Delaying cord clamping boosts baby iron-
No risk to baby, study finds
Waiting at least three minutes before clamping the umbilical cord in healthy newborns can help prevent iron deficiency, research has found.
Delaying cord clamping should be standard practice after uncomplicated pregnancies, and is not linked to neonatal jaundice or health problems for the baby, the researchers said.
Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia in young children is a global health problem as it can lead to poor brain development.
Young children are at particular risk of iron deficiency as they require more iron during rapid growth.
But delaying clamping the cord at birth allows more blood (and iron) from the placenta to reach the newborn baby.
Researchers at the Hospital of Halland in Sweden
The four-month-old babies who experienced delayed clamping had better iron levels and were far less likely to have neonatal anaemia, the researchers found.
The researchers estimated that, for every 20 babies having delayed clamping, one case of iron deficiency would be prevented, regardless of whether the baby also had anaemia.
Past research has suggested that delayed cord clamping may increase the risk of health problems for the baby, such as jaundice, but the researchers found no evidence of this.
The authors said: "Our results suggest that delayed cord clamping also benefits infant health in regions with a relatively low prevalence of iron deficiency and should be considered standard care for full term deliveries after uncomplicated pregnancies."
In an accompanying editorial in the British Medical Journal, Dr Patrick van Rheenen, consultant paediatrician at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands
"The balance of maternal risks and infant benefits of delayed cord clamping now clearly favours the child. How much more evidence is needed to convince obstetricians and midwives that it is worthwhile to wait for three minutes to allow for placental transfusion, even in developed countries?" Dr van Rheenen said.
Pill influences women's choice of partner-
Leads to longer relationships
Taking the contraceptive pill can affect a woman's choice of partner, according to research.
Scientists claim that women who use the contraceptive pill when they meet their partner are less sexually satisfied or attracted to them, but are more satisfied with other aspects of the relationship and, as a result, are less likely to separate.
The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, questioned more than 2500 women from several countries, including Britain
Overall, women who met their partner while taking the pill had longer relationships, by two years on average, and were less likely to separate, the study found.
The study findings fit in with previous research by the same team at Stirling University
But, when women go on the pill their preferences switch towards the odour of more genetically similar men.
This suggests that women using the pill choose men different than they would otherwise choose, the scientists said.
"Women tend to find genetically dissimilar men attractive because resulting babies will more likely be healthy," said Dr Craig Roberts, who led the study. "It’s part of the subconscious 'chemistry' of attraction between men and women.
"Similarly, women’s preferences subconsciously change over time so that during non-fertile stages of the menstrual cycle they are more attracted to men who appear more caring and reliable – good dads.
"The hormonal levels of women using the pill don’t alter much across a month and most closely reflect those typical of the non-fertile phases of the menstrual cycle.
"It seems that our preferences are shaped by these hormonal levels, so preferences of women on the pill don’t change around ovulation in the way seen in normally-cycling women."
Dr Roberts suggested that women may like to change their type of contraception to find out how they really feel.
He said: "Choosing a non-hormonal barrier method of contraception for a few months before getting married might be one way for a woman to check or reassure herself that she’s still attracted to her partner."
Air pollution increases risk of premature birth
Air pollution can increase a woman's risk of giving birth prematurely by up to a third, new research suggests.
A study in California
The researchers looked at 100,000 births which took place within a five mile radius of air quality monitoring stations in Los Angeles County
They compared health information about the births and mothers with that of air pollution levels from the same time period.
Overall, the study found that exposure to 'critical pollutants' such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was linked to a thirty per cent higher risk of giving birth prematurely. PAHs are present in car exhaust fumes.
Other air pollutants, such as benzene and fine particulate matter from diesel fumes were associated with a 10 per cent higher risk of premature birth, while ammonium nitrate fine particles - an agricultural pollutant - were associated with a 21 per cent increase in risk.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health, also found that pollution levels were higher in winter and lower in coastal areas.
Dr Beate Ritz, who led the study, said: "Air pollution is known to be associated with low birth weight and premature birth.
"Our results show that traffic-related PAH are of special concern as pollutants, and that PAH sources besides traffic contributed to premature birth.
"The increase in premature birth risk due to ammonium nitrate particles suggests secondary pollutants are also negatively impacting the health of unborn babies”.
Drinking when pregnant
Is it safe?
You're three months pregnant and barely showing a bump, when someone pours you half a glass of wine at the restaurant. Why deny yourself?
But look at it this way: If you drink when pregnant, then the unborn baby drinks too. Alcohol quickly enters your bloodstream and crosses into that of the baby via the placenta. But babies are slower at processing alcohol than adults, and so are exposed to its effects for longer.
In view of September 9th, which is Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day, we've compiled a guide to pregnancy and alcohol, to help you make an informed decision.
Heavy drinking
There is no doubt that heavy drinking or binge drinking can permanently damage a baby's health at all stages of pregnancy.
Heavy drinking is six or more units of alcohol a day, while drinking five or more units in one sitting is considered binge drinking.
Heavy drinking during pregnancy puts the baby at risk of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), an umbrella term used to describe a number of health conditions, ranging from mild to severe, which are all linked to alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These include facial abnormalities, restricted growth and development and learning and behavioural difficulties.
Heavy drinking also increases the risk of having a miscarriage or premature birth and having a stillborn baby.
Light drinking
When it comes to moderate or light drinking during pregnancy, there is much debate about how much alcohol a pregnant woman can consume without risking the health of her baby, and no clear answer.
The Department of Health currently advises pregnant women to avoid drinking alcohol, but also says that if a woman chooses to drink, they should not drink more than one to two units of alcohol once a week, and should not get drunk.
The UK health watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), advises women in the first three months of pregnancy to avoid alcohol altogether, due to an increased risk of miscarriage.
Specifically, NICE states:
· Pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy should be advised to avoid drinking in the first three months of pregnancy if possible because it may be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
· If women choose to drink alcohol during pregnancy they should be advised to drink no more than two UK
However, this does not mean that moderate or light drinking during pregnancy is safe, or that the baby is safe from the effects of alcohol after the first three months of pregnancy. It's just that - at this point in time - scientists are unsure about the effects small quantities of alcohol can have on an unborn baby.
What's in a unit?
One UK
- Half a pint of ordinary strength lager, beer or cider (3.5% alcohol by volume/ABV)
- One standard measure (25ml) of spirits, such as gin, vodka, whisky or rum (40% ABV)
- Half a standard glass (175ml) of wine (11.5% ABV)
Women who are pregnant therefore need to keep an eye on the strength of their drink, the size of their glass and how full the glass actually is, if they decide to have a drink.
It's also worthwhile remembering that pubs often sell spirits as doubles, wine in large glasses, and friends don't use measures when pouring drinks.
In the end, if you want to be absolutely sure your baby is not affected in any way by alcohol, the only thing to do is not to drink at all.
Ring finger length linked to sex hormone levels in the womb
May be a health indicator
Most men have a ring finger that is longer than their index finger - but for most women the opposite is true, with the ring finger longer than the index finger, and scientists have discovered the reason why.
Past studies have linked ring-to-index finger ratios with a number of traits ranging from sperm counts, aggression, musical ability, sexual orientation and sports prowess, to health problems such as autism, depression, heart attack and breast cancer.
Now a team of US scientists have discovered that finger length ratios may be determined by the levels of male and female hormones present when the embryo is developing in the womb.
Martin Cohn and Zhengui Zheng at the University of Florida
By controlling the levels of male and female sex hormones - testesterone and eostrogen - they were able to look at the effect of the hormones on digit length.
When exposed to more testosterone in the womb, the 'ring' fingers of the mice were longer than their index fingers, while those exposed to the female hormone oestrogen had similar sized or shorter ring fingers compared to their index finger.
The researchers also found that the developing digits of the mice were packed with receptors for sex hormones, providing an explanation for these findings.
Commenting on the results, Dr Cohn said: "The discovery that growth of the developing digits is controlled directly by androgen (testesterone) and oestrogen receptor activity confirms that finger proportions are a lifelong signature of our early hormonal milieu."
He pointed out that the research could have wider health implications: "There is growing evidence that a number of adult diseases have foetal origins.
"With the new data, we've shown that the digit ratio reflects one's prenatal androgen and oestrogen activity, and that could have some explanatory power."
Blood test reveals baby's sex in seventh week of pregnancy-
Detects foetal DNA in mother's blood
A blood test in the seventh week of pregnancy can accurately determine the sex of the baby, a study has found.
The test, which looks for foetal DNA in the mother's blood, was found to be 98 per cent accurate.
Although similar blood tests are on sale in the UK
The researchers scrutinised the results of 57 studies involving more than 6,000 pregnancies, where "cell-free foetal DNA testing" had been used to identify the gender of the baby.
They found that the test was reliable at predicting the sex of the unborn baby 98 per cent of the time as long as it was carried out after seven weeks of pregnancy. Before this, the test was found to be unreliable as there was not enough foetal DNA present in the mother's blood.
All tests using urine instead of blood samples were found to be unreliable, researchers from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda , Maryland
They said the test could be used to provide reassurance to parents at risk of having a baby with a sex linked genetic disorder, but who don't want amniocentesis because of the small risk of miscarriage.
While non-invasive ultrasound scans can be carried out at 11 weeks, they are not as reliable at predicting a baby's gender.
Study leader Dr Stephanie Devaney said: "The availability of a reliable non-invasive alternative to determine foetal sex would reduce unintended foetal losses and would presumably be welcomed by pregnant women carrying foetuses at risk for disorders."
Teenage pregnancy contagious-
Can run in families, study finds
Having an elder pregnant teenage sister increases the chance of a younger sibling becoming pregnant, from around one in five to two in five, researchers have found.
This 'peer effect' was found to be stronger if the sisters were of a similar age, but wore off as the age gap between sisters widened.
The effect was also greater for sisters in low-income households.
Researchers reached their conclusion after analysing census records from more than 42,000 Norwegian women born after the Second World War.
The study showed the chance of a teenage pregnancy was lower in those who had been educated to a higher level, but this was not enough to counteract the effect of a pregnant sister.
Previous research has shown that family background and time spent in education can lower the chance of a teenager becoming pregnant, but none had investigated the influence of having a pregnant teenage sister.
Professor Carol Propper said: "These findings reveal the positive sibling effect still dwarfs the negative effect of education.
"These findings provide strong evidence that the contagious effect of teen motherhood in siblings is larger than the general effect of being better educated.
"This suggests that more policies aimed directly at decreasing teenage pregnancy may be needed in order to reduce teen births."
Woman with two wombs gives birth from both-
One boy from each uterus.
An Indian woman with two wombs has given birth to two boys, one from each uterus.
Rinku Devi, 28, from the northern city of Patna
Ms Devi has a double uterus, also known as uterus didelphys. Less than 100 women worldwide are known to have been pregnant in both wombs.
The chance of a woman with two wombs having two separate births is estimated to be around one in five million.
Despite having already given birth to a single baby four years ago, Ms Devi was unaware she had the rare medical condition.
"I got to know about having two uteruses when I was already in labour pain," Ms Rinka was reported as saying in the Daily Mail.
"I didn't know how to react. I was in pain and quite scared. I had not heard of anything like this before. I got to know about the rarity and the severity of this condition days after my delivery.
"I am very happy and feel proud to have survived through this. When I was told I was carrying twins, I thought they would look the same, but I am happy they look different. I want to thank God for giving me a new life," she said.
The premature babies were delivered by Caesarean section at the Mati Sadan Prijat Nursing Home in Muzzaffarpur by gynaecologist Dr Dipti Singh. The babies weighed 4lbs and 4oz and 3lbs 3oz.
During normal fetal growth, the uterus develops from two small tubes called Mullers ducts, which usually join to form a single uterus. However, in some cases the tubes fail to join completely, and two cavities or wombs are formed.
The two wombs may share a set of Fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix or vagina, but some women also have duplicates of these.
Women with the condition are usually at a higher risk of miscarriage, premature birth and bleeding during pregnancy.
In December 2006, Hannah Kersey from Northam in Devon became the first woman with two wombs to give birth to triplets; identical twins which developed in one womb and a single baby in the other.
Pregnant women continue smoking to have smaller babies-
Detrimental to baby's health
Some women continue to smoke through pregnancy because they want to give birth to a smaller baby, according to a new study.
This is despite "overwhelming evidence" that smoking during pregnancy is harmful to the unborn baby, said Professor Nick Macklon of Southampton University
“It is important that people who believe that a smaller baby means an easier birth take into account the increased risks of complicated deliveries in smokers as well as the risk of disease later in life which goes with low birth weight, he told a conference of fertility experts.
In the largest study of its kind, the researchers tracked more than 50,000 pregnancies and births in the Southampton area, recording the babies birth weight and mothers' smoking habits.
They analysed seven groups of women, including non-smokers, those who stopped more than a year prior to conceiving, those who stopped less than a year prior to conceiving, smokers who stopped once the pregnancy was confirmed and those who continued to smoke.
They found that women who gave up smoking at the time of conception or when their pregnancy was confirmed gave birth to babies with a similar weight to those born to mothers who had never smoked, cutting the risk of complications associated with low birth weight.
"Not only was birth weight much better in this group than it was in the groups where the mothers had continued to smoke, but we also found that the babies reached the same gestational age and head circumference as those born to women who had never smoked," the professor said.
He also added that healthy development during pregnancy without exposure to smoke also helps to limit the chances of premature birth, which can cause brain damage and congenital defects such as cleft lip and lead to other illness in later life.
He concluded: “Mothers who smoke are encouraged to stop smoking when they become pregnant but, to date, there was little evidence that giving up at this late stage could have a positive effect on birth weight, so we can now give couples hard proof that making the effort to stop smoking once pregnancy is confirmed is beneficial for their baby.”
Floss regularly if you want to conceive-
Gum disease delays pregnancy
Women who are trying for a baby should regularly brush and floss their teeth, research has found.
An Australian study found that women with gum disease took over seven months to become pregnant, compared to an average of five months for women without gum disease.
The two month delay in becoming pregnant due to gum disease was of the same order of magnitude as being obese, a fertility conference in Sweden
Gum disease has already been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory and kidney disease, and problems in pregnancy such as miscarriage and premature birth.
But this new study is the first to suggest that it can also lengthen the time it takes for a woman to become pregnant.
Researchers from the University of Western Australia
Women with gum disease took an average of just over seven months to become pregnant compared with an average of five months in women with healthy gums.
In addition, non-Caucasian women with gum disease took over a year to become pregnant compared to those without gum disease.
The researchers think that inflammation triggered by oral bacteria sets off a cascade of events which can lead to tissue damage.
Non-Caucasian women appeared to have a higher level of inflammatory response to the condition, the researchers said. This may be the reason why they were more affected by gum disease.
Around one in ten people are thought to have severe periodontal disease, which is best prevented by regular brushing and flossing.
Roger Hart, professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Western Australia, said: “Until now, there have been no published studies that investigate whether gum disease can affect a woman’s chance of conceiving, so this is the first report to suggest that gum disease might be one of several factors that could be modified to improve the chances of a pregnancy.”
“All women about to plan for a family should be encouraged to see their general practitioner to ensure that they are as healthy as possible before trying to conceive and so that they can be given appropriate lifestyle advice with respect to weight loss, diet and assistance with stopping smoking and drinking, plus the commencement of folic acid supplements.
"Additionally, it now appears that all women should also be encouraged to see their dentist to have any gum disease treated before trying to conceive. It is easily treated, usually involving no more than four dental visits.
The study findings were presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual meeting in Stockholm , Sweden
Middle class women more likely to opt for caesarean birth-
Too posh to push?
Wealthier women are more likely to choose to give birth by caesarean section, new research shows.
The number of caesarean sections performed in the UK has jumped in the past 30 years, with around one in four births in the UK
However, this latest research also reveals the changes in caesarean rates in women from different social backgrounds which have taken place over the past 30 years.
A team of researchers at the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Chief Scientist's Office looked at nearly 36,000 births by caesarean section in Scotland
Information from the baby's birth certificate, including parent's occupation and postcode was used to assess the social status of the parents.
Over thirty years, the number of emergency caesarean sections rose from 6.3 per cent of births to 11.9 per cent.
Poorer women were around 14 per cent more likely to have an emergency caesarean section in both 1980-81 and 1990-91, but by 2000 it was the same for all women in the study.
However, the same was not the case for elective (planned) caesareans. The number of elective caesareans increased from 3.6 per cent to 5.5 per cent of births, but by 2000 was more common in women from wealthier backgrounds.
Dr Ruth Dundas at the Medical Research Council said: "Thirty years ago mothers having Caesarean sections were more likely to come from deprived areas and/or from a lower social background. This was true for both elective and emergency sections.
"Ten years later the rates had changed so that, although women from a lower social background were more likely to have emergency sections, there was no difference between them and women from a higher social background in elective surgery rates.
"By 1999-2000 the rates had equalized for emergency section, but babies born by elective surgery were more likely to belong to mothers from the higher of the social classes measured."
Dr Dundas also added that more work was needed to explain why women from different backgrounds were more likely to have an elective caesarean section.
Mothers of twins live longer-
Hardier breed of women, study finds
Women who naturally give birth to twins live longer, a study has found.
They also tend to be healthier, more fertile and give birth to their last baby at a later age, the researchers found.
"Having twins will not make you stronger or healthier, but stronger, healthier women are more likely to have twins naturally," said Dr Shannen Robson, an anthropologist at the University of Utah
The researchers analysed the population records for 58,786 women living in Utah
The study findings showed that for women born before 1870, mothers of twins were 7.6 per cent less likely to die each year compared to mothers who gave birth to a single baby.
For mothers of twins born between 1870 and 1899, this risk of dying after age 50 was 3.3 per cent lower than for mothers of singletons, but the difference was not statistically significant.
A woman's natural physical fitness – the factor that made twins more likely – was more important before 1870 during the pioneer times, said the researchers.
"When you're a tougher woman, that toughness is more readily apparent when you are tested by adversity," said study co-author, Professor Ken Smith.
"People are always interested in what affects how long we are going to live," he said.
"This study has been able to identify – and it's a fairly novel result – another important factor that contributes to health and longevity in later years, namely, that women bearing twins appear to be healthier.
"That innate healthiness is contributing to their ability to have twins, and it is also contributing to their longevity."
Most pregnant women not vaccinated against flu-
At risk of fatal complications
Just one in seven pregnant women have been vaccinated against flu this year, new figures show.
In addition to this, the latest figures from the Department of Health reveal that only a third (32%) of people under the age of 65 in "at-risk" groups have been vaccinated against the virus.
Although more than half of people over the age of 65 (55%) have been vaccinated against flu, the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said that she would like to see 75 per cent of the 65 years and older group and 60 per cent of under 65s in at risk groups get vaccinated this year.
A recent poll for the Department of Health (DOH) found that 58 per cent of people surveyed wrongly believe that the flu vaccine itself can cause flu.
Dame Sally said: "I can categorically state that the flu jab does not give you flu. The vaccine does not include the live virus.
"It can save your life though. Flu can kill – and it can be particularly dangerous for people in at risk groups. They are on average 11 times more likely to die from flu than a healthy person is.
"If you haven’t been called for a flu jab and are in an at risk group, it’s time to contact your GP to make an appointment. If you’re in an at risk group, it’s free on the NHS."
People in at-risk groups are more likely to suffer serious complications and die than a healthy person if they catch flu.
The flu vaccine is available at GP surgeries and free to everyone in an at-risk group.
People advised to have the flu vaccine by the DOH:
- People aged 65 years or over
- Pregnant women in any stage of pregnancy
- People living in a residential or nursing home
- The main carer for an older or disabled person
People with the following conditions are also advised to have the flu vaccine:
- A heart problem
- A chest complaint or breathing difficulties including, bronchitis, emphysema
- A kidney disease
- Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)
- A liver disease
- Had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- Diabetes
- A neurological condition e.g. multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy; and
- A problem with, or removal of, your spleen e.g. sickle cell disease
IVF treatment may double the risk of ovarian cancer
Unusually high number of borderline tumours, study finds
IVF may double a woman's risk of ovarian cancer later in life, according to new research.
Overall, women given fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries into producing eggs were twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumours compared to women who were not treated with IVF, researchers from The Netherlands Cancer Institute found.
Professor Flora van Leeuwen, an epidemiologist who led the study, said: "This study, with 15 years of follow-up, is the first to include a comparison group of subfertile women not treated with IVF.
"This is particularly important because IVF-treated women are different from the general population due to the fact that difficulty conceiving or never having been pregnant are known risk factors for an increased risk of developing ovarian malignancies."
The researchers reached their conclusion after analysing data on more than 19,146 subfertile women attending IVF clinics who received at least one IVF ovarian stimulation treatment and 6,006 subfertile women who did not undergo IVF.
A total of 77 women developed malignancies, 66 of whom had undergone IVF treatment. Of these, 30 had invasive ovarian cancer and 31 had borderline ovarian cancer.
This proportion of ovarian borderline tumours was unusually high, the researchers said.
Although borderline ovarian tumours are usually not fatal, they can turn into cancer, and require extensive surgery.
After taking into account other factors which may influence the results, such as age, how many children (if any) the women had, and cause of subfertility, the researchers estimated that women in the IVF treatment group had double the risk of ovarian cancer, and four times the risk of borderline ovarian cancer compared with subfertile women who had never undergone IVF treatment.
Prof van Leeuwen said: "Our data clearly show that ovarian stimulation for IVF is associated with an increased risk of borderline ovarian tumours and this risk remains elevated up to more than 15 year after the first cycle of treatment."
Floss regularly if you want to conceive-
Gum disease delays pregnancy
"The individual risk of developing ovarian cancer or a borderline ovarian tumour is very low. In The Netherlands the cumulative risk of ovarian malignancies (including borderline ovarian tumours) before the age of 55 is 0.45% in the general population.
"The results of our analysis suggest this risk increases to about 0.71% for women who undergo IVF, with the increase being due to borderline tumours of the ovary.
"More research is needed to examine the risk of invasive ovarian cancer, especially after a longer follow-up in IVF treated women."
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