Pregnant women are missing vital nutrients needed for them and their babies
Pregnant women are not getting the essential nutrients they and their babies need from modern diets say scientists, who have warned that the situation will likely worsen as more people turn to plant-based foods. A study looking at the health of expecting mothers from high-income countries, including the UK, New Zealand and Singapore, found that […]
How pre- and postnatal B-12 vitamins improve breast milk vitamin B-12 levels, which supports infant brain development
Babies and children need vitamins, including vitamin B-12, to help their brains and bodies develop and grow. Babies get B-12 from their mothers and can have low levels of B-12 if their mothers had low vitamin levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The vitamin B-12 levels of infants strongly depend on maternal levels. Adequacy of vitamin […]
Fancy Nasal Suction Device Makes Little Difference in Infant Bronchiolitis
Babies discharged from the emergency department (ED) for bronchiolitis saw mixed benefits from enhanced nasal suctioning, a randomized trial found. Additional resource use — a composite of unscheduled revisits for bronchiolitis or use of additional suctioning devices for feeding or breathing concerns — occurred in 37.0% of the patients receiving minimal bulb suction compared to […]
Preterm babies given certain fatty acids have better vision
Preterm babies given a supplement with a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have better visual function by the age of two and a half. This has been shown by a study at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, covers 178 extremely preterm babies at the […]
Unsafe feeding methods spiked during infant formula shortage: Alarming rate of unsafe practices points to need for systemic change in the US
Nearly half of parents who relied on formula to feed their babies during the infant formula shortage last year resorted to potentially harmful feeding methods, according to a survey from researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study was published in the journal BMC Pediatrics. In an online anonymous survey of U.S. parents, the […]
Not So Fast for NSAID Closure of Heart Defect in Preterm Newborns
Early ibuprofen administration did not help babies born preterm with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), as waiting for the heart defect to close on its own was associated with non-inferior, perhaps even better clinical outcomes, in a randomized trial. For infants born with moderate or larger PDAs, expectant management worked at least as well as early […]
Tiny molecules in breast milk may protect infants from developing allergies
Breastfed babies are believed to suffer fewer allergic conditions, like eczema and food allergies, than formula-fed babies; yet the reason has not been well understood. Now, a new study by Penn State College of Medicine finds that small molecules found in most humans’ breast milk may reduce the likelihood of infants developing allergic conditions like […]
Parents, Providers Still Not Following Guidelines for Early Peanut Introduction
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — NIH guidelines call for introducing babies to peanut products at around age 6 months to reduce allergy risk, but most U.S. parents said they waited much longer to introduce peanuts to their child’s diet, according to a nationally representative survey. Only about one in 20 caregiver responders said they introduced peanuts before […]
FDA OKs Tdap Vaccine for Whooping Cough Protection Before Birth
The FDA announced approval of the first vaccine to be delivered through a pregnant mother to unborn babies for protection in the first 2 months of life. The tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine Boostrix is to be given during the third trimester of pregnancy to deliver antibodies to the developing […]
Birth weight could help identify children at higher risk of psychological issues
New research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has found that babies with larger birth weights tend to have fewer mental health and behavioural issues in childhood and adolescence. These findings could help to identify and support children at greater risk of developing psychological problems. The study, published in European Child & Adolescent […]