Aurora magazine

A cliché wants the pounds taken in pregnancy to be forever. Many expectant mothers fear that the happy event will cause permanent weight changes. Research by the University of Canberra, on the other hand, suggests that pregnancies have little to do with weight gain. Rather, the blame would be unemployment and depression.

The researchers examined data from nearly 15,000 women, collected between 2008 and 2013. From these, they analyzed the body mass index before pregnancy, during gestation and after delivery. They also compared the rates of disorders related to maternal weight, such as gestational diabetes and difficulties during delivery.

In a second moment, the researchers analyzed the weight of 8,000 girls over the course of 15 years. On this occasion, they compared the weight of those who had become mothers and those who did not. According to the data, pregnancy did not have any impact on weight in the long run. Any weight gain would therefore be linked to different factors, such as age, stress or depression.

During gestation it is normal to gain weight. After gestation, it is also normal to take some time to lose the weight gained. The important thing is to eat in a balanced way before, during and after gestation. In spite of what is said, in fact, during pregnancy it is necessary to take about 300 calories more. Not exactly double, as certain commonplaces would like.

Over the course of 15 years, most of the women who participated in the study gained weight. Nevertheless, scholars have found very few differences between those who had a child and who did not. Other factors, such as physical exercise and mental health, would be much more relevant. The data have indeed unveiled a link between depression, unemployment and weight gain.

Source: ansa.it

Among couples being treated for infertility problems, male depression is linked to a lower rate of success. On the other hand, untreated female depression does not seem to influence the techniques of assisted reproduction. This is what emerges from a study by Dr. Esther Eisenberg.

41% of women being treated for infertility problems have depression problems. The percentage rises to 50% among the male partners involved in in vitro fertilization cycles. The team of Dr. Eisenberg then examined the effects of depression on fertility. The goal was to evaluate how much depression affected the success of in vitro fertilization.

The researchers combined data from two studies funded by the NICHD's Reproductive Medicine Network. One study compared the efficacy of two drugs to induce ovulation in women with polycystic ovaries. The other compared the efficacy of three other drugs in cases of unexplained infertility. In both studies, men and women had drawn up a questionnaire about depression. On that occasion, the researchers had only asked the women what drugs they were taking.

Non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors increased the risk of spontaneous abortion. Otherwise, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have not been linked to such phenomena. These effects occurred if the female partner was the one to take the drug. The untreated female depression, on the other hand, did not affect the success of fertilization cycles.

In the case of depressed male partners, precise data on the use of antidepressants were lacking. In the case of depression in humans, however, the chances of conceiving were 60% lower. Although perfectible, the study offers an opportunity to choose antidepressants to be used concurrently with fertility treatments.

Source: nih.gov

A study by the Center Hospitalier Universitaire Sud Réunion proves the importance of losing weight during pregnancy. This obviously applies to very obese women, whose condition endangers their health and that of the child. In these cases, the traditional guidelines do not go well.

The study had two main objectives: to determine the best maternal BMI for the child's health; study the link between weight before gestation, weight gained in gestation and size of the newborn at birth. To this end, the team of Professor Pierre-Yves Robillard analyzed over 52.092 pregnancies completed between 2001 and 2007.

The researchers divided the women into groups and determined how much weight they should take based on their BMI. The idea was to establish a link between the maternal body mass index and the child's size at birth.

From what has emerged, very thin women tend to give birth to too young children and vice versa. In the middle there are the normal-weight women. The diet during pregnancy, however, would help to rebalance at least some of the most extreme situations. Very underweight women, with a body mass index of 17 kg / m2, should take about 21.6 kg. Obese women, with a BMI of 32 kg / m2, should take about 3.6 kg. Very obese women, on the other hand, should lose 6 kg.

From what emerges from the study, therefore, who has a body mass index of 40 kg / m2 should not take weight. On the contrary, these future mothers should even carry on a diet during gestation. This would decrease the risks associated with carrying on a pregnancy in a state of obesity. While not ensuring maximum safety, it would still allow the health of the child to be safeguarded.

Source: medscape.com

Genetic tests are increasing in recent years to identify any genetic abnormalities. Some of these increase the chances of developing a tumor. Others do not harm the bearer in any way, but are hereditary and can manifest themselves in their children. If identified before conceiving, it is possible to use PMA and still have healthy children.

So we should all do a genetic test before having children? The answer is difficult.

In some cases, the need for a genetic test is obvious. For example, many women carry out the BRCA test just as a safety measure. Maybe there were several cases of a genetic disease in the family, so the probability of being healthy carriers is high. At other times even mild symptoms of the disease occur. Unfortunately, however, some genetic hereditary anomalies have no precedents in the family. At least not from memory. This makes it more difficult to understand which genetic test to perform.

Researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute are developing a complete genetic test. Using sequencing of the entire genome, one could identify the areas most at risk, to be examined more closely. If a genetic test of this kind became accessible to everyone, it would also help those who do not know their own family history, like the people adopted. For the moment, however, the road is still long.

Dr. Sue Richards is in charge of this project. Study participants have a list of 700 genetic diseases available. The researchers ask them which ones they would like to deepen, after which they carry out the test. Many of the participants require a complete analysis of the genome, but the results are still complicated to manage.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 people have at least one genetic abnormality. Some of these are interpretable, but many others are not. Furthermore, there are some very similar genome regions that are difficult to interpret. For the moment, therefore, a 360 ° test may not be 100% reliable, as opposed to the more circumscribed ones already available.

Source: sciencemag.org