A recent study suggests that practicing yoga during pregnancy may improve birth weight, reduce preterm labor, and decrease the chances of pregnancy complications overall. The study, led by Dr. Shamanthakamani Narendran in Bangalore and co-authored by Dr. Vivek Narendran of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Ohio, compared 169 pregnant women who practiced yoga with 166 pregnant women receiving only routine prenatal care. Fourteen percent of women who practiced yoga went into preterm labor, as compared to twenty-nine percent of increased cases in the controlled group. Rates of high blood pressure were also decreased in the yoga group. Yoga training involved various loosening exercises, postures, relaxation and breathing exercises and meditation, and was practiced for one hour every day. The report is published in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine.
Source: PakTribune.com

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen have found a link between apple and fish consumption during pregnancy and a reduced risk of asthma and eczema in children. The study followed 2,000 expecting mothers and their pregnancy diets, with follow-up examinations of their children five years later. Pregnant women who ate at least four servings of apples per week were approximately 50% less likely to have children who developed asthma, as compared to mothers who had one apple or less per week. In addition, those who consumed one weekly serving of fish during pregnancy decreased the likelihood of their children developing eczema– an allergic skin disease – by half. While the mechanisms behind these results remain unclear, some attribute these increased health benefits to antioxidants found in apples, and omega 3 fatty acids found in fish.
Source: Newswire Today

A recent study has found results that may pinpoint the exact time at which stress during pregnancy begins to harm the fetus. Previous studies have confirmed that there is a link between maternal stress and fetal development; however, the exact time and mechanisms involved had remained unclear. A study based out of the Imperial College of London and Wexham Park Hospital Berkshire has recently found that the amount of cortisol stress hormones found in the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus, is linked to the mother’s blood as early as 17 weeks gestation. The strength of this correlation is then increased as the pregnancy progresses. Previous studies in animals have found that high levels of maternal stress can affect both brain function as well as behavior in children.

Source: InTheNews.co.uk

Researchers from Saint Louis University have conducted a study to evaluate the effects of weight loss on fetal health in pregnant women with obesity. Previously, doctors had not recommended that pregnant women with obesity limit weight gain or attempt to lose weight during pregnancy so as not to harm the baby. However, the study – which followed two groups of pregnant women who were obese and suffered from gestational diabetes – found that obese women who had no weight gain during pregnancy as well as those who had lost weight during pregnancy did not cause harm to the health of the baby. Babies who were born to the women who either maintained their weight or lost weight as a result of diet and exercise during pregnancy were more likely to be of average size. The results of the study are published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Source: Earthtimes.org

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has warned that heat exposure from the sun during the first three months of pregnancy may put a fetus at risk of having a low birth weight. In addition, sensitivity to high temperatures can make an expectant mother feel particularly unwell. Similarly, exposure to low temperatures during the last three months of pregnancy may have the same effects. The warning was issued in anticipation of a summer heat wave in Britain. Experts referred to previous studies, with particular focus on research conducted by Bristol University, published in the British Journal of Gynaecology in 2005. The RCOG advised that pregnant women take certain precautions – such as drinking plenty of fluids and wearing appropriate clothing such as hats – in order to avoid heat exhaustion. The symptoms of heat exhaustion include increased body temperature, tiredness, light-headedness and a dry mouth.
Source: Metro.co.uk

A study to be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has linked omega 3 fatty acid consumption during pregnancy with improved problem solving skills in infants at the age of nine months. Researchers studied the effects of increased levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as a regular part of a pregnancy diet. DHA is a type of omega 3 fatty acid found in high concentrations in certain areas of the brain including the cerebral cortex, synapses, and retinal rod photoreceptors. Infants whose mothers had an average of 313 milligrams of DHA per day faired much better when presented with activities requiring problem solving. However, determining the recommended amount of DHA to be consumed by pregnant women will require further research. DHA is a direct source of omega 3 fatty acid commonly found in cold water fish. A-linolenic acid (LNA) which is converted into DHA in children and adults, is not easily converted at the fetal stage, and therefore does not provide the same types of benefits.

Source: HealthSentinel.com

A recent study suggests that women who smoke during pregnancy are at a considerably higher risk of experiencing a stillbirth. The study followed women during their first and second pregnancies and found that women who smoked during both pregnancies had a 35% higher chance of a stillbirth than nonsmokers. Women who smoked during the first pregnancy, but had quit prior to their second pregnancy, decreased their chances of having a stillbirth. In addition, those who quit smoking for their second pregnancy showed no difference in the risk of stillbirth as compared to those who had never smoked before. Women who smoked more than ten cigarettes a day during their second pregnancy had a 45% increased risk of having a stillbirth.

Source: Reuters.com

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) not enough women are taking folic acid prior to getting pregnant. Many women are aware of the benefits of folic acid during pregnancy, which include the prevention of birth defects. However, doctors recommend that sufficient folic acid levels be present in the body prior to getting pregnant in order to ensure a healthy start to pregnancy. This leads to another issue related to pre-conception counseling. The CDC found that 85% of women in the study did not seek medical attention from a healthcare provider prior to pregnancy.

Source: ABC7Chicago.com

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

A new study of 400 women in five U.S. cities between 1999 and 2005 suggests that women eating beef during pregnancy may put their unborn sons at an increased risk of developing infertility. The study found that men whose mothers ate seven or more meals containing beef per week while pregnant had a 24% decrease in sperm concentration as compared to men whose mothers ate less beef. Researchers believe that these sub-fertile sperm levels may be caused by residual hormones, pesticides, and other contaminants of animal feed that may alter testicular development in utero. Currently, the FDA allows for minimal hormonal residues of stradiol, testosterone, progesterone, and synthetic hormones such as zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol to remain in beef. The use of these hormones to promote growth in cattle has been banned in Europe since 1988.

Source: TorontoDailyNews.com