Smoking while pregnant found to increase risk of ‘cross eyes’ and reduced fertility in baby

Smoking while pregnant increases the chance of eye problems and low fertility counts in babies, according to two separate scientific studies.

Research on how women who smoke while pregnant affect the development of their child has been going on for decades. Recently published studies in the American Journal of Epidemiology and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B add to the mountain of evidence that smoking while pregnant is detrimental to the developing baby.

Dr. Tobias Torp-Pedersen and his team of researchers at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark found that smoking while pregnant increased the risk of strabismus, a condition in which the eyes are unable to align evenly.

Copyright © 2006-2009 By Shawn Douglas

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Avoid junk food during pregnancy!

In their rat-based study, researchers at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center showed that pregnant females that ate a high fat diet not only increased breast cancer risk in their female daughters but also in that daughter's offspring – the "granddaughters."

The researchers say they don’t know why this risk is passed on through two generations, but they believe it occurs through as-yet unknown "epigenetic" changes that result in an increase in terminal end buds in the breast tissue – an increase that apparently can then be passed on through generations.

These buds are believed to be the structures where breast cancer can develop, and having more of these structures seems to increase breast cancer risk, says the study’s lead investigator, Sonia de Assis, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Leena Hilakivi-Clarke’s laboratory at Lombardi. "That is our theory, but we really don’t know how it is happening – just yet."

Copyright © 2010 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

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Separated twins 'making progress'

Cork twins Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf are in a stable condition and making steady progress following their separation almost two weeks ago, London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital said today.

The boys, who were conjoined at the chest when born in December, were successfully separated during a 14 hour operation at the hospital on April 7th and 8th.

The procedure was carried out by Cork-born consultant paediatric Edward Kiely and a team of about 30 other doctors.

In a statement released today, Great Ormond Street Hospital said the twins remained in intensive care but were making progress on a daily basis.

© 2010 irishtimes.com By Stephen Carroll

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Mums-to-be who follow weight gain guidelines more likely to lose it postpartum: Study

Overweight, young, undereducated, Aboriginal and first-time mothers are more likely to gain more weight than recommended during pregnancy, according to a new Statistics Canada study released Wednesday.

They're also more likely to retain that weight five to nine months postpartum, the study found.

"Canadian women's adherence to Health Canada gestational weight guidelines has not been assessed since the recommendations were released in 1999," the study said

"Observational studies in countries with similar guideline have shown that women tend to gain more weight than recommended while they are pregnant.

© 2008 - 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.

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When to Tell the Boss You’re Pregnant

When I was pregnant with my first child, I kept it a secret from everyone at work for the first three months. That was logistically simple — I was working in the Houston bureau of The Times at the time, and my editors and colleagues were almost all in New York. But it was physically and emotionally exhausting. I was spending as much energy pretending I wasn’t pregnant as I was actually being pregnant, which adds up to an awful lot of energy.

I didn’t tell for many reasons — because I feared the jinx factor, and because I was still absorbing the news myself. I also didn’t want to have to deliver sad news if the pregnancy ran into complications in the early months. The second time around, though, I told everyone early, because I was more confident and really, really tired of acting like I wasn’t nauseous all the time.

Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company By Lisa Belkin

Why men get baby blues

A much-anticipated new baby arrives into the world, full of fresh promise and wonder, carrying its parents’ hopes, dreams and expectations on its tiny little shoulders.

While it’s meant to be the most joyous of all life experiences, for some parents, their newborn baby brings with it an incapacitating psychological illness: postnatal depression (PND).

It affects more than 15 per cent of new mothers and 10 per cent of new fathers.

But the real figures may be much higher, says Belinda Horton, CEO of the Post and Antenatal Depression Association (Panda).

By Lollie Barr © Herald and Weekly Times

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Ellen Pompeo Explains Skipping Maternity Leave for Baby

New mom Ellen Pompeo (pictured) skipped maternity leave from Grey's Anatomy after the birth of her daughter Stella Luna, and she seems to indicate in an interview that she realizes some may have wondered why she had decided it was so important to get right back to work.

She told Self Magazine: "A lot of people couldn't understand why I wouldn't take my maternity leave. I felt like I needed to work while I had this opportunity. The writers and producers were really gracious and wrote my scenes so I could pre-shoot them."

She spoke about some of the other issues that all moms face when she revealed her thoughts after hearing the news. She said: "I got pregnant and I was like, 'Oh God, it worked! Oh, no!' Will I know how to do everything right?"

By Phillipa Bourke ©2004 - 2010

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Conjoined twins in London for op

The conjoined twin boys born to a Cork couple last December have travelled to London to prepare for their separation operation next month.

The procedure to separate Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf is due to take place on April 7 in London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

The boys were born in London on December 2 and since then, their progress has been carefully monitored by Great Ormond Street and Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH).

They travelled to London yesterday with their parents Angie and Azzedine and their two sisters, Malika and Iman. The family were flown by the Air Coprs to the RAF airbase at Northolt in London. They were joined on board by a team from Cork University Hospital’s emergency department and a nurse from the neonatal intensive care team at CUMH.

By Deborah Condon Copyright © 2010

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Stress during pregnancy can increase the risk of asthma in infants

A recent study has found that the offspring of pregnant women who suffered high stress levels are at a higher risk of developing asthma. According towww.worldnewsnetwrok.com, a difference between the cord blood immune pattern of the offspring born to a stressed mother and an offspring born to a mother with lower stress levels has been found. The difference in the pattern could very well be associated with the risk of becoming asthmatic sometime later in life. The study was conducted by researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

As per www.health.am, the research was conducted on pregnant women from about 557 families living in various cities facing different stressors. It was found that the cord blood structure in certain infants was different from certain others depending upon the stress levels of the mothers.

© 2008

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City's maternity hospitals will get cash to move

Dublin's three maternity hospitals will be able to move to new locations as planned -- despite the economic downturn.

There had been fears that a freeze in the Health Service Executive's capital budget could have an impact on the plans.

However, HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm said he was confident that the hospitals would be able to move as planned, in the next five to seven years.

The Coombe Women's Hospital is due to move to the site of Tallaght Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital to the site of the Mater Hospital, while the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, is due to move to the St Vincent's University Hospital site.

By Fiona Dillon

© Herald.ie 2008

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Why pregnant women suffer bad memories

Pregnant women would be wise not to lose sight of their handbag or mobile phone, research suggests.

Among the many odd effects that pregnancy can have, one of them appears to be increasing the risk of losing things.

Scientists found women in the later stages of pregnancy tend to suffer a loss of spatial memory -- the memory of locations and positions of objects.

The problem was apparent in the last six months of pregnancy and lasted at least three months after a woman had given birth.

Experts believe it can be traced to the effect of pregnancy hormones on the brain.

© Herald.ie 2008 By John von Radowitz

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Young children call 911, help their mother deliver baby

Two young children called 911 for advice on how to help their mother deliver her baby after she quickly went into labor at home.

Faith and Jabari Sanders were expecting a new sibling to join the family soon, but they didn’t expect on March 9 that they would be the ones bringing their new brother Joseph into the world.

Their mother, Alana Sanders, began having labor pains around 1:30 a.m., shortly after their father, Geoffrey, had left for work.

“She thought it was a bowel movement,” Geoffrey Sanders later told the San Francisco Chronicle. “She sat down and nothing was happening as far as that was concerned.”

Alana Sanders, 36, realized that she was going into labor. Past experience had proven that she was quick to give birth, and it soon became clear that she was going to deliver her baby at home.

Copyright © 2006-2009 By Shawn Douglas

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Dublin Maternity Hospitals will move to new sites

HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm has said he is confident that the three Dublin maternity hospitals will be able to move to their new locations as planned in the next five-to-seven years, despite the current economic climate.

The Coombe Hospital is due to move to the site of Tallaght Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital is due to move to the site of the Mater Hospital, while the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, is due to move to the site of St Vincent’s University Hospital.

Despite overcrowding and a need for modern facilities being well documented in all three maternity hospitals there have been fears that their development plans would have to be shelved due to a freeze in the HSE’s capital budget.

However, Prof Drumm told IMN the move would go ahead.

By Priscilla Lynch

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Baby steps towards empathy

PREPARING CHILDREN for the future is one of the most important tasks any society can set itself. And while the acquisition of skills and knowledge are the fundamentals of an education system, there is a growing body of research which suggests that children need a parallel set of social and emotional skills to help them develop key life skills of resilience and adaptability.

In many cases, these skills are learned naturally through everyday life at home and in school. But, what happens if they aren’t? Canadian social entrepreneur Mary Gordon says the absence of these social and emotional skills results in bullying and disruption and also impedes children’s learning. “Children’s emotional intelligence is now known to be a predictor of positive life outcomes such as good mental health, successful relationships, academic and career success and civic responsibility and engagement,” she says.

Gordon was in Dublin recently to give a classroom demonstration of her internationally recognised programme, The Roots of Empathy. The programme is based on the simple premise that children can learn empathy by observing the close interactions between a parent and baby. While here, Gordon introduced two classes of school children in Tallaght to a mother and her six-month-old baby. The children sat around a mat on the floor watching and chatting about the baby with her mother and Gordon. They smiled, giggled and asked lots of questions as they watched the baby grab and play with soft toys, pull herself along the mat and gurgle with joy.

By Sylvia Thompson © irishtimes.com

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Obesity leads to 'alarmingly' high risks in pregnancy

WOMEN WHO are significantly overweight while pregnant suffer an “alarmingly” high rate of medical complications, new Irish research has found.

The study of pregnant women, carried out by researchers at UCD’s Centre for Human Reproduction in the Coombe Hospital in Dublin, confirms the risk to pregnancy outcomes associated with obesity.

The study, which analysed data from 5,824 women who delivered a baby at the Coombe in 2007, found pregnancy in severely obese women was complicated by hypertension in 35.8 per cent of cases, and by gestational diabetes in 20 per cent of women.

The complications necessitated an extremely high rate of obstetric intervention, the study noted, with the hospital witnessing an induction rate of 42 per cent in obese women, and a Caesarean rate of 45 per cent.

By Eoin Burke-Kennedy ©2010 irishtimes.com

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Foods Pregnant Women Should Shun

CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a practicing OB-GYN, said on "The Early Show" pregnant women should have a well-rounded nutritious diet. But in that diet, they shouldn't eat certain foods that may harm the baby.

One of those foods is cooked seafood high in mercury. Ashton explained the bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it may contain.

According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, women should avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish during their pregnancies.

The same goes for raw seafood.

By Dr. Jennifer Ashton ©2010 CBS

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In Defense of Baby Einstein: The Educational DVDs May Not Teach Kids, But They Help Parents

Another day, another study showing that “educational” programming for babies isn’t. The latest research, which came out yesterday, shows that infants between 1 and 2 don’t pick up any language skills from Baby Wordsworth, a DVD in the Baby Einstein series. The paper adds to a huge body of evidence that, with very few exceptions, TV shows and videos are at best no help in teaching anything to young kids.

I have an 11-month-old, so I’ve spent the past 11 months—scratch that, 20 months—being inundated with messages about how best to raise a child. Also, before my daughter was born, I made an extensive study of Baby Einstein and other supposedly enriching media for infants as part of a cover story for our Japanese edition. The story isn’t online, but here is what it said about the DVDs:

They probably don’t harm kids, per se, unless they’re used at the expense of parent-child interaction. But that’s the problem—too often, they are serving as the latest variation on the “electronic babysitter” ... Every developmental psychologist interviewed for this story had harsh words for [Baby Einstein]. All of them pointed out that it isn’t interactive—it bombards young kids with images and sounds but doesn’t give them feedback when they respond ... Rather than plop your baby in front of a DVD—even an educational one—psychologists say it’s far better to read to him.

By Mary Carmichael © 2010 Newsweek, Inc.

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Assisted reproduction does not affect baby

Whether a woman gets pregnant the ‘traditional’ way or by assisted reproduction appears to have no effect on the birthing process or the baby, the results of a new study indicate.

Norwegian researchers looked at the pregnancies of more than 1.2 million women who gave birth between 1984 and 2006. Of these pregnancies, over 8,200 were as a result of assisted reproduction, such as IVF (in vitro fertilisation).

They found no differences between the birth weight and gestational age of the babies who had been conceived spontaneously and those who had been conceived following assisted reproduction. There were also no differences between the risks of having a small baby or having a premature baby.

The team did find a slightly higher risk of breech births among the assisted pregnancies. However their findings suggest that this is due not to the technology used in assisted reproduction, but to other factors – namely the fact that mothers who undergo assisted reproduction tend to be older on average, have shorter pregnancies and fewer previous births.

By Deborah Condon Copyright © 2010

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Should you eat eggs when pregnant?

Very early on in my pregnancy I found myself heading towards Bayswater for no other reason than a need to satisfy a sudden intense craving for a parmesan custard from Le Cafe Anglais. My desire was so strong I could smell it - £4.75 worth of wobbly, cheesy goodness was going to be mine, and nothing was going to keep me from it. No one would know, I reasoned, so why not, just this once?

I'd got as far as the Whiteleys escalator before I realised with a flush of shame that this behaviour was identical to that of a secret smoker. Not only might I compromise my own health and that of my baby, but I was also contemplating doing it behind my partner's back. The sneaking around was particularly heinous as he had, unprompted, also given up all the favourite foods of mine I was unable to eat. We had agreed I should be mindful of the risks of contracting salmonella from partially cooked eggs, so there was no way I could justify eating Rowley Leigh's custard. Was there?

By Catherine Philips © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

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Fun ways to guess your baby's sex

YOU could easily wait on ultrasound confirmation, but we're sure you'll agree that guessing your baby's gender and hearing the odd explanations from friends about why it's one sex and not the other can sometimes be much more fun. There is no guarantee of course that the guesses will be accurate, but there are so many who swear by these old wives tales, that it's hard to believe that some are not true. So if you are an expectant mom, don't be surprised if you find your relatives and friends start measuring your tummy -- it could be that they are just trying to find out what colours to buy.

1. The shape of your tummy: It is said that you are having a boy if your belly looks like a basketball and a girl if your belly looks like a watermelon.

2. How sick do you feel: The frequency of your morning sickness is something that some use to determine gender. Little or no morning sickness means that you are having a boy and being sick in the first trimester or throughout your pregnancy means you are having a girl.

3. It's all in the heartbeat: Your baby's heartbeat is considered a definite give-away. If the heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute, then you are having a boy. If they are over a 140, then it's a girl.

Copyright© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer

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Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have to give up workouts, says fitness trainer

FITNESS trainer Sarah-Jane Hunter is not letting her pregnancy bump stand in the way of her workouts.

The expectant mum plans to keep working at her private health, fitness and wellbeing club as near to her due date as possible.

And she is making plans for a prompt return to the studio after giving birth.

As a personal trainer qualified in ante and post-natal exercise, Sarah-Jane is well aware of the dangers of highimpact exercise and risks it poses to her unborn baby and her own health.

By Laura Coventry © 2010 Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.

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Real food: Tall tales and truths about drinking coffee

All parents tell their kids fibs to prevent them from eating unhealthy foods. My dad told me a doozy: drinking coffee would give me fleas in my tummy!

But there are many other widespread myths about coffee that recent scientific studies have dispelled.

The Coffee Science Information Centre says the most common misconception is that it is a diuretic. It does increase the frequency of urination, but not the amount of water you excrete. Coffee has now been included among the fluids that count towards our recommended daily intake of water by the British Dietetic Association.

The most surprising fact I learned is that it is not addictive. We over-use that word. Coffee does not work along the same neural pathways in the brain as an addictive drug or even nicotine would.

By Rozanne Stevens ©Independent.ie

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Baby development linked to learning

Monitoring the development of babies' motor skills could help to identify children who will need help with their learning at nursery, new research suggests.

Youngsters who fail to reach key "milestones" are more likely to have learning and behaviour problems at the age of five, a study by the Institute of Education, University of London, found.

The researchers analysed the development of almost 15,000 UK children taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study.

They looked at assessments of youngsters "gross" motor skills, like crawling, as well as "fine" motor skills, like the ability to hold objects with their fingers at the age of nine months.

© 2010 The Press Association

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New look emergency and special baby care units open in Portiuncula tomorrow

The refurbished emergency department and special care baby unit at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe will be officially re-opened tomorrow (Friday) at 12 noon by the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney.

The hospital which has been plagued in recent months with threats of downgrading and industrial action is now sending out a positive message to the people of Ballinasloe, according to Galway county councillor Paul Connaughton.

He says: “This is a welcome development for Ballinasloe, and is a key part of the areas infrastructure. The redevelopment of these units is sending out a positive message to the people of Ballinasloe, especially with talk of downgrading the hospital, and moving services to Galway.”

Cllr Connaughton says the announcement is comforting to the people of Ballinasloe, and shows the hospitals importance and commitment to the town and neighbouring areas.

© 2010 Galway Advertiser

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Question of Finance: What is the best account for my young children?

Q: I have a 20-month-old daughter and another baby due at the end of April.

I would like to set up savings accounts for both of them and I wondered whether you would recommend a particular bank?

Alternatively, would I be better off going for a post office or a credit union account?

A: I have two girls (nine and six) and I have two AIB Parent Saver accounts. These accounts pay 5pc, but for a year only and there is a €200 monthly maximum you can put into each. After a year, the money is transferred into a parent deposit account paying 0.5pc.

By Charlie Weston ©Independent.ie

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Bans sought for chemical BPA in baby, toddler products

States are moving to ban the chemical BPA from food and drink containers, primarily those meant for infants and toddlers, because of health concerns.

States are moving to ban the chemical BPA from food and drink containers, primarily those meant for infants and toddlers, because of health concerns.

The Food and Drug Administration, which previously called BPA safe, announced last month that, in light of new studies, it has "some concerns" about the chemical's potential effects on brain development of fetuses, infants and children. It did not say BPA is unsafe.

"This announcement has added momentum to the efforts to restrict the uses of this dangerous chemical once and for all," says Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., author of a pending bill to ban BPA from food and drink containers. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.., has a similar proposal in the Senate.

© 2010 USA TODAY

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Baby who can walk at just six months old

Mary King, 30, and her husband David, 27, said they knew their son, Xavier, was a fast learner when he started sitting up on his own at just three months old.

But they were astonished when he tottered to his feet and began walking distances of six feet without support in January.

Mrs King, from Cambridge, said of her first child: "Xavier is more advanced than most babies his age. It was just amazing when he got up and started putting one leg in front of the other.

"The only problem now is that I can't leave him alone so have had to buy a play pen so he doesn't get into any mischief."

By Heidi Blake © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

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Thinking of using IVF? Try this first

After pregnancy, anxiety about infertility is the main reason women of childbearing age consult their GP. One in three women experience problems in getting pregnant, with seven out of 10 childless women over 30 worrying that they are infertile.

In their anxiety to beat the biological clock, many couples may be opting unnecessarily for assisted conception before they have exhausted natural alternatives that cost less in time, money and emotion.

So, if your new year's resolution was to get pregnant in 2010, here are some ways to improve your chances with none of the expense, side-effects or hassle of IVF.

As the joke goes, keep on trying normal conception methods -- in the kitchen, the bathroom, the garden shed, anywhere you fancy. If you've been on the Pill or are trying for a baby in your late twenties or your thirties, it's normal for conception to take some time -- and you might as well enjoy the wait. After six months of trying, 60pc of couples have conceived. After a year this rises to 80pc.

By Jane Feinmann © Herald.ie 2008

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Mom's anemia may raise schizophrenia risk in offspring

Children of mothers who had been diagnosed with anemia during pregnancy, most likely due to iron deficiency, had a significantly elevated risk of developing the mental disorder, the study's lead researcher Dr. Holger Srensen of the University Hospital of Copenhagen in Demark, told Reuters Health by email.

Iron is necessary for the production of hemoglobin, a protein that distributes oxygen throughout the body. Because a pregnant woman carries an additional set of organs and tissues -- and almost 50 percent more blood -- she needs extra iron to ensure that enough oxygen gets around.

"We speculate that maternal iron deficiency may disrupt essential pathways that affect the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus," Srensen said. Earlier research has suggested that a failure to meet the iron demands of a developing brain might heighten a child's vulnerability to disorders such as schizophrenia.

© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters

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Osteopathic care may ease late-pregnancy back pain

Doctors in osteopathic medicine (DOs) are medical doctors additionally trained in gentle manipulative techniques to help restore function, range of motion, and lessen pain in bones and adjoining muscles supporting the neck, back, chest, shoulders, and hips.

Osteopathic manipulation may particularly benefit pregnant women seeking medication-free back pain relief, note Dr. John C. Licciardone and colleagues at University of Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.

The study, in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, included 144 otherwise healthy pregnant women, about 24 years old on average, with moderate levels of back pain and related movement difficulties during late pregnancy.

The women were randomly assigned to one of three groups: usual obstetric care only, usual obstetric care plus weekly 30-minute osteopathic manipulation treatments from the 30th week of pregnancy through delivery, or usual obstetric care plus sham ultrasound skin stimulation sessions.

© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters

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Benefits of drinking milk while pregnant revealed

New research has found that mothers who drink milk during pregnancy could help reduce the risk of their child developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in later life.

According to findings from a Harvard School of Public Health report, which looked at almost 36,000 women whose mothers gave information during pregnancy, the risk of developing the illness was reduced among those whose mothers drank a lot of milk when carrying them.

Out of the 35,794 women looked at, 199 developed MS over a period of 16 years.

©2001-2010 Bounty (UK) Ltd.

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Getting pregnant with fibroids

WOMEN diagnosed with fibroids often become concerned that they may not be able to get pregnant, or that the chances of them becoming pregnant are slim. However, doctors say this should not be a concern as women can in fact become pregnant despite the presence of fibroids.

"Women can indeed become pregnant if they have fibroids," general practitioner Dr Orlando Thomas said. "This does not prevent them from becoming pregnant at all."

He explained, however, that fibroids have been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. But this is dependent on where on the uterus the fibroid is located.

"If the fibroid is located on the outside of the uterus (subserosal) or near the cervix, these are considered problem areas during pregnancy," Dr Thomas said.

By Donna Hussey-Whyte © 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer

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'Baby brain' and 12 other pregnancy myths

Pregnancy may bring a rush of euphoric emotions for many women, but it can also mean nine months of paranoia and panic. We are fed so much information that the path from conception to labour can be fraught with confusion. Once that bump appears, everyone has an opinion on everything from the gender of your child to how you should live your life while carrying him or her.

And who knows what to believe? Last week, for instance, the long-held belief being that pregnancy triggers memory lapses dubbed “baby-brain” syndrome was debunked by a report in the British Journal of Psychiatry. According to a study by the Australian National University in Canberra, neither pregnancy nor motherhood damaged brain power, so being forgetful can no longer be blamed on the baby.

Then came the revelation from the supermodel Gisele Bündchen that she had sailed through labour, giving birth to her son in the bathtub at her Boston penthouse. “It wasn’t painful, not even a little bit,” said the 29-year-old Brazilian, right. “The whole time, my head was so focused — every contraction, the baby is closer, the baby is closer. ” So should all women be rushing to use birthing pools? Not necessarily. No evidence confirms that childbirth is less painful in water. “Birthing pools work for some,” says Maylyn Bonds, a midwife for Tommy’s, a charity that funds research into pregnancy problems. “They don’t help others.”

By Peta Bee Copyright 2010 Times Newspapers Ltd.

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Where's daddy?

Many new Irish fathers are reluctant to take leave to help look after their offspring

RECENT STUDIES in the UK show that almost half of all fathers refused to take paternity leave they were entitled to, because they feared it could affect their work prospects.

For many new Irish fathers, choosing to turn down paternity leave is not even an option, as there is currently no legal entitlement to it here.

With the prevailing economic climate, some observers believe the pressure for reform of paternity rights is unlikely to be top of the agenda for some time.

At present, paternity leave in the private sector in Ireland is at the discretion of employers, while in the public sector three days’ off is available to staff.

By Brian O'Connell © irishtimes.com

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Talk to the hand

Sign language is being promoted as a way to improve communication between young babies and their parents

SIOBHÁN MURRAY cannot remember her son Charlie, who turns three next month, ever having a tantrum. Either she has a very selective memory or he is an extraordinary child.

Or maybe, as she believes, the fact that he started to use sign language from the age of five months helped them avoid frustrating misunderstandings. Signing is promoted as a way for babies to communicate better before they can talk.

“He is a wild little monkey but he has always been able to communicate, so there wasn’t that angst of not being able to say what was wrong,” explains Murray, who now teaches baby signing.

We know that babies begin to get a grasp of what is going on in the world around them long before they can start articulating their thoughts. Personally, I am always amazed at how good they are at getting their message across.

By Sheila Wayman © irishtimes.com

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Voxiva launches U.S. text service to aid pregnant women

A D.C.-based mobile technology firm is behind a new government effort to educate and encourage healthy habits in pregnant women.

Launched last week, the free "Text4baby" program sends tips to expectant mothers who opt in to receive pregnancy-related text messages on their cellphones. Voxiva, the firm administering the service, is hoping that the project will raise the profile of such messages as a tool for delivering health services in the United States. Launched on Thursday, the service reported 6,500 takers in the first 24 hours.

Voxiva has launched about 150 health-related text-message services around the world, mainly in developing countries where access to doctors is scarce. Such projects, typically underwritten by governments or pharmaceutical firms, have often been used as a tool to disseminate news about treating diseases such as diabetes or AIDS.

By Mike Musgrove ©1996- 2010 The Washington Post Company

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Acupuncture Relieves Depression during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a joyful time for many women, but up to 20 percent experience symptoms of depression, with one in ten pregnant women having symptoms of major depression. Given the potential dangers associated with taking antidepressants during pregnancy, an effective non-drug approach such as acupuncture is welcome.

Depression during pregnancy, also referred to as antepartum depression, is a mood disorder just like clinical depression outside of pregnancy. Mood disorders involve changes in brain chemistry, and pregnancy certainly is a time during which hormones fluctuate significantly. The American Pregnancy Association notes that depression during pregnancy frequently is not diagnosed properly because people assume it is just another type of hormonal imbalance.

By Deborah Mitchell Copyright eMaxhealth.com 2005-2009

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'Baby brain' is a myth - study

Pregnancy and motherhood do not affect a woman’s memory, the results of a new study indicate.

According to the findings, so-called ‘baby brain’ is a myth and pregnant women and mothers should not blame memory lapses on their growing babies.

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) assessed the cognitive functioning of 1,241 women, aged 20-24. Four specific areas were assessed – cognitive speed, working memory, immediate recall and delayed recall. The women were followed up at four-year intervals in 2003 and 2007, when they were given the same cognitive tests.

The study found no significant differences in cognitive change among those who were pregnant and those who were not. There were also no significant differences between those who had already become mothers and those who had not.

By Deborah Condon Copyright © 2010

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Chemical imbalance may explain crib death: study

A chemical imbalance in a baby's brain may be behind sudden infant death syndrome, the exact cause of which has eluded scientists for decades.

According to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, lower levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids several brain functions, as well as lower levels of an enzyme that helps create serotonin, increase a baby's risk of succumbing to SIDS.

These chemicals are produced in a part of the brain that controls breathing during sleep. Abnormalities in this area may prevent a baby from responding to a potentially life-threatening problem, such as asphyxia, when sleeping, according to the research.

The study found that serotonin levels were 26 per cent lower in babies who died from SIDS, compared to babies who did not. Researchers also found that levels of tryptophan hydroxylase, which helps create serotonin, were 22 per cent lower in SIDS babies.

© 2010

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Portiuncula retains baby-friendly status

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global campaign by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and The United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF), which recognises that implementing best practice in the maternity service is crucial to the success of programmes to promote breastfeeding.

Genevieve Becker, National Co-ordinator of the BFHI in Ireland congratulated Portiuncula Hospital on being the first hospital in the country to achieve the re-designation of this award.

A hospital spokesperson said: "This quality initiative is associated with increasing breastfeeding rates in the Hospital.

"In 2004, 48 % of mothers initiated breastfeeding this rate has been growing steadily in the last five years, in 2009, 58.91% of mothers initiated breastfeeding."

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Flame retardant may affect fertility: study

PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are hormone-disrupting pollutants that build up in the blood and tissues.

In a study in the latest issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found that, for each 10-fold increase in PBDE blood concentration, women experience a 30 percent decrease in the odds of getting pregnant each month.

PBDEs have been associated with reproductive and hormonal effects in animals, but this is the first study to examine their association with human fertility, lead researcher Dr. Kim G. Harley of the Center for Children's Environmental Health Research at U.C. Berkeley's School of Public Health in California and colleagues note in their report.

The researchers measured PBDE levels in blood samples from 223 pregnant women enrolled in a long-term study examining environmental exposures and reproductive health. The investigators also asked the women how many months it had taken them to become pregnant. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters

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Prices differ at maternity hospitals

PRICE differences between two of Dublin's major maternity hospitals have led to a call for regulation of fees which expectant mothers are forced to pay.

Semi-private patients at the Rotunda Hospital have to fork out a non-refundable deposit of €1,200, while mothers attending Holles Street Hospital semi-privately pay €500.

The Rotunda raised its price by €400 in the middle of last year, and it says the huge price hike was necessary to curb the demand for services.

But Janette Byrne, spokesperson for Patients Together, said hospital charges should be regulated so that one price 'fits' all patients, since patient care does not vary hugely between the hospitals.

By Geraldine Gittens © Herald.ie 2008

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Effects of chemicals in flame retardants

New study indicates chemicals found in flame retardants may effect the intelligence of young children.

The Environmental Protection Agency's administrator, Lisa Jackson, recently laid out her top priorities for the coming year. And right at the top of the list: Improving chemical safety.

"We will be accelerating work on chemicals of concern and supporting reform of our nation's chemical laws so that they keep pace with the chemical industry," said Jackson.

The brominated chemicals in flame-retardants known as PBDEs raise red flags for health researchers. Scientists now report a link between PBDEs in the blood and reduced IQ in young children.

© Copyright 2009 Public Radio International

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New mothers don't need a partner on paternity leave

In between advice for expectant mothers on breathing, visualisation and when to push, the midwife who gave us our pre-natal course had a few words of advice for the fathers.

In a nutshell, they amounted to "Keep out of the way" and "Don't imagine we'll have any time to worry about you". Beyond that, the only other advice aimed at the fathers was how to bath a new baby and change a nappy. It was all delivered and received with good humour, but there was an edge to it, a serious desire to convey that in the earliest hours, weeks and months of a baby's life, daddy is crucial, but he's crucial as back-up. In the earliest hours, weeks and months, mammy is life. And that's not theory, it's biology.

As Gordon Brown prepares to introduce an option of six months' paternity leave in the UK, you have to wonder what service is being done by persisting with the idea that men and women are the same and want, and should want, the same things. In reality, maternity leave, after a baby's arrival, is a matter of necessity, rather than being an intellectual choice.

By Sarah Caden ©Independent.ie

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Baby killed by mother's gum disease

Experts have long suspected a link between mouth bugs and the risk of miscarriage in pregnancy.

But they now claim they have the first documented case of oral bacteria killing a nearly full term baby.

The study – published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology – reveals the case of a 35 year old woman who had the common gum disease gingivitis.

She delivered a stillborn baby at 39 weeks and doctors were able to trace the oral bacteria in the mother’s mouth to bacteria found in the baby’s bloodstream, lungs and stomach.

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

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Father forced to deliver own baby in maternity ward after midwife leaves

A father was forced to deliver his own baby in a maternity ward after the midwife abandoned them.

Thomas Howard frantically pressed the emergency buzzer to alert staff for help when he realised the newborn's arrival was imminent.

But when no one at the hospital's maternity suite arrived to deliver the baby, the 33-year-old had to act.

Father-of-five Mr Howard said by the time the midwife had returned, his partner Emily Baron had already given birth.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

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Herbal use common among pregnant women in U.S.

Roughly 1 in 10 pregnant women in the U.S. expose their unborn baby to herbal products, according to a new study.

Health

This finding is potentially concerning, researchers say, given that data on the safety of herbal use during pregnancy is lacking. Furthermore, the prevalence of exposure was highest in the first 3 months of pregnancy, a critical period of development.

"If we assume that our study sample was representative of the 4.2 million births each year in the United States, our findings project that 9.4 percent, or potentially 395,000 U.S. births annually, will involve exposure to at least one herbal product during pregnancy," lead author Dr. Cheryl S. Broussard, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, told Reuters Health by email.

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, are based on data from 4,239 mothers in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study who delivered liveborn infants with no major birth defects from 1998 to 2004. The 10 study centers were located across the U.S.

© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters

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Chemicals in old furniture can make it harder to get pregnant

Scientists say flame retardant chemicals found in older furniture can cause delays in becoming pregnant.

The chemicals, called PBDEs, were in common use in the 1970s in lounge suites, electronics, fabrics, carpets, and plastics, but were have been phased in Europe since the 1990s. The chemicals can leach out through dust gathered on surfaces which contain the compounds.

They can be inhaled and then stored in human fat cells.

A study found that women were half as likely to conceive if they had high levels of PBDE in their blood.

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

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Baby joy for Housewives star

'Desperate Housewives' star Neal McDonough and his wife, Ruvé Robertson, are celebrating the birth of their third child.

People magazine reports that the couple's daughter, London Jane McDonough, was born on 11 January in Los Angeles, weighing 7.95lbs.

Speaking to People, Robertson said: "Morgan Patrick, four, and Catherine Maggie, who is two-and-a-half, are thrilled to have a new baby sister in the house. The first words out of their mouths when they wake up or come home from preschool are, 'Where's Baby London?'

© RTÉ 2010

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€3m for boy (8) left with severe injuries after birth

AN eight-year-old boy has secured a €3m settlement in a High Court action over severe injuries he suffered at birth.

Sean Fitzpatrick, who has cerebral palsy, is unable to speak and will require a wheelchair as a result of the injuries he sustained during his birth at Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, on March 29, 2001.

Sean, who sued through his mother Gillian Fitzpatrick of Nephin View, Foxford, Co Mayo, alleged negligence against the Health Service Executive (HSE) and consultant obstetrician Dr Darragh Corcoran.

The settlement was approved by the President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns after talks between lawyers for both sides.

By Tim Healy ©Independent.ie

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Fathers to get six months' paternity leave

Fathers will be able to take up to six months' paternity leave while their child's mother returns to work, under government proposals due to be announced later today.

Ministers are expected to say that fathers will have a legal right to take the place of the mother at home for the last three months of her nine-month maternity leave.

During that time, they would be eligible for statutory government pay of £123 a week. They would then be allowed to take an additional unpaid three months off, which would effectively allow couples to have a total of 12 months' parental leave.

The measure would allow mothers who earn more than their partners to return to work earlier, and is a victory for Harriet Harman, the deputy leader of the Labour party, who has championed extra parental leave and flexible working rights for parents.

By Helene Mulholland © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

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World's 'second pregnant man'; baby boy due

Scott Moore, the world's second known "pregnant man," is expecting his first baby

next month with his partner. Scott, a British transgender man who used to be a woman, is due to give birth to a baby boy in February, according to reports.

Scott and his partner, Thomas, were both originally born as girls, but have undergone surgery and hormone treatments to transform their physical orientation.

The 30-year-old Scott (born Jessica), and Thomas (born Laura), also 30, are legally married and live in California. The unconventional couple already have two sons, Gregg, 12, and Logan, 10, whom they adopted. They are Thomas’s children from a previous relationship with a woman who has since died.

The two proud papas are now expecting their first child together- a baby boy- who they've decided to name “Miles.”

By Natalie James ©2004-2009 All Rights Reserved

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Mums now giving birth in corridors, say hospital group

Mothers are having to give birth in corridors due to overcrowding in Dublin's maternity hospitals, it has been claimed.

Campaigners say the pressures on hospitals are so great that some women never make it to the delivery rooms.

The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS) said there is evidence that corridor births are taking place. It is calling for a greater emphasis on midwife-led births to reduce the number of hospital visits by mothers with "low-risk" pregnancies.

"Corridor births will happen from time to time, usually when labour goes very quickly and when there is very intense pressure on the hospitals" said AIMS spokeswoman Krytsia Lynch.

By Andrew Phelan © Herald.ie 2008

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Household chemicals linked to reduced fertility

Flame-retardant chemicals found in many household consumer products may reduce fertility in women, researchers reported today. Their study joins several other papers published in the last two years suggesting that the chemicals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, affect human health.

PBDEs have been used as flame retardants for four decades and are found in foam furniture, electronics, fabrics, carpets and plastics. The chemicals are being phased out nationwide, and certain PBDEs have been banned for use in California. But they are still found in products made before 2004. Californians may have higher exposures compared with residents of other states because of the state's strict flammability laws, according to the study authors, from UC Berkeley.

Most of the previous research on the chemicals has been in animals. But a 2008 study linked the chemicals to disrupted thyroid levels in men, and a study published this month tied PBDE exposure in pregnancy to neurodevelopmental delays in young children.

By Shari Roan Copyright 2010

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Conjoined twins arrive home to huge welcome

THE parents of Cork-based conjoined twins Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf who were born seven weeks ago have been inundated with messages of support from well-wishers since they brought their "little fighters" home from hospital earlier this week.

The twins, whose care is shared between Cork University Maternity Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, were born at University College Hospital in London in December.

The boys spent their first night at home in east Cork on Thursday with their parents Angie and Azzedine and sisters Malika (4) and two-year-old Iman.

By Olivia Kelleher ©Independent.ie

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Westlife star welcomes third child

Westlife star Shane Filan and his wife Gillian have welcomed their third child, a baby boy.

According to the Irish Independent, the baby was born at 9.30pm on Friday night at Sligo General Hospital.

The baby, who will be named Shane Peter Filan, reportedly weighed 6lbs 9oz.

A friend told the newspaper: "Shane and Gillian are over the moon with their new arrival."

© RTÉ 2010

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Oral bacteria in pregnant mother can cause stillbirth

The connection between poor oral health such as gum disease and unborn babies has been established before but the new study from researchers at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio has for the first time connected a pregnant mother’s gum infection to a stillbirth.

Pregnant women with untreated gum disease such as gingivitis may be risking the lives of their babies, says a new study.

Pregnant women who do not visit dentists, or maintain oral health, and allow oral bacteria to go unchecked are under the risk of having pre-term babies or babies with low birth weight.

The latest report on poor oral health among pregnant women cites the case of a mother with oral bacteria that led to an infection in a full-term baby, resulting in stillbirth.

Copyright © 2009 Bolohealth.com.

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I can't escape the only child on the plane

I used to think travelling was a hassle; having a strange security woman getting more familiar with you than you'd allow on a first date, and handing over tweezers, lighters and expensive anti-cellulite cream (I tried to explain once that this was medication but they were having none of it).

But the nice thing was, once through security, you could wander off to the bar for a drink, or spray on perfumes, and browse the shops buying suntan lotion and getting excited about seeing the sun. Now there's four of us (myself, baby Gary, the nanny and Bob the Builder), it's a lot more stressful.

First there's the trauma of trying to pack everything into my case (maximum weight 20kg). Isn't it unfair that infants don't get to have their own suitcases? It's totally illogical because they need more stuff then anybody. When we were going to Morocco last week, I made many personal sacrifices. For example, there wasn't room for my travel hairdryer because the nappies took up so much room. My high heels had to come out of the case to make space for Gary's favourite teddy. I could only bring one novel instead of three. Then when I was almost done I realised I hadn't any swimming nappies.

By Marisa Mackle © Herald.ie 2008

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No need for pregnant women to fast during labor

There is no reason why pregnant women at low risk for complications during delivery should be denied fluids and food during labor, a new Cochrane research review concludes.

"Women should be free to eat and drink in labor, or not, as they wish," the authors of the review wrote in the Cochrane Library, a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

Dr. Jennifer Milosavljevic, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, who was not involved in the Cochrane Review, agrees that pregnant women should be allowed to eat and/or drink during labor.

"In my experience," she told Reuters Health in an email, "most pregnant patients at Henry Ford are placed on a clear liquid diet during labor which includes water, apple juice, cranberry juice, broth, and jello. If a patient is brought in for a prolonged induction of labor, she will typically be permitted to eat a regular diet and order anything off the menu in between different induction modalities."

By Megan Brooks © 2008 Broadcast Interactive Media and KCRG.

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