Health News

Children Arriving by C May Grow Bigger
Both the rate of obesity and the rate of elective C-sections have been increasing in the U.S. Though no evidence exists to say one causes another, they may be linked.
A Bigger Mama Means a Bigger Baby
Worried about having to push an exceptionally large baby come delivery day? One thing you can do to make this less likely is to be a normal weight before you're pregnant.
Nutrition Fights Off Gestational Obesity
When you’re pregnant, doctors advise you to keep your weight in check to ensure that mama and baby stay healthy. But often, they don’t tell moms exactly how to manage their weight.
Moms Pass on More Than Genes
Researchers already knew that overweight moms generally gave birth to children who became overweight too. But the health impact of obesity during pregnancy doesn't stop there.
Mom's Weight & Kids' Test Scores
Shedding pounds before getting pregnant can reduce a number of health risks - but it may also add a few points to your child's reading and math scores. A recent study has found a link between a mother's weight before pregnancy and their children's cognitive skills: obese women's children score lower on math and reading tests when they were 5 to 7 years old. Get to a healthy weight before becoming pregnant. Lead author Rika Tanda , a nursing doctoral candidate at Ohio State University, and colleagues wanted to investigate potential connections between a mother's pre-pregnancy ob...
Mom's Diet May Affect Newborns' Stress
Though most recommended nutrients for pregnant women are included in prenatal vitamins, others should be gained through diet, such as the nutrient choline . A recent study reveals that a higher intake of choline during the last part of a woman's pregnancy reduces their baby's stress levels, and this reduction, along with other changes noted, may play a part in reducing later disease risk. Eat plenty of vegetables and protein foods during your pregnancy. Marie Caudill , an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University, and Cornell graduate student Xinyin Jian...
Reduce Serious Birth Defects
Adding folic acid to tortillas and other products can reduce the risk for birth defects, says a new petition recently filed with a federal agency.  A petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argues that fortifying corn masa flour products with the B vitamin folic acid can help reduce serious birth defects of the brain and spine. The groups behind the petition believe that mandating folic acid fortification of the products will especially help prevent birth defects in one high-risk group: Hispanic babies. Since 1998, when the FDA started regulating folic a...
Leave Out the Cereal, Mom
If money is always low and stress or depression is always high, moms may be overfeeding their babies - and thereby increasing their kids' risks of obesity. A recent unpublished study being presented at a conference found that the unhealthy practice of adding cereal to babies' bottles tends to occur more often among low-income mothers who are single and/or showing symptoms of depression or high stress. Don't add cereal to your baby's bottle. Lead author Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, a an associate professor of pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital...
Air Pollution Link to Childhood Obesity
It may not just be chicken nuggets and french fries adding too much weight to children's waistlines. The very air pregnant women breathe might play a small role too.
Moms: Lose Weight Before Pregnancy
Every parent's hope is to bring a healthy baby into the world. Women planning a pregnancy can increase those chances by first taking a good look at their own health - and their weight.