Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Infant's Health, Stress
Published Discrimination during pregnancy can affect infant's brain circuitry



Experiences of discrimination and acculturation are known to have a detrimental effect on a person's health. For pregnant women, these painful experiences can also affect the brain circuitry of their children, a new study finds. These effects, the researchers say, are separate from those caused by general stress and depression. The study was published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Published Spike in premature births caused by COVID, halted by vaccines, study finds



COVID-19 caused an alarming surge in premature births, but vaccines were key to returning the early birth rate to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new analysis of California birth records.
Published Wearables capture body sounds to continuously monitor health



From heart beats to stomach gurgles, sounds hold important health information. New wireless devices sit on skin to continuously capture these sounds, then stream data to smartphones or tablets in real time. In pilot studies, devices accurately tracked sounds associated with cardiorespiratory function, gastrointestinal activity, swallowing and respiration. The devices are particularly valuable for premature babies, who can experience apneas and gastrointestinal complications, which are accompanied by sounds.
Published High levels of maternal stress during pregnancy linked to children's behavior problems



Children whose mothers are highly stressed, anxious or depressed during pregnancy may be at higher risk for mental health and behavior issues during their childhood and teen years, according to new research.
Published Exposure to air pollution in utero may affect reproductive system development



From invisible wafts of diesel exhaust to sun-choking plumes of orange smoke, air pollution is known to damage respiratory well-being. Now, research suggests another reason to hold our breath: Polluted air also may hurt reproductive health. In a study of air pollution data in relation to markers of reproductive development in infancy, Rutgers researchers found certain pollutants may negatively alter anogenital distance, a measure of prenatal exposure to hormones.
Published Delaying cord clamping could halve risk of death in premature babies



Two new studies have given further weight to the benefits of delayed cord clamping, finding waiting for at least 2 minutes to clamp the umbilical cord of premature babies at birth could decrease the child's risk of death.
Published Early-life stress changes more genes in brain than a head injury



A surprising thing happened when researchers began exploring whether early-life stress compounds the effects of a childhood head injury on health and behavior later in life: In an animal study, stress changed the activation level of many more genes in the brain than were changed by a bump to the head.
Published Umbilical cord milking appears to be safe in preterm infants born after 28 weeks



A treatment to move blood from the umbilical cord into an infant's body may provide a safe option for preterm infants born after 28 weeks who need rapid support, suggests a new study. The procedure, called umbilical cord milking, involves gently squeezing the cord between the thumb and forefinger and pushing the blood into the newborn's abdomen. The new findings suggest that concerns raised by a 2019 study of infants born before 28 weeks -- which concluded that umbilical cord milking might increase the risk of bleeding inside the brain -- do not apply to preterm infants born after 28 weeks.
Published Why we don't all develop posttraumatic stress disorder after trauma



Researchers show why only a subset of individuals exposed to trauma develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research, centered on the body's stress hormone response, could pave the way for more targeted treatments for PTSD.
Published Paid family leave boosted postpartum wellbeing, breastfeeding rates



A new study has found postpartum individuals living in states with generous mandated paid family and medical leave (PFML) are more likely to breastfeed and less likely to experience postpartum depression symptoms compared to those living in states with little or no mandated state-paid leave. The findings were even more pronounced among lower-income populations covered by Medicaid.
Published New clues to the mechanism behind treatment-resistant depression



Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a widespread mental health condition that for many is disabling. It has long been appreciated that MDD has genetic as well as environmental influences. In a new study researchers identify a gene that interacted with stress to mediate aspects of treatment-resistant MDD in an animal model.
Published Antibiotics for common childhood infections no longer effective



Alarmingly high rates of bacterial resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics used to treat children and babies has been found in the Asia-Pacific.
Published Zika infection in pregnant macaques slows fetal growth



Zika virus infection in pregnant rhesus macaques slows fetal growth and affects how infants and mothers interact in the first month of life, according to a new study. The work has implications for both humans exposed to Zika virus and for other viruses that can cross the placenta, including SARS-CoV2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published New technology 'game changing' for pregnant women with diabetes



New research shows that automated insulin delivery technology could be a game changer for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. The technology -- known as 'hybrid closed-loop technology' -- gives insulin doses as informed by a smartphone algorithm. The new study shows that it could help pregnant women better manager their blood sugars compared to traditional insulin pumps or multiple daily injections. Lead researcher Prof Helen Murphy from UEA said: 'This technology is game changing, in that it will allow more women to have safer, healthier, more enjoyable pregnancies, with potential for lifelong benefits for their babies.'
Published Probiotics delivered in biofilm state protect the intestines and brain in NEC model



Researchers have been working on a novel solution to prevent NEC. They have developed a novel probiotic system that harnesses the durability of biofilms to improve the administration of probiotics to patients. Their latest study describes the use of a biofilm formulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (Lr) to prevent NEC in a piglet model.
Published What do new moms and roaches have in common?



Researchers are studying the dramatic physical transformation that some insects undergo to give birth to live young. This includes suppressing their immune systems to accommodate babies, which is something some insects and people have in common. Understanding how these systems work can help improve treatments for fibromyalgia and other immune disorders. An international team of researchers has examined the complex structural and physiological changes that take place in Hawaii's beetle-mimic cockroaches, which give birth to live young.
Published No universal body image experience in pregnancy



A new study analysing almost 9,400 responses has discovered large variations in how pregnancy can affect women's perceptions of their body. The research is believed to be the first meta-analysis comparing pregnant women and the general female population. Negative body image during pregnancy is known to have serious adverse effects for both mother and baby.
Published How brain inflammation in children may cause neurological disorders



Severe inflammation in early childhood is a clinically known risk factor for developing autism and schizophrenia. Now, scientists have discovered that inflammation alters the development of vulnerable brain cells, and this could have mechanistic links to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Published Discovery reveals fragile X syndrome begins developing even before birth



Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, may be unfolding in brain cells even before birth, despite typically going undiagnosed until age 3 or later. A new study showed that FMRP, a protein deficient in individuals with fragile X syndrome, has a role in the function of mitochondria, part of a cell that produces energy, during prenatal development.
Published Maternal obesity predicts heart disease risk better than pregnancy complications



Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes have recently been associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life. But a new study has found obesity before or during pregnancy is the actual root cause of future cardiovascular disease. “We demonstrate, for the first time, that adverse pregnancy outcomes are primarily indicators — and not the root cause — of future heart health,” said corresponding author Dr. Sadiya Khan. “This means that pregnancy just reveals the risk for heart disease that is already there.” This large, multi-center and diverse study is one of the only studies to follow its participants — about half of whom were overweight or had obesity — from the beginning of their first pregnancy through several years postpartum.