Diabetes has published a study on the effect breastfeeding produces upon mothers’ metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by a number of factors like elevated blood pressure and insulin resistance; it usually goes along with obesity problems and may lead to contracting diabetes and heart disease. Full story

While the general belief opts for shunning exercising during pregnancy for fear of endangering the fetus, an opposite approach to that issue is growing stronger. A joint team of specialists from Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, prove in their new study that it presents no actual danger Full story

Many expectant moms must have heard about the benefits of wearing a maternity support band. Yet deciding on the need to wear maternity support band and choosing this orthopedic garment correctly is not easy and requires your doctor's advice. Full story

Preeclampsia is a condition brought about by high blood pressure. If your blood pressure rises way beyond the normal level and doesn’t come down for some time, it can lead to convulsions, disorder in heart and kidney function in both mother and fetus; it may even result in death. Full story

A recent study warns expectant mothers against taking folic acid supplements during the latest stages of pregnancy: those supplements have been found to be linked with asthma. Full story

Breast milk should be fed to babies as soon as it's been expressed. Breast milk ingredients fluctuate over 24 hours to adjust to baby’s needs, according to Spanish researchers, so it should not be stored for a long time. Full story

Smoking while bearing a child may affect the fetus adversely, providing for attention deficit disorders and unruly behavior in the child in future, warns the new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Full story

A new study published in Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology showed how anxiety during pregnancy can affect the weight of newly born babies and the gestation period. Women with severe or chronic anxiety fell in the group with higher risk. Full story

Exhausted by sleepless nights, mothers often take their babies to sleep with them in bed, thinking this is a safe practice. The data, however, shows that 50 percent of babies who died from sudden death syndrome were in bed with their parents. Full story

A study recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology advises pregnant women to go for ear acupuncture if they experience pain in the pelvis and in the back near the base of the backbone. This is a frequent pregnancy complaint which requires a good treatment course yet to be worked out. Full story

A study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that individuals whose childhood was stressful and harrowing are going to have a significantly shorter lifespan. Whereas the average life expectancy comes up to about 79 years, those who underwent negative childhood experiences are apt to die at the age of around 61 years, that makes nearly 20-year difference. Full story

Scientists used to think that the immune system of the baby in the womb can successfully dispose of any offender that passes through the placenta – but the latest discoveries seem to be refuting that belief. There are 17 existing cases of mothers and their babies sharing the same kind of cancer, namely melanoma and leukemia, and the question of why it should have happened this way isn’t answered properly yet. Full story

A study in a recent issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health links the popularity of children in school with their health when adults. The research showed that school popularity lessens the risk of such health problems as diabetes and various heart dysfunctions. Full story

A series of researches has led Polish scientists to sad conclusions that air pollution levels directly impact fetus growth. For instance, even small increase in air pollution levels (like the difference between the lake air and the busy street air) will reduce the weight of newly born by 5-7 percent below normal. Full story

American government has become concerned over revised statistic about the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders. According to the new data, one in 91 children suffers from autism. In response, experts urge efforts to provide autists with lifelong support. Full story

Women who smoke during pregnancy, increase the risk of asthma, heart conditions and respiratory diseases in their babies. A new study could now help to explain why this happens. Maternal smoking imposes health risks not only on the mother but also on her baby, and the findings show this may affect both the child’s health later in life and the health of succeeding generations, according to the authors of study. Full story

If an expectant mom takes antidepressants during first three months of pregnancy, her baby may be born with heart defect, with the risk increasing by 80 per cent. If she takes more than one antidepressant, the risk quadruples. The so called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are usually prescribed to those suffering from depression. The most recognizable of those is Prozac. Full story

Physicians warn that pregnant women are in the risk group for developing severe health problems during the flu season. So in this year marked by swine flu threat, they have to be even more on the alert. Dr. Keith Reeves from Methodist Hospital in Houston says that physicians don't want pregnant women to be panicked by this virus, but they do want women to be more responsible for taking precautions typical for the flu season. In particular, women should be vaccinated. Full story

A recent study published in the Pediatrics magazine reports that over one-third of pictures in women's magazines portray babies sleeping in dangerous positions. Moreover, two thirds of photos show babies in dangerous sleep environments. The study was supervised by Rachel Moon and Joyner - SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) researchers from the Children's National Medical Center, USA. Full story

It’s not a great breakthrough discovery that kids who were very active during the day fall asleep faster and get a sounder sleep, but now it has been proved scientifically. A recent study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood shows that children whose day is engaged in sedentary activities mostly need considerably more time to fall asleep when they go to bed. Full story

Pregnant women can safely travel by air at any point during their pregnancy if it is uncomplicated, according to Committee Opinion issued by non-commercial organization American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The revised guidelines will be published in the October issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. William Barth, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston claims that a series of studies conducted since 2001 showed that air travel was safe for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Full story

One of the leading causes of death are cardiovascular diseases and thus it is very important that those diseases are identified at early stages. It is known that women with gestational diabetes tend to have higher risk of having problems with heart and blood vessels than those who did not have this condition during pregnancy. Canadian scientists have recently discovered that if a pregnant woman has even the smallest glucose intolerance, it can be automatically associated with cardiovascular problems. Full story

There exist many studies dealing with the use of antidepressants in pregnancy. Some of them lay stress on the dangers imposed on the unborn babies, for some antidepressants have been discovered to make women more vulnerable to the risk of preterm delivery or miscarriage, and baby having low birth weight. The baby may develop certain heart defects under the influence of antidepressants. Full story

Pregnant women often get suspicious about having their hair treated lest perms or coloring might somehow interfere with their condition. Actually – provided that certain caution is exercised – there’s no need to restrain yourself, and you can rely on a spot of calculated hair regimen indulgence for a better appearance and a better mood! Full story

During pregnancy, your breast starts growing even before your belly becomes bigger. Estrogen and progesterone trigger the growth of breast tissue and, by the birth of a baby, each breast will add about one pound in weight or even more. Health experts say that, rather than during breastfeeding, it is during this period when you can lose the shape of your breast. Do the following exercises to maintain the shape of your breast and prevent saggy breast. Full story