Exposure to Alcohol Affects Child’s Brain
Researchers have found yet another reason to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy. A study published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research by researchers from the San Diego State University (SDSU) suggests that fetal exposure to alcohol may lead to behavioral and cognitive problems in children. The study followed 13 children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 who were exposed to heavy prenatal alcohol levels, and 9 children with no history of alcohol exposure. Participants who were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy showed altered responses in the prefrontal cortex regions of the brain, which are believed to be involved in the inhibition of behavior. The results suggest that children exposed to alcohol during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of developing psychological and behavioral problems such as ADHD.
Source: Forbes.com
July 24, 2007
Coffee During Pregnancy
According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, drinking moderate amounts of coffee while pregnant will not pose harm to a developing baby. The study followed over 1,200 pregnant women who drank at least three cups of coffee a day, and compared these women to a group of those drinking decaffeinated coffee or no coffee during pregnancy. There was no significant difference between the size of babies born to either of these groups and no apparent difference between the risk of preterm labor. The study did find, however, that women who smoked ten cigarettes a day at the onset of pregnancy were more likely to deliver smaller babies, and this risk was increased if the women were also coffee drinkers. Among other pregnancy risks associated with smoking cigarettes are miscarriage, preterm labor, bleeding, abnormal placenta position and fetal malformations.
Source: MSNBC.com
July 26, 2007
PGS Gets One Strike
PGS, preimplantation genetic screening, is a method widely used in fertility clinics to help infertile couples conceive. PGS is used to screen the embryo, particularly of women 35 years and older, for any chromosomal abnormalities before implantation. Ideally, PGS should increase the chances of conceiving by selecting healthy embryos for implantation. But, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that looked at several hundred Dutch women found that women who took PGS before IVF had a lower pregnancy rate than women who used IVF alone. The pregnancy rate for women who used PGS combined with IVF was 24%, while a rate of 35% was found among women using IVF only. However, many critics claim that the researchers in this study did not have enough experience with PGS techniques, and that this had negatively affected their findings.
