When Mom Exercises in Pregnancy, Her Baby's Heart Benefits

One of the great things about pregnancy is that it offers a seemingly plausible excuse to indulge — eat a little more dessert (why not, when you're going to gain so much weight anyway) and dial down that hard-core exercise regimen (see first parenthetical). But new research upends that mindset, showing that exercise during pregnancy can actually result in a healthier baby.

That exercising while pregnant is good for mom is hardly news, but now that mothers-to-be know it's good for their babies, it will be that much harder to morph into a couch potato. Maternal guilt can now rear its head months before baby even appears on the scene, prompting Mom to hit the treadmill, hard.

Previous research has indicated that exercise in the first trimester, when the placenta is formed, helps forge extra blood vessels so that there is more opportunity to exchange nutrients between mom and baby.

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Longer Pregnancy + Breast-Feeding = Bigger Brains, Longer Life

Advice around breast-feeding can drive new mothers mad, but a new study suggests that the long pregnancies and lactation periods of our prehistoric mamas are responsible for the relatively big brains that differentiate humans from other animals.

By comparing 128 species of mammals, researchers at the University of Durham in England sought to answer this question: do large brains make species live longer by making them smarter in cheating death, or is the longer lifespan of big-brained animals simply the result of the fact that big brains require more care and time to grow?

"We already know that large-brained species develop slowly, mature later and have longer lifespans but what has not always been clear is why brains and life histories are related," said Robert Barton, lead author of the research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in a press release.

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Could Breastfeeding Make Baby Brighter? Just Four Weeks on Mother's Milk Can Benefit Brain

Babies who are breastfed grow up to be more intelligent, scientists suggested yesterday.

Just four weeks on their mothers’ milk can have a ‘significant’ effect on a child’s development in primary and secondary school, research has found.

Those who have been breastfed do better at reading, writing and maths at the ages of five, seven, 11 and 14.

While breast milk has long been known to boost babies’ immunity, helping them fight ear infections, stomach bugs and even asthma, little was known about its effects on intelligence until now.

Maria Iacovou, one of the authors of the study, said: ‘The issue was that while it looked as though breastfeeding did have an impact on cognitive development,

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Mothers Can Be the Cause of High Blood Pressure in Children

According to a recently conducted study, children of mothers with a certain genetic mutation are more prone of developing high blood pressure.

A group of researchers from China, U. S. and Austria analyzed a five-generation Chinese family and revealed that a number of its members who come down from the same female ancestor had high blood pressure. The main cause that was found out by the researchers was a genetic mutation that has a big impact on the mitochondria, which are the ''powerhouses'' of the cells that alter energy into useable forms. As suggested by the discovery, a mitochondrial DNA mutation could be highly responsible for high blood pressure in some people.

In this regard, researcher Min-Xin Guan, Ph. D., a Professor of Genetics at Zhejiang University in China said that

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Breastfeeding While Taking Seizure Drugs May Not Harm Child's IQ, Study Suggests

There's good news for women with epilepsy. Breastfeeding your baby while taking your seizure medication may have no harmful effect on your child's IQ later on, according to a study published in the November 24, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"While more research is needed with larger numbers of women and their babies, these results are reassuring to women who want to give their babies all the benefits of breastfeeding but also need to remain on their epilepsy medications to avoid devastating seizures," said study author Kimford Meador, MD, of Emory University in Atlanta and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

The study followed 194 pregnant women who were taking one epilepsy drug. Of their 199 babies, 42 percent were breastfed. When they were three years old, the children were given IQ tests.

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NEW STUDY: CHOCOLATE DURING PREGNANCY LOWERS RISKS OF HYPERTENSION

As if anyone needed another reason to eat chocolate, new research published in the August 2010 issue of the Annals of Epidemiology suggests that chocolate may be good for both gestational hypertension (GH) and for preeclampsia.1

This, of course, goes hand-in-hand with a lot of other research regarding chocolate, most of which has been featured here on NaturalNews in the past. Gestational hypertension is physiologically related to some forms of generalized high blood pressure and heart disease symptoms, which have been shown to be lowered beneficially through chocolate consumption (especially chocolates based on real cacao).2

This latest study was conducted by researchers from the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health and from the Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology

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EXPECTANT MOTHERS WHO TAKE PROBIOTICS HAVE HEALTHIER BABIES

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) recently conducted a study on the effects of probiotic supplementation during pregnancy. The team found that mothers who drank probiotic-supplemented milk during their pregnancies cut their children's risk of developing eczema by 40 percent.

The study is part of a larger Norwegian research project being conducted by the university called "Prevention of Allergy Among Children in Trondheim", or PACT. In this particular study, women were given either milk with probiotics or milk with a placebo, beginning at week 36 of their pregnancies. Neither group knew which formula they were drinking. Researchers evaluated the women and their children from pregnancy until the children were two years old before presenting their findings.

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GESTATIONAL DIABETES CAN BE PREVENTED BY DIETARY CHANGES DURING EARLY PREGNANCY

A new study has found that it is possible to prevent the onset of Gestational Diabetes in an expectant mother by making simple changes in the mother's diet. The study, done by researchers at UCSF(University of California - San Francisco), found that a chemical called serotonin influences the onset of Gestational Diabetes in an expectant mother. Since serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan which is found abundantly in high-protein foods, eating foods rich in protein during early pregnancy may prevent gestational diabetes in pregnant women.

Gestational Diabetes is a condition in which insulin resistance(caused by hormonal changes) leads to high glucose levels or hyperglycemia in some women. It can have serious consequences for the mother and child, if left untreated. According to the researchers, the study "offers new insights into possible ways to reverse non-gestational diabetes in its early stages".

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VACCINES AND PREGNANCY DO NOT MIX

From an internet forum: "I got both vaccines [seasonal and swine flu] on Thursday. I was 9 weeks pregnant. I miscarried on Sunday. I was told by several doctors to get these vaccines. Now I wish I followed my gut feeling and not get them at ALL!" This is not an isolated case.

Here's another report: "I feel like I had a healthy baby and I caused this by getting the H1N1 vaccine. My doctors pushed it. I researched online and there have been many miscarriages after the H1N1 vaccine but they haven't been reported since it is hard to say what caused the miscarriages."

She researched online, the only source reporting vaccination tragedies throughout the world.

Lies Under the Light of Truth

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HYPNOSIS BRINGS BENEFITS DURING PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH

Hypnosis has been used during childbirth for approximately 100 years. Many research studies have been conducted to study the effects of hypnosis on pregnancy and labor. Hypnosis has been used on women during labor to help reduce pain. Hypnosis can be used as a natural analgesic to not only reduce pain but reduce use of pain medication. In addition to pain management, self-hypnosis has been used to control breathing during labor. Other studies show that hypnosis has a psychological benefit to mothers and to newborns.

A meta-analysis of studies conducted involving hypnosis with pregnant women was compared to non-hypnosis intervention, no treatment, and placebo. Primary measurements in the meta-analysis included analgesia used during labor and also pain scores during labor. The meta-analysis included 8395 women who had used hypnosis during pregnancy or labor. The analysis concluded that fewer women needed to use a form of analgesia during labor.

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PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO BPA IN PLASTICS MAKES YOUNG GIRLS AGGRESSIVE

How's this for a B movie sci fi plot: evil scientists use chemicals to transform toddler girls into terrifying little monsters. Unfortunately, researchers have uncovered a real life scenario that has some serious similarities to this creepy fantasy. While there are no evil doing scientists or true monsters involved, there is a scary chance that a common chemical -- specifically bisphenol A (BPA) found in many plastics -- could be causing unusually aggressive and hyperactive behaviors in some two-year-old little girls.

That's the conclusion of research by scientists at Simon Fraser University, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill and Cincinnati Children's Hospital. As NaturalNews previously reported, BPA has been linked to neurological problems in animal studies, but the new research, just published in the October edition of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to find a possible link between prenatal BPA exposure and behavior problems in human youngsters.

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EXERCISING DURING PREGNANCY BOOSTS BABY IQ

Mothers who exercise more during pregnancy may give birth to children with higher IQs, according to psychologist Richard E. Nisbett, author of Intelligence and How to Get It.

"Children whose mother exercised 30 minutes a day score around eight points higher on standard IQ tests than children whose mothers were more sedentary," he said.

The Western medical profession once believed that exercise after the first trimester of pregnancy might place the fetus at risk, but new research is increasingly discrediting this idea. The British government recommends that women remain active throughout pregnancy, noting that the more active a woman is, the easier it will be for her body to adapt to the experience of pregnancy and the easier her labor will be.

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MANAGE MORNING SICKNESS NATURALLY

You've been feeling a little "off" for a few weeks and think you may have the flu. But lo and behold, over the next month or so, you discover you have another reason for your "off" feeling. You are going to be a mother! After the shock wears off and you begin to see being pregnant as the wonderful thing it is, you wonder if you'll be able to survive the morning sickness you are experiencing. Remembering that morning sickness doesn't last the whole nine months isn't much help as you sit with your head held over the waste basket, feeling more than a little green. Well, take heart. There are many things you can do to help alleviate the symptoms of morning sickness without the harmful effects of drugs.

Morning sickness is caused by the hormonal and chemical changes your body is experiencing, as the new little life that is inside of you begins to claim your uterus as his/her own space and starts to grow. Not all women experience morning sickness and for those who do, it may very well differ from pregnancy to pregnancy.

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EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY BENEFITS MOTHER AND CHILD

One of the best ways to give children a good start at long-term heart health may be exercise during pregnancy, according to a study conducted by researchers from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and presented at the 121st annual meeting of the American Physiological Society.

"When the mom exercises during pregnancy, the unborn baby gets the same type of training effect that you would see in an adult," said researcher Linda E. May, "so you see the lower heart rate and also improved heart rate variability, which is evidence of improvements in the nervous system of the heart. Maternal exercise may be the earliest intervention to improve the heart of children and possibly the best."

Researchers used magnetocardiography, which is a magnetic, noninvasive version of the more well known electrocardiogram (ECG),

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SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY MAY CAUSE AGGRESSION IN CHILDREN

Picture a pregnant woman taking a long drag from a cigarette and you may picture a premature baby with a low birth weight, fighting for its first breath - but what most of us don't picture is an aggressive child. However, new evidence points to smoking during pregnancy as a cause for aggression in children, says a study from the University of Montreal published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.

This conclusion comes from research which is part of a larger study looking at the behavior of 1,745 children, ages 18 months through 3 1/2 years. A child labeled as aggressive is described as being quick to bite, kick, hit or bully.

University of Montreal psychiatry professor Jean Seguin, co-author of the study, says this about smoking:

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FIVE TIPS FOR HEALTHIER PREGNANCIES AND CHILDREN: REVEALED IN RECENT STUDIES

Pregnancy can be a very tough time both physically and emotionally, especially in view of the toxin and stress bombardment of modern society and the fact that our bodies are generally weaker today than those of our ancestors. A few recent studies have surfaced some areas for expectant mothers-to-be to take note of. These tips and suggestions will help toward having a smoother pregnancy, as well as toward healthier mothers and newborns.

1. Do Not Smoke

Do we even need to mention this? The fetus gets its nutrient and oxygen supply from the mother. When a pregnant women smokes, it then logically follows that all that nicotine, tar and oxygen deprivation are also going to affect the little one.

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VITAMIN B DEFICIENCIES DURING PREGNANCY ALTER DNA, LEADS TO FAT MALE BABIES

Women who are deficient in vitamin B before they conceive may be more likely to give birth to obese and hypertense babies, according to a study conducted on sheep by researchers from the University of Nottingham, England, and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers fed 25 female sheep a balanced diet, while depriving another 25 of sufficient B vitamins to induce deficiency. The deficient sheep were kept in that state for eight weeks before being artificially inseminated, and for the next six days as well. After six days, the embryos from the vitamin B-deficient sheep were transferred to sheep that had been fed a balanced diet.

The embryos from the eggs of B-deficient sheep were significantly more likely to be obese and to experience high blood pressure in adulthood, and the effect was particularly pronounced in males.

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TAKING FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS IN LATE PREGNANCY BOOSTS BABY'S BRAINPOWER, STUDY FINDS

An Australian study published in the Dec. 21, 2006 edition of the online journal Archives of Disease in Childhood found that women who take high doses of fish oil supplements in the second half of pregnancy give birth to children with greater coordination and increased brainpower later in life.

Researchers from the University of Western Australia recruited 98 pregnant women who did not smoke and ate fish no more than twice per week. The researchers gave one group of women 4g of daily fish oil supplements starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy, while the second group was given daily 4g supplements of olive oil from 20 weeks on.

When the women's children were 2.5 years old, the researchers administered growth and development tests.

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HOW STRESS IN PREGNANCY AFFECTS YOUR BABY

We know that extreme stress is bad for any living creature and that it can lead to disease and health degradation in our bodies. Pregnancy in itself is a stressful time on a woman's body. The normal physical and hormonal changes can be quite daunting for a first time mom. In this day and age we live in incredibly stressful times. We worry about things close to home like our finances, our relationships with those close to us as well as our safety and security as a nation.

Coupled with these, many women work for as long as possible during pregnancy to maximize their maternity leave after the baby is born. The reality is that excessive stress during pregnancy can have some severe consequences for the health of your unborn baby if you don't learn how to manage it.

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VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY EXTREMELY COMMON DURING PREGNANCY; MOST CHILDREN BORN VITAMIN D DEFICIENT

The vast majority of pregnant women tested in a study published this year in the Journal of Nutrition were found to be deficient in vitamin D, as were their infants. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found widespread vitamin D deficiency, even though more than 90 percent of the women tested were taking vitamin supplements during pregnancy.

What you need to know
• Researchers evaluated blood tests on 200 black women and 200 white women who had been studied between 1997 and 2001. Blood samples taken from their infants at birth were also studied.
• More than 80 percent of black women and almost 50 percent of white women tested vitamin D deficient at pregnancy. The levels were even higher among infants; 92.4 percent of black babies and 66.1 percent of white babies were vitamin D deficient at birth.

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