Archive for the 'Research' Category

New Research Shows Breastfeeding Is Tied To Lower Incidence Of Asthma

Published on February 9, 2012 in Breast milk, Breastfeeding and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

If you are looking for one more reason to breastfeed your baby, consider the latest research on the link between breastfeeding and lower asthma rates in children. According to two new research reports, breastfeeding increases lung volume which makes babies and children less susceptible to get asthma.

Also, this new research found that even mothers who were asthmatic still benefited their children by breastfeeding them and thus increasing their lung volume. In the past it was thought that only asthma-free moms should breastfeed. This research shows that the babies benefited from breastfeeding whether or not the mom had asthma. (It’s suspected that the babies suckling activity when breastfeeding increases it’s lung power).

Even more significantly, these studies showed that the longer the mother exclusively breastfeed their baby, the less risk the child had of getting asthma or breathing related problems. A team led by Karen Silvers with data on more than 1000 kids found that each additional month of exclusive breastfeeding was tied to a nine percentage drop in asthma risk.

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively (with no formula) for the first six months of the child’s life then to continue to breastfeed (as solids are introduced) for two years or longer.

So, here’s some more reasons to breastfeed your child (particularly exclusively breastfeeding them for the first 6 months of life). Your child will reap the benefits for a lifetime.

SOURCES: bit.ly/yCsmfY American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, online February 3, 2012 and bit.ly/wVKRCQ Journal of Pediatrics, online January 29, 2012.

Written by Amy

IVF : Less is More

Published on October 26, 2011 in Pregnant and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

A new study by researchers at the University of Iowa found that women who had only one empbryo implanted didn’t have that much lower probability of becoming pregnant than those with more than one.

From 1980 to 2004, the rate of twins rose 70%. This, as one would expect, is most likely because of an increase use of fertility drugs and use of in vitro fertilization (IVF). In 2006, the twin rate was 32.1 twins per 1,000 births (3.2%) in the US. Interestingly, the Yoruba in West Africa has the highest twin rate at 45 to 50 per 1,000 (4.5 to 5.0%). This is thought to be because of yams which are an important part of their diet has a naturally occuring phytoestrogen causing the ovaries to release an egg from each ovary.

IVF experts have been pushing for using few embryos, and preferably a single one, as it reduces the complications associated with multiple and premature births.

Even still, many patients still request multiple embroyos when undergoing IVF treatment. This is inspite of knowing that a single embryo has the same chances as multiples.

Written by admin

1 in 5 Canadian Women Having Babies Later In Life

Published on September 16, 2011 in Articles, Health and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

The study by the Canadian Institute of Health Information notifies that one out of five babies born in Canada are of mothers who have given birth at around 35 years of age, and older.

According to the study, among babies born between 2006 and 2009, 17.9% of them were born out of mothers who were 35 or above. Also, it has been notified that the rate is highest in B. C. as compared to other provinces, as 22.3% of the babies were born to the mothers aged 35 and above.

It has also been revealed that B. C. has the highest rate of pregnant mom aged above 40, as 3.9 of the pregnant women fall in that age group.

Experts say that the women who become pregnant after 35 have twice more chances of suffering from gestational diabetes and those above 40 are thrice more likely to suffer from the ailment compared to the women who become pregnant at an early age.

Gestational diabetes results in delivery complications due to the high blood pressure condition and it can occur when pregnancy hormones obstruct the insulin from metabolizing sugar and other carbohydrates.

A study by the Canadian Institute of Health Information indicates that 20% of Canadian mothers are having babies when they are older than 35 years. British Colombia has a higher rate at 22.3% compared to the other provinces at 17.9%.

Studies have shown that women above 35 are twice as likely as other younger age groups in having gestational diabetes and women about 40 when pregnant are three times as likey.

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy. While there may not be any symptoms present some symptoms may include:

  • Blurred vision
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent infections, including those of the bladder, vagina, and skin
  • Increased thirst
  • Increased urination
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Weight loss in spite of increased appetite

Most women with normal pre-natal care should receive a gestational diabetes test if they are over 35.

Written by Amy

Women’s tears can have a negative effect on men’s sexual desire, a new study suggests.

Published on January 8, 2011 in Health and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Scientists at the Weizmann Institute in Israel found that women’s tears contain a “chemical signal”, which reduces arousal in men.

Prof Noam Sobel told BBC World Service radio that the signal reduced levels of testosterone and brain activity associated with sexual arousal.

His team now plan to study the effects of men’s tears on women and men.

Testosterone

The researchers collected tears from female volunteers who cried while watching sad films.

Male volunteers then had the tears or a salt solution, without knowing which, placed under their noses on a pad, while they made judgements about images of women’s faces. The experiment was then repeated, with those that had first been given the tears given the salt solution and vice versa.

The researchers found that the men who sniffed the tears judged the women’s faces less sexually appealing than they did when they sniffed the salt solution.

The levels of testosterone – a hormone related to sexual arousal – in the men’s saliva fell by 13% on average after they sniffed the tears, but stayed the same after sniffing the salt solution.

Their physiological state, as measured by skin temperature, heart rate and respiration, also fell after exposure to the tears.

MRI brain scans showed less activity in areas associated with sexual arousal after smelling the tears.

The researchers said the male volunteers could not distinguish the smell of the tears from that of the salt solution and that tears were odourless anyway.

“This study reinforces the idea that human chemical signals – even ones we’re not conscious of – affect the behaviour of others,” Prof Sobel said in comments published in the Science Express online journal.

He added that the results raised many questions, such as what the chemical giving out the signal was.

Written by Amy