Breastfeeding :: Breast milk associated with greater mental development in preterm infants

Extremely low birth weight premature infants who received breast milk shortly after birth, while still in intensive care units, had greater mental development scores at 30 months than did infants who were not fed breast milk, reported researchers in an NIH network. Moreover, infants fed breast milk were less likely to have been re-hospitalized after their initial discharge than were the infants not fed breast milk.

Medicare :: Medicare premium announcement points to urgent need for Congressional action

Today’s announcement of the planned 2008 increase in Medicare premiums underscores the urgent need for congressional action on Medicare, says the American Medical Association (AMA). In CMS’ analysis of the premium increase, it is clear that growth in Medicare Advantage plans is solely responsible for the increase in the 2008 Medicare Part B premium.

Premature Birth :: Low maternal cholesterol tied to premature birth

Pregnant women who have very low cholesterol may face a greater risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with more moderate cholesterol levels, a team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported today.

Pregnancy :: Weight gain between first and second pregnancies associated with increased odds of male second child

A slightly greater number of males than females are born worldwide every year. In recent decades, although there are still more baby boys born than girls, there has been an apparent decline in the ratio of male to female newborns in several industrialized countries, including Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Japan and the United States.

Pregnancy :: No adverse effects from steroids on premature babies

A major international study led by University of Adelaide researchers has confirmed the benefits for premature babies of giving their pregnant mothers repeat doses of corticosteroids.

Infant :: California warns consumers to stop giving Baby’s Bliss gripe water apple-flavored to children

Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), today warned consumers, especially parents of infants, to immediately stop giving Baby’s Bliss Gripe Water – Apple Flavored to children because it may be contaminated with a parasitic microorganism called Cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause intestinal infections.