Prenatal Research: Babies born with drug withdrawal symptoms on the rise ♦ Screening for bacteriuria in pregnant women ♦ Research unlocks critical early nutrient supply for embryos

Screening for bacteriuria in pregnant women It remains unclear whether screening for asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women causes more benefit or harm. The results of studies from the 1960s are not applicable to the current situation.

Research unlocks critical early nutrient supply for embryos The mechanism by which embryos receive nutrition during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy has been revealed by scientists. The new study explains some of how this crucial stage of development operates, suggesting not just that a healthy diet during the first 11 weeks of pregnancy is essential, but that as nutrients are stored in the gland cells before pregnancy, it is also important to get this right before conception

Babies born with drug withdrawal symptoms on the rise The number of infants born in the United States with drug withdrawal symptoms, also known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), nearly doubled in a four-year period. By 2012, one infant was born every 25 minutes in the U.S. with the syndrome, accounting for $1.5 billion in annual health care charges, according to a new study.

When mom gains too much weight during pregnancy, her child is more likely to be obese A new study has found that when an expecting mother gains more weight than recommended, does not exercise or smokes during pregnancy, the probability that her child will be overweight or obese at the age of eight sharply increases.

Prenatal Health: Prenatal exposure to common air pollution ♦ Pregnant women not getting enough omega-3, critical ♦ Evidence against the fetal origins of cancer

New moms more satisfied after giving birth in a public hospital  Women who give birth in a public hospital are more confident parents compared to women who have babies privately. "We found that compared to women in a private hospital, women who birthed in the public sector had six times the odds of being telephoned by a care provider, 34 times the odds of being visited at home and five times the odds of visiting a GP within 10 days of being at home,"

Prenatal exposure to common air pollution linked to cognitive, behavioral impairment  A powerful relationship between prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and disturbances in parts of the brain that support information processing and behavioral control have been identified by researchers. The study showed reductions in nearly the entire white matter surface of the brain's left hemisphere -- loss associated with slower processing of information during intelligence testing and more severe behavioral problems, including ADHD and aggression

Pregnant women not getting enough omega-3, critical for infant development, research shows A research team studied the first 600 women in a cohort during and after their pregnancy to see whether they were consuming enough omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3-LCPUFA) to meet current recommendations. They found that in fact, most of these women were not.

Study provides evidence against the fetal origins of cancer, cardiovascular disease A study evaluated the relationship between nutritional conditions in early life and adult health, and found that famine exposure during the first pregnancy trimester was associated with increases in mortality from causes other than cancer or cardiovascular disease. This is the first study to quantify the possible long-term effects of nutrition deprivation at different stages of pregnancy and long-term mortality.

Childrens Health: Kids and robots learn to write together ♦ Pregnant women with asthma need to curb antibiotics ♦ ADHD + childhood trauma heightens risk for self-harm ♦Plus More

Kids and robots learn to write together  Who is the teacher: the student or the machine? By showing a robot how to write letters, children improve their writing skills and gain self-confidence. Continue Reading

Pregnant women with asthma need to curb urge to ask for antibiotics  Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has shown.Continue Reading

Examination of prior authorization policies for antipsychotic prescribing to children  With a concern about inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications to children, 31 states in the U.S. have implemented prior authorization policies for atypical antipsychotic prescribing.  Continue Reading

ADHD plus childhood trauma heightens risk for self-harm, suicide  Young women with ADHD who have been exposed to abuse, neglect or other traumas in childhood and adolescence are at greater risk for self-injury, eating disorders and suicide than those with ADHD who were not mistreated in early youth, according to new research. Continue Reading

Preventing metabolic disease may start in the womb; of your grandmother  No one wants to have child who is born underweight, but for numerous reasons, this may be unavoidable. An intriguing research report involving rats suggests that helping fetuses achieve optimal weight before birth is of even greater importance than currently believed. Continue Reading

2/27/15 Health News: Water fluoridation linked to underactive thyroid ♦ GM food rules to take effect early ♦ Treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis ♦ HIV drug beat strep throat

GM food rules to take effect 6 months early Originally slated to be implemented on Jan. 1, 2016, the law states that manufacturers should clearly label all food products, additives and loosely packaged products containing genetically modified ingredients. The print on the labels must be over 5 millimeters, and processed foods including soy oil must list any genetically modified ingredients Continue Reading

Potential treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis discovered  A new small molecule drug has been discovered that may serve as a treatment against multidrug resistant tuberculosis, a form of the disease that cannot be cured with conventional therapies. While standard anti-tuberculosis drugs can cure most people of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, improper use of antibiotics has led to new strains of the bacterium resistant to the two most powerful medications, isoniazid and rifampicin. Continue Reading

New research provides first glimpse of weight gain guidance for pregnant women with obesity  New research provides the first glimpse of weight-gain guidance for pregnant women with various classes of obesity based on body mass index and suggests that they not gain any weight until mid-pregnancy or later Continue Reading

Water fluoridation in England linked to higher rates of underactive thyroid Water fluoridation above a certain level is linked to 30 percent higher than expected rates of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) in England. Researchers point out that their findings echo those of previous research,. Continue Reading

Could an HIV drug beat strep throat, flesh-eating bacteria? With antibiotic resistance on the rise, scientists are looking for innovative ways to combat bacterial infections. The pathogen that causes conditions from strep throat to flesh-eating disease is among them, but scientists have now found a tool that could help them fight it: a drug approved to treat HIV. Their work could someday lead to new treatments Continue Reading

8/26/14 Health News: Residents sickened by raw milk from Utah ♦ PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULDN'T EAT TUNA ♦ Food Poisoning Risk Higher when Cooking Outdoor:

Health officials investigating after residents sickened by raw milk from Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah public health officials are investigating a few cases of sickness associated with raw or unpasteurized milk.So far, 45 cases of Campylobacter infection have been confirmed in people who had raw milk in the week they got sick. Continue Reading

CONSUMER REPORTS: PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULDN’T EAT TUNA

Can eating the wrong type of fish put you at higher risk for mercury exposure? That’s the question posed in the latest special food safety report published Wednesday from Consumer Reports, the publishing arm of the nonprofit Consumers Union. The noncontroversial answer is yes, certain fish contain higher levels of mercury than others — and different... Continue Reading

Food Poisoning Risk Higher when Cooking Outdoor:

Food poisoning can be a risk when cooking outdoors, according to the Food Standards Agency. The agency also warned people that food hygiene risks may cause illnesses like campylobacter. Researchers found that people in Britain indulge in risky hygiene mistakes at the grill and they are requested to pre-cook the food in the oven. About 94% of the people believed that they had at …continue reading

6/4/14 Health News: MERCURY IN SEAFOOD DANGEROUS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN ♦ Legionnaires in Windshield Washer Fluid ♦ Two Thirds of Americans Harbor HPV

MERCURY IN SEAFOOD GUIDANCE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responding to a lawsuit concerning the levels of mercury in seafood by updating its guidance for pregnant women and young children. “It’s an advisory, not an effort to mandate labeling,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the Associated Press last week. In July 2011, the Center for Science in... Continue Reading

VIRUS SCARE CAUSES RUSSIA TO SUSPEND U.S. PIG IMPORTS

Concerned over the spread of of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) in U.S. pig populations, Russia announced last week it was suspending U.S. imports of live pigs effective May 30, Reuters reports. The disease has already killed roughly 10 percent of the U.S. pig population and is reportedly spreading across other countries such as Mexico, Canada, China... Continue Reading

Windshield Washer Fluid a Source of Legionnaires

A form of bacteria responsible for respiratory illness, including the deadly pneumonia known as Legionnaire’s disease, may be able to grow in windshield washer fluid and was isolated from nearly 75% of school buses tested in one district in Arizona, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. “Washer fluid spray can release potentially dangerous numbers of these bacteria into the air. Source: Continue Reading

Over Two Thirds of Americans Harbor HPV, Genomics Study Reveals

More than two thirds of healthy US residents harbor at least 1 type of human papillomavirus (HPV), most of which are undetectable by widely used commercial screening kits, a large genetic analysis shows. However, the relevance of this is at present unclear, commented an expert not connected with the study. The study identified 109 different HPV types in tissue samples taken from 103 men and women whose tissue DNA was made available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Human Microbiome Project. Only 4 individuals carried either HPV 16 or 18, considered to be among the most oncogenic HPV types and associated in particular with cervical cancer.Continue Reading