Oil of fish during pregnancy may not stimulate the vision of babies

NEW YORK - moms who take fish oil supplements may be not much done to sharpen the vision of their baby, a new study suggests.

The fly of some previous research findings that suggested Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), found in fish oil, improves vision in premature infants who receive supplements in their first months of life.

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid involved in the brain and Visual development. Given that the substance crosses the placenta, primarily more later during the pregnancy, preterm Miss on a large part of their prenatal supply.

Therefore extra DHA after birth could help make up for this.

In the new study, Australian researchers looked at whether prenatal fish oil helps improve vision in infants born at term.

They have tested Visual acuity in 185 4 - month - olds whose mothers had been assigned at random to take rich in DHA fish oil capsules or placebo (capsules of vegetable oil) daily progestogen until delivery.

Overall, there was no benefit of DHA on the vision of newborns, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

It is not clear why supplements have an impact, despite the benefits seen in premature infants given DHA after birth.

But one reason may be that preterm need the extra DHA, while babies born at term get all that they need for normal Visual development while still in the womb, according to Dr. Maria Makridesthe principal investigator of the study.

"I think that if women are better nourished and have a good scheme varied, then DHA supplementation during pregnancy to improve visual development for their unborn baby is not necessary," Makrides, women and children Health Research Institute of North AdelaideEn Australiatold Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Researchers are still studying if there could be other benefits to the development of infants. But studies have so far are mixed.

In a study published last year, the Makrides team found no evidence this oil of fish during pregnancy babies relaunched cognitive and language skills at the age of 18 months (see history of Reuters Health, October 19, 2010).

Makrides said that this and other studies are highlighting the fact that in term infants born to mothers well fed generally do well development delay - and it can be difficult to improve with DHA supplements.

There may be other benefits of fish during pregnancy oil. Some studies have suggested that it may reduce the risk of preterm birth, for example, but it is still on this issue.

In General, experts recommend that pregnant women strive to 200 milligrams of DHA per day. Certain prenatal vitamins now wear the fatty acid, which is also present in fish, especially the more fatty such as salmon, mackerel and tuna.

However, since the fish may be contaminated with mercury, doctors advise pregnant women to limit to two meals of fish per week. They should also choose fish have Omega-3, but which are likely to have low mercury levels, such as salmon, canned light tuna and shrimp.

Some fish - shark, swordfish, mackerel King and Tile - should be completely avoided during pregnancy because they may have high concentrations of mercury.

Makrides, stated that his team continues to follow children in this study to see if the oil of fish during pregnancy makes no cognitive difference and four language skills at the age.

As for the Visual development, fish oil has any benefit for infants born at term, it would be more evident in early life.

"At the end of childhood," Makrides said, "it would be much more difficult to find differences between groups, such as Visual development would be well advanced."

Gluten not linked to the risk of babies of diabetes: study (Reuters)

NEW YORK - for babies at higher risk of diabetes in children because of family history or genes, a gluten-free diet in the first year of life not the chances of developing the disease lessGerman researchers report.

The conclusions are undermining previous studies, including the work of the same scientists, which suggests that babies exposed to gluten in their early diet may be more likely to develop type 1 diabetes later in childhood.

Although the new study included only 150 children, Dorothy Becker, Director of the program of diabetes in children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, told Reuters Health that the results are clear enough.

"This does not mean that it if you have made a huge study, it would be an effect (gluten)," said Becker, who was not involved in the study. "But it makes it unlikely."

Gluten is the protein in wheat and other cereals which makes the elastic dough and gives the bread its chewiness. About 1% of the population of the United States have a condition called celiac disease, in which the immune reactions to gluten damage the intestines.

Every year kids about 20 per 100,000 aged of less than 10 to the United States receive a diagnosis of diabetes type 1, according to the National Institutes of Health. In contrast to type 2 diabetes, which is usually a disease of adults and associated with old age or of obesity, diabetes type 1 generally child impactors.

Many of them probably inherited a genetic predisposition to the disease of their parents. Yet only genes not fully explain why people develop the condition. It is believed that other factors such as environmental exposures, are necessary for the trigger.

In the latest study, researchers followed 150 babies at least one parent or a brother had been suffering from type 1 diabetes - marked by the death of the cells of the pancreatic islets secrete insulin hormone. The body requires insulin to convert food sugars into energy.

Half of children have been exposed to gluten in their diet for the first time at the age of six months. For the rest, the exposure to the protein has been delayed until after their first birthday.

It seems that different regimes have no impact on the ability of infants to grow or to take the weight.

At the age of 3 years, three children exposed to gluten initially had developed diabetes type 1, compared to four in the exposed group signs that children had developed for immune reactions to their own cells of pancreatic islet - a possible precursor to diabetes.in particular in those with a genetic predisposition for the disorder - appeared in gluten of 11 children, given six months of age, compared to 13 who ate first of gluten when they were between the ages of 12 months.

Some research suggests that delaying exposure to gluten can increase the risk of developing celiac disease. However, the German scientists have said that they found no evidence of such a link.

Approximately 30 per cent of parents said they did not strictly follow the diet plan. Still, researchers said, the results of the study show that while delaying the introduction of gluten in the diet of the baby causes no harm, it seems reduce the risk of diabetes or immune-early indicators of insulin problems.

Researchers have not responded to requests for comments on their study, which appeared online month last in the journal Diabetes Care.

Research on other triggers of potential foods for type 1 diabetes is underway. Last November, researchers Finland reported that infants with a genetic predisposition to type 1 diabetes who were fed infant formula called Nutramigen were probably half as those forms of cow's milk conventional to show signs of Autoimmunity of islet cells later in childhood. Milk protein in Nutramigen (sold as Enfamil by Mead Johnson & Co.) are altered in a way which makes them more tolerable for the immune system.

Becker helps lead a large international trial funded by the National Institutes of Health to explore the findings of finishing. The results of this study, which includes about 2 200 babies, are expected in 2017, she said.

Babies in child care centres receive breast milk: study (HealthDay)

(Thursday, may 5, HealthDay News) - while new mothers are strongly encouraged to breastfeed their babies for at least a year, a small study of child care centres suggests that relatively few are in place to help mothers to do so.

The research conducted by doctors at Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati Children, revealed that only 12% of infants enrolled in child care centres in two counties near Cincinnati were fed milk from their motherWhile 96% of centre directors stated that they would be comfortable facilitating practice.

"We were surprised to find that despite high levels of personal comfort in the breast milk of food, only a small percentage of infants fed human milk," said study author Dr. Kristen Copeland, an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Medical Center of Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

A stone of stumbling big seems to be a lack of storage refrigerated overnight in centres for any breastfeeding pumped mothers might take care to leave, the study concluded.

"We know that the centres which are pumped to store milk from one day to the next day make it easier for women to ensure a steady supply of milk for their babies," Copeland said, "so if several centres offered storage during the night."It could increase the number of infants fed human milk. ?

The results were presented this week at a joint meeting of the Pediatric Society of companies / Asian University for pediatric research in Denver.

According to the researchers, about half of all newborns to the United States are in daycare, and 18% are in the centres.

To study, Copeland and his colleagues conducted telephone surveys with the directors of 167 childcare centres in two urban counties in southwestern Ohio. Administrators have asked how many infants are currently registered in their centres were fed breast milk pumped, how comfortable the Centre was with feed pumped breast milk, and the Centre has provided a refrigerator or freezer where mothers could store pumped breast milk during the night.

Only 26% of the said centres human milk may be kept during the night.

Three factors, enabling parents to store breast milk during the night, a primarily White inscription and a small proportion of infants receiving subsidized tuition fees, appeared to increase the chances that the babies were treated in a centre may receive milk from their motherthe researchers found.

Copeland, said that, although the study did not examine the reasons why little infants received bottles of milk pumped daycare, a lack of storage at night could be a key factor.

The low prevalence of milk breast feeding infants non-white and low income, most importantly, also could "reflect more low rates of breastfeeding initiation or limited options of women of pumping in the workplace," the authors reported.

"The findings speak for the enormous challenges facing women in power successfully breastfeed their babies,", said researcher Dr. Alison Stuebe, Assistant Professor of obstetrics and Gynecology at the school of the University of medicine at Chapel Hill North Carolina nursing.

Stuebe agreed that the differences observed between babies of poor or rich houses may be due, in part, mothers being does not able to pump during the work day. "The higher your income, it is that you have an Office with a door that you can close for twenty minutes, so you can pump," she said. "" "". If you are working in the window at the wheel of a fast-food, you do not have this possibility. ?

Centres of custody of children who want to be truly cooperative need more that simply provide storage during the night of pumped milk, noted Stuebe. "For example, it must also be a comfortable place where mothers can sit and breastfeed their baby, either at the time of lunch or when they come look at the end of the day," said.

More information

For more information on breastfeeding, go to the National Women's Health Centre.

Babies in child care centres receive breast milk: study

while new mothers are strongly encouraged to breastfeed their babies for at least a year, a small study of child care centres suggests that relatively few are in place to help mothers to do so.

The research conducted by doctors at Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati Children, revealed that only 12% of infants enrolled in child care centres in two counties near Cincinnati were fed milk from their motherWhile 96% of centre directors stated that they would be comfortable facilitating practice.

"We were surprised to find that despite high levels of personal comfort in the breast milk of food, only a small percentage of infants fed human milk," said study author Dr. Kristen Copeland, an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Medical Center of Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

A stone of stumbling big seems to be a lack of storage refrigerated overnight in centres for any breastfeeding pumped mothers might take care to leave, the study concluded.

"We know that the centres which are pumped to store milk from one day to the next day make it easier for women to ensure a steady supply of milk for their babies," Copeland said, "so if several centres offered storage during the night."It could increase the number of infants fed human milk. ?

The results were presented this week at a joint meeting of the Pediatric Society of companies / Asian University for pediatric research in Denver.

According to the researchers, about half of all newborns to the United States are in daycare, and 18% are in the centres.

To study, Copeland and his colleagues conducted telephone surveys with the directors of 167 childcare centres in two urban counties in southwestern Ohio. Administrators have asked how many infants are currently registered in their centres were fed breast milk pumped, how comfortable the Centre was with feed pumped breast milk, and the Centre has provided a refrigerator or freezer where mothers could store pumped breast milk during the night.

Only 26% of the said centres human milk may be kept during the night.

Three factors, enabling parents to store breast milk during the night, a primarily White inscription and a small proportion of infants receiving subsidized tuition fees, appeared to increase the chances that the babies were treated in a centre may receive milk from their motherthe researchers found.

Copeland, said that, although the study did not examine the reasons why little infants received bottles of milk pumped daycare, a lack of storage at night could be a key factor.

The low prevalence of milk breast feeding infants non-white and low income, most importantly, also could "reflect more low rates of breastfeeding initiation or limited options of women of pumping in the workplace," the authors reported.

"The findings speak for the enormous challenges facing women in power successfully breastfeed their babies,", said researcher Dr. Alison Stuebe, Assistant Professor of obstetrics and Gynecology at the school of the University of medicine at Chapel Hill North Carolina nursing.

Stuebe agreed that the differences observed between babies of poor or rich houses may be due, in part, mothers being does not able to pump during the work day. "The higher your income, it is that you have an Office with a door that you can close for twenty minutes, so you can pump," she said. "" "". If you are working in the window at the wheel of a fast-food, you do not have this possibility. ?

Centres of custody of children who want to be truly cooperative need more that simply provide storage during the night of pumped milk, noted Stuebe. "For example, it must also be a comfortable place where mothers can sit and breastfeed their baby, either at the time of lunch or when they come look at the end of the day," said.

Early surgery boosts results for babies with cleft palate (HealthDay)

prenatal diagnosis, early surgery and care well co-ordinated by a team of specialists are vital for children born with cleft lip or cleft, experts say.

Cleft lip or palate - occurring in the first trimester of pregnancy when the roof of the mouth does not fuse properly - affects more than 7 000 babies born each year in the United States and is most often defect of birth.

Prenatal ultrasound may detect the majority of cases. Once a diagnosis is made, doctors should counsel parents to give them time to prepare emotionally before the birth of the baby, experts say. Physicians and parents also need to develop a treatment plan, according to the Dr. Richard Redett, plastic pediatric and reconstructive surgeon and Associate Director of the clinic of slot & Craniofacial Centre at Johns Hopkins children's.

He noted that research has shown that early surgery helps ensure the development of the word. Surgery is most effective if made before the baby is one year.

Postoperative treatment should include specialists from the ear-nose-throat, speech therapists, Pediatric Orthodontists and psychologists said Redett.

He and his colleagues offered a few tips to prevent cleft lip/palate:

Planning become pregnant should take 400 micrograms of folic acid per day.Pregnant women should not smoke and should avoid second-hand smoke.Pregnant women also need to talk to their physicians any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, they are taking or planning to take, since some medications can cause or increase the risk of birth defects.A family history of cleft palate patients should talk with their physician procedure genetics.