Friday, April 3, 2015

Pregnancy Research: Mother's body clock critical in miscarriages ♦ Poor nutrition in the womb leads to obesity later in life ♦ Placenta reflects arsenic exposure

If you are trying to have a baby, a good night's sleep is more important than ever. A new research report shows that the womb has its own 'body clock' that needs to synchronize with the mother's body clock to ensure optimal conditions for fetal growth and development.
Babies receiving poor nutrition in the womb tend to be smaller at birth, which has been linked to the development of obesity and other health problems later in life. Researchers continue to discover other consequences related to undernutrition during pregnancy. A new study examines how poor fetal nutrition affects protein expression in the fat tissue of adult rats, revealing key differences between males and females.
The placenta can be used to reliably measure arsenic exposure in pregnant women and how much of the toxic metal is transferred to their fetuses, a study shows in the largest ever analysis of household drinking water arsenic and the mother-to-fetus connection
Accurate blood pressure measurement is fundamental to the early diagnosis of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, says a review. The diagnosis and management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, as well as obstetric haemorrhage, sepsis and safe abortion contribute to more than half of all maternal deaths globally, so the accuracy of BP measurement is vital, the review concludes.

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