Diabetes in Pregnancy Raises Risk of Future Diabetes

Diabetes in Pregnancy Raises Risk of Future Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, gestational diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies. Some women with gestational diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes years later.African-American women are less likely than other women to develop gestational diabetes in the first place. When they do, they are 52% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes in the future than white women who have gestational diabetes.The new study is published in Diabetologia."Women who have gestational diabetes should be advised about diet and exercise and to watch out for other diabetes risk factors.
And this is particularly important for African-American women," says study researcher Anny H. Xiang, MD. She is a senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, Calif.The reasons that African-American women face a higher risk for developing diabetes in the future are not known. But the prevention message is clear. "These women need screening to see if their blood sugar or glucose is elevated, and they should engage in more exercise and watch their weight," Xiang says.Exercise and weight loss can lower diabetes risk.For the study, researchers reviewed information on 77,666 women who gave birth from 1995 to 2009.
An African-American woman's risk of developing diabetes was almost 10 times greater if she had developed gestational diabetes during a past pregnancy than if she did not.By contrast, non-Hispanic white women were 6.5 times more likely to develop diabetes if they had gestational diabetes. Hispanic women were 7.7 times more likely to develop diabetes if they had diabetes during pregnancy. Asian/Pacific Islander women were 6.3 times more likely to develop diabetes if they had a history of gestational diabetes.The new findings suggest that a woman's race and ethnicity should be a factor during counseling about diabetes risk after pregnancy, Xiang says.

Diet Soda Found to Cause Premature Birth

A new research study, which included nearly 60,000 pregnant women in Denmark, found that those who drink artificially sweetened beverages (carbonated or not) were more likely to have a premature birth. The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.1The researchers found that one serving per day of artificially sweetened, carbonated drinks were 38% more likely to give birth before 37 weeks of gestation (1.38 AOR). Those who consumed four servings of these drinks were 78% more likely to have a premature delivery (1.78 AOR).Dr. Shelly McGuire, a spokesman for the American Society of Nutrition, was quoted as saying "Certainly, until more experimental work is done, this study suggests that pregnant women should steer clear of artificially sweetened drinks."2.Maybe the words "pregnant women" could be replaced with "everyone" in that statement?According to a whole host of experts, it should be so. Soft drinks in general, in fact, should be avoided according to health practitioners and authors Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, James Duke, Marion Nestle; to name a few.3The abstract for this latest study by Dr.

Thornallur Haldorsson, principal author, says that soft drinks in general are suspected of many adverse health effects:"Sugar-sweetened soft drinks have been linked to a number of adverse health outcomes such as high weight gain. Therefore, artificially sweetened soft drinks are often promoted as an alternative. However, the safety of artificial sweeteners has been disputed, and consequences of high intakes of artificial sweeteners for pregnant women have been minimally addressed."Results in the study were cross-referenced with women who consumed sugar-sweetened soft drinks. It was found that the possible causative was clearly the artificial sweeteners, rather than the soda or other ingredients. Both carbonated and non-carbonated drinks were included as well with the same result.The actual physical change that causes the rise in premature birth rates is not known, according to the study's authors.

Artificial sweeteners have been connected to a host of adverse health effects, so it's likely that doctors could just take their pick here.4 The study did point out that most of the premature births were due to medical induction rather than spontaneous delivery and removing data from women diagnosed with preeclampsia also had little effect on the odds for premature delivery and sweetener intake. With all of the other things eliminated as suspects by the authors, it's clear that the artificial sweeteners are changing a fundamental aspect of pregnancy that is usually not measured.This could include hormone production, muscular or cellular function, or another chemical interaction. Aspartame, for instance, breaks down into three major chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. Methanol oxidizes into formaldehyde and then formic acid, both of which are toxic. These can accumulate in the body and have been linked to premature birth in primate studies.So, from kidney function loss to cancer to premature birth, these sweeteners sure do have a lot going for them.
　　

How Can You Gain the Right Amount of Weight During Pregnancy

If your health care provider recommends gaining more weight during pregnancy, here are some suggestions:
Eat five to six small, frequent meals every day.
Keep quick, easy snacks on hand, such as nuts, raisins, cheese and crackers, dried fruit, and ice cream/yogurt.
Spread peanut butter on toast, crackers, apples, bananas, or celery. One tablespoon of creamy peanut butter will provide about 100 calories and seven grams of protein.
Add nonfat powdered milk to foods such as mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and hot cereal.
Add condiments to your meal, such as butter or margarine, cream cheese, gravy, sour cream, and cheese.

Goals for Eating When Pregnant

Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Recommended daily servings include 6-11 servings of breads and grains, two to four servings of fruit, four or more servings of vegetables, four servings of dairy products, and three servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts). Use fats and sweets sparingly.Choose foods high in fiber that are enriched such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals in your daily diet while pregnant. You should take a prenatal vitamin supplement to make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day.
Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal vitamin for you.Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1000-1300 mg of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy.Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day to ensure you are getting 27 mg of iron daily.Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, papaya, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes, and mustard greens.
Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a day.Choose at least one good source of folic acid every day, like dark green leafy vegetables, veal, and legumes (lima beans, black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day. Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens, apricots, and cantaloupe. Know that excessive vitamin A intake (>10,000 IU/day) may be associated with fetal malformations.

pregnant women should take 4000 IU of vitamin D a day

Mothers who took 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily cut their risk of premature delivery by half, in a study conducted by researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina and presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver."We never imagined it would have as far-reaching effects as what we have seen," lead author Carol Wagner said. "The message is that all pregnant women should be supplementing with 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D."Researchers assigned 494 women between their 12th and 16th weeks of pregnancy to take either 400 IU, 2,000 IU or 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. They found that the more vitamin D a pregnant woman took, the higher the levels of the vitamin in her blood and in that of the child at birth.Higher levels of vitamin D were significantly associated with a lower risk of infection, preterm labor and preterm birth.　

Premature birth is the foremost cause of newborn death in Canada.Vitamin D has long been known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones, and newer research has implicated it in maintaining a healthy immune system and preventing infection, cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Yet for a long time, researchers falsely believed that the vitamin could cause birth defects.Later, researchers discovered that the defects initially attributed to vitamin D were caused by a genetic defect that affected the vitamin's metabolism in the body."For 30-plus years it was dogma that [vitamin D in pregnancy] was dangerous, that you didn't need very much and what you did need you could get from just casual sunlight exposure," Wagner said. "What we know now, from a decade of very intensive research, is that that's not the case."Wagner cautioned that even though the study took place in South Carolina, 85 percent of participants had insufficient vitamin D levels when the study began."This is even more important for Canadians," Wagner said. "You're at a much higher latitude. The best that you can have is probably six months of sunlight exposure, at your lowest latitude, where you can actually make vitamin D."
　　

Is High Blood Pressure Linked to Birth Defects

These findings run counter to a 2006 study that showed women who took ACE inhibitors -- but not other blood-pressure-lowering drugs -- during the first trimester were at greater risk for having babies with heart malformations and other types of birth defects.The new study suggests that it may be the underlying high blood pressure that increases the risk of birth defects, regardless of treatment. Women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy were at greater risk for all types of birth defects, particularly heart malformations and neural tube defects.The findings appear in the journal BMJ.ACE inhibitors taken during the second and third trimester of pregnancy have been previously linked to birth defects. These drugs must carry a “black box” warning from the FDA concerning these risks. A black box warning is the FDA's most serious warning.Researchers analyzed data on 465,754 pairs of moms and babies from 1995 to 2008, including information on which medications they were taking.

Overall, women who took any blood pressure medication as well as those with untreated high blood pressure were more likely to have a baby with some type of birth defect.The new study did not look at how high blood pressure during early pregnancy results in birth defects, but Li suggests that it may reduce blood flow to the developing fetusThe findings are somewhat reassuring for women who became pregnant while they are taking ACE inhibitors, says Howard Strassner, MD. He is the chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.About half of all pregnancies are unplanned, so many women may be taking high blood pressure medications when they learn they are pregnant.

 ACE inhibitors are commonly prescribed to lower blood pressure.Women who have any underlying medical conditions, including high blood pressure, should ideally discuss these issues with their doctor before they become pregnant, says Eva K. Pressman, MD. She is professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of maternal and fetal medicine at the University of Rochester."In the ideal world, they would change medications first, but if they are on an ACE inhibitor and become pregnant, they can switch to another by second trimester," she says.Treating high blood pressure during pregnancy is important, she says. Women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy are at risk for complications including preterm birth and preeclampsia, a potentially fatal pregnancy-related condition, she says."

The data would suggest that there may be a modest increase in the risk of certain birth defects among women with hypertension, whether it is treated or not," says Allen A. Mitchell, MD, in an email. Mitchell, the director of the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University Schools of Public Health & Medicine in Boston, wrote an editorial accompanying the new study."Apart from adopting lifestyle behaviors that might reduce the likelihood of developing hypertension (such as diet and exercise), women who do have hypertension may actually take some reassurance from this and earlier reports because they suggest that the medications used to control hypertension do not seem themselves to pose a substantial risk to the fetus,” he says."At the same time, it is important for the health of both mother and infant to control maternal hypertension, since the complications of this condition can be quite serious to both."

Why pregnant women should take 4000 IU of vitamin D a day

Mothers who took 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily cut their risk of premature delivery by half, in a study conducted by researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina and presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver."We never imagined it would have as far-reaching effects as what we have seen," lead author Carol Wagner said. "The message is that all pregnant women should be supplementing with 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D."Researchers assigned 494 women between their 12th and 16th weeks of pregnancy to take either 400 IU, 2,000 IU or 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day.
They found that the more vitamin D a pregnant woman took, the higher the levels of the vitamin in her blood and in that of the child at birth.Higher levels of vitamin D were significantly associated with a lower risk of infection, preterm labor and preterm birth.Premature birth is the foremost cause of newborn death in Canada.Vitamin D has long been known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones, and newer research has implicated it in maintaining a healthy immune system and preventing infection, cancer, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Yet for a long time, researchers falsely believed that the vitamin could cause birth defects.
Later, researchers discovered that the defects initially attributed to vitamin D were caused by a genetic defect that affected the vitamin's metabolism in the body."For 30-plus years it was dogma that [vitamin D in pregnancy] was dangerous, that you didn't need very much and what you did need you could get from just casual sunlight exposure," Wagner said. "What we know now, from a decade of very intensive research, is that that's not the case."Wagner cautioned that even though the study took place in South Carolina, 85 percent of participants had insufficient vitamin D levels when the study began."This is even more important for Canadians," Wagner said. "You're at a much higher latitude. The best that you can have is probably six months of sunlight exposure, at your lowest latitude, where you can actually make vitamin D."
　　

exercises that will help you stay fit during your pregnancy

Remember: Before you start any exercise program, consult with your health care provider. Your health care provider can give you personal exercise guidelines, based on your medical history.Stretching exercise make the muscles limber and warm which can be especially helpful when you're pregnant. Here are some simple stretches you can perform before or after exercise.Neck rotation: Relax your neck and shoulders. Drop your head forward. Slowly rotate your head to your right shoulder, back to the middle, and over the left shoulder. Complete four, slow rotations in each direction.Shoulder rotation: Bring your shoulders forward and then rotate them up toward your ears and then back down. Do four rotations in each direction.Swim: Place your arms at your sides. Bring your right arm up and extend your body forward and twist to the side, as if swimming the crawl stroke. Follow with left arm. Do the sequence ten times.Thigh shift: Stand with one foot about two feet in front of the other, toes pointed in the same direction. Lean forward, supporting your weight on the forward thigh. Change sides and repeat. Do four on each side.Leg shake: Sit with your legs and feet extended.

 Move the legs up and down in a gentle shaking motionAnkle rotation: Sit with your legs extended and keep your toes relaxed. Rotate your feet, making large circles. Use your whole foot and ankle. Rotate four times on the right and four times on the left.Kegel Exercises During Pregnancy.Kegel exercises help strengthen the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowels. By strengthening these muscles during your pregnancy, you can develop the ability to relax and control the muscles in preparation for labor and birth. Kegel exercises are also highly recommended during the postpartum period to promote the healing of perineal tissues, increase the strength of the pelvic floor muscles and help these muscles return to a healthy state, and also increase urinary control.To do Kegels, imagine you are trying to stop the flow of urine or trying not to pass gas. When you do this, you are contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor and are practicing Kegel exercises. While doing Kegel exercises, try not to move your leg, buttock, or abdominal muscles.
 In fact, no one should be able to tell that you are doing Kegel exercises. So you can do them anywhere!We recommend doing five sets of Kegel exercises a day. Each time you contract the muscles of the pelvic floor, hold for a slow count of five and then relax. Repeat this ten times for one set of Kegels.Tailor sit: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and ankles crossed. Lean slightly forward, and keep your back straight but relaxed. Use this position whenever possible throughout the dayTailor press: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and the bottoms of your feet together. Grasp your ankles and pull your feet gently toward your body. Place your hands under your knees. Inhale. While pressing your knees down against your hands, press your hands up against your knees (counter-pressure). Hold for a count of five.

Your First Prenatal Doctor's Visit

As soon as you suspect you're pregnant, schedule an appointment with your pregnancy health care provider, such as an obstetrician/gynecologist. Even if you've confirmed your suspicion with a home pregnancy test, it's still wise to follow-up with an appointment. This will ensure that you and your baby get off to a good start.

Why Is Prenatal Care Important?Regular appointments with your health care provider throughout your pregnancy are important to ensure the health of you and your baby. In addition to medical care, prenatal care includes education on pregnancy and childbirth, plus counseling and support.Frequent visits with your healthcare provider allow you to follow the progress of your baby's development. Visits also give you the opportunity to ask questions. Also, most healthcare providers welcome your partner at each visit, as well as interested family members.

What Happens at My First Medical Visit for Prenatal Care?
The first visit is designed to confirm your pregnancy and to determine your general health. In addition, the visit will give your healthcare provider clues to any risk factors that may affect your pregnancy. It will typically be longer than future visits. The purpose of the prenatal visit is to:Determine your due date.Find out your health history.Explore the medical history of family members.Determine if you have any pregnancy risk factors based on your age, health and/or personal and family history.You will be asked about previous pregnancies and surgeries, medical conditions and exposure to any contagious diseases. Also, notify your healthcare provider about any medications (prescription or over-the-counter) you have taken or are currently takingDo not hesitate to ask your provider any question you may have. Most likely, those are the questions your provider hears most often!

Here are some questions you may want to ask. Print or write them down, add to them, and take them to your appointment.
What is my due date?
Do I need prenatal vitamins?
Are the symptoms I'm experiencing normal?
Is it normal not to experience certain symptoms?
Is there anything I can take for morning sickness?
What are the specific recommendations regarding weight gain, exercise and nutrition?
What activities, foods, substances (for example, medicine, caffeine and alternative sweeteners like Equal) should I avoid?
Can I have sex while I am pregnant?
For what symptoms should I call you?
What is the definition of a high-risk pregnancy? Am I considered to be high risk?

Common painkiller drugs lead to male infertility

(NaturalNews) Phthalates, bisphenol-A (BPA), and other environmental toxins are now widely known to disrupt proper hormone function in humans, but a new study has revealed that common painkillers like aspirin and ibuprofen are far worse. According to scientists from Denmark, Finland, and France, pregnant women who take painkiller drugs have a significantly higher risk of bearing baby boys with reproductive problems than pregnant women who do not.Published in the journal Human Reproduction, the study draws urgent attention to the serious dangers associated with painkiller drugs.
Pregnant women who take any painkiller drugs during their second trimester double their risk of having a baby boy with cryptorchidism, a condition in which the boy's testicles do not properly descend due to inadequate testosterone production. And taking more than one painkiller drug during the second trimester raises that risk by a whopping 1,600 percent."A single paracetamol tablet [500mg] contains more endocrine disruptor potency than the combined exposure to the 10 most prevalent of the currently known environmental endocrine disruptors during the whole pregnancy," explained Dr. Henrik Leffers, senior scientist at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen and author of the study."In fact, a single tablet will, for most women, be at least a doubling of the exposure to the known endocrine disruptors during the pregnancy and that dose comes on a single day, not spread out over nine months as with the environmental endocrine disruptors.
 Thus, for women using mild analgesics during the pregnancy, the mild analgesics will be by far the largest exposure to endocrine disruptors."Taking painkiller drugs is largely considered to have no significant risks associated with it, so millions of people pop them every time they have an ache or pain. And use of such painkillers is quite common among pregnant women as well, with more than 57 percent of Danish mothers admitting in a telephone survey they used them.The modern world seems to be a minefield of assault against the male reproductive system. Even laptop computers are a threat, heating up male genitalia to temperatures so high that reproductive function becomes impaired (http://www.naturalnews.com/030326_l...). So it is important to be cautious and aware of the things you eat and exposure yourself to.
　

Which Vaccines Should Pregnant Women Avoid

The following vaccines can potentially be transmitted to the unborn child and may result in miscarriage, premature birth or birth defects.

Hepatitis A: The safety of this vaccine hasn't been determined and it should be avoided during pregnancy. Women at high risk for exposure to this virus should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctors.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR): Women should wait at least one month to become pregnant after receiving these live-virus vaccines. If the initial rubella test shows that you are not immune to rubella, then you will be given the vaccine after delivery.
Varicella: This vaccine, used to prevent chicken pox, should be given at least one month before pregnancy.
Pneumococcal: Because the safety of this vaccine is unknown, it should be avoided in pregnancy except for women who are at high risk or have a chronic illness.
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): Neither the live-virus (OPV) nor the inactivated-virus (IPV) version of this vaccine is recommended for pregnant women.

Why pregnant women must avoid diet sodas

Pregnant women who drink artificially sweetened soft drinks are more likely to give birth prematurely, according to a study conducted by researchers from researchers from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."These findings may be really important in terms of preventing premature births, especially those that are medically induced by a woman's health care provider," said Shelley McGuire, a spokesperson for the American Society of Nutrition. "Certainly, until more experimental work is done, this study suggests that pregnant women should steer clear of artificially sweetened drinks.Researchers questioned nearly 60,000 pregnant Danish women about their consumption of sweetened beverages.

 They found that women who drank one serving per day of a carbonated, artificially sweetened beverage were 38 percent more likely to give birth prematurely than women who did not consume such drinks. Women who consumed four or more serving of such drinks daily increased their risk of premature delivery by 78 percent. A similar, albeit smaller risk was seen for non-carbonated, artificially sweetened drinks. There was no increase in risk associated with sugary drinks.A premature birth was defined as a delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy. Only deliberately induced premature deliveries were associated with artificial sweeteners; there was no connection between the sweeteners and spontaneous premature births.

This suggests that artificial sweeteners may cause distress in either the fetus or mother that leads doctors to induce early delivery.The exact cause of the connection could not be determined, but scientists believe that toxic breakdown products of the sweeteners might play some role. The sweetener aspartame, for example, is broken down in the body to phenylalanine."Large doses of phenylalanine are toxic to the brain and can cause mental retardation and seizures in people with a particular genetic disorder called phenylketonuria," writes Debra Lynn Dadd in the book Nontoxic, Natural and Earthwise."Other people experience headaches, depression, mood swings, high blood pressure, insomnia, and behavior problems," Dadd writes."Aspartame is not recommended for use by pregnant women as it is known to cause birth defects."
　　

Is It Safe to Get Vaccinations

Many women may not realize that they are not up-to-date on their immunizations and are susceptible to diseases that can harm them or their unborn child. Pregnant women should talk to their doctors to figure out which vaccines they may need and whether they should get them during pregnancy or wait until after their child is born.All vaccines are tested for safety under the supervision of the FDA. The vaccines are checked for purity, potency and safety, and the FDA and CDC monitor the safety of each vaccine for as long as it is in use.

Some people may be allergic to an ingredient in a vaccine, such as eggs in the influenza vaccine, and should not receive the vaccine until they have talked to their doctor.A number of vaccines, especially live-virus vaccines, should not be given to pregnant women because they may be harmful to the baby. (A live-virus vaccine is made using the live strains of a virus.) Some vaccines can be given to the mother in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, while others should only be administered either at least three months before or immediately after the baby is born.