Pregnant women or those hoping to start or extend a family should talk to their physician about avoiding using the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins, say scientists. Current clinical guidelines already recommend that women who are pregnant should stop taking statins but the advice is based on the knowledge that cholesterol is essential for normal fetal development. […]
‘No level of smoke exposure is safe’
Nearly a quarter of pregnant women say they’ve been around secondhand smoke — in their homes, at work, around a friend or relative — which, according to new research, is linked to epigenetic changes — meaning changes to how genes are regulated rather than changes to the genetic code itself — in babies that could […]
Brain changed by caffeine in utero
New research finds caffeine consumed during pregnancy can change important brain pathways that could lead to behavioral problems later in life. Researchers in the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) analyzed thousands of brain scans of nine and ten-year-olds, and revealed changes in the brain structure in children […]
Childhood cancer caused largely by environmental factors, report finds
For children in the U.S., cancer is the leading cause of death from disease. Worldwide, cancer has become so prevalent and devastating that some may use the phrase “like curing cancer” when describing something unfeasible or highly complicated. Yet in September, a team of more than 60 stakeholders and leaders in the health, science, business, policy and advocacy sectors […]
Maternal nut consumption during pregnancy linked to improvements in neurodevelopment in children
Nuts are known to help reduce the risk of hypertension, oxidative stress and diabetes and they may exercise a protective effect against cognitive decline in older age. To this list of beneficial health effects, we can now add new evidence from a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institute supported […]
Boxers or Briefs: Which type of underwear is linked to quality sperm count?
Men who wear boxer shorts have higher sperm concentrations than men who wear tighter fitting underwear, according to new research published today (Wednesday) in Human Reproduction. The researchers also found that boxer shorts-wearing men had lower levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), compared to men who most frequently wore briefs, “bikinis” (very brief briefs), “jockeys” (underwear that […]
Direct Evidence Of Exposure Of Pregnant Women To Herbicide Ingredient
The first birth cohort study of its kind has found more than 90 percent of a group of pregnant women in Central Indiana had detectable levels of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, the most heavily used herbicide worldwide. Researchers from Indiana University and University of California San Francisco reported that the glyphosate levels correlated […]
Exposure To BPA During Pregnancy May Cause Health Problems For Offspring
A chemical called bisphenol A — BPA — used in plastic packaging and in the linings of food and beverage cans, may be passed from a mother to her offspring during pregnancy and cause changes in the gut bacteria of the offspring, according to an international team of researchers. In a study on rabbits, the […]
Light Exposure During Pregnancy Key To Normal Eye Development
New research in Nature concludes the eye — which depends on light to see — also needs light to develop normally during pregnancy. Scientists say the unexpected finding offers a new basic understanding of fetal eye development and ocular diseases caused by vascular disorders — in particular one called retinopathy of prematurity that can blind premature infants. […]
Study shows protective benefits of DHA taken during pregnancy
An Emory University study published in Pediatrics suggests consuming Omega 3 fatty acids during pregnancy helps protects babies against illness during early infancy. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial followed approximately 1,100 prenant women and 900 infants in Mexico. The women were supplemented daily with 400 mg of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) supplements in the algal form or […]