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Smoking Part 1: Pregnancy and young children
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A number of studies have been reported lately that link various health problems in babies and children to pre-natal or 2nd hand cigarette smoke. It is well established that women who smoke or are exposed to smoke while pregnant have a greater chance of having babies with low birth weight, pre-mature birth, SIDS and lung problems, etc. Some recent studies present additional evidence of cardiovascular and pulmonary problems due to smoking.
In Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association a study of 456 babies show that mothers who either smoked or were exposed to smoke while pregnant had babies with significantly higher systolic blood pressures than babies born to women who did not smoke or were not exposed to 2nd hand smoke.
In another study of 244 kids 4-12 years old it was found that kids whose parents smoked had reduced lung function similar to that of people who smoke themselves. Children whose parents smoke also have lowered endothial function in their arteries – a sign of damage (Circulation).
A nicotine byproduct called cotinine can be found in the urine of babies who have even one parent who smokes. Compared to babies without parents who smoke, babies with a smoking parent have 5.58 times as much cotinine (Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition).
Additional recent research tying health problems to women smoking include women having a 59% greater chance of begining menopause before age 45 (BMC Public Health). Other research shows a connection between smoking and stillbirths – women who smoked during their 1st and 2nd pregnancy had a 35% greater chance of still birth (BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology).
Considering all the evidence indicating how damaging cigarette smoke is to babies and young children it surprises me that there are still women with children who smoke. Of course it can be difficult to avoid 2nd hand smoke sometimes – especially if family members smoke or if someone works in a place that allows smoking.
Even if someone doesn’t care about the health of people around them – I would have thought the threat to one’s own health would be enough to convince more people to stop.
— More on that thought in Smoking Part 2 (coming soon).
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- Smoking and other pregnancy perils
- Don’t forget your baby’s health if you smoke!
- Smoking and Addiction
March 9, 2007
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Smoking and other pregnancy perils
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At a recent conference of the American Heart Association research was presented that shows more evidence of the damage that smoking can do. Children of women who smoked while they were pregnant had carotid arteries with thicker walls than those whose mothers did not smoke. Thicker artery walls increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Another study published in the European Respiratory Journal found that kids who have a certain variant of a gene called interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) are harmed more by their mothers’ smoking while pregnant with them. More specifically, they were over 4 times as likely to get asthma compared to those with other variants of the gene – but only if their mothers’ smoked.
According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology pregnant women are more likely to have injuries that they need to be hospitalized for than was previously believed. Fractures, strains, sprains, dislocations, crushing injuries, poisoning and bruises were the most common reasons for the hospitalizations. Car accidents and falls were the most common reasons for the injuries.
Pregnant women with gum disease have a greater chance of delivering their babies prematurely according to a study in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Researchers publishing in the The Journal of Nutrition have found that pregnant women and their newborn babies in the northern part of the United States have vitamin D levels that are too low. In their study 80% of AA women and almost half of the caucasian women had levels that were too low when they delivered even though almost all of them had been taken prenatal vitamins.
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Related Posts:
- Smoking Part 1: Pregnancy and young children
- Pregnancy – diet, weight gain and diabetes
- Pregnancy and newborn health part 2
February 6, 2007
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Prenatal health
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According to a report in The Lancet there is now a potential new test to check for genetic abnormalities like Down’s syndrome. Currently testing for these types of things involves using chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis. This new test is non-invasive and analyzes DNA from the fetus taken from the mother’s blood samples. More trials and testing will need to be done with it before it will be approved for medical care.
In the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine there is a paper presenting evidence that women taking antidepressants, such as SSRI’s like Prozac and Zoloft, while pregnant doesn’t have an effect on the behavior of the child later on. Four year old children were observed and no statistically significant behavior differences were seen. However, the mother’s moods and stress levels seemed to have an effect on the kids behavior and development.
Drinking alcohol while pregnant – especially during the first two months when many women don’t know they are pregnant – can result in birth defects, can negatively effect normal development of the nervous system and cause fetal alcohol syndrome. In a study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine over 800 women who drank often and didn’t use reliable birth control were placed randomly into either a group to get counseling or not. It was found that even 5 short sessions with a counselor were enough to reduce their drinking and get them to use birth control.
(Technorati Tags: pregnancy, antidepressants, Prozac, Zoloft, alcohol)
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Related Posts:
- Pregnancy and newborn health part 2
- Pregnancy and child birth (Part 2)
- What not to do – if you want a long, healthy life
January 30, 2007
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Pregnancy and newborn health part 2
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A recent study in Radiology shows that around 25% of babies born vaginally have a small amount of bleeding in their brains. Likely it is normal and has always happened but newer techniques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging are now able to detect it. It is likely related to their heads being squeezed through the birth canal as it is not seen in babies delivered by Caesarean section.
According to recent research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology using transdermal nitroglycerin in women who go into labor prematurely can prolong their pregnancy. It may also decrease the occurance of some illnesses associated with premature births such as chronic lung disease, inflammation of the intestines, intraventricular hemorrhage, and periventricular leukomalacia. The mechamism is not known but may involve the relaxation of the smooth muscles of the uterus.
Earlier this month in Obstetrics and Gynecology a paper was published which indicates that women who are taller and who do regular exercise while pregnant may have babies that weight less but are still in a weight range that is considered to be normal. A higher birth weight can sometimes be related to labor problems so being tall and sedentary while pregnant for taller women could negatively affect the health of the baby and mother. Of course any exercise routine should be discussed with a doctor first, especially if pregnant.
The CDC issued a report concerning birth defects and infant deaths a while back. About 3-4% of babies in the US are born with some type of birth defect such as common ones like hypospadias, Down syndrome, cleft lip, pulmonary valve stenosis and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Birth defects are the main reason really young babies are hospitalized or die.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most common type of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by episodes of stopped breathing during sleep. Kids with OSAS tend to have more respiratory tract illnesses and have around 40% more hospital visits compared to other kids during their first of life, often before they are officially diagnosed with OSAS. Early diagnosis and intervention is recommended by researchers who published their findings about the costs of OSAS in children in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Still not done – but once again I’m out of time!
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Related Posts:
- Smoking and other pregnancy perils
- Pregnancy and child birth (Part 2)
- Smoking Part 1: Pregnancy and young children
January 29, 2007
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Pregnancy and newborn health
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Lots of news concerning pregnancy and early childhood health to catch up on today:
A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows evidence of a connection between the reactivation of the virus (Epstein-Barr) that causes mononucleosis and the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in young children, especially those under one year old. The research was headed by Dr. Matti Lehtinen from the National Public Health Institute, Oulu, Finland.
Research by Vivette Glover of Imperial College London indicates a possible effect of maternal stress while pregnant on the mental and emotional development of her child. The mechanism is not known yet but may involved increased levels of cortisol in the mother and in the amniotic fluid.
Reduced intake of folic acid, a form of the water-soluble vitamin B, has long been linked to a higher chance of a child to be born with neural tube disorders like spina bifida. It can be found naturally in green leafy vegetables. There is now some evidence that folic acid supplements taken in early pregnancy can also decrease the chance of cleft lip by about 40%. This research appeared in the British Medical Journal.
Also in the British Medical Journal is a study showing that up to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee (considered to be a moderate amount) a day while pregnant doesn’t raise the risk of premature births or underweight babies. Eight or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day however may increase the chance of stillbirth. In this study over 1000 pregnant women were put into a group to drink a moderate amount of coffee either with or without caffeine and no difference was found between the average birth weights.
According to a report in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine women who are treated for some illnesses and disorders during pregnancy have children who have a greater chance of having wheezing problems. These include pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), preeclampsia, maternal diabetes and antibiotics given during delivery for urinary tract infections and respiratory infections.
An interesting story in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative, and Comparative Physiology presents some evidence that babies who are born with low sodium levels tend to prefer saltier foods later on. Micah Leshem and his team at the University of Haifa in Israel observed 41 kids who had been born premature and found that those who were born with sodium deficiencies tended to choose salty over sweet foods when given a choice. Kids who had been born premature were chosen for the study because they have a greater chance of being born with lower sodium levels.
I still have lots more to write about – but I am out of time again! I’ll continue first chance I get.
(Technorati Tags: mononucleosis, leukemia, stress, pregnancy, cleft lip, folic acid, sodium, salt)
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- Pregnancy – diet, weight gain and diabetes
- Smoking and other pregnancy perils
- Pregnancy and newborn health part 2
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