All pregnant women should be offered screening for Down syndrome in their first trimester, according to new practice guidelines to be issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This is applicable to younger pregnant women regardless of their age.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered that a previously unexplained fatal form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta — a disorder that weakens bones and which may cause frequent fractures — results from a genetic defect in a protein involved in the production of collagen.
The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a $46 million award to the nonprofit (PATH) to improve nutrition of infants and young children in developing nations by promoting breastfeeding, complementary feeding practices and maternal nutrition.
First-born children get more quality time with parents than subsequent children, a Cornell study shows. Using data from the American Time Use Survey, Joseph Price, a graduate student in economics at Cornell, found that a first-born child receives 20-30 more minutes of quality time each day with a parent than a second-born child of the same age from a similar family.
Taking fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy can benefit unborn child and increases the child’s hand-to-eye co-ordination, revealed by an Australian research study, published in the British journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Inflammatory bowel disease roughly doubles the chances of pregnancy complications, reveals research published ahead of print in Gut. Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD for short, is an umbrella term for the inflammatory disorders of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Pregnant and nursing women who eat generous amounts of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage could help protect their children from cancer, both as infants and later in life. A new study done with laboratory mice found that phytochemicals found in certain vegetables provided a very high level of protection against leukemia and lymphoma in young animals, and also significantly protected against lung cancer during the rodent’s equivalent of middle age.
Babies deprived of oxygen during birth may now be treated with a cap that cools the head to prevent or reduce brain damage, U.S. health officials said.
You don’t need to sign up for pricey wine appreciation classes to parse the subtle difference between the black cherry bouquet of a pinot noir and the black currant scent of a cabernet sauvignon. Just pour yourself a couple glasses and sniff. Your brain will quickly help you become a modest oenophile. It’s up to you if you want to drink the lesson plan.
The WIC and Food Stamps programs do not cause obesity, yet those who have uneven access to food are often overweight/obese. With modifications, these federally-funded nutrition programs can not only continue to reduce nutrition-related health disparities but can also help to address obesity.