Archive for August, 2006
A British study of 9,000 youngsters monitored from birth to age 10 strongly suggests that breast-fed infants are better able in later life to cope with stressful situations than bottle-fed babies. It is thought that breast-feeding influences development of pathways in the body linked to the stress response. For example, anxiety appeared to be less in breast-fed babies when their parents later separated or divorced.
Other benefits of breast-feeding a child have long been known. Breast milk contains nutrients, hormones, enzymes, growth factors and antibodies that mothers pass to their child. Research has shown that breast-feeding reduces infections, respiratory illness and diarrhea in babies.
Although the benefits of breast-feeding are confirmed in study after study, a Finnish study of 200 mothers and their babies revealed new information about the optimal length of breast-feeding.
Babies who were breast-fed up to six months seemed to avoid early allergies that more frequently developed in young children whose mothers nursed them for nine months or more. The hypothesis is that after a certain time frame, the immune system needs exposure to external antigens to develop properly.
Allergic reactions appeared earlier in children exclusively breast-fed for longer than nine months. When weaned by six months, children’s allergies occurred in later childhood and early adulthood and seemed to be influenced by pollen exposure, diet and disease.
Sources: Reuters August 4, 2006; NewScientist.com
Technorati Tags: Breast Feeding, child birth, Womens Health
August 16th, 2006
When you hear the term “postpartum depression,” you may immediately think of the extreme sadness that sometimes affects women after childbirth. It may surprise you to learn that while 14% of new mothers are afflicted with the condition, about 10% of fathers can also experience moderate or severe postpartum depression.
A study of 5,000 two-parent families with a child nine months old revealed that depression in new fathers was more than twice as common as in the general male population. The study, published in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics, indicated that depression can start two to three weeks after birth and may last up to a year or longer if untreated.
Fathers with this condition are less likely to interact positively with their child through playing, reading, telling stories or singing songs to their child. In addition, it is difficult for them to be supportive of the child’s mother.
When both mother and father are depressed, their new baby is more apt to be exclusively bottle-fed and put to bed on its stomach instead of on its back, now recommended as a safety measure for infants.
The father’s happy interaction with his new baby is necessary for the child to develop cognitively and emotionally in normal ways. Depressed new fathers are more likely to be irritable, aggressive, and sometimes hostile to the infant and the child’s mother.
The depressed new father may feel burdened or trapped by the financial responsibility of a first or additional child. He may also miss the closeness he previously had with the mother. For some husbands, it may feel as though an intruder has come into the couple’s marital relationship or that his own needs are being neglected.
Talking with a doctor, counselor, psychologist, or social worker can help to make a diagnosis and determine whether depression exists and whether it should to be treated. Severe postpartum depression is not just “baby blues” caused by the fatigue of meeting new demands. In serious cases, it manifests itself in severe sadness or emptiness, withdrawal from family and friends, or a sense of failure. There may even be thoughts of suicide in extreme cases.
If your husband is displaying symptoms of depression, gently approach the subject. You might say, for example, “I believe you have been depressed since our baby was born.” Let him know that it is almost as common for men to suffer postpartum depression as it is for women.
After talking openly about the subject, you may both want to seek help. All of you will benefit in doing so.
Source: WebMD
Technorati Tags: postpartum depression, child birth
August 16th, 2006
Any day now the FDA is expected to approve non-prescription use of the “morning after” contraceptive pills for women 18 and over. The two pills, called Plan B, would be kept behind the pharmacy counter, and verification of age would be required. The panel considered allowing girls as young as 16 to purchase Plan B. However, most FDA officials felt that young teens would not be mature enough to take the pill properly.
Plan B consists of two pills that contain larger doses of the hormone found in birth control pill. Used promptly after unprotected intercourse, the two pills taken 12 hours apart can block the release or fertilization of a woman’s egg. The morning after pill is not the same as RU-486 (“abortion pill”) which terminates early pregnancy by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Research shows that if emergency contraception were available over the counter, it could prevent as many as half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States every year.
Some conservatives have voiced opposition to the pill’s use, claiming that its easy availability might result in more promiscuity. For three years, the FDA has delayed making a decision on the morning after pill.
Source: Yahoo! News
Technorati Tags: Morning After, Birth Control, Contraception, FDA, Pregnancy
August 9th, 2006
A study of 50 women given a drug combination to help prevent recurrent miscarriages and 52 untreated women showed better outcomes in the group receiving drug therapy.
Clinical researchers at the University of Vienna School of Medicine were encouraged by results in the treated group compared to untreated women of similar age and number of miscarriages.
In those receiving high-dose, low duration prednisone and aspirin, progesterone and folate in early pregnancy, 77% gave birth, compared to 35% in the untreated group. In the treated women, 19% miscarried in the first trimester, compared with 63% in the comparison group.
None of the treated women miscarried in the second trimester, while 2% of untreated women did. In addition, the treated group did not show a higher rate of preterm birth or fetal growth restriction.
Recurrent miscarriage is defined as at least three consecutive spontaneous miscarriages before 20 weeks of gestation. While many women have unknown causes, contributory factors to spontaneous pregnancy loss are higher maternal age, smoking, and drinking.
Study results were published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. Researchers concluded that this particular drug regimen increases a woman’s chances of having a baby after experiencing repeated miscarriages. More trials are called for to confirm these results.
Source: MSNBC
Technorati Tags: Miscarriage, Womens Health, Pregnancy, Treatment
August 3rd, 2006