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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Pregnant Dannii dazzles at NTAs

Dannii Minogue dazzled on the red carpet at London's 02 Arena for the National Television Awards tonight - her first public engagement since she announced her pregnancy.

The X Factor judge, who is three months pregnant with boyfriend Kris Smith looked blooming, but any signs of a baby bump were disguised by a full-skirted black and white striped vintage prom dress, which she wore with towering red heels.

The X Factor is nominated for an NTA in the Most Popular Talent Show category.

Dannii said she did not know whether she would be part of the new series.

©2010 Johnston Press Digital Publishing

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Baby boy takes part in autism study

A baby boy has taken part in a brain study to help psychologists understand how autism develops.

Four-month-old Matai Reid was monitored by scientists at Durham University to see how he responded to different moving images on a television screen.

Matai, from Durham, was fitted with a cap with sensors attached so his brain activity could be recorded.

Dr Vincent Reid, a psychologist at Durham University, said: "We don't yet know enough about how the brains of very young babies develop and how they react to things.

©2010 Google

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Baby joy for X Factor judge Dannii

Dannii Minogue is pregnant with her first child.

The 38-year-old is expecting a baby with her former rugby player boyfriend Kris Smith.

The pop star-turned-X-Factor-judge has received the results of her 12-week scan, and she and her partner were said to be "delighted".

Dannii's spokesman Simon Jones said: "Dannii and Kris are very excited and can't wait to start their family in 2010."

Copyright © 2010 The Press Association.

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Claudia Schiffer pregnant with baby number three

Schiffer, 39, and husband Matthew Vaughn, the British film producer and director, already have two children - Caspar, six, and Clementine, five.

The German model married Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels producer Vaughan in 2003 and immediately decided to start a family.

"I thought, 'I have the right man, I'm going to have kids right away, let's not waste time'," she has said.

One of the original supermodels, Schiffer remains as in demand as ever and was hired as the new face of Yves Saint Laurent in 2008.

By Anita Singh © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

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Chemical found in food tins and baby’s bottles 'linked to heart problems'

An estimated nine in 10 people have traces of Bisphenol A, or BPA, in their bodies.

Scientists found that those with high levels of the chemicals in their bodies were a third more likely to develop heart disease than those with low levels.

The findings follow similar results from a study last year and prove that they were not a “blip” researchers said.

BPA is one of the world’s most common chemicals, used to make everything from plastic bottles to compact discs and credit card receipts.

By Kate Devlin © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

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Another alternative to plastic baby bottles stainless steel

While many plastic baby bottles do not contain BPA, even BPA-free plastic can leach petroleum by products and other chemical components of plastic when heated, scuffed, scratched or worn. Glass bottles are an inexpensive baby bottle option, but glass comes with its own safety hazards... you can't exactly toss a glass baby bottle in the car or the bottom of your bag and expect it to remain intact. And forget about letting your baby hold her own bottle (and potentially toss it across the room!).

So what's an eco-minded parent to do? Stainless steel baby bottles are a good option. These bottles are relatively new to the market, but there are a few to choose from right now, and surely a bunch more on the way soon. The best part about stainless steel bottles is that they don't need a special lining so they'll never leach nasty chemicals into your baby's beverage.

By Jenn Savedge ©2009 The Olympian

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Study backs midwife-led maternity care

Midwife-led, woman-centred care is key to the transformation of maternity services, according to the Association for Improvements in Maternity services (AIMS Ireland).

AIMS was commenting on a new study by TCD researchers which showed that midwifery-led care as practised in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Cavan General hospital was as safe as consultant-led care, resulted in less intervention, was viewed by women with greater satisfaction in some aspects of care and was more cost-effective.

The TCD study had looked at the operation of midwife-led units in these hospitals.

According to AIMS Ireland, when midwives are enabled to do their job, better maternity service models can flourish.

"AIMS Ireland supports the report’s recommendation that the midwife-led units at Cavan and Drogheda be expanded and that similar units be established across the country."

By Niall Hunter Copyright © 2010

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Risk factors for depression in pregnant women reviewed

The risk factors for depression in pregnant women have been thoroughly reviewed to help clinicians identify and treat women early.

Researchers out of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor have reviewed over 1,300 peer-reviewed articles about depression in pregnancy with hopes of clearly identifying risk factors for antepartum depression. The researchers expect the identification of risk factors to aid obstetricians in their routine care of women.

“If providers know the clinical significance of risk factors for depression in pregnancy, they may be able to more easily identify women with the highest chance for developing this condition,” the study authors said.

Depression is experienced by up to 12.7 percent of prenatal women, but if caught during routine screenings, it can be treated effectively.

By Shawn Douglas Copyright © 2006-2009

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The great Gina Ford debate

Love her or hate her, when it comes to Gina Ford, parents seem to almost always fall into two camps, and very rarely does anyone sit on the fence.

Dubbed the "Queen of Routine", she took her 12 years of looking after 300 babies as a maternity nurse to publish a strictly regimented method for raising infants.

Her best-selling guide The Contented Little Baby Book, first published in 1999, advises new parents to break down their day into five-minute slots in order to settle their baby into a routine as soon as possible.

The baby must be woken and fed by 7am, and parents fed by 8am. Then the baby must be fed – always in the nursery – every four hours and given naps at certain times up until the last feed (in a dimly-lit nursery) at 6.15pm, during which parents should not make eye contact with their child in order not to excite it before bedtime.

By Emma Bamford ©independent.co.uk

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Opinion: After half a century, it's time to resolve thalidomide issue

One step forward, two steps back. Just when we thought the State had learned lessons on the need to own up to health scandals come revelations about its attitude to thalidomide survivors.

Thalidomide was a wonder drug licensed here in the late 1950s and early 1960s which was given to pregnant women to prevent morning sickness and insomnia.

But it led to one of the worst drugs scandals worldwide and left 34 Irish children with deformities, which were very severe in many cases.

Babies commonly suffered missing or deformed limbs and severe shortening of the arms and legs.

By Eilish O'Regan ©Independent.ie

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Maternity hospital gets revamp after legal alert

THE National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street has been granted permission to expand after the HSE was told facilities in the hospital were resulting in law suits.

An Bord Pleanala said the hospital can now go ahead with plans to build a six-storey extension.

The HSE approved the expansion in 2008, four years after an internal report told them that inadequate facilities and staffing were a factor in patients successfully suing the hospital for poor birth outcomes. Details of the 2004 report showed that courts were finding the hospital negligent for not adequately monitoring mothers before they are transferred to delivery wards.

The report went on to say that the hospital was exposed to serious financial settlements for "sub-optimal outcomes" for newborn babies.

By Cormac Byrne © Herald.ie 2008

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Dad delivers his baby girl on New Year's day

ONE of the first babies of the new year was delivered by her father in a dramatic home delivery, 10 days before the due date.

Robyn Gahan Darcy was delivered by her dad John Gahan in a bedroom at the family home in Tinahely, Co Carlow, at 3am on New Year's Day.

Her mum Margaret Darcy, went into a shock labour after she experienced slight pains on New Year's Eve, and Robyn arrived just five minutes after Margaret's waters broke.

broke

"At around 2.30am or 2.45am, Margaret woke with pains and she was dying with the thirst as well," John told the Herald.

By Geraldine Gittens © Herald.ie 2008

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Layers of grime and dirt discovered at maternity hospital

LAYERS of grime and dirty equipment used to examine the condition of babies in the womb were discovered by inspectors in one of the country's main maternity hospitals, a report has revealed.

An inspector's visit to Limerick Regional Maternity Hospital, which delivers 5,000 babies a year, found that the standard of hygiene was poor in most areas examined.

Medical equipment was "visibly not clean" and this was particularly the case for cardiotocograph machines -- used to examine babies in the uterus -- in two of the areas, the report from the Health Information and Quality Authority revealed.

A number of cot mattresses were torn and a number of bedpans were not clean in two areas.

By Eilish O'Regan ©Independent.ie

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Inducing labour may up C section risk

Pregnant women who are induced may be at an increased risk of needing a Caesarean section, the results of a new study indicate.

In Ireland, the induction of labour is carried out for a range of reasons, such as if the baby is a certain amount of time overdue or if a woman’s water has broken but labour had not started spontaneously.

Previous studies have indicated a link between induction and higher Caesarean rates, so a team of US researchers decided to investigate this further. They looked at data relating to almost 40,000 women over a four-year period.

The study found that women who were induced did have a slightly higher risk of having to undergo a Caesarean section up to 39 weeks gestation. (A pregnancy is considered to last 40 weeks, but is considered full-term from week 37.)

By Deborah Condon Copyright © 2010

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Hospital administration error saves baby's life

A hospital administration error saved an unborn baby from dying in the womb after his pregnant mother was mistakenly called in for an extra scan.

Alfie Buckle could have died, three months before he was due to be born, after complications with the placenta.

His parents Emma, 28, and Gregg, 36, were completely unaware of the problem with their first-born - having been told he was completely healthy at a 20-week scan.

However, doctors spotted the problem just in time after Mrs Buckle was mistakenly called in for another scan, just six weeks later.

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

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Preventing birth defects starts before you are pregnant

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, and the week of Jan. 4-10 is Folic Acid Awareness Week. As you may know, there is a relationship between folic acid and birth defects.

Many birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects, occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. The good news is that 70 percent of neural tube defects are preventable by taking folic acid, a B vitamin, every day before a woman becomes pregnant.

Even if you are not planning to get pregnant in the near future, we know that at least 50 percent of pregnancies are not planned. For teens and women in their early 20s, the rate increases to about 80 percent. That is why it is so crucial that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.

By Caren Fairweather © 2010 Hudson Valley Media Group

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Quick thinking brother saves baby Ronan

For one Granard family, this Christmas was extra special. On December 23, Pat and Eilish O'Hara's 11 month old baby, Ronan was electrocuted after he pulled a light from its holder on a Christmas decoration. Were it not for the quick thinking of Ronan's nine year old brother Cian, who realised what had happened and pulled the decoration's plug from the socket, the little baby could have suffered severe injuries.

However, thankfully that was not the case and the O'Hara family enjoyed a happy and peaceful Christmas together, despite the horror that unfolded just hours before the festive day.

"I was minding the kids because Eilish was doing the last of the Christmas shopping," said Pat. "We have Cian (9), Gavin (6), Aisling (3) and Ronan who will be one on January 9. I had Ronan in my arms and two of the youngsters began to squabble, so I put him down on the ground while I tried to sort out the other two.

"The next thing I knew, was that, my son Cian began shouting at me that something had happened to Ronan and he ran and plugged the decoration out from the mains. When I looked down, Ronan was lying there with his eyes closed. His eyes had turned yellow in colour and his lips were swollen."

By Aisling Kiernan ©2010

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Thin teens may face bone problems

Teenage girls who are too thin may face major problems with their bones, including osteoporosis, new research indicates.

It is already known that the amount of muscle in the body is related to bone growth. However these new findings show that fat mass is also important for the building of bones, particularly in girls.

The findings come from the ‘Children of the 90s’ project, an ongoing health research project being carried out by the University of Bristol. More than 14,000 pregnant women enrolled in the study in the early 1990s and the health and development of their children has been followed in detail ever since.

Over 4,000 young people aged 15 took part in this latest study. Sophisticated scanning techniques calculated the shape and density of their bones, as well as how much body fat they had.

By Deborah Condon Copyright © 2010

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Matthew and Lucy most popular baby names in 'Irish Times'

MATTHEW AND Lucy were the most popular names chosen by parents who announced their babies’ arrivals in the birth columns of The Irish Times last year.

This was a major comeback for Lucy, which languished in tenth place last year after being the second most popular name in 2007.

Matthew shared the fourth most popular slot with Adam in 2008 but toppled James from the top spot last year.

More than 780 births were announced in the Saturday column last year including some 20 sets of twins.

Charlie, Conor, Harry, Jack and Daniel were all popular boys’ names last year while Oscar and Joshua made their debut in the top 10.

By Alison Healy ©2010 irishtimes.com

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Portiuncula Hospital again scoops ‘Baby Friendly Hospital’ award

Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe has again scooped the “Baby Friendly Hospital” award.

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global campaign by the World Health Organisation and The United Nation Children’s Fund. It recognises that implementing best practice in maternity services is crucial to the success of programmes promoting breastfeeding.

Mary Mahon, clinical midwife specialist in breastfeeding/lactation at Portiuncula Hospital, said Ireland has the lowest breastfeeding rate in Europe.

“This is despite the fact that breast milk, recognised as the optimum choice in infant food, confers nutritional, immunological and psychological benefits that sustain growth and significantly influences health during childhood and into adult life. Portiuncula Hospital is committed to promoting, supporting and protecting breastfeeding and helping mothers have an enjoyable fulfilling and rewarding breastfeeding experience.

© 2010 Galway Advertiser

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Finally, an Excuse for Pregnant Women to Eat Bacon and Eggs

If you're pregnant and looking for an excuse to eat bacon and eggs, now you've got one: a new research study published in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal by a team of University of North Carolina researchers shows that choline plays a critical role in helping fetal brains develop regions associated with memory. Choline is found in meats, including pork, as well as chicken eggs.

"Our study in mice indicates that the diet of a pregnant mother, especially choline in that diet, can change the epigenetic switches that control brain development in the fetus," said Steven Zeisel, the senior scientist involved in the work and a senior member of the FASEB Journal's editorial board. "Understanding more about how diet modifies our genes could be very important for assuring optimal development."

Zeisel and colleagues made this discovery by feeding two groups of pregnant mice different diets during the window of time when a fetus develops its hippocampus, that part of the brain responsible for memory. The first group received no choline while the other received choline (1.1g/Kg). The group that received no choline had changes in epigenetic marks on the proteins (histones) that wrap genes in cells responsible for the creation of new brain cells (neural progenitor cells). Then, by isolating these cells from the developing brains and growing them in cell culture, the scientists determined the expression of genes for two proteins that regulate neuronal cell creation and maturation. These two proteins (G9a and Calb1) were changed in the brains of fetuses whose mothers were fed low choline diets.

© 1995-2009 ScienceDaily LLC

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World’s Healthiest Food

So what’s the most scrumptious, wholesome, exquisite, healthful, gratifying food in the world?

It’s not ambrosia, and it’s not even pepperoni pizza. Hint: It’s far cheaper. A year’s supply costs less than the cheapest hamburger.

Give up? Here’s another hint: It’s lifesaving for children and for women who may become pregnant. If you know of a woman who may become pregnant, make sure she gets this miracle substance.

A final hint: It was a lack of this substance that led to a tragedy that I encountered the other day at a hospital here in the Honduran capital. Three babies lay in cots next to one another with birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.

By Nicholas D. Kristof Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

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For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best

Reports on the benefits of breast-feeding continue to accumulate as researchers evaluate the breast-over-bottle option.

It's been shown to help a baby's later performance in school, to reduce the odds of problem behavior and to help kids cope with stress. And moms stand to benefit later on as well, studies show.

But what is it about breast-feeding that's so helpful and healthy?

For starters, breast milk is loaded with health-promoting nutrients. "It's not just one mechanism," said Melinda Johnson, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, a lecturer in nutrition at Arizona State University and a dietitian in private practice in nearby Chandler, Ariz.

By Kathleen Donehy ©2009 Bloomberg

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Taking Medication While Pregnant, Is It Safe?

If you are pregnant or plan to get pregnant, is it safe to take medications, or will they harm you and/or your baby? That’s a question that haunts many pregnant women and medical professionals alike, and it is one that a new research program plans to investigate.

The program is called the Medication Exposure inPregnancy Risk Evaluation Program (MEPREP), and it is a collaborative effort of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and researchers at the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics (CERT), Kaiser Permanente’s multiple research centers, and Vanderbilt University. MEPREP will fund research to study the effects of prescription medications used by women during pregnancy.

Medication and Pregnancy
Everything a woman consumes during pregnancy passes through the placenta to the unborn child, so it is important to avoid medications if possible, especially during the first eight to ten weeks when the baby’s heart, lung, and brain systems are being formed. Some medications are considered safe to take during pregnancy, even though no medication is safe for 100 percent of the people. The effects of many other prescription and over-the-counter drugs on the unborn child are not known. Women who are taking prescription medications and who plan to become pregnant should talk to their doctor before they get pregnant to determine if and how safe it will be for them to continue their medication.

By Deborah Mitchell Copyright eMaxhealth.com 2005-2009

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Baby talk is not as easy as it looks for 17 per cent of children

One in six children experiences difficulties in learning how to talk, according to a poll published today.

Boys are twice as likely to struggle as girls, the survey of more than 1,000 parents also reveals. The poll, conducted by YouGov to coincide with the first day in office of the new Communication Champion for Children Jean Gross, says four per cent of children had still not said their first word by the time they reached the age of three.

It showed 22 per cent of boys and 13 per cent of girls were likely to experience difficulties with talking and understanding speech. Only 54 per cent of these received help from a speech or language therapist.

The average age for children to start talking was between 10 and 11 months.

By Richard Garner ©independent.co.uk

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Maid caught on CCTV abusing baby boy

A Filipina maid was caught on closed-circuit television slapping the 11-month-old baby of her employer and later pushing the child to the wall when both of them were home alone.

The 31-year-old maid was arrested by police following the incident in a house in Bandar Sri Damansara around noon on Friday.

It is believed the baby’s parents had taken their older child out to lunch at 11.30am and left the maid and baby at home.

When the parents returned at 12.30pm, they became suspicious when they discovered red marks on the face and hand of their baby.

Copyright © 1995-2009

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Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila welcome baby daughter Vida

Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend Camila Alves have welcomed a baby daughter.

Vida Alves McConaughey arrived on Sunday at 12.13am weighing 7lbs 7oz, the 40-year-old actor announced on his website.

'Vida is Portuguese for life and that's what God gave us this morning,' McConaughey blogged.

'Camila's recovering wonderfully and we are both truly honored to welcome this little lady into our family.

© 2010 Associated Newspapers Ltd

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Dumb things I've done while pregnant...

I know there are many brilliant women out there who work on jobs right up to the moment they go into labour. Who don't drop the ball ever in the nine months they're carrying their babe inside - who never forget things... and hats off to them.

But that definitely wasn't me. Now I know being pregnant isn't an illness and doesn't suddenly render you completely incompetent - not usually anyway. Indeed, pregnancy can be a time of great achievement and creativity - I wrote several books while pregnant.

But I did find that sometimes the utter exhaustion, caused by pregnancy and sleep deprivation, led to a few bouts of serious scrambled brain syndrome - in my case manifesting as forgetfulness.

Misplacing keys and wallet seemed to be my perennial pregnancy problems. More than once I drove round with my wallet on the top of my car. It shows how slow I drive that the wallet was still there when I got to my destination.

By Natalie Anderson © 2009 Fairfax New Zealand Limited

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