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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PRENATAL ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUG USE LINKED TO 600 PERCENT INCREASE IN LIFE-THREATENING LUNG DISORDER IN NEWBORNS

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has found that women taking antidepressants during the second half of pregnancy run six times the risk of having a child born with a life-threatening lung disorder.

The study, published in the Feb. 9 issue of NEJM, found that the babies suffering from the lung disorder known as persistent pulmonary hypertention cannot get enough oxygen into their bloodstreams because of high pressure in the blood vessels of their lungs, apparently brought on by their mother's use of antidepressants during pregnancy. One in 1,000 newborns typically develops the disorder shortly after birth.

The study has led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to call for manufacturers of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) -- including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro --

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EXTRA CALCIUM MAY PREVENT HYPERTENSION PROBLEMS IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Expectant mothers may be able to prevent potentially serious medical problems in themselves and their babies simply by boosting their daily calcium intake, says a new systematic review. Not only that, but pregnant women at greatest risk for these problems may benefit most from the extra calcium.

The problems are gestational hypertension — or high blood pressure associated with pregnancy — and preeclampsia, a medical disorder of pregnant women characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.

If untreated, both conditions can lead to potentially life-threatening medical problems for the mother and complications of preterm birth for the baby, including low birth weight and size, respiratory distress, long-term neurological deficits and even death.

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THE LINK BETWEEN VACCINES AND AUTISM: TRUE OR FALSE?

Does vaccination increase the likelihood of autism?

One hypothesis is that vaccination in general, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) virus live vaccine, and vaccines that contain mercury cause autism. Actress Jenny McCarthy is one of the most outspoken proponents of the autism-vaccine hypothesis. She has appeared on numerous TV shows, radio shows and other media outlets where she has claimed that there is definitely a link between vaccines and autism.

Former presidential candidate John McCain stated, “It’s indisputable that autism is on the rise amongst children, the question is what’s causing it. There’s strong evidence that indicates that it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.”

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PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO NICOTINE AFFECTS STEM CELLS IN HIPPOCAMPUS

Prolonged prenatal exposure to nicotine decreases the number of newborn cells in the hippocampus, a brain area important in learning and memory, according to preliminary research presented at Neuroscience 2010, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held in San Diego. The study offers a neurobiological explanation for why the children of women who smoke during pregnancy are at an increased risk of developing learning disabilities.

"Previous research has shown that nicotine, cocaine, and other addictive drugs decrease the number of newborn cells in adults. Our research suggests that these effects may be even more dramatic in newborn animals," said Robin Lester, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who directed the study. "These findings provide further warnings to expectant mothers that they should seek help in refraining from smoking during pregnancy," Lester said.

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