Smoking during pregnancy may be linked to ADHD in children

Children born to women who smoked during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research. The new study also hints -- but doesn't prove -- that nicotine-replacement products used during pregnancy, such as patches and gum, could pose the same risk to children. Still, this study suggests that nicotine itself, not just tobacco, may be a hazard during pregnancy. Continue reading below... "We've been lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that if we can just get mothers to stop smoking and onto nicotine replacement, it will protect against any kinds of fetal damage in the developing child. This is a stark injection of reality about how that may not be the case," said Dr. Timothy Wilens, director of the Center for Addiction Medicine and acting chief of child psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Researchers have long tried to pinpoint the hazards of smoking during pregnancy. Among other things, lighting up during pregnancy seems to boost the risk of miscarriage, pregnancy complications, premature deliveries, low birth weight and even obesity in the child's life, said study lead author Dr. Jin Liang Zhu, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Aarhus University in Denmark. It's not clear how smoking and nicotine use in mothers may affect the brains of developing fetuses. Zhu said nicotine may cause abnormalities in the brain, while the products of cigarette smoke -- such as carbon monoxide -- could affect the brain, too. It's also possible that other factors are behind the association between smoking in pregnancy and ADHD in children, the study authors suggested. ADHD tends to run in families, and people in families with ADHD are more likely to smoke. So, it's possible that the association seen in this study isn't a direct cause of expectant mothers' smoking, but may be the result of genetics or a shared environment where smoking is present, according to background information in the study. ADHD is a common behavioral disorder in childhood, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include difficulty paying attention, impulsive behavior and problems with sitting still and getting along with others. Previous research has already linked ADHD in children to mothers who smoked during pregnancy, noted Wilens, who was not involved with the study. In the new study, researchers examined the medical records of nearly 85,000 children born in Denmark to mothers who were recruited to be part of the study from 1996 to 2002. Signs of ADHD were present in slightly more than 2,000 children. The numbers were lower among kids of nonsmoking parents (1.8 percent) and in households where mom quit smoking and dad was a nonsmoker (2 percent). The rates of ADHD were highest among kids in families in which both parents smoked -- 4.2 percent. Read more ...

Drinking during pregnancy harms 7,000 babies per year

Drinking during pregnancy causes more harm to the unborn child than tobacco smoke or cannabis, according to senior doctors. They want Government guidelines to be changed to tell women to avoid alcohol altogether rather than once or twice a week. Paediatricians - who specialise in the care of children - say as many as 1 per cent of babies born in England suffer behavioural or developmental problems due to alcohol exposure. There are 730,000 births in this country a year meaning as many as 7,000 could be affected. One consultant said that if women must have one bad habit while pregnant, it would be safer to smoke tobacco or cannabis than drink alcohol. Dr Neil Aiton, a paediatrician at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ‘If it is a choice between a drink, a smoke or a spliff then ‘don’t drink’, would be my recommendation. ‘We have firm evidence that drinking alcohol regularly is damaging. ‘Cigarettes cause babies to be born a bit on the smaller side. ‘There is other evidence but it is minor compared to the long-term neurological and psychological damage that alcohol causes to the nervous system.’ Doctors are calling for government advice to be changed to state that women should not drink alcohol at all either while pregnant or trying to conceive. The current guidelines state that women should avoid it - but if they do choose to drink to limit it to one or two units a week. But there are concerns this is misinterpreted by women who assume they can safely have one or two glasses of wine once or twice a week. A large 250ml glass of wine contains about three units of alcohol and doctors say that women are unwittingly putting their foetuses at risk. Baroness Sheila Hollins, head of the British Medical Association Board of Science, said: ‘That is quite difficult advice to follow. People don’t know what a unit is. 'The BMA’s advice would be that the elimination of drinking during pregnancy is safest because of the uncertainties of drinking at low to moderate levels.’ The chief medical officer for England Professor Dame Sallie Davies is currently reviewing the guidelines and may change them later this year. Dr Raja Mukherjee runs for a clinic children and adults with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), a range of symptoms caused by alcohol damage in the womb, which is part of the NHS She says that although many children are diagnosed as having foetal alcohol syndrome - which has clear physical characteristics - foetal alcohol spectrum disorders are rarely picked up. Her clinic estimates that between 1 per and 3 per of the population is affected by FASDs but many grow up unaware of the cause of their condition. Article: 26th January 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

What women don't know about their fertility

As surprising as it seems, about half of women of reproductive age have not talked to their health care provider about their reproductive health, according to a new study. As a result, the researchers, from the Yale School of Medicine, found that women between ages 18 and 40 weren’t aware of some the important factors that influence fertility and their ability to get pregnant, as well as about basic prenatal practices once they were expecting. Among the most notable findings, which were published in the journal, Fertility & Sterility : •30% of the women reported that they only visited a reproductive health provider less than once a year or not at all. •50% of the women did not know that taking multivitamins and folic acid are recommended to avoid birth defects. •A little over 25% of women did not know that things like STDs, smoking and obesity impact fertility. •20% did not know that aging can impact fertility and increase rates of miscarriage •50% of the women thought that having sex multiple times in a day increased their likelihood of getting pregnant •Over 33% of women thought that different sex positions can increase their odds of getting pregnant •10% did not know that they should have sex before ovulation to increase the chances of getting pregnant instead of after ovulation The significant gaps in the women’s knowledge about their fertility may also explain why 40% reported that they had concerns and questions about their ability to get pregnant. The researchers believe that as women put off starting families — the latest CDC report showed women between 25 to 29 years old have the highest pregnancy rates, compared to women aged 20 to 24 in earlier years — doctors, particularly reproductive health specialists, should have more opportunity for improving women’s education about fertility and pregnancy so they know what to expect when they are finally ready to have a child. Article: 27th January 2013 www.healthland.time.com Read more about fertility at www.prideangel.com

Hypnotherapy during childbirth - Can labour be pain free?

Hypnosis for childbirth has garnered a lot of attention in recent years and even has a celebrity following with the likes of Kate Middleton and Kim Kardashian reportedly using the techniques to make their experiences easier. If you’re pregnant and worried about giving birth, you might have wondered if the techniques would work for you. Here, find out what hypnosis really is, how it works, and if it can really make labor pain-free. Fear causes pain Forget the image of a hypnotherapist waving a clock and taking control of your mind. “The definition of hypnosis is relaxation plus focus,” said Cynthia Overgard, founder of HypnoBirthing of Connecticut, a prenatal education center in Westport. Just like yoga requires relaxation and deep breathing during a physically challenging moment, hypnosis can do the same for the pregnant mom. HypnoBirthing, a specific hypnosis method and program, is based on the idea that fear and tension will cause pain. When a woman is in labor, oxytocin—an endorphin known as the feel-good, love hormone—not only produces contractions but can help the mother to have a safe, comfortable birth, according to Overgard. “Where birth ends up getting complicated for humans is that women often don’t feel 100 percent safe, trusting and relaxed,” she said. And when that happens, a woman’s body stops producing oxytocin. Adrenaline starts to rise, and it redirects blood flow away from the cervix and the uterus into the arms and legs. The result is a flight or fight response, which can make a woman feel anxious, fearful, and even prevent her cervix from dilating and slow down labor. “Adrenaline or fear, literally (and) physically, turns off labor,” Overgard said. “This goes way beyond just positive thinking. This really comes down to the chemical hormones. It’s a total, pure science.” How hypnosis can help HypnoBirthing uses tools like deep breathing, visualization and relaxation techniques that can help the woman maintain a calm body and mind. During labor, she might dim the lights, keep the room quiet and play relaxing music. Another major component of the program is listening to guided relaxation, which is an intentional way to practice hypnosis and condition the mind and body to be calm and relaxed. Mothers also listen to birth affirmations which can make them feel confident in their ability to give birth. “Your subconscious mind is hearing messages that bypass the conscious mind, and they change the beliefs in your mind,” Overgard said. Word choice is important Another focus of hypnosis is on the words used before and during labor and delivery. “The words we say and the words we hear have a direct impact on the physiology of our body,” Overgard said. In fact, when reassuring words are used as women were administered a local anesthetic, they experienced less pain, according to a study in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia. “There are subtle ways that you can change the words that are used that can really change that whole experience,” said Dr. William Camann, co-author of the study and director of obstetric anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass. For example, in HypnoBirthing, “sensation” is used instead of “pain” and “surge” instead of “contraction.” Colin Christopher, a clinical hypnotherapist who works with expecting mothers throughout their pregnancies, said his clients have experienced shorter labors and a significant reduction in pain. In addition to relaxation techniques and visualization, he uses the hypno-epidural technique to simulate what an epidural would feel like. And instead of using the word “pain,” “we talk about allowing your body to become focused, calm and relaxed,” he said. Does it really work? According to the HypnoBirthing Institute, mothers who used the method were less likely to have cesarean sections, interventions and pre-term babies. Read more...

TV Presenter conceived 'miracle baby' naturally, just weeks after stopping IVF

She spent two years undergoing IVF treatment, and after four failed attempts thought she had lost all hope of becoming a mother So it’s little wonder Kate Silverton looks overjoyed as she shows off the baby she never thought she would have – conceived naturally within weeks of stopping the treatment.
The 41-year-old BBC presenter, who is married to Michael Heron, a former Royal Marine, gave birth to daughter Clemency in November, describing her pregnancy as a ‘miracle’. ‘I still can’t quite believe that she’s here,’ she said. ‘Seeing her smile melts me to the core. It’s the culmination of everything I ever dared imagine or hope for.

‘When I have her in my arms, feeding her in the early hours, with Mike sleeping by my side, I look down at her little face and still feel overwhelmed by what’s happened.’ ‘Whether it’s the beaming smile I get when I lean over her crib in the morning or when her bottom lip trembles if she’s uncertain about something, I just live for those moments now. She’s just adorable.’

Doctors warned Miss Silverton she would struggle to conceive naturally after she had to undergo surgery to remove one of her ovaries. She then underwent four rounds of IVF, but they all failed and the couple stopped the treatment – only for Clemency to be conceived naturally soon afterwards.

Miss Silverton said: ‘I’m not sure how this happened, but I will give thanks every day for the rest of my life that I have experienced giving birth and now have a daughter. ‘It’s heartbreaking to know there are so many couples out there who face the same difficulties as we did and I wish that I could spread some of our good fortune to them.’

The TV star has yet to hire any help with the baby insisting that she and Heron, 44, wanted to do as much as possible themselves. She said: ‘We chose not to have any help as we like the idea of working as a team with her, to learn as much as we could instinctively, although I admit it has been a rather steep learning curve.’ Miss Silverton wed Mr Heron in December 2010 at St Bride’s Church in Fleet Street – two years after they began dating.

Article: 23rd January 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk