Pregnancy
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses microdosing nicotine, GlyNac benefits, intermittent fasting and hair loss, and cold & flu relief.
In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick covers male fertility strategies, including supplements, lifestyle changes, and heat and alcohol's impact on sperm health.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses silicone safety, grounding, pentadecanoic acid, and the potential benefits of olive leaf extract and peptides.
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Nootropics Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy Curcumin Sauna Time-Restricted Eating Protein Supplements Urolithin ADr. Rhonda Patrick discusses microdosing nicotine, GlyNac benefits, intermittent fasting and hair loss, and cold & flu relief.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick covers male fertility strategies, including supplements, lifestyle changes, and heat and alcohol's impact on sperm health.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses silicone safety, grounding, pentadecanoic acid, and the potential benefits of olive leaf extract and peptides.
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Rhonda Diet Omega-3 Pregnancy Mitochondria Vitamin B12 Muscle Sauna Cardiovascular Blood Test Red Light TherapyDr. Rhonda Patrick explores blood tests to track health, statin alternatives, mitochondrial supplements, and vitamin B12 and autism risk in her latest Q&A.
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Rhonda Ketosis Heart Disease Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy Eyes Muscle Sauna Protein Dairy Intestinal Permeability Brown Fat Moringa SupplementsDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Exercise Obesity Vitamin C Pregnancy Muscle Sulforaphane Sauna Time-Restricted Eating Blood Sugar Weight Loss NAD+Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Mark Mattson delivers an overview of the research investigating the effects of intermittent fasting on female and stress hormones.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Bill Harris discusses the importance of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA in the developing brain.
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Omega-3 Brain Aging Heart Disease Biomarkers Inflammation Immune System Pregnancy Mortality Polyunsaturated FatDr. Bill Harris discusses the roles that omega-3 fatty acids play in cardiovascular and neurocognitive health.
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In this clip, Dr. Roger Seheult and Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss whether COVID-19 vaccines impact fertility.
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Rhonda Sleep Breast Cancer Omega-3 Pregnancy Melatonin Vaccine Curcumin Bone Sauna COVID-19 Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Heart Disease Pregnancy Vaccine Skin Zinc Time-Restricted Eating Blood Sugar COVID-19 Breast MilkDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Exercise Brain Alzheimer's Cancer Telomeres Probiotics Fasting Pregnancy Coffee Anxiety Dementia Sulforaphane Sauna COVID-19 Supplements Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Exercise Gut Microbiome Sleep Heart Disease Diabetes Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy Melatonin Vaccine Iron Gluten COVID-19 Breast Milk Wearable TechnologyDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Sleep Vitamin C Inflammation Fasting Pregnancy Coffee Vaccine Heat Stress Dementia Resveratrol Calcium Sulforaphane Sauna Time-Restricted Eating Protein COVID-19Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Exercise Sleep Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy ADHD Muscle Autophagy Resveratrol Sulforaphane Metformin Supplements Ketogenic Diet Wearable TechnologyDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Exercise Cancer Sleep Omega-3 Probiotics Fasting Pregnancy Coffee Melatonin Sauna Vegetarian Time-Restricted Eating Breast Milk Senescence Metformin NAD+Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Nutrition Alzheimer's Cancer Gut Fasting Circadian Rhythm Pregnancy Vaccine Autophagy Sulforaphane Time-Restricted Eating Breast Milk Supplements Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
Topic Pages
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Creatine
Pregnancy increases maternal creatine synthesis and placental SLC6A8 transport, supplying the fetus with phosphocreatine for perinatal energy homeostasis.
News & Publications
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Plastic contamination has become pervasive, with microplastics—microscopic plastic particles—now detected in most human tissues. A recent study found microplastics in the follicular fluid of women undergoing fertility treatment, raising new concerns about how these contaminants might affect human reproduction.
Researchers collected follicular fluid samples from 18 women receiving assisted reproductive treatment. To detect and characterize plastic particles smaller than 10 micrometers, they used scanning electron microscopy paired with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy—an advanced technique that identifies materials based on their composition.
They found microplastics in nearly 80% of the samples (14 out of 18), with an average concentration of more than 2,000 particles per milliliter. On average, particles measured about 4.5 micrometers in diameter. They did not identify an association between microplastic concentration, fertilization, miscarriages, and live birth. However, higher microplastic concentrations were associated with higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, a key marker of ovarian function.
These findings indicate that microplastics accumulate in human ovarian follicles. The investigators proposed that the lack of association between microplastics and aspects of reproductive health may have been due to the small study size (only 18 women), especially in light of animal evidence indicating that microplastics disrupt hormone regulation, impair egg maturation, and alter embryo development. Learn more about the effects of microplastics on the reproductive system in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Infants born to mothers on strict vegetarian diets are 2.7 times more likely to be small for gestational age, weighing an average of 240 grams less at birth. www.sciencedirect.com
Strict vegetarian diets are gaining popularity, but concerns remain about their safety during pregnancy. A recent study found that pregnant women following strict vegetarian diets are 2.7 times more likely to have a small-for-gestational-age infant, with their newborns weighing an average of 240 grams (about half a pound) less at birth.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of eight studies involving more than 72,000 participants. They examined key pregnancy outcomes, including birth weight, the risk of small-for-gestational-age infants, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, and gestational weight gain.
They found that pregnant women adhering to strict vegetarian diets were 2.7 times more likely to have a small-for-gestational-age infant compared to those consuming animal products. Their infants also weighed, on average, 240 grams (approximately half a pound) less at birth. While strict vegetarian diets were linked to lower gestational weight gain, they did not affect the risk of gestational diabetes or hypertensive disorders.
These findings suggest that without careful planning, strict vegetarian diets during pregnancy increase the risk of inadequate fetal growth. Ensuring sufficient intake of essential nutrients—such as vitamin B12, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and iodine—through supplementation or fortified foods could help reduce this risk. Learn more about how to have a healthy pregnancy in Aliquot #100: Optimizing for a Healthy Pregnancy & Early Childhood.
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Frequent use of personal care products, such as fragrances and nail products, raises 'forever chemical' levels by 10% to 20% during pregnancy and breastfeeding. www.sciencedirect.com
Personal care products like makeup, hair treatments, and nail polish often contain per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These compounds—often called “forever chemicals"—are linked to serious health risks, including cancer, heart disease, and immune dysfunction. A recent study found that using certain personal care products during pregnancy and breastfeeding raises PFAS levels in the body, exposing developing infants to these toxic compounds.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,000 women in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study to examine how personal care product use affects PFAS concentrations in blood plasma during pregnancy and in breast milk postpartum. Participants reported how often they used eight personal care products, including nail polish, hair sprays, and fragrances, throughout pregnancy and after delivery. The researchers compared personal care use to PFAS levels in blood and breast milk samples collected at specific points.
They found that using certain products frequently—such as daily fragrances or weekly nail care products—was associated with PFAS levels 10% to 20% higher in blood during early pregnancy. Similarly, mothers who used permanent hair dye shortly after delivery had 15% to 20% higher PFAS levels in their breast milk. These patterns were consistent across multiple personal care product categories and for PFAS chemicals known to persist in the body for years.
These findings suggest that personal care products increase PFAS exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding. PFAS are also found in plastics, which can break down into microplastics and enter the human body. Learn more about microplastics and PFAS exposure in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Higher folate levels during pregnancy may protect against lead's neurotoxic effects, potentially reducing risk of autism-like behaviors in children. ehp.niehs.nih.gov
Lead exposure during pregnancy can harm a child’s developing brain, increasing the risk of autism-related behaviors. Some evidence suggests that folate, a B vitamin, might help protect against lead’s neurotoxic effects. A recent study found that higher folate levels during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of autism-like behaviors in children exposed to lead before birth.
Researchers analyzed data from a large mother-infant cohort study that tracked participants from pregnancy through early childhood. They measured blood lead levels and plasma folate concentrations during the women’s first and third trimesters. They assessed the children for autism-related behaviors when they were three to four years old. They also examined whether folic acid supplementation and MTHFR, a maternal genetic variant influencing folate metabolism, affected these associations.
They found that third-trimester blood lead levels were associated with more autism-like behaviors in children whose mothers had low third-trimester folate levels. They did not observe this association among mothers with higher folate levels. Additionally, folic acid supplementation appeared to reduce the harmful effects of lead exposure. The MTHFR genetic variant influenced the findings, but the effects were not statistically significant.
These findings suggest adequate folate levels during pregnancy may help protect against the neurodevelopmental harm linked to prenatal lead exposure.
Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in foods, while folic acid is the synthetic form used in supplements and fortified foods. Folic acid has higher bioavailability, meaning the body more readily absorbs it than naturally occurring folate. Learn more about folate in this clip featuring Dr. Bruce Ames.
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Regular exercise during pregnancy may cut the risk of asthma in children by half by improving prenatal lung development. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Asthma affects millions of children, and finding ways to prevent it before birth could be a game-changer. Some evidence suggests that physical activity during pregnancy promotes fetal lung development, potentially reducing children’s asthma risk. A recent study found that the children of mothers who engaged in regular physical activity during pregnancy were nearly half as likely to develop asthma.
Researchers analyzed data from 963 mother-child pairs participating in the Kuopio Birth Cohort study. They gathered information on maternal physical activity during pregnancy, potential influencing factors, and asthma diagnoses in the children when they were between the ages of 5 and 7 years.
They found that the children of mothers who engaged in physical activity three or more times per week during pregnancy were 46% less likely to develop asthma. This relationship held steady even after adjusting for factors like the length of pregnancy, delivery method, maternal health conditions, and family environment.
These findings suggest that regular physical activity during pregnancy could effectively reduce asthma risk in children. Experts recommend that pregnant women aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. Learn about other healthy lifestyle practices for pregnancy in Aliquot #100: Optimizing for a Healthy Pregnancy and Early Childhood.
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Microplastic particles inhaled by pregnant rats can accumulate in the tissues of their offspring, revealing a potential pathway for generational plastic contamination. www.sciencedirect.com
Airborne microplastic particles may be doing more than just floating in the air—they could be making their way into future generations. A recent study found that micro- and nanoplastic particles can accumulate in the tissues of offspring after mothers inhale them during pregnancy.
Researchers assigned pregnant rats to one of two groups. They exposed one group to airborne polyamide-12 micro- and nanoplastics for about four hours on ten days during pregnancy—roughly equivalent to 120 minutes per day during a human pregnancy—while the other group received no exposure and served as a control group. Polyamide-12 is used in clothing, other textiles, kitchen items, carpets, and automotive products. After the pups were born, the researchers collected tissue samples from the two-week-old pups' lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and brain to see if the particles persisted.
They found that the micro- and nanoplastic particles were present in the tissues of all the pups whose mothers had inhaled them but found no particles in the control group. These findings confirm that the particles can migrate from the respiratory system, pass through the placenta, and remain in the tissues of the young even after birth.
These findings suggest that exposure to micro- and nanoplastics during pregnancy can promote their accumulation in offspring, raising concerns about their long-term effects on health. Microplastic particles are smaller than 5 millimeters, while nanoplastics are even tinier—less than 1 micrometer in size. These particles often form when larger plastic items break down due to physical wear, heat, or exposure to sunlight. Micro- and nanoplastic particles are ubiquitous environmental pollutants found in air, water, soil, and food. Learn more about microplastics in our overview article.
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Pregnancy transforms nearly every aspect of a woman’s body, but research indicates it also affects the brain. A recent study found that massive brain alterations occur during pregnancy, making it a critical neural adaptation period.
Researchers conducted an in-depth brain imaging analysis of a healthy 38-year-old woman who became pregnant for the first time. She underwent 26 brain scans, starting three weeks before conception and continuing for two years postpartum. They measured the woman’s hormone levels throughout the pregnancy and postpartum period.
They found widespread reductions in gray matter volume and cortical thickness, which became more pronounced as the pregnancy progressed. These changes were particularly evident in brain areas related to memory and emotional processing, including the hippocampus and parts of the cortex. In contrast, white matter integrity improved, suggesting enhanced communication between different brain regions as gestational weeks advanced.
These findings suggest that pregnancy is a dynamic period of brain remodeling, driven by rising hormone levels and possibly preparing the brain for motherhood. Learn how to optimize your health before, during, and after pregnancy in this Aliquot featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Vitamin D shapes neurodevelopment, influencing the development of dopamine-producing neurons and, ultimately, the risk of schizophrenia. onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the early development of dopamine-producing neurons, shedding light on the potential neurodevelopmental origins of schizophrenia. Abnormalities in dopamine signaling are at the heart of this complex mental health disorder, and a recent study suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy influences these pathways, increasing the risk of schizophrenia in offspring.
Researchers examined nerve growth, synapse formation, and dopamine release in various dopamine-producing cells exposed to vitamin D over time. They focused on SH-SY5Y cells—which can mature into dopaminergic (dopamine-releasing) neurons—and other brain cells.
They found that vitamin D increased neuron outgrowth and branching in dopaminergic cells, enhancing the production and release of dopamine. It also altered the expression and distribution of critical presynaptic proteins involved in dopamine release, further supporting its role in dopaminergic development.
These findings suggest vitamin D is crucial for developing and maturing dopamine-producing neurons. They provide new insights into how maternal vitamin D levels might influence the risk of schizophrenia in offspring by affecting early dopamine signaling pathways. Evidence suggests that vitamin D synergizes with omega-3 fatty acids to support neurodevelopment. Learn more about this relationship in this peer-reviewed article coauthored by Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Infertility is a growing public health concern, and poor semen quality plays a role in as many as 70% of all infertility cases. A recent review and meta-analysis found that men with obesity had lower semen volume, sperm number, and motility and fewer normal-shaped sperm than men with healthy body weight.
The reviewers analyzed the findings of studies investigating links between body mass index (BMI) and semen quality. Their analysis included 50 studies involving more than 71,000 men.
They found that compared to men with a healthy BMI, men with obesity had lower semen volume, sperm number, and motility and fewer normal-shaped sperm. These reductions in semen quality were more pronounced among the men with the highest BMIs. Men with overweight had lower semen volume and motility than healthy-weight men.
These findings suggest that excess body fat reduces semen quality, potentially contributing to infertility. Many other factors influence semen quality, including age, lifestyle factors (such as smoking, excess alcohol consumption, and poor sleep quality), and environmental exposure (such as air pollution, extreme temperatures, and microplastic exposure).
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Pregnancy hormones drive neurological changes in mice, inducing maternal behavior. www.sciencedaily.com
Pregnancy induces marked changes in the female body to prepare for birth, lactation, and the responsibilities of motherhood. A growing body of evidence suggests pregnancy also changes the female brain. A recent study in mice shows that estrogen and progesterone alter galanin-producing neurons in the brain, switching on maternal behavior before offspring arrive.
Researchers analyzed the effects of various pregnancy-related hormones on the brain activity of pregnant mice. Then they blocked the activity of the hormones and assessed the animals' behavior.
They found that estrogen dampened the baseline activity of galanin-expressing neurons in the hypothalamus while increasing their responsiveness. Progesterone reshaped the neurons' connections by driving more synapse formation. Blocking the two hormones' influence in pregnant mice prevented the emergence of maternal behavior, even after giving birth.
Galanin is a neurohormone and neurotransmitter produced in the central nervous system, particularly the hypothalamus. It plays versatile physiological roles in the neuroendocrine axis, such as regulating food intake and insulin levels and driving maternal and fetal weight gain during pregnancy.
These findings suggest that female hormones alter the brain during pregnancy, inducing maternal behaviors and ultimately influencing offspring survival. Learn how maternal health influences offspring health in this clip featuring Dr. Elisa Eppel.
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Inadequate maternal fiber intake during pregnancy linked to 50 percent higher risk of developmental delays in children. neurosciencenews.com
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays a critical role in a child’s development. A new study suggests that low dietary fiber intake during pregnancy harms neurodevelopment. Children of women who consumed lower levels of dietary fiber during pregnancy were nearly 50 percent more likely to experience developmental delays.
The study involved more than 76,000 Japanese mother-infant pairs. The women completed questionnaires about their typical dietary intake and supplement use during their pregnancies and then provided information about their child’s development at the age of three years.
The questionnaires revealed that, on average, the women consumed roughly 10 grams of fiber daily during their pregnancies, far less than the 18 grams recommended for pregnant women according to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese. Children of women with the lowest fiber intake were approximately 50 percent more likely to experience difficulties with communication, fine motor skills, and problem-solving and 30 percent more likely to experience problems with personal-social skills than children of women with the highest intake.
Dietary fiber is a broad term for the non-digestible components of plant-based foods. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the recommendations for combined fiber intake vary according to age and sex. Women need between 22 and 28 grams of fiber daily, and men need between 28 and 34 grams daily. Pregnant women need at least 28 grams of fiber daily. Most people in the United States only get about half the recommended amount of fiber.
These findings suggest that lower dietary fiber intake during pregnancy harms fetal neurodevelopment. The mechanisms driving this association may be related to dietary fiber’s role in modulating the gut microbiota. Studies in mice suggest that dysbiosis – an imbalance in the microbes that inhabit the gut – impairs development and [promotes gut inflammation[(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34879222/) in offspring. Learn more about the role the gut microbiota plays in health in this episode featuring Dr. Eran Elinav.
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Stem cell therapy shows promise in reversing premature ovarian insufficiency and restoring fertility, a study in mice reveals. www.technologynetworks.com
Premature ovarian insufficiency – a condition in which the ovaries fail earlier than usual – affects more than 3.5 percent of females worldwide, often due to genetics, autoimmune disorders, or exposure to certain drugs, such as those used in chemotherapy. The condition has limited treatment options, but a new study in mice suggests that induced pluripotent stem cells could help.
Induced pluripotent stem cells are stem cells that have been reprogrammed into an embryonic-like pluripotent state. They can develop into any type of human cell and are commonly used in biomedical research and treatment.
Researchers reprogrammed granulosa cells from the ovaries of mice to become induced pluripotent stem cells and then allowed them to differentiate into oocytes (immature eggs). They transplanted the oocytes into the ovaries of mice with drug-induced premature ovarian insufficiency. Then, they bred the transplanted mice with normal animals to assess their fertility.
They found that the induced pluripotent stem cells transformed into functional oocytes and ovarian cells, expressing specific markers for ovaries and germ cells. After transplantation, the animals' hormonal function and fertility normalized, and they gave birth to healthy mouse pups.
These findings suggest that induced pluripotent stem cell-derived ovarian tissue can reverse the hormonal and reproductive problems characterized by premature ovarian insufficiency. They also highlight yet another potential use for induced pluripotent stem cells in ameliorating various human diseases. Learn how induced pluripotent stem cells may help treat macular degeneration in this clip featuring Dr. David Sinclair.
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Oral contraceptives influence how women process stress, disrupting the typical hormonal adjustment seen during social interactions. www.sciencedaily.com
Oral contraceptives are widely known for their role in preventing pregnancy, but evidence suggests they also influence the body’s stress response. A recent study shows that women who took oral contraceptives had lower levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis typically produced in response to stress.
Researchers measured blood ACTH levels in 131 young women before and after the women participated in group activities designed to promote social bonding and reduce stress. The participants completed questionnaires about their moods before and after the activities.
They found that ACTH levels decreased among women not using contraceptives during the stress-buffering group activities, but this effect varied depending on their menstrual cycle phase. However, women using oral contraceptives did not experience the same decrease in ACTH levels during the group activities, regardless of their menstrual cycle phase.
These findings suggest that oral contraceptives not only affect the reproductive system but also influence the body’s response to stress. Learn about other effects of oral contraceptives in this clip from a live Q&A with Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Study reveals a sixfold decrease in C-reactive protein levels among obese women who took omega-3s during pregnancy. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Pregnant women with obesity often experience high levels of inflammation. But a new study shows that omega-3s may reduce inflammation during pregnancy. Women with obesity who took omega-3 fatty acids during their pregnancies experienced a sixfold reduction in C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.
The study involved 49 pregnant women with obesity. Half of the women took an omega-3 supplement providing 800 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 1,200 milligrams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) daily, starting before week 16 of their pregnancies and continuing until delivery. The other half took a placebo containing wheat germ oil. Researchers measured the women’s inflammatory biomarkers before and after the intervention.
They found that the women’s omega-3 levels increased markedly following the intervention, and their C-reactive protein levels decreased sixfold. Inflammatory gene expression in adipose and placental tissues also decreased.
These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation in pregnant women with obesity, aligning with evidence demonstrating that omega-3 fatty acids modulate inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids. Furthermore, byproducts of omega-3 metabolism called specialized pro-resolving mediators, or SPMs, help resolve inflammation. Learn more about SPMs in this clip featuring omega-3 expert Dr. Bill Harris.
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Swabbing C-section newborns with their mothers' vaginal fluid promotes healthier neurodevelopment at 3 and 6 months, bridging the gap to vaginally del www.newscientist.com
Infants born by cesarean section have different microbial communities in and on their bodies than those born vaginally, potentially increasing their risk of developing certain diseases, such as asthma and obesity. But a new study shows that vaginal microbiota transfer – exposing newborns to fluids from their mother’s vagina – may rectify these differences.
The study involved 68 infants born by cesarean section. Researchers swabbed the infants' skin with sterile gauze soaked in either the mother’s vaginal fluids or saline immediately after birth. They assessed the infants' neurodevelopment at three and six months of age and analyzed the microbial makeup of the infants' guts.
They found that infants who received vaginal microbiota transfer scored higher on neurodevelopment assessments than those who received saline. They also had healthier, more mature gut microbiomes – comparable to infants born vaginally.
These findings suggest that exposing infants born via cesarean section to their mother’s vaginal fluids promotes appropriate neurodevelopment and corrects alterations in gut microbial populations. Learn more about the importance of establishing a healthy microbiome early in life in this clip featuring Dr. Eran Elinav.
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Omega-3s improve metabolic markers in women with gestational diabetes. www.sciencedirect.com
Omega-3s improve metabolic markers in women with gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy, carries many health concerns for women, including an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life. A new study shows that omega-3 fatty acids may improve metabolic markers associated with gestational diabetes. Women who took omega-3s during their pregnancies had healthier blood glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels than those who didn’t.
Researchers analyzed the findings of six randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of omega-3s in women with gestational diabetes. The studies included more than 330 pregnant women, and the duration of the various trials was six weeks. Omega-3 doses ranged from 1 to 2 grams per day.
They found that across the six studies, markers of glucose metabolism (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance), lipid metabolism (triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and inflammation (C-reactive protein) were lower among women who took omega-3s than those who took a placebo. Levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol – often referred to as “good” cholesterol – increased.
This analysis suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, which are perhaps best known for their cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties, positively influence metabolism in pregnant women. It also aligns with the findings of a previous analysis, which found that compared to women who took a placebo, those who took supplemental omega-3s had considerably lower fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Learn about other health benefits associated with omega-3s in our comprehensive overview article.
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Olive oil consumption benefits moms and babies during pregnancy. www.news-medical.net
Nutrition experts have long known that olive oil, which is rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds, provides protection against cardiovascular disease. But a recent review suggests that the beneficial effects of olive oil extend to maternal and fetal health, too. Pregnant women who consumed more olive oil were less likely to develop pregnancy-related complications, and their infants were more likely to have healthy weights than those who consumed less.
Researchers analyzed the findings of nine studies investigating the effects of olive oil on maternal and fetal outcomes. More than 44,000 women participated in the various studies.
The researchers found that a higher intake of olive oil was associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and pregnancy-related cardiovascular complications. Higher intake was also associated with a lower risk of an infant being small for gestational age (which increases the risk of infant mortality) or large for gestational age (which increases the risk of birth complications).
Nutrition plays an important role in prenatal health, and these findings suggest that olive oil can play a role in protecting both moms and babies during pregnancy. Other evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may even prevent pre-term birth. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Bill Harris.
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Overeating during pregnancy and breastfeeding may prime offspring for overeating and weight gain later in life. www.sciencedaily.com
Exposure to a high-fat, obesogenic diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding may contribute to poor eating habits and obesity later in life, a new study in mice shows. Mice whose mothers ate an unhealthy diet tended to overeat and gain more weight than mice whose mothers ate a healthy diet.
Researchers fed female mice one of two diets – a high-fat, obesogenic chow, or a balanced, healthy chow – before, during, and after their pregnancies and lactation. After weaning, the animals' pups were given unlimited access to healthy chow initially and then allowed unlimited access to the high-fat obesogenic chow. The researchers monitored the pups' food intake and body weights and studied their brain connections.
The pups whose mothers ate the high-fat diet were heavier at birth than those whose mothers ate the healthy chow, but their weights normalized after eating the healthy chow. When given access to the high-fat chow, both groups of pups overate and gained weight. However, the pups whose mothers had eaten the high-fat chow overate more (and subsequently gained more weight) than those whose mothers ate the healthy chow, due to differences in brain connections – a consequence of overnutrition during pregnancy and lactation.
These findings suggest that overnutrition during pregnancy primes offspring for adult overeating and weight gain. Learn about other ways in which parental health influences offspring health in this clip featuring Dr. Elissa Eppel.
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Higher fetal exposure to air pollution during the second and third trimester of pregnancy score lower in cognition, motor coordination, and language www.colorado.edu
Exposure to air pollution during mid-to-late pregnancy interferes with fetal neurodevelopment.
Exposure to air pollution during mid-to-late pregnancy interferes with fetal neurodevelopment, a new study shows. Children whose mothers were exposed to high levels of air pollution scored roughly three points lower on cognitive tests than children exposed to lower levels.
The study involved 161 mother-child pairs living in Southern California, an area known for its high air pollution levels. The researchers gauged the mothers' exposure to particulate matter (a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets that may have neurotoxic properties) during their pregnancies. When the children reached the age of two years, they underwent tests to assess their neurodevelopment.
The researchers found that children who were exposed to particulate matter in air pollution during pregnancy – especially during the second and third trimesters – had lower composite cognitive scores than children exposed to lower levels. They also performed worse on measures of fine and gross motor skills, language, and expressive communication.
These findings suggest that fetal exposure to particulate matter in air pollution during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy impairs cognitive performance later in life. These trimesters correspond with periods during which critical neurodevelopmental processes occur, such as myelination, neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and neurogenesis.
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A father's drinking habits may play a greater role in pregnancy than once believed. medicalxpress.com
Paternal drinking negatively affects pregnancy outcomes, a new study in mice shows. The more alcohol a male mouse drank before conception, the less likely the pregnancy was successful.
Researchers modeled chronic alcohol consumption in adult mice for six weeks. One group drank no alcohol, one group drank to the legal limit (0.8 percent blood alcohol level), and the other drank to 50 percent above the legal limit. Then, using sperm samples they collected from the mice, they attempted to fertilize eggs taken from female mice.
They found that any amount of preconception alcohol consumption reduced the fertilization success rate in the mice. However, the highest alcohol consumption – 50 percent above the legal limit – reduced the fertilization success rate by roughly half. They also found that alcohol altered the activity of genes involved in placental development.
These findings suggest that male alcohol consumption plays a critical role in conception. Evidence suggests that exercise can reduce cravings for alcohol by inducing the production of a hormone called FGF21. Learn more in this video featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Uterine cells of mice produce their own estrogen during pregnancy, which is critical for maintaining the growth of blood vessels.(2009) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The researchers discovered that during decidualization, mouse uterine stromal cells increase their expression of P450 aromatase, a key enzyme that acts with other enzymes to convert androgens to estrogen.
Even in pregnant mice that have had their ovaries removed, the production of uterine estrogen is able to support the growth and differentiation of the tissue and blood vessels needed to sustain the pregnancy.
Progesterone supplementation is required, however, indicating that local estrogen alone is not sufficient to maintain pregnancy. Blocking the activity of the aromatase with an inhibitor also blocked decidualization, the researchers found, another indication that a successful pregnancy relies on estrogen production in uterine cells.
There are advantages to producing the appropriate amount of estrogen right where it is needed, rather than relying on the ovaries, Bagchi said.
“During pregnancy, the ovaries would need to secrete a high level of estrogen to ensure that the right amount of estrogen is present in the uterus to support decidualization,” she said. “You can imagine that if the estrogen level goes high systemically, it could have a deleterious effect on pregnancy itself by antagonizing the progesterone action.”
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Reproductive events related to shorter cumulative endogenous estrogen exposure in women may be associated with higher dementia risk. (2022) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
[…] used data from the UK Biobank to examine the risk of all cause dementia and reproductive factors in 273,240 women as well as the number of children in those women and in 228,965 men.
After controlling for age, socioeconomic status, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and other elements, certain events related to shorter cumulative exposure to internally produced estrogen – such as older than average age at first period, younger than average age at menopause, and having a hysterectomy – were associated with higher dementia risk.
Pregnancy, even aborted pregnancy, longer reproductive span, older age at menopause, and use of contraceptive pills were associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia.
For both men and women, compared with having two children, having no children or four or more were apparently associated with greater risk of dementia.
The study has limitations including the retrospective reporting on reproductive factors that can be subject to bias, and the fact that UK Biobank is a relatively healthy cohort of affluent people of white British ancestry so may not be representative of a broader population.
Gong adds, “Reproductive events related to shorter exposure to endogenous estrogen in women were associated with higher dementia risk, and these findings highlight the vulnerability in dementia risk pertaining to women. However, the similar association between the number of children and dementia risk observed for women and men indicates that the risk variation in women may be more related to social and behavioural factors in parenthood, rather than biological factors involved in childbearing.”
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Monkey study suggests that estrogen produced in the brain may play a role in ovulation and undiagnosed infertility problems. (2017) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
They implanted capsules under the monkeys' [who’d had their ovaries removed] skin that released estradiol, fooling their brains into thinking there were ovaries at work preparing for ovulation. At the same time, the scientists kept the animals from making any of their own estrogens by inhibiting the work of an enzyme, aromatase, necessary for estrogen production.
Without the help of estradiol produced by the monkeys, the rising release of luteinizing hormone began, but fell short of the full surge required to spark ovulation by about 70 percent compared to animals whose estrogen production wasn’t suppressed.
To zero in on where the estrogen was doing its work, the researchers repeated the process, but blocked estradiol production specifically in the hypothalamus in the monkeys. They watched for the emergence of hypothalamic hormones – called gonadotropin-releasing hormone and kisspeptin – that indicated the key neurons were ramping up to cue the luteinizing hormone surge.
In this case, the releases of all three ovulation-signaling hormones were reduced, indicating that the brain was where the estradiol effects were happening.
“The ovarian estrogen starts the surge, but the brain estrogen allows the surge to continue,” says Kenealy. “When we block the production of brain estrogen, we still start the surge, but basically we cut the top off the mountain and the surge is drastically reduced.”
“This shows the brain’s estrogen is a huge helper, necessary for the release of an egg that makes pregnancy possible”
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Estrogen increases blood-forming stem-cell self-renewal in females and during pregnancy, mouse study suggests. (2014) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
[The study authors] discovered that blood-forming stem cells divide more frequently in females than in males due to higher estrogen levels. The research, conducted using mice, demonstrated that the activity of blood-forming stem cells was regulated by systemic hormonal signals in addition to being regulated by local changes within the blood-forming system.
“This discovery explains how red blood cell production is augmented during pregnancy,” said Dr. Morrison. “In female mice, estrogen increases the proliferation of blood-forming stem cells in preparation for pregnancy. Elevated estrogen levels that are sustained during pregnancy induce stem cell mobilization and red cell production in the spleen, which serves as a reserve site for additional red blood cell production.”
The study involved treating male and female mice over a period of several days with amounts of estrogen needed to achieve a level consistent with pregnancy. When an estrogen receptor that is present within blood-forming stem cells was deleted from those cells, they were no longer able to respond to estrogen, nor were they able to increase red blood cell production The results demonstrate that estrogen acts directly on the stem cells to increase their proliferation and the number of red blood cells they generate.
“If estrogen has the same effect on stem cells in humans as in mice, then this effect raises a number of possibilities that could change the way we treat people with diseases of blood cell-formation,” said Dr. Morrison. “Can we promote regeneration in the blood-forming system by administering estrogen? Can we reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy to the blood-forming system by taking into account estrogen levels in female patients? Does estrogen promote the growth of some blood cancers? There are numerous clinical opportunities to pursue.”
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Infection-induced interleukin-6 secretion in mice increases the risk for schizophrenia- and autism-like behaviors in offspring. (2007) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
It has been known for some time that schizophrenia is more common among people born in the winter and spring months, as well as in people born following influenza epidemics. Recent studies suggest that if a woman suffers even one respiratory infection during her second trimester, her offspring’s risk of schizophrenia rises by three to seven times.
[…]
To prove this, they triggered an artificial immune response in pregnant mice–giving them a faux case of the flu. The trigger they used was a snippet of double-stranded RNA called poly(I:C), which fools the immune system into thinking there has been an infection by an RNA virus.
A single, mid-gestation injection of poly(I:C) creates a strong immune response in a pregnant mouse. When her offspring reach adulthood, they display behavioral and tissue abnormalities similar to those seen in schizophrenia in humans.
Though there might be some disagreement over what it means for a mouse to be schizophrenic, these abnormalities are generally marked by inappropriateness of response and difficulty in coping.
[…]
The team tried injecting the pregnant mice with individual cytokines, rather than with poly(I:C). It turned out that after a single dose of a specific cytokine known as interleukin-6 (or IL-6), a mouse would give birth to offspring who, at maturity, exhibited the familiar schizophrenia- and autism-like behaviors.
To confirm the role of IL-6, Steve Smith, the lead researcher, gave fake colds (poly(I:C)) to two groups of pregnant, IL-6-free mice. One group had received anti-IL-6 antibodies which blocked IL-6; the other consisted of so-called IL-6 knockout mice (mice whose genetic makeup prevents them from synthesizing IL-6). In both groups, offspring grew up normal, showing that IL-6 is necessary for the maternal poly(I:C) treatment to alter fetal brain development and subsequent behavior in the offspring.
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Maternal immune activation during pregnancy is associated with changes in the newborns' stimulus processing and long-term development. (2018) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
Blood drawn from mothers during their third trimester was tested for levels of IL-6 and CRP – two proteins that are found at higher levels when the immune system is activated. Peterson’s team also monitored fetal heart rate as an indicator for nervous system development. The team found that CRP did correlate with variability of the fetal heart rate, which is influenced heavily by the nervous system, indicating that maternal inflammation was already beginning to shape brain development.
When the babies were born, they were given MRI scans in their first few weeks of life, providing researchers a unique view of early neural development and the influence of prenatal factors. Brain imaging revealed a striking finding – significant changes in the communication between specific brain regions correlated with elevated maternal IL-6 and CRP levels. These brain regions are known collectively as the salience network, whose job is to filter stimuli coming into the brain and determine which deserve attention.
[…]
“The salience network sifts through that information and decides what is important and warrants action.” Disturbances in the functioning of this network, as well as various kind of infection and other triggers of a pregnant woman’s immune response, have been linked to development of psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders.
[…]
The correlations of elevated maternal inflammatory markers were not limited to the newborn period, but continued to persist into toddlerhood. When the babies turned 14 months of age, researchers assessed them for motor skills, language development, and behavior. Following the established Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition, Peterson found significant changes in the scores of toddlers born to mothers with elevated levels of both IL-6 and CRP.
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Higher maternal interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels are associated with changes in the newborn amygdala leading to altered impulse control. (2017) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
“We discovered that higher levels of interleukin-6, an inflammatory marker, were associated with changes in the neonatal amygdala in terms of its anatomy and connectivity. Furthermore, our subsequent findings showed that these changes were also associated with lower impulse control at 2 years of age,” explains Prof. Buß. “We therefore conclude that a link exists between higher levels of maternal inflammatory markers and an increased risk of psychiatric disorders that are commonly associated with impaired impulse control.” Animal models have shown that infections and inflammation in the pregnant animal lead to both changes in offspring brain development and behavior. Epidemiological studies also support the findings of this study, suggesting that maternal infections and other clinical phenotypes associated with increased interleukin-6 concentrations (such as obesity) during pregnancy increase the risk of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.
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Maternal IL-6 during pregnancy can be estimated from newborn brain connectivity and negatively correlates with offspring working memory. (2018) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
[…] collected blood samples from 84 expectant mothers at each pregnancy trimester. The samples were measured for levels of the cytokine interleukin-6, or IL-6, an inflammatory marker known to play a role in fetal brain development.
Four weeks following birth, brain connectivity patterns of the offspring were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, scans. At age 2, the children were also tested for working memory performance, a key skill that supports academic achievement and is frequently compromised in mental health disorders.
The data from mother and child show that differences in the levels of inflammatory markers are directly associated with differences in newborn brain communication, and later to working memory scores at age 2. Higher levels of the marker during pregnancy tended to result in less working memory capacity in the child.
“Importantly, this doesn’t mean that every exposure to inflammation will result in a negative impact to the child; however, these findings provide new avenues for research, and can help health care providers think about how, and when, inflammation might impact a child’s long-term learning development and mental health,” said Alice Graham, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine.
A notable aspect of the study, according to Graham, is the development of a model that can accurately estimate information about maternal inflammation during pregnancy based only on newborn brain functioning.
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Hypoxic brain injury in preemies may be treatable well after birth by administration of TNF-alpha blocker, animal study suggests. (2022) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article
Over a third of cases of cerebral palsy are still linked to being born extremely prematurely. Clinical studies have shown that severe injury can appear many weeks after birth. “The current thinking is that this form of brain injury is so severe that there is no point trying to understand it, let alone treat it,” says senior research fellow Dr Christopher Lear, lead author on the new study. “Just the concept that it might be treatable is revolutionary.”
Critically, giving the well-established anti-inflammatory drug, Etanercept (also known as ‘Enbrel’) [a TNF blocker] three days after a period of oxygen deprivation was able to almost completely prevent severe injury from developing after three weeks' recovery. The article has just been published in a leading journal, Brain. “Virtually all proposed treatments so far need to be started within the first six hours of life,” says Professor Laura Bennet. “This is often not realistic when families are overwhelmed by events around birth.”
“A therapeutic window of at least three days is exceptionally long. Much more research is needed before this approach can be tested in humans, but this remarkably wide window for treatment gives us real hope that these findings will one day lead to a new treatment in humans to prevent cerebral palsy,” says Professor Bennet.
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Female reproductive steroids provide anti-inflammatory and antibody production suggesting COVID-19 symptom protection. (2020) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article
Female reproductive steroids, estrogen and progesterone and its physiologically active metabolite, allopregnanolone, provide anti-inflammatory functions, reshape competence of immune cells, stimulate antibody production and promote respiratory epithelial cell repair, and inhibit the ACE2 receptor, the door of access for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to infect the organism, suggesting they may protect against COVID-19 symptoms, according to Pinna’s report. The paper is published in Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Pinna became interested in the role of reproductive steroids in COVID-19 pathology in March when early case reports showed COVID-19 positive pregnant women who had no COVID-19 symptoms, had escalated symptoms – severe enough to require intensive care – immediately after giving birth. The severity of symptoms coincided with a rapid drop of estradiol, progesterone, and allopregnanolone.
“Hormones that help sustain the pregnancy – like progesterone – are 100 times more concentrated in a pregnancy’s third trimester. Estradiol, allopregnanolone, and progesterone all have important anti-inflammatory functions and are involved in resetting the immune system. This suggests that pregnant women became symptomatic, and some were even admitted to the ICU, after delivering their babies because of the rapid drop in these hormones,” said Pinna. “The correlation was really striking.”
According to recent CDC data, in the United States, 38,071 women who were pregnant contracted COVID-19, with 51 deaths – 0.13%. For non-pregnant women, the death toll is 2%.
“Pregnant women are 15 times less likely to die from COVID than other women,” said Pinna.
Additionally, nutrition may also play a role when diets are enriched with phytoestrogens – plant-produced ‘estrogen’ – (in foods such as soybeans, lentils, oats). Phytoestrogens have the ability to bind directly to human estrogen receptors, or can be converted to estradiol by the microbiome.
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Women with higher omega-3 intake are more likely to conceive. academic.oup.com
As many as 48 million women worldwide experience infertility. Although many factors influence fertility, an abundance of evidence suggests that nutrition is a key player. Findings from a recent study suggest that women who take omega-3 fatty acids are 1.5 times more likely to conceive than those who do not.
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that play critical roles in human health throughout the lifespan. Higher intake of omega-3s is associated with a reduced risk of many diseases, and some evidence indicates that these fatty acids play important roles in both male and female fertility.
The study involved more than 900 women between the ages of 30 and 44 years who were enrolled in the Time to Conceive study and had no history of infertility. Investigators collected information about the women’s menstrual cycles and supplement and medication use.
They found that women who took omega-3 supplements were 1.5 times more likely to conceive than those who did not take them. The authors noted that because this was not a randomized, controlled trial, the women who took omega-3s might represent a more health-conscious group. However, the findings held true even after considering other factors that influence fertility, including age, obesity, race, having a previous pregnancy, and intake of vitamin D, prenatal vitamins, and multivitamins.
These findings suggest that omega-3 fatty acids positively influence female fertility. [Learn more about the health benefits omega-3s in our overview article.](LINK)
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Pregnant females are exposed to a variety of toxic chemicals via common household products. www.sciencedaily.com
Melamine, its derivatives, and other nitrogen-containing compounds are ubiquitous in the environment. Despite their known toxicity, these compounds are used in a variety of household products, including dishware, cleaning products, cosmetics, tattoo ink, and many others. Findings from a recent study suggest that pregnant females are exposed to a wide variety of these compounds via common household products.
Toxic environmental exposures can have serious, harmful effects on pregnant females and developing fetuses. Evidence suggests that these toxic exposures are associated with an increased risk for infertility, miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and adult and childhood cancer.
The study involved an ethnically diverse group of 171 pregnant females living in various parts of the United States. The investigators measured melamine, melamine derivatives, and other nitrogen-containing compounds (including cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine metabolism) in the participants' urine. Participants provided demographic information regarding their age, race/ethnicity, and marital status.
The investigators found melamine and cyanuric acid (a melamine derivative) in nearly all the participants' urine samples. Levels were highest in Black and Hispanic females and those with greater exposure to tobacco. In addition, nearly all the samples contained nitrogen-containing compounds called aromatic amines, which are commonly used in products containing dyes and pigments, such as hair dyes and cosmetics.
These findings suggest that pregnant females are exposed to a wide variety of toxic nitrogen-containing compounds, such as melamine, its derivatives, and aromatic amines. These exposures disproportionally affect Black and Hispanic females and those exposed to tobacco.
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Background: Developmental exposure to air pollution is associated with diminished cognitive abilities in observational studies, but no randomized controlled trial has examined the effect of reducing air pollution on cognition in children.
Objectives: We sought to quantify the impact of reducing exposure to particulate matter (PM) during pregnancy on children’s cognitive performance at 4 y of age.
Methods: In this single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, we randomly assigned 540 nonsmoking pregnant women (268 intervention and 272 control) to receive 1–2 portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter air cleaners or no air cleaners. The air cleaners were used from a median of 11 wk gestation until the end of pregnancy. The primary outcome was full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV) when children were a median of 48 months old. We imputed missing outcome data using multiple imputation with chained equations, and our primary analysis was by intention to treat.
Results: After excluding known miscarriages, stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and medical conditions that impeded cognitive testing and imputation, 475 (233 control and 242 intervention) children were included in our analyses. In an unadjusted analysis, the mean FSIQ of children who were randomly assigned to the intervention group was 2.5 points [95% confidence interval (CI): −0.4, 5.4 points] higher than that of children in the control group. After adjustment to account for an imbalance in preterm birth between groups, the effect estimate increased to 2.8 points (95% CI: −0.1, 5.7).
Conclusions: Reducing PM air pollution during pregnancy may improve cognitive performance in childhood.
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Fathers-to-be should avoid alcohol six months before conception. www.sciencedaily.com
Parental abstention from alcohol reduces an infant’s risk of being born with congenital heart disease.
Congenital heart disease is an umbrella term for a range of heart conditions that are present at birth. Approximately 1 percent of all children worldwide are born with the conditions. Findings from a 2019 meta-analysis suggest that parental abstention from alcohol reduces an infant’s risk of being born with congenital heart disease.
Alcohol elicits an array of harmful effects on the human body and is widely considered a toxin. Consuming alcohol is associated with an increased risk of many disorders, including infectious diseases, cancer, neuropsychiatric diseases, cardiovascular disease, liver and pancreas disease, metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and unintentional and intentional injury. Health experts advise women who are pregnant to avoid alcohol to reduce the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as well as other developmental delays and disorders.
The investigators searched the scientific literature to identify studies examining links between paternal alcohol consumption and congenital heart disease risk. They filtered their results based on a set of criteria designed to identify studies of high quality. Finally, they combined data from these high-quality studies and reanalyzed it so they could interpret the results on a large scale.
They identified 55 studies involving nearly 42,000 infants with congenital heart disease and nearly 300,000 without. Infants whose mothers consumed alcohol three months before pregnancy or during the first trimester were 16 percent more likely to develop congenital heart disease. However, if a father consumed alcohol during those timeframes, his infant was 44 percent more likely to develop the condition. Infants whose fathers binge drank were 52 percent more likely to develop congenital heart disease. When the investigators looked at specific diseases, they found that infants whose mothers drank alcohol before or during pregnancy were 20 percent more likely to develop tetralogy of Fallot, a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth. Infants with tetralogy of Fallot are often referred to as “blue babies” due to the cyanosis that manifests with the condition.
These findings suggest that parental consumption of alcohol in the months before or during early pregnancy increases an infant’s risk for developing congenital heart disease. This risk is markedly higher for fathers, whose roles in their offspring’s health are becoming more evident. For example, research suggests that infants of fathers who exercise have better metabolic health later in life.
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Longer periods of lactation (breast feeding) may promote lower visceral and pericardial fat, an effect that persists many years through midlife www.sciencedaily.com
Breastfeeding may reduce fatty deposits around the heart and other organs.
The benefits of breastfeeding on infant health are widely known, but breastfeeding benefits maternal health, too. For example, evidence suggests that women who breastfeed experience a faster return to pre-pregnancy weight and have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer Findings from a 2021 study suggest that breastfeeding is associated with having less pericardial and visceral adipose tissue.
Pericardial adipose tissue is fat that accumulates in and on the pericardium – the membrane that surrounds the heart. Visceral adipose tissue is fat that is stored in the abdominal cavity near the liver, pancreas, and intestines. Evidence suggests that pericardial and visceral fat produce adipokines, cell-signaling molecules that drive metabolic dysfunction.
The investigators drew on data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, an ongoing examination of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young adults living in the United States. The participants included 910 women who had given birth at least once during the 25 years of follow-up. They provided information about their reproductive histories, overall health, lifestyles, and how long they breastfed. The investigators used computed tomography to measure the women’s body fat.
They found that women who breastfed had less pericardial and visceral fat than women who did not, even when considering the women’s age, race, smoking status, body mass index, fasting glucose, family history of diabetes, fat intake, total cholesterol, and physical activity. The protective effects of breastfeeding were duration-dependent, with longer-duration breastfeeding exerting greater effects, and appeared to last through midlife.
These findings suggest that breastfeeding is associated with having less pericardial and visceral adipose tissue. Learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding in our overview article.
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Girls on average enter puberty between one-and-a-half and three months earlier, if mother took acetaminophen for >= 12 weeks during pregnancy www.sciencedaily.com
Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen accelerates the onset of puberty in females.
Puberty refers to the period of sexual development and maturation and the achievement of fertility. The onset of puberty varies between individuals and is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, including prenatal exposures. Findings from a 2018 study suggest that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen accelerates the onset of puberty in females.
Acetaminophen is a widely use pain reliever and fever reducer. Although it is generally considered safe for use during pregnancy, a growing body of evidence suggests that acetaminophen is an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors mimic or interfere with normal hormonal processes in the human body and may influence health throughout the lifespan.
The study involved nearly 16,000 children (and their mothers) enrolled in the Puberty Cohort of the Danish National Birth Cohort. The mothers provided information about their acetaminophen use during pregnancy via phone interviews conducted during and after pregnancy. Starting at the age of 11 years and continuing every six months until they reached sexual maturity, the children provided information about their achievement of specific puberty-related events, such as underarm hair growth, menarche (the first period), first ejaculation, and others.
The investigators found that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen accelerated puberty in females by as much as three months, especially if the mother took the drug more than 12 weeks. Exposure to the drug did not appear to affect the onset of puberty in males.
These findings suggest that acetaminophen exerts dose-dependent endocrine disruptive effects during fetal development, thereby influencing pubertal timing. Because early onset of puberty is associated with a wide range of chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, further study is needed to determine whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy is safe.
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Painkillers in pregnancy may affect baby's future fertility: evidence from animal models www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
Human tissues exposed to either drug for one week in a dish had reduced numbers of cells that give rise to sperm and eggs, called germ cells, the study found.
Ovaries exposed to paracetamol for one week had more than 40 per cent fewer egg-producing cells. After ibuprofen exposure, the number of cells was almost halved.
Experts say this is important because girls produce all of their eggs in the womb, so if they are born with a reduced number it could lead to an early menopause.
Painkiller exposure during development could have effects on unborn boys too, the study found. Testicular tissue exposed to painkillers in a culture dish had around a quarter fewer sperm-producing cells after exposure to paracetamol or ibuprofen.
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Seven days of exposure to acetominophen reduced testosterone by 45% in mouse model of in utero testicular development www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The University of Edinburgh study tested the effect of paracetamol on testosterone production in mice that carried grafts of human testicular tissue. These grafts have been shown to mimic how the developing testes grow and function during pregnancy.
Scientists gave the mice a typical daily dose of paracetamol – over a period of either 24 hours or seven days. They measured the amount of testosterone produced by the human tissue an hour after the final dose of paracetamol.
They found there was no effect on testosterone production following 24 hours of paracetamol treatment. After seven days of exposure, however, the amount of testosterone was reduced by 45 per cent.
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Children whose mothers used acetaminophen during pregnancy were more likely to have ADHD symptoms or hyperkinetic disorder at age 7 www.sciencedaily.com
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy may impair fetal neurodevelopment.
Acetaminophen, a drug used to treat pain and reduce fever, has a generally favorable safety profile and is considered safe for use during pregnancy. However, evidence from studies in rodents and humans suggests that acetaminophen exerts endocrine-disrupting properties, which could alter neurological development. Findings from a 2014 study suggest that children of women who took acetaminophen during pregnancy are more likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behavioral problems or hyperkinetic disorders.
ADHD is a neurobehavioral condition characterized by inattention and/or hyperactive or impulsive behavior that interferes with functioning, learning, or development. The condition affects more than 9 percent of children living in the United States. Hyperkinetic disorders are conditions characterized by abnormal involuntary movements, such as tremors or tics. The disorders affect 1 to 2 percent of people worldwide and are more common among males.
The investigators drew on data from nearly 65,000 children and mothers enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort study. They collected information about the mothers' acetaminophen use during pregnancy via phone interviews and identified children with ADHD or hyperkinetic disorders via parental reports, medical records, and prescription records.
They found that more than half of the women reported taking acetaminophen during their pregnancies. Children of the women who took the drug during pregnancy were 13 percent more likely to have ADHD-like behaviors at the age of 7 years; 29 percent more likely to take ADHD medications; and 37 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a hyperkinetic disorder at birth. These findings held true even after considering possible confounders, such as maternal inflammation, infection during pregnancy, the mother’s mental health problems, or others. The investigators noted longer prenatal exposure strengthened the associations between acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders.
These findings suggest that acetaminophen use during pregnancy influences fetal brain development, potentially increasing the risk of ADHD or hyperkinetic disorders. The investigators posited that if their findings are indicative of causal associations, acetaminophen should no longer be considered safe for use during pregnancy. However, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology continues to support the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy.
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Acetominohen use during pregnancy linked to language delay in girls www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
In the first study of its kind, researchers have found an elevated rate of language delay in girls at 30 months old born to mothers who used acetaminophen during pregnancy, but not in boys.
[…]
Language delay was seen in 10 percent of all the children in the study, with greater delays in boys than girls overall. However, girls born to mothers with higher exposure – those who took acetaminophen more than six times in early pregnancy – were nearly six times more likely to have language delay than girls born to mothers who did not take acetaminophen. These results are consistent with studies reporting decreased IQ and increased communication problems in children born to mothers who used more acetaminophen during pregnancy.
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Pomegranate juice as a neuroprotective for infants at risk of hypoxia in the womb: differences in white matter and functional connectivity in brain www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
“Our study provides preliminary evidence suggesting potential protective effects for newborns exposed to pomegranate juice while in utero,” said senior author Terrie Inder
[…]
Polyphenols are known to cross the blood-brain barrier, and studies in animal models have demonstrated protective effects against neurodegenerative diseases. To date, no clinical studies had evaluated the potential effects of giving pregnant women pomegranate juice to protect the brains of at-risk newborns.
[…]
Women were randomized to receive 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily or a taste/calorie matched placebo that was polyphenol free. Women drank the juice daily from enrollment until delivery. The team measured several aspects of brain development and injury, including infant brain macrostructure, microstructural organization and functional connectivity.
While the team did not observe differences in brain macrostructure, they did find regional differences in white matter microstructure and functional connectivity.
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Doubling choline supplementation during pregnancy improved children's attention at seven years of age. www.sciencedaily.com
Choline is an important part of prenatal nutrition and a vital component of neurotransmitters and myelin in the developing brain. Currently, the Adequate Intake (AI) is 450 milligrams per day for pregnant women; however, the effects of higher dose supplementation on childhood outcomes is unknown. Authors of a new report present data supporting a relationship between greater choline supplementation during pregnancy and better sustained attention in children at seven years of age.
Choline is an essential nutrient found in foods such as egg yolks, dairy, peanuts, soy, and broccoli and in some vitamin supplements. Maternal choline supplementation is protective against a wide array neurological disorders including fetal alcohol exposure, autism, down syndrome, cognitive aging, and [Alzheimer’s disease)[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26391046/]. Unfortunately, at the time the current AI was calculated, the necessary research regarding long-term outcomes of choline supplementation had not been conducted.
The authors of the current study collected long-term follow-up data from families who participated in an earlier trial, during which the researchers gave women either 480 or 950 milligrams of choline per day during the third trimester of pregnancy. The participants consumed only meals prepared by the research staff during the study so the investigators could very accurately measure the total amount of choline consumed. Children born to these participants completed cognitive and behavioral testing at seven years of age.
Children born to mothers in the higher dose group performed significantly better on a challenging sustained attention task than children born to mothers in the lower dose group. Specifically, higher dose choline supplementation seemed to improve childrens' ability to sustain attention mechanisms that amplify visual signals, even from low-quality images. These children were also less likely to make mistakes during the behavioral test as the session went on, another marker of better attention.
These results demonstrate that greater choline supplementation (930 milligrams per day) during the third trimester of pregnancy produces better sustained attention in children seven years into childhood. Although further testing is needed to support a change in the AI for choline, this research provides important insight on the need to reevaluate recommendations. For a tasty choline-rich dessert, check out this recipe video featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick
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Probiotics reduce symptoms of morning sickness through interactions with the gut microbiota. www.sciencedaily.com
Morning sickness affects up to 85 percent of pregnant women and is caused by hormonal changes during early pregnancy. Vitamin B6, antihistamines, and some prescription medications are used to treat nausea and vomiting during pregnancy; however, additional treatments that address hormonal imbalances are needed. Findings of a new report show that probiotics reduced nausea and vomiting and improved quality of life in pregnant women.
Levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout pregnancy altering the composition of the gut microbiota and gastrointestinal function. Gut microbes metabolize food, supplements, and medications and produce compounds such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, which are absorbed into the bloodstream and facilitate communication between the microbiota and host. Previous research has demonstrated that probiotics reduce nausea and vomiting; however, research in pregnant women is lacking.
The investigators recruited 32 female participants who were in their first trimester of pregnancy with no high-risk conditions and had reported symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Participants completed two cycles of Nature’s Bounty brand probiotics (containing 10 billion live cultures of Lactobacillus bacteria) consisting of six days of daily probiotics and two days without probiotics. Participants answered daily questionnaires about gastrointestinal symptoms and provided fecal samples in order to sequence bacterial DNA and measure bacterial metabolites.
Probiotic supplementation reduced the severity of nausea and vomiting, but did not significantly alter the concentration of fecal metabolites, except for alpha-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E. Probiotic supplementation also had little effect on the composition of the gut microbiota, except for a progressive reduction in the concentration of Akkermansia bacteria. When measuring copies of important bacterial genes, the researchers found that probiotics increased the expression of a gene required to produce the enzyme bile salt hydrolase more than fivefold. Participants with high levels of fecal alpha-tocopherol, low levels of fecal Akkermansia, and/or high copy numbers of the bile salt hydrolase gene were less likely to report vomiting throughout the study.
The authors interpret these findings to suggest that probiotics enhanced the production of free bile acids in the intestines, facilitating intestinal mobility and metabolism and reducing painful gastrointestinal symptoms.
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Acetaminophen use during pregnancy may harm offspring. www.nature.com
The pain relieving drug acetaminophen (commonly known as Tylenol or paracetamol) is considered safe for use during pregnancy by the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Authority; however, recent evidence suggests that acetaminophen may increase the risk of fetal neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and urogenital disorders.. A group of expert scientists, clinicians, and public health professionals recently issued a statement calling for greater caution in recommending acetaminophen use during pregnancy.
Acetaminophen is the most common medication used during pregnancy. Most often, pregnant women use the medication to reduce headache, muscle pain, and back pain; however 8 percent of pregnant women use acetaminophen to reduce fever, which is a risk factor for fetal neural tube defects and later life cardiovascular disorders. There are very few alternative medications for reducing pain and fever, so acetaminophen use in pregnancy may be difficult to eliminate.
The authors conducted a systematic review of studies conducted over a 25-year period involving acetaminophen use during pregnancy. Then they used a set of criteria to select only relevant studies with appropriate study design. The 13 authors discussed the results of their systematic review and issued a statement that was later signed by 78 scientists, clinicians, and epidemiologists.
Acetaminophen use in pregnant rats and mice directly interfered with the fetal production of sex hormones and other steroids; perturbed immune function by excessive dampening of inflammation; and increased oxidative stress. All of these changes increased the risk of neurodevelopmental and urogenital and reproductive disorders in offspring. This preclinical evidence in animals may provide a mechanistic understanding of the effects of acetaminophen use in humans.
Epidemiological evidence from a sample of 130,000 mother-child pairs demonstrated increased risk of male urogenital abnormalities, including undescended testicles and reduced anogenital distance (i.e., the distance between the anus and penis), both markers of male sexual immaturity, in children born to mothers who used acetaminophen. Further epidemiological evidence from a sample of over 220,000 mother-child pairs demonstrated an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and other neurodevelopmental abnormalities with acetaminophen use during pregnancy. One important observational study published in 2021 found an association between acetaminophen metabolites in umbilical cord blood collected at birth and the incidence of physician-diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. However, it is important to note that there are many factors that interfere with these statistical relationships, such as the incidence of maternal infection, other health conditions, and use of other medications.
Given this evidence and more presented in the literature, the experts recommended that pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy to reduce or stop use of acetaminophen unless it is medically necessary and should consult with a physician or pharmacist before using acetaminophen long-term. The authors recognize the need for rigorous meta-analyses to understand the hormonal, epigenetic, and metabolic mechanisms by which acetaminophen affects development in humans.
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A woman’s body weight before and during pregnancy can have profound health effects on both mother and child. Women with obesity are at greater risk for developing pregnancy complications that can impair infant neurodevelopment, such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and birth trauma. Findings from a new study suggest that maternal obesity contributes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity in offspring.
ADHD is a neuro-behavioral condition characterized by inattention and/or hyperactive or impulsive behavior that interferes with functioning, learning, or development. Obesity is characterized as having excessive body fat – typically defined as having greater than 25 percent body fat for males and greater than 33 percent body fat for females.
The study included nearly 3,000 Finnish women and their offspring (~9,400 children). The authors of the study collected information about the children’s behavior and attention span from mothers and teachers. They gathered anthropometric data to determine the mothers' and children’s body mass index (BMI), a proxy for body fatness. They used Mendelian randomization and polygenic risk scores to assess risk for ADHD and/or obesity. Mendelian randomization is a research method that provides evidence of links between modifiable risk factors and disease based on genetic variants within a population. A polygenic risk score estimates a person’s genetic propensity for developing a trait or disease.
They found that children whose mothers had a high BMI were more likely to develop ADHD, independent of genetic makeup. The Mendelian randomization analysis identified a bidirectional link between developing ADHD and obesity-related traits, suggesting that certain genetic variations may predispose children to both ADHD and obesity concurrently. The polygenic risk score revealed evidence for genetic overlap between having ADHD and greater BMI.
These finding suggest that both genetic and prenatal environmental factors influence the likelihood that a woman’s child will develop ADHD and obesity. They also underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy maternal body weight before and during pregnancy.
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Neural tube defects (e.g., spina bifida, hydranencephaly) are a group of birth defects caused by incomplete development of the outer layers of the brain or spinal cord. Prenatal folate supplementation prevents an estimated 70 percent of neural tube defects, but additional therapies are needed. A recent report describes the relationship between maternal diabetes and abnormal cell aging in the fetal nervous system in mice.
Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between maternal diabetes and the incidence of neural tube defects in mice; however, the mechanisms that drive this relationship are unknown. High blood glucose levels cause oxidative damage and promote cellular senescence, a state in which cells are not metabolically active and do not reproduce. Aging cells accumulate damage over time and become senescent. In adults, an excess of senescent cells can promote inflammation and disease. In the developing fetus, senescence is vital for tissue remodeling and the building of limbs and organs. However, inappropriate senescence may lead to abnormal development.
The investigators used multiple mouse models in their study. In a first experiment, they used a strain of mice that develop diabetes and compared them to wild-type mice that are not predisposed to any disease. They injected pregnant females from both groups with either rapamycin, a compound that slows cellular aging by inhibiting the enzyme mTOR, or a placebo. In a second experiment, they used diabetic and non-diabetic strains of knockout mice, whose genomes do not contain the gene FoxO3a, a regulator of aging that may slow cellular senescence.
Maternal diabetes increased the abundance of biomarkers of cellular senescence and DNA damage in the lining of the brain in offspring. Pregnant diabetic mice that were exposed to rapamycin had offspring with lower levels of senescence biomarkers and fewer neural tube defects compared to placebo. Offspring from FoxO3a knockout mice experienced the same decrease in senescence biomarkers and neural tube defect rates as rapamycin-treated mice.
These results elucidate the mechanisms by which maternal diabetes can cause birth defects through metabolic changes that accelerate aging. Learn more about the role of cellular senescence in aging in this episode featuring Dr. Judith Campisi.
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Vaccine-based mRNA does not pass into breast milk. jamanetwork.com
Maternal exposures during lactation influence the composition of a woman’s breast milk. Out of concern that the mRNA in mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines could pass into breast milk and alter infant immunological development, many lactating women have declined vaccination against COVID-19 or have stopped breastfeeding prior to vaccination. Findings from a new study indicate that mRNA from an mRNA-based vaccine does not pass into breast milk.
mRNA-based vaccines contain the genetic instructions for synthesis of a single viral protein that, when injected into the body, stimulates the immune system to make antibodies against a specific target. The mRNA is housed in lipid nanoparticles to protect it, and because mRNA can’t enter a cell’s nucleus, concerns about its safety are low. Robust evidence indicates that the mRNA-based vaccines against COVID-19 are highly effective, and a small, prospective cohort study found that maternal vaccination may provide protection against COVID-19 in breastfed infants.
The current study involved seven lactating women (average age, 37 years) who were scheduled to receive either the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna mRNA-based vaccines against COVID-19. The women provided breast milk samples prior to vaccination and between four and 48 hours afterward. The samples were chilled or frozen until they were analyzed for mRNA content via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.
Analysis of the breast milk samples revealed that none of the samples contained detectable levels of vaccine mRNA. The authors of the study posited that if small quantities of mRNA were present in the breast milk (below the detection limits of their assay), they would likely be broken down in the infant gut. Although this was a very small study, these findings suggest that mRNA-based vaccines against COVID-19 are safe for lactating women and their infants, but further study in larger groups is warranted.
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Prenatal choline supplementation may reduce mental illness risk in children born to Black mothers. www.eurekalert.org
Choline, a phospholipid compound present in a wide range of foods, is an essential nutrient that plays critical roles in building cell membranes and producing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Previous research indicates that supplemental prenatal choline improves cognitive ability, attention, and social behavior in children up to seven years of age. A pair of papers published this year explores the effects of prenatal choline supplementation on pregnancy outcomes and neuropsychiatric disease risk in Black Americans.
Neuropsychiatric diseases – commonly referred to as mental illnesses – impair the ability of affected persons to learn and work, imposing an immense burden on society. Physiological alterations that drive neuropsychiatric diseases impair normal brain function, emotion, and mood, and can arise from both genetic factors and environmental factors present before and after birth. One of the physiological alterations commonly observed with neuropsychiatric diseases is impaired suppression of irrelevant environmental mental stimuli, contributing to low mood, poor cognitive functioning, and sensory sensitivities.
Maternal stressors during pregnancy, including nutritional deficiencies, are associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, and autism. Epidemiological research has revealed systemic health disparities that contribute to poorer health outcomes for Black Americans, including higher rates of neuropsychiatric diseases. Nutritional interventions may be effective in preventing and treating neuropsychiatric diseases by promoting healthy brain physiology.
The investigators collected data from two observational studies and a randomized clinical trial. In the first observational study, the investigators collected data from 183 pregnant females of varying ethnic identities from the United States at 14 to 16 weeks' gestation. In a second observational study, the investigators collected data from 166 pregnant females from rural Uganda at 18 to 25 weeks' gestation. Finally, in a randomized trial of choline supplementation, 100 pregnant females consumed 3,600 milligrams of choline each morning and 2,700 milligrams each night from week 16 of gestation until delivery. For each study, the investigators measured plasma concentrations of choline and the stress hormone cortisol; maternal mood and stressors; newborn P50 recording; and infant and childhood behavior measures.
Black American females had lower plasma choline concentrations at 16 weeks’ gestation compared to white American females and rural Ugandan females. These lower choline levels were associated with higher maternal concentrations of cortisol and with shorter gestation and decreased P50 inhibition, which both indicate immature neural development at birth. At three months of age, infants born to Black American mothers who had lower gestational choline presented with decreased attention and relation to caregivers, a risk factor for mental illness.
These findings suggest that the cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with lower prenatal choline may predispose children born to Black American mothers to later neuropsychiatric diseases. Prenatal choline or phosphatidylcholine supplementation may reduce disease risk.
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DHA supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of early preterm birth. www.sciencedaily.com
Early preterm birth (six or more weeks early) is one of the primary contributors to disability and death in children under the age of five years. Infants born early preterm are more likely to experience neurodevelopmental, respiratory, and gastrointestinal difficulties. Currently, physicians do not have reliable markers by which to predict whether a woman is at risk for an early preterm birth. Nearly 3 percent of infants born in the United States are early preterm. Findings from a new study suggest that maternal high-dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of early term birth.
DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish and other seafood. It plays critical roles in fetal vision and nervous system growth and development. There are no established guidelines for DHA intake for pregnant women, but most prenatal supplements include DHA, typically in amounts of approximately 200 milligrams.
The study involved 1,100 pregnant women in the United States. The authors of the study randomly assigned the women to one of two groups, with one half receiving a high dose (1,000 milligram) DHA supplement, and the other receiving a low dose (200 milligram) DHA supplement. Both groups of women took their respective supplements daily for the duration of their pregnancies. The authors noted pregnancy outcomes (such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, Cesarean delivery, or others), maternal and infant health status (including DHA levels), and serious adverse events post-delivery (such as birth defects, death, or others).
Among women who took the higher dose of DHA, 1.7 percent gave birth early preterm; among those who took the lower dose, 2.4 percent gave birth early preterm. However, if they had low DHA levels at the beginning of the study, they were half as likely to give birth early preterm if they took the higher dose, compared to those who took the lower dose. Timing was important, too, with lower risk associated with taking the supplements in the first half of pregnancy, rather than the last half. Women who had higher levels of DHA at the beginning of the study had a 1.2 percent risk of giving birth early preterm birth, and this risk did not change when taking a high dose DHA supplement.
These findings suggest that high-dose DHA supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of early preterm birth and provide evidence for establishing recommended intakes for pregnant women. The authors recommended that physicians measure DHA levels in pregnant women and offer high-dose DHA supplements to those whose levels are low.
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Micronutrient supplementation before pregnancy improves children’s long-term intellectual functioning. academic.oup.com
Pregnancy and early childhood are periods of human development when the body has an increased requirement for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Animal studies have shown the importance of preconception nutrition for offspring development; however, long-term human trials are lacking. Investigators aimed to determine the long-term effects of preconception micronutrient supplementation on children’s intellectual functioning.
Several micronutrients play critical roles in fetal development. For example, folic acid supplementation during pregnancy prevents neural tube defects, and iron plays an important role in brain maturation, promoting cell division, myelination, and synaptic development. Less is known about the importance of other micronutrients, however.
The researchers assigned over 5,000 female participants to take folic acid (2,800 micrograms) only, iron plus folic acid (60 milligrams iron and 2800 micrograms folic acid), or multiple micronutrients (15 micronutrients including iron and folic acid) for an average of 33 weeks between baseline and conception. Researchers tracked 1,300 of the participants' children from birth to the age of six. They tested the children on multiple domains of intelligence and collected information regarding maternal health and home life.
Compared to children whose mothers received only folic acid, children in the iron plus folic acid and mixed micronutrient group performed better in multiple domains, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. This effect was strongest for children whose mothers consumed the supplements for greater than 26 weeks before conception. The effects of supplementation were also stronger for children born to households with low socioeconomic status.
The authors concluded that preconception micronutrient supplementation is important to optimize child development and recommended the promotion of supplementation to all females of child-bearing age.
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Caffeine is a bioactive compound widely consumed in beverages, foods, and dietary supplements. Current guidelines recommend that women limit caffeine during pregnancy to 200 milligrams (roughly the amount in a 12-ounce serving) per day. Findings from a new study suggest that caffeine consumption during pregnancy alters neurodevelopment in the fetal brain.
During pregnancy, caffeine crosses the placenta and passes into the fetus and amniotic fluid. Maternal caffeine metabolism decreases during pregnancy, extending the half-life of the compound in the mother’s bloodstream to as much as 18 hours by the end of pregnancy. The placenta and fetus lack the necessary enzymes to metabolize caffeine, so fetal exposure is proportional to maternal intake.
The authors of the study analyzed structural MRI data from more than 9,100 children between the ages of nine and 10 years old who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Of particular interest to the researchers were the brain’s white matter tracts – the organized bundles of axons that connect one part of the brain to another. They assessed the effects of caffeine exposure on cognitive measures (working memory, task efficiency) and psychopathology measures (externalization, internalization, somatization, and neurodevelopment).
They found that roughly half of the children were exposed to caffeine during their mothers' pregnancies. Those who were exposed to caffeine exhibited alterations in the microstructure of the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (an area of the brain associated with language processing and goal-oriented behavior) and the corticospinal tract of the left hemisphere (an area of the brain associated with motor activity). The children who were exposed to caffeine also exhibited worse outcomes in terms of psychopathology, but their cognitive function was unaffected.
These findings suggest that caffeine exposure during pregnancy leads to neurodevelopmental problems due to microstructural alterations in the brain.
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Maternal dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influences aspects of child psychomotor development. academic.oup.com
Prenatal and early life nutrition are crucial to an infant’s development and lifelong health. Nutritional deficits during these periods are intrinsically linked to impaired mental and physical growth. Findings from a new study indicate that consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influences aspects of child psychomotor development.
Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that are essential for human health. Evidence suggests that maternal consumption of fish and seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids improves children’s performance on intelligence tests. Evidence suggests that a lower omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of chronic diseases.
The study drew on data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, an ongoing study of the effects of environmental factors on child development. The authors of the study evaluated mother-child pairs when the children were six months old (more than 82,000 pairs) and 12 months old (more than 77,000 pairs). The mothers in the study completed food frequency questionnaires that provided information about their fish and total omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid intake. The women also completed questionnaires about their children’s psychomotor development, including communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and personal-social skills, at six months and 12 months of age.
The authors found that the children whose mothers consumed fish or omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy were less likely to experience delays in problem-solving at six months of age and in fine motor skills and problem-solving at 12 months of age. They found that dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids was associated with lower risk of communication and fine motor skill delays at six months of age and in gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and problem-solving at 12 months. However, the children whose mothers had a high dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ratio were more likely to experience delays in problem-solving skills at the age of 12 months.
These findings suggest that dietary fish and omega-3 fatty acid intake have beneficial effects on children’s psychomotor development and underscore the need for appropriate dietary counseling for women during pregnancy.
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Fecal microbiota transplantation resets gut microbial composition of infants born via C-section to a healthier profile. www.sciencedaily.com
Establishment of the healthy infant gut begins at birth when the infant is exposed to the microbial milieu of the mother’s vaginal canal. Consequently, the gut microbial profile of infants delivered by Caesarean section differs markedly from those delivered vaginally and may contribute to greater risk for disease in both early and later life. Evidence from a new study suggests that fecal microbiota transplantation can reset the gut microbial composition of infants born via Caesarean section to a healthier profile.
The study involved seven pregnant women (scheduled to deliver infants via Caesarean section at 37 weeks' gestation) and their infants. Each of the infants received a diluted fecal microbiota transplant derived from their own mother’s stool, delivered in 5 milliliters of their first human milk feeding. The authors of the study assessed the infants' inflammatory markers for two days in the maternity ward. Each of them women breastfed their infants for two months after the fecal microbial transplant.
During a three-month follow-up period, the infants remained healthy and showed no adverse effects. The fecal microbial composition of the treated Caesarean section-born infants showed remarkable similarity to that of vaginally born infants.
The results of this small, proof-of-concept study suggest that fecal microbiota transplantation has potential as a means of resetting the microbial composition of infants born via Caesarean-section to a healthier profile. The authors of the study cautioned that careful clinical and microbiological screening was essential to prevent serious harm to the infants.
Another player in the establishment of the infant gut microbiota is nutrition. Breastfeeding promotes a healthy gut microbial composition to confer lifelong health. Learn more about breast milk and breastfeeding in our overview article.
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High maternal sugar intake during lactation impairs cognitive development in breastfed infants. www.eurekalert.org
Breastfeeding has profound effects on an infant’s brain, greatly influencing their intellectual development. Evidence indicates that children and adolescents who were breastfed as infants score higher on intelligence tests than those who were not breastfed, even after taking maternal intelligence into consideration. However, components of a mother’s diet during lactation can counter the beneficial aspects of breastfeeding. Findings from a recent study suggest that sugar intake during lactation impairs cognitive development in breastfed infants.
The average person living in the United States consumes more than 500 calories per day in sugars, translating to roughly 100 pounds of sugar per year. High sugar consumption is associated with an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
The prospective observational study involved 88 mother-infant pairs. The authors of the study collected demographic data that included maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and education level, among others. The mothers reported how many times they breastfed their infants every day and provided information about what they had eaten in a 24-hour period (using dietary recalls) when their infants were one and six months old. The authors of the study tested the infants' cognitive development when the infants were 24 months old.
Analysis of the recalls indicated that the women consumed approximately 1,650 calories per day when their infants were one month old. More than 22 percent of these calories were from total sugar, and more than 13 percent were from added sugar, particularly fructose. The mothers consumed as many as five sugar-sweetened beverages or juices per day, which are high in fructose.
The authors found that higher maternal fructose consumption at one month postnatal was associated with worse infant developmental outcomes at 24 months postnatal. These findings held true even when considering maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, education level, caloric intake, infant age, sex, and birthweight.
The results of this study suggest that maternal sugar consumption during breastfeeding adversely affects infant cognitive development. The authors of the study conceded that the study’s design precluded determining causation.
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Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure among children of women with preeclampsia. www.sciencedaily.com
Preeclampsia is a condition characterized by high blood pressure during pregnancy. The condition typically manifests around the 20th week of pregnancy and carries considerable risk to both the mother and infant. Children of women who had preeclampsia during pregnancy are more likely to develop high blood pressure in childhood or adolescence. Findings from a recent study suggest that vitamin D reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure among children of women with preeclampsia.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and fatty tissues of the body. Perhaps best known for its role in maintaining skeletal health, vitamin D also plays roles in aspects of cardiovascular health, including the regulation of blood pressure.
The authors of the analysis drew on data from the Boston Birth Cohort, a large, prospective cohort study that included more than 750 mother-child pairs. They collected data regarding maternal preeclampsia, childhood and adolescent systolic blood pressures (from multiple readings), and cord blood vitamin D concentrations, as well as maternal demographics, smoking status, and pre-pregnancy body mass index, a proxy for body fatness.
They found that the children of women who had preeclampsia during pregnancy were more likely to have higher systolic blood pressure in early childhood and/or adolescence. However, higher cord blood vitamin D concentration – an indicator of higher vitamin D exposure in the womb – negated this effect.
These findings suggest that maternal vitamin D levels in women who have preeclampsia during pregnancy influence whether their children develop high blood pressure. Clinical trials investigating the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in women with preeclampsia and long-term follow-up of their children are needed to confirm.
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Dietary and physical activity changes among obese pregnant women benefit their children's health. www.sciencedaily.com
Evidence suggests that children born to women with obesity are at greater risk of developing health problems, including obesity, later in life. Findings from a new study suggest that dietary and physical activity changes during pregnancy improve the health of children born to women with obesity.
The intervention study involved more than 500 children and their mothers before, during, and three years after pregnancy. The women received dietary and physical activity counseling in the early stages of pregnancy and received a pedometer to track their activity.
When the children were three years old, the authors of the study measured the children’s blood pressure, resting pulse rate, and adiposity (body mass index, skinfold thicknesses, body fat, and waist and arm circumferences). They also evaluated the mothers' diets and physical activity and measured their adiposity.
The children whose mothers engaged in healthier lifestyles had lower resting heart rates and were 27 percent less likely to be obese at the age of three years. The women maintained some of their healthy lifestyle behaviors as evidenced by reduced intake of foods high in sugars and saturated fat.
These findings suggest that dietary and physical activity interventions during pregnancy can benefit the children of women with obesity. The authors noted that the benefits observed in this study were modest, however, and had no effects on childhood obesity. More effective interventions are needed to elicit greater health effects.
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No level of caffeine consumption is safe when trying to conceive or during pregnancy. www.sciencedaily.com
Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant drug worldwide. Caffeine intake during pregnancy is associated with negative outcomes, so the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women limit their caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day – roughly the amount in 12 ounces of coffee – during pregnancy. However, findings from a recent study suggest that no level of caffeine consumption is safe when trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
The authors reviewed 48 observational studies and meta-analyses of maternal caffeine consumption published during the last 20 years. The studies investigated associations between caffeine intake and negative pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and/or small for gestational age, preterm birth, childhood acute leukemia, and childhood overweight and obesity.
Their analysis revealed that the majority of studies reported that maternal caffeine intake is associated with negative pregnancy outcomes. The studies reported significant dose-response associations that suggested causal links, and many of the reports indicated that there was no “threshold” of safe consumption.
These findings suggest that current health advice that assumes moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy is safe is flawed, and women who are pregnant or planning on getting pregnant should avoid caffeine.
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Maternal immune activation during pregnancy increases the severity of autism symptoms in children. www.eurekalert.org
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by impaired social interaction, behavioral problems, and poor communication. The disorder typically manifests in early childhood and is slightly more common among boys than girls. Roughly one in 54 people living in the United States has ASD. Findings from a new study suggest that maternal immune activation during pregnancy increases the severity of ASD in offspring.
Maternal immune activation due to autoimmune disorders, asthma, or allergies switches on the activity of inflammatory pathways and proinflammatory molecules. Many of these molecules can cross the blood–brain barrier and the placenta, potentially disrupting fetal development. Elevated levels of these proinflammatory molecules have been found at birth or during development in some people with ASD – a finding that has been linked with increased severity of symptoms.
The study involved 363 children who were enrolled in the Autism Phenome Project or the Girls with Autism Imaging of Neurodevelopment studies, along with their mothers. The authors of the study assessed children’s behavioral and emotional problems and reviewed the mothers' pregnancy histories.
They found that asthma was the most common immune condition among the mothers, but other conditions, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis were reported as well. Roughly 20 percent of the mothers of male children with ASD had asthma. Maternal immune conditions were associated with increased behavioral and emotional problems but not cognitive function in both sexes.
These findings indicate that maternal immune conditions may influence the severity of ASD symptoms in offspring and the severity of these symptoms may vary between males and females. Although there is no cure for ASD, robust data demonstrate that sulforaphane, a bioactive compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli sprouts, may be beneficial in reducing many of the behavioral and emotions symptoms associated with the condition.
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Lithium blocks some of the sleep disturbances, memory loss, and learning problems tied to fetal alcohol syndrome in mouse study www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The new study found that giving the drug to newborn mice 15 minutes after “binge” alcohol consumption eliminated the hyperactivity and sleep deficits seen when rodents exposed to alcohol became adults. Moreover, the researchers report, lithium chloride-treated mice were much less likely to show the 25 percent drop in memory and cognitive test scores seen in untreated mice given the same amount of alcohol.
“Our study showed that lithium chloride prevented many of the damaging neurological effects of alcohol abuse on the still-developing brain, especially the impact on the parts of the brain controlling sleep,” says co-senior study investigator Donald Wilson, PhD.
Promoting BDNF as one pathway to brain cell survival:
“Lithium chloride is known to block many pathways that lead to brain cell death, while promoting others that lead to survival, like brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF,” says Saito, a research assistant professor at NYU Langone. Further experiments are needed, she says, to determine if chemicals that stimulate BDNF production also blunt the effects of alcohol abuse in newborn mammals.
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Low BDNF during pregnancy is associated with depression during pregnancy and subsequent low fetal birth weight. www.sciencedaily.com
Depression is the most common form of mental health condition worldwide, affecting more than 322 million people. The disorder affects women disproportionately and is particularly common during pregnancy. Findings from a 2017 study demonstrated that serum levels of BDNF drop considerably during pregnancy, potentially increasing a woman’s risk for depression.
BDNF modulates synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation – critical aspects of memory storage and brain function. Low BDNF levels are associated with increased risk for depression00181-1/fulltext?cc=y=).
The study involved 139 healthy pregnant women (77 Blacks and 62 whites) who were assessed three times during their pregnancies (once during each trimester) and again at four to 11 weeks postpartum. The authors of the study measured the participants' BDNF and cortisol levels via blood samples, gathered demographic data, and conducted psychosocial assessments. They reviewed the women’s medical records to determine their infants' birth weights.
The results of their assessments indicated that the women’s BDNF levels dropped considerably over the course of their pregnancies but rebounded during the postpartum period. In general, Black women had higher BDNF levels and lower cortisol levels than white women during pregnancy and postpartum. Lower levels of BDNF during the second and third trimesters were associated with higher risk for depression and lower birthweight babies, regardless of race.
Interestingly, these findings contradict those of an earlier study in rats and humans. However, the authors of the current study suggested that the conflicting findings may have been due to differences in assays used to measure BDNF.
Evidence indicates that exercise increases BDNF. Exercise is generally considered safe for pregnant women and may be a way to prevent some of the changes in mood that occur during pregnancy.
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Vitamin C status important for fetal hippocampal development: deficiency leads to a 10-15 percent reduction www.sciencedaily.com
According to animal research, even mild vitamin C deficiency may impact fetal hippocampal development, a part of the brain crucial for learning and memory.
From the article:
“Even marginal vitamin C deficiency in the mother stunts the fetal hippocampus, the important memory centre, by 10-15 per cent, preventing the brain from optimal development,” says Professor Jens Lykkesfeldt.
[…]
“People with low economic status who eat poorly – and perhaps also smoke – often suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Comparatively speaking, their children risk being born with a poorly developed memory potential. These children may encounter learning problems, and seen in a societal context, history repeats itself because these children find it more difficult to escape the environment into which they are born,” says Jens Lykkesfeldt.
From an earlier study’s press release:
Guinea pigs subjected to moderate vitamin C deficiency have 30 per cent less hippocampal neurones and markedly worse spatial memory than guinea pigs given a normal diet. […] The highest concentration of vitamin C is found in the neurons of the brain and in case of a low intake of vitamin C, the remaining vitamin is retained in the brain to secure this organ.
Vitamin C deficiency is widespread and may impact early development:
In some areas in the world, vitamin C deficiency is very common – population studies in Brazil and Mexico have shown that 30 to 40 per cent of the pregnant women have too low levels of vitamin C, and the low level is also found in their foetuses and new-born babies.
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Vitamin C reduces the loss of pulmonary function caused by prenatal nicotine exposure www.atsjournals.org
From the article:
We now report that vitamin C supplementation can prevent some of the effects of maternal nicotine exposure on pulmonary function of offspring. […] Nicotine exposure significantly reduced forced expiratory flows, but supplementation of mothers with 250 mg vitamin C per day prevented the effects of nicotine on expiratory flows. Vitamin C supplementation also prevented the nicotine-induced increases in surfactant apoprotein-B protein.
[…]
Prenatal nicotine exposure significantly decreased levels of elastin content in the lungs of offspring, and these effects were slightly attenuated by vitamin C. These findings suggest that vitamin C supplementation may potentially be clinically useful to limit the deleterious effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on offspring’s lung function.
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From the article:
Human studies in siblings show that children born to a mother who was obese during pregnancy are at greater risk of heart disease than siblings born to the same mother after bariatric surgery to reduce maternal obesity. Such studies have provided strong evidence in humans that the environment experienced during critical periods of development can directly influence long-term cardiovascular health and heart disease risk.
[New research] shows that adult offspring from pregnancies complicated by chronic hypoxia have increased indicators of cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and stiffer blood vessels.
[…]
The Cambridge study, led by Professor Dino Giussani, used pregnant sheep to show that maternal treatment with the antioxidant vitamin C during a complicated pregnancy could protect the adult offspring from developing hypertension and heart disease. The work therefore not only provides evidence that a prenatal influence on later heart disease in the offspring is indeed possible, but also shows the potential to protect against it by “bringing preventative medicine back into the womb,” as Dr Kirsty Brain, first author of the study, puts it.
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Covid-19 was transmitted to 3 out of 33 newborns during delivery with 0% mortality rate. jamanetwork.com
From the article: “Consistent with previous studies, the clinical symptoms from 33 neonates with or at risk of COVID-19 were mild and outcomes were favorable. Of the 3 neonates with symptomatic COVID-19, the most seriously ill neonate may have been symptomatic from prematurity, asphyxia, and sepsis, rather than SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In this cohort, 3 of 33 infants (9%) presented with early-onset SARS-CoV-2 infection. Because strict infection control and prevention procedures were implemented during the delivery, it is likely that the sources of SARS-CoV-2 in the neonates’ upper respiratory tracts or anuses were maternal in origin. Although 2 recent studies have shown that there were no clinical findings or investigations suggestive of COVID-19 in neonates born to affected mothers, and all samples, including amniotic fluid, cord blood, and breast milk, were negative for SARS-CoV-2, the vertical maternal-fetal transmission cannot be ruled out in the current cohort. Therefore, it is crucial to screen pregnant women and implement strict infection control measures, quarantine of infected mothers, and close monitoring of neonates at risk of COVID-19."
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Breast milk components affect infant growth and help prevent obesity in early childhood. www.eurekalert.org
Breastfeeding is the biologically superior way to feed an infant. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life and then continued breastfeeding while introducing age-appropriate foods until an infant is 12 months old or older. This provides the infant optimal nutrition and immunity while supporting growth and development. New research shows that components of breast milk called human milk oligosaccharides may influence infant growth and prevent obesity in early childhood.
Human milk oligosaccharides, or HMOs, are complex, indigestible sugars present in breast milk. More than 200 HMOs have been identified, and they are the third most abundant factor in breast milk after fat and lactose. The quantity and composition of the HMOs in breast milk are genetically determined and differ slightly between women. The primary role of HMOs is to serve as prebiotics – compounds that induce the growth or activity of beneficial bacteria – in the infant gut. In turn, these beneficial bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids and other substances that prevent the colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
The study analyzed more than 800 breast milk samples from women enrolled in a prospective population-based birth cohort study in Finland. The authors of the study then analyzed growth data for children from age 3 months to 5 years old and linked it to their mothers' HMO composition to test for associations.
The analyses revealed that high concentrations of an HMO called 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'FL) and low concentrations of an HMO called Lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) influenced growth in infancy and early childhood. In particular, HMO diversity and the concentration of LNnT were inversely associated. In addition, concentrations of 2′FL were directly associated with child height and weight between the ages of 3 and 12 months. Watch this clip in which Drs. Erica and Justin Sonnenberg describe some of the beneficial properties of HMOs.
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Boys whose mothers were overweight or obese during pregnancy scored 5 or more points lower on IQ tests at age 7. www.sciencedaily.com
Many factors influence a child’s growth and development, including parenting styles, environmental exposures, socioeconomic status, and maternal health. Maternal obesity, in particular, drives inflammatory, hormonal, and metabolic dysfunction that may adversely affect a developing fetus. Findings from a new study indicate that boys born to obese women perform poorly in measures of motor skills and intelligence compared to children born to healthy weight women.
The study involved 368 children born to low-income African American or Dominican women living in the United States. The children underwent motor skill and intelligence testing at the ages of 3 and 7 years, respectively. The women were weighed before and during their pregnancies.
Boys born to women who were overweight or obese during pregnancy scored poorly on motor skills tests at age 3. Similarly, boys whose mothers were overweight or obese during pregnancy scored 5 or more points lower on intelligence tests, compared to boys whose mothers were a healthy weight. Girls did not exhibit differences in motor skills or intelligence. Interestingly, a nurturing home environment modulated some, but not all, of the negative effects of maternal obesity on development.
Although this was a prospective study and causation cannot be established, these findings point to the importance of maternal nutritional status before and during pregnancy. Unfortunately, this study did not control for important confounders such as diet during pregnancy or whether mothers breastfed their sons. Breastfeeding has been linked to intelligence in children.
It is noteworthy that the negative effects of maternal obesity were only found in boys and not girls. Other studies have shown that exposure to lead or fluoride in-utero has a negative effect on intelligence in boys. It seems as though boys are particularly vulnerable during fetal development.
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IQs of children whose mothers consumed fish during pregnancy nearly 5 to 10 points higher than those of children whose mothers did not eat fish. www.nytimes.com
A pregnant woman’s diet has considerable impact on her child’s health and development. Findings from two recent reviews suggest that maternal consumption of fish and seafood improves children’s performance on intelligence tests.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, seafood is a broad term that includes both fresh and saltwater fishes (such as salmon, tuna, trout, and tilapia) and shellfish (such as shrimp, crab, and oysters). Dietary intake of seafood provides many vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that play key roles in a child’s neurocognitive development during pregnancy and early life. Seafood also contains mercury, a neurotoxicant. Questions remain about whether seafood consumption impairs neurocognitive development in pregnancy and childhood.
The authors of the review analyzed data from randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, or case-control studies involving pregnant women and their children, including 29 studies of more than 102,000 mother-child pairs and 15 studies of more than 25,000 children under the age of 18 years. They found that even low intake of seafood – about four ounces per week – improved neurocognitive development among children. These improvements were manifested in an average increase of 7.7 points on intelligence tests. In addition, no negative neurocognitive outcomes were reported, even with high seafood intake, despite possible higher mercury exposure to mercury.
These findings have relevance for public health recommendations regarding dietary seafood intake among pregnant women and children.
- Link to full study.30192-9/fulltext)
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The fatty acids in breast milk are encapsulated in fat globules surrounded by a triple-layered structure called a milk fat globule membrane, or MFGM. The MFGM is interspersed with a variety of proteins, enzymes, and cholesterol that confer many of the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of breast milk – the gold standard of infant nutrition.
MFGM influences many aspects of infant growth, especially cognitive development. Unfortunately, most infant formulas do not contain MFGM. However, a recent clinical trial found that MFGM from cows' milk exerts similar beneficial effects on human infants when included in infant formula. The double-blind, randomized, controlled trial involved 451 healthy, full-term infants who received either regular formula or formula containing MFGM and lactoferrin (a protein found in human and cows' milk) at concentrations similar to human milk.
At the end of the 18-month-long study, the infants who received formula with the MFGM and lactoferrin scored higher on cognitive, language, and motor development tests than infants who received ordinary formula. In fact, their scores were similar to those observed in children who were breastfed, suggesting that the addition of MFGM and lactoferrin to infant formulas could narrow the gap in cognitive development commonly observed between formula-fed infants and breastfed infants.
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When mothers were more interactive with their infant during a play activity, epigenetic changes occurred in the infant's DNA. www.eurekalert.org
Oxytocin is a neurohormone that plays a critical role in human psychological development and social behavior. Maternal oxytocin levels increase markedly after giving birth, influencing the bond a mother forms with her infant. Findings from a new epigenetic study suggest that maternal behavior also influences an infant’s developing oxytocin system.
Oxytocin action requires the presence of its receptor, the expression of which is regulated, in part, by DNA methylation. Lower levels of DNA methylation are associated with increased levels of the oxytocin receptor.
The study involved 101 infants and their mothers. The participants' interactions were observed during a free-play period when the infants were five months old and again when the infants were 18 months old. The degree of oxytocin receptor methylation was measured at both assessment periods.
The investigation revealed that the infants' DNA exhibited epigenetic changes that were correlated with the quality of the mother’s involvement in the play period. In particular, lower levels of DNA methylation were observed at the 18-month assessment if the mothers were highly involved in the play period, suggesting that maternal involvement with their infants has the capacity to enhance the activity of the developing infant’s oxytocin system. These findings were reflected in the infants' behavior, with high levels of methylation observed in temperamental, moody babies.
These findings suggest that maternal behavior may have a substantial impact on infants' developing oxytocin systems via epigenetic regulation.
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Stem cells derived from placenta were able to regenerate healthy heart cells after heart attacks in animals. www.eurekalert.org
Stem cells derived from placenta were able to regenerate healthy heart cells after heart attacks in animals. The placental stem cells traveled to the site of the injury in the heart and formed beating heart cells that helped repair damage.
To learn more about stem cells derived from placenta, check out the podcast I did a few years ago with Dr. Frans Kuyper who discovered how the human placenta is a rich source of pluripotent stem cells and yet the placenta is thrown away after delivery. We discuss how his lab has shown that the stem cells from the placenta can be transformed into neuron-like cells, fat cells, bone cells, endothelial cells (relevant for lung and blood vessels), and liver cells. His lab also developed a technique for harvesting 5 to 7 times more hematopoietic stem cells from placenta than is currently retrieved from cord blood, a more standard, established source that is used worldwide for a bone-marrow transplant.
There are a couple of companies that bank placenta and cord blood after your baby is born. I chose to bank both placenta and cord blood after the birth of my son. I decided to go with Life Bank USA (no affiliation) to bank my cord blood and placenta because I really liked the research they are doing with placental stem cells. I hope to see more well-established cord blood companies start banking placental tissue…it is so worth it.
Foundmyfitness placental stem cell episode: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/frans-kuypers
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Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides has been associated with reduced IQs, mental and motor delays among preschoolers, memory and attention journals.plos.org
Prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides has been associated with reduced IQs, mental and motor delays among preschoolers, memory and attention deficits, and autism (review of 27 studies).
A higher likelihood of an autism diagnosis was observed for children born to women residing within (versus beyond) 1.5 km of organophosphate pesticide applications on agricultural fields. Another recent study showed that higher organophosphate pesticide metabolite concentrations in maternal urine during pregnancy were associated with autism traits identified in adolescence. Risks for impaired neurodevelopment were greater among children of farmworkers, who experience higher exposures, and children with genetic susceptibility factors that reduce capacity to detoxify organophosphate pesticides.
Still, these are associations and it is difficult to establish causality. Animal studies have shown effects on cognition, motor activity, and social behaviors when dosed in early life with concentrations of organophosphates.
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Women in the lowest quintile of omega-3 serum levels during first and second trimesters had 10 times higher risk of early preterm birth. www.sciencedaily.com
Women in the lowest quintile of omega-3 serum levels during first and second trimesters had 10 times higher risk of early preterm birth when compared with women in the three highest quintiles.
Women in the second lowest quintile had 2.7 times higher risk of preterm birth compared with women in the three highest quintiles.
Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids but many pregnant women are afraid of eating fish because of mercury. A 2015 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study showed that eating omega-3 fatty acids from fish actually protects the brain from the toxic effects of mercury even in the developing fetus (which is the most susceptible to mercury effects).
There are fish with high levels of mercury, those should be avoided particularly if you are pregnant. Fish that are high in methylmercury include predatory fish such as tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.
Many of the most commonly-eaten fish are lower in mercury including wild salmon, shrimp, pollock, tilapia, catfish, and cod. I like salmon because in addition to having one of the lowest mercury contents it also has one of the highest omega-3 fatty acid contents, basically everything you want when choosing a fish to eat.
American Journal of Nutrition Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340059/
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Food Additives Causing Harm, Reforms Urgently Needed, AAP Says www.medscape.com
The Worst Offenders:
The statement addresses 2 broad categories of additives: direct and indirect. Indirect additives refers to substances in “food contact materials,” such as “adhesives, dyes, coatings, paper, paperboard, plastic, and other polymers,” the authors of the policy statement explain. Direct food additives include chemicals such as colorings, flavorings, and preservatives added to food during processing. Within those two categories the authors identified six types of additives of most concern, based on accumulating evidence summarized in the report and in an accompanying press release:
Bisphenols: Used to manufacture plastic containers and food and beverage cans, these compounds have been associated with endocrine and neurodevelopmental disruption and obesogenic activity, with alterations in the timing of puberty, reduced fertility, and impaired neurological and immunological development. One bisphenol, bisphenol A, has already been banned from baby bottles and sippy cups. Phthalates: As components of plastic wrap and plastic tubing and containers, phthalates similarly have been implicated in endocrine disruption and obesogenic activity. "A robust literature" shows that these chemicals adversely affect male sexual development, may contribute to childhood obesity and insulin resistance, and may also contribute to cardiovascular disease. Perfluoroalkyl chemicals: These chemicals are used in the manufacture of greaseproof paper and cardboard packaging. They have been associated with immunosuppression, endocrine disruption such as impaired thyroid function, and decreased birth weight. Perchlorate: Often added to plastic packaging for dry foods to control static electricity, perchlorate has been shown to disrupt production of thyroid hormone, with implications for subsequent cognitive function. Of particular concern is exposure among pregnant women, "given that the developing fetus is entirely reliant on the maternal thyroid hormone during the first trimester of pregnancy," the authors write in the technical report. They suggest that perchlorate "may be contributing to the increase in neonatal hypothyroidism and other thyroid system perturbations that have been documented in the United States." Nitrates and nitrites: As direct food additives, these compounds are used as preservatives and color enhancers in cured and processed meats, fish, and cheese. There has been "longstanding concern" over their use, the authors write, because of an association with cancers of the nervous and gastrointestinal systems, and methemoglobinemia in infants. They were classified as "probable human carcinogens" in 2006 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Artificial food colors: Often added to products that appeal to children, such as juice drinks, artificial food colors have been associated in some studies with an increased risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although their mechanisms of action are not yet completely understood, and the research "should be interpreted with caution," the authors recommend "a thorough reassessment" of artificial food colors to ensure they are safe. -
Disruption of maternal gut microbiota during gestation alters offspring microbiota and immunity | Microbiome | Full Text microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com
Early life microbiota is an important determinant of immune and metabolic development and may have lasting consequences. The maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy or breastfeeding is important for defining infant gut microbiota. We hypothesized that maternal gut microbiota during pregnancy and breastfeeding is a critical determinant of infant immunity. To test this, pregnant BALB/c dams were fed vancomycin for 5 days prior to delivery (gestation; Mg), 14 days postpartum during nursing (Mn), or during gestation and nursing (Mgn), or no vancomycin (Mc). We analyzed adaptive immunity and gut microbiota in dams and pups at various times after delivery.
Results - In addition to direct alterations to maternal gut microbial composition, pup gut microbiota displayed lower α-diversity and distinct community clusters according to timing of maternal vancomycin. Vancomycin was undetectable in maternal and offspring sera, therefore the observed changes in the microbiota of stomach contents (as a proxy for breastmilk) and pup gut signify an indirect mechanism through which maternal intestinal microbiota influences extra-intestinal and neonatal commensal colonization. These effects on microbiota influenced both maternal and offspring immunity. Maternal immunity was altered, as demonstrated by significantly higher levels of both total IgG and IgM in Mgn and Mn breastmilk when compared to Mc. In pups, lymphocyte numbers in the spleens of Pg and Pn were significantly increased compared to Pc. This increase in cellularity was in part attributable to elevated numbers of both CD4+ T cells and B cells, most notable Follicular B cells.
Conclusion - Our results indicate that perturbations to maternal gut microbiota dictate neonatal adaptive immunity.
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Maternal sugar consumption, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages, was associated with poorer childhood cognition including non-verbal abilities www.sciencedaily.com
Maternal sugar consumption, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages, was associated with poorer childhood cognition including non-verbal abilities to solve novel problems, poorer verbal memory, poorer fine motor, and poorer visual-spatial/visual-motor abilities in childhood.
The study also found that substituting diet soda for sugar-sweetened soda during pregnancy was also linked to negative effects. However, children’s fruit consumption (but not fruit juice) had beneficial effects and was associated with higher cognitive scores.
As with any observational study, it is difficult to establish causation. However, the data was adjusted for a variety of other health and socioeconomic factors which does strengthen the data.
Here is the long list of the health/lifestyle factors that the data were adjusted for: maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, education, smoking status during pregnancy, maternal prenatal fish intake (the mean of the first and second trimesters), household income at enrollment, and the child’s sex and race/ethnicity,child’s birth weight, maternal marital status, intelligence, depression during pregnancy, pre-pregnancy physical activity levels, Western or prudent dietary pattern (calculated without fruits and sugar beverages), breastfeeding duration, paternal age and education, and HOME-SF score.
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Nursing mothers that supplemented with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteriis were 2x as likely as a placebo to reduce crying by 50% in colicky babies. pursuit.unimelb.edu.au
Nursing mothers that supplemented with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteriis for 3 weeks were twice as likely as a placebo to reduce crying by 50% in colicky babies who are exclusively breastfed.
This new study is in line with another recent study that also showed mothers who supplemented with the probiotic Visbiome during late pregnancy and, while nursing, lowered inflammatory biomarkers in the breastmilk and improved symptoms of colic in their newborns as a downstream effect of that.
I am actually taking 1 sachet of Visbiome (no affiliation) a day while I’m breastfeeding. One sachet contains 450 billion live probiotic bacteria (6 different strains). It’s important to realize that store-bought probiotics have almost certainly been impacted by the deteriorating effects of the supply chain that it took to get them on the shelf in the store… and even if that weren’t the case, usually they have only a VERY small fraction of the dose that clinical strength probiotics like Visbiome and VSL#3.
Visbiome study link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5133065/
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Only 30% of pregnant women in New Zealand meet the international recommendations for DHA of 200mg per day. www.massey.ac.nz
Only 30% of pregnant women in New Zealand meet the international recommendations for DHA of 200mg per day. The mean intake in Western society is ~135 mg/d::dose per day (~2 servings of fish/mo). The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume 500 mg/d::dose per day of EPA and DHA (~2-3 servings/wk or ~8 oz of fish/wk). However, Many pregnant women are afraid of eating fish because of mercury…but a 2015 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study showed that eating omega-3 fatty acids from fish actually protects the brain from the toxic effects of mercury even in the developing fetus (which is the most susceptible to mercury effects). Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, sardines, oysters, and tilapia are all low on the mercury scale and have 2 micrograms of mercury per 4 ounces cooked. Whereas albacore tuna has 40 micrograms of mercury per 4 ounces cooked and swordfish has 147 micrograms of mercury per serving.
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Hi Rhonda, my wife takes pain medication pretty regularly (at least a 2 in a day a couple of times a week) for headaches and in Joe Rogan’s podcast i heard you mention the negative effects of ibuprofen… Strokes etc…
I was wondering what you would recommend as a substitute to this issue? I was figuring curcumin could be a possibility. Also, i had an thought about the regular use of pain medication for something like a headache and whether or not regular use could increase the likelihood of headaches. If there is any basis in fact for my thoughts i’d be interested to know as i haven’t really done any research on this.
Some things to note: She takes contraceptive pills and skips the sugar pills as to not get her period - I feel this is a terrible idea but she won’t listen to me. If you have insight on this, either relating to the original question or as a side note i’d be interested to know your take on it
Her nutrition is decent. She eats a lot of fruit, nuts, fish and vegetables and takes daily vitamin supplements (fish oil, D3, multi’s, glucosamine, and a few others).
Cheers Rhonda :)
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30% of infants gut bacteria may come from the mother’s breast milk and another 10% has been traced to the skin around the mother’s nipple. www.the-scientist.com
30% of infants gut bacteria may come from the mother’s breast milk and another 10% has been traced to the skin around the mother’s nipple. There is a specific type of prebiotic found exclusively in breastmilk called human milk oligosaccharides that have been shown to set up the early infant microbiome. The bacteria around the skin of the nipple also appears to be important for seeding the infant microbiome. While this study did not examine health consequences of breastfeeding, other studies have found that it is important for immune system development and may protect against obesity.
To learn more about the role of breastfeeding in setting up the infant microbiome and more generally about how to have a healthy microbiome during adulthood listen to (or watch) my podcast (video/audio) with microbiome experts Drs. Justin and Erica Sonnenburg. YouTube: https://youtu.be/gOZcbNw7sng iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sonnenburgs-on-how-gut-microbiota-interacts-our-bodies/id818198322?i=1000351247766&mt=2