November 24, 2009
Filed under: Baby health — Alan @ 9:01 am
A leading scientist is expected to claim this week that breast milk is vital for infant development as well as for its nutritional advantages which are already accepted among the medical community. The new research discovered that there are possibly three different kinds of stem cells found in breast milk.
Medical director at the Swiss baby equipment company Medela, Dr. Mark Cregan believes that the presence of stem cells in breast milk helps a child reach its genetic potential better since the milk comes from the mother’s mammary glands.
Dr. Cregan stated that breast milk is the only tissue from the mother in which more than one kind of stem cell has been found which is unique and implies that breast milk has an impressive bioactivity.
His research was able to isolate stem cells that originate from the mammary glands and immune system which shows based on preliminary evidence that stem cells will help a baby grow its bone and muscle tissue.
Scientists plan to use the discovery to harvest the stem cells from breast milk to determine why some mothers are unable to produce their own breast milk and to test out new drugs that may aid them.
Advocates are hopeful that the presence of stem cells in breast milk will help increase the current UK breastfeeding rates which show that only about 33% of babies are breastfed exclusively at one week of age with the number decreasing to 20% at six weeks of age.
November 20, 2009
Filed under: Baby public health — Alan @ 5:57 am
Despite fears over the swine flu many people are still too wary of the vaccine in order to take preventative measures a new survey of family doctors shows.
The survey showed that out of the patients of 107 GPs only 45% of those offered the vaccine decided to take it which includes those with chronic conditions and pregnant women both of whom belong in the high risk groups.
Pregnant woman were the least likely to accept the vaccine. Some respondents to the Pulse survey stated that they were worried about what the side effects of the vaccine may be, while other respondents said that they were not worried about the swine flu since most people who get it only suffer moderately.
Since September the amount of people infected with swine flu has risen at a much slower rate than expected, and the infection rate has now levelled off with about 64,000 new infections per week in Britain. This is just slightly above the regular flu infection rate.
In an effort to inform pregnant woman of the dangers of the swine flu the government released leaflets that were given to the group informing them that they are especially vulnerable to swine flu. However, doctors said that the leaflets did not seem to have much of an influence as GPs such as Dr. Chris Udenze found that pregnant woman are sceptical about the threat to their unborn babies.
November 18, 2009
Filed under: Baby public health — Alan @ 5:00 am
A new study by US researchers suggests that chemicals found in plastics may affect the brains of baby boys causing them to act ‘more feminine.’
A research team at University of Rochester showcased a variety of concerns about the use of phthalates which are found in PVC shower curtains and vinyl flooring.
The results of their study found that males that were around these substances in excess while in the womb were less likely to engage in ‘normal boy behaviour’ as children such as playing cars or play fighting with other boys.
Phthalates have already been banned in the EU from toys due to their ability to alter hormones, but they are still found in many common household items such as packaging and plastic furniture.
Some of the different kinds of phthalates cause hormones in the brain to act like oestrogen, which is a female hormone. This can also cause some boys to be born with genital abnormalities.
The new study adds the danger that during conception the phthalates may cause testosterone in the male brain to be silenced, or even knocked out completely.
The study was conducted using urine samples from mothers who were past the middle point of pregnancy, to determine if there were traces of phthalates in their bloodstream.
The children of the woman were then followed up on once they reached age’s four to seven and the mothers were asked about their behaviour such as their favourite toys and games.
The results of the study showed that the DEHP and DBP phthalates can alter the behaviour of boy babies.
November 17, 2009
Filed under: Baby health — Alan @ 7:44 am
A surprising study from New Zealand found that babies who are born after their mothers are exposed to their father’s semen for an extended amount of time benefit in the long run.
The study found that women who have a longer sexual history with their partner versus those who have short term sexual relations and then get pregnant, have a reduced chance of pre-eclampsia as well low birth weight babies.
The study was conducted by doctors at the University of Auckland and included 2507 women who were pregnant for the first time. Each of the women was asked how long they had been in an intimate relationship with the father of their babies.
As the pregnancies of the women came to term it was found that women who had long term sexual relationships exclusively with their partner were less likely to suffer from pregnancy induced hypertension also known as pre-eclampsia.
On the other hand, women who were in shorter relationships before becoming pregnant were much more likely to have smaller undeveloped children during their 20 week ultrasounds which showed the foetus had reduced blood flow to it.
One of the reviewers of the study, Dr. Larry Chamley, stated that during pregnancy longer exposure of a woman’s immune system to the male’s antigens (semen) helped it to tolerate its response to the antigens of the father.
He continued to say that while it cannot be ascertained for certain if prolonged sexual exposure can prevent pre-eclampsia, the study does help show that semen may aid in prevention.
November 16, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 5:49 am
The charity Sands reports that about 500 babies die each year after birth or are stillbirths in Scotland, but that many of these deaths could have been prevented if care were better in neonatal units or if they were not quite as stretched.
Sands are asking the Scottish Parliament to provide additional funds for neonatal research funding and better care in neonatal units including full staffing. According to the charity, the UK needs to recognize that death in the neonatal wards is a large health issue that needs serious attention.
In Scotland last year there were 325 stillborn babies; which is ten times more than the cot death rate, and according to Sands the number has stayed steady for the last thirty years without improvement.
Moreover, an additional 168 babies died in their first month of life after birth making Scotland home of one of the highest infant death rates across Europe. In order to combat the problem Sands claims that the Scottish government needs to work on a national strategy.
Chief executive of Sands, Neal Long, said that the infant deaths are a tragedy of national proportions and that the deaths of infants have been ignored for too long by the Scottish government.
He continued to say that there is enough concrete evidence that shows with a little more research and better neonatal services many of the deaths could have been prevented.
Long also commented that Scotland improve the situation around if Parliament and care makers had better communication about decision making and if the services were better organized.
November 12, 2009
Filed under: IVF — Alan @ 7:04 am
Doctors believe that IVF treatments may be more successful for older women if their eggs are spliced with the eggs of a woman that is younger.
In fact, scientists believe that splicing and combining the eggs may double the chance of pregnancy from IVF, due to the fact the younger women’s eggs help to counteract the damage to eggs due to age.
On the other hand, critics of the process consider that babies born from this type of treatment have two different mothers which is not a natural process.
In any IVF treatments things that can decrease the chances of success, damage to the nucleus, the jelly like cytoplasm that surrounds the egg, or damage to the area where the DNA is stored.
According to the New Scientist reports, Atsushi Tanaka has attempted to splice 31 eggs out of which 25 cases were successful.
Out of these eggs, seven of the eggs started to develop into embryos when injected with sperm, which is a little over double the traditional rate.
Since the DNA is held in the nucleus the baby would still look like the male and female parents, but technically it would have two mothers and fertility laws in the UK do not allow babies to have three parents.
Reproductive Ethics member Josephine Quintavalle said that nature has been great at taking care of human reproduction and the idea that science feels they can make the process better is ridiculous.
November 11, 2009
Filed under: Babies and the law — Alan @ 7:51 am
Ministers have abandoned a plan that would require unmarried mothers to name the identity of the father of their baby.
The new rules leave loopholes that allow months to refuse identifying the father, which frees the father from being forced to pay child maintenance.
The Government has decided to abandon a proposal that would force men to take a paternity test if there is any dispute about who the father of a child may be. Instead, such tests will only be allowed if both parties agree that a paternity test is needed.
The announcement comes five months after Labour stated that all mothers would have to name fathers on baby’s birth certificates.
Children’s minister Dawn Primarolo stated that the Government hopes to promote responsibility by forcing both parents to register their names on birth certificates, but noted that such exemptions may make it possible for a mother to deny naming a father on a birth certificate.
One reason for a possible exemption may be the fear of violence if a man is named on a birth certificate. Mothers will also be able to state that they are not sure of who the father is or where he may be.
November 10, 2009
Filed under: New Born — Alan @ 7:37 am
Although many people say babies are speaking baby talk while infants, studies state that their crying actually forms melodic patterns that resemble patterns found in adult conversation.
In a research study led by medical anthropologist Kathleen Werme and her team of colleagues at the University of Wurzburg in Germany, babies are able to form cries that resemble their parents’ language by just two to five days of age.
Each language and accent uses different melodies and pitch shifts to emphasize certain phrases and words with extra meaning. According to Wermke, a baby can hear what adults in their life are saying a few months before they are born thus training them to recreate the melodies they hear while in the womb.
Wermke continued to say that infant crying is the root of the beginning of language development since melody is the root of both the development of music and language.
Proposals by the team suggest that newborns are replicating the voice and melodies that are the most common in their mothers’ voice. After birth the researchers found that the babies offered some recognizable changes in melody that may reflect the language that was spoken prior to birth.
In order to compile data the research by Wemke and her team members included 60 healthy newborns half of which were French and the other half which were German.
November 9, 2009
Filed under: Celebrity babies — Alan @ 8:10 am
Kym Marsh of Coronation Street fame, received the Celebrity Mum of the Year Award from sponsors Bounty. Marsh stated that it was an honour to be given the award which is presented by Bounty and voted for by the public.
She is the mother of two children, David and Emily ages 14 and 11 respectively from a previous relationship. According to Marsh she appreciated the award given that it has been a hard year for her, and it is nice to know that she has a great deal of support out there.
She added that in the past she was forced to raise her children as a single parent before meeting her current partner and that it is reassuring to know that even though she has struggled, it is nice to see that some people believe she has done her best with the children.
Marsh and Jamie Loams from Hollyoaks are together after an alleged split last month. According to Marsh Jamie also has a son and is an excellent father.
Over the past two years Marsh watched her marriage with Jack Ryder dissolve, and her newborn child with Jamie, died an early death after a premature birth.
November 5, 2009
Filed under: Uncategorized — Alan @ 6:43 am
Lesbian couples that want to seek fertility treatment in Scotland will soon be able to on the NHS.
After the government was involved in legal action with a lesbian couple, they decided to set up an advisory group, which is expected by the beginning of next year, to recommend that lesbians should have equal access to fertility services from NHS.
Julia McMullan and her partner Caroline Harris fought against the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chapter, at the beginning of this year for the right to receive free fertility treatment like any other couple.
Although the trust argued that their case was not the true definition of an infertile couple, it backed down from its stance after the couple threatened to sue on the terms of discrimination.
Currently the NHS Lothian provides IVF via a donor and donor insemination to lesbian couples in a ‘case by case’ basis.
A spokeswoman for the NHS stated that at the moment NHS guidelines do not exclude same sex couples, and that there are some NHS boards throughout the region that do allow same sex couples to seek infertility services.
A spokesman for the Scottish Catholic Church has already attacked the recommendation, stating that the money is being spent frivolously, when people with terrible illnesses cannot get the treatment that they require.
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