Immunity of pregnant women is seen as being compromised and in many cases they can be infected more easily than they would in their non pregnant state.

As pregnant women are advised to guard against salmonella by being careful about raw meats, cat litter and the like, so also they have to be careful about listeria.

Listeria monocytogenes is the name for bacteria found in soil, food, stream water, plants and sewage etc. and usually the body’s defense mechanism is able to prevent infection that results in listeriosis. The kinds of foods that are likely to cause this infection are hot dogs, raw or uncooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, deli meats, etc.

In particular, soft cheeses such as those which contain live bacteria could be sources for listeria. Blue-veined, or Mexican-style “queso blanco” Brie, Camembert, Feta, are the kind of cheeses best avoided when pregnant.

Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get a listeria infection than others. A third of all such infections are seen among pregnant women and can cause miscarriage or premature labor, and even birth defects among new born babies. Hearing loss or brain damage could occur in case of the baby whereas adults could even suffer cardio respiratory failure.

Source: newsinferno

There's one benefit to having children besides the joy they can bring you: tax breaks.

CCH, a provider of tax information and services, released a list this week of ten ways the tax code benefits parents by helping to defray the costs of raising and educating children. Here's the list from CCH below.

• Personal Exemption: A reduction of taxable income of $3,650 in 2010 for each dependent child under age 19 or, if the dependent is a full-time student, under age 24. For divorced parents filing separately, the exemption generally goes to the parent who has custody for the greater part of the year.
• Child Credit: A reduction of tax of $1,000 per child, which begins to phase out when adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 for single filers and $110,000 for joint filers. This credit may also be partly refundable depending on the filer’s income.
• Child Care Tax Credit: A credit based on child care expenses for children up to age 13, or older children if they are physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves. The credit would be taken against maximum qualifying expenses of $3,000 for one qualifying dependent and $6,000 for two or more. It also equals 35 percent of qualifying expenses for taxpayers with adjusted gross income up to $15,000 and decreases to 20 percent of allowable expenses for adjusted gross income levels of $43,000 or more.
• Adoption Credit: A maximum credit of $12,150 for a regular adoption, with credit amounts phased out at incomes between $182,180 and $222,180 for both single filers and joint filers. For a special-needs adoption, the credit is figured without regard to the actual expenses paid or incurred in the year the adoption becomes final.
• Earned Income Tax Credit: Amounts increase for eligible taxpayers with children. Size of increase depends on income level and number of children.
• Coverdell Education Savings Accounts: Contributions to these accounts are limited to $2,000 per year and earnings in the accounts grow tax-free. Withdrawals also are tax-free if used to pay for qualified educational expenses and can be used to pay for tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment from kindergarten to post-secondary school.
• Qualified Tuition Programs (529 Plans): Investment earnings in these plans are not taxed if withdrawals are used for qualified expenses. Contributions to state-sponsored programs are partially or fully deductible on some state tax returns. Contribution limits for the plans are set by the state or educational institutions sponsoring the plan and may be in excess of $300,000, but a contribution in excess of $65,000 by any individual ($130,000 for joint filers) in one year could restrict those persons’ ability to make additional contributions in further years without being subject to gift tax.
• Bond Interest: For 2009, interest on proceeds of qualified savings bonds (specifically, Series I bonds or qualified Series EE bonds issued after 1989) cashed to pay education expenses is tax free for joint filers with less than $104,900 in adjusted gross income and is partially tax free for those with adjusted gross income of $104,900 to $134,900. The comparable income limits for single filers are $69,950 to $84,950. For 2010 returns, the phase out ranges are $105,100 to $135,100 for joint returns and $70,100-$85,100 for single filers.
• Higher Education Tuition Deduction: An above the line deduction for qualifying educational expenses of up to $4,000 at an accredited post-secondary institution. The deduction is reduced to $2,000 at adjusted gross income above $65,000 ($130,000 for joint filers) and is not available if adjusted gross income exceeds $80,000 ($160,000 for joint filers). This must be coordinated with other educational exclusions and cannot be used for anyone for whom the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit is claimed.
• American Opportunity, Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits: For 2009 and 2010, the American Opportunity Credit pretty much replaces the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits for undergraduate expenses. It provides a credit of up to $2,500 per student per year for the first four years of post-secondary qualified tuition and expenses. Up to 40 percent of the credit is refundable, depending on income. Residents of certain states who are in the “Midwestern Disaster Area” may do better choosing the Hope Credit for 2009 expenses.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Exposing a female fetus to a chemical found in plastics causes permanent changes in a daughter's uterus that might result in cancer - and a research team led by a Yale doctor has figured out why.

Bisphenol A is commonly found in plastics (those with a "7" code on the bottom), in the lining of aluminum cans and in dental sealants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expressed concern about potential effects of BPA on the brain and reproductive organs, though the link is not definitive.

Dr. Hugh S. Taylor, director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility section of the Yale School of Medicine, said even brief exposure to BPA in the uterus causes permanent damage.

“We already know that mice that are exposed to BPA already have a higher risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer and infertility,” he said.

In this study, one group of mice was exposed to BPA as fetuses and compared to a control group to see how much the DNA in the uterus had been modified. The findings, Taylor said, reveal that BPA strips off a part of the DNA, which permanently alters the genetic structure.

“It chemically modifies the DNA by removing methyl groups from the DNA backbone and that makes the DNA more accessible,” he said. The genes then become permanently altered to be supersensitive to estrogen, which can lead to cancer and other consequences.

He said the damage might occur in females after birth as well.

“It’s not as clear,” he said. “It very well may be. I think that’s still more controversial. I think pregnancy is the more dangerous time.”

Taylor said the effect of BPA is reminiscent of the problems with DES (diethylstilbestrol), which was prescribed to women from 1938 to 1971 to prevent miscarriages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DES was linked to a rare form of vaginal cancer.

“Now it looks like (as they grow older) those women who were exposed as a fetus have a higher risk of breast cancer,” Taylor said. He also is studying a potential link between BPA and breast cancer.

Taylor said it’s a good idea for women who may become pregnant to avoid BPA, especially products that are brand new and unwashed or old and cracked. Plastics with BPA shouldn’t be microwaved, he said.

Environmental groups also have called for BPA to be removed from consumer products; some companies have begun manufacturing BPA-free items, such as water bottles.

“I always tell my patients, as a physician as well as a scientist ... to me it’s an easy decision. There’s so much benefit of eating fresh vegetables instead of (eating) out of a can,” he said.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

The list of health benefits for people who were breastfed as babies is growing, with research unveiled this week showing they are more likely as adults to have higher levels of good cholesterol.

Numerous studies have shown babies whose mothers breastfed them enjoy health advantages over formula-fed babies. These include fewer ear, stomach and intestinal infections, fewer digestive problems, skin diseases and allergies, and less likelihood of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Now, a study presented at an American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, Fla., found that breastfed babies are better off than bottle-fed babies in two heart disease risk factors as adults - levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and body mass index.

The study looked at 962 people, average age 41, taking part in the long-running Framingham Heart Study centred on Framingham, Mass. About a quarter of the children were breastfed for at least a month as babies.

Those who were breastfed were 55 per cent more likely to have high average levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol in adulthood than low levels. Those who were breastfed on average had a lower BMI as adults - 26.1 compared to 26.9 for their bottle-fed counterparts. Adults with a BMI above 25 are considered overweight and at higher risk for heart disease.

Having a higher HDL is considered to protect against cardiovascular disease such as stroke and heart attack.

These cholesterol and BMI differences were modest but significant, according to Nisha Parikh of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who led the study. "The results are intriguing in that they point to this concept that early nutrition or early environmental exposures may affect long-term health," she said.

Breastfeeding was not associated with benefits in other heart disease risk factors the researchers examined, including total cholesterol and blood pressure. The mothers of all the people tracked in the research were also part of the Framingham study.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

The birthing process has come to a full circle. In earlier times when women did not have a lot of access to medical facilities, deliveries were routinely performed at home; then came a time that hospital deliveries were the norm, and now in western societies there is an increasing trend to birth babies in the familiar comfort of one’s own home, with a minimum of medical intervention and supervision. The pros of a home birth are many:

A familiar and comforting environment: Hospital environment can be stressful, noisy and less relaxing when compared to one’s own home. When one is at home, not only is the setting more comforting for the mother, she feels more in control of a situation that is her home turf so to speak.

There are no hospital rules and regulations to be followed. She is able to move about and assume the sort of positions that she finds comfortable rather than follow the guidelines of the hospital.

The birthing process is more able to be determined by the mother herself. The mother is free to eat and drink what she requires which is not the case in a hospital where her movements are more circumscribed.

Greater Privacy: She has the added benefit of the privacy of her own home, and she is not subject to the checking and scrutiny of a number of medical professionals who traipse in and out of a typical hospital birthing environment.

In a home birth, the mother is familiar with the individuals that are helping her, such as the midwife, the doula etc, and she already has a level of trust and familiarity with those professionals which can be very comforting.

Less chance of a medical intervention: There are higher chances of a medical intervention resulting in a hospital, and the mother is less likely to undergo a Cesarean section when she opts for birth at home.

Also in a home birth setting, the rates of infection are seen to be the lowest of all; whereas in a hospital setting, there is a higher chance of getting an infection.

Birth plan and Pain relief of choice: When undergoing a home birth, a woman may choose to have a water birth or a silent birth, or decide to have a combination of one or more birthing processes, as she may wish.

She and her midwife may decide what kind of pain relief is suitable for the mother, without any artificial aids.

Jenna Elfman is now mom-to-two!

The Accidentally on Purpose actress and husband Bodhi Elfman welcomed a second son, Easton Quinn Monroe Elfman, at 7:53 a.m. on Tuesday (March 2) in Los Angeles, Jenna announced on Twitter Friday. Her rep confirms the happy news to People, adding that Easton weighed in at 7 lbs., 12 oz.

"He's an impressive sleeper (thank god!) & I'm his biggest fan," says Jenna.

Bodhi also took to Twitter Friday with their happy news: "Shazaam! Easton Quinn Monroe Elfman. Born March 2 @ 7:53AM. Triple Word Score, Grand Slam, Royal Flush! Digging this guy big time."

Easton joins big brother Story Elias, 2 ½.

Congratulations to the Elfman family!

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PregnancyWeekly.com

From now till St. Patrick's day receive 20% off all patemm pads. Just enter the coupon code GREEN when ordering online at http://www.patemm.com.

"These circular, stylish changing pads contain pockets for storage and fold up to turn into a cute bag. Made of 100% organic cotton (there is a non-organic choice too), they are available in laminated and waterproof or in untreated cotton. They are all machine-washable and free of harmful chemicals. We love the different styles they come in..." Read more of the product review at Maternity & Style.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Most parents believe that vaccines protect their children against disease, but one in four think some vaccines cause autism in healthy children, and nearly one in eight have refused at least one recommended vaccine, a new study has found.

The vaccine most likely to have been rejected by parents was for human papillomavirus, or HPV, to protect against cervical cancer, according to the report. It was based on questions asked of more than 1,500 parents of children 17 and younger. Many parents also rejected the chickenpox vaccine, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine against bacterial meningitis and, to a lesser extent, the MMR, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

Just last month, the British medical journal The Lancet retracted the 1998 study that first linked the MMR vaccine to autism and set off widespread fears about vaccine safety.

“We were sobered to find that one in four parents erroneously believe that vaccines can cause autism in an otherwise healthy child,” said Dr. Gary L. Freed, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Michigan and the lead author of the paper, published online on March 1 by the journal Pediatrics. “Fortunately, they are still overwhelmingly vaccinating their children.”

Nine of 10 parents agreed that vaccines protected children from disease, but more than half said they were concerned about serious adverse effects.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Babies born between April and July are more likely to have a certain heart defect, doctors reported on Monday, and they believe a common infection such as strep throat may play a role.

The condition, called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, affects the entire left side of the heart and usually requires at least three operations to reconstruct it.

Dr. Pirooz Eghtesady and colleagues at Cincinnati Children's Hospital in Ohio studied 1,500 newborns from 38 children's hospitals in the United States who had left-sided congenital heart diseases between 1996 and 2006.

They found a clear seasonal pattern to hypoplastic left heart syndrome but not other diseases, they told a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando.

"Strong seasonality is a clue that environmental factors may play an important role in this disease, as we see, for example, with such common childhood illnesses as asthma and croup," Eghtesady said in a statement.

They are now conducting a study to see whether strep throat, an infection caused by Streptococcus bacteria, may be to blame. Untreated infections of this strain of strep cause rheumatic fever, and sometimes lifelong heart disease.

Strep throat is more common in the winter months and may affect a developing fetus.

Studies have suggested that the body's immune response to strep can damage the left side of the heart. Eghtesady said preliminary evidence suggests that many mothers whose newborns had left-sided heart injury had a significant history of problems related to strep throat.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Braxton Hicks contractions are sporadic uterine contractions; also known as false labor or ‘practice’ contractions.

 These contractions of the uterus actually start to happen as early as 6 weeks gestation, however they may be quite undetectable by the mother until the second, or most typically the third trimester.

Not every pregnant women experience Braxton Hicks contractions. These kinds of contractions are unusually painless, irregular, sporadic and infrequent.

These are the contractions that are thought to prepare the uterus and the body for the actual imminent birth of the baby. Here, the muscles of the uterus tighten for a minute or two before relaxing and are thought to be helpful in effacing the cervix in preparation of the birth.

Things as simple as a full bladder or sometimes more serious situation such as dehydration can trigger these contractions. They can be helped by proper hydration and regular emptying of the bladder. These contractions can be helped by certain breathing exercises, and lying down in certain positions.

Strong Braxton Hicks contractions, particularly when they occur closer to the time of delivery can often are mistaken for real labor. However, these can be distinguished from real labor by the fact that they are painless and that they are less noticeable during exercise, unlike the onset of real labor.