Category: Family Health

Why Marketing Claims for Infant Formula Should be Banned

Why Marketing Claims for Infant Formula Should be Banned

In May of this year, the British Medical Journal published a wonderful “Health and nutrition claims for infant formula are poorly substantiated and potentially harmful”.

Probably, many mothers, faced with the need to choose a formula for a child, were at a loss from the variety of infant formulas. What to choose? On one, for example, it is written that it will improve digestion, and on the other that it will strengthen the immune system. On the third – that it is hypoallergenic (and who wants to stuff a child with a “hyperallergenic” formula? – sarcasm).
An analysis of the available scientific data has shown that many of these statements are too bold and do not have sufficient scientific justification.
What can this lead to?
Replacing breastfeeding with artificial “in order to improve the health of the child” (we specially quote it) if the manufacturer of the mixture promises that it will somehow improve the health of the child.
In fact: if breastfeeding is possible, it is always preferable to artificial. The use of the mixture increases the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory and intestinal infections, obesity (PROBIT Study trial, JAMA, 2001, Rollins et al, Lancet, 2016). Reducing the duration of breastfeeding may increase the risk of breast cancer (Rollins et al, Lancet, 2016)

Trying to solve a child’s health problems by self-changing the formula may lead to an untimely visit to the doctor and the selection of treatment (for example, self-selection of a hypoallergenic formula in case of rashes in a child or replacing a regular formula with a formula that improves digestion in the presence of reflux or other gastro-intestinal disorders). intestinal complaints)

In fact: a hypoallergenic formula, for example, is a partial hydrolyzate designed to reduce the risk of developing allergies in a healthy child whose family has allergies, if this child requires formula in the first four months.
Even this statement is very controversial, since the accumulated scientific data on this topic are very contradictory. Moreover, if a child already has an allergy to milk proteins, a hypoallergenic mixture is highly likely to cause allergy symptoms in him as well.

In addition, given the huge volumes of formulas that babies consume per day in relation to their weight (if you calculate a similar portion of the formula for an adult male weighing 70 kg, this is about 11-14 liters per day), you need to understand that the effect of the formula on the child’s body huge. Therefore, if the formula somehow harms the child, this harm can be of tremendous importance. If the component of the formula has some scientifically based positive effect, then it should be indicated on all formulas with this component so as not to mislead the consumer.

We hope our brief review will help you to be more wary of formula marketing claims and discuss baby nutrition first and foremost with a doctor you trust.

You can read the entire article at this link

Wake up call on pre-teen mobile phone use at night

This World Sleep Day (March 15), Australia is waking up to the fact that around a quarter of children aged 7-8 are using mobile phones at night (between 10pm and 6am) when they should be sleeping.

It’s a worrying statistic which highlights an increasing use of mobile phones in the bedroom and is based on a survey of 180,700 Australian students, aged 7-19, between 2013-2018.

The project, undertaken by researchers from the University of South Australia’s (UniSA) Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre and UniSA Online, in partnership with Resilient Youth Australia, also highlights the negative mental health impacts on pre-teen children of using mobile phones at night.

While the marriage of mobile phone technology and social media is a well-known factor in keeping teenagers awake at night, UniSA Online’s Dr. Stephanie Centofanti says this research highlights how even younger children are negatively impacted by night-time mobile phone use.

“This is a huge data set and it provides us with a good snapshot of how Australian children are doing in terms of their wellbeing and technology use. It will enable us to identify ways to support children in this unprecedented technological age,” Dr. Centofanti says.

“Our research is based on surveys with primary and high school students in which we found that 83 per cent of those aged 17-18 had reported using phones between 10pm-6am more than once in the previous week.

“What may be considered more surprising is that 25 per cent of those aged 7-8 also reported the same use.

“Using smartphones at night is now common among children at that age and it will be a concern for parents and carers because not only does phone use impact negatively on sleep, but we are finding that it also increases angry or hurtful communication.”

One of the more obvious ways in which using a smart phone at night disrupts sleep, relates to the phone’s light which can disrupt circadian rhythms and cause havoc to the body’s biological clock.

This research highlighted other negative effects, indicating that night time phone use was associated with a fourfold increase in the odds of receiving hurtful messages and an almost threefold increase in the odds of being cyberbullied.

This can be equated to the way children use their phones at night, through the use of messaging and communicating on social media networks. But technology use isn’t all bad—the data also indicated that night time phone use facilitated friendship building.

“Technology is a part of young people’s lives and there are benefits to using these devices but we are also finding there’s a reliance on it, a physiological addiction, with anxiety felt by children when they are cut off from these devices,” Dr. Centofanti says.

“Technology use is creeping into the evening hours and this is having a big impact on the amount of sleep children are getting and the quality of sleep; children will wake up in the middle of the night, check their phone and send text messages.

“The other issue this raises is the flow over of bullying. Bullying that might have been confined to school days is now flowing over at night as children access [for example] social media accounts. Not surprisingly this can lead to difficulties falling asleep.

“The problem is that kids aren’t able to catch up on lost sleep by having a lie-in after staying up on their phones. They still need to wake up early for school, and shorter sleep times relate to poorer functioning the next day.

“Lack of sleep can lead to poorer academic outcomes and can negatively impact mood and communication skills which can be really detrimental for kids’ ability to maintain positive relationships.”

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When you go from a family of 3 to a family of 4



Wondering if having a second child will affect your marriage even more than baby number one did?

There’s no doubt that having a baby and changing from a couple into a family requires a lot of adjustment. But research shows that the adjustment period that follows a second child typically isn’t as long.

For most couples, the first month is the most challenging, but within four months, the quality of the marriage should be back to where it was before the second child arrived.

As with so many aspects of marriage, good communication is key. More important than the division of childcare responsibilities is clearly talking about who’s doing what, as well as working together to find solutions to problems that crop up. It also helps to have a network of support from family and friends.

Yet even couples who face a difficult transition and experience more disruption in their lives when they have a second child still return to their “pre-baby normal” by the fourth post-partum month, studies show.

Having navigated parenthood for the first time can give you the confidence you need to add to your family. And some advance planning for how you’ll manage after your second baby comes will ease the way to growing into a family of four.

Keep in mind that finding ways to handle the logistics of a new baby and helping your first child adjust to the new member of the family will also help ease the stress that both you and your spouse may feel during this time.

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Why drinking during pregnancy is still out

No matter your reason for your occasional drinking, though, there is one celebration you shouldn’t raise a drink to — pregnancy.

 (iStock)

For many Americans, alcohol is their social drink of choice. If you’re one of them, you might sip an occasional glass of wine or beer during a celebration or get-together with friends. You might not even care much for the taste, just the social pleasure and hospitality.

No matter your reason for your occasional drinking, though, there is one celebration you shouldn’t raise a drink to — pregnancy.

Contradicting Studies

Are you confused about the conflicting opinions on drinking during pregnancy? You might have heard from trusted friends, families or even doctors that you can consume small amounts of alcohol, but they may not have all the facts.

IDENTICAL TWINS GIVE BIRTH HOURS APART AT SAME HOSPITAL

In reality, studies aren’t giving anyone a conclusive answer to this long-questioned topic. Sometimes, the research suggests that minimal alcohol has no effect, and other times the drinking causes dangerous problems.

For example, one study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology followed more than 5,500 first-time pregnant mothers. During the course of the study (2004-2011), over half of them reported drinking alcohol during the first three months of pregnancy.

Specifically, 19 percent consumed alcohol occasionally, 25 percent consumed minimally (3-7 drinks per week) and 15 percent consumed heavily (more than 7 drinks per week). After several years of gathering data, the researchers found that rates of prematurity, low birth weight and pre-eclampsia stayed similar throughout all groups.

On the other end, a more recent 2016 study researched the effects of alcohol consumption before the 32-week mark. In this study published in BMJ Open, researchers reviewed data from 26 different studies.

Unlike the previous example, these researchers saw inconsistent results on alcohol’s effects. However, they did find a correlation between light drinking during pregnancy and pre-term delivery as well as low birth weight.

CONNECTING THE DOTS BETWEEN HPV AND ORAL CANCER

For these reasons, the team recommends that expectant mothers stay away from any alcohol during the course of their pregnancy. Again, until researchers can reach a more definite conclusion on the matter, mothers simply shouldn’t take the risk.

Health Dangers to Baby

While researchers haven’t pinpointed a conclusion on safe prenatal drinking, they do know that too much alcohol holds dangerous risks for the baby. According to the CDC, these risks include:

  • Low birth weight
  • Hyperactivity
  • Sleeping/nursing problems
  • Learning disabilities/delays
  • Poor vision/hearing
  • Medical issues with the heart, kidneys or bones
  • Small head/body size
  • Abnormal facial features
  • Miscarriage
  • Stillbirth

Why are there so many risks involved with alcohol consumption?

Any nutrients the mother takes in during pregnancy gets passed onto the baby through the umbilical cord. Unfortunately, alcohol doesn’t provide the baby with essential nutrients and raises the fetal blood alcohol level just as it does the mother. For a growing baby, that level can be toxic, leading to one or more of the above fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

How Much Is Too Much?

Despite the health risks to the baby, many expectant mothers in the U.S. still participate in drinking. In fact, according to the most recent CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report, about 1 out of every 10 pregnant women are consuming alcohol.

Not every baby will face challenges because of a mother’s drinking. Actually, many women may be encouraged to drink because a friend or family member had a successful pregnancy while consuming alcohol.

COULD RARE BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA THRIVE IN IRMA’S AFTERMATH?

However, the problem that medical experts continue to face is that the results are inconsistent. One contributing factor may be the level of enzymes that a mother has to break down the alcohol. Some women may have an increased level, helping them break down the alcohol more quickly and avoiding some dangers to the baby.

On the other hand, a woman with low enzyme levels may actually keep alcohol in her system for a longer time than normal. In this case, the alcohol consumption could harm the baby, and there is no way to tell which effect will happen.

In addition, it’s worth noting that major health organizations such as the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend avoiding alcohol entirely during pregnancy. Because researchers have not confirmed the safety of light drinking, pregnant mothers should heed this advice.

Many women like drinking alcohol for social pleasure and celebration. However, researchers have not been able to identify a safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy because the results can vary from person to person. Because of dangerous health problems that alcohol could cause for the baby, mothers simply shouldn’t take the risk. Keep your baby safe and stay away from drinking during pregnancy.

This article first appeared on AskDrManny.com.

Dr. Manny Alvarez serves as Fox News Channel’s senior managing health editor. He also serves as chairman of the department of obstetrics/gynecology and reproductive science at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. For more information on Dr. Manny’s work, visit AskDrManny.com.

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Identical twins give birth hours apart at same hospital

Identical twin sisters who both partnered with men named William gave birth just hours apart from each other at the same Massachusetts hospital last month. Rachael McGeoch and Beccy Pistone, 34, said they’ve gone through life doing everything together, and had joked about the possibility of having their babies on the same day, the Daily News reported.

McGeoch’s due date was estimated for Aug. 1, but after two weeks of little progress, Pistone traveled with her fiancé, who goes by Todd, to Cambridge from their home in Cape Cod to be near her.

TEEN WITH ‘RAPUNZEL SYNDROME’ DIES FROM EATING HER OWN HAIR

“Twin Power: After 2.5 days of trying to induce me and nothing working, we knew we needed to be together,” McGeoch wrote in an Aug. 20 Facebook post. “Bec came up to Boston to hold my hand and I finally went into active labor. As she and Bill were supporting me, she went into labor too.”

The two were admitted to Mount Auburn Hospital in rooms next door to each other, and while Pistone labored all night, she was able to hear the moment her nephew was born.

“Bec and crew were banging on the walls as they heard our baby William born at 10:41pm!” McGeoch wrote. “Bec labored all night and morning but had not made much progress, the baby was in the wrong position and she was stalled. We knew she need some inspiration.”

McGeoch said staff helped her sneak William over to his aunt for a visit so she could hold him.

“We sat with her and shortly after she was fully dilated and pushed Andi out in 24 mins! So they are only 20 hours apart!!” McGeoch wrote.

BABY BORN 4 MONTHS PREMATURE READY TO HEAD HOME

The new mom told the Daily News that she thinks the babies take after their dads.

“There are so many awesome things about being a twin but this might take the cake!” she wrote on Facebook. “Big thanks to Bec and Todd for forfeiting their plans to have Andi at Cape Cod Hospital, to our families who were all there supporting us and to all the Midwives, Nurses and staff at Mt. Auburn Hospital who understood the twin connection and made this all possible.” 

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Nevada campaign urges women not to use pot while pregnant

LAS VEGAS –  The state of Nevada is preparing a public information campaign to address the use of marijuana by pregnant women and highlight the potential harm the drug can do to a fetus.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports  public service TV and radio advertisements will be airing in December in response to research that shows more pregnant woman are using pot.

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A federal study last year found that marijuana use by pregnant women in the U.S. increased from 2.4 percent in 2002 to 3.9 percent in 2014.

In 2015, before Nevada legalized marijuana for adult use, self-reported data from women indicated that 5.5 percent used the drug during pregnancy.

Dr. John DiMuro, Nevada’s chief health officer, said more recent reports from hospitals suggest more expectant mothers are using marijuana.

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Study prompts call to examine flu vaccine and miscarriage

Health officials say there is no reason to change the government recommendation that all pregnant women be vaccinated against the flu.

 (AP)

NEW YORK –  A puzzling study of U.S. pregnancies found that women who had miscarriages between 2010 and 2012 were more likely to have had back-to-back annual flu shots that included protection against swine flu.

Vaccine experts think the results may reflect the older age and other miscarriage risks for the women, and not the flu shots. Health officials say there is no reason to change the government recommendation that all pregnant women be vaccinated against the flu. They say the flu itself is a much greater danger to women and their fetuses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reached out to a doctor’s group, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, to warn them the study is coming out and help them prepare for a potential wave of worry from expectant moms, CDC officials said.

"I want the CDC and researchers to continue to investigate this," said Dr. Laura Riley, a Boston-based obstetrician who leads a committee on maternal immunization. "But as an advocate for pregnant women, what I hope doesn’t happen is that people panic and stop getting vaccinated."

Past studies have found flu vaccines are safe during pregnancy, though there’s been little research on impact of flu vaccinations given in the first three months of pregnancy.

This study focused only on miscarriages, which occur in the first 19 weeks of pregnancy and are common. As many as half of pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to a March of Dimes estimate that tries to include instances in which the miscarriage occurs before a women even realizes she was pregnant.

Flu and its complications kill thousands of Americans every year. The elderly, young children and pregnant women are especially at risk. When a new "swine flu" strain emerged in 2009, it killed 56 U.S. pregnant women that year, according to the CDC.

The study’s authors, two of whom are CDC researchers, saw a big difference when they looked at women who had miscarried within 28 days of getting a shot that included protection against swine flu, but it was only when the women also had had a flu shot the previous season.

They found 17 of 485 miscarriages they studied involved women whose vaccinations followed that pattern. Just four of a comparable 485 healthy pregnancies involved women who were vaccinated that way.

The first group also had more women who were at higher risk for miscarriage, like older moms and smokers and those with diabetes. The researchers tried to make statistical adjustments to level out some of those differences but some researchers don’t think they completely succeeded.

Other experts said they don’t believe a shot made from killed flu virus could trigger an immune system response severe enough to prompt a miscarriage. And the authors said they couldn’t rule out the possibility that exposure to swine flu itself was a factor in some miscarriages.

Two other medical journals rejected the article before a third, Vaccine, accepted it. Dr. Gregory Poland, Vaccine’s editor-in-chief, said it was a well-designed study that raised a question that shouldn’t be ignored. But he doesn’t believe flu shots caused the miscarriages. "Not at all," said Poland, who also is director of vaccine research at the Mayo Clinic.

Though this study may cause worry and confusion, it is evidence "of just how rigorous and principled our vaccine safety monitoring system is," said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University vaccine policy expert.

Some of the same researchers are working on a larger study looking at more recent data to see if a possible link between swine flu vaccine and miscarriage holds up, said James Donahue, a study author from the Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. The results aren’t expected until next year at the earliest, he said.

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This story has been corrected to say that Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is based in Wisconsin.

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Is it safe to get vaccines when you’re pregnant?

Vaccines made with live strains of a virus could potentially transmit the virus to the baby.

 (iStock)

Certain vaccines are actually recommended during pregnancy: the Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis), which helps protect against whooping cough, as well as the flu shot.

You can get the flu shot during any trimester or before pregnancy, depending on whether it’s flu season when you’re expecting. Experts generally recommend that pregnant women get the Tdap between the 27- and 36-week marks.

MIDDLE-AGE WOMEN CAN CHOOSE PAP SMEAR OR HPV TEST FOR CANCER SCREENING

Any friends and family members who will spend time around your newborn should get these vaccines, too.

Then there are the vaccines you definitely should not get if you’re pregnant. Types made with live strains of a virus could potentially transmit the virus to the baby.

The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is a live-virus vaccine; women are advised to wait at least a month after receiving it before getting pregnant. Same goes for the varicella vaccine (for chicken pox).

MENOPAUSE HORMONE THERAPY NOT LINKED TO PREMATURE DEATH

Many women received these vaccines as children, but your doctor will want to make sure you’re immune by doing a pre-pregnancy blood test.

Rubella, for example, can cause serious birth defects if a pregnant woman gets infected—so it’s important to make sure you’re up-to-date on all vaccinations before you try to conceive.

This article first appeared on Health.com.

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Pregnant woman allegedly set on fire by boyfriend gives birth 7 weeks early

Laquinn Phillips, 34, is accused of setting his girlfriend, Andrea Grinage, 30, on fire.

 (Prince George’s County Police Departmen)

A pregnant woman who was allegedly set on fire by her boyfriend in Maryland gave birth seven weeks early to a baby girl, reports said.

Laquinn Phillips, 34, is accused of setting his girlfriend, Andrea Grinage, 30, on fire during a domestic incident just before 12 p.m. Friday at their apartment in Capitol Heights, FOX5 DC reported. Grinage banged on neighbors’ door looking for help, suffering from severe burns throughout her body.

"She was very brave," Prince George’s County police spokesperson Jennifer Donelan said. "We want her family to know how brave she was, suffering as badly as she was, critically burned, worried about her unborn child, dealing with those injuries and was able to share that information with us so that we could get moving with our investigation and locate this person."

This is Andrea Grinage, per sister. She's woman set on fire by boyfriend. May have saved family by warning boyfriend was coming. @fox5dc pic.twitter.com/28doVAZGWi

— Evan Lambert (@EvanLambertTV) September 9, 2017

Police said they could see smoke billowing from the second and third floors of the apartment building.

Grinage went into early labor when she was rushed to the hospital. She and her newborn girl are in critical condition, the victim’s mother told the news station.

Phillips was arrested after he turned himself in. He faces charges including first and second-degree attempted murder, arson and assault. 

PGFD Video U/D Elkwood Lane fire is out – 1 civilian burn patient tx to hospital – cause appears suspicious – fire investigators on location pic.twitter.com/vLn8rLRDGV

— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) September 8, 2017

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51-year-old grandmother gives birth to 5th child

Lynn Cooper, not pictured, gave birth to son Harrison after one round of IVF.

 (iStock)

An Australian grandmother who had her first child 30 years ago and has 10 grandchildren defied odds when she gave birth to her fifth child at the age of 51. 

Lynn Cooper, of Gold Coast, Australia, and her husband Brad, 34, welcomed their son, Harrison, nearly four years after having their first daughter, Mia, 9News Australia reported. Cooper said it only took one round of IVF for her to become pregnant.

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"They were a little bit astonished because they couldn’t believe that," Cooper told 9News.

A grandmother who had her first child 30 years ago has defied medical odds to give birth again at 51. #9Newshttps://t.co/oMnHjjgiTY

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) September 12, 2017

"I actually breezed through it," she added. 

Cooper said she and her husband met more than a decade ago online and after they got married, the topic of children came up.

"She was willing to give it a go, have a look at least," Brad Cooper said.

Cooper, who was 47 at the time of her first pregnancy, said specialists were unwilling to provide IVF treatment because of her age. The window of success for the treatment decreases as a woman becomes older. A doctor finally agreed and said she encountered no problems during the pregnancy. 

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The grandmother said she has three children from a previous relationship and initially didn’t think of having more children. Her older children also have 10 children.

"You’re only as old as you feel," Cooper said. "I will always stand by my kids."

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Woman in a coma with brain cancer gives birth at 24 weeks gestation

Carrie Deklyn found out she was pregnant with her sixth child just two weeks after being diagnosed with glioblastoma.

 (Cure 4 Carrie )

A 37-year-old woman who has been in a coma since July, gave birth to a baby girl via emergency cesarean section on Wednesday, at just 24 weeks gestation. The baby, named Life Lynn, is the youngest of Carrie Deklyen’s six children, and weighs 1 lbs., 4 ounces.

Dekylen, of Wyoming, Michigan, discovered she was pregnant in April, just two weeks after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. She underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and, along with her husband, Nick, chose to forego a clinical trial in order to protect the baby.

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“I asked her what she wanted to do. She said, ‘We are keeping it,’” Nick told ABC News on Aug. 15. “That was always my choice too, but I wanted her to decide because it was her life we were talking about.”

The family started the “Cure 4 Carrie” Facebook page and a GoFundMe page to keep supporters updated on Dekylen and Life. A September 2 post indicated that Dekylen, who has been on life support at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor since suffering a stroke five weeks ago, is completely unresponsive.

“I just spoke with Nick and he wanted me to update,” Sonya Nelson, Deklyen’s sister-in-law, posted on the Facebook page. “We have tried to share Carrie’s story without being negative, but the bottom line is we need to share the reality of the situation. Carrie is not doing well. For the past few days she has been completely unresponsive, she is not even responding to pain.”

Nelson said that Life was measuring in the 3 percentile for her gestational age at the time, and that the family was asking for prayers. On Thursday, Nelson said that doctors were pleased with Life’s status.

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Previous posts had stated that Dekylen’s tumor was showing rapid growth, and doctors were forced to drain fluid from her brain several times. Doctors had hoped to delay delivery until 28 weeks gestation, but a decline in both Life and Dekylen’s health had forced them to act earlier. A post on July 30 said doctors had planned to turn off life support once the baby had been delivered.

In addition to Life, the couple’s children range in ages from 18 to 2, and Nick said that while the older ones understand the circumstances, the younger ones are relatively unaware.

“The older ones obviously understand everything so it is very hard on them,” he told ABC News. “They love their mother and know what they are losing. We talk about good times and laugh and then sometimes we just cry because we just so much. The younger two do not really understand what is happening.”

He said Nelson has been helping to watch the children, and that “we tell them that Mommy is really sick.” 

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Police officer delivers baby on side of highway

Sgt. Nick Cicale, pictured with baby Carlos and his parents, helped to safely deliver the newborn on the side of a highway.

 (Fox 5 DC.)

A police officer in Maryland is being credited with the safe delivery of a baby boy after the newborn’s father flagged him down while en route to the hospital. Sgt. Nick Cicale, of Prince George’s County Police Department, found the distressed couple along the East-West Highway in University Park, Fox 5 DC reported.

The father, who was not identified, said he was trying to get his wife to the hospital but that her labor was too far progressed. Less than five minutes after Cicale radioed to dispatch that a female was in labor, he radioed again to say “baby is out.”

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The baby, who was named Carlos, and his unidentified mother were then taken to a nearby hospital. Cicale later visited with the family, Fox 5 DC reported.

“I am so happy I was able to help this family on this incredible night and to be the first to hold little Carols,” Cicale said in a statement, according to the news outlet. “I am glad he is healthy. I will never forget that night.” 

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