A 10-year study examining 4.9 million births in the 1990s has found more evidence that there's a link between autism and the mother's age at conception.

The link between the parents' age and children's health is not entirely new. Prior studies have indicated that babies born to older women have higher risks of birth defects, low birth weight and certain chromosome problems, such as Down syndrome.

A 2007 Kaiser Permanente study conducted in California reported that autism risk increased with both the mother's and father's age. An Israeli study based in statistics from 1980s had isolated only paternal age as being linked with increased risk for autism.

Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, said the latest research had a far larger sample size.

In the latest study, researchers found that mothers over the age of 40 had 51 percent higher odds of having children with autism compared with mothers between the ages 25 and 29.

The father's age also played a factor, but only when he had a child with a woman under 30.

"When the mom has minimal age risk of an autistic child, we do see increased risks as dads get older," said lead author Janie Shelton, a graduate student researcher at UC-Davis.

It's unclear why the mother's age has more bearing in autism risk than the father's.

The study authors emphasize that while autism rates have risen 600 percent in the past two decades, older women having children contributed to only 5 percent more cases of autism.

As more women delay childbearing, it's important to keep the study in perspective, said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization.

"I don't think a mom blaming herself is going to help us understand what's causing autism or help prevent further cases," she said. "I would urge parents not to blame themselves, regardless of what age they are."

Shelton and the co-authors obtained all birth records in California from 1990 to 1999 and then collected data from the state's Department of Developmental Services to count the number of autism diagnoses from children born during that decade.

How parental age increases autism risks remains unknown, but several hypotheses exist. Some suggest that the cumulative effects of the environment, changes to the autoimmune system, stress and reproductive technology may affect autism risk.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

The rising trend of expectant mothers being involved in every aspect of planning their births has had an unintended consequence - a rise in pre-term deliveries.

"It never would have occurred to me or anyone I knew to think you had any kind of control over when the baby would come out," said Laura Crawford, who gave birth more than a decade ago.

Crawford, producer of the Kentucky Educational Television documentary "Born too Soon," said the increasing incidence of what is called late pre-term births is among the topics explored in the film.

Prematurity rates in the nation have increased quietly over the past two decades, according to public health officials. The premature-birth rate in Kentucky is 15.2 percent, and it's rising faster than the national rate, which is 12.7 percent. Kentucky has one of the highest rates of pre-term births, trailing only Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Some of Kentucky's rise is related to some not-so surprising subjects, including the rate of maternal smoking (more than twice the national average), poverty and environment.

Other reasons are more surprising. They include the rise in scheduling births.

It's just within the last three or four years that the scope of the problem of late pre-term births - babies born between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation - has become apparent, said Dr. Ruth Shepherd, division director for maternal and child health in Kentucky's Department of Public Health. Roughly 10 percent of all babies born in Kentucky fall into the late pre-term category.

Ideally, she said, babies shouldn't be delivered before 39 weeks.

Often, there are legitimate reasons for early delivery, especially if the health of mother or child is at risk.

Increasingly, choices are made for reasons other than health. Delivery might be scheduled to coincide with grandparents' dates of arrival from out of town, or before Dad must ship out for Iraq.

There are several complicating factors, Crawford said. The documentary states that people tend to underestimate the impact of premature births, especially late pre-term births. They tend to overestimate how accurately a due date can be determined.

Shepherd said there can be real consequences. They can include immediate physical challenges, including underdeveloped lungs and long-term problems involving learning and behavioral disabilities, for example.

And even if a mother gets an ultrasound within the first 16 weeks - the best way to accurately determine the due date - the date can be off by two weeks either way.

Those two weeks can be crucial, she said.

"It's an issue of planning and control," she said. Planning is good. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that mothers have a birth plan. But, Shepherd said, "you can take it too far if you don't pay attention to the science."

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Three out of five women who have given birth to a child with a congenital heart defect (CHD) -- the number-one birth defect and leading killer of infants and newborns -- were never tested for the defect during pregnancy. This is according to a survey just released by Little Hearts, Inc.

These findings come just as CHD Awareness Week begins (Feb. 7 - 14). The Little Hearts survey found that 60 percent of parents did not know their child had a CHD until after giving birth -- because the mothers were not tested for heart defects during pregnancy.

Of these parents, nearly three out of four (71.6 percent) wished they had known their child had a CHD during pregnancy -- mostly because they would have given birth at a hospital more equipped to handle the care of newborns with a CHD (41.6 percent).

"Congenital heart defects kill more children than childhood cancer, and yet, pregnant women are not routinely tested -- and newborns are not routinely screened -- for this defect," says Lenore Cameron, President and Executive Director, Little Hearts, Inc. "Early detection is absolutely critical to the successful treatment of congenital heart defects and, in countless cases, it saves lives."

Those families that did know their child had a CHD before giving birth (40.0 percent) reaped tremendous benefits from knowing in advance:

• Three out of five (59.5 percent) said they gave birth at a hospital more equipped to handle the care of newborns with a CHD
• One in five (19.8 percent) prepared themselves mentally and emotionally for the arrival of a seriously ill child
• Others did their homework: 14.9 percent of respondents said they arranged for a pediatric cardiologist in advance of their baby's arrival, and 5.8 percent said that knowing in advance was most beneficial because it gave them time to do research on CHDs during the pregnancy

More Survey Results

• Four out of five respondents (81.7 percent) said neither parent of the heart child had any family history of CHDs
• Giving birth to a child with a CHD was more common for women in their 30s (65.2 percent) than in any other age group
• Three out of four respondents (76.1 percent) said the mother did not take prescription drugs (which is considered a CHD risk factor) while pregnant with the heart child
• Almost all respondents (96.4 percent) have only one child with a congenital heart defect; 3.6 percent have two or more children with a CHD
Nearly three out of five respondents (58.0 percent) said their heart child has two or more CHDs; 42.0 percent said their heart child has one CHD
• The most common CHD among children of respondents was Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (30.3 percent), a very serious heart defect that occurs when the left side of the heart does not develop completely

There are approximately 35 different types of CHDs. Some may be treated with surgery, medicine and/or devices, such as artificial valves and pacemakers. In the last 25 years, advances in the treatment of heart defects have enabled half a million U.S. children with serious CHDs to survive into adulthood. However, many cases of sudden cardiac death in young athletes are caused by undiagnosed CHDs and childhood-onset heart disease.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

To understand why you may sometimes end up with a false positive pregnancy test you need to understand how the common or garden variety of home pregnancy test kits work.

The modern pregnancy test has made it a simple matter to confirm a pregnancy by the simple expedient of peeing on a stick.

The test device works by detecting the presence of HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood or urine of a pregnant woman. The lateral low technology is used for this and if the test is positive, the urine usually changes color and a colored line shows up in the testing strip area.

The home pregnancy testing kit is very reliable and one study showed that when used by experienced technicians, it had an accuracy level of over 97%, the same professional laboratory testing in terms of accuracy.

 In the hand of consumer, however, the accuracy of the test was shown to be about 75% only. This goes to show that they may be a high level of users who do not use the testing device properly or as instructed.

This gives rise to a false positive pregnancy test and equally as well work the other way around; by throwing up a false negative. Improper use and failure to follow instructions is a big reason why a false positive pregnancy test may show up.

Sometimes a particular constituent of one’s urine can give rise to an evaporation line which could be mistaken for a positive result in a test kit. In this case, testing should be done again in a few days to get the correct result.

In rare cases, the testing kit itself may have some anomaly or manufacturing defect or sometimes the expiry date may have passed. So be sure to check the date of manufacture on the package and also the date of expiration because an expired product may not give you correct results.

Certain medications may increase levels of the HCG hormone in the body and may therefore result in a false positive pregnancy test.

Understand that a false positive pregnancy may result from a number of different factors as stated above and also other possible reasons. So it is important to follow instructions fully and correctly.

Make sure that the brand you buy is good quality and well within the date of expiry. Also do not depend on the home test entirely, have the findings confirmed by a doctor’s test for an accurate result.

We have probably heard by now about Gisele Bundchen and her famous “Painless Delivery” so faithfully reported by the press.

For every such story that one hears about a woman who had virtually no pain during childbirth, you will probably hear two about women who underwent hideously painful labors that extended over many, many hours.

While both may be true, the pregnant woman who is trying to figure out what to expect at the time of delivery, is wondering what to expect.

The fact is that for a large majority of women, childbirth pains reach none of those extremes and every woman should have a realistic expectation bolstered by a calm courage.

If Bundchen’s midwife Deborah Allen said that the former “felt no fear” this would be useful pointer to take. It was a water birth where the mother was focused on breathing deeply in order to “relax and be present in the moment”.

And then there was the yoga and meditation which resulted in the very tranquil birth.  “I kept myself in good shape during the whole pregnancy, eating healthily, meditating, and doing exercises,” said Bundchen.  These are good pointers for any mom to be, not just for celebs!

It's been reported that a third infant has died from the use of the Infantino Sling Rider. Unfortunately, the Infantino Sling Rider and other "bag" slings are not safe. A blog called Babysosmart, has some very good information on the topic:

For the last 4 years+ I've been teaching what I call a "Benefits of Babywearing" class through several local venues. My goal has always been to open parents eyes to all the amazing physical and emotional health benefits that babywearing gives to a baby. It still blows my mind. Not the idea of babywearing, but the science behind it all. An infant's development is measurably physically improved by babywearing...

But not all baby carriers are equal, and not all of them are safe. I'll admit it: I bring a couple of the "bad carriers" to each class that I teach, to demonstrate the potential problems that can arise from using a "bad carrier." One of these "bad carriers" (and I don't usually say bad, except in regards to this one that I'm about to discuss now) is the Infantino Sling Rider. And it's BAD. I've always referred to it "lovingly" as "the Sling of Death."

My overwhelming concern with this particular style of carrier, what we refer to as a "bag sling" or "bag-style sling", is the awkward and unsafe position into which the baby slips when he is placed inside the carrier. There is no feature to keep the baby's body in good alignment, so the baby usually ends up in what we call the "chin-to-chest" position. I'm a nurse, a pediatric nurse, and just hearing those words said in relation to an infant under three months old is akin to hearing someone say they gave their newborn a razor blade to play with. Wouldn't do it, dumb, a no-brainer, and worse, dangerous. The chin-to-chest position is just that-- the infant's chin drops down to rest on their chest, and their little, teeny, floppy airway is occluded-- folded in half, if you will. The infant airway, or trachea or breathing tube, is pretty unremarkable at this stage, at least in regards to it's ability to maintain itself. It's soft, floppy, and extremely narrow; that's why infants are so grossly affected when they're hit with the common cold, for example. Let me just say it bluntly: an infant can cut off their own ability to breathe if they are placed in the chin-to-chest position.

Others have been voicing their concerns for several years as well. In fact, one third-party group reviewed the Infantino Sling Rider (along with several other styles/brands of carriers) back in the fall of 2006 or 2007, documented their findings, and presented it to the manufacturer in the following February, assuming that eyebrows would be raised, red flags would be waved, and that the offending carrier would be pulled from the market, at least until modifications could be made to make it safe for use. I'm willing to bet that they were more shocked to hear the manufacturer say (and not an actual quote, mind you)-- "Have their been any documented deaths in one of our carriers? Until then, we aren't willing to do anything."

I have pushed people to LEARN how to use their carriers correctly over the years, as even a good carrier can be used incorrectly and potentially be the "cause" of a problem (I say "cause" because it's not actually the carrier that causes the problem, it's the wearer not using it correctly). Three biggest instances of this are: a "bigger baby, let's say a 6- or 8-month old, that's just really pitching a fit, and the parent is trying to force the baby into the carrier, and the baby is thrashing, throwing itself around, a recipe for disaster. A baby carrier is just that, a carrier, not a restraining device. Next example, a parent not tightening the carrier up, wearing it very loose and low, baby hanging out, again, looking for a fall, or the potential for the baby to fall into the chin-to-chest position. I've seen this several times, usually a ring sling, and the parent is attempting to carry the baby in the cradle position, but is not adjusting the sling to support the baby, allowing the baby to just kind of curl up inside the body of the sling. And the third instance, wearing a carrier that is too big for you-- usually it is a pouch, or pouch sling, and the baby is sliding into . . . the chin-to-chest position, and we've already been through those dangers. It is critical to make sure not only that the carrier you are using fits you, but that you are also using it correctly.

My heart goes out to the families of these beautiful babies whose lives were needlessly lost. The data was there, several years ago, and the manufacturer KNEW about the dangers their product posed to babies, they just didn't care. They were busy padding their pockets.

Note: Other similar dangerous "bag style slings": the Boppy "sling", the PreMaxx "sling," the JJ Cole "sling", the bag sling by Serena and Lily, to name a few.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

It's been reported that a third infant has died from the use of the Infantino Sling Rider. Unfortunately, the Infantino Sling Rider and other "bag" slings are not safe. A blog called Babysosmart, has some very good information on the topic:

For the last 4 years+ I've been teaching what I call a "Benefits of Babywearing" class through several local venues. My goal has always been to open parents eyes to all the amazing physical and emotional health benefits that babywearing gives to a baby. It still blows my mind. Not the idea of babywearing, but the science behind it all. An infant's development is measurably physically improved by babywearing...

But not all baby carriers are equal, and not all of them are safe. I'll admit it: I bring a couple of the "bad carriers" to each class that I teach, to demonstrate the potential problems that can arise from using a "bad carrier." One of these "bad carriers" (and I don't usually say bad, except in regards to this one that I'm about to discuss now) is the Infantino Sling Rider. And it's BAD. I've always referred to it "lovingly" as "the Sling of Death."

My overwhelming concern with this particular style of carrier, what we refer to as a "bag sling" or "bag-style sling", is the awkward and unsafe position into which the baby slips when he is placed inside the carrier. There is no feature to keep the baby's body in good alignment, so the baby usually ends up in what we call the "chin-to-chest" position. I'm a nurse, a pediatric nurse, and just hearing those words said in relation to an infant under three months old is akin to hearing someone say they gave their newborn a razor blade to play with. Wouldn't do it, dumb, a no-brainer, and worse, dangerous. The chin-to-chest position is just that-- the infant's chin drops down to rest on their chest, and their little, teeny, floppy airway is occluded-- folded in half, if you will. The infant airway, or trachea or breathing tube, is pretty unremarkable at this stage, at least in regards to it's ability to maintain itself. It's soft, floppy, and extremely narrow; that's why infants are so grossly affected when they're hit with the common cold, for example. Let me just say it bluntly: an infant can cut off their own ability to breathe if they are placed in the chin-to-chest position.

Others have been voicing their concerns for several years as well. In fact, one third-party group reviewed the Infantino Sling Rider (along with several other styles/brands of carriers) back in the fall of 2006 or 2007, documented their findings, and presented it to the manufacturer in the following February, assuming that eyebrows would be raised, red flags would be waved, and that the offending carrier would be pulled from the market, at least until modifications could be made to make it safe for use. I'm willing to bet that they were more shocked to hear the manufacturer say (and not an actual quote, mind you)-- "Have their been any documented deaths in one of our carriers? Until then, we aren't willing to do anything."

I have pushed people to LEARN how to use their carriers correctly over the years, as even a good carrier can be used incorrectly and potentially be the "cause" of a problem (I say "cause" because it's not actually the carrier that causes the problem, it's the wearer not using it correctly). Three biggest instances of this are: a "bigger baby, let's say a 6- or 8-month old, that's just really pitching a fit, and the parent is trying to force the baby into the carrier, and the baby is thrashing, throwing itself around, a recipe for disaster. A baby carrier is just that, a carrier, not a restraining device. Next example, a parent not tightening the carrier up, wearing it very loose and low, baby hanging out, again, looking for a fall, or the potential for the baby to fall into the chin-to-chest position. I've seen this several times, usually a ring sling, and the parent is attempting to carry the baby in the cradle position, but is not adjusting the sling to support the baby, allowing the baby to just kind of curl up inside the body of the sling. And the third instance, wearing a carrier that is too big for you-- usually it is a pouch, or pouch sling, and the baby is sliding into . . . the chin-to-chest position, and we've already been through those dangers. It is critical to make sure not only that the carrier you are using fits you, but that you are also using it correctly.

My heart goes out to the families of these beautiful babies whose lives were needlessly lost. The data was there, several years ago, and the manufacturer KNEW about the dangers their product posed to babies, they just didn't care. They were busy padding their pockets.

Note: Other similar dangerous "bag style slings": the Boppy "sling", the PreMaxx "sling," the JJ Cole "sling", the bag sling by Serena and Lily, to name a few.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

There's a link between a birth defect called gastroschisis and the agricultural chemical atrazine, a new study has found.

Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect in which the intestines, and sometimes other organs, develop outside the abdomen through an opening in the abdominal wall. The incidence of this birth defect, also called infant abdominal hernia, has doubled to quadrupled over the past 30 years.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle investigated whether environmental exposures were a factor in a higher than normal number of cases in the eastern part of the state.

"Our state has about two times the national average number of cases of gastroschisis," study co-author Dr. Sarah Waller said in a news release. "The life expectancy for fetuses with this diagnosis is better than 90 percent; however it requires delivery at a tertiary care center with immediate neonatal intervention, which often separates families and can cause serious financial and emotional stress."

Waller and colleagues analyzed 805 cases of live-born infants with gastroschisis between 1987 and 2006, along with 3,616 normal infants who acted as controls. The researchers matched birth certificates with U.S. Geological Survey databases of agricultural spraying of atrazine, nitrates, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

Gastroschisis occurred more often among infants born to mothers who lived less than 25 kilometers (or about 15.5 miles) from the site of high surface water contamination with atrazine. There was no increased risk associated with the other chemicals. The study authors also found that the risk of gastroschisis was higher for women who conceived in the spring (March through May), when agricultural chemical use is more prevalent.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

There's a link between a birth defect called gastroschisis and the agricultural chemical atrazine, a new study has found.

Gastroschisis is an abdominal wall defect in which the intestines, and sometimes other organs, develop outside the abdomen through an opening in the abdominal wall. The incidence of this birth defect, also called infant abdominal hernia, has doubled to quadrupled over the past 30 years.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle investigated whether environmental exposures were a factor in a higher than normal number of cases in the eastern part of the state.

"Our state has about two times the national average number of cases of gastroschisis," study co-author Dr. Sarah Waller said in a news release. "The life expectancy for fetuses with this diagnosis is better than 90 percent; however it requires delivery at a tertiary care center with immediate neonatal intervention, which often separates families and can cause serious financial and emotional stress."

Waller and colleagues analyzed 805 cases of live-born infants with gastroschisis between 1987 and 2006, along with 3,616 normal infants who acted as controls. The researchers matched birth certificates with U.S. Geological Survey databases of agricultural spraying of atrazine, nitrates, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

Gastroschisis occurred more often among infants born to mothers who lived less than 25 kilometers (or about 15.5 miles) from the site of high surface water contamination with atrazine. There was no increased risk associated with the other chemicals. The study authors also found that the risk of gastroschisis was higher for women who conceived in the spring (March through May), when agricultural chemical use is more prevalent.

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PregnancyWeekly.com

Waiting for natural birth is as effective as inducing labor in pregnant women with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a new study shows.

IUGR, which affects about 10 percent of pregnant women, means that the fetus is much smaller than normal. At birth, these babies are more likely to have low blood sugar, an abnormally high red blood cell count and trouble maintaining their body temperature. These babies are also at increased risk for jaundice, infections and cerebral palsy.

Later in life, people who were restricted-growth babies may be more prone to behavioral disorders, obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Currently, doctors have two main approaches for women with suspected IUGR who are nearing delivery. Some doctors induce labor because they're concerned about complications, while others await natural delivery.

This study compared the effectiveness of the two strategies among 650 women in The Netherlands. The researchers found that median birth weight was significantly lower among babies born after induced labor (2,420 grams) than among those in the spontaneous delivery group (2,560 grams). Both groups of babies had similar rates of adverse post-delivery outcomes.

The findings show that waiting for birth is equally as effective as inducing labor, the researchers concluded.

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PregnancyWeekly.com