A new study by scientists in California concluded that exposure to local traffic-generated air pollution is linked to an increased risk of preeclampsia and preterm births in Southern Californian women.

The study was the work of Dr Jun Wu, assistant professor in the College of Health Sciences and the Epidemiology School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues, and is published as an early online issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Read the full article at MedicalNewsToday

Complications during pregnancy could increase the risk of having a child with autism, research has suggested.

The analysis, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found a series of factors “strongly associated” with an increased autism risk.

They included being born to an older mother or father and having a mother who used medication during pregnancy.

The American researchers, who reviewed 64 studies of parental risk and considered more than 50 prenatal factors, found mothers giving birth abroad might not have natural resistance to that country’s infections, possibly increasing the risk of autism.

Bleeding during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and birth order were also identified as potential issues.

Read Full Article at: Google News

* “Such great myth-busting and important information for all women, I loved your use of natural scenes. I’d love to see this video getting lots of airplay in the public arena.” –Dr. Sarah Buckley, MD
* “The directness and statistics worked well together…” –Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein
* “Very well done.” “One of my favorites. Talk about evidenced-based care; this really motivates someone to take action.” “This really puts it out there. Cesareans aren’t pretty.” “This was so emotional for me. The film does an excellent job questioning the idea that c-sections are easy, normal, and no big deal.” –from the BMV Judging Panel

This movie addresses the question “Why should we try to avoid unnecessary cesareans?” It also presents advice for how to increase the chance of having a normal safe vaginal birth based on recommendations from organizations such as the World Health Organization, Lamaze International, and the Childbirth Connection.

Doctors are searching for new ways to protect unborn babies from the dangerous health impacts caused by a drinking mother.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 12 percent of pregnant mothers drink at some point during pregnancy, while about 2 percent admit to binge drinking.

Drinking during pregnancy can result in adverse affects on a child’s brain. It can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which is the largest preventable cause of mental retardation among children.

Fetal alcohol syndrome can result in facial abnormalities, growth problems, and developmental and behavioral problems, as well as other birth defects, according to the CDC.

Scientists have been searching for an effective nutrient that would help alleviate the negative impacts of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Dr. Jennifer Thomas of San Diego State University has begun research involving a prenatal nutrient called choline, which is commonly found in egg yolks, wheat germ, and cooked beef, chicken, veal and turkey livers.

“There’s not going to be a single treatment that’s going to be a panacea,” Dr. Thomas told the Associated Press.

She tested choline in a group of pregnant rats that were introduced to alcohol during the third trimester. She found that by giving the mother and the babies extra doses of choline, their mental abilities were increased later in life despite the early introduction to alcohol.

Read the full article at: Redorbit.com, Prenatal Nutrients And Fetal Alcohol Syndrome:

Babies and ‘teething’ troubles

All babies experience the pain of teething at some point in their tiny lives. For some babies teething is a walk in the park but for others this means countless sleepless nights and intolerable crying. As a parent this means that undoubtedly the pain of teething will bring a strain on your own human resources and you may find that it’s as much a strain for you as it is for your baby. This cannot be helped but there are plenty of remedies out there that can make your toddler more agreeable and less painful for you!

At what age do babies cut their first tooth?

This varies from baby to baby. Some babies are born with teeth! If your baby was born premature then you may find that your babies gums may be less developed than a full term baby and this will indeed impact on the cutting of teeth. Some babies do not cut their first teeth till after they are a year old. The cutting of teeth has nothing to do with what they are fed. Teeth appear when they are ready and there is nothing you can do as a parent to speed up the process!

In general terms your baby will be around 6 or 7 months when they cut their first teeth. These teeth will either be at the front of their top gums or at the bottom. There will be four new teeth – two at the top and two at the bottom before the next set arrives.

The next set of teeth will appear at around 8 months. These are called side incisors. Four will appear in all – two on the top at each side and two on the bottom, again on each side.

A few months later at 10 – 14 months is when the back molars appear, then at 16 – 20 is when the pointy teeth canine) appear and finally at 24-30 months is when the rear molars appear. This accounts for the 20 teeth in all that will appear in your infant.

How do I know when my child is teething?

You will almost certainly notice a lot of drool and dribble from your child when he begins to teethe . This may cause a rash on his chin and so you may need to apply a barrier cream to protect it.

They will also want to place toys and anything they can get their hands on in their mouth for them to chew on so it is important for you to make sure that toys and other items are cleaned with soap and water and are not small enough for your little one to choke on.

Other signs of teething include a moderate to severe diaper rash and/or changes in stool consistency from swallowing excess saliva. Many babies experience sleepless nights and unusually fussy behavior and crying.

What can I use to help my child?

Teething toys are available from most large supermarkets. These tend to have some form of liquid inside which keeps the gums cool if it has been placed in the fridge or freezer. This provides some temporary relief for the little ones.

Teething gel is also available. Some can only be applied every two hours while there are others which can be applied as and when required. Check the box and see which one is suitable for your needs.

Tylenol or other forms infant paracetemol is a godsend during teething. These can be administered orally and be given every four hours. It is again important to check the label and seek medical advice if required. These relieve teething pain and may give you some respite.

Teething granules and biscuits are also available and can give your baby something with a bit of texture to chew on.

You can also wet the corner of a clean face cloth and place it inside the freezer for your child to suck on. Another similar idea is to place an ice cube inside a baby sock and then tie off the end of the sock. The baby can hold it and chew to her heart’s content.

There are many aids available to help both you and your baby get through this troublesome time. Just remember there will be plenty times during your child’s development when your little angel returns and this is something to treasure!

Ask other parents what helped them and when you know what is right for your child let other parents know. The best advice often comes from parents who have already been through the trial of teething.

Article Source: http://www.baby-names.tv/
Image Source: Bingbing on Flickr.com

Now we can go back outside (if we believe the sun is dangerous to begin with) or at least avoid a sunburn, with the help of Skin Deep’s new sunscreen report. Skin Deep cuts through the mystery ingredients and thousands of brands to bring us a simple and easy to understand rating system for beauty and personal care products.

Zero is the safest product rating they offer, 1 the second safest and so on, with 10 being the most hazardous. Stick with zeros and ones and you will have no problem. The ten safest sunscreens they report are:

1. (0)Keys Soap Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock, SPF 30
2. (0)Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, SPF 30+
3. (0)California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
4. (0) Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30
5. (1) Marie Veronique Skin Therapy Sun Serum
6. (1) Lavera Sunscreen Neutral, SPF 40
7. (1) Vanicream Sunscreen, SPF 35
8. (1) UV Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
9. (1) Sun Science Sport Formula, SPF 30
10. (1) Soleo Organics Sunscreen all natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Check out the Sunscreen Report for 2008 at Skin Deep to learn more about specific products and the top 10 recommended brands.

There is another, perhaps unexpected benefit to the high gasoline prices however. Just as smoking related deaths drop in almost predictable numbers when cigarette prices increase, auto related deaths are on a swift and remarkable decline due to the rising price of gasoline. Some researchers believe that automobile related fatalities will drop by as much as one third because of gas prices.

Some of the reasons suggested for the remarkable decrease in fatalities is that the riskiest drivers (teenagers) cannot afford gasoline, the most dangerous vehicles (SUVs) are too expensive to drive and that people are simply driving more slowly to save money. Most importantly however, is that people are simply driving less. 1.4 billion fewer miles less in April alone to be precise. That may not be good news for your summer vacation but it is excellent news for the environment and approximately 12,000 lives saved every year.

Learn more at abcnews.com

Interestingly, there has been ongoing controversy in the anti-vaccine community about the connection between vaccines and increased seratonin levels in children. This controversy has primarily centered around the vaccine/autism connection because autistic children also have high levels of seratonin just like SIDS victims. SomeStudies have shown vaccines to cause a spike in seratonin levels within 12 hours after receiving certain vaccines.

This information should be enough for reasonable doubt as to the safety of infant vaccines and is an excellent argument for simply delaying vaccines until a child is between 2-5 years old or foregoing them altogether as many parents are beginning to do. If you do choose to vaccinate your children, then by all means breastfeed, don’t allow cigarette smoke anywhere near your child and don’t let your child sleep face down or on a non-organic crib mattress for 3 weeks following any vaccine.
Learn more at vaccinetruth.org