Tag Archives: baby

Venezuela considers prohibiting bottle feeding for infants

Venezuela's Congress will discuss legislation this week that would prohibit bottle feeding of infants to try to encourage breast feeding and reduce the use of baby formula, said a lawmaker of the ruling Socialist Party. Legislator Odalis Monzon said the proposal would “prohibit all types of baby bottles” as a way to improve children's health. “We want to increase the love (between mother and child) because this has been lost as a result of these transnational companies selling formula,” Monzon said on state television on Thursday. She said the Law for the Promotion and Support for Breast-Feeding, passed in 2007, did not establish any sanctions for using formula. However, she did not say what the sanctions might be if the proposed change to prohibit bottle feeding is passed by Congress, where the Socialist Party has a majority. Monzon said, however, that exceptions would be allowed, such as in the case of the death of a mother, or for women with limited breast milk production, as determined by the health ministry. She did not respond to phone calls seeking details, including how long babies would be breast-fed. Such legislation would likely raise the ire of opposition sympathizers who say the government of the late President Hugo Chavez excessively extended the reach of the state into the lives of private citizens. “People are free to feed their children as they see fit,” said Ingrid Rivero, a 27-year-old mother in Caracas. “My daughter stopped breast feeding after seven months. What can I do?

Pregnancy hormone may predict postpartum depression risk

Levels of a stress hormone released by the placenta could predict a woman's risk of developing postpartum depression, new research suggests. The new findings suggest that measuring levels of the hormone, called placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH), could one day help identify women who are prone to postpartum depression before they give birth. “Women who show high levels of this hormone prenatally are at increased risk,” said study co-author Laura Glynn, a psychologist at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. The study showed an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, between pCRH levels and postpartum depression. Further research is needed to determine exactly how this link might work. The study was presented May 21 at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, and has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Placental clock The placenta, which lies within the uterus and provides nutrition to the baby, produces varying amounts of the hormone pCRH over the course of pregnancy, with a sharp rise shortly before birth. Scientists believe the hormone plays a role in timing when women deliver their babies. “It's been called the placental clock,” Glynn told LiveScience. Women who deliver prematurely, for instance, tend to show higher levels of pCRH than those who deliver at term. Depression link To understand how pCRH levels may be related to postpartum depression, Glynn and her colleagues measured hormone levels in the blood of 170 pregnant women at 15, 19, 25, 31 and 36 weeks of gestation. (Full-term pregnancies last 40 weeks.) The researchers also assessed the women's levels of depression at three and six months after giving birth. Women with high levels of pCRH around the middle of their pregnancies (at 25 weeks) were more likely to be depressed three months after giving birth, compared with women whose levels were lower at midpregnancy. The researchers didn't find a link between pCRH levels and depression at the six-month mark. Proactive treatment The findings could help identify women who are at risk of postpartum depression before they give birth so that health care professionals could intervene early. It can be hard for women struggling with new motherhood and depression to get help, but identifying at-risk women in the earlier stages of their pregnancies could make it easier for doctors to help. Its especially important to identify the risk early on because postpartum depression can have lasting effects. “Not only is mom suffering, but her suffering is going to influence the development of the infant in a pretty profound way,” Glynn said. Glynn isn't exactly sure why high pCRH levels might predict the risk of depression, but she said it could be because some women's hormonal systems take longer to return to their prepregnant states. The findings also suggest that postpartum depression that appears soon after birth may have different causes than depression that shows up later on. Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/24/pregnancy-hormone-may-predict-postpartum-depression-risk/

Mom issues health warning after 16-year-old son dies of testicular cancer

After the recent loss of their 16-year-old son from testicular cancer, one family is urging other young men to get checked regularly, Gazette Live reported. Michael Rushby from Grangetown, England waited eight long months before telling his brother John on April 17 that he had found a lump on one of his testicles.   “He said he had a problem and showed me one of his testicles,” John told Gazette Live. “The lump was obvious so I took him straight to (the emergency room). The doctor said just by looking at it there was an 80 percent chance it was cancer.” The next day, Michael – known as Mikey by friends and family – was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and doctors discovered that the cancer had also spread to his abdomen and chest. Despite his late diagnosis, Mikey was given a 75 percent chance of survival.  He underwent a week of chemotherapy at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital and returned home on Friday, April 26.   The following Monday, he was set to return to the hospital for another round of treatments.  But as he was heading downstairs, he lost his strength and collapsed.  He was taken to James Cook, where he died later that day.  It had only been two weeks since he had told his brother about his lump. Now Mikey’s family is speaking out about their son’s death, urging others to get regular health checkups and to not feel ashamed about their medical issues. “I want to say to anyone who ever thinks they might have a problem, go to your mum, go to your dad, go to someone,” Patricia Rushby, Mike’s mom, told Gazette Live. “Mikey could have come to his mum - I wouldn’t have been embarrassed.” “He was my baby. I loved him to pieces,” Patricia said. “I want other young people to know what we have gone through. I wouldn’t want any family to go through what we have.” Click for more from Gazette Live.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/after-16-year-old-son-dies-testicular-cancer-mom-urges-others-to-get-checked/

Babies who share bed with parents 5 times more likely to die of cot death

Babies sharing beds with their parents face a five-fold risk of dying of cot death, even if their parents are not smokers, new research shows. The increased risk of death extends to babies previously thought to be at low risk because they are breastfed and the mother has not taken alcohol or drugs, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal Open. The findings come after 1472 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases and 4679 control cases from Australasia, the U.K. and Europe were analyzed in the largest ever study of cot death. The SIDS rate would plummet if parents avoided bed sharing and public healthy messages were more forceful about the dangers for babies under three months, the authors, led by Professor Robert Carpenter, said. “Eighty-eight percent of the deaths that occurred while bed sharing would probably not have occurred had the baby been placed on its back in a cot by the parents' bed,’’ the authors concluded. The risk of SIDs while bed sharing decreased as the baby gets older. Bed sharing has increased “markedly’’ over the last decade, the study found. Parents who endorse the practice are active on the Internet and Facebook. Murdoch University associate professor Catherine Fetherson said research shows between 30 and 50 percent of parents share a bed with their babies at some time. She believes a blanket message against bed sharing is driving parents underground. “They are continuing to do it, even though people are being warned against it and so what is happening is they are shutting down all communication with health professionals,’’ she said. Click for more from news.com.au.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/21/babies-who-share-bed-with-parents-5-times-more-likely-to-die-cot-death/

The best pregnancy foods

When a woman is pregnant, we’re often quick to laugh off her cravings for even the unhealthiest foods. However, pregnancy is a time to indulge in nutritionally dense sources of delicious food - and avoid unhealthy foods, as often as possible. Processed foods offer little nutrition and may contain chemicals. Check labels and avoid products containing the following items: MSG, chemical additives, trans-fats, artificial dyes and anything in a plastic container that may contain BPA. Instead, look for organic and fresh foods whenever possible. When choosing proteins, look for options that come from animals that have not been given hormones or antibiotics. Foods rich in probiotics, healthy fats and folate are also all important components of a pregnancy diet. Probiotics are the building blocks for digestive health. Consuming probiotic-rich foods during pregnancy could help strengthen the immune systems of both the mother and baby. Probiotics can be easily incorporated into your diet through fermented foods such as kefir, organic plain yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickled vegetables. Healthy fats are vital to the baby’s brain, organ and tissue development, so embrace them. Butter from pastured cows and coconut oil both contain lauric acid, which has antiviral, antibacterial and immune supporting functions. Egg yolks contain choline which may enhance a baby’s brain development. Organic, full-fat dairy, avocado, nuts and healthy sources of meat all provide additional healthy fats. Wild-caught salmon, herring and sardines all contain healthy fats such as omega-3 and DHA. Wild, grass-fed animals like beef, wild boar, and longhorn are also great sources of omega-3’s. Folate is also critically important for the development of a healthy fetus. Dr. Luis Espaillat-Rijo, a voluntary assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami and clinical fellow at the Cleveland Clinic of Florida, stated that if he had to choose just one thing to recommend to pregnant women, it would be folate. Espaillat-Rijo explained that there is a direct link between folate supplementation and a decrease in incidence of neural tube defects. Folate also reduces the likelihood of anemia in the mother and can prevent early miscarriage and premature delivery. High quality, organic liver from a pastured animal is a great food to include in your diet once a week – it contains three times the amount of folate as a serving of raw spinach. Sunflower seeds, dark leafy greens and beans are also great sources of folate and make a wonderful addition to a pregnancy diet. This isn’t to say you can’t give in to your cravings. However, try to make your indulgences as healthy as possible.  If you’re craving a cheeseburger, choose grass-fed ground beef and organic cheese on a whole grain or sprouted bun. If all you want is a milkshake, seek out ice-cream made from hormone-free milk and top it with organic dark chocolate. Make the best choices you can, as often as you can. If you’re eating well the majority of the time, there’s no need to feel guilty about the occasional slip.Jacqueline Banks is a certified holistic health counselor and busy mother. & Her focus is on helping other busy moms in all stages of motherhood keep themselves and their little ones healthy and happy. & She uses natural and organic solutions to solve individual health problems and promote clean living. Check out her website at www.jbholistic.com.& & source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/14/best-pregnancy-foods/

Dr. Manny: Let the Gosnell verdict be a warning to others

The Philadelphia doctor accused of performing illegal, late-term abortions in his filthy clinic has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies. Dr. Kermit Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of one of his patients, but acquitted in the charge of murder in the death of a fourth baby. While the defense had argued there were no live births at the clinic, prosecutors say 72-year-old Gosnell delivered the living babies before having their spines severed with scissors to kill them. They say the baby whose death he was cleared in let out a soft whimper before Gosnell cut its neck, according to the Associated Press. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. So let this verdict be a warning to others. I applaud the decision of the jury in their conviction of Gosnell of first-degree murder in at least three of these tragic deaths. As a practicing high-risk OB-GYN who delivers many premature babies, I feel that what went on in that clinic was truly horrific, and deserves the highest degree of punishment possible. Let this also be a warning to city and state officials who failed to do their jobs of checking up on this death clinic, knowing full well that they have a moral and ethical responsibility to respond when citizens file complaints. Gosnell’s clinic was hardly ever inspected, and those city and state officials should bear a degree of guilt in allowing this doctor to practice the way he did. In the aftermath of this despicable case, I hope that political pundits don’t spin this story into an issue purely of abortion, but take the opportunity to discuss how to improve women’s health services in this country.source : http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/13/dr-manny-let-gosnell-verdict-be-warning-to-others/