Moms’ caffeine not tied to kids’ behavior problems

Moms’ caffeine not tied to kids’ behavior problems - If your kindergartner is hyperactive, there's no reason to blame the caffeine you had during pregnancy, new research suggests.

In a study of more than 3,400 five- and six-year-olds, reported in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found no evidence that the children's behavioral problems were related to their mothers' caffeine intake during pregnancy.

The odds of hyperactivity, inattention or other issues at home or school were not raised among kids whose moms had downed more than 425 milligrams of caffeine per day during pregnancy. That's roughly equivalent to the amount in three cups, or 24 ounces, of coffee a day. But that doesn't mean caffeine is completely in the clear, according to Eva M. Loomans, of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, who led the study.

For one, the researchers did not look at any other developmental issues besides problem behavior, she told Reuters Health in an email. And only a few studies have looked at the question of whether caffeine during pregnancy affects children's later behavior - with mixed results.

For now, Loomans suggested that pregnant women follow the advice of their doctors on caffeine intake. The issue of whether it's OK to have some caffeine during pregnancy has often been confusing.

Over the years, some small studies suggested that caffeine may be linked to the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. But more recently, larger studies have failed to show any heightened risk.

And in 2010, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said that 200 milligrams of caffeine a day - about the amount in a 12-ounce cup of coffee - probably did not carry pregnancy risks.

But the question of whether mom's caffeine could affect her child's development in some way remains. So far, there's little evidence that it does. Instead, much of the concern comes from animal research - which has suggested caffeine can affect fetal brain development in a way that alters behavior later in life.

Whether that's true for humans is unknown.

In this study, prenatal caffeine did not appear to be related to "problem behavior."

The research involved 3,439 Amsterdam children whose mothers had completed detailed questionnaires on lifestyle and other factors during pregnancy. When the children were between the ages of five and six, their moms and teachers were surveyed about behavior problems.

Overall, about five percent of kids had some type of behavioral problem, like hyperactivity or inattention. But the risk was no greater for kids whose moms downed big daily doses of caffeine.

Still, that is not a green light to have all the caffeine you want during pregnancy. Based on the ACOG advice, moderation is key. And Loomans cautioned there is still more to be learned about caffeine and kids' long-term development.

This study could only look at the overall relationship between mothers' self-reports of caffeine intake and their reports on their children's behavior. That does not necessarily mean caffeine has no effects, at least for some kids, according to Loomans. ( Reuters Health )

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Caffeine in Pregnancy Won't Harm Offspring

Caffeine in Pregnancy Won't Harm Offspring: Study - Adding to the ongoing debate over what expectant mothers should eat and drink, new Dutch research finds no link between caffeine consumption during pregnancy and later behavioral problems in kids.

The study by Eva Loomans, of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, and colleagues appears in the August print issue of the journal Pediatrics.

However, previous studies have linked high levels of caffeine consumption to a greater risk of miscarriage, and a researcher behind one of those studies said the new report doesn't change the fact that caffeine can be risky.

"Women should reduce or stop caffeine intake during pregnancy," said Dr. De-Kun Li, a senior research scientist at Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, who co-authored a 2008 study into caffeine consumption in pregnant women, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Another researcher, Dr. Laura Elizabeth Riley, director of obstetrics and gynecology infectious disease at Massachusetts General Hospital, said science has known little about any possible connection between caffeine in pregnant women and behavioral problems. "Animal studies suggest that caffeine would be problematic for the fetus, but the human studies I am aware of do not suggest any such association," she said.

It's an especially tough issue to study because many possible factors could explain why a kid has behavioral issues, she noted. "That said," Riley added, "the biologic plausibility for a link between caffeine and behavior is there, as we know it is a potent stimulant."

It's difficult to know for sure whether caffeine is risky for pregnant mothers because the gold standard of research would require scientists to randomly assign some women to consume it and watch what happens. The new Dutch study doesn't take that approach but instead asked women around the 16th week of pregnancy to look backward and try to remember what they drank -- in terms of beverages that may include caffeine such as coffee, tea and cola -- over the previous week.

About 8,200 mothers answered the initial questions about their caffeine intake.

Later, when the babies had grown to 5 or 6 years old, the researchers surveyed the mothers and the children's teachers about the behavior of those 3,439 kids who were available for follow-up questions.

After adjusting their statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by a variety of factors including high or low numbers of mothers of certain ages, education levels and levels of anxiety before pregnancy, the researchers found no link between caffeine consumption and behavior or social problems.

Li, the Kaiser Foundation researcher, said, "it is premature to make any conclusion based on the finding from this study, certainly not about the safety of caffeine consumption in pregnancy, even in the context of children's behavior."

He said other research suggests risks other than miscarriage in women who consume high levels of caffeine. One is slowed growth of the fetus, Li said, and "there could be other adverse effects on the fetus that we do not know yet." ( HealthDay News )

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Teens Whose Moms Smoked While Pregnant May Have Worse Asthma

Teens Whose Moms Smoked While Pregnant May Have Worse Asthma - Black and Hispanic children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk for uncontrolled asthma, a new study finds.

University of California, San Francisco, researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,500 black and Hispanic children and found that those aged 8 to 17 with uncontrolled asthma were far more likely to have mothers who smoked during pregnancy.

This finding did not change when the researchers controlled for factors such as education, socioeconomic level and childhood exposure to tobacco smoke.

Asthma that is not controlled by regular medication results in more "asthma attacks," or acute flare-ups.

"If women smoked while pregnant, their children had about a 50 percent increase in uncontrolled asthma, even when we controlled for current tobacco exposure," study first author Sam Oh, a postdoctoral scholar in epidemiology at the UCSF Center for Tobacco Research and Education, said in a university news release. "Kids who are 17 years old still show the effects of something they were exposed to during the first nine months of life."

The researchers suggested two possible reasons for the increased risk of acute asthma in children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. Either the infant's lungs are damaged during development in the womb, or the exposure to tobacco smoke causes a genetic change.

Oh and colleagues also found that the exact timing of tobacco exposure during pregnancy (such as whether it was in the first or third trimester) was less important than whether mothers smoked at all. However, children with asthma symptoms were more likely to have mothers who smoked during all nine months of pregnancy.

The study appears online May 31 and in an upcoming print issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The researchers noted that women from ethnic minorities are more likely to smoke during pregnancy, and that asthma rates among blacks and Hispanics are higher than in the overall U.S. population. ( HealthDay News )

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The etiquette of sharing the joys of pregnancy

The etiquette of sharing the joys of pregnancy - From unsolicited baby bump touches to having your big news scooped on Facebook, modern pregnancy has an etiquette all on its own. To keep the pregnant glow, consider the following:

Sharing the News

There are few pieces of news as exciting to share as pregnancy. Whether it is a first or fifth, a surprise or long hoped for, it is joyful news.

The choice about who to tell and when will vary from family to family. Though some couples share the news as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed, it’s smart to wait until the first trimester is well in hand. Most people tell immediate family first, followed by close friends.

Until the couple is ready for anyone to know about a pregnancy, they might restrict their Facebook wall to prevent an over-eager well wisher from spilling the beans.

If you’re one of the first to know, this conversation may be accompanied by a request to hold the information close until the couple has the chance to tell others personally.

Some women will make an announcement at a family event to make sure their closest loved ones hear about it directly from them.

Facebook has added an extra twist: Until the couple is ready for anyone to know about a pregnancy, they might restrict their Facebook wall to prevent an over-eager well wisher from spilling the beans. Even if a Facebook wall is active, be sure the news is truly public knowledge before posting congratulations.

If you deduce someone is expecting, either from an extra glow or a declined glass of wine, show respect by allowing her to tell you in her own time. When she breaks the news, it’s okay to share the insight you had then.

The Bump

Some women enjoy the occasional belly rub or pat from close friends and family and see it as part of sharing the joy of expecting a baby. Others don’t. Never pat a pregnant woman’s belly without first asking or being invited to do so.

If someone asks to pat your bump and you would rather they didn’t, simply say so-it’s not rude to tell them no.

“Thanks for asking, but I’d rather you not.” If they reach out without asking, say, “I know it’s tempting, but please don’t touch.” You can add action to words and step back, fold your hands over your belly, or reach out to gently stop their touch.

And almost all pregnant women agree that a belly pat from a complete stranger is entirely inappropriate. It’s not okay to walk up to a non-pregnant stranger and touch their belly, and the same goes for a woman who is pregnant.

If you have this impulse, curb it, and instead smile and offer congratulations and ask when she is due-this is the right way to show your excitement over a stranger’s pregnancy.

Not Pregnant?

Sometimes excitement is misplaced rather than mis-expressed.

Be quite sure a woman is pregnant before assuming and asking when she is due. If she says, “I’m not pregnant,” there is no graceful exit beyond, “I beg your pardon.” Then drop the subject-there is nothing else that can be said to make it better.

Successful Seat Giving

It’s a lovely gesture (and sometimes the law) to offer your seat on the bus or subway to someone in need. Yet this is a gesture that too often fails to happen for pregnant women.

Granted, some might be just fine standing. But others would appreciate the seat, and offering yours-whether you are a man or a woman-is the right thing to do.

Though many people will say yes when offered that chance, others want to say yes but don’t want to inconvenience someone who was there first. No matter who you might be offering your seat to or why, the best way to get them to accept is to first stand up, then offer. It’s much easier to accept an empty seat than a filled one.

And if no one offers but you need a seat, simply ask.

“Pardon me, but would you mind letting me sit? I’d really appreciate it.”
All but the lousiest of people will hop right up for a pregnant woman; and if they don’t, you can be sure the person next to them will. ( sowetanlive.co.za )

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Traditional Chinese medicine 'makes fertility treatments more effective'

Traditional Chinese medicine 'makes fertility treatments more effective' - Traditional Chinese medicine has long been used to ease pain and treat disease.

Now researchers have found it can also boost fertility if used in combination with fertility treatments.

A team led by Dr Shahar Levi-Ari from Tel Aviv University compared the success rates of couples using intrauterine insemination (IUI) both with and without Chinese herbal and acupuncture therapies.

IUI involves a laboratory procedure to separate fast moving sperm from more sluggish sperm.

The fast moving sperm are then placed into the woman’s womb close to the time of ovulation when the egg is released from the ovary in the middle of the monthly cycle.

The results, which have been published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, show a significant increase in fertility when the therapies are administered side-by-side.

When combining IUI with traditional treatments, 65.5 per cent of the test group were able to conceive, compared with 39.4 per cent of the control group, who received no herbal or acupuncture therapy.

The team found Chinese herbal and acupuncture therapies could work to boost Western-style fertility treatments

The scientists said the method is as 'close to nature' as possible and can be used by women employing sperm donors, or after a partner's sperm is centrifuged to enhance its motility in the uterus.

Dr Lev-Ari said he had long been interested in how Chinese herbal and acupuncture therapies could work to boost Western-style fertility treatments, contributing to an increase in conception and take-home baby rates.

In a retrospective study, his team followed the progress of 29 women between the ages of 30 and 45 who were receiving IUI treatment combined with TCM therapy, and compared their results to a control group of 94 women between the ages of 28 and 46 who were undergoing IUI treatment alone.

In addition to their IUI treatments, the 29 women in the first group received weekly sessions of acupuncture and a regime of Chinese medicinals, which consisted of powdered or raw Chinese herbs such as PeoniaAlbae and Chuanxiong.

All herbal preparations were approved by the Israeli Health Ministry.

Out of the 29 women in the test group, 65.5 percent conceived, and 41.4 percent delivered healthy babies. In the control group, only 39.4 percent conceived and 26.9 percent delivered.

The vast difference in success rates is even more surprising when the age of the average participant was taken into account.

The scientists noted: 'The average age of the women in the study group was 39.4, while that of the control group was 37.1. Normally, the older the mother, the lower the pregnancy and delivery rates.'

There are several theories as to why Chinese medicine can be beneficial to fertility rates, including the possibility that herbal remedies and acupuncture can affect the ovulation and menstrual cycle, enhance blood flow to the uterus, enhance endorphin production and induce calm.

Now that the researchers have established that traditional remedies can have a major impact on the success of fertility treatments, they plan to design randomised clinical trials, including placebos, to further validate their initial findings. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Why breast milk could hold the key to beating Alzheimer's

Why breast milk could hold the key to beating Alzheimer's - Embryonic stem cells could revolutionise treatment of cancer, blindness, diabetes, Parkinson’s and paralysis - Breast milk cells can turn into cells of the bone, cartilage, fat, brain, liver and pancreas

Repair kit: Research shows breast milk is rich in stem cells with the chameleon-like properties normally found in those taken from embryos

Breast milk contains stem cells that could potentially beat diseases from Alzheimer’s to cancer, according to scientists.

The milk, intended by Mother Nature to give babies the best start in life, is rich in stem cells, which have the chameleon-like properties found in those taken from embryos.

The milk could provide a ready and ethical source of stem cells, which are widely seen as a ‘repair kit’ due to their potential to turn into any cell type in the body. Cancer, blindness, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and paralysis could all potentially be healed by the power of ‘master cells’.

The use of embryonic stem cells is mired in controversy because harvesting them from an embryo leads to its death. But the New Scientist reported that breast milk stem cells can turn into bone cells, cartilage, fat, brain, liver and pancreas, a breastfeeding conference will hear next year.

Researcher Foteini Hassiotou, of the University of Western Australia, said: ‘Breast milk offers a new exciting opportunity for stem cell therapies.’

Chris Mason, professor of regenerative medicine at University College London, said more proof is needed that the cells are as versatile as billed, but added: ‘If they are truly embryonic, this will be another way of getting stem cells that would not raise ethical concerns.’

Even if they do not turn out to be as versatile as hoped, said Newcastle University stem cell scientist Lyle Armstrong, a woman could still bank stem cells from her milk and use them to help in the treatment of a disease such as diabetes later in life.

Insurance: A woman could bank the stem cells from her milk and use them to treat illnesses she might contract later in life

For instance, a woman could bank the stem cells from her milk and then use them to help in the treatment of a disease such as diabetes later in life.

Embryonic stem cell research suffered a major set-back earlier this week when the first company to test them in people withdrew from the field.

Californian biotech company Geron hoped the revolutionary therapy would help the paralysed walk again.

The trial on men and women with spinal cord injuries caused by car crashes and sporting accidents was hailed as 'the beginning of a new chapter in medical therapeutics'.

But after treating just four patients, Geron shelved the work, blaming the high costs and red tape of stem cell research as well as 'uncertain economic conditions'.

However, others questioned whether it would have given up on the treatment if it really was going to produce the miracles promised.

Geron, which now intends to focus on cancer drugs, has not released any information about how well the treatment worked.

Europe's first embryonic stem cell trial is due to start later this year when a jab to cure blindness is tested at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Moms who lose a baby face higher stillbirth risk

Moms who lose a baby face higher stillbirth risk - Parents who've suffered the death of an infant may have a higher-than-normal risk of stillbirth in the next pregnancy, a new study suggests.

Stillbirth refers to the death of a fetus after the 20th week of pregnancy. It's known that, as a group, women with a history of stillbirth have a higher-than-average risk of suffering another.

But the new study suggests that the death of a baby in the first year of life also points to an increased risk of stillbirth in the next pregnancy.

Researchers found that among more than 320,000 women, the rate of stillbirth during a second pregnancy was just over four per 1,000 births. But the risk was nearly three-fold higher for women who'd lost their first baby before the child's first birthday, versus mothers whose first baby survived.

A woman holds her stomach at the last stages of her pregnancy in Bordeaux April 28, 2010. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

It's not entirely clear why the relationship exists. But the researchers say the findings suggest that women who've lost a baby should be counseled before their next pregnancy.

"What we're trying to do is, look at women's history and see if we can identify mothers who are likely to be at higher risk of stillbirth," said Dr. Hamisu Salihu, a professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa who worked on the study.

The precise cause of a woman's stillbirth is often unknown. In fact, that's true in about 50 percent to 60 percent of cases, Salihu told Reuters Health.

But there are certain risk factors linked to stillbirth that are changeable. Obesity and smoking are two, Salihu noted.

In addition, certain health conditions in the mother -- like high blood pressure or diabetes that arise before or during pregnancy -- are tied to stillbirth (because they can lead to problems with the placenta or affect the growth of the fetus).

So Salihu suggested that couples who've lost a baby visit with their doctor before their next pregnancy to talk about any modifiable risk factors for pregnancy complications. During pregnancy, a woman may need to make more-frequent prenatal care visits to monitor for problems, depending on her situation.

"That has to be decided on a case-by-case basis," Salihu said.

The findings, published in the obstetrics journal BJOG, are based on medical records from 320,350 Missouri women who had their first and second pregnancies between 1989 and 2005.

Of those women, 2,483 -- about eight percent -- lost their first baby before the child's first birthday. And they had a three-fold greater risk of having a stillbirth with their next pregnancy compared with women whose first baby survived.

Black women had a particularly elevated risk: Those who'd suffered an infant death were more than four times more likely to have a stillbirth than black women whose first baby survived.

That finding is in line with past research showing that African-American women face a higher stillbirth risk than white women do.

It's not clear from the study why infant deaths were linked to stillbirth risk in the next pregnancy. But Salihu said it's possible that the same underlying factors that contributed to the first baby's death -- whether genetic or environmental, like poor growth due to smoking -- also contributed to fetal death in the second pregnancy.

In support of that idea, the researchers found that the death of a newborn -- versus an older baby -- was more strongly linked to stillbirth risk in the next pregnancy.

The overall stillbirth rate in the study was 0.4 percent. So even with a relatively increased risk, most couples who've lost a baby would not have a stillbirth next time.

"Couples should not give up," Salihu said. What they should do, he added, is get "preconception" counseling to try to spot any known risk factors for stillbirth.

"Some of those risk factors are modifiable," Salihu said. ( Reuters Health )

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Older first-time moms not at higher depression risk

Older first-time moms not at higher depression risk - Women who have their first baby at an older age aren't at greater risk of postpartum depression, according to a new report that contradicts earlier concerns.

In a study of more than 500 first-time mothers, Australian researchers found that moms age 37 or older were no more likely to get postpartum depression than their younger counterparts -- whether they conceived naturally or had infertility treatment.

Overall, eight percent of the women had major depression symptoms four months after giving birth. That's at the lower end of what's seen among new mothers in general, the researchers say.

And they found no evidence that age itself affected a woman's risk of developing postpartum depression.

The idea that older first-time mothers might face a higher depression risk has been largely based on speculation and "popular culture anecdote," according to study leader Catherine A. McMahon, an associate professor of psychology at Macquarie University in Australia.

"Older mothers are frequently discussed in the media," McMahon noted in an email. "There are a lot of myths, and limited empirical data."

There's been some speculation, for instance, that older mothers might have a tougher time adjusting to motherhood -- after, presumably, being in the workforce for a long time. Or they might be more "set in their ways" than younger women, and have more difficulty dealing with the lifestyle changes that a baby brings.

But, McMahon said, "there is no research evidence to support these speculations."

On the other hand, it is known that older mothers have a higher risk of pregnancy complications, like high blood pressure and diabetes. And pregnancy complications, in turn, have been linked to postpartum depression risk.

For their study, reported in the journal Fertility and Sterility, McMahon's team followed 266 women who had conceived naturally and 275 who'd undergone fertility treatment. All of the women answered questionnaires during their third trimester, and had a diagnostic interview for depression when their babies were four months old.

Overall, 180 women were age 37 or older when they gave birth. And they were no more likely to develop postpartum depression than younger women were, the study found.

"The findings suggest that older first-time mothers are not at greater risk of postpartum depression, at least in the first four months after birth," McMahon said.

That, she added, highlights the importance of not "labeling" older moms as high-risk for depression -- something that, itself, could stress out a new mother.

Still, McMahon said that there are questions for future studies. One is whether going through menopause while caring for a young child presents challenges.

"There is considerable evidence that vulnerability to depression is greatest in mid-life for women," McMahon noted.

She said it would also be interesting to see how older mothers fare when they go back to work, since they may be more "emotionally committed" to their careers compared with younger mothers.

McMahon also pointed out that this study looked only at depression among women who successfully had a baby. She said there's a need for studies that look at the psychological well-being of women who put off having a baby, and then are unable to conceive. ( Reuters Health )

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