If you read my post about how the risks of special educational needs skyrocket with early birth, you’ll understand just how important it is that we do everything we can to bring more pregnancies safely to term.
Learning problems are just one of the many ways that preterm birth can impact a person for a lifetime. In fact, every year in the UK, 3,000 babies die before they reach their first birthday, and prematurity is the single leading cause. Read the rest of this entry »
New research into the brain chemistry of women after giving birth has given us new insight into the cause and potential treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). Despite the joy of having a baby, the majority of women develop a low mood soon after giving birth, and for 13% of women, the baby blues develops into full fledged postpartum depression. Read the rest of this entry »
According to the results of a new study performed in Scotland, babies born between 37 and 39 weeks have a 16% higher risk of having special educational needs, when compared to babies born at a full 40 weeks gestation. It’s clear that babies born very preterm are at great risk of having longterm physical and developmental problems. What we didn’t know is exactly how the risk of these issues changed over the full range of gestational ages from 24 to 40 weeks.
A new study studied at over 400,000 school-aged children, looking at their special education needs, and the gestational age at which they were born. A child was considered to have special educational needs if they had either a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia or autism, or a physical difficulty, such as poor vision or deafness that requires special educational help.
Surprisingly, the results of the studied showed an increased risk of special educational needs in early term births (those births occurring between 37 and 39 weeks gestation). In fact, because they are so common, early term births accounted for more cases of special educational needs than preterm births did.
The results of this study are interesting, because they highlight yet another risk of elective deliveries (c-sections and inductions) before a full 40 weeks of pregnancy has been completed. We worry about physical issues like lung maturity when we plan a delivery before a woman’s due date. Now we know we should give consideration to long term developmental and educational issues as well. Unfortunately, we don’t have a test for that, like an amnio to assess fetal lung maturity.
Doctors planning elective deliveries should consider the results of this study when scheduling deliveries. Mothers should also be informed about these results, especially when it comes to decisions about managing late preterm labor, or deciding to schedule an early term birth. When we have the power to change an outcome and extend a healthy pregnancy where neither the mom or baby is at risk, this study should give both moms and doctors more motivation to do so!
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Two studies being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual give interesting insight into how diet and body weight impact breast cancer risk.
Research which looked at cancer diagnoses in 72,007 women aged 55-74 years highlights the importance of maintaining a healthy weight throughout adulthood. According to the study, women who gained weight between 20 and 50 years of age had a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer. In fact, women who gained >5 kg/m2 between age 20 and the start of the study had nearly twice the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer when compared to women who maintained or lost weight. Read the rest of this entry »
Research suggests that stillbirth is four times more likely after certain types of fertility treatments.
A study published this month in the journal Human Reproduction compared the rate of stillbirth in babies conceived spontaneously versus those conceived through different types of fertility treatments. They found that while there was no significant difference in stillbirths between spontaneous pregnancies and non-IVF fertility treatments, the rate of stillbirth was four times higher in babies conceived via IVF (in vitro fertilization) or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Read the rest of this entry »
Vitamin D works better at protecting kids from the flu than antiviral medication, according research published this month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Read the rest of this entry »
After the Alliance Boots pharmacy chain began offering Viagra over the counter with a pharmacist consultation in the middle of 2009, some groups wondered why the pill wasn’t available over the counter as well. Now they are getting their wish. Read the rest of this entry »
Hearts & Minds with Walter Jacobson M.D.
Herbal Medicine with Deborah Grant BSc(Hons) Consultant Medical Herbalist
Key Nutrition with Millie Barrett BSc(Hons), mBANT
Personal Development with Mark Harrison, M Ed.
CommonSense MD with Kenneth Lin M.D.
