Trusted Information for Healthy Pregnancies
fathers
How did Mother’s Day Come About?
May 7th
Mother's Day is a special day to honor mothers everywhere for their sacrifice, dedication, endless patience and limitless love.
Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. She began holding an organized Mother's Day meeting in Boston, Massachusetts every year. But it wasn't until 1907 when Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the second Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton as well as Philadelphia.
Mr. Jarvis and several of her supporters began to petition ministers, business and community leaders and politicians in their effort to establish a national Mother's Day. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and just a year later every state celebrated it. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the second Sunday of May.
Take advantage of your special day and treat yourself to something special - from something as small as a decadent dessert to a full-on day of celebration. And if your partner seems to be stumped and needs some help coming up with a special way to celebrate and honor you this Mother's Day, here are some hints:
- Spa day - Send her to a local spa for a day of pampering to relieve her aching back, swollen ankles, and pregnancy stress. If this isn't financially feasible, treat her to an at-home spa day. Give her a foot and shoulder massage, then let her relax on the couch with her feet up and a stack of her favorite magazines or DVDs while you cater to her every whim.
- Couple's Day - If this is your first baby, you only have a few months until finding time to be alone (and awake) together becomes a challenge. Take advantage of this opportunity and arrange to do all your favorite things together. Be sensitive to what she can't do now that she's pregnant, such as riding a bike, and focus on things she can still do and enjoy.
- Indulge Her - What are her favorite dishes? Is she a choco-holic? Indulge her food fantasies by making her favorite foods or splurging on meals at her favorite restaurants, complete with dessert and treats.
- The Basics - Who can argue with jewelry? It's a guaranteed hit. Select a meaningful piece, such as a necklace featuring a charm of a baby rattle or baby's feet. Don't forget a huge bouquet of flowers to let her know how much you admire and love her.
- Pour Your Heart Out - Write her a love letter telling her exactly how much you love her and how excited you are to share with her the adventure that is parenthood.
Happy Mother's Day from all of us at ParentingWeekly! May this be the first of many!
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Both parents’ race may affect gestational diabetes risk
May 6th
Researchers found that among nearly 140,000 women in one large California health plan, Asian women had the highest rate of gestational diabetes, at nearly 7 percent. They were followed by Native American women, at 5.6 percent, and Latina women, at 5 percent.
Rates of gestational diabetes among white and black women, meanwhile, stood between 3 and 4 percent.
But it wasn't only women's race and ethnicity that mattered, the study found. Expectant fathers' backgrounds also showed an independent association with the risk of gestational diabetes.
When the father was Asian or Hispanic, the researchers found, a woman's risk of gestational diabetes was 41 percent and 29 percent higher, respectively, compared with when the father was white. That was with other factors -- including the mother's race and ethnicity, age, body weight and education -- taken into account.
Native American ethnicity was also linked to relatively higher risks, though the association was weakened when other factors were considered.
Estimated to affect between 3 percent and 8 percent of pregnant women in the U.S., gestational diabetes arises during pregnancy and goes away soon after childbirth, though women who develop it have a higher-than-average risk of eventually developing type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes can raise the risk of certain pregnancy complications, like high blood pressure in the mother and having a larger-than-normal baby, which may require a C-section.
Studies have shown that in the U.S., minorities generally have a higher risk of gestational diabetes than white women do.
These latest findings, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, confirm a role for women's race and ethnicity in gestational diabetes risk.
But they also suggest that "in addition to women who are Asian, Latina, or Native American, women whose partners are of these racial/ethnic groups also appear to be at higher risk for (gestational diabetes)," write Dr. Aaron B. Caughey and his colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco.
The findings may help guide gestational diabetes screening, the researchers note.
For women at average risk of gestational diabetes, doctors typically perform a blood sugar test at some point in the second trimester. Those considered to be at high risk may be screened at their first prenatal visit and then retested later in pregnancy.
It is not clear why certain racial and ethnic groups are at increased risk of gestational diabetes, but genetic predisposition likely plays a role, according to Caughey's team.
They point out that a number of studies have found increased risks among Asian women, despite the fact that they have relatively low levels of obesity, a risk factor for both gestational and type 2 diabetes.
As for why the father's race and ethnicity matters, the researchers explain that fathers' genes, as well as mothers', influence hormones in the placenta. Placental hormones, in turn, affect a pregnant woman's sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Impaired insulin sensitivity can then lead to gestational diabetes.
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Older mothers’ kids have higher autism risk, study finds
Feb 8th
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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Father forced to deliver own baby in maternity ward
Feb 1st
A father was forced to deliver his own baby in a maternity ward after the midwife abandoned them.
Thomas Howard, 33, frantically pressed the emergency buzzer to alert staff at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, Lancashire, for help when he realized the newborn's arrival was imminent.
But when no one at the maternity suite arrived to deliver the baby, he had to act.
Father-of-five Mr Howard said by the time the midwife had returned, his partner Emily Baron had already given birth.
Emily, 26, had been taken to hospital after going into labor. After arranging for family members to look after their other children, Thomas arrived half an hour later and noticed Emily was losing blood.
'When I asked the midwife if this was normal she said she didn't know, which didn't fill me with confidence at all,' said Mr Howard.
'She then went away, leaving me and Emily on our own. It was then I noticed the baby's head coming through. I pressed the buzzer to get some assistance, but nobody came and I decided that I would have to step in.
'I have never done anything like it before, but I've seen others do it a few times, so I had a rough idea.
'The baby was lying at the end of the bed between Emily's legs and I was cleaning the mucous out of her mouth and making sure she could breathe when the midwife came back in.
I was in shock at what had happened but the nurse didn't say anything to me. She just carried on as if it was normal.'
Madeline Louise Howard was born at 8.15am last Tuesday weighing 4lb 15oz.
The couple are angry at the poor care they received and were worried because of problems at previous births. Thomas and Emily have four other children - Reece, nine, Dylan, six, Adam, two, and one-year-old Deni.
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) have also criticized the hospital's treatment as an example of the midwife shortage facing the UK.
An NCT spokesperson said: 'Being left alone in labor in hospital is unacceptable.
Mr Howard, of Blackburn, added: 'I know that these nurses are busy and work very hard, but I feel the department is understaffed.
'My one-year-old daughter was born with a cleft lip, and Adam had breathing difficulties at birth. They both needed assistance at delivery, and if this had happened to them, I dread to think what the outcome would have been.
'It's just a massive relief that this has gone okay and she's doing well.'
Only a fortnight ago the Nursing and Midwifery Council said the midwifery profession is 'still playing catch-up' after a report warned Britain's rising birth rate was leading to a shortage of staff.
Ruth Gildert, divisional general manager in Family Care for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, apologized to the couple for having to deliver their daughter alone.
'We cannot comment in detail for reasons of patient confidentially but our midwives supervise all women very closely during labor.
'However there may, on some occasions, be the need to briefly leave the room and a baby can be born unexpectedly quickly, especially if this is not the mother's first child.
'As a result of the concerns expressed we will be looking very closely into what happened and we will be contacting the family directly to discuss their concerns with them. We understand both mother and baby are doing well.'
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Ultrasounds to be shown live to fathers via iPhone
Jan 11th
The new technology, which transmits video images via the 3G mobile phone network, was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Dr Topol, chief medical officer of the West Wireless Health Institute, which promotes the use of mobile phone technology in healthcare, demonstrated the technique by broadcasting images of an ultrasound examination in Sweden.
He said the new technology was designed to send ultrasound videos to doctors, friends and family, but could even be used to broadcast the examination to “Facebook, Twitter and the whole social networking scene”.
Dr Topol also showed the crowd an Apple iPhone application designed to allow doctors to check the vital signs of patients from any location.
Dr Topol said mobile phone applications have been developed to spot the early warning signs of the top ten causes of hospitalizations in the US, including Alzheimers, breast cancer and diabetes.
He said the technology had the potential to save hundreds of millions of dollars by allowing doctors to act pre-emptively and avoid expensive hospital treatment.
“These things are empowering consumers to take charge of their health,” he said. “You know how we check our emails? Next year we will be sitting here with a Band-Aids on checking our vital signs.”
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Father’s presence at birth seems to have little effect
Dec 29th
A father's presence during childbirth seems to have neither a positive nor negative effect on the process, according to a study by a Germany medical society.
Achim Woeckel of the DGGG (German Association for Gynaecology and Birth Aid) said studies of childbirths showed that a partner's presence had little impact on the length of labor, the need for painkillers or the likelihood of medical intervention. At the same time, the father's presence had no correlation with the rate of complications.
But Woeckel says it might help for fathers to attend men-only courses - not couple's child preparation courses. Doing so can have positive effects for the couple's happiness, since fathers might pose questions in such sessions that they wouldn't when their partner is around.
Attending such a course also means fathers tend to have a more positive memory of the birth experience. Properly prepared men are more comfortable in their role. They know that, in the delivery room, their job is not to provide guidance or do work, but simply to be there and trust in the medical staff to do their job.
Additionally, men should exercise their right not to be in the delivery room, if they so choose, says Klaus Vetter of the DGGG.
'A woman in labor does not need an uncertain or nervous partner around,' he said.
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Pregnant Women Going to Hospital Too Early
Nov 25th
Nervous fathers-to-be are pushing their partners into hospital at the first sign of labor even when they would be better off at home, according to a new study.
Midwives recommend women relax at home in the early stages after research found they are more likely to suffer complications if they are admitted to hospital too soon.
But a small study has found that jumpy fathers-to-be and even nervous mothers-in-law are pushing women to go to hospital too soon.
Mary Nolan, professor of perinatal education at the University of Worcester, questioned more than 2,400 first-time mothers about their experience of support from midwives during early labor.
She then carried out in-depth interviews with eight women in Worcester and found they had common views on their partner's influence.
While many of the women talked about how supportive their partners had been, they believed their partner's stress had led them to hospital early, echoing comments from many of those surveyed.
Prof Nolan said: "We are talking about the early stages of labor when women are advised by midwives that the best place to be is at home. It may be a few hours or even days until the contractions are strong enough and women need to go to hospital.
"Men are completely wonderful but they do not have an intuitive understanding of birth like women have - even those women who have not given birth before. Men - obviously because they are so concerned for their partner and their baby - are on edge."
Prof Nolan said midwives were keen for women to stay at home in early labor because research has shown they are more likely to need interventions - such as forceps or an epidural - if admitted too soon.
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Long Term Relationships Lead to Healthier Babies
Nov 13th
Women in long-term relationships appear to have healthier pregnancies and births, claim scientists.
Researchers found they were less likely to suffer high blood pressure during pregnancy and less likely to give birth to smaller babies.
Scientists found that women who had slept with a partner exclusively for at least six months had fewer undersized babies and a lower rate of pre-eclampsia - pregnancy induced high blood pressure.
Experts believe that the reason for the healthier birth is long-term exposure to the biological father's sperm which boosts the immune system.
In the study by Auckland University in New Zealand researchers asked 2,507 first time pregnant women how long they had been with the baby's father.
It was found that when the pregnancies came to term, pre-eclampsia was found to be less common in women who had long-term sexual relations exclusively with the biological father, than in those who had been with their partner only for a short time.
The study also revealed that women who had undersized babies were also more likely to have been in shorter relationships.
Dr Larry Chamley, the lead author from the think tank Faculty of 1000 Medicine and also Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Auckland, said that female immune system was boosted by exposure to "paternal antigens" - beneficial antibodies in the male sperm.
"Although the issue of whether prolonged semen exposure does protect against developing pre-eclampsia is not yet resolved this paper seems to tip the weight of evidence back in favor of suggesting that prolonged semen exposure is protective," he said.
The results of the study, published in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology, were adjusted for the lifestyle and background of the women including their weight, whether they smoked and their general health.
Those who did not know the identity of the father were excluded from the research.
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The 2009 Holiday Gift Guide is Here!
Nov 3rd
Before you start your Christmas shopping make sure you check out Maternity & Style's 2009 Gift Guide. They are featuring gifts for rockin' dads, stylish moms and beautiful babies. The latest and most desirable jewelry, toys and electronics can be found in a matter of minutes. You won't be disappointed and neither will your family!
Click here for The 2009 Holiday Gift Guide.