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."

Charity pulls smart stunt on pregnancy Bruni rumours (Reuters)

DEAUVILLE, France (Reuters) - at a glance of smart advertising, charity leader traded on rumours of possible pregnancy of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy to try to save the lives of babies in developing countries.

Before the Summit of the G8 rich countries who made the cut infant mortality a major theme in recent years, World Vision activists delivered a basket to the first lady of France with a kit of easily available in France delivery.

"What are simple products that any woman in Europe or North America can obtain at the pharmacy, but are inaccessible for many women in the developing world", Geraldine Ryerson-Cruz of the charity World Vision of Britain told Reuters.

Ryerson-Cruz said his charity is fighting to try to ensure that children around the world have the same chance of survival than the "first baby" French would have.

The French presidential palace has confirmed the pregnancy of Bruni, but the father of the President of the last week, Nicolas Sarkozy told a German newspaper that Bruni expects a child.

In the historic Villa Strassburger, World Vision activists delivered a basket with vitamins for pregnant women, a kit of safe delivery and hygiene supplies.

The basket was alcohol, surgical gloves, a razor blade for cutting the umbilical cord and sterilization baby care products.

Friday, Bruni will host first ladies of African nations participating in the Summit.

"As a French woman, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is 150 times more likely to survive pregnancy and childbirth than a woman in the former French colony, Chad," Ryerson-Cruz said in an interview.

Ryerson-Cruz said that baby of the Bruni is also 52 times more likely to survive until the age of five as a baby with Chad, which has one of the worst years of child mortality in the world.

Sarkozy welcomed the leaders of the eight richest countries of the world to the posh seaside seaside Deauville Thursday and Friday. Several North Africa and sub-Saharan African heads of State will also attend the meeting.

Ryerson-Cruz said that estimates of Global Vision that mainly thanks to the initiatives of the g-8 in recent years the number of preventable deaths by the vaccination of children around the world declined approximately $ 4 million to approximately 8.1 million in 2010, 12.4 million in 1990.

Fever during pregnancy, diabetes and obesity may raise risk of autism

have the flu during pregnancy not associated with a risk of autism or delay of development in children, although having a fever during pregnancy can be.

And delivery by caesarean section is not associated with autism in the progeny, but having diabetes or high blood pressure or being obese, while speakers seem to be.

Those are the results of several new studies that sought to discover what factors during pregnancy can affect the risk of autism in children. The research was presented Wednesday at a press conference at the international meeting for autism (IMFAR) in San Diego research.

About one in 110 U.S. children have an autism spectrum disorder, a condition of neurological development characterized by problems of language, communication and social functioning, as well as repetitive or restrictive behaviour. Many children with autism have also other conditions including epilepsy, anxiety disorders and gastrointestinal disorders.

Recent research has found that the diagnosis of autism is increasing, some of which may be due to greater awareness and increased availability of services for autism, said experts. Still other research suggests that the actual incidence of autism is also rising.

"Autism is a disorder of incredibly complex that now affects about 1% of the children," said the President IMFAR David Amaral.

The cause of autism is unknown, although some research, including the papers presented at IMFAR, referring to maternal factors which could contribute to a child to develop the disease.

In the first study, researchers examined data from research on 1,000 children taking part to the risk of autism from childhood focused on population genetics and the study of the environment (support), 462 included with a spectrum autism disorder136 with other development disorders and 265 typically developing children between 2 and 5. The researchers also examined the reports of the mother of flu or fever during pregnancy.

Researchers found no link between autism and other development and delay the flu in a trimester of pregnancy.

But in a weighted analysis, mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder were almost twice as likely to report having a fever during pregnancy than mothers of children without autism, co-author of the study Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Deputy Director of the University of Californie.Davis MIND Institute (medical investigation of neurological development).

The risks were particularly high when mothers reported having had a fever during the 2nd quarter.

Prior research has suggested an association between viral infections during pregnancy and autism. Yet researchers believe the mother inflammatory response to the virus, rather than any particular virus itself, influence the development of the brain of the child.

"These results add to a growing number of evidence that inflammation maternally mediated by could be part of the mechanistic pathway leading to Autism", said Hertz-Picciotto.

However, the researchers noted that the findings were preliminary and that the association did not reach statistical significance in an analysis where they did not apply the sampling weights.

Along the same vein, another study to be presented at the meeting by researchers at the Denmark analyzed amniotic fluid collected samples of pregnant women in Copenhagen since 1982. Later, some children from women were diagnosed with autism.

The study found no difference in hospitalization for infections during pregnancy, but they found that mothers of autistic children were more likely to have high level of some inflammatory markers — in particular, a cytokine called TNFa. For reasons not well understood, inflammatory markers were particularly high among mothers of girls with autism.

"Overall, the results of our study not only to support the idea that immune dysfunction plays a role in autism, but also confirm that this happens effectively before birth,"wrote the authors."."

In a third study, mothers who were with diabetes (Type 2 and gestational), which also draws data from the study of the charge, researchers have studied chronic hypertension and obesity before pregnancy.

The study found that children of mothers with these conditions were much more likely to have autism or other developmental delays.

"For mothers with at least one of the three conditions, their children were at risk increased by 60% of autism and delays in development, there was a risk of 150 per cent have increased," Hertz-Picciotto said.

Researchers have also noted that the children of diabetic mothers has also tended to have more poor expressive language skills whether children had autism.

A fourth study, which looked at caesarean section and autism, also used data on approximately 500 children with autism and 300 without autism of the study of the charge.

The study found no link between autism and the delivery method.

However, having a profile in c of emergency after a difficult birth - including prolonged labour, rupture of the membranes or infection of the amniotic cavity - was related to an increased risk of autism in the offspring.

But when the researchers controlled for other factors, such as the age of the mother, pre-eclampsia and diabetes, which are associated with increased risk of autism, the mode of delivery was more statistically significant.

The good news is that many of the factors described in the three studies are "updateable," which means that if they are confirmed to be the Autism risk factors, it would be possible to modify their, Hertz-Picciotto said.

"We would like to able to intervene and potentially avoid autism in the future," she said.

They note that research presented at meetings has not been submitted to the same type of scrutiny given to research published in medical journals and should be regarded as provisional.

Physical disabilities add a challenge to pregnancy

WASHINGTON--her first pregnancy was Dianna Fiore Radoslovich a pause of weakness and the pain of his multiple sclerosis.

She put away his cane and his meds and gave birth to a son in good health.

Pregnancy No. 2 has not made the same reprieve. This time, Radoslovich juggles the cane with a toddler, a growing baby bump, and a bit of anxiety.

"Each pregnancy different, and MS is different every day for everyone, said Radoslovich, of New York, which has been learned with her obstetrician how adjustments."

Physical disabilities adds a whole new challenge with the pregnancy. And while the vast majority of women with disabling conditions seems to have healthy babies, experts say far too little is known about the risks of the mothers of complications, their special needs and barriers to good health care.

More than 1 million women of childbearing age have a physical disability - which means that they report in need of a sort of daily living conditions such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal or cerebral palsyAccording to a recent report in the journal of obstetrics & Gynecology. Yet when the National Institutes of Health meets experts to examine the issue, they could not even find a good estimate of how many of these women give birth each year.

It is "invisible real population", researcher Dr. Caroline Signore NIH, said at a meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and gynaecologists last week.

But it is one that is on the rise: "Il Y will have an increasing number of women with disabilities who wish to pregnancy and coming to you for care" Signore told the group.

NIH workshop recommended a complete record of monitoring of pregnancy in women with physical disabilities and to answer some key questions.

Among the priorities are followed by small scale studies that prematurity, birth weight C-sections may be more common in women with disabling conditions.

Why? It is not clear. But women with spinal cord injuries or MS seem to experience more infections of the urinary tract, a risk factor for preterm labour and therefore more small babies, Signore said. Also, some women with spinal cord injuries may not feel the pain of first contractions and seek care early enough.

As for C-sections, many women with spinal cord injuries still is capable of childbirth but can not have a chance to physicians nervous, Signore, said.

Other questions: how could weight gain and fatigue pregnancy affect balance and falls, diminishing to turn mobility and independence? What role do higher levels of stress game everyday? Postpartum depression is a higher risk?

But Signore - who uses a wheelchair, itself due to a lesion of the spinal cord - challenged his colleague ob/gyns to consider more medical questions.

Some doctors own scales that weigh women in a wheelchair, for example. They should have at least a table of review which lowers the floor for women with impaired mobility, said.

In fact, a completely routine pregnancy requires 15 visits over a period of eight months, and to achieve can be exhausting for women with problems of mobility. Signore said at the beginning of challenges to the front door and showed pictures of herself stuck out the physician's Office, unable to heave open a heavy door even if its leverage to manage comply with accessibility laws.

"Accessibility is in the eye of the beholder," she said.

The question can be better studied to date in multiple sclerosis, perhaps because of some good news. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disease which can wax and wane, tend to temporarily improve during pregnancy, probably due to hormonal changes. Notes National Multiple Sclerosis Society which research has begun to test whether the addition of a type of estrogen of regular processing when women are not pregnant may mimic that certain benefits.

Radoslovich is one of those lucky ones that pregnant with her first child, Steven Andrew while, now 1.

But about 30% of MS patients have an outbreak of symptoms a few months after childbirth which can be serious. Breastfeeding mothers sometimes staves off episodes, but there no Radoslovich, who had to leave when a resumption of hostilities left suddenly unable to walk or use his right side until steroids through intravenous kicked.

The toddler is his morale booster: "when I'm having a bad day in terms of feeling not well, just what I need is to see that smile on his face and to reach out for me are and it is pure medicine.".

Radoslovich was very pleased to learn that she was pregnant again - a second son is due to the month of August. But this time, the weakness, stiffness, muscle and its other usual symptoms cease. She learned to ask for help on difficult days.

Yet, his doctor said that she can try birth despite a profile in c the last time that was not related to the hopes of MS. Radoslovich that have the energy to make that possible.

She wants to hear how treat hedges of pregnancy by the other women with MS: "I want, if you can do, if I can."

Physical disabilities add a challenge to pregnancy

WASHINGTON--her first pregnancy was Dianna Fiore Radoslovich a pause of weakness and the pain of his multiple sclerosis.

She put away his cane and his meds and gave birth to a son in good health.

Pregnancy No. 2 has not made the same reprieve. This time, Radoslovich juggles the cane with a toddler, a growing baby bump, and a bit of anxiety.

"Each pregnancy different, and MS is different every day for everyone, said Radoslovich, of New York, which has been learned with her obstetrician how adjustments."

Physical disabilities adds a whole new challenge with the pregnancy. And while the vast majority of women with disabling conditions seems to have healthy babies, experts say far too little is known about the risks of the mothers of complications, their special needs and barriers to good health care.

More than 1 million women of childbearing age have a physical disability - which means that they report in need of a sort of daily living conditions such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal or cerebral palsyAccording to a recent report in the journal of obstetrics & Gynecology. Yet when the National Institutes of Health meets experts to examine the issue, they could not even find a good estimate of how many of these women give birth each year.

It is "invisible real population", researcher Dr. Caroline Signore NIH, said at a meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and gynaecologists last week.

But it is one that is on the rise: "Il Y will have an increasing number of women with disabilities who wish to pregnancy and coming to you for care" Signore told the group.

NIH workshop recommended a complete record of monitoring of pregnancy in women with physical disabilities and to answer some key questions.

Among the priorities are followed by small scale studies that prematurity, birth weight C-sections may be more common in women with disabling conditions.

Why? It is not clear. But women with spinal cord injuries or MS seem to experience more infections of the urinary tract, a risk factor for preterm labour and therefore more small babies, Signore said. Also, some women with spinal cord injuries may not feel the pain of first contractions and seek care early enough.

As for C-sections, many women with spinal cord injuries still is capable of childbirth but can not have a chance to physicians nervous, Signore, said.

Other questions: how could weight gain and fatigue pregnancy affect balance and falls, diminishing to turn mobility and independence? What role do higher levels of stress game everyday? Postpartum depression is a higher risk?

But Signore - who uses a wheelchair, itself due to a lesion of the spinal cord - challenged his colleague ob/gyns to consider more medical questions.

Some doctors own scales that weigh women in a wheelchair, for example. They should have at least a table of review which lowers the floor for women with impaired mobility, said.

In fact, a completely routine pregnancy requires 15 visits over a period of eight months, and to achieve can be exhausting for women with problems of mobility. Signore said at the beginning of challenges to the front door and showed pictures of herself stuck out the physician's Office, unable to heave open a heavy door even if its leverage to manage comply with accessibility laws.

"Accessibility is in the eye of the beholder," she said.

The question can be better studied to date in multiple sclerosis, perhaps because of some good news. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disease which can wax and wane, tend to temporarily improve during pregnancy, probably due to hormonal changes. Notes National Multiple Sclerosis Society which research has begun to test whether the addition of a type of estrogen of regular processing when women are not pregnant may mimic that certain benefits.

Radoslovich is one of those lucky ones that pregnant with her first child, Steven Andrew while, now 1.

But about 30% of MS patients have an outbreak of symptoms a few months after childbirth which can be serious. Breastfeeding mothers sometimes staves off episodes, but there no Radoslovich, who had to leave when a resumption of hostilities left suddenly unable to walk or use his right side until steroids through intravenous kicked.

The toddler is his morale booster: "when I'm having a bad day in terms of feeling not well, just what I need is to see that smile on his face and to reach out for me are and it is pure medicine.".

Radoslovich was very pleased to learn that she was pregnant again - a second son is due to the month of August. But this time, the weakness, stiffness, muscle and its other usual symptoms cease. She learned to ask for help on difficult days.

Yet, his doctor said that she can try birth despite a profile in c the last time that was not related to the hopes of MS. Radoslovich that have the energy to make that possible.

She wants to hear how treat hedges of pregnancy by the other women with MS: "I want, if you can do, if I can."

Health Tip: Take a home pregnancy Test (HealthDay)

Pregnancy (HealthDay News) - home tests are designed to detect a certain hormone is present in the blood and urine a woman when she is pregnant.

The test must be administered with care, after all the written instructions of the product.

Womenshealth.gov web site offers these general guidelines for the reception of pregnancy tests:

Make sure that the product is not passed its expiry date.Carefully follow the label instructions.Wait 10 minutes before checking the results.Take the test first thing in the morning.Wait at least a week after missing your period before the test.