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• Prenatal supplements at Amazon.com

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• Greater Gestational Vitamin D Status is Associated with Reduced Childhood Behavioral Problems in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program - J Nutr 2023 May;15 - "This study confirmed a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy, particularly among Black women, and revealed evidence of an association between lower gestational 25(OH)D and childhood behavioral problems. Associations were more apparent in analyses restricted to prenatal rather than cord blood samples. Interventions to correct vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy should be explored as a strategy to improve childhood behavioral outcomes" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Effect of vitamin D supplementation on glucose control in mid-late gestation: A randomized controlled trial - Clin Nutr 2023 Apr 14 - "Vitamin D supplementation significantly protected glucose homeostasis in mid-late gestation" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Early and late preterm birth rates in participants adherent to randomly assigned high dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation in pregnancy - Clin Nutr 2023 Jan 11 - "To determine the rate of early preterm birth (EPTB, <34 weeks gestation) and preterm birth (PTB, <37 weeks gestation) in participants who adhered to a randomly assigned docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) dose of 1000 mg/day ... Adherence to high dose DHA reduced EPTB and PTB. The largest effect of adherence on reducing EPTB was observed in women with low baseline DHA levels" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Effects of probiotic supplementation on glucose metabolism in pregnant women without diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Food Funct 2022 Jul 19 - "Overall, probiotic supplementation significantly reduced GDM incidence (Risk Ratio (RR) = 0.62 ... This meta-analysis suggested that probiotic supplementation may lead to an improvement in glycemic control and reduction of GDM incidence in pregnant women" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal exposure to chemicals in consumer and industrial products is associated with rising liver disease in children - Science Daily, 7/6/22 - "researchers measured 45 chemicals in the blood or urine of 1,108 pregnant women from 2003 to 2010. The chemicals included endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as PFAS, organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides, plasticizers (phenols, phthalates), PBDEs, and parabens. When the children reached the ages of 6 to 11 years old, scientists measured the levels of enzymes and cytokeratin-18 that indicate risk for liver disease in the children's blood"
• Effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on offspring health at birth: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trails - Clin Nutr 2022 May 17 - "Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy was associated with improved offspring vitamin D sufficiency status, improved fetal linear growth, and reduced fetal or neonatal mortality. No effect was demonstrated for vitamin D supplementation on birth weight, risk of low birth weight, and risk of preterm birth" - See Vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D levels during pregnancy are associated with offspring telomere length: a longitudinal mother-child study - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022 May 19 - "Childhood LTL was positively correlated with total maternal 25(OH)D (0.048 ± 0.017)(p=0.004) and maternal 3-epi-25(OH)D3 (0.05 ± 0.017)(p=0.003), even after adjustment for covariates" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal choline supplementation improves biomarkers of maternal docosahexaenoic acid status among pregnant participants consuming supplemental DHA: a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr 2022 May 16 - "Prenatal choline supplementation improves hepatic DHA export and biomarkers of DHA status by bolstering methyl group supply for PEMT activity among pregnant participants consuming supplemental DHA" - See citicholine at Amazon.com nad docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Large study in Botswana finds daily micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy reduces complications at birth - Science Daily, 5/12/22 - "iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS), as well as iron and folic acid plus essential vitamins and trace minerals (multiple micronutrient supplementation, or MMS), are associated with significantly lower rates of babies born at low birthweight and other complications at birth, compared to iron or folic acid alone ... Compared to IFAS, women who initiated MMS use saw significantly lower rates of preterm delivery, very preterm delivery, low birthweight, very low birthweight, and caesarean delivery. The rate of low-birthweight birth, for example, was 10.48 percent for women on MMS. Similarly, the rate of preterm birth was 12.68 percent for the women taking IFAS, and 11.63 percent for those taking MMS" - See prenatal supplements at Amazon.com.
• Chewing Xylitol Gum May Modestly Reduce Preterm Birth - Medscape, 2/4/22 - "Aagaard's team decided to test the effectiveness of xylitol – a natural prebiotic found in fruits, vegetables, and bran – because harmful oral bacteria cannot metabolize the substance, and regular use of xylitol reduces the number of harmful mouth bacteria while increasing the number of good microbes in the mouth. In addition, a study in 2006 found that children up to 4 years old had fewer cavities and ear infections when their mothers chewed gum containing xylitol and other compounds. Aagaard noted that gums without xylitol do not appear to produce the same improvements in oral health ... Of the 4,349 women who chewed xylitol gum, 12.6% gave birth before 37 weeks, compared with 16.5% preterm births among the 5,321 women in the control group – a 24% reduction" - See xylitol gum at Amazon.com.
• Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Raised Risk of Adverse Neonatal Outcomes - Medscape, 1/28/22 - "Overall, the risk for seven adverse neonatal outcomes was significantly increased among women who were exposed to marijuana during pregnancy, compared with those not exposed. The researchers identified increased risk for birth weight less than 2,500 g (relative risk, 2.06; P = .005), small for gestational age (RR, 1.61; P < .001), preterm delivery (RR, 1.28; P < .001), and NICU admission (RR, 1.38; P < .001). In addition, they found significant differences in mean birth weight (mean difference, −112.30 g; P < .001), Apgar score at 1 minute (mean difference, −0.26; P = .002), and infant head circumference (mean difference, −0.34cm; P = .02) between women who used marijuana during pregnancy and those who did not ... The view among many women that prenatal cannabis use is safe and without consequence "is a false narrative perpetuated by a combination of outdated evidence and recent changes to state-level cannabis policies,""
• Choline during pregnancy impacts children’s sustained attention - Science Daily, 1/3/22 - "Choline - found in egg yolks, lean red meat, fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and cruciferous vegetables - is absent from most prenatal vitamins, and more than 90% of expectant mothers consume less than the recommended amount ... One half of these women consumed 480 mg choline per day, which slightly exceeds the recommended adequate intake (AI) level of 450 mg/day. The other half consumed a total intake of 930 mg choline per day, approximately double the AI level ... When tested at 7 years of age, the children of women in the 480 mg/day group showed a decline in accuracy from the beginning to the end of a sustained attention task, while those from the 930 mg/day group maintained a high level of accuracy throughout the task. These findings parallel the effects of maternal choline supplementation and deprivation in rodents, using a closely analogous sustained attention task" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Choline Supplementation Partially Restores Dendrite Structural Complexity in Developing Iron-Deficient Mouse Hippocampal Neurons - J Nutr 2021 Dec 27 - "Early-life choline supplementation, with postnatal iron repletion, improves learning/memory performance in formerly iron-deficient (ID) rats" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Iron supplementation given to nonanemic infants: neurocognitive functioning at 16 years - Nutr Neurosci 2021 Dec 19 - "Compared to adolescents in the no-added iron condition in infancy, those in the iron-supplemented condition had poorer visual-motor integration, quantitative reasoning skills, and incurred more errors on neurocognitive tasks. Consuming larger amounts of iron-fortified formula in infancy was associated with lower arithmetic achievement. Of adolescents who had high hemoglobin at 6 months (Hb ≥ 125 g/L), those in the iron supplemented condition had poorer performance on arithmetic, quantitative reasoning, and response inhibition tests than those in the no-added iron condition. Of adolescents who had marginally low 6-month hemoglobin (Hb > 100 and < 110 g/L), those who received no-added iron incurred more errors on a visual searching task than those in the iron-supplemented condition"
• Iron supplementation given to nonanemic infants: neurocognitive functioning at 16 years - Nutr Neurosci 2021 Dec 19 - "There is concern that high iron uptake during the critical period of early brain development carries potential risks, especially for nonanemic infants ... Compared to adolescents in the no-added iron condition in infancy, those in the iron-supplemented condition had poorer visual-motor integration, quantitative reasoning skills, and incurred more errors on neurocognitive tasks. Consuming larger amounts of iron-fortified formula in infancy was associated with lower arithmetic achievement. Of adolescents who had high hemoglobin at 6 months (Hb ≥ 125 g/L), those in the iron supplemented condition had poorer performance on arithmetic, quantitative reasoning, and response inhibition tests than those in the no-added iron condition. Of adolescents who had marginally low 6-month hemoglobin (Hb > 100 and < 110 g/L), those who received no-added iron incurred more errors on a visual searching task than those in the iron-supplemented condition"
• Probiotics improve nausea and vomiting in pregnancy - Science Daily, 12/4/21 - "Nausea, vomiting and constipation during pregnancy can significantly diminish the quality of patients' lives. Once nausea and vomiting during pregnancy progress, they can become difficult to control, and sometimes the patient even needs to be hospitalized ... During pregnancy, hormones like estrogen and progesterone increase, bringing about many physical changes. These increases can also change the gut microbiome, which likely affects the digestive system functions and causes unwanted symptoms like nausea, vomiting and constipation ... A total of 32 participants took a probiotic capsule twice a day for six days and then took two days off. They then repeated the cycle ... The probiotics were available over-the-counter and mainly contained Lactobacillus., a type of good bacteria. Each capsule contained approximately 10 billion live cultures at the time of manufacture ... taking the probiotic significantly reduced nausea and vomiting. Nausea hours (the number of hours participants felt nauseous) were reduced by 16%, and the number of times they vomited was reduced by 33%. Probiotic intake also significantly improved symptoms related to quality of life, such as fatigue, poor appetite and difficulty maintaining normal social activities, as scored by questionnaires ... Probiotics were also found to reduce constipation significantly ... Another finding was that vitamin E levels increased after taking probiotics. Higher levels of vitamin E were associated with low vomiting scores" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com.
• Metformin ameliorates maternal high-fat diet-induced maternal dysbiosis and fetal liver apoptosis - Lipids Health Dis 2021 Sep 8 - "The deleterious effect of maternal high-fat diet (HFD) on the fetal rat liver may cause later development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ... This study demonstrated the beneficial effects of prenatal metformin on maternal liver steatosis, focusing on the gut-liver axis. In addition, the present study indicates that prenatal metformin could ameliorate maternal HFD-induced inflammation and apoptosis in the fetal liver and intestines" - See metformin at ReliableRX.
• Vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy and early signs of atherosclerosis at school-age - Clin Nutr 2021 Aug 9 - "Circulating total B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations during fetal life seem to be associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis at school-age" - See B complex supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Gut bacteria influence brain development - Science Daily, 9/3/21 - "The early development of the gut, the brain and the immune system are closely interrelated. Researchers refer to this as the gut-immune-brain axis. Bacteria in the gut cooperate with the immune system, which in turn monitors gut microbes and develops appropriate responses to them ... The microorganisms of the gut microbiome -- which is a vital collection of hundreds of species of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes -- are in equilibrium in healthy people. However, especially in premature babies, whose immune system and microbiome have not been able to develop fully, shifts are quite likely to occur. These shifts may result in negative effects on the brain" - See probiotic supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acid Dietary Supplements Consumed During Pregnancy and Lactation and Child Neurodevelopment: A Systematic Review - J Nutr 2021 Aug 12 - "Maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation has profound effects on the development and lifelong health of the child. Long-chain PUFAs are particularly important for myelination and the development of vision during the perinatal period ... Limited evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy may result in favorable cognitive development in the child. There was insufficient evidence to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy and/or lactation on other developmental outcomes" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Chronic consumption of a high linoleic acid diet during pregnancy, lactation and post-weaning period increases depression-like behavior in male, but not female offspring - Behav Brain Res 2021 Aug 18 - "Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an essential role in brain development. Emerging data have suggested a possible link between an imbalance in PUFAs and cognitive behavioral deficits in offspring. A diet rich in high linoleic acid (HLA), typically from preconception to lactation, leads to an increase in the ratio of omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids in the fetus. Arising research has suggested that a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids is a potential risk factor for inducing autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like behavioral deficits. However, the impact of a high n- diet during preconception, pregnancy, lactation, and post-weaning on the brain development of adolescent offspring are yet to determine ... Female Wistar Kyoto rats were fed with either an HLA or low linoleic acid (LLA) control diet for 10 weeks before mating, then continued with the same diet throughout the pregnancy and lactation period. Female and male offspring at 5 weeks old were subjected to behavioral tests to assess social interaction behavior and depression-/anxiety-like behavior. Our result showed that chronic consumption of an HLA diet did not affect sociability and social recognition memory, but induce depression-like behavior in male but not in female offspring" - Note: Linoleic acid is an omega-6.
• Higher dose docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy and early preterm birth: A randomised, double-blind, adaptive-design superiority trial - EClinicalMedicine 2021 May 17 - "early preterm birth (EPB, < 34 weeks) ... We hypothesized that 1000 mg DHA per day would be superior to 200 mg, the amount in most prenatal supplements ... The higher dose had a lower EPB rate [1.7% (9/540) vs 2.4% (12/492), pp=0.81] especially if participants had low DHA status at enrolment [2.0% (5/249) vs 4.1%, (9/219), pp=0.93]. Participants with high enrolment DHA status did not realize a dose effect [1000 mg: 1.4% (4/289); 200 mg: 1.1% (3/271), pp = 0.57]. The higher dose was associated with fewer serious adverse events (maternal: chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes and pyelonephritis; neonatal: feeding, genitourinary and neurologic problems, all" - [Nutra USA] - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com and and iHerb.
• Maternal diets rich in Omega-3 fatty acids may protect offspring from breast cancer, study suggests - Science Daily, 6/28/21 - "Researchers noticed a three-week delay in mortality in mice whose mothers were fed canola oil versus corn oil. The early delay in mortality was significantly different, but the ultimate overall survival rate was not. Eventually, all the mice developed tumors, but the ones fed canola oil had tumors that were slower-growing and smaller than the mice fed corn oil. Translated to human time scale, the duration of the protective effect linked to the maternal diet would be equivalent to several months" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Probiotic Supplementation Regulates Newborn Immune System - Medscape, 6/28/21 - "Supplementing breastfed infants with bifidobacteria promotes development of a well-regulated immune system, theoretically reducing risk of immune-mediated conditions like allergies and asthma ... These findings support the importance of early gut colonization with beneficial microbes, an event that may affect the immune system throughout life"
• Higher selenium and manganese levels during pregnancy may protect babies from future high blood pressure - Science Daily, 6/23/21 - "Although a preponderance of earlier evidence linked lead, mercury, and cadmium to high blood pressure and heart diseases in adults, the researchers did not find a link between these toxic metals with childhood blood pressure in this study. They did, however, observe a link between the mothers' levels of selenium and lower blood pressure in their offspring during childhood. For every doubling of maternal selenium levels, children's systolic blood pressure was found on average to be 6.23 points lower. Manganese showed a similar albeit weaker relationship to blood pressure: A doubling of exposure was associated with 2.62 points lower systolic blood pressure on average" - See se-methyl l-selenocysteine at Amazon.com and manganese at Amazon.com.
• Maternal plasma choline and betaine in late pregnancy and child growth up to age 8 years in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study - Am J Clin Nutr 2021 Jun 10 - "Sufficient choline and betaine during pregnancy are needed for fetal growth and development ... Third-trimester pregnancy plasma choline and betaine were positively associated with childhood anthropometric measures. In boys, some of the associations may have persisted up to 8 y of age" - See citicholine at Amazon.com and betaine anhydrous (TMG) at Amazon.com.
• Poor iodine levels in women pose risks to fetal intellectual development in pregnancy - Science Daily, 4/22/21 - "Mild to moderate iodine deficiency has been shown to affect language development, memory and mental processing speeds ... During pregnancy, the need for iodine is increased and a 150mcg supplement is recommended prior to conception and throughout pregnancy. Unfortunately, most women do not take iodine supplements before conceiving. It is important to consume adequate iodine, especially during the reproductive years" - See iodine at Amazon.com.
• Maternal Intake of Cow's Milk during Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring - Nutrients 2020 Nov 28 - "An increased maternal intake of cow's milk during lactation, confirmed with biomarkers (fatty acids C15:0 and C17:0) in the maternal blood and breast milk, was associated with a lower prevalence of physician-diagnosed food allergy by 12 months of age. Intake of fruit and berries during lactation was associated with a higher prevalence of atopic eczema at 12 months of age"
• Maternal B-vitamin intake and B-vitamin supplementation during pregnancy in relation to neonatal congenital heart defects: a case-control study with propensity score matching - Eur J Clin Nutr 2020 Nov 16 - "conducted a case-control study and included 760 cases and 1600 controls in Shaanxi Province, China. Diet, supplement use and other information were collected through a questionnaire interview. By using the 1:2 ratio PSM method, 396 cases were matched with 792 controls ... Higher maternal dietary and total intake of folate and vitamin B12 were associated with reduced risk of CHDs, and the tests for linear trend were significant. Compared with non-users, maternal FA + VB6 + VB12 containing supplement use during pregnancy (OR 0.61, 95%CI 0.40-0.94), FA supplement use during pregnancy (OR 0.70, 95%CI 0.50-0.98) and in the first trimester (OR 0.62, 95%CI 0.46-0.85) were associated with a lower risk of CHDs." - See B complex supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Metformin Improves Most Outcomes for T2D During Pregnancy - Medscape, 11/20/20 - "there was no significant difference between the treatment groups in terms of the proportion of women with the composite primary outcome of pregnancy loss, preterm birth, birth injury, respiratory distress, neonatal hypoglycemia, or admission to neonatal intensive care lasting more than 24 hours (P = 0.86) ... However, women in the metformin group had significantly less overall weight gain during pregnancy than those in the placebo group, at –1.8 kg (P < .0001) ... They also had a significantly lower last A1c level in pregnancy, at 41 mmol/mol (5.9%) versus 43.2 mmol/mol (6.1%) in those given placebo (P = .015), and required fewer insulin doses, at 1.1 versus 1.5 units/kg/day (P < .0001), which translated to a reduction of almost 44 units/day ... Women given metformin were also less likely to require Cesarean section delivery, at 53.4% versus 62.7% in the placebo group (P = .03), although there was no difference between groups in terms of gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia." - See metformin at ReliableRX.
• Maternal Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D during Gestation Is Positively Associated with Neurocognitive Development in Offspring at Age 4-6 Years - J Nutr 2020 Nov 2 - "Second-trimester maternal 25(OH)D was positively associated with IQ at 4-6 y, suggesting that gestational vitamin D status may be an important predictor of neurocognitive development. These findings may help inform prenatal nutrition recommendations and may be especially relevant for Black and other dark-skinned women at high risk of vitamin D deficiency" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Vitamin D levels during pregnancy linked with child IQ - Science Daily, 11/2/20 - "as many as 80% of Black pregnant women in the U.S. may be deficient in vitamin D. Of the women who participated in the study, approximately 46% of the mothers were deficient in vitamin D during their pregnancy, and vitamin D levels were lower among Black women compared to White women ... After controlling for several other factors related to IQ, higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy were associated with higher IQ in children ages 4 to 6 years old. Although observational studies like this one cannot prove causation, Melough believes her findings have important implications and warrant further research." - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Effect of Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy on Infant Neurodevelopment: The ECLIPSES Study - Nutrients 2020 Oct 19 - "From an initial sample of 793 women (mean age 30.6) recruited before the 12th week of pregnancy, 422 mother–infant pairs were followed up to a postpartum visit. Vitamin D levels were assessed in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, and socio-demographic, nutritional, and psychological variables were collected. At 40 days postpartum, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III were administered to the infants and several obstetrical data were recorded. Independently from several confounding factors, deficient vitamin D levels in the first trimester of pregnancy (<30 nmol/L) predicted a worse performance in cognitive and language skills. Language performance worsened with lower vitamin D levels (<20 nmol/L). In the third trimester, this highly deficient level was also associated with lower motor skills. Vitamin D deficiency was therefore associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com and vitamin D at iHerb.
• Choline, Neurological Development and Brain Function: A Systematic Review Focusing on the First 1000 Days - Nutrients 2020 Jun 10 - "The foundations of neurodevelopment across an individual's lifespan are established in the first 1000 days of life (2 years). During this period an adequate supply of nutrients are essential for proper neurodevelopment and lifelong brain function. Of these, evidence for choline has been building but has not been widely collated using systematic approaches ... supplementing the maternal or child's diet with choline over the first 1000 days of life could subsequently: (1) support normal brain development (animal and human evidence), (2) protect against neural and metabolic insults, particularly when the fetus is exposed to alcohol (animal and human evidence), and (3) improve neural and cognitive functioning (animal evidence). Overall, most offspring would benefit from increased choline supply during the first 1000 days of life, particularly in relation to helping facilitate normal brain development. Health policies and guidelines should consider re-evaluation to help communicate and impart potential choline benefits through diet and/or supplementation approaches across this critical life stage" - See citicholine at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Maternal Choline and Respiratory Coronavirus Effects on Fetal Brain Development - J Psychiatr Res 2020 May 25 - "Prenatal COVID-19 infection is anticipated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to affect fetal development similarly to other common respiratory coronaviruses through effects of the maternal inflammatory response on the fetus and placenta ... Infants of mothers who had contracted a moderately severe respiratory virus infection and had higher gestational choline serum levels (>=7.5 mM consistent with U.S. Food and Drug Administration dietary recommendations) had significantly increased development of their ability to maintain attention and to bond with their parents (Regulation), compared to infants whose mothers had contracted an infection but had lower choline levels (<7.5 mM). For infants of mothers with choline levels >= 7.5 μM, there was no effect of viral infection on infant IBQ-R Regulation, compared to infants of mothers who were not infected. Higher choline levels obtained through diet or supplements may protect fetal development and support infant early behavioral development even if the mother contracts a viral infection in early gestation when the brain is first being formed" - [Nutra USA] - See choline at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Perinatal Exposure to omega-3 Fatty Acid Imbalance Leads to Early Behavioral Alterations in Rat Pups - Behav Brain Res 2020 May 31 - "Polyunsaturated long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (n3-PUFAs) are crucially involved in brain development and function. Inadequate n3-PUFA intake in rats during the perinatal period leads to behavioral deficits in adulthood, but early behavioral changes have not yet been investigated ... Female Sprague Dawley rats were fed an n3-PUFA-enriched or an n3-PUFA-deficient diet throughout mating, pregnancy, and lactation. Controls were fed an n6/n3-PUFA-balanced diet ... Female Sprague Dawley rats were fed an n3-PUFA-enriched or an n3-PUFA-deficient diet throughout mating, pregnancy, and lactation. Controls were fed an n6/n3-PUFA-balanced diet. We observed maternal behavior from postnatal day (PND) 2 to PND 13 and tested pups in the isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalization (USV) emission task at PNDs 3, 5, 9 and 13 to evaluate the impact of perinatal n3-PUFA on early emotional traits. Both the n3-PUFA-enriched and n3-PUFA-deficient diets profoundly decreased maternal behavior. At PNDs 3 and PND 5, pups of the n3-PUFA-deficient or -enriched diet groups emitted significantly fewer USVs compared with control pups. Further, the sonographic pattern of the USVs was altered in the test pups compared with the control pups at PND 9 and PND 13. The present findings indicate that both n3-PUFA deficiency and supplementation induce alterations in mother-infant interaction and early behavioral disturbances in the offspring" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Extra choline may help pregnant women decrease negative effects of COVID-19 on their newborns - Science Daily, 6/1/20 - "It's important for the healthcare community, and soon to be mothers, to be aware that a natural nutrient can be taken during pregnancy, just like folic acid and other prenatal vitamins, to protect fetuses and newborns from brain development issues. Later on in life, these development issues can lead to mental illness ... researchers analyzed the effects on infant behavior if the mother had contracted a respiratory virus by measuring the infant's IBQ-R Regulation dimension -- which looks at the development of infant attention and other self-regulatory behaviors. Lower IBQ-R Regulation at one year of age is associated with problems in attention and social behavior in later childhood, including decreased reading readiness at age four years and with problems in concentration, and conscientiousness in children through seven years of age ... The results from the study: Infants of mothers who had viral infections and higher choline levels had significantly increased 3-month IBQ-R scores on the Regulation dimension and specifically the Attention scale in the Regulation dimension, compared to infants of mothers who had viral infections and had lower choline levels ... Choline levels sufficient to protect the fetus often require dietary supplements ... The study highlights that in conjunction with the CDC's current advice on COVID-19's effects in pregnancy, phosphatidylcholine or choline supplements along with other prenatal vitamins may help buffer the fetal brain from the possible detrimental impact of the current pandemic and decrease the risk of the children's future mental illness ... Previous pandemics have resulted in significantly increased levels of mental illnesses including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit disorder in the offspring" - See choline at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Effect of continued folic acid supplementation beyond the first trimester of pregnancy on cognitive performance in the child: a follow-up study from a randomized controlled trial (FASSTT Offspring Trial) - BMC Med. 2019 Oct 31;17(1) - "At 7 years, the children of folic acid treated mothers scored significantly higher than the placebo group in word reasoning: mean 13.3 (95% CI 12.4–14.2) versus 11.9 (95% CI 11.0–12.8); p = 0.027; at 3 years, they scored significantly higher in cognition: 10.3 (95% CI 9.3–11.3) versus 9.5 (95% CI 8.8–10.2); p = 0.040. At both time points, greater proportions of children from folic acid treated mothers compared with placebo had cognitive scores above the median values of 10 (girls and boys) for the BSITD-III, and 24.5 (girls) and 21.5 (boys) for the WPPSI-III tests. When compared with a nationally representative sample of British children at 7 years, WPPSI-III test scores were higher in children from folic acid treated mothers for verbal IQ (p < 0.001), performance IQ (p = 0.035), general language (p = 0.002), and full scale IQ (p = 0.001), whereas comparison of the placebo group with British children showed smaller differences in scores for verbal IQ (p = 0.034) and full scale IQ (p = 0.017) and no differences for performance IQ or general language" -  [Nutra USA] - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Maternal B12, folate and homocysteine concentrations and offspring cortisol and cardiovascular responses to stress - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 Mar 24 - "Maternal low B12 status (plasma B12<150 pmol/L) was associated with greater cortisol responses to stress in the offspring (p<0.001). Higher homocysteine concentrations were associated with greater offspring heart rate response (p<0.001). After adjustment for multiple comparisons, there were non-significant associations between higher maternal folate concentrations and offspring total peripheral resistance response (p=0.01) ... Our findings suggest that maternal one-carbon nutritional status may have long-term programming implications for offspring neuro-endocrine stress responses" - See vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.
• Parental diet affects sperm and health of future offspring - Science Daily, 3/19/20 - "When parents eat low-protein or high-fat diets it can lead to metabolic disorders in their adult offspring."
• Does consuming fruit during pregnancy improve cognition in babies? - Science Daily, 3/4/20 - "Results show that infant animal models of mothers who had their diets supplemented with fruit juice performed significantly better on tests of memory -- consistent with the previous study"
• Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy connected to elevated risk of ADHD - Science Daily, 2/10/20 - "despite the recommendations, vitamin D deficiency is still a global problem ... This research offers strong evidence that a low level of vitamin D during pregnancy is related to attention deficiency in offspring. As ADHD is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, the research results have a great significance for public health" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Suggested move to plant-based diets risks worsening brain health nutrient deficiency - Science Daily, 8/29/19 - "To make matters worse, the UK government has failed to recommend or monitor dietary levels of this nutrient -- choline -- found predominantly in animal foods ... Choline is an essential dietary nutrient, but the amount produced by the liver is not enough to meet the requirements of the human body ... Choline is critical to brain health, particularly during fetal development. It also influences liver function, with shortfalls linked to irregularities in blood fat metabolism as well as excess free radical cellular damage ... The primary sources of dietary choline are found in beef, eggs, dairy products, fish, and chicken, with much lower levels found in nuts, beans, and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli ... In 1998, recognising the importance of choline, the US Institute of Medicine recommended minimum daily intakes. These range from 425 mg/day for women to 550 mg/day for men, and 450 mg/day and 550 mg/day for pregnant and breastfeeding women, respectively" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal dietary choline supplementation modulates long-term memory development in rat offspring - Nutr Neurosci. 2019 Jul 15:1-9 - "These results suggest that prenatal supplementation with choline accelerates the development of long-term memory in rats" - See choline at Amazon.com.
• Don't overdo omega-6 fat consumption during pregnancy - Science Daily, 5/25/19 - "In Western societies, we are eating more omega 6 fats, particularly linoleic acid, which are commonly present in foods such as potato chips and vegetable oil. Other research has shown that linoleic acid can promote inflammation and may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease"
• Prenatal Vitamins May Lower 2nd Child Autism Risk - WebMD, 2/27/19 - "Whereas other studies have shown that prenatal vitamins reduce the overall likelihood of having a first child with ASD, this new study suggests that mothers who already have a child with ASD can reduce their risk of having another, similarly affected child," he said ... "Although there are already many good reasons for women to begin taking prenatal vitamins … this study lends further support to their potential benefits for women already at increased risk for having another child with ASD," Adesman added ... "If the findings from this study are replicated by other researchers, then something as simple and inexpensive as taking prenatal vitamins prior to conception can significantly reduce the likelihood of a woman having a second child with ASD," - See prenatal vitamins with dha and folic acid at Amazon.com.
• Docosahexaenoic Acid at 0.4% of Dietary Weight Enhances Lean Mass in Young Female Sprague-Dawley Rats - J Nutr. 2019 Feb 15 - "Overall, a 6% increase (P < 0.05) in whole-body and abdominal lean mass was observed in the 0.4%-DHA diet group compared with the control diet group. Moreover, the abdominal visceral fat mass was 31.4% lower in rats in the 0.4%-DHA than in the 1.2%-DHA diet group (P < 0.001). Rats in the 1.2%-DHA diet group showed greater percent differences in whole-body (32.5% and 40.6% higher) and in abdominal (33.9% and 49.4% higher) fat mass relative to the 0.1%- and 0.4%-DHA diet groups, respectively (P < 0.01). Accordingly, serum leptin concentration was lower in the 0.1%-DHA (38.2%) and 0.4%-DHA (43.8%) diet groups (P < 0.01) than in the 1.2%-DHA diet group and positively related to whole-body fat mass" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Could omega-3 fatty acids help prevent miscarriages? - Science Daily, 2/7/19 - "Approximately one in 10 U.S. infants are born before term. Between 10 and 30 percent of preterm births have been attributed to uterine infections with a type of bacteria commonly found in the mouth, F. nucleatum ... Bleeding gums create an entryway for bacteria to leak into the bloodstream. Once in the circulatory system, the bacteria can migrate to the placenta and cause inflammation there, sometimes triggering miscarriage or stillbirth ... We knew from our previous work that uterine inflammation due to infection with this bacteria is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but in order to prevent those outcomes, we needed to determine exactly how these infections trigger inflammation ... We were looking for an anti-inflammatory agent that's safe for pregnant women to use ... The experiments showed that supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids also inhibited inflammation and bacterial growth in pregnant mice, and reduced preterm births, miscarriages, and stillbirths" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Supplement makes (mouse) moms' milk better; pups benefit for life - Science Daily, 1/22/19 - "Mother mice given the NR supplement lost weight faster and produced more milk than mothers not fed NR. In addition to increasing the quantity of milk the moms produced, NR supplementation also increased the quality of the milk, which contained higher levels of a protein factor that promotes brain development ... The advantages to the pups being nursed by NR-supplemented moms were striking and long-lasting. The pups were bigger and had better metabolic health than pups nursed by non-supplemented moms. As adults, they also had better motor coordination, better learning and memory, and were less anxious and more resilient to stress ... NR-supplementation in mice returned liver levels of NAD back to or above normal, and supercharged lactation, so that NR-fed moms produced more milk and the milk contained higher levels of a growth factor called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that enhances brain development" - See nicotinamide riboside at Amazon.com.
• Women Remain at Risk of Iodine Deficiency during Pregnancy: The Importance of Iodine Supplementation before Conception and Throughout Gestation - Nutrients. 2019 Jan 15;11(1) - "Commencing an I-supp of 150 µg/day prior to conception and continuing throughout pregnancy is required to ensure adequacy. Timely advice regarding the importance of adequate iodine nutrition, including supplementation is needed to reduce the risk of irreversible in utero neurocognitive damage to the foetus" - See iodine at Amazon.com.
• Link between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia confirmed - Science Daily, 12/6/18 - "newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults compared to those with normal vitamin D levels" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of premature birth - Science Daily, 11/15/18 - "They looked at 70 randomised trials and found that for pregnant women, increasing the daily intake of long-chain omega-3s: ... lowers the risk of having a premature baby (less than 37 weeks) by 11% (from 134 per 1000 to 119 per 1000 births) ... lowers the risk of having an early premature baby (less than 34 weeks) by 42% (from 46 per 1000 to 27 per 1000 births) ... reduces the risk of having a small baby (less than 2500g) by 10%" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Fish-rich diets in pregnancy may boost babies' brain development - Science Daily, 9/20/18 - "Women could enhance the development of their unborn child's eyesight and brain function by regularly eating fatty fish during pregnancy ... Such fatty acids help to shape the nerve cells that are relevant to eyesight and particularly the retina. They are also important in forming the synapses that are vital in the transport of messages between neurons in the nervous system" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Fish Oil Pills In Pregnancy May Mean Stronger Kids - WebMD, 9/5/18 - "The body composition at age 6 years in children given fish oil supplementation was characterized by a proportional increase in lean, bone and fat mass, suggesting a general growth-stimulating effect" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Low plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids associated with preterm birth - Science Daily, 8/3/18 - "Analysis of the blood samples showed that women who were in the lowest quintile of EPA+DHA serum levels -- with EPA+DHA levels of 1.6% or less of total plasma fatty acids -- had a 10 times higher risk of early preterm birth when compared with women in the three highest quintiles, whose EPA+DHA levels were 1.8% or higher. Women in the second lowest quintile had a 2.7 times higher risk compared with women in the three highest quintiles" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
• Maternal DHA Status during Pregnancy Has a Positive Impact on Infant Problem Solving: A Norwegian Prospective Observation Study - Nutrients. 2018 Apr 24;10(5) - "DHA status at three months was associated with the infants&rsquo; problem solving at 12 months. The results accentuate the importance for pregnant and lactating women to have a satisfactory DHA status from dietary intake of seafood or other sources rich in DHA" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Researchers link dietary supplement DHA to higher fat-free body mass in children - Science Daily, 3/21/18 - "DHA is a nutrient found in the highest concentrations in oily fish such as salmon and tuna, foods many Americans don't eat a lot of, so they tend to get low intakes ... Because U.S. intakes are low and because DHA is highly concentrated in the brain where it increases dramatically in the last trimester of pregnancy and the first two years of life, I have had a long interest in whether more of this nutrient is needed for optimal health during early development. DHA can be delivered to the fetus by increasing maternal intake during pregnancy and to the breast-fed infant by increasing maternal intake during lactation, which increases DHA in mothers' milk ... Half were randomly assigned to a prenatal DHA supplement of 600 milligrams, and half were given a placebo ... Five years later ... the children whose mothers took the DHA supplement during pregnancy had an average of 1.3 pounds more fat-free mass but the same amount of fat at age 5 compared with the placebo group" - See Docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Female Babies on Soy Formula Show Estrogenic Effects - Medscape, 3/13/18 - "Exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) early in life may affect reproductive development ... In our observational study, when compared to infants who were fed cow’s milk formula, infants who were fed soy formula exclusively since birth demonstrated differences in uterine volume and urogenital epithelial cell characteristics over the first 7 to 9 months of life, consistent with an estrogen response ... These differences were not of clinical concern, and the potential long-term clinical consequences of these changes are unknown ... For mothers who prefer giving formula, AAP does not recommend soy formula for preterm infants, and cites very few indications for use among term infants, including galactosemia, hereditary lactase deficiency, or family preference for a vegetarian diet. Our study provides additional evidence in support of the AAP limited use recommendations"
• Fish oil and probiotic supplements in pregnancy may reduce risk of childhood allergies - Science Daily, 2/28/18 - "when pregnant women took a daily fish oil capsule from 20 weeks pregnant, and during the first three to four months of breastfeeding, risk of egg allergy in the child was reduced by 30 per cent ... taking a daily probiotic supplement from 36-38 weeks pregnant, and during the first three to six months of breastfeeding, reduced the risk of a child developing eczema by 22 per cent" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com and probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Prebiotics in infant formula could improve learning and memory and alter brain chemistry - Science Daily, 1/17/18 - "Starting on the second day of life, piglets were given a cow's milk-based infant formula supplemented with polydextrose (PDX), a synthetic carbohydrate with prebiotic activity, and galactooligosaccharide (GOS), a naturally occurring prebiotic. When the piglets were 25 days old, Fleming took them through several learning, memory, and stress tests. After 33 days, blood, brain, and intestinal tissues were collected for analysis ... Pigs fed PDX and GOS spent more time playing with new objects than pigs who didn't receive the prebiotic supplements. The preference for novel objects, an indication of natural curiosity, is a sign of healthy brain development and points towards positive development of learning and memory" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Eating more foods with choline during pregnancy could boost baby’s brain - Science Daily, 1/4/18 - "half the women received 480 mg/day of choline, slightly more than the adequate intake level, and the other half received 930 mg/day ... While offspring in both groups showed cognitive benefits, information processing speeds were significantly faster for the group of expectant mothers who consumed 930 mg/day when compared with the group that took 480 mg/day over the same period ... Though the study has a small sample, it suggests that current recommendations for daily choline intake may not be enough to produce optimal cognitive abilities in offspring" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal Vitamins Tied to Lower Autism Risk - WebMD, 1/3/18 - "Women who took supplements prior to pregnancy were 61 percent less likely to have a child diagnosed with autism ... taking supplements during pregnancy was linked to a 73 percent reduced risk of an autism diagnosis"
• Perinatal Brain Docosahexaenoic Acid Concentration Has a Lasting Impact on Cognition in Mice - J Nutr. 2017 Aug 2 - "Developmental deprivation of brain DHA by dietary ω-3 FA depletion in mice may have a lasting impact on cognitive function if not corrected at an early age" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• High folic acid level in pregnancy may decrease high blood pressure in children - Science Daily, 3/8/17 - "A new article published in the American Journal of Hypertension finds that babies born to mothers with cardiometabolic risk factors were less likely to develop high blood pressure if their mothers had higher levels of folate during pregnancy"
• Postpartum Varicose Veins: Supplementation with Pycnogenol or Elastic Compression-A 12-Month Follow-Up - Int J Angiol. 2017 Mar;26(1):12-19 - "At 3 and 6 months in the Pycnogenol group the number of veins and incompetent sites were lower. At 6 months there were 13.3% of patients with edema in controls versus 3.2% in the Pycnogenol group. Spider veins decreased in Pycnogenol patients. Cramps and other minor symptoms were less common in the Pycnogenol group. In both groups there was a significant improvement at 6 months with better results in the Pycnogenol group. The need for treatment was limited with a decreased need for sclerotherapy, surgery, and conservative treatments in the Pycnogenol group. The overall satisfaction was higher among Pycnogenol patients, and compliance was optimal" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.  Some say grape seed extract is similar without the patent make-up.  See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Early supplementation may help offset early-life stress on the adult brain - Science Daily, 10/26/16 - "Specifically, using mice, scientists focused on essential micronutrients, including methionine, vitamins B6and B12, and folic acid, none of which are made by the body and need to be ingested through diet. They found that early-life stress reduces the levels of these nutrients in mouse pups, but supplementation prevented the reduction of methionine levels and even prevented some of the lasting negative effects of early-life stress on later learning and memory in adult offspring ... Here we see strikingly beneficial cognitive effects of a sound postnatal diet. The nutrients tested were familiar ones, but the results speak for themselves"
• Nutritional supplement could prevent thousands of early preterm births - Science Daily, 10/13/16 - "DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) occurs naturally in cell membranes with the highest levels in brain cells, but levels can be increased by diet or supplements ... By using the results of DOMinO and KUDOS, the researchers in both studies found that early preterm births could be reduced to only 1.3 percent in Australia or 1.5 percent of births in the U.S. in demographically similar populations ... These percentages are remarkably similar and may reflect the lowest rate of spontaneous early preterm birth that can be achieved in any population" -  See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• The effects of synbiotic supplementation on markers of insulin metabolism and lipid profiles in gestational diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - Br J Nutr. 2016 Sep 29:1-8 - "Patients in the synbiotic group received a daily capsule that contained three viable and freeze-dried strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bifidobacterium bifidum (2×109 colony-forming units/g each) plus 800 mg inulin for 6 weeks ... After 6 weeks of intervention, compared with the placebo, synbiotic supplementation led to a significant decrease in serum insulin levels (-1·5 (sd 5·9) v. +4·8 (sd 11·5) µIU/ml, P=0·005), homoeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (-0·4 (sd 1·3) v. +1·1 (sd 2·7), P=0·003) and homoeostatic model assessment for β cell function (-5·1 (sd 24·2) v. +18·9 (sd 45·6), P=0·008) and a significant increase in quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0·01 (sd 0·01) v. -0·007 (sd 0·02), P=0·02). In addition, synbiotic intake significantly decreased serum TAG (-14·8 (sd 56·5) v. +30·4 (sd 37·8) mg/dl, P<0·001) and VLDL-cholesterol concentrations (-3·0 (sd 11·3) v. +6·1 (sd 7·6) mg/dl, P<0·001) compared with the placebo" - [Nutra USA] - See synbiotic products at Amazon.com, probiotic products at Amazon.com and inulin at Amazon.com.
• A Dietary Supply of Docosahexaenoic Acid Early in Life Is Essential for Immune Development and the Establishment of Oral Tolerance in Female Rat Offspring - J Nutr. 2016 Sep 28 - "Feeding additional DHA during suckling had a beneficial programming effect on the ability of immune cells to produce IFN-γ and IL-10, and feeding DHA during weaning resulted in a lower inflammatory response" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com and docosahexaenoic acid at iHerb.
• Vitamin B levels during pregnancy linked to eczema risk in child - Science Daily, 9/23/16 - "offspring of mothers with higher levels of nicotinamide had a 30 per cent lower chance of developing atopic eczema at 12 months. There was an even stronger association with higher levels of anthranilic acid, a tryptophan metabolite ... Nicotinamide can improve the overall structure, moisture and elasticity of skin and therefore could potentially alter the disease processes associated with eczema" - See nicotinamide at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal supplementation with DHA improves attention at 5 y of age: a randomized controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Sep 7 - "Prenatal exposure to DHA may contribute to improved sustained attention in preschool children" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Effects of omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and youth on neurodevelopment and cognition in childhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis - The FASEB Journal Apr 2016 - "Omega-3 supplementation during either pregnancy or infancy improves child neurodevelopment. These findings indicate the importance of sufficient polyunsaturated fatty acid intake by pregnant women and young children" - [Nutra USA] - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Bit of Chocolate in Pregnancy May Help Mom, Baby - WebMD, 2/4/16 - "Pregnant women who nibble just a small piece of chocolate each day may improve the circulatory health of their unborn child ... The tiny treat may also reduce the risk for preeclampsia ... All were instructed to consume 30 grams of chocolate (a little more than one ounce) each day over a 12-week period. That's equivalent to about one small square of chocolate per day ... Half of the women consumed high-flavanol chocolate, while the other half were given low-flavanol chocolate ... simply consuming a small amount of chocolate -- no matter what the flavanol content -- was associated with notable improvements in all blood circulation and velocity measures compared to the general population" - See Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark Squares, Midnight Reverie, 4.12 oz., 86% Cacao (Pack of 4) at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal folate, homocysteine and vitamin B12 levels and child brain volumes, cognitive development and psychological functioning: the Generation R Study - Br J Nutr. 2016 Jan 22:1-9 - "Our findings suggest that folate insufficiency in early pregnancy has a long-lasting, global effect on brain development and is, together with homocysteine levels, associated with poorer cognitive performance"
• Long-Term Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid Feeding on Lipid Composition and Brain Fatty Acid-Binding Protein Expression in Rats - Nutrients. 2015 Oct 22 - "Arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) brain accretion is essential for brain development ... DHA supplementation during lactation maintains high DHA levels in the brains of pups even when they are fed a DHA-deficient diet for three weeks after weaning. We show that boosting dietary DHA levels for three weeks after weaning compensates for a maternal DHA-deficient diet during lactation. Finally, our data indicate that brain fatty acid binding protein (FABP7), a marker of neural stem cells, is down-regulated in the brains of six-week pups with a high DHA:AA ratio. We propose that elevated levels of DHA in developing brain accelerate brain maturation relative to DHA-deficient brains" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Higher Maternal Plasma n-3 PUFA and Lower n-6 PUFA Concentrations in Pregnancy Are Associated with Lower Childhood Systolic Blood Pressure - J Nutr. 2015 Aug 5 - "Higher maternal plasma n-3 PUFA and lower n-6 PUFA concentrations during pregnancy are associated with a lower systolic blood pressure in childhood" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
• Brain development suffers from lack of fish oil fatty acids, study finds - Science Daily, 4/15/15 - "The findings suggest that women maintain a balanced diet rich in these fatty acids for themselves during pregnancy and for their babies after birth ... These fatty acids are precursors of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, which plays a key role in the healthy creation of the central nervous system" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Women who take n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplements during pregnancy and lactation meet the recommended intake - Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2015 Mar 25 - "Only 27% of women during pregnancy and 25% at 3 months postpartum met the current European Union (EU) consensus recommendation for DHA ... Women who took a supplement containing DHA were 10.6 and 11.1 times more likely to meet the current EU consensus recommendation for pregnancy (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.952-16.07; P < 0.001) and postpartum (95% CI: 6.803-18.14; P < 0.001), respectively" - [Nutra USA] - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Iodine deficiency in pregnant women impairs embryonic brain development - Science Daily, 1/20/15 - "iodine is extremely important for embryonic brain development. Even a mild iodine deficiency can impair the child's intellectual development; recent studies in the UK and Australia have shown that IQs are in fact reduced by a few points ... The most extreme form of iodine deficiency presents itself in the form of a condition known as cretinism, which includes metabolic changes, deformities of the skeleton and underactivity of the thyroid gland" - See iodine at Amazon.com.
• Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Risk of Preterm Birth in Study - WebMD, 1/8/15 - "Women with the lowest levels of vitamin D were about 1.5 times as likely to deliver early compared to those with the highest levels ... In the study, Bodnar and her colleagues grouped women as less than 50 nmol/L, 50 to 74.9 nmol/L, and 75 nmol/L or above" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Maternal Vitamin D Status Tied to Long-term Outcomes in Kids - Medscape, 12/16/14 - "children born to mothers with serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-OH-D) levels less than 50 nmol/L at 18 weeks' gestation were at increased risk for impaired lung development at 6 years, neurocognitive problems at 10 years, eating disorders during adolescence, and lower peak bone mass at 20 years" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Could Vitamin D Make Childbirth Less Painful? - WebMD, 10/14/14 - "Women with lower vitamin D levels required more pain medication than those with higher vitamin D levels, according to the study scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists in New Orleans" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements in pregnancy, study shows -- ScienceDaily - Science Daily, 9/22/14 - "Low iron intake was associated with a five-fold greater risk of autism in the child if the mother was 35 or older at the time of the child's birth or if she suffered from metabolic conditions such as obesity hypertension or diabetes ... The association between lower maternal iron intake and increased ASD risk was strongest during breastfeeding, after adjustment for folic acid intake ... Iron deficiency, and its resultant anemia, is the most common nutrient deficiency, especially during pregnancy, affecting 40 to 50 percent of women and their infants ... Iron is crucial to early brain development, contributing to neurotransmitter production, myelination and immune function. All three of these pathways have been associated with autism" - See iron supplements at Amazon.com and folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Talk to Pregnant/Nursing Patients About Iodine Supplements - Medscape, 8/11/14 - "iodine deficiency in the United States is occurring at least marginally in about one third of pregnant women ... this deficiency may be compounded by environmental exposures that are ubiquitous: for example, perchlorate, which may take the place of iodide and thus make iodide less available for the thyroid and for breastmilk ... One reason for the deficiency in iodine is the increased consumption in the United States of processed foods; these don't contain, in general, iodized salt. The second contributor is that the supplements taken in pregnancy or by breastfeeding women, as we mentioned before, don't contain adequate amounts of iodine and are not always labeled correctly ... few supplements contain adequate amounts of iodine and labeling issues persist" - See iodine at Amazon.com.
• Iodide Supplements Needed by Pregnant, Nursing Women - Medscape, 5/26/14 - "Many women of reproductive age in the United States are marginally iodine deficient, perhaps because the salt in processed foods is not iodized ... Iodine deficiency, per se, can interfere with normal brain development in their offspring; in addition, it increases vulnerability to the effects of certain environmental pollutants, such as nitrate, thiocyanate, and perchlorate. Although pregnant and lactating women should take a supplement containing adequate iodide, only about 15% do so" - Note:  I wasn't even aware that the salt in processed food isn't iodized and I don't use extra salt in my diet.  See iodine at Amazon.com.
• Postnatal nutritional iron deficiency impairs dopaminergic-mediated synaptic plasticity in the CA1 area of the hippocampus - Nutr Neurosci. 2014 Mar 28 - "Objectives Developmental iron deficiency (ID) has been shown to put children at risk for compromised learning and memory capacity, and it has also been shown to impair hippocampus-dependent forms of memory as well as hippocampal synaptic transmission ... The present study demonstrates that postnatal ID produces long-lasting impairments in dopaminergic-dependent synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. These impairments may play a role in the learning and memory deficits known to result from ID"
• Cannabis during pregnancy endangers fetal brain development - Science Daily, 1/27/14 - "consuming Cannabis during pregnancy clearly results in defective development of nerve cells of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that orchestrates higher cognitive functions and drives memory formation. In particular, THC negatively impacts if and how the structural platform and conduit for communication between nerve cells, the synapses and axons, will develop and function. Researchers also identified Stathmin-2 as a key protein target for THC action, and its loss is characterized as a reason for erroneous nerve growth ... these developmental deficits may evoke life-long modifications to the brain function of those affected ... relatively subtle damage can significantly increase the risk of delayed neuropsychiatric diseases ... Even if THC only would cause small changes its effect may well be sufficient to sensitize the brain to later stressors or diseases to provoke neuropsychiatric illnesses in those affected in the future"
• Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy may increase risk of severe preeclampsia - Science Daily, 1/27/14 - "researchers studied blood samples collected from 700 pregnant women who later developed preeclampsia in an effort to examine a woman's vitamin D status during pregnancy and her risk of developing preeclampsia ... also studied blood samples from 3,000 mothers who did not develop preeclampsia ... vitamin D sufficiency was associated with a 40 percent reduction in risk of severe preeclampsia. But there was no relationship between vitamin D and mild preeclampsia" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Maternal Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation Attenuates Fetal Growth Restriction and Enhances Pulmonary Function in a Newborn Mouse Model of Perinatal Inflammation - J Nutr. 2014 Jan 22 - "In a model of severe inflammation, maternal DHA supplementation lessened inflammation and improved lung growth in the offspring. Maternal supplementation with DHA may be a therapeutic strategy to reduce neonatal inflammation" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
• Imbalance of folic acid and vitamin B12 is associated with birth outcome: an Indian pregnant women study - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jan 22 - "Imbalance in the maternal micronutrients with increasing ratio of folate to vitamin B12 was associated with an increase in plasma homocysteine (P=0.014), lowering of neonatal birth weight (P=0.009), birth length (P=0.034), head circumference (P=0.018) and chest circumference" - See prenatal vitamins at Amazon.com.
• Higher Vitamin D Levels in Pregnancy Could Help Babies Become Stronger - Science Daily, 1/3/14 - "Low vitamin D status has been linked to reduced muscle strength in adults and children, but little is known about how variation in a mother's status during pregnancy affects her child ... vitamin D levels were measured in 678 mothers in the later stages of pregnancy ... When the children were four years old, grip strength and muscle mass were measured. Results showed that the higher the levels of vitamin D in the mother, the higher the grip strength of the child, with an additional, but less pronounced association between mother's vitamin D and child's muscle mass" - [Abstract] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Maternal Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy and Bone Mass in Offspring at 20 Years of Age: A Prospective Cohort Study - J Bone Miner Res. 2013 Nov 5 - "investigated the association between maternal vitamin D status and peak bone mass of offspring in 341 mother and offspring pairs in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study ... Outcomes were total body bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in offspring at 20 years of age ... Maternal vitamin D deficiency was associated with 2.7% lower total body BMC (mean +/- SE: 2846 +/- 20 vs 2924 +/- 16 g, P = 0.004) and 1.7% lower total body BMD (1053 +/- 7 vs 1071 +/- 5 mg/cm2 , P = 0.043) in the offspring. We conclude that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women is associated with lower peak bone mass in their children. This may increase fracture risk in the offspring in later life" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Maternal fatty acids in pregnancy, FADS polymorphisms, and child intelligence quotient at 8 y of age - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Sep 25 - "These results support the positive role of maternal arachidonic acid and DHA on fetal neural development although the effects on child IQ by 8 y of age were small (0.1 SD) with other factors contributing more substantially. The endogenous synthesis of these FAs by FADS genes, especially FADS2, may also be important" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Lower dietary vitamin E intake during the second trimester is associated with insulin resistance and hyperglycemia later in pregnancy - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Sep 25 - "Women with singleton pregnancies (n=205) underwent a 3-h oral glucose tolerance test at 30 weeks gestation and were asked to recall second trimester dietary intake ... Higher dietary vitamin E intake was associated with lower fasting glucose, lower HOMA insulin resistance, and higher Matsuda insulin sensitivity index after covariate adjustment including serum adiponectin among women consuming daily multivitamin supplements" - See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at Amazon.com.
• Diet during pregnancy and early life may affect children's behavior and intelligence - Science Daily, 9/13/13 - "Blood samples were taken from 493 schoolchildren, aged between seven and nine years, from 74 mainstream schools in Oxfordshire. All of the children were thought to have below-average reading skills ... Analyses of their blood samples showed that, on average, just under two per cent of the children's total blood fatty acids were Omega-3 DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and 0.5 per cent were Omega-3 EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid), with a total of 2.45 per cent for these long-chain Omega-3 combined. This is below the minimum of 4 per cent recommended by leading scientists to maintain cardiovascular health in adults, with 8-12 per cent regarded as optimal for a healthy heart ... levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the blood significantly predicted a child's behaviour and ability to learn. Higher levels of Omega-3 in the blood, and DHA in particular, were associated with better reading and memory, as well as with fewer behaviour problems as rated by parents and teachers" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Maternal and infant vitamin D status during the first 9 months of infant life-a cohort study - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Sep 4 - "A total of 107 women aged 24-41 years gave birth to 108 infants. They were followed up three times during 9 months ... At birth, 23% of mothers and 61% of infants had 25OHD <50 nmol/l. Vitamin D deficiency (25OHD <25 nmol/l) was present in 66% of the children born by mothers with 25OHD levels below 50 nmol/l (P<0.01), whereas only one child was born with deficiency among mothers with 25OHD >50 nmol/l. During follow-up, most of the children (>85%) had 25OHD levels >50 nmol/l, which most likely was attributable to the use of supplements, as more than 95% of the children were given daily vitamin D supplements of 10 μg of vitamin D ... CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in newborn. Maternal 25OHD levels above 50 nmol/l are needed to prevent vitamin D deficiency among newborn" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Maternal milk consumption, birth size and adult height of offspring: a prospective cohort study with 20 years of follow-up - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Sep 4 - "809 Danish pregnant women was recruited in 1988-1989, with offspring follow-up at ~ 20 years of age (n=685). Milk consumption was assessed at gestational week 30 using a food frequency questionnaire ... Our findings add to recent observations that maternal milk consumption may have a growth-promoting effect with respect to weight and length at birth. Furthermore, the results provide some suggestion that this effect may even track into early adult age, although further studies with more statistical power are needed for that purpose"
• Vitamin D Supplementation Affects Serum High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, Insulin Resistance, and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Pregnant Women - J Nutr. 2013 Jul 24 - "Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 400 IU/d cholecalciferol supplements (n = 24) or placebo (n = 24) for 9 wk ... Vitamin D supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in serum hs-CRP (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: -1.41 vs. +1.50 μg/mL; P-interaction = 0.01) and insulin concentrations (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: -1.0 vs. +2.6 μIU/mL; P-interaction = 0.04) and a significant increase in the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index score (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: +0.02 vs. -0.02; P-interaction = 0.006), plasma total antioxidant capacity (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: +152 vs. -20 mmol/L; P-interaction = 0.002), and total glutathione concentrations (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: +205 vs. -32 μmol/L; P-interaction = 0.02) compared with placebo. Intake of vitamin D supplements led to a significant decrease in fasting plasma glucose (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: -0.65 vs. -0.12 mmol/L; P-interaction = 0.01), systolic blood pressure (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: -0.2 vs. +5.5 mm Hg; P-interaction = 0.01), and diastolic blood pressure (vitamin D vs. placebo groups: -0.4 vs. +3.1 mm Hg; P-interaction = 0.01) compared with placebo" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Impact of Maternal Depression Across the First 6 Years of Life on the Child's Mental Health, Social Engagement, and Empathy: The Moderating Role of Oxytocin - Am J Psychiatry. 2013 Jul 12 - "Maternal depression across the postbirth period has long-term negative consequences for infant development ... The authors recruited a community cohort of women with high or low depression scores 2 days after childbirth and measured depression again at 6 and 9 months. When the child was 6, the authors evaluated the families of 46 chronically depressed mothers and 103 mothers reporting no depression since childbirth. The child was assessed for psychiatric diagnoses, social engagement, and empathy. Mother, father, and child were tested for salivary oxytocin level and variation in the rs2254298 single nucleotide polymorphism on the OXTR gene ... Of the children of the chronically depressed mothers, 61% displayed axis I disorders, mainly anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder, compared with 15% of the children of nondepressed mothers. In the depressed mothers' families, salivary oxytocin was lower in mothers, fathers, and children, and the children had lower empathy and social engagement levels. The rs2254298 GG homozygous genotype was overrepresented in depressed mothers and their families, and it correlated with lower salivary oxytocin. Presence of a single rs2254298 A allele (GA or AA genotype) in depressed mothers markedly decreased risk of child psychopathology ... This suggests a potential for oxytocin-based interventions" - See Oxy Pro (Oxytocin) Nasal Spray at International Anti-aging Systems.
• Choline Intake During Pregnancy and Child Cognition at Age 7 - Medscape, 6/28/13 - "Higher gestational choline intake was associated with modestly better child visual memory at age 7 years" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Findings emphasize importance of vitamin D in pregnancy - Science Daily, 6/22/13 - "While current studies suggest that around a fifth (19 per cent) of a newborn baby's supply or deficiency of vitamin D comes directly from its mother, experts from Kingston's School of Life Sciences have discovered that the figure is, in fact, almost three times as high at 56 per cent ... focused on 120 samples taken from 60 Greek mothers and their babies ... Although the Mediterranean nation enjoys more hours of sunshine than the United Kingdom, the research revealed that many of the mothers had low levels of vitamin D ... the type of vitamin D commonly measured in blood tests was not as reliable an indicator of vitamin D activity as other strands. They went on to discover that two epimer forms, previously thought to be unimportant, influenced levels in babies" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Autism and Folic Acid in Pregnancy - Medscape, 5/7/13 - "The investigators concluded that maternal use of folic acid from 4 weeks before conception through 8 weeks after conception was associated with a lower odds of the offspring being diagnosed with ASD" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Preterm infants may need 800 IU of vitamin D3 per day - Science Daily, 5/5/13 - "Recommendations from medical organizations on how much vitamin D should be given to preemies range from 400 IU to 1000 IU per day. This lack of consensus prompted researchers from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, to conduct the largest study to date on vitamin D supplementation in preterm infants ... The infants then were randomly assigned to receive either 800 IU or 400 IU of oral vitamin D3 ... vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) ... After supplementation, the prevalence of VDI at 40 weeks was 43 percent lower in the 800 IU group than the 400 IU group (38 percent vs. 67 percent). In addition, VDI was significantly lower in the 800 IU group when the infants were 3 months old (12 percent vs. 35 percent)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin C may head off lung problems in babies born to pregnant smokers - Science Daily, 5/4/13 - "If a woman absolutely can't kick the habit, taking vitamin C during pregnancy may improve her newborn's lung function and prevent wheezing in the first year of life ... Specifically, 21 percent of infants in the vitamin C group had at least one episode of wheezing compared to 40 percent of those in the placebo group and 27 percent of infants born to nonsmokers. In addition, 13 percent of infants whose mothers were randomized to vitamin C needed medication for their wheezing compared to 22 percent of infants in the placebo group and 10 percent in the nonsmoking group" - Err!!  Why would pregnant women smoke to begin with?  See vitamin C at Amazon.com.
• Mild iodine deficiency in womb associated with lower scores on children's literacy tests - Science Daily, 4/30/13 - "Although the participants' diet was fortified with iodine during childhood, later supplementation was not enough to reverse the impact of the deficiency during the mother's pregnancy ... inadequate iodine exposure during pregnancy was associated with lasting effects. As 9-year-olds, the children who received insufficient iodine in the womb had lower scores on standardized literacy tests, particularly in spelling. However, inadequate iodine exposure was not associated with lower scores on math tests" - See iodine at Amazon.com.
• A maternal high-protein diet predisposes female offspring to increased fat mass in adulthood whereas a prebiotic fibre diet decreases fat mass in rats - Br J Nutr. 2013 Apr 8:1-10 - "virgin Wistar dams were fed either a control (C), high-protein (40 %, w/w; HP) or high-prebiotic fibre (21.6 %, w/w; HF) diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. Pups consumed the C diet from 3 to 14.5 weeks of age, and then switched to a high-fat/sucrose diet for 8 weeks ... The maternal HP and HF diets had lasting effects on body fat and hepatic TAG accumulation in the offspring, particularly in females. Whereas the HP diet predisposes to an obese phenotype, the maternal HF diet appears to reduce the susceptibility to obesity following a high-energy diet challenge in adulthood"
• Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of Vitamin D Supplementation in Pregnancy in a Population with Endemic Vitamin D Deficiency - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Apr 4 - "Vitamin D (vD) deficiency in pregnancy is a global health problem and the amount of vD supplementation to prevent vD deficiency is controversial.  Objective: Determine effectiveness and safety of prenatal 2000 IU and 4000 IU/day compared with 400 IU/day vD3 supplementation in a RCT in population where vD deficiency is endemic ... Arab women were randomized at 12-16 weeks of gestation to 400, 2000 and 4000 IU/day vD3 which were continued to delivery ... Vitamin D supplementation of 2000 and 4000 IU/day appeared safe in pregnancy and 4000 IU/day was most effective in optimizing serum 25(OH)D concentrations in mothers and their infants" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D insufficiency linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes - Science Daily, 3/27/13 - "researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of all existing evidence on the effect of vitamin D concentration on pregnancy and birth outcomes ... pregnant women with low levels of 5-OH vitamin D were more likely to develop gestational diabetes (odds ratio of 0.79), had an increased chance of developing preeclampsia (odds ratio of 0.65) and an increased chance of giving birth to a baby small for gestational age (odds ratio of 0.57)" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High-carb intake in infancy has lifelong effects, study finds - Science Daily, 3/19/13 - "Many American baby foods and juices are high in carbohydrates ... Our hypothesis has been that the introduction of baby foods too early in life increases carbohydrate intake, thereby boosting insulin secretion and causing metabolic programming that in turn, predisposes the child to obesity later in life ... the UB researchers administered to newborn rat pups special milk formulas they developed that are either similar to rat milk in composition, (higher in fat-derived calories) or enriched with carbohydrate-derived calories ... At three weeks of age, the rat pups fed the high-carbohydrate (HC) formula were then weaned onto rat chow either with free access to food or with a moderate calorie restriction, so that their level of consumption would be the same as pups reared naturally ... We found that when the HC rat undergoes metabolic reprogramming for development of obesity in early postnatal life, and then is subjected to moderate caloric restriction, similar to when an individual goes on a diet, the programming is only suppressed, not erased ... During this critical period, the hypothalamus, which regulates appetite, becomes programmed to drive the individual to eat more food. We found that a period of moderate caloric restriction later in life cannot reverse this programming effect ... solid foods should not be given before a baby is 4-6 months old"
• High Intake of Dietary Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure in Children Born With Low Birth Weight: NHANES 2003-2008 - Hypertension. 2013 Mar 4 - "Reduced fetal growth is associated with increased systolic blood pressure ... In the 354 participants with reduced birth weight, when compared with children with the lowest tertile of intake, those who had the highest tertile of dietary eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intake had significantly lower systolic blood pressure (-4.9 mm Hg [95% confidence interval, -9.7 to -0.1]) and pulse pressure (-7.7 mm Hg [95% confidence interval, -15.0 to -0.4])" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal DHA reduces early preterm birth and low birth weight - Science Daily, 2/25/13 - "infants of mothers who were given 600 milligrams of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy weighed more at birth and were less likely to be very low birth weight and born before 34 weeks gestation than infants of mothers who were given a placebo ... Previous research has established the effects of postnatal feeding of DHA on infant cognitive and intellectual development, but DHA is accumulated most rapidly in the fetal brain during pregnancy" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• DHA supplementation and pregnancy outcomes - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb 20 - "We tested the hypothesis that 600 mg/d of the n-3 LCPUFA DHA can increase maternal and newborn DHA status, gestation duration, birth weight, and length ... A supplement of 600 mg DHA/d in the last half of gestation resulted in overall greater gestation duration and infant size. A reduction in early preterm and very-low birth weight could be important clinical and public health outcomes of DHA supplementation" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Choline supplementation during pregnancy presents a new approach to schizophrenia prevention - Science Daily, 1/15/13 - "Choline, an essential nutrient similar to the B vitamin and found in foods such as liver, muscle meats, fish, nuts and eggs, when given as a dietary supplement in the last two trimesters of pregnancy and in early infancy, is showing a lower rate of physiological schizophrenic risk factors in infants 33 days old ... Choline is also being studied for potential benefits in liver disease, including chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, depression, memory loss, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and certain types of seizures ... Half the healthy pregnant women in this study took 3,600 milligrams of phosphatidylcholine each morning and 2,700 milligrams each evening; the other half took placebo. After delivery, their infants received 100 milligrams of phosphatidylcholine per day or placebo. Eighty-six percent of infants exposed to pre- and postnatal choline supplementation, compared to 43% of unexposed infants, inhibited the response to repeated sounds, as measured with EEG sensors placed on the baby's head during sleep" - See phosphatidylcholine at Amazon.com.
• Lower Adiponectin Levels at First Trimester of Pregnancy Are Associated With Increased Insulin Resistance and Higher Risk of Developing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus - Diabetes Care. 2013 Jan 8 - "Pregnant women with lower adiponectin levels at 1st trimester have higher levels of insulin resistance and are more likely to develop GDM independently of adiposity or glycemic measurements"
• Limiting Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Levels in Pregnancy May Influence Body Fat of Children - Science Daily, 1/10/13 - "mothers who have higher levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are found in cooking oils and nuts, during pregnancy have fatter children ... assessed the fat and muscle mass of 293 boys and girls at four and six years, who are part of the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS), a large prospective mother-offspring cohort ... the higher the level of n-3 the less fat and more muscle and bone in the baby ... This could suggest that a pregnancy supplementation strategy would be beneficial" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Critical Need for Iodine Supplements During Pregnancy and While Nursing - Science Daily, 12/18/12 - "Iodine levels in the US have been decreasing, which has the potential to negatively impact the mother and unborn child ... Iodine, which is not naturally made in the human body, must be consumed through foods rich in the element or through supplements. Iodine is required for the production of thyroid hormone, and adequate thyroid hormone levels are critical for normal fetal neurodevelopment. National and international health organizations currently recommend that pregnant women take at least 150 µg of potassium iodide daily ... There is concern that even mild iodine deficiency in pregnant women could lead to children with lower IQ's" - See iodine at Amazon.com.
• Mother’s vitamin D level linked to birth weight - Science Daily, 12/10/12 - "We found that a mother's vitamin D level, in the first or second trimester of pregnancy, was related to the normal growth of babies who delivered at term ... If a mother was vitamin D deficient, the birth weight of her baby was 46 g lower after accounting for other characteristics of the mom. Also if moms were vitamin D deficient in the first trimester, they had twice the risk of delivering a baby that suffered from growth restriction during the pregnancy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High Vitamin D levels in pregnancy may protect mother more than baby against multiple sclerosis - Science Daily, 11/19/12 - "scientists reviewed information about 291,500 blood samples from 164,000 people collected since 1975 in the northern half of Sweden ... women who had high levels of vitamin D in their blood had a 61 percent lower risk of developing MS, compared to those who had low levels of vitamin D in their blood ... No association was found between the mother's vitamin D level and whether her child would later develop MS ... our study suggests the protective effect may start in later pregnancy and beyond" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Fetal growth, omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis: preventing fetal origins of disease? The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Nov 14 - "Impaired fetal growth is independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in adulthood ... Dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a slower rate of increase in carotid intima-media thickness in those with impaired fetal growth" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Fetus suffers when mother lacks vitamin C - Science Daily, 11/16/12 - "Maternal vitamin C deficiency during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the fetal brain. And once brain damage has occurred, it cannot be reversed by vitamin C supplements after birth ... Even marginal vitamin C deficiency in the mother stunts the fetal hippocampus, the important memory centre, by 10-15 per cent, preventing the brain from optimal development" - See vitamin C at Amazon.com.
• Month of birth effect: Give pregnant women vitamin D supplements to ward off multiple sclerosis, say researchers - Science Daily, 11/14/12 - "The risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) is highest in the month of April, and lowest in October ... there is now a strong case for vitamin D supplementation of pregnant women in countries where ultraviolet light levels are low between October and March ... The analysis indicated a significant excess risk of 5% among those born in April compared with what would be expected. Similarly, the risk of MS was 5 to 7% lower among those born between October and November, the data indicated" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal mercury exposure may be linked to risk of ADHD-related behaviors; Fish consumption may be linked to lower risk - Science Daily, 10/8/12 - "Nonoccupational methylmercury exposure comes primarily from eating fish, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have recommended pregnant women limit their total fish intake to no more than two, six-ounce servings per week. However, fish is also a source of nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to benefit brain development, potentially confounding mercury-related risk estimates ... analyzed data from the New Bedford birth cohort, a group of infants born between 1993 and 1998, to investigate the association of peripartum maternal hair mercury levels (n=421) and prenatal fish intake (n=515) with ADHD-related behaviors at age 8 years ... In this population-based prospective cohort study, hair mercury levels were consistently associated with ADHD-related behaviors, including inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. We also found that higher prenatal fish consumption was protective for these behaviors"
• Vitamin D in Pregnancy May Be Key for Baby's Brain - WebMD, 9/20/12 - "researchers measured the vitamin D levels of pregnant women mainly during their second trimester. At 14 months, their babies underwent an approximately hour-long battery of standardized tests that measured their mental development and their psychomotor skills, or their ability to control their physical movements ... babies whose mothers had an optimal level of vitamin D scored slightly higher than babies of mothers who were D deficient ... Even here in L.A., where it’s often sunny, people don’t get enough sun, because of smog, because they stay indoors, or because they use a lot of sunblock" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Nutrient in eggs and meat may influence gene expression from infancy to adulthood - Science Daily, 9/20/12 - "Consuming greater amounts of choline -- a nutrient found in eggs and meat -- during pregnancy may lower an infant's vulnerability to stress-related illnesses, such as mental health disturbances, and chronic conditions, like hypertension, later in life ... More choline in the mother's diet led to a more stable HPA axis and consequently less cortisol in the fetus ... Pressman joined a team led by Marie Caudill, Ph.D., R.D., professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell, in studying 26 pregnant women in their third trimester who were assigned to take 480 mg of choline per day, an amount slightly above the standard recommendation of 450 mg per day, or about double that amount, 930 mg per day. The choline was derived from the diet and from supplements and was consumed up until delivery" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Maternal use of Folic Acid and Other Supplements and Risk of Childhood Brain Tumors - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2012 Aug 31 - "childhood brain tumors (CBT) ... The odds ratios (ORs) for any maternal use of folic acid, use of folic acid without iron or vitamins B6, B12, C or A, and any vitamin use before pregnancy, were: 0.68 (95% CI 0.46, 1.00), 0.55 (95% CI 0.32, 0.93) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.46, 1.01) respectively ... These results suggest that folic acid supplements before and possibly during pregnancy may protect against CBT. Such associations are biologically plausible through established mechanisms. Impact This study provides evidence of a specific protective effect of prenatal folic acid supplementation against the risk of CBT that is not attributable to the actions of the other micronutrients investigated" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Pregnant? Get Your Choline! - U.S. News, 8/31/12 - "The take-home message is best summarized by a review in the Journal of Pediatrics: Choline in the diet of the pregnant mother and the infant is directly related to permanent changes in brain function. Without enough choline during the critical time of brain growth and development, intelligence, memory, and possibly mood regulation will be damaged permanently. We may not be able to measure the exact impact on IQ or other brain functions, but we know enough at this point to start preaching the choline message" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Folic acid intake during early pregnancy associated with reduced risk of autism in offspring - Science Daily, 6/14/12 - "The study found that women who each day consumed the recommended amount of folic acid (600 micrograms, or .6 milligrams) during the first month of pregnancy experienced a reduced risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder, specifically when the mother and/or her child had a specific genetic variant (MTHFR 677 C>T) associated with less efficient folate metabolism" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Early gut bacteria regulate happiness - Science Daily, 6/12/12 - "UCC scientists have shown that brain levels of serotonin, the 'happy hormone' are regulated by the amount of bacteria in the gut during early life ... normal adult brain function depends on the presence of gut microbes during development. Serotonin, the major chemical involved in the regulation of mood and emotion, is altered in times of stress, anxiety and depression and most clinically effective antidepressant drugs work by targeting this neurochemical ... Scientists at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in UCC used a germ-free mouse model to show that the absence of bacteria during early life significantly affected serotonin concentrations in the brain in adulthood ... Finally, when the scientists colonized the animals with bacteria prior to adulthood, they found that many of the central nervous system changes, especially those related to serotonin, could not be reversed indicating a permanent imprinting of the effects of absence of gut flora on brain function" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.
• Fever during pregnancy more than doubles the risk of autism or developmental delay - Science Daily, 5/23/12 - "the study is believed to be the first to consider how fever from any cause, including the flu, and its treatment during pregnancy could affect the likelihood of having a child with autism or developmental delay ... flu during pregnancy was not associated with greater risks of having a child with autism or developmental delay. Fever from any cause during pregnancy, however, was far more likely to be reported by mothers of children with autism (2.12 times higher odds) or developmental delay (2.5 times higher odds), as compared with mothers of children who were developing typically. For children of mothers who took anti-fever medication, the risk of autism was not different from the risk in children whose mothers reported no fever ... Other CHARGE evaluations have found that taking prenatal vitamins prior to and during the first month of pregnancy may help prevent autism and that living near a freeway or in areas with high regional air pollution is associated with higher risk of autism in children"
• Children's body fat linked to Vitamin D insufficiency in mothers - Science Daily, 5/23/12 - "the children who were born to mothers who had low vitamin D status in pregnancy had more body fat when they were six years old. These differences could not be explained by other factors such as mother's weight gain in pregnancy, or how physically active the children were ... An interpretation of our data is that there could be programmed effects on the fetus arising from a lack of maternal vitamin D that remain with the baby and predispose him or her to gain excess body fat in later childhood" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Folic acid may reduce some childhood cancers - Science Daily, 5/21/12 - "Wilms' tumor, a type of kidney cancer, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), a type of brain cancer ... Wilms' tumor rates increased from 1986 to 1997 and decreased thereafter, which is an interesting finding since the downward change in the trend coincides exactly with folic acid fortification ... PNET rates increased from 1986 to 1993 and decreased thereafter. This change in the trend does not coincide exactly with folic acid fortification, but does coincide nicely with the 1992 recommendation for women of childbearing age to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily ... Here, we are showing that folic acid fortification does not appear to be increasing rates of childhood cancers, which is good news" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• Soy-based formula? Neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility in female mice - Science Daily, 5/2/12 - "A paper published May 2 in Biology of Reproduction describes the effects of brief prenatal exposure to plant estrogens on the mouse oviduct, modeling the effects of soy-based baby formula on human infants. The results suggest that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to affect a woman's fertility as an adult, possibly providing the mechanistic basis for some cases of unexplained female infertility ... part of the National Institutes of Health, previously demonstrated that neonatal exposure to the plant estrogen genistein results in complete infertility in female adult mice. Causes of infertility included failure to ovulate, reduced ability of the oviduct to support embryo development before implantation, and failure of the uterus to support effective implantation of blastocyst-stage embryos ... The team now reports that neonatal exposure to genistein changes the level of immune response in the mouse oviduct, known as mucosal immune response. Some of the immune response genes were altered beginning from the time of genistein treatment, while others were altered much later, when the mouse was in early pregnancy. Together, those changes led to harmfully altered immune responses and to compromised oviduct support for preimplantation embryo development, both of which would likely contribute to infertility ... estrogenic chemical exposure to the female fetus, infant, child, and adolescent all have potential impacts on mucosal immunity in the reproductive tract and, therefore, on adult fertility. The authors present the view that limiting such exposures, including minimizing use of soy-based baby formula, is a step toward maintaining female reproductive health"
• Low Vitamin D in Pregnancy Linked to Language Problems in Children - WebMD, 2/13/12 - "A new study from Australia suggests that white women who had the lowest stores of vitamin D during their second trimester were nearly twice as likely to have a child with language difficulties than women with the highest blood concentrations" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Probiotic Effects in Infants Last Until 4 Years of Age - Medscape, 2/10/12 - "Infants exposed to Lactobacillus rhamnosus through diet supplements from 35 weeks' gestation through 2 years of age had a significantly lower risk for eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis. The protective effect lasted until the children were at least 4 years of age" - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Effect of high doses of folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy on child neurodevelopment at 18 months of age: the mother-child cohort 'Rhea' study in Crete, Greece - Public Health Nutr. 2012 Feb 8:1-9 - "Sixty-eight per cent of the study participants reported high doses of supplemental folic acid use (5 mg/d), while 24 % reported excessive doses of folic acid (>5 mg/d) in early pregnancy. Compared with non-users, daily intake of 5 mg supplemental folic acid was associated with a 5-unit increase on the scale of receptive communication and a 3.5-unit increase on the scale of expressive communication. Doses of folic acid supplementation higher than 5 mg/d were not associated with additional increase in the neurodevelopmental scales"
• Folic acid supplements in early pregnancy may reduce the risk of severe language delay in children - Science Daily, 10/12/11 - "mothers who took folic acid supplements from 4 weeks before to 8 weeks after conception reported a significantly lower prevalence of severe language delay in their children at age 3 ... Unlike the United States, Norway does not fortify foods with folic acid -- a fact that increases the contrast between women who do and do not take folic acid supplements and makes Norway a good place to study this effect"
• Probiotic intake linked to fewer birth complications - Nutra USA, 9/13/11 - "The Norwegian researchers analyzed data from 33,399 women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study ... The intake of lactobacilli-containing milk-based products was determined using a food frequency questionnaire, while pre-eclampsia was determined using the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry ... the daily intake of at least 140 mL of probiotic milk products was associated with a 20% reduced risk of pre-eclampsia ... The effects were more pronounced for severe pre-eclampsia, with daily and weekly intakes of probiotic products associated with a 39% and 25%, respectively" - [Abstract] - See my yogurt recipe at the top of my Yogurt Page.  See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Maternal omega-3 intake may influence childhood allergy - Nutra USA, 9/12/11 - "Omega-3 fatty acids may aid the development of the infant gut and improve how gut immune cells respond to bacteria and foreign substances, making the baby less likely to suffer from allergies in the long term, according to new research in pigs ... These findings suggest that feeding fatty acids of the omega-3 family during pregnancy and lactation impact newborn intestinal barrier function ... such changes “are likely to reduce the risk of developing allergies in later life" ... The end result is that the baby's immune system may develop and mature faster – leading to better immune function and less likelihood of suffering allergies ... the pig intestine is an excellent model of the human gut, however, so they are hopeful that the findings can be extrapolated" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Periconceptional Vitamins Linked to Better Pregnancy Outcome - Medscape, 8/24/11 - "Periconceptional intake of multivitamins is linked with a lower risk for small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants and preterm births (PTBs) ... the relationship of multivitamin supplementation with SGA and PTB might be linked to the timing of supplementation (preconception and/or postconception) and also weight status ... In nonoverweight women (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2), regular preconception and postconception multivitamin use was associated with a decreased risk for PTB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73 - 0.95) and preterm labor (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69 - 0.94). However, these associations were not present in overweight women ... The adjusted risk for an SGA birth was reduced in multivitamin users regardless of their prepregnancy BMI (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 - 0.95; P for interaction = .49), with the strongest association in regular multivitamin users in the postconception period"
• Maternal DHA may boost baby’s immune system - Nutra USA, 8/4/11 - "mothers taking 400 milligrams of a supplement containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had babies which overcame colds faster than babies with mothers not taking DHA ... At one month, the DHA group experienced 26%, 15%, and 30% shorter duration of cough, phlegm, and wheezing, respectively, but 22% longer duration of rash" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• DHA During Pregnancy May Cut Infant Colds - WebMD, 8/1/11 - "researchers compared the effects of 400 milligrams per day of DHA (via an algae-based supplement) or a placebo started from weeks 18 to 22 of pregnancy and continued through childbirth on infant wellness in a group of 851 Mexican women ... The results showed that infants whose mothers took DHA supplements had fewer colds at age 1 month and shorter duration of cold symptoms at 1, 3, and 6 months of age ... at age 1 month, the infants in the DHA group had a shorter duration of cough, phlegm, and wheezing, although they had a longer duration of rash. At age 3 months, the infants in the DHA group spent 14% less time ill, and by 6 months of age these infants had experienced shorter durations of fever, nasal secretion, difficulty breathing, and rash but a longer duration of vomiting" - [Science  Daily] - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Pre-pregnancy diet affects the health of future offspring, mouse study suggests - Science Daily, 7/1/11 - "mice that were fed a low protein diet for ten weeks before conception (but had a normal diet during pregnancy) gave birth to offspring that had lower birth weights, showed catch-up growth after weaning and increased insulin sensitivity ... There is also evidence that male offspring are more likely to develop obesity ... If humans respond in the same way as mice to pre-conception diet as well then women should not only consider what they eat during pregnancy but also before pregnancy if they want to reduce the risk of their future children acquiring lifestyle diseases"
• Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy: Double blind, randomized clinical trial of safety and effectiveness - J Bone Miner Res. 2011 Jun 27 - "Vitamin D supplementation of 4,000 IU/day for pregnant women was safe and most effective in achieving sufficiency in all women and their neonates regardless of race while the current estimated average requirement was comparatively ineffective at achieving adequate circulating 25(OH)D, especially in African Americans" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D supplements found to be safe for healthy pregnant women - Science Daily, 6/24/11 - "Dr Hollis' team monitored the pregnancies of 350 women, from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, who were all between 12 and 16 weeks into gestation. The women were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group received 400 IU of vitamin D per day, the second group received 2,000 IU per day and the third received 4,000 IU daily ... women who received the highest level of supplementation (4,000 IU per day) were more likely to achieve and sustain the desired level of circulating levels of vitamin D throughout their pregnancy. Moreover, the researchers found that pregnant women who received lower levels of vitamin D supplementation did not attain the threshold circulating level of the vitamin" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Undernourishment in pregnant, lactating females found key to next generation's disease - Science Daily, 6/13/11 - "when mothers are even moderately undernourished while pregnant and breastfeeding, their offspring are consistently found to be prediabetic before adolescence. It is the first time that diabetes has been shown to have prenatal origins in a primate model ... We pass more biological milestones before we are born and in the early weeks of life than at any other time ... Poor nutrition at critical periods of development can hinder growth of essential organs such as the pancreas, which sees a significantly decrease in its ability to secrete insulin ... A fetus may also receive fewer nutrients due to teenage pregnancy, where the growing mother competes with her offspring for resources; in pregnancies complicated by maternal vascular disease, which may occur in women who become pregnant later in their reproductive life; and when placental problems exist"
• B vitamins in mother's diet reduce colorectal cancer risk in offspring, animal study suggests - Science Daily, 6/9/11 - "Using a mouse model of naturally occurring colorectal cancer, the USDA HNRCA scientists examined whether a mothers' B vitamin intake impacts her offspring's cancer risk. Mothers were fed diets containing supplemental, adequate or mildly deficient quantities of vitamins B2, B6, B12 and folate prior to conception through weaning after which all of the offspring received the same adequate diet ... Although the tumor incidence was similar between offspring of deficient and adequate mothers, 54% of tumors in the deficient offspring were advanced and had invaded surrounding tissue while only 18% of tumors in the offspring of adequate mothers displayed these aggressive properties" - See prenatal supplements at Amazon.com.
• Breast cancer research: Mammary gland development of blueberry-fed lab animals studied - Science Daily, 6/7/11 - "several indicators of rat mammary gland health were improved in the offspring (pups) of mothers (dams) that had been fed 5 percent blueberry powder in their rations during pregnancy and during the weeks that they nursed their pups ... In their analysis of several biochemical indicators, the team found, for instance, that the level of the tumor-suppressing protein PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10) was significantly higher in mammary tissues of offspring of dams on the 5 percent regimen. That's a plus, because PTEN is thought to help protect against cancer" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
• Folic acid given to mother rats protects offspring from colon cancer - Science Daily, 5/26/11 - "Folic acid supplements given to pregnant and breast-feeding rats reduced the rate of colon cancer in their offspring by 64 per cent" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com.
• High-fat diet during pregnancy programs child for future diabetes, study suggests - Science Daily, 5/26/11
• Women who start prenatal vitamins early are less likely to have children with autism, study finds - Science Daily, 5/25/11 - "Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements -- and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up ... The authors postulate that folic acid, the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B9, and the other B vitamins in prenatal supplements, likely protect against deficits in early fetal brain development. Folate is known to be critical to neurodevelopment and studies have found that supplemental folic acid has the potential to prevent up to 70 percent of neural tube defects, the authors said"
• Dietary Supplement May Help Prevent Preeclampsia - WebMD, 5/19/11 - "women who ate daily food bars containing the amino acid L-arginine and antioxidant vitamins during pregnancy had a much lower incidence of preeclampsia than women who ate bars containing the antioxidant vitamins alone or bars containing neither supplement ... far fewer of the women in the L-arginine plus vitamin group developed preeclampsia (12.7%) than women in the vitamin-alone (22.5%) group and no-supplement (30.2%) group" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Low Vitamin D at Birth Linked to Lung Infections - WebMD, 5/10/11 - "At birth, more than a quarter of the infants had low vitamin D -- serum levels of less than 20 ng/mL. During their first year of life, these kids had a sixfold higher risk of RSV lung infection than did the 46% of kids whose vitamin D levels at birth were at least 30 ng/mL ... It's not just the Netherlands. Other Western nations, including the U.S., have similar rates of low vitamin D ... U.S. researchers reported in 2010 that at a single Boston hospital, 58% of infants and 36% of mothers had low vitamin D levels (under 20 ng/mL). Severe vitamin D deficiency (defined as lower than 15 ng/mL) was seen in 38% of the infants and in 23% of the mothers" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 status in pregnancy linked to childhood obesity: Study - Nutra USA, 5/6/11 - "A higher ratio of cord plasma omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was associated with higher subscapular and triceps [skinfold thicknesses] and odds of obesity ... around one fifth expectant mothers ate more than 2 fish meals per week at mid-pregnancy, however only about half of these women achieved the recommend intake of DHA of 200 mg per day ... Only three per cent of pregnant women in the study were found to consume the recommended intake of 200 mg/day of DHA in the last month of pregnancy ... this is the time when large amounts of DHA are transferred from the mother to the infant to support brain development ... the odds of obesity in 3-year-olds were between two and four times higher when cord blood had a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ... In contrast, the odds of obesity were 32 per cent lower when maternal consumption of omega-3s was high or if the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 was at close to recommended levels" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Prenatal DHA Status and Neurological Outcome in Children at Age 5.5 Years Are Positively Associated - J Nutr. 2011 Apr 27 - "Healthy pregnant women from Spain, Germany, and Hungary were randomly assigned to a dietary supplement consisting of either fish oil (FO) (500 mg/d DHA + 150 mg/d EPA), 400 μg/d 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, both, or placebo from wk 20 of gestation until delivery ... We conclude that higher DHA levels in cord blood may be related to a better neurological outcome at 5.5 y of age" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Consumption of a DHA-containing functional food during pregnancy is associated with lower infant ponderal index and cord plasma insulin concentration - Br J Nutr. 2011 Apr 27:1-5 - "DHA consumption during pregnancy may be advantageous with respect to infant body composition at birth and insulin sensitivity" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 consumed during pregnancy curbs risk for postpartum depression symptoms - Science Daily, 4/12/11 - "maternal consumption of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; a prominent omega-3 fatty acid) during pregnancy gives infants a developmental advantage even 9 months after they are born. These findings prompted her to consider the benefits that DHA could holistically have on the maternal-infant dyad ... randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dietary intervention trial in which 52 pregnant women took either a placebo (corn oil) or a fish oil capsule containing 300 milligrams of DHA 5 days each week from 24-40 weeks of pregnancy ... Although the study did not have enough women to investigate if fish oil consumption resulted in a lower incidence of diagnosable postpartum depression, women in the treatment group had significantly lower total Postpartum Depression Screening Scale scores, with significantly fewer symptoms common to postpartum depression" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Bacteria supplements may affect weight gain: Rat study extends microflora-obesity link - Nutra USA, 4/12/11 - "Early exposure to bacterial strains during pregnancy, breast feeding, and early life has a profound impact on weight gain in the offspring, says a new study with rats ... supplementation of a high-energy-dense diet with the bacterial strain Lactobacillus plantarum resulted in less weight gain, compared to rats fed only the high energy diet ... animals fed the high energy diet and supplemented with less friendly Escherichia coli bacteria experienced significantly higher levels of body fat, compared to the control animals ... the L. plantarum supplemented animals had significantly lower weight gain than both the control and E. coli-supplemented groups. This difference was observed at birth (indicating a potential influence of the mother’s diet) with the L. plantarum pups having an average birth weight of 7.5 grams, compared with 8.2 and 9.6 grams for the control and E.coli animals, respectively ... After six months, a similar trend was observed, with L. plantarum animals having an average weight of 304 grams, compared with 340 and 352 grams for the control and E.coli animals, respectively" - [Abstract] - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Brain histological changes in young mice submitted to diets with different ratios of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids during maternal pregnancy and lactation - Clin Nutr. 2011 Apr 1 - "N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) are essential for brain development and function, but the appropriate quantity of dietary n-3 PUFAs and ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs have not been clearly determined ... The feeding regimens began two months before mouse conception and continued throughout lactation for new pups. As compared with the n-3 PUFA-deficient diet, both the flaxseed oil n-3 PUFA diets and the flaxseed/fish oil n-3 PUFA diets significantly increased the expression levels of brain neuron-specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein and myelin basic protein, somewhat dose-dependently, in new pup mice at 21 d and 42 d of age. The expression of PPAR-γ in the brains of pup mice was increased only at 7 d of age with the n-3 PUFA diet, and no changes in the expression of PPAR-α and PPAR-β were found among all the diet groups. These results suggest that the higher intake amount of n-3 PUFAs with a low ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs at about 1-2:1, supplied during both maternal pregnancy and lactation, may be more beneficial for early brain development, and PPAR-γ may act in one of the pathways by which n-3 PUFAs promote early brain development" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Mothers' hard work pays off with big brains for their babies - Science Daily, 3/28/11 - "brain growth in babies is determined by the duration of pregnancy and how long they suckle"
• Neurophysiologic and neurobehavioral evidence of beneficial effects of prenatal omega-3 fatty acid intake on memory function at school age - Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar 9 - "The beneficial effects of prenatal and early postnatal intakes of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on cognitive development during infancy are well recognized. However, few studies have examined the extent to which these benefits continue to be evident in childhood ... Repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed that children with higher cord plasma concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an important n-3 PUFA, had a shorter FN400 latency and a larger LPC amplitude; and higher plasma DHA concentrations at the time of testing were associated with increased FN400 amplitude. Cord DHA-related effects were observed regardless of seafood-contaminant amounts. Multiple regression analyses also showed positive associations between cord DHA concentrations and performance on neurobehavioral assessments of memory ... To our knowledge, this study provides the first neurophysiologic and neurobehavioral evidence of long-term beneficial effects of n-3 PUFA intake in utero on memory function in school-age children" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Ritalin may ease early iron deficiency damage - Science Daily, 2/2/11 - "When children are deprived of iron at any point during the last trimester of pregnancy or the first six months of life -- a critical period of brain development -- they suffer brain damage at least through early adulthood, and possibly beyond. In particular, their motor function can be impaired as well as their ability to focus ... Iron-deficient adults often have restless leg syndrome. People who become iron deficient after three years of age can recover by taking iron supplements ... iron deficiency has a major hit on dopamine systems" - See Slow Fe Slow Release Iron Tablets 90-Count Box at Amazon.com.
• Study: You Are What Your Dad Ate - Time Magazine, 12/27/10 - "placed male mice on a low-protein diet from the time they were weaned until they reached sexual maturity. They then studied the offspring those males produced and found some striking changes: the second-generation mouse pups had hundreds of genetic mutations — particularly in the liver — and this had a severe impact on their metabolic functioning. One gene that changed in offspring, for example — known as Ppara — is essential in cholesterol management and the liver's role in converting lipids ... Previous research has suggested that it is this third tier of a family that is most affected by epigenetic changes — or those alterations in a genome that accumulate throughout an animal's life"
• Newborns with low vitamin D levels at increased risk for respiratory infections - Science Daily, 12/27/10
• Effect of a low glycaemic index diet on blood glucose in women with gestational hyperglycaemia - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2010 Nov 19 - "Diet GI on control (58, 95% CI: 56,60) was significantly higher than on low-GI (49, 95% CI: 47,51; p=0.001). Glycaemic control improved on both diets, but more postprandial glucose values were within target on low-GI (58.4% of n=1891) than control (48.7% of n=1834; p<0.001). SMBG post-breakfast was directly related to pre-pregnancy BMI in the control, but not the low-GI group (BMI*diet interaction; p=0.021). Participants accepted the study foods and were willing to consume them post-intervention ... A low-GI diet was feasible and acceptable in this sample and facilitated control of postprandial glucose. A larger study is needed to determine the effect of a low-GI diet on maternal and infant outcomes"
• Caffeine consumption during pregnancy and risk of preterm birth: a meta-analysis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep 15 - "In this meta-analysis, we observed no important association between caffeine intake during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth for cohort and case-control studies"
• Long-Term Effects of Prenatal Omega-3 Fatty Acid Intake on Visual Function in School-Age Children - J Pediatr. 2010 Aug 25 - "This study demonstrates beneficial effects of DHA intake during gestation on visual system function at school age. DHA is particularly important for the early development and long-term function of the visual parvocellular pathway" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Probiotics use in mothers limits eczema in their babies - Science Daily, 7/20/10 - "compared mothers who drank one glass of probiotic milk a day to women who were given a placebo. Use of the probiotic milk -- which the mothers drank beginning at week 36 in their pregnancy up through to three months after birth -- reduced the incidence of eczema by 40 percent in children up to age two, the researchers found"
• Probiotics in pregnancy could have diabetes benefits: Study - Nutra USA, 7/16/10 - "those women who had taken probiotics had a reduced frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM): 13 percent for the diet/probiotics group, compared to 36 percent for the diet/placebo group and 34 percent for the control group ... In addition, the dietary counseling during pregnancy reduced the risk of fetal overgrowth, which is thought to predispose to later obesity" - [Abstract] - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Impact of maternal probiotic-supplemented dietary counselling on pregnancy outcome and prenatal and postnatal growth: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study - Br J Nutr. 2010 Jun;103(12):1792-9 - "Firstly, probiotic intervention reduced the frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); 13 % (diet/probiotics) v. 36 % (diet/placebo) and 34 % (control); P = 0.003. Secondly, the safety of this approach was attested by normal duration of pregnancies with no adverse events in mothers or children. No significant differences in prenatal or postnatal growth rates among the study groups were detected. Thirdly, distinctive effects of the two interventions were detected; probiotic intervention reduced the risk of GDM and dietary intervention diminished the risk of larger birth size in affected cases; P = 0.035 for birth weight and P = 0.028 for birth length. The results of the present study show that probiotic-supplemented perinatal dietary counselling could be a safe and cost-effective tool in addressing the metabolic epidemic. In view of the fact that birth size is a risk marker for later obesity, the present results are of significance for public health in demonstrating that this risk is modifiable" - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Supplement may prevent alcohol-related brain, skull defects - Science Daily, 5/27/10 - "The dietary supplement CDP-choline, sold as a brain-boosting agent and under study for stroke and traumatic brain injury, may block skull and brain damage that can result from alcohol consumption early in pregnancy ... 25 percent of mouse embryos exposed to alcohol during that critical period had defects in the fibrous joints that connect the skull ... When they added ceramide-neutralizing CDP-choline to the mouse cells, cell death and ceramide levels were reduced" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Folate prevents alcohol-induced congenital heart defects in mice, study finds - Science Daily, 5/24/10 - "A new animal study has found that high levels of the B-vitamin folate (folic acid) prevented heart birth defects induced by alcohol exposure in early pregnancy"
• Researchers discover additional benefit of vitamin A - Science Daily, 5/12/10 - "Children of mothers who received vitamin A supplementation before, during and after pregnancy had significantly improved lung function when compared to those whose mothers received beta-carotene supplementation or placebo"
• Many pregnant women not getting enough vitamin D: Prenatal vitamins help, but are not enough for everyone - Science Daily, 5/11/10 - "out of every ten pregnant women in the United States are not getting enough Vitamin D" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Widespread Vitamin D Deficiency in Urban Massachusetts Newborns and Their Mothers - Pediatrics. 2010 Mar 22 - "Overall, 58.0% of the infants and 35.8% of the mothers were vitamin D deficient" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Probiotics for mum during pregnancy may cut obesity in child: Study - Nutra USA, 2/16/10
• Vitamin D for Mom May Lower Baby’s MS Risk - WebMD, 2/9/10 - "We also found the risk of MS among daughters whose mothers were in the top 20% of vitamin D intake during pregnancy was 45% lower than daughters whose mothers were in the bottom 20% for vitamin D intake during pregnancy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Pomegranate extract stimulates uterine contractions - Science Daily, 1/28/10
• Maternal folic acid may slash heart problems in children - Nutra USA, 12/3/09 - "Children of women who took additional folic acid, defined as a daily single supplement or as a multivitamin Containing a folic acid dose of at least 400 micrograms, were found to have an 18 per cent lower risk of CHDs" - [Abstract]
• Protective effect of periconceptional folic acid supplements on the risk of congenital heart defects: a registry-based case-control study in the northern Netherlands - Eur Heart J. 2009 Dec 1 - "Our results support the hypothesis that additional periconceptional folic acid use reduces CHD risk in infants. Use of periconceptional folic acid supplements was related to approximately 20% reduction in the prevalence of any CHD. Given the relatively high prevalence of CHD worldwide, our findings are important for public health"
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Problems Associated With Low Folate Levels In Pregnant Women - Science Daily, 10/28/09 - "A study published in an upcoming issue of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds that low maternal folate levels is linked to the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems in children at age seven to nine years"
• Eating Licorice In Pregnancy May Affect A Child's IQ And Behavior - Science Daily. 10/6/09 - "Expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of licorice during pregnancy could adversely affect their child's intelligence and behavior ... They were also more likely to have poor attention spans and show disruptive behavior such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) ... It is thought that a component in licorice called glycyrrhizin may impair the placenta, allowing stress hormones to cross from the mother to the baby"
• Supplementing Babies' Formula With DHA Boosts Cognitive Development, Study Finds - Science Daily, 9/15/09 - "children who were breast fed as infants have superior cognitive skills compared to those fed infant formula, and it's thought that this is due to an essential fatty acid in breast milk called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ... because infants who display superior performance on the means-end problem-solving task tend to have superior IQ and vocabulary later in childhood, it's possible that the beneficial effects of DHA extend well beyond infancy"
• Vitamin C Deficiency Impairs Early Brain Development, Guinea Pig Study Finds - 9/4/09 - "guinea pigs subjected to moderate vitamin C deficiency have 30 per cent less hippocampal neurones and markedly worse spatial memory than guinea pigs given a normal diet. Like guinea pigs, human beings are dependent on getting vitamin C through their diet, and Jens Lykkesfeldt therefore speculate that vitamin C deficiency in pregnant and breast-feeding women may also lead to impaired development in foetuses and new-born babies"
• Low Choline Levels In Pregnant Women Raise Babies' Risk For Brain And Spinal-cord Defects, Study Shows - Science Daily, 8/16/09 - "Choline, an essential nutrient found in egg yolks, soy, wheat germ and meats, was the only nutrient measured whose blood levels were linked to risk of neural tube defects" - See citicholine at Amazon.com.
• Exercise Is Healthy For Mom And Child During Pregnancy, Report States - Science Daily, 8/3/09
• Vitamin C deficiency in early postnatal life impairs spatial memory and reduces the number of hippocampal neurons in guinea pigs - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jul 29 - "Our data show that vitamin C deficiency in early postnatal life results in impaired neuronal development and a functional decrease in spatial memory in guinea pigs. We speculate that this unrecognized effect of vitamin C deficiency may have clinical implications for high-risk individuals, such as in children born from vitamin C-deficient mothers"
• Folic acid in pregnancy better than thought - MSNBC, 6/1/09 - "Baby-protecting folic acid is getting renewed attention: Not only does it fight spina bifida and some related abnormalities, new research shows it also may prevent premature birth and heart defects"
• Vitamin D Insufficiency Linked To Bacterial Vaginosis In Pregnant Women - Science Daily, 5/21/09 - "Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection in US women of childbearing age, and is common in pregnant women. BV occurs when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain bacteria ... Overall, women with BV had lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations than those without BV (P < 0.01). The prevalence of BV decreased as vitamin D concentration increased to 80 nmol/L (P < 0.001). Compared with 75 nmol/L, serum 25(OH)D concentrations of 20 nmol/L and 50 nmol/L were associated with 65% and 26% increases, respectively, in the likelihood of BV. In summary, these findings suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with BV in the first 4 mo of pregnancy. Further, poor vitamin D status may contribute to the strong racial disparity in the prevalence of BV in US women" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Preconceptional Folic Acid Supplements Are Associated With Reduced Risk Of Premature Birth - Science Daily, 5/11/09
• Study In Pregnant Women Suggests Probiotics May Help Ward Off Obesity - Science Daily, 5/7/09 - "One year after giving birth, women were less likely to have the most dangerous kind of obesity if they had been given probiotics from the first trimester of pregnancy, found new research that suggests manipulating the balance of bacteria in the gut may help fight obesity ... Central obesity, where overall obesity is combined with a particularly fat belly, is considered especially unhealthy ... We found it in 25% of the women who had received the probiotics along with dietary counselling, compared with 43% in the women who received diet advice alone" - See probiotics at Amazon.com.
• Iron Deficiency In Womb May Delay Brain Maturation In Preemies - Science Daily, 5/4/09
• Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in pregnant women: a longitudinal study - Br J Nutr. 2009 Mar 31:1-6 - "Women reporting use of vitamin D-containing supplements had higher vitamin D status, however, vitamin D insufficiency was still evident even in the face of supplement use. Given the potential consequences of hypovitaminosis D on health outcomes, vitamin D supplementation, perhaps at higher doses than currently available, is needed to improve maternal vitamin D nutriture" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Low Levels Of Vitamin B12 May Increase Risk For Neural Tube Defects - Science Daily, 3/2/09
• Prenaatal Vitamins Should Contain Only Potassium Iodide, Not Other Sources Of Iodine, Scientists Urge - Science Daily, 2/25/09
• Zinc Supplements During Pregnancy May Counteract Damage From Early Alcohol Exposure - Science Daily, 2/2/09 - "Animal research has shown that binge drinking – even just once – during early pregnancy can cause numerous problems for the fetus, including early postnatal death. Fetal zinc deficiency may explain some of the birth defects and neurodevelopmental abnormalities associated with alcohol exposure. New rodent findings are the first to show that dietary zinc supplements throughout pregnancy can reduce some alcohol-related birth defects"
• Genetic Study Shows Direct Link Between Vitamin D And MS Susceptibility 'Gene' - Science Daily, 2/5/09 - "The research suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and the early years may increase the risk of the offspring developing MS later in life"
• Study: DHA supplements may help premature baby girls - USATODAY.com, 1/13/09 - "premature girls given the high-DHA diet scored about 5 points higher on a 100-point test, which translates to a 55% reduction in the proportion of girls with a "mild mental delay" and an 80% reduction in the proportion of girls with "significant" mental delay" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin D Deficiency Associated With Greater Rates Of Cesarean Sections - Science Daily, 12/23/08 - "pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient are also at an increased risk for delivering a baby by caesarean section as compared to pregnant women who are not vitamin D deficient ... 28 percent of women with serum 25(OH)D less than 37.5 nmol/L had a caesarean section, compared to only 14 percent of women with 25(OH)D greater than 37.5 nmol/L"
• Why Iron Deficiency Is Important in Infant Development - J Nutr. 2008 Dec;138(12):2534-2536 - "Rodent studies also show effects of iron deficiency during gestation and lactation that persist into adulthood despite restoration of iron status at weaning. These studies indicate that gestation and early lactation are likely critical periods when iron deficiency will result in long-lasting damage"
• Canola Oil May Affect Breast Cancer Risk - WebMD, 11/18/08 - "Could the type of oil a woman consumes during pregnancy influence her daughter's breast cancer risk years later? ... pregnant women may be better off choosing canola oil over most other vegetable oils ... Corn oil has 50% omega-6 and almost no omega-3, while canola oil has 20% omega-6 and 10% omega-3,""
• More fish during pregnancy boosts child development: Study - Nutra USA, 9/22/08 - "The children of mothers who had higher intakes of fish during pregnancy were found to have higher development scores than children of women with low fish intake" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Associations of maternal fish intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding duration with attainment of developmental milestones in early childhood: a study from the Danish National Birth Cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Sep;88(3):789-96 - "Higher maternal fish intake and greater duration of breastfeeding were associated with higher child developmental scores at 18 mo [odds ratio: 1.29 (95% CI: 1.20, 1.38) for the highest versus the lowest quintile of fish intake, and 1.28 (1.18, 1.38) for breastfeeding for > or =10 mo compared with breastfeeding for < or =1 mo]. Associations were similar for development at 6 mo. ... Maternal fish intake during pregnancy and the duration of breastfeeding are independently associated with better early child development. Future research and consumption guidelines, incorporating nutritional benefits as well as contaminant risks, should consider the overall effect of prenatal fish consumption on child development" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fish While Pregnant, Longer Breastfeeding Lead to Better Infant Development - Doctor's Guide, 9/10/08 - "Both higher fish consumption and longer breastfeeding are linked to better physical and cognitive development in infants" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fish While Pregnant, Longer Breastfeeding, Lead To Better Infant Development, Research Finds - Science Daily, 9/9/08
• Calcium During Pregnancy Reduces Harmful Blood Lead Levels, Study Finds - Science Daily, 9/9/08
• Vitamin D deficiency and supplementation during pregnancy - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2008 Sep 2 - "180 women (Indian Asian, Middle Eastern, Black and Caucasian) were recruited at 27 weeks gestation and randomised into three treatment groups: a single oral dose of 200,000 IU vitamin D, a daily supplement of 800 IU vitamin D from 27 weeks until delivery and a no treatment group ... The final maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly higher in the supplemented group (daily dose (median) 42 (IQR 31-76) nmol/l, stat dose (median 34 (IQR 30-46) nmol/l vs. median 27 (IQR 27-39) nmol/l in the no treatment; p<0.0001) and significantly fewer women with secondary hyperparathyroidism in the supplemented group ... Single or daily dose improved 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels significantly. However, even with supplementation, only a small percentage of women and babies were vitamin D sufficient. Further research is required to determine the optimal timing and dosing of vitamin D in pregnancy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• HbA1C, but not serum glycated albumin, is elevated in late pregnancy due to iron deficiency - Diabetes Care. 2008 Jul 3 - "HbA(1C) levels were elevated in late pregnancy due to iron deficiency. Serum GA may offer a better index for monitoring glycemic control in pregnancy"
• Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy Affects Baby's Dental Health - [Science Daily] - Doctor's Guide, 7/3/08 - "Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early childhood tooth decay"
• Babies, Tots Low on Vitamin D - WebMD, 6/2/08 - "Forty percent of those kids had suboptimal blood levels of vitamin D, including 12% who had vitamin D deficiency. And X-rays showed that a third of kids with vitamin D deficiency had bone demineralization, a sign of thinner bones ... Breastfed babies were particularly likely to be low in vitamin D"
• Women's awareness of the importance of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid consumption during pregnancy: knowledge of risks, benefits and information accessibility - Public Health Nutr. 2008 May 29:1-8 - "Pregnant women lack knowledge of LC n-3 PUFA and health-care services do not provide pregnant women with adequate information on the importance of eating foods high in LC n-3 PUFA during pregnancy"
• Vitamin D Important In Brain Development And Function - Science Daily, 4/21/08 - "there is ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and function, and that supplementation for groups chronically low in vitamin D is warranted" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com
• Good Nutrition Starts Before Conception: Maternal Diet Critical To Health Of Offspring - Science Daily, 4/14/08
• Omega-3 Intake During Last Months Of Pregnancy Boosts An Infant's Cognitive And Motor Development - Science Daily, 4/9/08 - "Tests conducted on these infants at 6 and 11 months revealed that their visual acuity as well as their cognitive and motor development were closely linked to DHA concentration in the umbilical cord blood at the time of their birth ... These results highlight the crucial importance of prenatal exposure to omega-3s in a child's development" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Mom's fish intake may boost child's brain power - MSMBC, 4/1/08 - "Preschoolers whose mothers regularly ate low-mercury fish during pregnancy may have sharper minds than their peers ... Oily fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in fetal and child brain development. The problem is that fatty fish are more likely to be contaminated with mercury, a metal that is toxic to brain cells, particularly in fetuses and young children"
• Vitamin D Deficiency May Be To Blame For Soft Bones In Baby's Skull - Science Daily, 3/26/08 - "Softening of the skull bones in normal-looking babies might reflect vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy"
• Vitamin D requirement during pregnancy and lactation - J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Dec;22 Suppl 2:V39-44 - "Current research has shown that the actual dietary requirement during pregnancy and lactation may actually be as high as 6000 IU/d" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Essential n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):548-57 - "More infant girls in the placebo than in the DHA intervention group had a visual acuity below average (P = 0.048). Maternal red blood cell ethanolamine phosphoglyceride docosatetraenoic acid was inversely related to visual acuity in boys (rho = -0.37, P < 0.05) and girls (rho = -0.48, P < 0.01)" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Typical North American Diet Is Deficient In Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Science Daily, 3/7/08 - "the typical North American diet of eating lots of meat and not much fish is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and this may pose a risk to infant neurological development ... the women who ate lots of meat and little fish were deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and their babies didn't do as well on eye tests as babies from mothers who weren't deficient. The results were noticeable as early as two months of age" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Low Vitamin B12 in Pregnancy Linked to Insulin Resistance in Offspring - Medscape, 2/15/08 - "Low plasma vitamin B12 in the first trimester and high folate levels in the second trimester of pregnancy predispose offspring to insulin resistance ... An imbalance in the vitamin B12 and folic acid levels produces the "undesirable effects,""
• CDC to Young Women: Take Folic Acid - WebMD, 1/10/08 - "All women, especially younger women ages 18-24 years, need to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily through supplements, fortified foods, or both in addition to a folate-rich diet to prevent serious birth defects"
• Low Antioxidant Level May Damage Fetal Neurons - Science Daily, 12/20/07 - "Fetal neurons that have low levels of a vital antioxidant, glutathione, are the first to die when exposed to alcohol in cell culture and possibly in the living brain"
  • Getting More Glutathione? - Dr. Weil, 8/29/02 - "To my knowledge, the only supplement that effectively raises glutathione levels in the body is N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). My colleague Kathleen Johnson, a dietician here at the Program in Integrative Medicine, tells me that other glutathione supplements are ineffective because they’re digested before they can get into the bloodstream" - See n-acetyl cysteine at Amazon.com.
• Maternal omega-3 consumption boosts offspring's coordination - Nutra USA, 12/20/07 - "Our results suggest that prenatal DHA availability, which can be influenced by maternal dietary DHA intake during pregnancy, can have an effect on quality of movement in later life" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Relationship between long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids at birth and motor function at 7 years of age - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Dec 19 - "Our results suggest that prenatal DHA availability, which can be influenced by maternal dietary DHA intake during pregnancy, can have an effect on quality of movement in later life" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• How Embryos Regulate Vitamin A Derivatives: Too Much Or Too Little Linked To Birth Defects - Science Daily, 11/19/07
• Folic Acid in Preconceptual Period May Have a Preventive Effect on Congenital Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/6/07 - "The recent increase in folic acid intake has resulted in a decrease in the prevalence of infants born with severe congenital heart disease (CHD), supporting the idea that folic acid taken preconceptually may prevent CHD"
• Is it justifiable to administrate vitamin A, E and D for 6 months in the premature infants? - Arch Pediatr. 2007 Oct 24 - "We recommend to increase oral administration of vitamin A to 5000 IU/day, at least for the first month of life and, thereafter to administer 3000 IU for 5 months. As for vitamin E and vitamin D, the doses used in this study are sufficient but should be administered for 6 months"
• Baby Formula WIth Fish Oil Added May Help Infants - Science Daily, 10/11/07 - "The researchers noticed that in the piglets that were fed the control formula, fewer proteins were produced in their body over time and, at the same time, their insulin became less effective at lowering blood sugar levels. But piglets that drunk the test formula showed increased protein production and their insulin was as effective at using the proteins in the test formula for their growth as when they were born"
• Is vitamin D deficiency to blame for the asthma epidemic? - J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Oct 3 - "higher vitamin D intake by pregnant mothers reduces asthma risk by as much as 40% in children 3 to 5 years old" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Coalition splits over fish guideline for pregnant women - USATODAY.com, 10/10/07 - "Clearly, when these studies come out that are funded by industry that completely dismiss the potentially harmful effects of mercury on mothers and fetus, one certainly has to question the validity of their findings"
• Milk consumption during pregnancy is associated with increased infant size at birth: prospective cohort study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1104-1110 - "gestational age (SGA) ... large-for-gestational age (LGA) ... Milk intake in pregnancy was associated with higher birth weight for gestational age, lower risk of SGA, and higher risk of LGA"
• FDA Fish Recommendations Challenged - WebMD, 10/4/07
• Scientists to Advise Pregnant Women to Eat Fish - washingtonpost.com, 10/3/07
• New Reasons to Watch What You Eat - US News and World Report, 9/22/07
• Omega-3 Can Prevent Blindness In Premature Mice: Hospital Treatment Soon? - Science Daily, 8/18/07 - "Mice that ate omega-3 initially lost fewer blood vessels in their retinas than mice that ate omega-6, and they evinced only half as much abnormal vessel growth. Their retinas also showed lower inflammatory activity"
• Correlation between vitamin D(3) deficiency and insulin resistance in pregnancy - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 Jul 2 - "Total prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/L) was found in 70.6% of pregnant women ... These results show that a positive correlation of 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations with insulin sensitivity and vitamin D deficiency could be a confirmative sign of insulin resistance"
• Pregnancy Diet May Affect Kids' Asthma - WebMD, 5/21/07
• Eating Apples And Fish During Pregnancy May Protect Against Childhood Asthma And Allergies - Science Daily, 5/20/07
• Vitamin pills prevent low-weight babies - CNN, 4/4/07
• Vitamin D Deficiency Widespread During Pregnancy - Doctor's Guide, 3/1/07 - "Our study shows that current vitamin D dietary intake recommendations are not enough to meet the demands of pregnancy" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Current vitamin D levels not enough in pregnancy, study - Nutra USA, 2/28/07
• Prenatal Vitamins May Prevent Common Childhood Cancers - Doctor's Guide, 2/22/07 - "prenatal supplementation of multivitamins containing folic acid is associated with a 47% protective effect for neuroblastoma, 39% for leukemia and 27% protective effect for brain tumours"
• Flip-Flopping Fish Advice - washingtonpost.com, 2/20/07
• Fish Diet in Pregnancy May Hone Kids' IQ - Intelihealth, 2/16/07
• Folate levels in young American women fall, could lead to rise in birth defects - USA Today, 1/4/07 - "But a CDC study released Thursday found an 8% to 16% decline in folate levels in U.S. women of childbearing age, according to large blood-drawing surveys done between 1999 and 2004"
• Fish Oil for Moms May Benefit Babies - WebMD, 12/21/06 - "children of mothers who took fish oil supplements scored significantly higher on tests of hand-eye coordination than those who took olive oil supplements" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Dietary intake of B-vitamins in mothers born a child with a congenital heart defect - Eur J Nutr. 2006 Nov 21 - "The CHD risk doubled if vitamin B(12) intake in these mothers reduced by 50%"
• Mom's Diet May Affect Generations - WebMD, 11/13/06 - "supplements given to pregnant mice not only affected the coloring of their offspring, but their offspring's offspring as well"
• Supplementation of n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation reduces maternal plasma lipid levels and provides DHA to the infants - J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2006 Jul;19(7):397-406 - "Maternal supplementation with n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation provides more DHA to the infant and reduces maternal plasma lipid levels compared to supplementation with n-6 fatty acids"
• Planning a Pregnancy? Eat Your Fiber - WebMD, 9/27/06
• Moms' Vitamins Cuts Kids' Brain Tumors - WebMD, 9/22/06 - "Women who take multivitamins before and during pregnancy may be less likely to have children who develop brain tumors by age 5 years"
• Pregnancy Diet May Affect Kids' Asthma - WebMD, 9/1/06
• Recommended Iron Levels for Pregnant Women Found to Be too High - Doctor's Guide, 5/31/06
• Expectant Moms Need Milk's Vitamin D - WebMD, 4/24/06 - "by not drinking milk, mothers got far too little vitamin D. And data analysis shows that it was vitamin D -- not calcium or any other milk-related nutrient -- that accounted for the infants' lower weight"
• Kids' Asthma Linked to Maternal Nutrition - HealthDay, 3/4/06 - "expectant mothers who take higher amounts of vitamin D may decrease their child's risk for asthma ... Vitamin D deficiency is common in areas where asthma is also widespread, raising the suspicion that the two are linked"
• Oily fish makes 'babies brainier' - BBC News, 1/20/06 - "mothers with the lowest intake of the essential fatty acid had children with a verbal IQ six points lower than the average ... Low intake of the crucial fatty acid also appeared to lead to more problems of social interactions - such as an inability to make friends" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Pregnant? Vitamin D May Aid Baby's Bones - Doctor's Guide, 1/6/06
• L-Carnipure supplements may help reduce diabetes during pregnancy - Nutra USA, 8/29/05
• Why Embryos Need A Good Diet - Science Daily, 5/12/05 - "People's protein intake has decreased since humans evolved, meaning that carbohydrate and fat intake must have increased to compensate. The resulting deficit of important amino acids as well as more starch and fat could lead to poorer health in offspring who develop under those conditions"
• Type 2 Diabetes May Begin With Grandma's Diet - Science Daily, 5/12/05 - "the insulin resistance typical of type 2 diabetes can be "programmed" across two generations by poor nutrition during a grandmother's pregnancy and lactation"
• Omega-3 Boosts Mood Throughout Pregnancy - Clinical Psychiatry News, 5/05 - "In a small, open-label, flexible-dose study of 15 patients using doses up to 2.8 g/day of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, patients showed a mean decrease on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) of 39% and a mean decrease of 34% on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
• Breast Cancer Protection Starts in the Womb - WebMD, 4/20/05 - "Mothers who choose foods packed with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and while nursing and then feed their kids such a diet after weaning may reduce the risk of breast cancer in their daughters by nearly 90%, early research in mice indicates"
• Vitamin C Supplementation May Reduce Rate of Premature Rupture of Membranes - Medscape, 4/15/05
• Fatty Acids DHA and ARA Significantly Aid Infant Development, Two New Studies Show - Doctor's Guide, 4/15/05 - "The groups receiving supplemental DHA and ARA also had higher mental and psychomotor development scores at 118 weeks ... women who are breastfeeding can take a DHA dietary supplement to ensure adequate levels of DHA in their breast milk. This is particularly important because pregnant and nursing women in the U.S. do not typically receive enough DHA through their diets to pass on the necessary amount to their developing infants"
• Essential fatty acids, DHA and human brain - Indian J Pediatr. 2005 Mar;72(3):239-42 - "It is recommended that the pregnant and nursing woman should take at least 2.6g of omega-3 fatty acids and 100-300 mg of DHA daily to look after the needs of her fetus and suckling infant. The follow-up studies have shown that infants of mothers supplemented with EFAs and DHA had higher mental processing scores, psychomotor development, eye-hand coordination and stereo acuity at 4 years of age. Intake of EFAs and DHA during preschool years may also have a beneficial role in the prevention of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and enhancing learning capability and academic performance" - See DHA at Amazon.com.  My favorite is Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Dietary assessment of pregnant women--vitamin and mineral supplementation--justified or not? - Przegl Lek. 2004;61(7):769-75 - "The results of the study support the need of supplementation in the pregnant women diets with microelements and vitamins"
• Green tea mechanism urges caution for pregnant women - Nutra USA, 3/17/05
• Dietary intake of vitamin C and vitamin E and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy - Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2005 Mar 1;119(1):67-71 - "Low vitamin E intake was associated with a significant increase in the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy"
• Poor Prenatal Nutrition Permanently Damages Function Of Insulin-producing Cells In The Pancreas - Science Daily, 3/3/05
• N-3 fatty acids and pregnancy outcomes - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2005 Mar;8(2):161-166 - "Children whose mothers received docosahexaenoic acid supplementation during pregnancy and lactation scored better in mental processing tests carried out at 4 years than children whose mothers received placebo" - See DHA at Amazon.com.  My favorite is Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Research Studies Effects Of Soy Baby Formula On Intestinal Development - Science Daily, 12/27/04 - "Two studies by University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Sharon Donovan show that the soy isoflavone genistein, in amounts present in commercial soy infant formulas, may inhibit intestinal cell growth in babies"
• Soy formula may inhibit intestinal development in babies - Nutra USA, 12/22/04 - "in newborn piglets fed a formula supplemented with genistein at the level found in soy formula, the number of proliferating cells in the intestine was 50 per cent lower than in piglets fed cow's milk formula alone"
• Maternal diet impacts leukaemia risk in child? - Nutra USA, 8/23/04
• Vitamin B12 may also prevent birth defects - Nutra USA, 8/19/04
• Antioxidants During Pregnancy May Help Prevent Birth Defects Tied To Alcohol - Science Daily, 6/21/04
• Eating Oily Fish in Pregnancy May Protect Child Against Asthma - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/04
• DHA from mother boosts infant development, further findings - Nutra USA, 5/5/04
• Research Links Nutrient in Eggs to Improved Memory - WebMD, 3/12/04
• Pregnant & Nauseous? Try Ginger - WebMD, 1/9/04
• Early Pregnancy Risk With Ginseng - WebMD, 9/24/03
• Acupuncture Reduces Pain During Labor - New Hope Natural Media, 8/21/03
• Early Infant Mortality Reduced with Vitamin A Supplementation Within 24 Hours of Birth - Doctor's Guide, 8/4/03
• Optimal Nutrition During Pregnancy - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 7/2/03
• Hormone [progesterone] Reduces Preterm Deliveries - WebMD, 6/11/03
• Probiotic At Birth May Decrease Risk Of Atopic Eczema In Early Childhood - Doctor's Guide, 5/29/03 - "Children receiving the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus around the time of birth have been found to be 40% less likely to develop atopic eczema at 4 years of age, compared with controls"
• Fish May Fight Pregnancy Depression Risks - Intelihealth, 5/21/03 - "the more omega-3 fatty acids a woman consumed in seafood during the third trimester, the less likely she was to show signs of major depression at that time and for up to eight months after the birth"
• Multivitamin Supplements Reduce Risk of Birth Defects in Offspring of Diabetic Mothers - Doctor's Guide, 5/9/03 - "Results show that infants of women with diabetes had an increased risk of having selected birth defects only if the mother did not use multivitamins during the periconception period"
• Pregnant African American Teens Need More Calcium For Healthy Fetal Bone Development - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/02
• Pelvic Exercises During Pregnancy Prevent Urinary Incontinence - New Hope Natural Media, 4/24/03
• Folic Acid May Fight Down Syndrome - WebMD, 4/17/03 - "there might be a link between the Down syndrome and neural tube defects, and folic acid supplements may be an effective way to prevent both" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.
• Wetter, Better Births? - Dr. Weil, 4/16/03
• Maternal Diuretics In Pregnancy May Be Linked To Schizophrenia In Offspring - Doctor's Guide, 3/14/03
• Ginger Effective for Pregnancy Morning Sickness - New Hope Natural Media, 10/31/02
• Low Folic Acid Linked to Miscarriage - WebMD, 10/15/02
• Prenatal Vitamins Cut Child's Tumor Risk - WebMD, 8/30/02
• Prenatal Zinc May Impair Infant Mental Development - Doctor's Guide, 7/25/02
• Biotin Supplement Needed During Pregnancy - New Hope Natural Media, 6/20/02
• Women Unaware of Folic Acid Benefits - WebMD, 6/4/02 - "only 31% of women between the ages of 18 and 45 take a folic acid supplement every day, despite the fact that the vitamin has been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of serious birth defects ... In fact, only 10% of women realize that the B vitamin folic acid must be taken prior to pregnancy to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects ... it takes about a month for the vitamin to provide the maximum benefit"
• Light May Lift Pregnancy Depression - WebMD, 4/22/02
• Ginger Gets to the 'Root' of Morning Sickness - WebMD, 4/18/02 - "experts say ginger is a highly effective antinausea agent. And a new study shows it's strong enough to combat even nasty cases of morning sickness in pregnant women"
• Exercise Encouraged During Pregnancy - Intelihealth, 3/4/02
• Fish Oil Consumption May Prevent Pre-Term Birth - Doctor's Guide, 2/21/02 - "Low consumption of fish oils appears a strong risk factor for pre-term delivery and low birth weight ... A study among 8,729 pregnant Danish women indicates that long chain omega n.3 fatty acids in amounts above 2 g a day may delay spontaneous delivery and prevent recurrence of pre-term delivery"
• Pregnancy Vitamins Cut Leukemia in Kids - WebMD, 12/6/01 - "Moms who used both folic acid and iron supplements in pregnancy were 60% less likely to have a child develop leukemia"
• Folic Acid Doesn't Increase Miscarriage Risk - WebMD, 9/6/01
• Pharmaceutical Drugs Deplete Folic Acid - Nutrition Science News, 9/01
• Many Women Still Don't Take Folic Acid Before Conception - WebMD, 9/5/01
• Doctors to Pregnant Women: Be Cautious With Herbs - WebMD, 8/31/01
• Ginger Gets to the 'Root' of Morning Sickness, Study Shows Spice Calms Nausea and Vomiting - WebMD, 4/18/01
• Folic Acid Strikes Again, Study Shows Vitamin Protects Against Birth Defects Linked to Common Drugs - WebMD, 11/29/00
• Low Calcium May Equal High Lead Levels in Pregnant Women - WebMD, 11/8/00
• Folic Acid Reduces Defects - Intelihealth, 10/3/00
• Couples Seeking to Conceive Should Avoid St. John's Wort and Others - WebMD, 8/9/00
• Acupuncture Helps Relieve Pregnancy's Low Back Pain - WebMD, 7/6/00
• Prenatal Nutrition - Nutrition Science News, 2/00
• Eat right before pregnancy and boost your baby's health - CNN, 11/29/99
• Folic Acid May Fight Down Syndrome - Intelihealth, 9/29/99
• Exercise during pregnancy: Should you or shouldn't you? - CNN, 5/18/99
• Eating right before, during, and after pregnancy - CNN, 5/17/99
• A Smart Start - Nutrition Science News, 3/99
• Zinc Found to Reduce Infant Mortality Risk - Intelihealth, 4/26/99
• Folate May Not Be Recommended In Women Taking Anti-Epileptics - Doctor's Guide, 4/23/99 - "Expectant mothers who were taking more than one anti-epileptic drug -- valproate and carbamazepine in particular -- had a 22 percent risk of having a child with birth defects"
• March of Dimes promotes B vitamin to curb birth defects - CNN, 1/28/99
• Folic Acid During Pregnancy Does Not Cause Multiple Births - Doctor's Guide, 1/22/99
• Early Nutrition In Babies May Have Long-Term Effects On The Brain - Doctor's Guide, 11/26/98
• Report Urges Supplemental Folic Acid For Women of Childbearing Age - Doctor's Guide, 4/8/98
• ZENATE Prenatal Multivitamin Now Available - Doctor's Guide, 8/26/96

Other News:

• Abnormal thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy may increase the risk of preschool boys’ behavioral problems - Science Daily, 1/6/22 - "The researchers found boys born to mothers with high thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy were more likely to be withdrawn, have behavioral problems and be anxious or depressed. Moderate and low thyroid hormone levels were associated with aggressive behavior in preschool boys."
• Low Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Affects Facial Development - Medscape, 6/5/17 - "Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) ... The researchers found a consistent association between craniofacial shape and PAE at almost any level, regardless of whether exposure occurred only in the first trimester or throughout pregnancy"
• Taking antidepressants during pregnancy increases risk of autism by 87 percent - Science Daily, 12/14/15 - "The findings are hugely important as six to ten percent of pregnant women are currently being treated for depression with antidepressants ... the prevalence of autism amongst children has increased from 4 in 10,000 children in 1966 to 100 in 10,000 today. While that increase can be attributed to both better detection and widening criteria for diagnosis, researchers believe that environmental factors are also playing a part. "It is biologically plausible that anti-depressants are causing autism if used at the time of brain development in the womb, as serotonin is involved in numerous pre- and postnatal developmental processes, including cell division, the migration of neuros, cell differentiation and synaptogenesis -- the creation of links between brain cells"
• Acetaminophen in pregnancy may lower testosterone in unborn boys - Science Daily, 5/20/15 - "Testosterone, produced in the testicles, is crucial for life-long male health. Reduced exposure to the hormone in the womb has been linked to an increased risk of infertility, testicular cancer and undescended testicles ... Scientists gave the mice a typical daily dose of paracetamol -- over a period of either 24 hours or seven days ... After seven days of exposure, however, the amount of testosterone was reduced by 45 per cent"
• Link found between pain during or after sexual intercourse and mode of delivery - Science Daily, 1/21/15 - "Compared to women who had a spontaneous vaginal delivery with intact perineum or unsutured tear, women who had an emergency caesarean section, vacuum extraction or elective caesarean section had double the risk of reporting dyspareunia at 18 months postpartum, adjusting for maternal age and other risk factors"
• What Are the Effects of Cannabis Use During Pregnancy? - Medscape, 9/12/14 - "Cannabis compounds have a small molecular size and are lipophilic in nature which allows for the drug to readily cross the placental barrier ... In children about 6 years old, lower verbal reasoning scores were associated with heavy cannabis use during the first trimester, and impairment of short-term memory and lower composite and quantitative scores on intelligence testing were associated with heavy cannabis use during the second trimester.[2,9] Evaluation of children born to women who used cannabis throughout pregnancy found significantly higher depressive symptoms and attention problems at 10 years of age and delinquency at 14 years of age compared with those who were not exposed" - Note:  Plus what about the permanent DNA damage to the female egg and/or male sperm even if they quit prior to pregnancy?  Err!!  I've seen young people tout reports from college professors telling them what they want to hear.  I'm convinced you can find what you want to hear on the Internet on any subject if you search long enough.  Things you do in like can affect the offspring several generations later.  Search "generations" on my website.
• Smoking Pot May Double Risk for Stillbirth - Medscape, 12/9/13 - "Odds of stillbirth were nearly 2 times higher among women whose fetuses tested positive for any drug metabolite (case patients, 7.0%; control patients, 3.7%; odds ratio [OR], 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 - 3.27). The most common illicit drug was cannabis, which increased the odds of stillbirth by more than twice as much (case patients, 3.9%; control patients, 1.7%; OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.13 - 4.81) ... There was a dose–response relationship between maternal smoking and stillbirth, with odds of stillbirth increasing with higher maternal cotinine levels. Exposure to secondhand smoke (lack of maternal smoking history along with cotinine levels less than 3 ng/mL) increased the odds of stillbirth by twice as much (case patients, 5.0%; control patients, 2.7%; OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.24 - 3.41)"
• Prenatal exposure to alcohol disrupts brain circuitry: No safe level of drinking during pregnancy, neuroscientist says - Science Daily, 12/4/13 - "prenatal exposure to alcohol significantly altered the expression of genes and the development of a network of connections in the neocortex -- the part of the brain responsible for high-level thought and cognition, vision, hearing, touch, balance, motor skills, language, and emotion -- in a mouse model of FASD. Prenatal exposure caused wrong areas of the brain to be connected with each other ... Although this study uses a moderate- to high-dose model, others have shown that even small doses alter development of key receptors in the brain ... Huffman's team found dramatic changes in intraneocortical connections between the frontal, somatosensory and visual cortex in mice born to mothers who consumed ethanol during pregnancy. The changes were especially severe in the frontal cortex, which regulates motor skill learning, decision-making, planning, judgment, attention, risk-taking, executive function and sociality"
• Exposure to Cortisol-Like Medications Before Birth May Contribute to Emotional Problems, Brain Changes - Science Daily, 10/31/13 - "cortisol-like drugs called glucocorticoids are administered frequently to women in preterm labor to accelerate their babies' lung maturation prior to birth ... excessive glucocorticoid levels may have effects on brain development, perhaps contributing to emotional problems later in life ... researchers then divided the children into two groups: those who were exposed to glucocorticoids prenatally and those who were not ... children with fetal glucocorticoid exposure showed significant cortical thinning, and a thinner cortex also predicted more emotional problems. In one particularly affected part of the brain, the rostral anterior cingulate cortex, it was 8-9% thinner among children exposed to glucocorticoids"
• Some Painkillers Tied to Certain Birth Defects in Study - WebMD, 9/10/13 - "Women taking prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocet early in pregnancy are twice as likely to give birth to babies with devastating neural tube defects such as spina bifida"
• Coffee and tea during pregnancy affect fetal growth - Science Daily, 3/11/13 - "study on 59,000 women in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health ... The correlation between intake of caffeine and fetal growth was established even among women who followed the official recommendation that they limit caffeine consumption to 200 milligrams a day (two cups of coffee)"
• Maternal fish consumption during pregnancy and risks of wheezing and eczema in childhood: The Generation R Study - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb 27 - "We observed no consistent associations of maternal total-, lean- or fatty-fish consumption during pregnancy with the risks of childhood wheezing. Maternal shellfish consumption of 1-13 g per week was associated with overall increased risks of childhood wheezing and eczema (OR 1.20 (1.04, 1.40) and OR 1.18 (1.01, 1.37), respectively). Maternal fatty fish consumption of 35-69 g per week was associated with increased overall risks of childhood eczema (OR 1.17 (1.00, 1.38)), but maternal total- or lean-fish consumption was not"
• Caffeine linked to low birth weight babies - Science Daily, 2/18/13 - "small for gestational age at birth (SGA). In this study we found no association between either total caffeine or coffee caffeine and preterm delivery but we did find an association between caffeine and SGA ... caffeine from all sources reduced birth weight. For a child of expected average weight (3.6kg) this equates to 21-28g lost per 100mg caffeine per day. But it was not just caffeine, but the source of caffeine, which affected pregnancy outcomes. Caffeine from all sources increased the length of the pregnancy by 5hr per 100mg caffeine per day, but caffeine intake from coffee was associated with an even longer gestational length -- 8hr extra for every 100mg caffeine per day ... SGA babies are at higher risk of both short term and lifelong health problems and it seems from these results that since even 200-300mg caffeine per day can increase the risk of SGA by almost a third these recommendations need to be re-evaluated"
• BPA linked to thyroid hormone changes in pregnant women, newborns - Science Daily, 10/3/12 - "The researchers found that for each doubling of BPA levels, there was an associated decrease of 0.13 micrograms per deciliter of total thyroxine (T4) in mothers during pregnancy, which suggests a hypothyroid effect. For newborn boys, each doubling of BPA levels linked to a 9.9 percent decrease in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), indicating a hyperthyroid effect ... studies suggest that small changes in thyroid level, even if they're within normal limits, may still have a cognitive effect"
• Marijuana use implicated in pregnancy problems - Science Daily, 9/12/12 - "abnormal biological signaling by endocannabinoid lipid molecules produced by the body disrupts the movement of early embryonic cells important to a healthy pregnancy, in particular trophoblast cells that form the placenta. Abnormal placental function is common in preeclampsia -- a medical condition of unknown cause that is a danger to mother and child"
• How a low-protein diet predisposes offspring to adulthood hypertension - Science Daily, 7/25/12 - "Studies have shown that the offspring of mothers on a low-protein diet are more likely to develop hypertension as adults ... in rats, the high maternal testosterone levels associated with a low-protein diet are caused by reduced activity of an enzyme that inactivates testosterone, allowing more testosterone to reach the fetus and increase the offspring's susceptibility to adulthood hypertension"
• Marijuana use prior to pregnancy doubles risk of premature birth - Science Daily, 7/17/12 - "Preterm or premature birth -- at least three weeks before a baby's due date -- can result in serious and life-threatening health problems for the baby, and an increased risk of health problems in later life, such as heart disease and diabetes ... A study of more than 3000 pregnant women in Adelaide, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand has detailed the most common risk factors for preterm birth"
• Mild thyroid dysfunction in early pregnancy linked to serious complications - Science Daily, 6/23/12 - "In this study, investigators found that even mild thyroid dysfunction that did not meet the criteria for hypothyroidism greatly increased the risk of serious problems. Compared to pregnant women with normal thyroid function, the risk was: ... doubled for miscarriage (≤20 weeks of pregnancy), premature labor, and low birth weight ... seven times greater for still birth"
• Phthalates in PVC floors taken up by the body in infants - Science Daily, 5/23/12 - "Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that occur in construction materials and a great number of common consumer goods such as toys, cleaning solvents, packaging, etc. Phthalates are suspected of disrupting hormones and may be related to several chronic diseases in children, like asthma and allergies, as shown in earlier studies. Flooring materials using softened PVC contain phthalates and have previously been shown to be a significant source of phthalates in indoor dust ... The levels of certain phthalates (MBzP, a BBzP metabolite) proved to be higher in the urine of babies that had PVC materials on their bedroom floor. The levels of another phthalate metabolite related to DEHP were lower in two-month-old children if they were exclusively breastfed, with no supplements ... Earlier studies from the current group have shown that PVC flooring can be tied to the occurrence of phthalates in indoor dust, and that exposure for BBzP in indoor dust could be associated with allergic conditions in children"
• Prenatal Pesticide Exposure May Harm Kids' Brains - WebMD, 4/30/12 - "Compared to children with low prenatal exposure, those with high exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos had abnormalities in the cortex (the outer area of the brain) ... The cortex helps govern intelligence, personality, muscle movement, and other tasks ... In 2001, the U.S. EPA banned the residential use of chlorpyrifos. It still allows it on crops. It can also be sprayed in public places such as golf courses ... Since the pesticide was registered by the EPA in 1965, its use has become common in more than 50 crops, according to Dow. Among them are citrus fruits, apples, soybeans, sweet corn, and peanuts ... Wash produce well before eating, she says. Buying organic produce is a good idea"
• Cell phone use in pregnancy may cause behavioral disorders in offspring - Science Daily, 3/15/12 - "This is the first experimental evidence that fetal exposure to radiofrequency radiation from cellular telephones does in fact affect adult behavior ... They found that the mice that were exposed to radiation tended to be more hyperactive and had reduced memory capacity. Taylor attributed the behavioral changes to an effect during pregnancy on the development of neurons in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain"
• No alcohol intake safe during pregnancy, especially first trimester - USATODAY.com, 1/17/12 - "For every one-drink increase in the daily average number of drinks consumed during this stage of pregnancy, there was a 25 percent higher risk for having a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip; a 22 percent higher chance of having an abnormally thin upper lip; a 12 percent elevated risk of having a smaller-than-normal head; a 16 percent greater risk of reduced birth weight; and an 18 percent higher chance of reduced birth length"
• Birth weight predicts physical functioning at age 60 - Science Daily, 11/11/11
• Study: BPA Exposure in Womb Linked to Kids' Behavior Problems - WebMD, 10/24/11 - "The new study is published in Pediatrics. It is one of the first to show that BPA exposure in the womb may be linked to behavioral effects in young children ... The study released in Pediatrics has significant shortcomings in study design and the conclusions are of unknown relevance to public health ... While there was no association between the BPA in a child's urine and their behavior, the researchers found that moms who had higher levels of BPA in their urine during pregnancy also had 3-year-olds with more anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity"
• Does Maternal Oral Health Predict Child Oral Health QOL? - Medscape, 9/27/11 - "oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) ... maternal self-rated oral health when a child is young has a bearing on that child's OHRQOL almost three decades later ... OHRQOL can be influenced by circumstances early in the life course means the when, and for whom, of preventive interventions must be carefully considered. As far as effective intervention is concerned, later may be simply too late. Intervention early in the life-course is essential. As for whom, those children whose mothers (and these days, fathers) rate their own oral health unfavourably must be considered to be at greater risk than most" - Note:  Here's my suggestion along with frequent dental cleaning by a dental hygienist:
  • Periogard - Needs a prescription but is usually available at you dentist for around $10.
  • Sunstar Butler Proxabrush GUM Eez-Lok Handle
  • Sunstar Butler GUM Proxabrush Refill Ultra Wide (614) - use this wide brush for the back teeth.  I been using the 618 but it looks like they no longer sell it.  My dentist was worried that the 618 was too wide but I haven't had any problems.
  • Butler 612 Soft Picks or Butler Ultra-Fine - use these narrower brushes for the front teeth
  • Put a few tablespoons of Periogard into a small glass.  Soak the brush in it and run it between your teeth.
• Moms who eat high-fat diet before, during pregnancy 'program' babies to be fat, at risk - Science Daily, 9/17/11
• Anti-inflammatory drugs taken in early pregnancy more than double risk of miscarriage, study finds - Science Daily, 9/6/11 - "The risk of miscarriage is 2.4 times greater for women who took any type and dosage of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in early pregnancy"
• Effects of prenatal smoking on infant neurodevelopment may be worse than feared - Science Daily, 8/22/11 - "babies born to mothers who smoke while pregnant face substantial delays in early neurological development, and the effects may be stronger than researchers had previously thought ... smoking may cause as much as a 40 percentage point increase in the probability of being at risk of developmental problems in babies between 3 and 24 months old"
• Mothers' poor health impairs children's well-being, not only due to genetics - Science Daily, 8/21/11
• High levels of potentially toxic flame retardants in California pregnant women - Science Daily, 8/10/11 - "the flame retardant chemicals, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), have been widely used in furniture foam, plastics, carpets, consumer electronics, wire insulation, and other products since the 1970s. Although California banned manufacture and import of certain PBDEs in 2004, human exposure continues from old products, house dust, food, and other sources. Studies suggest that PBDE exposure during pregnancy may disrupt thyroid function, with adverse effects on normal development of the fetus's brain that persist throughout life, and also have adverse effects on the mother ... In their study of 25 second-trimester pregnant women in California, the researchers found the highest-ever levels of certain PBDEs among pregnant women worldwide. The high exposure most likely was the unintended consequence of California's furniture flammability standards, which manufacturers have met since 1975 by adding PBDE's to foam in upholstered furniture"
• Harmful effects of hypothyroidism on maternal and fetal health drive new guidelines for managing thyroid disease in pregnancy - Science Daily, 7/25/11
• Sleep apnea may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes - Science Daily, 6/13/11
• Fetal exposure to BPA changes development of uterus in primates, study suggests - Science Daily, 6/7/11 - "The new study used the rhesus monkey, a species that is very similar to humans in regard to pregnancy and fetal development, said Williams, a study co-author ... During a period that represented the third trimester of human pregnancy, the investigators gave BPA to 12 pregnant monkeys, each carrying a single female fetus ... In the first year of the experiment, six monkeys received BPA orally in a fruit treat, at a dose of 400 micrograms per kilogram of body weight daily, the researchers reported. During the second year, six additional pregnant monkeys received BPA through capsules implanted subcutaneously (below the skin), for a daily dose of 100 micrograms per kilogram. Both forms of BPA resulted in a BPA level in the blood that is close to levels normally found in adult women, according to the authors' abstract ... The investigators analyzed the uterus of each offspring for gene expression. Oral BPA altered expression of HOX and WNT genes that are critical for uterine development, they found. They are still analyzing the data for the animals that received subcutaneous BPA"
• How high-fat diet during pregnancy increases risk of stillbirth - Science Daily, 6/2/11
• Highest reported BPA level in pregnant woman and associated abnormalities in infant - Science Daily, 5/11/11 - "Pregnant women are often exposed to BPA in their daily lives ... At 27 weeks of pregnancy, the mother had the highest reported urinary BPA concentration of anyone in the general population. She reported consuming canned foods and beverages, and using and microwaving plastic food storage containers consistently during this pregnancy time period. All of these exposures could have led to her extremely high BPA concentration. Her infant had a normal newborn neurobehavioral exam but had many neurobehavioral abnormalities at the one-month study visit including: increased muscle tone, tremors, and abnormal movements. The child went on to have normal neurobehavioral assessments yearly from one to five years of age ... This case study confirms previous studies documenting multiple sources of BPA exposure in humans. Additionally, it highlights the need for medical providers to be aware of the harmful effects of BPA exposures so they may counsel families appropriately about prevention. The study also identifies potential sources of BPA exposure that can be targeted to reduce exposures in the future. "Families can decrease their exposure to BPA by eating fresh fruit and vegetables (as opposed to processed and canned foods) and by decreasing use of plastic food storage containers," said Sathyanarayana. "Check the recycling code of your plastics on the bottom. If it shows #7, then the plastic may contain BPA"
• A Study Shows Connections Between Maternal Exposure to BPA and Childhood Asthma - Time Magazine, 5/2/11 - "At 6 months old, infants whose mothers had high levels of BPA were twice as likely to show wheezing as babies whose mothers who had low levels"
• Prenatal pesticide exposure tied to lower IQ in children, study finds - Science Daily, 4/21/11 - "every tenfold increase in measures of organophosphates detected during a mother's pregnancy corresponded to a 5.5 point drop in overall IQ scores in the 7-year-olds. Children in the study with the highest levels of prenatal pesticide exposure scored seven points lower on a standardized measure of intelligence compared with children who had the lowest levels of exposure"
• Extra iron doesn't help many pregnant women, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/11/11
• Brain function linked to birth size; Study sheds light on mental health problems later in life - Science Daily, 2/18/11 - "children who were born small, with relatively large placentas, showed more activity on the right side of their brains than the left. It is this pattern of brain activity that has been linked with mood disorders such as depression"
• Mouth Rinse Reduces Preterm Birth in Women With Periodontal Disease - Science Daily, 2/16/11 - "the incidence of preterm birth at less than 35 weeks was 6.1% in the rinse group and 21.9% in the control group (P = .01). In the intent-to-treat analysis, the relative risk for preterm birth was 0.26 in the rinse group. The mean gestational age in the rinse group was significantly higher than in the control group (38.4 vs 36.8 weeks; P < .011). The analysis also showed that the mean birth weight in the rinse group was significantly higher than in the control group (3087 vs 2633 g; P < .001)"
• Common insecticide used in homes associated with delayed mental development of young children - Science Daily, 2/10/11 - "When the EPA phased out the widespread residential use of chlorpyrifos and other organophosphorus (OP) insecticides in 2000-2001 because of risks to child neurodevelopment, these compounds were largely replaced with pyrethroid insecticides ... scientists of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found a significant association between piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a common additive in pyrethroid formulations, measured in personal air collected during the third trimester of pregnancy, and delayed mental development at 36 months ... While the results demonstrate that a significant prenatal exposure to permethrin in personal air and/or plasma was not associated with performance scores for the Bayley Mental Developmental Index or the Psychomotor Developmental Index at 36 months, children who were more highly exposed to PBO in personal air samples (≥4.34 ng/m3) scored 3.9 points lower on the Mental Developmental Index than those with lower exposures ... This drop in IQ points is similar to that observed in response to lead exposure"
• Study finds toxic chemicals in pregnant womens' bodies - USATODAY.com, 1/13/11 - "These chemicals include certain pesticides, flame retardants, PFCs used in non-stick cookware, phthalates (in many fragrances and plastics), pollution from car exhaust, perchlorate (in rocket fuel) and PCBs, toxic industrial chemicals banned in 1979 that persist in the environment ... BPA — an estrogen-like ingredient in plastic found in 96% of pregnant women — affects the development of the brain, prostate and behavior in children exposed both before and after birth. Lead and mercury are known to cause brain damage ... some of these chemicals may act together to cause more damage than they would alone"
• Increased BPA exposure linked to reduced egg quality in women - Science Daily, 12/15/10 - "As blood levels of BPA in the women studied doubled, the percentage of eggs that fertilized normally declined by 50 percent ... Given the widespread nature of BPA exposure in the U.S., even a modest effect on reproduction is of substantial concern"
• Mercury in Tuna Still a Concern, Consumer Reports Says - Medscape, 12/8/10 - "A woman of childbearing age who ate 2.5 ounces of any of the samples would be over the intake deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)"
• Pregnant mother's diet impacts infant's sense of smell, alters brain development - Science Daily, 12/1/10
• Heavy smoking during pregnancy linked to kids becoming repeat offenders as adults - Science Daily, 11/16/10
• Use of mild painkillers in pregnancy linked to increased risk of male reproductive problems, new evidence shows - Science Daily, 11/8/10
• Light drinking during pregnancy: Harmful to child's behavioral or intellectual development? - Science Daily, 10/5/10
• Early-life exposure to BPA may affect testis function in adulthood - Science Daily, 6/21/10 - "Exposure to environmental levels of the industrial chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, in the womb and early life may cause long-lasting harm to testicular function"
• Diesel exhaust associated with lethargy in offspring - Science Daily, 3/23/10 - "The researchers speculate that certain components, such as ultrafine particles, in the diesel exhaust may be translocated into the offspring of mice, disturbing the normal timetable of development in offspring and leading to the behavioral and physiological abnormalities seen in this study. Alternatively, or additionally, diesel exhaust exposure may affect the mother's behavior toward the pups after birth, which could also cause lethargy and altered brain chemistry"
• Sugary cola drinks linked to higher risk of gestational diabetes - Science Daily, 11/30/09
• Alcohol in pregnancy linked to child behavior problems - Science Daily, 11/23/09
• Flu Vaccine Given To Women During Pregnancy Keeps Infants Out Of The Hospital, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 11/2/09 - "Infants born to women who received influenza vaccine during pregnancy were hospitalized at a lower rate than infants born to unvaccinated mothers ... vaccinating mothers during pregnancy was 80 percent effective in preventing hospitalization due to influenza in their infants during the first year of life and 89 percent effective in preventing hospitalization in infants under six months of age"
• A High Fat Diet During Pregnancy Can Lead To Severe Liver Disease In Offspring - Science Daily, 10/12/09
• Prenatal Exposure To BPA Might Explain Aggressive Behavior In Some 2-Year-old Girls - Science Daily, 10/6/09
• Smoking During Pregnancy Puts Children At Risk Of Psychotic Symptoms - Science Daily, 10/1/09
• Antidepressants Linked to Birth Defect - WebMD, 9/24/09 - "the risk is greatest when moms-to-be take more than one selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant or switch SSRIs early in pregnancy ... babies born to women who had filled prescriptions for more than one SSRI had a fourfold increase in septal heart defects -- a malformation of the wall that divides the left and right sides of the heart"
• Fish Intake in Maternal Diet, Mercury Exposure May Affect Fetal Growth - Medscape, 9/14/09 - "small for gestational age (SGA) ... Compared with mothers who consumed less than 1 portion of canned tuna per month, those consuming 2 or more portions per week had newborns who weighed more (P for trend = .03) and had a lower risk of having infants who were SGA for weight"
• Gestational Diabetes: Link to Sugary Drinks? - WebMD, 6/8/09 - "Compared to women who reported drinking less than one sugar-sweetened beverage per month, women who reported drinking five or more sugar-sweetened beverages per month were 22% more likely to report gestational diabetes. Colas were the only sugar-sweetened beverages linked to gestational diabetes"
• Institute of Medicine Issues New Guidelines on Pregnancy Weight Gain - WebMD, 5/28/09
• Prenatal Cocaine Exposure May Compromise Neurocognitive Development - Science Daily, 5/1/09
• Effects Of Maternal Exercise On Fetal Breathing Movements - Science Daily, 4/17/09
• Differences Among Exercisers And Nonexercisers During Pregnancy - Science Daily, 4/17/09
• Epilepsy Drug Linked to Babies' Lower IQ - WebMD, 4/15/09 - "Women with epilepsy who took the drug valproate ( Depakote) during pregnancy gave birth to children whose IQ at age 3 averaged up to 9 points lower than the scores of children exposed to other epilepsy drugs"
• Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure Linked To Abnormal Brain Development - Science Daily, 4/15/09
• New Evidence Of Periodontal Disease Leading To Gestational Diabetes - Science Daily, 4/4/09 - "Gestational diabetes is characterized by an inability to transport glucose -- the main source of fuel for the body -- to the cells during pregnancy. The condition usually disappears when the pregnancy ends, but women who have had gestational diabetes are at a greater risk of developing the most common form of diabetes, known as Type 2 diabetes, later in life ... In addition to its potential role in preterm delivery, evidence that gum disease may also contribute to gestational diabetes suggests that women should see a dentist if they plan to get pregnant, and after becoming pregnant"
• Your Oral Health Is Connected To Your Overall Health - Science Daily, 4/4/09 - "While treatment of mothers with mild periodontal disease usually does not have an effect on infant prematurity, the greatest effect has been reported by scientists to be observed in mothers with generalized severe periodontal disease"
• Older Fathers, Lower IQ in Kids? - WebMD, 3/9/09
• Low Dose Of Caffeine When Pregnant May Damage Heart Of Offspring For A Lifetime - Science Daily, 12/16/08 - "the equivalent of one dose of caffeine (just two cups of coffee) ingested during pregnancy may be enough to affect fetal heart development and then reduce heart function over the entire lifespan of the child"
• Consuming Small Amounts Of Caffeine When Pregnant May Affect Growth Of Unborn Child - Science Daily, 11/3/08
• Statins May Prevent Miscarriages, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 10/10/08
• Levels Of Key Hormone During First Trimester Of Pregnancy Could Lead To Earlier Diagnosis Of Gestational Diabetes - Science Daily, 10/7/08 - "New research shows women who develop diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes mellitus) have reduced levels of an insulin-sensitive hormone, adiponectin, as early as nine weeks into the pregnancy"
• Premature Children Four Times More Likely To Have Behavioral Disorders - Science Daily, 9/8/08
• Caesarean Babies More Likely To Develop Diabetes - Science Daily, 8/26/08
• Mom's High Fat Diet During Pregnancy May Be Key To Child's Weight Issues - Science Daily, 6/18/08
• Cannabis 'can harm foetal brain' - BBC News, 6/16/08 - "Now we demonstrate the extent of this signalling system and that complex network of neurons - the backbones of higher cognitive functions - do not develop normally when endocannabinoid signalling is disturbed ... babies born to mothers who took cannabis while they were pregnant went on to experience problems with physical activity"
• Drinking Tap Water Disinfected With Chlorine May Harm Fetus, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 6/2/08
• Cell Phones Risky during Pregnancy? - WebMD, 5/21/08
• Maternal Exposure To Persistent Organic Pollutants Linked To Urologic Conditions In Boys - Science Daily, 5/15/08
• Pregnancy: High Normal Blood Sugar Risky - WebMD, 5/7/08
• Periodontal Disease Can Lead To Gestational Diabetes, Study Shows - Science Daily, 3/24/08 - "Inflammation associated with periodontal disease is believed to play a role in the onset of gestational diabetes, perhaps by interfering with the normal functioning of insulin, the hormone that regulates glucose metabolism"
• Pregnancy Stress, Schizophrenia Linked? - WebMD, 2/4/08
• Caffeine Is Linked To Miscarriage Risk, New Study Shows - Science Daily, 1/21/08
• Sleep Key to Pitching Pregnancy Pounds - WebMD, 11/19/07
• Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Conduct Problems: a Clearer Link - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/07
• Caesarean Births Pose Higher Risks For Mother And Baby - Science Daily, 10/31/07
• Low Maternal Total Cholesterol Linked to Preterm Delivery - Medscape, 10/1/07
• Drug May Help Pregnant Women with Insulin Resistance - Doctor's Guide, 9/6/07 - "metformin, the most commonly prescribed anti-diabetes drug, could potentially improve pregnancy outcomes in women with insulin resistance"
• Gestational Diabetes Ups Child Obesity - WebMD, 8/28/07
• Non-Stick Chemicals Linked To Low Birth Weight - Science Daily, 8/23/07
• Study Links Blood Sugar to Newborn Risks - Intelihealth, 6/25/07 - "The higher a pregnant woman's level of blood sugar, the greater the risk to her newborn -- whether the mother has diabetes or not"
• Smoking During Pregnancy Can Increase Risk Of ADHD In Child - Science Daily, 5/23/07
• Prenatal Nicotine Exposure Can Lead To Cardiac Function Reprogramming In Adult Offspring - Science Daily, 5/1/07
• Pregnancy Weight Linked to Heavy Kids - WebMD, 4/2/07
• Study Links Beef to Lower Sperm Count - WebMD, 3/27/07 - "men whose mothers ate lots of beef during pregnancy may have lower sperm counts than other men ... residues of hormones given to beef to promote growth may be a factor, but that's not certain"
• Maternal Fish Consumption, Mercury Levels, and Risk of Preterm Delivery - Medscape, 3/12/07 - "fish consumption is a major source of mercury exposure for pregnant women ... The greatest fish source for mercury exposure appeared to be canned fish, both because it was consumed more and, per meal, it was among the fish categories associated with the highest levels of mercury in maternal hair. The observed relationship between elevated mercury levels and increased risk of very preterm delivery is a new finding and requires caution in interpretation"
• Pregnant women warned about Paxil - MSNBC, 11/30/06
• Gaining Weight Between Babies Risky - WebMD, 9/28/06
• Iron Overload Risks for Pregnant Women - Doctor's Guide, 6/16/06
• Canned Tuna: Avoid if Pregnant? - WebMD, 6/5/06
• Pregnancy Spacing Affects Outcome - WebMD, 4/18/06
• Panel Finds Insufficient Evidence to Recommend For or Against Maternal-Request Caesarean Delivery - Doctor's Guide, 3/30/06
• Typical Pregnancy Now 39 Weeks, Not 40 - WebMD, 3/23/06
• Advisory - Newer Antidepressants Linked to Serious Lung Disorder in Newborns - Doctor's Guide, 3/10/06
• Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Appears Associated with Withdrawal Symptoms in Newborns - Doctor's Guide, 2/16/06
• UCSD/Boston University Find Antidepressants May Affect Fetus - Doctor's Guide, 2/9/06
• Infants and Antidepressant Withdrawal - WebMD, 2/6/06
• Periodontitis Associated With Pregnancy Complications - Doctor's Guide, 2/6/06
• Pregnancy's Bladder Woes Often Fade - WebMD, 2/2/06
• Depression May Return During Pregnancy - WebMD, 1/31/06
• Smoking While Pregnant Causes Finger, Toe Deformities - Science Daily, 1/6/06
• Coaching Barely Shortens Labor - WebMD, 12/30/05
• Periodontal Therapy May Reduce Incidence of Preterm Births and Low Birthweight Infants - Doctor's Guide, 11/22/05
• New Guidelines Say Vaginal Birth Should Be Offered Despite Prior Cesarean - Doctor's Guide, 10/11/05
• High Blood Glucose Levels in Early Pregnancy May Deprive Embryo of Oxygen and Lead to Birth Defects, Joslin Diabetes Center Study Shows - Doctor's Guide, 10/4/05
• Smoking During Pregnancy May Double ADHD Risk - WebMD, 8/2/05
• New Energy Bars Help Moms-To-Be - CBS 2 Chicago, 7/12/05
• Antidepressant Drug Exposure Affects Infants - WebMD, 5/17/05
• Vast majority of episiotomies unnecessary - MSNBC, 5/3/05
• Breast-cancer Risk Linked To Exposure To Traffic Emissions At Menarche, First Birth - Science Daily, 4/30/05 - "higher exposure around the time of first menstruation to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), potential carcinogens found in traffic emissions, was associated with increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer"
• Pregnant Women With Epilepsy Face Dilemma: Continue Treatment And Risk Birth Defects? - Science Daily, 4/23/05
• Contaminated Corn Can Create Risks For The Unborn - Science Daily, 4/5/05
• Pregnant Women Should Exercise To Keep Depression Away - Science Daily, 4/2/05
• Epilepsy Drug Linked to Birth Defects, Low IQ - WebMD, 3/21/05
• Mother's diet linked to foetal liver health, adult disease - Nutra USA, 1/20/05
• Most Childhood Cancers Linked to Prenatal Exposure to Pollutants - Doctor's Guide, 1/18/05 - "Most childhood cancers are "probably" down to prenatal exposure to industrial and environmental pollutants, most likely to have been inhaled by the mother during pregnancy"
• Controlling Asthma Important for Pregnant Women - WebMD, 1/11/05
• Once a C-section, always a C-section? - MSNBC, 12/27/04
• Antiseizure Drug Depakote Under Fire - WebMD, 12/7/04 - "The antiseizure drug Depakote has been linked to birth defects and lower IQs among children exposed to it in the womb"
• High Protein, Low-Carb Diet During Pregnancy Improved Triglycerides, Fat Metabolism In Offspring - Science Daily, 11/26/04
• When Are You Too Old for Pregnancy? - WebMD, 11/3/04
• Pain After Childbirth Common, Often Untreated - WebMD, 11/3/04
• Excess Weight Can Prolong Childbirth - WebMD, 10/29/04
• Pregnancy Has Little Effect on Sexual Function - WebMD, 10/22/04
• C-section May Increase Kids Allergy Risks - WebMD, 10/20/04
• New Research Suggests Link Between Maternal Diet And Childhood Leukemia Risk - Science Daily, 9/9/04
• C-Section No Cure-All for Problem Births - WebMD, 9/2/04
• Too Much Thyroid Hormone Can Harm Fetus - WebMD, 8/10/04
• Giving Birth After Age 35 Cuts Cancer Risk - WebMD, 7/16/04
• Anxiety During Pregnancy Increases ADHD Risk - WebMD, 7/16/04
• Taking Thyroid Hormone? Take More if Pregnant - WebMD, 7/14/04
• Study Ups Options for Difficult Births - WebMD, 7/1/04
• Experts Concerned Over SSRI Use in Pregnancy - WebMD, 6/9/04
• Fish May Boost Fetal Growth - WebMD, 5/12/04
• Depression Undertreated During Pregnancy - Doctor's Guide, 5/4/04
• Seizure Medication [Depakote] Linked to Birth Defects - Doctor's Guide, 4/30/04
• Prozac in Pregnancy Toxic to Fetus - WebMD, 4/28/04
• Use of Antidepressants in Late Pregnancy Associated With Increased Risk of Neonatal Anomalies - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/04
• Mom's Mood Affects Baby's Birth Risk - WebMD, 3/31/04
• Airborne Cancerous Agents Can Reach Fetus - WebMD, 3/29/04
• FDA Issues New Tuna Limits for Women - WebMD, 3/19/04
• Heavy Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy may Result in Babies with Permanent Nerve Damage - Doctor's Guide, 3/9/04
• Antidepressant Use May Harm Fetus - WebMD, 2/2/04
• C-Section May Affect Future Fertility - WebMD, 1/14/04
• Sexual Problems Common After Childbirth - WebMD, 12/11/03
• FDA to Warn Pregnant Women to Limit Tuna - WebMD, 12/11/03
• Late Pregnancies Put Mom and Baby at Risk - WebMD, 11/7/03
• New Guidelines to Prevent Premature Birth - WebMD, 11/7/03
• Pasteurized Soft Cheese OK in Pregnancy - WebMD, 11/5/03
• Women In Denial About Folic Acid Benefit - WebMD, 9/3/03
• Prenatal Use of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs Significantly Increases Risk of Miscarriage - Doctor's Guide, 8/14/03
• A Short-term Interval Between Pregnancies Is A Risk Factor for Preterm Birth and Neonatal Death - Doctor's Guide, 8/12/03
• Close Pregnancies Increase Risks - Doctor's Guide, 8/7/03
• Paternal Smoking Before Conception Increases Risk of Childhood Leukemia in Offspring - Doctor's Guide, 7/17/03
• Taking SSRIs in Pregnancy Affects Infant - WebMD, 7/14/03
• Extra Checks For Breast Cancer In Pregnancy Needed - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/03
• Weekend Birth No Riskier Than Weekday - WebMD, 6/10/03
• Maternal Lifestyle Factors in Pregnancy Risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Associated Behaviors - Am J Psychiatry 160:1028-1040, 6/03 - "Exposure to tobacco smoke in utero is suspected to be associated with ADHD and ADHD symptoms in children. Other maternal lifestyle factors during pregnancy may also be associated with these disorders. Further studies are needed to reach conclusions"
• Is It a Boy or Girl? Your Appetite Knows - WebMD, 6/5/03
• How Stress Causes Miscarriage - WebMD, 6/5/03
• Smoking During Pregnancy Leads to Signs of Drug Withdrawal in Babies - WebMD, 6/2/03
• Newborns of Obese Women at Increased Risk of Birth Defects - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/03
• Pregnancy Depression Often Not Treated - WebMD, 5/20/03
• Many Pregnant Women May Have Depression, But Few Getting Treatment - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/03
• Mercury From Ocean Fish Does Not Appear To Impair Neurodevelopment - Doctor's Guide, 5/15/03 - I've seen so many conflicting studies on a wide variety of things and I wouldn't bet my infants brain on just one study. - Ben
• Sperm Sorter Allows Parents To Pick Baby Gender - thesandiegochannel.com, 5/14/03
• Mom's Voice Is Distinguished in Womb - WebMD, 5/14/03
• Season of Birth Linked to Infant Weight - WebMD, 5/7/03
• Prenatal Magnesium Sulfate May Be Neuroprotective for Very Preterm Infants - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/03
• Acne Drug [Accutane] Not For Pregnant Women - CBS News, 5/5/03
• Obesity Ups Risk Of Birth Defects - Intelihealth, 5/5/03
• Pros and Cons of Cesarean on Demand Debated - Medscape, 5/1/03
• Elective Cesarean Sections Prevent Postpartum Stress Urinary Incontinence - Doctor's Guide, 5/1/03
• High-Dose Vaginal Misoprostol Shortens Interval to Delivery for Mid-Trimester Inductions - Doctor's Guide, 5/1/03
• Subcutaneous Metoclopramide Therapy Plus Hydration Controls Pregnancy Nausea and Vomiting - Doctor's Guide, 5/1/03
• Teflon Chemical Under Scrutiny - CBS News, 4/16/03
• Study: Atkins Harmful During Pregnancy - Intelihealth, 4/10/03
• Depressed Mother, Depressed Child - Medscape, 4/9/03
• Report: C8 Poses Risk To Women, Girls - Intelihealth, 3/31/03
• Underfed Babies Face Less Adult Disease Risk - WebMD, 3/27/03
• Memory Lapses During Pregnancy, Lack of Concentration Common, But Unfounded - WebMD, 3/21/03
• Treating Asymptomatic Vaginal Infections Can Reduce Miscarriage/Pre-Term Delivery - Doctor's Guide, 3/20/03
• Inhaled Steroids Safe During Pregnancy - WebMD, 3/11/03
• Higher Birth Weight Associated With Adolescent Obesity - Doctor's Guide, 3/10/03
• Study Confirms Value of Second Trimester Serum Down's Symdrome Screening Over Use of Maternal Age Alone - Doctor's Guide, 3/6/03
• Childbirth and Urinary Stress Incontinence - WebMD, 3/5/03
• More Women Opt for Cesarean Delivery; Some Experts Say it's a Woman's Right - WebMD, 3/5/03
• Anti-Epileptic Drugs Linked to Fetal Malformations - Medscape, 3/3/03
• Amoxicillin Not Linked To Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes - Doctor's Guide, 2/27/03
• Something Fishy With Seafood? - CBS News, 2/25/03 - "Studies show that mercury found in some fishes can be unhealthy and dangerous for pregnant women. But experts say little has been done to warn those at risk ... mercury in the body can result in impaired coordination, blurred vision, tremors, irritability, memory loss and behavioral or intellectual problems"
• Maternity Seat Belt Keeps Moms-To-Be Safe - NBCSanDiego.com, 2/12/03
• Low Birth-Weight Babies' Language Skills, Intelligence Normal by Age 8 - WebMD, 2/11/03
• Progesterone May Reduce Premature Births - Intelihealth, 2/6/03
• Binge Drinking In Pregnancy Linked to SIDS - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/03
• Premature Births: Top Obstetric Problem - WebMD, 1/30/03
• Mom's Vegan Diet May Put Baby at Risk - WebMD, 1/30/03
• Even Minor Risk Of Oxygen Deprivation May Place Premature Babies At Greater Risk For Cognitive And Language Problems - Doctor's Guide, 1/28/03
• Boys Cause More Birth Complications - WebMD, 1/16/03
• Umbilical Cord Care: Soap May Be Risky - WebMD, 1/8/03
• Episiotomy During Childbirth Too High - WebMD, 1/3/03
• No Negative Effects From Epidural Analgesia In Spontaneous Vaginal Deliveries - Doctor's Guide, 12/12/02
• Third-Trimester Paroxetine Exposure Related to Neonatal Complications - Doctor's Guide, 12/9/02
• Caesarean Section Tied To Chronic Pelvic Pain - Doctor's Guide, 12/6/02
• Antidepressants Linked to Premature Birth - WebMD, 12/3/02
• Beware Third Trimester Exposure to Paroxetine - Medscape, 11/21/02
• Booze and babies: How much danger? - USA Today, 11/20/02
• FDA Clears Childbirth Infection Test - Intelihealth, 11/19/02
• Women After 50 Can Have Safe Pregnancy - WebMD, 11/12/02
• Rate of Antidepressant Discontinuation During Pregnancy Cause for Concern - Doctor's Guide, 11/5/02
• Caesarean Can Prevent Most Second Twin Delivery Deaths - Doctor's Guide, 10/31/02
• Foetal Drug Exposure Produces Central And Autonomic System Signs In Infants - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/02
• Flu Vaccine Underused in Pregnant Women - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/02
• Vaginal Birth Following C-Section Birth May Increase Urinary Incontinence and Sexual Function - Doctor's Guide, 10/18/02
• The Occasional Drink Could Hurt Fetus - WebMD, 10/15/02
• Drugs in Pregnancy Linked to Cancer - WebMD, 10/11/02
• Celebrex Stops Preterm Labor - WebMD, 9/30/02 - "Celebrex was found to work just as well as the most common preterm labor drug, but was much safer for mother and baby"
• Aspirin Before Bed May Reduce Risk For Preterm Delivery, Gestational Hypertension And Preeclampsia - Doctor's Guide, 9/27/02
• Bedtime Aspirin Lowers Pregnancy Trouble - WebMD, 9/26/02
• Celebrex May Be Safe For Preterm Labor, Preliminary Study Finds - Doctor's Guide, 9/24/02
• Non-Stop Labor Support Questioned - WebMD, 9/17/02
• Budesonide Poses no Apparent Risk in Pregnancy, START Study Reveals - Doctor's Guide, 9/16/02
• Third Trimester Exposure to Pollen Puts Infants at Risk of Asthma - Doctor's Guide, 9/16/02
• Twins Born to Older Moms Do Just Fine - WebMD, 9/13/02
• Nicotine's Link to SIDS Uncovered - WebMD, 9/9/02
• Links To Postpartum Urinary Retention Identified - Doctor's Guide, 9/3/02
• Risk of Preterm Low Birth Weight in Women With Periodontal Disease Reduced By Periodontal Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 9/2/02
• Brain Damage in Infants Not Always Tied to Delivery - Doctor's Guide, 8/20/02
• Epidurals, other approaches help manage labor pain - USA Today, 8/13/02
• Cervicovaginal Fibronectin Test Can Predict Spontaneous Preterm Birth Risk - Doctor's Guide, 8/12/02
• Reports Probe Safety Of Water Births - Intelihealth, 8/5/02
• Women Being Induced Prefer Oral To Sublingual Misoprostol - Doctor's Guide, 8/1/02
• Pregnant? 2 Cans of Tuna Per Week OK - WebMD, 7/31/02
• Pregnant women urged to get Group B screening - USA Today, 7/24/02
• rhEPO Reduces Anemia in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants - Medscape, 7/22/02
• Pregnancy Linked to Heart Disease - WebMD, 7/18/02 - "Women who experience complications during pregnancy may be at increased risk for heart disease"
• Women Who Refuse To See Stillborn May Be Psychologically Better Off - Doctor's Guide, 7/11/02
• Should Mom See Her Stillborn Baby? - WebMD, 7/11/02
• Intrathecal Fentanyl Supplementation of Bupivacaine in Cesarean Delivery Superior to IV Fentanyl Supplementation - Doctor's Guide, 7/2/02
• Multiple Births - Their Risks And How To Prevent Them - Doctor's Guide, 7/1/02
• Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Could Save Women From The Agony Of Repeated Miscarriages - Doctor's Guide, 7/1/02
• Most Women Have Back Pain In Pregnancy - Doctor's Guide, 7/1/02
• Technique, Suture Type Can Relieve Perineal Pain After Delivery - Doctor's Guide, 6/28/02
• Edinburgh Scale Effectively Spots Postpartum Depression Risk - Doctor's Guide, 6/26/02
• Maternal Smoking Compromises Foetal IGF-1 Concentrations and Reduces Birth Weight - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/02
• No Benefit on Fetal Outcome Observed from Prophylactic Ephedrine in Cesarean Delivery - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/02
• Hypertension In Pregnancy Associated With Greater Adverse Outcomes For Type 1 Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 6/20/02
• Physiotherapy Helps Reduce Post-Partum Incontinence - Doctor's Guide, 5/27/02
• Asthma Should Be Treated Aggressively in Pregnancy - Medscape, 5/22/02
• Labour After Previous Caesarean Raises Risk Of Perinatal Death - Doctor's Guide, 5/22/02
• Vaginal Birth After C-Section: Risk Low - WebMD, 5/21/02
• Repeat Caesareans Safest - Intelihealth, 5/21/02
• New Research On Childbirth Prompting Calls For More Attention To Alternative Pain-Relief Methods - Intelihealth, 5/21/02
• Expectant Mother's Asthma and Hay Fever May Cause Newborn Eczema - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/02
• Birth Defects Not Linked To Timing Of Intercourse - Doctor's Guide, 5/9/02
• Timing of Sex Not Linked to Birth Defects - WebMD, 5/9/02
• Episiotomy Rates Drop Sharply - WebMD, 5/9/02
• Ondansetron Appears Safe And Effective for Pregnant Women With Nausea and Vomiting - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/02
• Gaining the Right Pregnancy Weight - WebMD, 5/7/02
• Rofecoxib As Effective As Magnesium Sulfate For Arresting Preterm Labor - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/02
• Smoking Decreases Chances It'll Be a Boy - WebMD, 4/18/02
• Working While Pregnant May Be Risky - WebMD, 4/17/02
• Mother Nature, Not Folk Remedies, "Best Obstetrician," Researcher Says - Doctor's Guide, 4/12/02
• Acne drug program targets birth defect prevention - CNN, 4/10/02 - "Accutane also can cause severe birth defects"
• C-Section Often Best for Breech Babies - WebMD, 4/9/02
• Labor-Inducing Myths Abound - WebMD, 4/9/02
• Excess Weight Gain During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 4/9/02
• Pool Water Risky During Pregnancy - WebMD, 4/8/02
• Lower Birthweight Associated With Greater Adult Subcutaneous Fatness - Doctor's Guide, 4/1/02
• Delaying Childbirth May Have Long-Term Health Consequences for Mother - Doctor's Guide, 3/26/02
• Hormone Replacement Promotes Development In Extremely Premature Baby Girls - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/02
• Maternal Environmental Risk Factors Influence Foetal Immune System - Doctor's Guide, 3/12/02
• Latest Pregnancy Threat: Gum Disease - WebMD, 3/8/02 - "Gum disease is as big a threat to pregnancy as alcohol and smoking"
• Strong Link Found Between Mother's Gum Disease and Premature Birth, Low Birth Weight - Doctor's Guide, 3/7/02
• Older Moms, Dads Put Baby at Risk - WebMD, 3/5/02
• Asthmatic Women Who Smoke Have High Rate of Abnormal Births - Doctor's Guide, 3/3/02
• Older moms' babies at health risk, study finds - USA Today, 3/3/02
• Diabetes Drug [Glucophage] Helps Prevent Miscarriage - WebMD, 3/1/02
• FDA fish warning criticized - USA Today, 2/28/02
• Low Seafood Consumption Linked To Pregnancy Complications - Intelihealth, 2/28/02
• Metformin Shows Promise in Preventing Miscarriage in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Doctor's Guide, 2/27/02
• Pregnancy and Flu: Behind the Warnings - WebMD, 2/27/02
• Pre-Pregnancy Pounds Put Mom, Baby at Risk - WebMD, 2/25/02
• New Report Links Birth Defects, Premature Birth To Being Overweight Before Pregnancy - Intelihealth, 2/25/02
• Depression Hits During, Not After, Pregnancy - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/02
• Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Affects Function And Structure of Brain - Doctor's Guide, 1/29/02
• Predicting Premature Delivery - WebMD, 1/23/02
• FDA OKs Saliva-Based Ovulation Test - Intelihealth, 1/19/02
• Thyroid Disease Increases Birth Defects - WebMD, 1/18/02
• Mother's Diet During Pregnancy May Influence Child's Blood Pressure Later In Life - Intelihealth, 1/17/02 - "Pregnant women who consume a diet rich in animal protein and low in carbohydrates may be more likely to have children with elevated blood pressure later in life"
• Thyroid Disease Raises Risk of Birth Defects - Doctor's Guide, 1/15/02
• Drug Use, Criminality In Both Genders Tied To Maternal Prenatal Smoking - Doctor's Guide, 1/10/02
• Study Links Air Pollution, Defects - Intelihealth, 12/16/01
• Birth Weight Linked to Obesity - WebMD, 12/10/01
• Possible Risk of Miscarriage Suspected with Antidepressants - Doctor's Guide, 11/29/01
• All Pregnant Women Should Be Screened for Depression - Doctor's Guide, 11/9/01
• Drop in Stress Hormones May Set Stage for Arthritis/Multiple Sclerosis After Pregnancy - Doctor's Guide, 10/30/01
• Scientists Find Simple Way Of Identifying The Likeliest Days To Conceive - Intelihealth, 10/26/01
• Smoking During Pregnancy May Indicate Need For Psychiatric Testing - Doctor's Guide, 10/22/01
• 10 Ways to Prevent Back Pain After Delivery - WebMD, 10/17/01
• Mother's Well-Being Has Large Impact on Child's Health, Depression, Stress in Mom Lead to More TV Time in Kids - WebMD, 10/9/01
• High-dose Diclofenac Used to Treat Post-Caesarean Section Pain - Doctor's Guide, 9/20/01
• Cervix And Premature Birth Linked - Intelihealth, 9/19/01
• Birth Defects Still Happening With Accutane - WebMD, 8/17/01
• Smoking During Pregnancy May Increase Colic - WebMD, 8/8/01 - "smoking during pregnancy may increase the chances that you'll have a very cranky baby"
• Just Say No to Alcohol in Pregnancy - WebMD, 8/9/01
• Study: Depression As Common During Pregnancy As After Childbirth - Intelihealth, 8/2/01
• The Lasting Trauma of Stillbirth - WebMD, 7/24/01
• When Bed Rest Is Best - WebMD, 7/6/01
• Labor Risky After Caesarean - Intelihealth, 7/5/01
• Traveling for Two: Advice for Pregnant Vacationers - WebMD, 7/6/01
• Insulin Lispro Controls Diabetes In Pregnant Women - Doctor's Guide, 6/25/01
• Pattern of Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone Increase Signifies Fetal Distress - Doctor's Guide, 6/21/01 - "The most plausible hypothesis is that stress leads to an increase in cortisol levels in the fetus and this then stimulates the placenta to make more CRH"
• Choosing a Disease-Free Baby - WebMD, 6/18/01
• Food Tastes May Pass From Mother to Baby During Pregnancy and Nursing - WebMD, 6/6/01
• Pregnant Women Need a Balanced Diet That's 'Just Right' - WebMD, 6/1/01 - "Women given supplements containing large amounts of protein actually had babies that were smaller on average than women who did not take the supplements. That led the government, which sets the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), to lower its recommended level of daily protein for pregnant women from 74 grams per day to 60 grams"
• Massage Not Effective for Preventing Tearing During Labor, Technique Isn't Harmful, But Shows No Overwhelming Benefit - WebMD, 5/24/01
• Treatment Of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension A Three-Step Process - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/01
• Kegel Exercises Help Incontinence After Pregnancy, Simple Contractions Keep Pelvic Muscles Toned - WebMD, 5/21/01
• A Mother's Dilemma: Using Antidepressants During Pregnancy, It May Be Dangerous Not to Treat, Doctors Say - WebMD, 5/17/0
• Many moms lie about drinking during pregnancy - USA Today, 4/24/01 - "Only about one in 20 women who drink during pregnancy admits it on her child's birth certificate"
• Tips for the Ever-Increasing Group of Women Having Babies in Their 30s, 40s - WebMD, 4/20/01
• Expectant Moms, Can the Fish, Environmental Groups Expand FDA's List of Unsafe Seafood - WebMD, 4/12/01 - "Methylmercury is a toxic form of mercury that gathers in fish tissue. Absorbed by the fish from pollution and from other water creatures, it poses health threats to developing brains and nervous systems of unborn babies"
• Study Addresses Schizophrenia Link - Intelihealth, 4/12/01 - "men who fathered children at ages 45 to 49 were twice as likely as those under 25 to have schizophrenic children, and men 50 and older were three times more likely"
• Seizure Drugs Linked to Birth Defects, Newer Drugs May Reduce Risk of Defects - WebMD, 4/11/01 - "21% who took one antiseizure drug and 28% who took two antiseizure drugs had babies born with a major or minor birth defect, compared with 8.5% of women who did not have epilepsy. On the other hand, mothers who had epilepsy but took no antiseizure drugs had a rate of birth defects similar to that of women who did not have epilepsy"
• Stressed Moms May Deliver Early - WebMD, 4/6/01 - "when traumatic or emotional situations occur, levels of the body's stress hormones, including cortisol, increase ... stressful events in the first few weeks of pregnancy may put them at risk for having a baby with birth defects of the face, lips, or heart"
• Pain drugs linked to risk of lung defect - USA Today, 3/7/01 - "pregnant women who took aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen, all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, were far more likely to deliver newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension, or PPHN"
• Some Over-the-Counter Pain Drugs Linked to Severe Newborn Illness, If Pregnant, Remember to Use Medications With Caution - WebMD, 3/5/01
• Blood Pressure, Older Mothers Studied - Intelihealth, 3/4/01 - "Babies born to older mothers tend to have significantly higher than usual blood pressure"
• Weight Gain: The Pregnant Woman's Dilemma - WebMD, 3/2/01
• How to Sort Through All the News on Pregnancy, A Recap of Recent Studies - WebMD, 2/20/01
• Cough Medication's Link to Birth Defects Questioned - WebMD, 2/15/01
• Popular Painkillers May Increase Risk of Miscarriage, But No Evidence They Cause Birth Defects or Preterm Births - WebMD, 2/1/01
• Pregnancy Isn't an Excuse to Overeat, Those Pounds Could Stick Permanently and Cause Health Problems - WebMD, 1/30/01
• Health Focus: Morning Sickness: Easing The Queasies - Intelihealth, 1/17/01
• FDA: While Pregnant, Limit Fish - Intelihealth, 1/13/01
• FDA Warning: Harmful Mercury Levels in Some Ocean Fish a Danger to Babies - WebMD, 1/12/01
• Preemies and Steroids Don't Mix, Commonly Given for Lung Problems, Drugs Do More Harm Than Good - WebMD, 1/10/01
• Caffeine-Miscarriages Link Studied - Intelihealth, 12/20/00
• For Pregnant Women, Even One Cup of Joe May Be Harmful, Study Shows Smoking to Be Key - WebMD, 12/20/00
• Group Cautions Women to Avoid Certain Cosmetics, Products Made with Chemical Could Lead to Birth Defects, Group Says - WebMD, 11/29/00
• Moms' High Hemoglobin Levels Linked To Stillbirths - Intelihealth, 11/21/00
• C-Section Best For Breech Babies - Intelihealth, 10/20/00
• Oral Drug May Control Pregnancy-Related Diabetes - WebMD, 10/18/00
• Experts Try to Settle Controversial Steroid Issue in Pregnant Women - WebMD, 8/18/00
• Intelligence: What Makes Us Smart? - WebMD, 8/10/00
• Take These Precautions to Prevent Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy - WebMD, 7/20/00
• Asthma And Pregnancy - Intelihealth, 6/28/00
• Inducing Labor: Don't Force Mother Nature's Hand - WebMD, 6/22/00
• Menu helpers for vegetarian moms-to-be - CNN, 6/20/00
• Moms-to-be, brush up: good oral health important during pregnancy - CNN, 6/5/00
• Smoking Moms-Kids' Behavior Linked - Intelihealth, 4/13/00
• Smoking During Pregnancy Increases Risk Of Cleft Lip Or Palate In Baby - Doctor's Guide, 3/28/00
• Preterm Delivery May Indicate Subsequent Preterm Birth - Doctor's Guide, 3/21/00
• High Cholesterol In Pregnancy May Affect Progression Of Atherosclerosis In Children - Doctor's Guide, 10/8/99
• Experts Publish Review On Pregnancy And Antidepressants - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/99
• Low thyroid levels during pregnancy may lower child's IQ - CNN, 8/18/99
• Smoking During Pregnancy Risk Factor For Attention Deficit Disorder - Doctor's Guide, 9/2/98
• Is a Trip to the Dentist Necessary for Moms-To-Be? - Doctor's Guide, 10/3/97