Nicotine replacement therapy safer than smoking when pregnant, researchers find
/The references article is actually a narrative review not new data.
Read MorePregnancy and Birth Defects in the News
A quick round-up of new related items that have appeared in newspapers and magazines. Search topics below.
edited by Elizabeth Hegedus
Does an A.D.H.D. Link Mean Tylenol Is Unsafe in Pregnancy?
/For women who used acetaminophen but only for less than seven days, the risk of A.D.H.D. actually went down — something else that the researchers cannot explain.
Read MoreGlobal Warming Might Be Especially Dangerous for Pregnant Women
/Scientists are concerned that heat waves could be linked to more premature births and stillbirths.
Read MoreNorth Korea’s nuclear tests are causing birth defects and destroying the environment: report→
/Defectors claim that 80 percent of trees planted near the nuclear test site die, that underground wells have been evaporated and that babies in the region are born with birth defects at alarming rates.
Read MoreMothers-to-be should eat organic, claim scientists: Cancer-causing compounds in pesticides can cross the placenta and increase the risk of brain tumours.
/Based on phone interviews, the authors concluded that exposure to pesticides in pregnancy increased the risk of developing brain tumours by 1.4.
Read MoreWill a vegetarian diet during pregnancy drive your child to drugs and drink?
/A well-balanced article questioning the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children finding that children of women who ate little or no meat while pregnancy was more likely to abuse alcohol at age 15.
Read MoreVitamin in Vegemite could cure birth defects
/A slightly overblown account of interesting recent study from the Victor Change Institute which showed that mice with a genetic mutation resulting in NAD deficiency have malformations. Supplementation with vitamin B3 (found in Vegemite), reduced the number of malformations.
Read MoreChemical in macaroni and cheese tied to birth defects, says study.
/This report harks back to earlier studies linking phthalate exposure to hypospadias in boys. Phthalates were found in all 29/30 tested cheese products. No mention of concertation or dose was mentioned.
Read MoreThe cost of clean: Disinfectants cause birth defects in baby mice
/This article reports an experiment in mice that observed an increase in neural tube defects from ambient as well as oral exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds that persisted for 2 generations.
Read MoreSafe Medications to Take While Pregnant
/Yes, a website that states that it is safe to take OTC during pregnancy. Article lists medications for treating common pregnancy-related symptoms.
Read MorePregnant Women Turn to Marijuana, Perhaps Harming Infants
/As marijuana becomes legalised in more US states, a recent survey reveals that younger women are using marijuana (~4%). Women use marijuana to quell morning sickness and there is anecdotal reports that cannabis is perceived as being safe.
Read MoreHeartburn Drugs in Pregnancy Tied to Asthma in Babies
/This article reports a recent meta-analysis of largely retrospective cohort studies most of which were deemed to have a strong risk of bias assessment . Despite these caveats it risk of childhood asthma was reported to be 46% increased. The reason for the apparent association is unclear.
Read MoreThe case for testing drugs on pregnant women
/A re-printed article from 2015 but thought-provoking and well worth a read.
Read MoreTylenol during pregnancy should be taken with care
/Upfront criticism of two recent studies linking acetaminophen and ADHD and autism noting fever in the treatment mothers (not controls) as well as increased likelihood of being smokers.
Read MoreWhat To Expect From Your Skin-Care Routine When You're Expecting
/Tries to be balanced but recommends long lists of ‘natural’ products. Recommends staying away from any antiperspirant that contains aluminum chloride hexahydrate, as this ingredient has been linked to birth defects.
Read MoreAre Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Safe During Pregnancy?
/Focussing mainly on deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and the long-chain omega-3 fats. In fact there are no randomised studies of these diets in pregnancies. The little data available suggests that except in cases of extreme deficiency eg. vegan women with pernicious anaemia, there were no clear associations with bad outcomes. Despite this the author still advised that if a woman’s diet is low in omega-3 fats and has a history, risk, or propensity toward mood disorders, then they should think about supplementation.
Read MoreDoes Lying on Your Back During Pregnancy Increase Stillbirth Risk?
/In a study of 29 third-trimester women it was shown that fetuses entered a sleep-like state when women lay on the right side or on their backs. None of the women went on to have stillbirths.
Read MoreHave you got OCD? Why your mother could be to blame: Smoking during pregnancy and Caesarean births 'may put babies at greater risk
/An increased risk of OCD was found for smoking >10 cigarettes/day during pregnancy (OR 1.02-1.58). However it was unreported that risk was greater for breech presentation OR 1.35 or an Apgar distress score at 5 minutes (OR 1.5)
Read MoreMen who smoke are THREE times more likely to have children with asthma
/Using complex statistical analyses the authors showed an association with an OR of 1.17-6.13. There was no link with mothers smoking unless it was the paternal grandmother (OR 1.0-1.6)
Read MorePregnancy no-alcohol advice gets lost on medics
/A recent review of doctors and midwives revealed that 10% of GPs and 3% of midwives believed that “an occasional glass of wine is fine” on special occasions or celebrations.
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