Taking folic acid and iron supplements during pregnancy may reduce infant mortality up to age 7, suggests new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Supplements of iron and folic acid reduced infant mortality by 31 per cent, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Furthermore, the supplements reduced the prevalence of low birth weight by 16 per cent and the prevalence of maternal anaemia during pregnancy and after the birth period by 50 per cent. “To our knowledge this is the first time the long-term effects of maternal iron-folic acid supplementation on childhood survival have been examined,” said lead researcher Parul Christian. “
“A reduction in mortality resulting from an intervention, such as iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, provides a new and previously unreported evidence of benefit to offspring during childhood,” added Christian.
There is a policy, but it isn’t working. About 40 per cent of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to be anaemic. Despite the existence of an international policy for antenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, women in many developing countries fail to receive the necessary micronutrients, say the researchers.
Almost 5,000 pregnant women in rural Nepal were recruited to take part in the randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Women were divided into five groups: One group received folic acid only, the second group received folic acid plus iron, the third received folic acid plus iron plus zinc, the fourth received multiple micronutrients, and the final group received vitamin A and acted as the control group.
Out of the 4,130 babies born alive, 209 died in the first 3 months and 8 were lost to follow-up. Of the 3,761 remaining, the researchers report that 150 died between the ages of 3 months […]
Maternal Folic acid & Iron linked to better baby survival
Maternal Folic acid&Iron linked to better baby survival
Taking folic acid and iron supplements during pregnancy may reduce infant mortality up to age 7, suggests new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Supplements of iron and folic acid reduced infant mortality by 31 per cent, according to findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.Furthermore, the supplements reduced the prevalence of low birth weight by 16 per cent and the prevalence of maternal anaemia during pregnancy and after the birth period by 50 per cent. “To our knowledge this is the first time the long-term effects of maternal iron-folic acid supplementation on childhood survival have been examined,” said lead researcher Parul Christian. ““A reduction in mortality resulting from an intervention, such as iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, provides a new and previously unreported evidence of benefit to offspring during childhood,” added Christian.There is a policy, but it isn’t working. About 40 per cent of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to be anaemic. Despite the existence of an international policy for antenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, women in many developing countries fail to receive the necessary micronutrients, say the researchers.Almost 5,000 pregnant women in rural Nepal were recruited to take part in the randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Women were divided into five groups: One group received folic acid only, the second group received folic acid plus iron, the third received folic acid plus iron plus zinc, the fourth received multiple micronutrients, and the final group received vitamin A and acted as the control group.Out of the 4,130 babies born alive, 209 died in the first 3 months and 8 were lost to follow-up. Of the 3,761 remaining, the researchers report that 150 died between the ages of 3 months […]
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.Merewood A, Mehta SD, Chen TC, Bauchner H, Holick MF.Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, and Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Medical Centre, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.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 […]
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 Surani, a professor of physiology […]
Yoga Is Proven To Facilitate Pregnancy&Birth!
Most of my preconception and pregnant women really love their yoga and it was wonderful to come across this study that proves the benefits! The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a yoga program on pregnant women’s comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes. First time mums were recruited and then half of them went into the active group. They received six 1 hour yoga sessions that involved postures, chanting, breathing, relaxation and meditation.The results showed that the active group experienced significantly higher maternal comfort than the control group both during labour and 2 hours post delivery. The active group also experienced a significantly shorter first stage of labour and less pain than the control group. The researchers concluded:“We suggest that 30 minutes of yoga practice at least 3 times per week for 10 weeks is an effective complementary means for facilitating maternal comfort, decreasing pain during labour and 2 hours post delivery and shortening the length of labour”Can I just add that those mums that combine yoga with HypnoBirthing have an even better result in my experience! SO, if you are considering a baby then get to your local yoga studio and begin your practice. For those of you that are pregnant, then join in my next HypnoBirthing course and do some yoga sessions and you will be greatly rewarded.Yoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes.Chuntharapat S, Petpichetchian W, Hatthakit U.Department of Obstetric Gynecological Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. songporn.c@psu.ac.thThis study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labour pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid […]
Yoga Is Proven To Facilitate Pregnancy & Birth!
Most of my preconception and pregnant women really love their yoga and it was wonderful to come across this study that proves the benefits! The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a yoga program on pregnant women’s comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes. First time mums were recruited and then half of them went into the active group. They received six 1 hour yoga sessions that involved postures, chanting, breathing, relaxation and meditation.
The results showed that the active group experienced significantly higher maternal comfort than the control group both during labour and 2 hours post delivery. The active group also experienced a significantly shorter first stage of labour and less pain than the control group. The researchers concluded:
“We suggest that 30 minutes of yoga practice at least 3 times per week for 10 weeks is an effective complementary means for facilitating maternal comfort, decreasing pain during labour and 2 hours post delivery and shortening the length of labour”
Can I just add that those mums that combine yoga with HypnoBirthing have an even better result in my experience! SO, if you are considering a baby then get to your local yoga studio and begin your practice. For those of you that are pregnant, then join in my next HypnoBirthing course and do some yoga sessions and you will be greatly rewarded.
Yoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes.
Chuntharapat S, Petpichetchian W, Hatthakit U.
Department of Obstetric Gynecological Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. songporn.c@psu.ac.th
This study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labour pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid […]
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: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. 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 percent. 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 […]
Relaxation Can Enhance Your Baby’s Development
Research shows that relaxation during pregnancy makes a significant and positive difference in preterm labour outcomes. The benefits of HypnoBirthing are incredible and facilitate deep relaxation. The study below demonstrates that progressive relaxation (where you tense a muscle and then relax it, moving through the whole body from top to toe) results in a longer gestation and larger newborns. In the last month of pregnancy, the baby undergoes a rapid increase in neuronal growth which is incredibly important to his/her future development. If you are suffering anxiety or are unsure about how you can adapt relaxation techniques to suit you then read more about HypnoBirthing and give Emma a call. The effect of relaxation therapy on preterm labour outcomes.Janke J.University of Alaska Anchorage, 99508, USA.OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of relaxation on preterm labour outcome. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, with women who experienced preterm labour randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. The experimental group was to do a daily relaxation exercise. A third group was added to the study: women who were originally assigned to the relaxation group but were unable to adhere to the daily practice. Final data were analysed for three groups: control (n = 40), experimental (n = 44), and nonadherent (n = 23) participants. SETTING: Women were referred to the study from physician offices and a hospital-based obstetric triage clinic in the Northwest. PARTICIPANTS: Total sample was comprised of 107 women with singleton gestations, documented contractions with cervical change, and intact membranes. INTERVENTIONS: The experimental group was instructed in a progressive relaxation exercise. The participants were given tapes of the exercise and instructed to do it daily. OUTCOME MEASURES: Study outcomes included gestational age at birth, rate of pregnancy prolongation, […]
