Teen pregnancies up for first time in 15 years
July 12, 2008
From CNN News
By Elizabeth Landau
Teen pregnancies rose in the United States for the first time since 1991, the National Institutes of Health reported Friday.
The new data also show that eighth-graders smoke less, according to the report “America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2008.”
The report comes after a spate of high-profile teen pregnancies: that of 17-year-old TV star Jamie Lynn Spears, who recently gave birth to a daughter, as well as the pregnancies of numerous students at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts.
Not ready for a baby? Protect your fertility
June 21, 2008
From msnbcnews.com
By Denise Schipani
You’ve yet to hear a single tick-tock, but lurking beneath your killer abs is a biological clock that will start buzzing eventually — and you can only hit the snooze button so many times.
So what do you do if you’re not ready to push out a baby right this second but think you’ll want to become a mom someday?
Luckily, fertility isn’t a total crapshoot. And though you can’t put off pregnancy indefinitely (despite exceptions like Marcia Cross, your odds of conceiving drop substantially after age 35), there’s plenty you can do to help keep your body in peak baby-making form.
Arkansas Mom Pregnant With 18th Child
May 12, 2008
From AOL News
By Jill Zeman
Seven daughters and 10 sons just wasn’t enough for Arkansas couple Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. Just in time for Mother’s Day, the busy parents announced they’re expecting their 18th child. Their oldest, Josh, is 20, and youngest, Jennifer, is 9 months old. Here, the family celebrates Jennifer’s birth last August.
Duggar, 41, is due on New Year’s Day, and the latest bundle of joy will join seven sisters and 10 brothers, including two sets of twins.
“We’ve had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us,” she said, laughing.
Some Therapies May Cut Pregnancy Chances
May 4, 2008
From CBS Health
(AP) Alternative therapies such as reflexology and herbal supplements may reduce a woman’s chance of getting pregnant, experts said Wednesday.
Research presented Wednesday at a Lyon meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology examined the impact of alternative therapies on women receiving in-vitro fertilization over a year.
Of 800 Danish women followed for the study, 261 tried treatments including reflexology, herbal supplements, homeopathy, kinesiology and acupuncture.
The women using such treatments overall were 20 percent less likely to get pregnant than those who did not, according to researchers Dr. Jacky Boivin, of Cardiff University, and Dr. Lone Schmidt, from the University of Copenhagen.
Prevent and Remove Stretch Marks
May 4, 2008
From Foxnews.com
By Karlie Pouliot
Dena Ragusa has worked hard to get her body into shape. About 12 years ago she lost 50 pounds by exercising and eating healthy — but she still wasn’t completely happy with the results.
“Even though I feel really good I have these terrible stretch marks,” Ragusa said.
“So, I’m kind of limited to the clothing and bathing suits I can wear.”
She’s not alone. For millions of women and men, stretch marks are an unfortunate part of life.
“These tears occur during periods of considerable fluctuation in weight including pregnancy, bodybuilding, yo-yo dieting and adolescent growth spurts,” said Ariel Ostad, a cosmetic and dermatologic surgeon in New York City.
Junk Food During Pregnancy=Obese Kids
May 1, 2008
By Miranda Hitti
Eating lots of junk food during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may make childhood obesity more likely, a new study suggests.
The pregnancy diet study was conducted in rats, not people. But the researchers argue that their findings show that mothers may pass their junk food diets on to their offspring and increase their obesity. The researchers included Stephanie Bayol, Ph.D., and professor Neil Stickland, Ph.D., of London’s Royal Veterinary College.
Mom’s Diet May Influence Baby’s Gender
May 1, 2008
By Salynn Boyles
In addition to being the most important meal of the day, breakfast may help determine your unborn baby’s sex.
In a newly reported study, women who ate breakfast cereal gave birth to more boys, while those who skipped breakfast had more girls.
Women who ate more total calories also delivered more boys, even though the overall male-to-female birth ratio among the study participants was close to 50/50.
Breast-feeding for healthier and smarter babies
May 1, 2008
By Associated Press
ATLANTA –More than three out of four new mothers breast-feed their infants, the highest rate in the U.S. in at least 20 years, according to a government report.
About 77% of new mothers breast-feed, at least briefly, up from 60% in 1993-1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
“It looks like it is an all-time high” based on CDC surveys since the mid-1980s, said Jeff Lancashire, a CDC spokesman.
Experts attributed the rise to education campaigns that emphasize that breast milk is better than formula at protecting babies against disease and childhood obesity. A changing culture that accommodates nursing mothers may also be a factor.
From WebMD.com
A study in January’s online issue of American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology* from Kaiser Permanente found a link between high doses of daily caffeine (no matter what the source) and an increased risk of miscarriage.
This was the first study to thoroughly control for morning sickness which, according to the researchers, makes the association they found between caffeine and miscarriage risk even stronger.
How Much is Too Much?
Women who consumed 200 mg or more of caffeine per day (two or more cups of regular coffee or five 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda) had TWICE the risk of miscarriage as women who consumed absolutely no caffeine. What about the women who consumed less than 200 mg of caffeine daily? Their risk of miscarriage increased by more than 40%.
