I am a proud sponsor of Birth Choices Expo. I believe everyone should have access to the information they need in order to make informed decisions about parenting. Parenting is one of the most rewarding, challenging and empowering things you can ever do. As I specialise in women’s health this means that I spend a lot of time with families, pregnant women and their babies.The journey of preconception, pregnancy and birth can be greatly facilitated with naturopathic care and that is what I will be focusing on at the expo. I present regularly to doulas and midwives and share with them how natural medicine benefits their women.Birth Choices Expo’s aim is to make information about pregnancy, birth & parenting more accessible so that you can make the right choices for you & your baby and experience the joy of parenting.You will have the opportunity, in a relaxed atmosphere, to meet with:• Independent Midwives• Birth Centre Midwives• Doulas• Natural Health Practitioners• Parenting Experts• Other parents, including dads at the Men at Birth table• Plus enjoy speakers, food, free show bags & more…So, put the date aside in your diary, grab your friends and come to see me at the Expo. I will have a few surprise give aways on the night but you will have to be there!
Latest Stats on Global Caesarean Rates from WHO
In the 3rd phase of an international survey on delivery and maternal & perinatal outcomes conducted by WHO, results have concluded that caesareans should only be done when medically indicated. Almost 50% of babies in China are born via caesarean and overall, 1 in 4 women underwent caesarean.There is now general acceptance among international maternity service providers that caesarean section rates are too high and should not exceed one in eight births. However, in Australia the caesarean rate is much higher, and women and babies are being subjected to unnecessary operations. In Australia, the caesarean rate of 24.6 per cent for 2008-09 is too high. More efforts need to be made to organise maternity services to offer midwife-led care, which generally promotes normal and natural childbirth without medical interventions like caesareans.All caesarean sections put women at increased risk of adverse events, including death. The World Health Organization’s Global Survey on Maternal and Perinatal Health found China has the highest overall rate (46.2%) of caesareans, and by far the highest rate of caesareans without indication (11.7%). Compared with spontaneous delivery, the risk for the maternal mortality or morbidity index is 2.7 times higher for antepartum caesarean without indications and 14.2 times higher for intrapartum caesarean without indications. Compared with spontaneous vaginal deliveries, operative vaginal deliveries were associated with just over 3 times more maternal deaths. The WHO research group urges that caesareans be done only when medically indicated for the mother or the baby.The benefits of a vaginal birth are well documented; among them are a stronger immune system for baby, higher breast feeding rates and less time in hospital. I strongly encourage every woman to have a natural birth and find that HypnoBirthing […]
Food As an Antidepressant
A very interesting study from the University College London in the UK followed 3,486 people for five years. At the end of five years, they matched their depression to their diet.
They found that the most depressed individuals consumed “processed food” (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). In contrast, the least depressed people consumed a diet of “whole foods” (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish).
Depression is a surprisingly common symptom. Before you turn to pharmaceutical antidepressants, start with changing your foods. If you eat a healthy diet your depression may subside. I strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at your diet – the best and most effective way is to write a food/mood diary and begin to notice any trends that appear. How did you feel an hour after you ate that coffee and banana bread this morning?
I always see improvements in mood when the processed nutrient-poor food is removed and replaced with whole, organic and nutrient rich foods.
Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age
BACKGROUND: Studies of diet and depression have focused primarily on individual nutrients. AIMS: To examine the association between dietary patterns and depression using an overall diet approach. METHOD: Analyses were carried on data from 3486 participants (26.2% women, mean age 55.6 years) from the Whitehall II prospective cohort, in which two dietary patterns were identified: ‘whole food’ (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish) and ‘processed food’ (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). Self-reported depression was assessed 5 years later using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression (CES-D) scale. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in […]
Food As an Antidepressant
A very interesting study from the University College London in the UK followed 3,486 people for five years. At the end of five years, they matched their depression to their diet.They found that the most depressed individuals consumed “processed food” (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). In contrast, the least depressed people consumed a diet of “whole foods” (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish).Depression is a surprisingly common symptom. Before you turn to pharmaceutical antidepressants, start with changing your foods. If you eat a healthy diet your depression may subside. I strongly encourage you to take a good hard look at your diet – the best and most effective way is to write a food/mood diary and begin to notice any trends that appear. How did you feel an hour after you ate that coffee and banana bread this morning?I always see improvements in mood when the processed nutrient-poor food is removed and replaced with whole, organic and nutrient rich foods.Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle ageBACKGROUND: Studies of diet and depression have focused primarily on individual nutrients. AIMS: To examine the association between dietary patterns and depression using an overall diet approach. METHOD: Analyses were carried on data from 3486 participants (26.2% women, mean age 55.6 years) from the Whitehall II prospective cohort, in which two dietary patterns were identified: ‘whole food’ (heavily loaded by vegetables, fruits and fish) and ‘processed food’ (heavily loaded by sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products). Self-reported depression was assessed 5 years later using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression (CES-D) scale. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, participants in […]
Vitamin D Linked to C-Section Births
Caesarean section rates are at an all time high in Australia (28.8%) and the United States (30.2%). As vitamin D is crucial for proper muscle function, the researchers examined the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and caesarean section rates. Between 2005 and 2007, 253 women who gave birth in a Massachusetts hospital were found to be nearly four times more likely to have a caesarean section if their serum vitamin D levels were below 37.5nmol/L than those levels at 37.5nmol/L or greater. The authors concluded that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of caesarean section.Vitamin D has been receiving so much research over the last few years and this study demonstrates the broader functions of vitamin D. Absolutely insist that your vitamin D levels are monitored throughout pregnancy and supplement if necessary – remember that you need to use the D3 form!Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary caesarean section.BACKGROUND: At the turn of the 20th century, women commonly died in childbirth due to rachitic pelvis. Although rickets virtually disappeared with the discovery of the hormone vitamin D, recent reports suggest vitamin D deficiency is widespread in industrialized nations. Poor muscular performance is an established symptom of vitamin D deficiency. The current U.S. caesarean birth rate is at an all-time high of 30.2%. We analysed the relationship between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status, and prevalence of primary caesarean section. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2007, we measured maternal and infant serum 25(OH) D at birth and abstracted demographic and medical data from the maternal medical record at an urban teaching hospital (Boston, MA) with 2500 births per year. We enrolled 253 women, of whom 43 (17%) had a primary caesarean. […]
The Concept of IntraUterine Pollution
Three years ago Dr. Michael Odent, a world renowned leader in the field of obstetrics, stated that “human health is shaped to a great extent during intrauterine life and prenatal pollution is a threat for the health of future generations”. Such an accumulation of research demonstrates that there are enormous implications in terms of public health – nothing is more important today than the health and wellbeing of pregnant women. We need to address the importance of nutrition before the conception of the baby, as a way to prepare the intrauterine environment.One important factor that Dr. Odent considers is the effect of fat soluble synthetic chemicals on health. Over the years we have accumulated hundreds of chemicals in our adipose tissue that would not have been there 60 years ago as such chemicals didn’t exist. Many of these chemicals have a long half life and we do not have the enzymes required to break them down for excretion. During the time an embryo is nourished in the uterus, molecules used by cells to “talk” to each other affect the way that genes are expressed. This ability of the environment to “turn on” or “turn off” a gene is studied in the fascinating science called Epigenetics. This is a field that I am particularly interested in and there are many emerging studies that are shedding light on this.Going back to fat soluble chemicals, many of them are biologically active at very small amounts, usually too small to be detected in standard testing procedures. Just because a substance is not detected on a test does not mean that it is harmless! We now have strong conclusive evidence that the increasing rates of male genital tract disorders […]
New Infertility Treatments In the Near Future?
So, what do you think about the latest development in fertility research? Feel free to share with me your opinions – is this a positive breakthrough or is this going too far?Infertility treatments based on artificial sperm and eggs could be available within a decade as British research indicates it is possible to grow them from human embryonic stem (ES) cells. British scientists claimed to have created human sperm from embryonic stem cells for the first time, an accomplishment they say may someday help infertile men father children.The technique could in 10 years allow researchers to use the basic knowledge of how sperm develop to design treatments to enable infertile men the chance to have biological children, said lead researcher Karim Nayernia, of Newcastle University, whose team earlier produced baby mice from sperm derived in a similar way. The research, published in the journal Stem Cells and Development, was conducted by scientists at Newcastle and the NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute.Stem cells can become any cell in the body, and scientists have previously turned them into a variety of new entities, including cells from the brain, pancreas, heart and blood vessels. Some experts challenged the research, saying they weren’t convinced Nayernia and his colleagues had actually produced sperm cells. Several critics also said the sperm cells they created were clearly abnormal. “I am unconvinced from the data presented in this paper that the cells produced by Professor Nayernia’s group from embryonic stem cells can be accurately called ’spermatazoa,” said Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield.Pacey said in a statement that the sperm created by Nayernia did not have the specific shape, movement and function of real sperm. Azim […]
DHEA May Optimise Fertility in Combination with IVF
DHEA is a natural steroid hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands, and in the body it is converted into testosterone and estrogen. The most abundant of all steroid hormones in humans, DHEA declines as we age. The concept in regards to fertility is that androgens may augment FSH-receptor expression and stimulate granulosa cell proliferation. This could potentially increase oocyte yield, by increasing the number of follicles responding to exogenous FSH administration and by improving the quality and pregnancy potential of the retrieved oocytes. “Apparently the maximum effect of DHEA kicks in only after about four months,” says leading fertility researcher Dr Norman Gleicher. It’s also important to note that Gleicher thinks that DHEA can only boost egg production when used in combination with prescribed fertility drugs. “In a natural cycle, it doesn’t matter how many eggs a woman produces. In the end her body will release usually only one,” he explains. “When you are on fertility drugs we make the body release more eggs. And so in order to get the full benefit of DHEA, it is very likely that it will have to be taken in combination with fertility drugs so that the woman does release more than just one egg.”Dr Gleicher has begun to conduct a larger controlled, double-blind study that might offer more concrete proof that DHEA can increase egg yield in older women. The results are due out in March 2010 but in the meantime, read below for his initial research literature results.For optimal fertility health, it is vital to look at the health of your adrenal glands and support them using natural therapies. Stress has a huge impact on our adrenal glands, as they are activated when […]
DHEA also Reduces Miscarriage Rates – Especially in Older Women
The Centre for Human Reproduction and a leading Toronto Fertility Centre has reported preliminary clinical data that suggests DHEA reduces miscarriage rates in older women with diminished ovarian reserve. DHEA supplementation may reduce the number of chromosomally abnormal embryos (aneuploidy) due to the following factors:1. In a small number of women who underwent preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) after being treated with DHEA, researchers found lower aneuploidy rates than in women without DHEA supplementation. Unfortunately, women in need of DHEA usually have small embryo numbers and, therefore, only rarely qualify for PGD.2. There is a lower miscarriage rate in DHEA pregnancies. Since miscarriages, especially in older women, are mostly due to chromosomal abnormalities, this observation, too, suggested the possibility that DHEA may reduce aneuploidy rates.Since the combined data sets between CHR and the Toronto center involve an adequate patient sample, they are now confident to state that DHEA supplementation significantly decreases the miscarriage rate in women with diminished ovarian reserve.While a reduction in miscarriage rates is seen in women of all ages, the reduction is smaller in women below age 35 than in women above age 35 years, where the reduction often exceeds 50%. This, of course, should not be surprising as miscarriages are known to increase with advancing female age. Most of these miscarriages are, however, due to aneuploidy and this observation brings us back to this exciting evidence on the decrease in miscarriage rates after DHEA supplementation especially in older women above age 35. This strongly supports that notion that DHEA does indeed reduce chromosomal abnormalities (aneuploidy rates) in embryos.The importance of this observation cannot be overemphasized. Since older women represent the most rapidly growing age group of women having babies, these findings […]
Infertility, IVF and Probiotics
A bacteria present in the fluid near the ovaries may reduce a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant via in vitro fertilisation (IVF), according to an Aussie researcher. Dr. Christine Knox, a microbiologist at Queensland University of Technology, says that this finding contrasts the traditional view that fluid surrounding the ovum, known as follicular fluid, is sterile. follicular fluid, is sterile.fffffIn her opinion, the study can help increase the success rates of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). She also believes that the bacteria could be responsible for infertility cases that have no apparent cause. For the study, Knox, along with researchers at the Wesley Monash IVF clinic, tested the fluid surrounding individual eggs taken from the ovaries of 31 women undergoing ART. The researchers found that 21 of the samples had bacteria in the follicular fluid.Knox said that the findings were startling because “traditionally it was assumed the fluid surrounding the ovum was sterile.” The researchers even revealed that the finding was later replicated in a larger study, wherein they analysed the follicular fluid of 148 women and found bacteria in the fluid of all but one woman.Further tests showed that, in some cases, the bacteria had been transferred from the lower genital tract to the follicular fluid during the medical procedure used to collect eggs known as transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR). But in 52 of the women, the follicular fluid contained bacteria that were not found in the lower tract.According to Knox, the unique, colonising bacteria appear to play a role in reducing pregnancy outcomes. She said that only 25% of women with follicular fluid colonised by this bacteria, had achieved a successful pregnancy.”We also found that eggs from women with colonised follicular fluid […]
