In a significant shift in public health policy, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, sparking widespread discussion among healthcare professionals and expectant mothers alike. The new guidance streamlines previous vaccine protocols, emphasizing simplified dosing while raising concerns over clarity, especially for vulnerable groups like pregnant women.
Pregnancy
The period from conception to birth. After the egg is fertilized by a sperm and then implanted in the lining of the uterus, it develops into the placenta and embryo, and later into a fetus. Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks, beginning from the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period, and is divided into three trimesters, each lasting three months.
COVID-19 increases pregnancy complications in pregnant women
Pregnant women with COVID-19 appear to be at greater risk for common pregnancy complications — in addition to health risks from the virus — than pregnant women without COVID-19, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
High dose folic acid helps smoker pregnant to have better fetal growth
Women who smoked cigarettes during pregnancy and took higher-dose folic acid supplements delivered infants with better fetal growth than smokers who took standard-dose folic acid,
Food-based vitamin D during pregnancy reduces allergies in children
Higher intake of foods containing vitamin D during pregnancy was associated with reduced risk of development of allergies in children, according to researchers. But, this
Junk food consumed late in pregnancy more harmful to the child
Junk food consumed late in pregnancy has the potential to be more harmful to the child – “Too much junk food consumed late in pregnancy for humans has the potential to be more harmful to the child than excess junk food early in the pregnancy,” says Dr Jessica Gugusheff, post-doctoral researcher in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at University of Adelaide.
Low birth weight African American women having higher incidence of type 2 diabetes
Low birth weight linked to higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in African American women – African American women born at a low or very low birth weight may be at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Breast milk purchased online may contain bacteria
Study Shows Buying Breast Milk Online is Likely to Cause Illness in Infants – More than three-fourths of breast milk samples purchased over the Internet contained bacteria that can cause illness, and frequently exhibited signs of poor collection, storage or shipping practices.
Good bacteria arrive from mum’s gut via breast milk
Breast is best: Good bacteria arrive from mum’s gut via breast milk – Another study is highlighting benefit of breastfeeding babies. Important ‘good’ bacteria arrive in babies’ digestive systems from their mother’s gut via breast milk, and this finding does confirm that when it comes to early establishment of gut and immune health, ‘breast is best’.
Early baby formula use helps mothers breastfeed longer
Early formula use helps some mothers breastfeed longer – Giving small amounts of formula in the first few days of life to infants experiencing high levels of early weight loss actually can increase the length of time their mothers end up breastfeeding, revealed by researchers at UC San Francisco, US.
Early pregnancy reduces breast cancer risk
How does pregnancy reduce breast cancer risk? – Being pregnant while young is known to protect a women against breast cancer. But why? Research in BioMed Central’s open access journal Breast Cancer Research finds that Wnt/Notch signalling ratio is decreased in the breast tissue of mice which have given birth, compared to virgin mice of the same age.
Stress in life may increase stillbirth risk
Stressful life events may increase stillbirth risk, NIH network study finds – Pregnant women who experienced financial, emotional, or other personal stress in the year before their delivery had an increased chance of having a stillbirth, say researchers. Stillbirth is the death of a fetus at 20 or more weeks of pregnancy. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2006, there was one stillbirth for every 167 births External Web Site Policy.
Caffeine during pregnancy linked to low birth weight babies
Coffee and tea during pregnancy affect fetal growth – Drinking just two cups of coffee a day is associated with the risk of low birth weight. Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have conducted a study on 59,000 women in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.