DNA differences which appear to affect the risk of giving birth early have been found by US scientists.
The US National Institutes of Health study found the variants in both babies and mothers, a US conference was told.
It is thought they may play a role in controlling immune responses which could theoretically trigger labour if they become too powerful.
Premature birth – which accounts for 7% of UK births – is one of the biggest threats to a baby’s future health. Read the rest of this entry »
A new study conducted by Danish scientists has found that vitamin C-deficient babies may be at a higher risk for mental development and memory problems.
A team of researchers from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen showed that guinea pigs with moderate vitamin C deficiency develop 30 percent fewer hippocampal neurons and have significantly worse spatial memory than animals fed a normal diet.
The choice of animals was dictated by the fact that guinea pigs, like human beings, are dependent on getting vitamin C through their diet. Read the rest of this entry »
German researchers say babies begin to pick up the nuances of their parents’ accents while still in the womb.
The researchers studied the cries of 60 healthy babies born to families speaking French and German.
The French newborns cried with a rising “accent” while the German babies’ cries had a falling inflection.
Writing in the journal Current Biology, they say the babies are probably trying to form a bond with their mothers by imitating them. Read the rest of this entry »
Being Overweight or Obese Before Pregnancy May Be Tied to Increased Risk of Congenital Heart Defects
Women who are overweight or obese before getting pregnant may be more likely than leaner women to have babies born with heart defects, a new study shows.
The study, published in the advance online edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, included the mothers of 6,440 babies born with congenital heart defects between 1997 and 2004. Read the rest of this entry »
Breast-fed babies receive a different milk drink depending on the time of day – the natural equivalent of cappuccino in the morning and Horlicks at night, say scientists.
Breast milk delivered in the morning gives infants a pick-me-up because it contains natural stimulants.
But the night-time version will help babies sleep thanks to calming chemical compounds, a report claims.
This means mums who express milk for feeding from a bottle should make sure it is given to baby at the same time it came from the breast – otherwise it could disrupt sleeping patterns. The report in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience might explain why some babies sleep or become active at odd times of day or night when working mothers express milk for use later in the day. Read the rest of this entry »
More than half of babies now born in the UK and other wealthy nations will live to 100 years, researchers say.
The study, published in The Lancet journal, also says the extra years are spent with less serious disability.
Data from more than 30 developed countries shows that since 1950 the probability of surviving past 80 years of age has doubled for both sexes.
One expert said healthy behaviours for all ages was the key to enjoying living a long life. Read the rest of this entry »
