Prenatal | Inhabitots

PCB Exposure During Pregnancy May Harm Babies’ Immune System

by Jennifer Chait, 02/03/12

New research shows that exposure to PCBs may result in some immune consequences for babies. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of manufactured organic chemicals and researchers recently found that babies exposed to higher PCB levels during gestation and as newborns were born with a smaller immune organ – the thymus. At 6 months of age these babies still had a smaller organ. By 13 months, differences in immune organ sizes were no longer seen. The thymus is responsible for proper T-cells development and problems with the thymus can result in immune system dysfunction. For a baby, who already has a less efficient immune system, this is a problem. PCB exposure has also been linked to cancer, poor neurological development in children and reproduction problems. Now, what’s unique about this study is that PCBs are banned in the U.S. They’re no longer manufactured or even widely used, so how are mamas and babies being exposed?

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Exposure to Chemicals Linked to Nurses’ Miscarriages

by Jennifer Chait, 01/16/12

According to a new study, there are two million female nurses in the United States, and many are at risk of having a miscarriage, due to chemical exposure at work. The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, shows that nurses who are routinely exposed to chemotherapy drugs or sterilizing chemicals were twice as likely to have a miscarriage as nurses who didn’t handle these materials. As a self-reported study, this research has room for error, but even so the news isn’t good. Researchers surveyed nearly 7,500 nurses who became pregnant between 1993 and 2002. In total, one in ten nurses lost a pregnancy before 20 weeks, which is similar to miscarriage rates in the general population. However, nurses who said they worked with various chemicals or equipment, such as X-ray machines, anesthesia, anti-cancer drugs and disinfectants had double the miscarriage rate of other nurses, with around two out of every ten loosing her baby.

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WNYC’s Soundcheck Explores the Role Music Plays in the Delivery Room

by Desmond Williams, 01/13/12

Stevie Wonder? Aretha Franklyn? Pink Floyd? Metallica? In Thursday’s episode of the WNYC radio show Soundcheck, host John Schaefer and Tina Cassidy author of Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born, respond to rumors that Beyonce gave birth to baby Blue while soothed and stimulated by a meticulously curated R&B soundtrack. The two explore the role music plays in the modern delivery room as experts chime in insisting that the advent of the iPod facilitating a more personalized musical experience helps (both in natural and facilitated birthing scenarios), while moms write/call in to testify that labor gradually generates a kind of piercing white noise in the head that drowns out the melodies in the background, making them irrelevant. And the lone male caller gives credence to the stereotype that men just don’t have a clue what women need during birthing. Forget birthing dulas. How about a birthing dj? Suggests Cassidy half-joking as she offers a Spotify playlist for expecting moms containing over 4 hours of music selection intended to speed along delivery. But, she notes, after it’s all said and done, silence is what is most important, helping mom and baby bond postpartum without distractions. What was on your birthing playlist?

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7 Safe Exercises for Pregnancy

by Julie Seguss, 08/23/11

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HOW TO: Avoid Pregnancy Junk Food Cravings and Eat Healthily for Your Growing Baby

Junk food often sounds tasty during pregnancy, however, it's not healthy to give in to too many sugary, high fat and otherwise unhealthy pregnancy cravings. Junk food, such as candy, soda, fast food and so on often lacks important nutrients you need, can pack on the pounds, and it isn't healthy for you or your growing baby. On the flip side, it's not practical to avoid junk food entirely or to never give in to your pregnancy cravings. Most pregnant women get cravings, and if you happen to have a hankering for "junk food" then it's okay to give in once in a while, so long as you pay attention to portion sizes and your overall nutritional picture.