Population Reference Bureau in the United States has predicted that the world’s population will hit 9.3billion by 2050, a 45% increase over today’s estimated 6.4billion. However, this growth is projected to come mainly from the developing nations whose populations are still growing. The developed world fertility rates are steadily declining with the United States being the only developed nation still experiencing growth. Their fertility rate is about 2 children per female. The United States population is expected to hit 400million by 2050. The global fertility rate has declined since the 1950’s, when it was 5 children per female. Today, the global average stands around 2.8 children per female but it is expected to decline even further in the coming years to 2.5 children per female.
Source: Michael Bowman, Voice of America, Voanews.com

August 19, 2004

Teen Pregnancy Rate on the Rise
The teenage pregnancy rate in Belgium is on the rise. In 2003 there was a 4% increase in teenage pregnancy rates compared to 2002. It was also found that between a quarter and a third of pregnant teenage girls had planned their pregnancy. Jeunesse et Sexualite (Youth and Sexuality), a non-profit organization, noted that many of the girls becoming pregnant are having troubles in school or at home and view their pregnancy as a part of growing up or as a way to start a new life for themselves. Despite the rise in teenage pregnancies, abortion rates have not changed.
Source: Belgium News, Expatica.com

Brain Damage Link to Scottish Newborn Deaths
Researchers of a major study conducted by the University of Edinburgh have announced that brain damage in the womb is the leading cause of death in newborns in Scotland. However, the study was unable to find any reason for the brain damage, as there were no problems with the mothers, pregnancy, or labor that would allow experts to predict future health problems with the newborns. It was found that 36% of babies born before term and 60% of babies born at term showed signs of serious brain damage that had begun before labor.
Source: Alan McEwen, Scotsman.com

Ahead of Their Time
Doctor’s are raising their concerns about delivering premature babies as the world notes that the tiniest baby ever born is now 14-years-old, healthy and doing well in school. Madeline Mann was born at 27 weeks, was less than 10 inches long and weighed only 9 ounces. While Madeline’s development shows that it is possible to be normal and healthy when you’re born prematurely, doctors are quick to point out that this is not the norm for premature babies. Many babies that are born with an extremely low birth weight have poor neurodevelopment and cognitive function as they get older. Doctor’s also noted that premature girls tend to develop and have fewer problems than premature boys. For a baby born today at 23 weeks (the lowest limit of viability), there is only a 5% to 10% survival rate. However, these babies have a 90% chance of developing a disablility like blindness, deafness or cerebral palsy.
Source: Maggie Fox, National Post (A16)

August 20, 2004

Paper Found Inside Jar of Baby Food in Orange County
Target stores in Southern California have pulled all jars of Gerber baby food off their shelves after a woman discovered a small, blank piece of paper inside a jar of baby food that she was feeding her child. While the child has not become sick, Target is waiting to hear back from the Food and Drug Administration that the jar was not contaminated before putting the line of baby food back on their shelves. In July, two jars of Gerber’s Banana Yogurt Dessert bought at the same store in Irving, California were found to have been tampered with and poisoned. The children who ate from those jars did not become sick.
Source: Associated Press, Mercury News.com

Carrot a Day May Help Keep Leukemia Away
A study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley has found that women who eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and protein during their pregnancy may help prevent their children from developing leukemia. The study involved 276 women who filled out a questionnaire about their diet in the year leading up to their pregnancy. Half of the women involved had a child who had been diagnosed with leukemia. The study found that the more fruits, vegetable and protein rich foods the women consumed, the lower their child’s risk of developing leukemia. Carrots, string beans, and cantaloupe were found to be especially beneficial in helping lower the risk of leukemia. However, the researchers point out that further studies need to be done on this topic and that their own findings need to be duplicated in subsequent studies in order to validate their finding.
Source: Rebecca Vesely, Alameda Times Star

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