Aurora magazine

A team from St. Michael's Hospital has developed a tool to diagnose iron deficiencies in pregnancy. Inside there are clinical analyzes and resources for doctors, which should make it easier to identify any shortcomings.

The researchers compared the accuracy and number of tests done with and without the tool. Traditional tests only measure the levels of ferritin in the blood, an iron-containing protein. In this way doctors can estimate what the iron levels in the body are and, if necessary, they can prescribe supplements. If left untreated, iron deficiency in pregnancy has negative effects on the health of mother and child. In the long run it can cause anemia, preterm labor, low birth weight, problems in child development. This is why it is important to identify it as soon as possible and clearly.

Unfortunately not all future mothers know this. The tool developed by the authors of the study provides guidance and support to expectant women. It is estimated that one year after its implementation, it has increased the number of tests performed at the hospital by almost 10 times.

The increased number of tests has reduced the risk of anemia in pregnant women, with beneficial effects on the health of future mothers and children. Anemia, in fact, reduces the supply of oxygen to the organs of women and the fetus, putting their correct development at risk.

Source: stmichaelshospital.com

Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy are 19% more likely to have an abortion. This was stated by a study by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. According to the researchers, it takes less than 5 drinks a week to reach that level of risk, which increases by 6% with every drink.

More than half of US women drank in the early stages of pregnancy when they didn't know they were pregnant. It was believed that the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy increased the oxidative stress of the fetus, causing cellular damage. According to the researchers, this was the cause of spontaneous abortions related to drinking during gestation. The study in question gives another explanation instead.

The author of the study reviewed the studies published between 1970 and 2019 regarding alcohol abortions. Of these, he selected 24 that met the criteria for returning to the study in question. Inside there were data of more than 231,000 pregnant women.

The new analyzes showed a connection between the percentage of risk, the amount of alcohol consumed, the period in which it was consumed. Most women stop consuming alcohol when they find out they are pregnant. How does this affect pregnancy and fetal development? From what emerges, the first few weeks is when alcohol consumption is more dangerous. Just when so many women don't know they are pregnant and therefore continue to drink. This could explain part of the spontaneous abortions that remain without apparent explanation.

Source: mc.vanderbilt.edu

Women who do sports during pregnancy are more likely to have children with high motor skills. It is suggested by a study conducted by Professor Linda May of East Carolina University.

The researchers analyzed the motor skills of the children of two groups of mothers: those who had done regular exercise during pregnancy; those that didn't. One month after giving birth, the small ones belonging to the first group moved better than those of the second. In theory, children in the first group are more likely to develop advanced motor skills in a short time. Furthermore, they are likely to become more active children than those in the second group.

The study involved 71 healthy pregnant women. Half of them did exercise about 3 days a week for 1 hour. The other half simply did very mild exercises, stretching and breathing exercises. A month after giving birth, the doctors analyzed the motor skills of the children, assigning them scores.

What kind of business does this kind of benefits have? According to the professor, the movement must be intense enough to increase the rhythm of the heartbeat. It must however be bland enough to allow you to talk during the exercise. So mothers-to-be can walk briskly, swim, ride a bike and take classes in prenatal aerobics. According to the researchers, physical exercise is likely to increase oxygen levels in the womb, stimulating fetal brain development. Or it could stimulate the release of proteins called growth factors.

Source: medicalxpress.com

Changing homes in the first three months of gestation is linked to a greater risk of premature birth. This was revealed by US research published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

The researchers analyzed data on children born in Washington between 2007 and 2014, born of at least 18-year-old mothers. From these, they selected a sample of 30,000 women who had moved in the first three months of pregnancy. Then they compared the data with another 120,000 who had not.

The women in the first group tended to be younger, with a lower cultural level and a lower salary. He was also more likely to be unmarried and to have smoked during gestation. These are all risk factors for the fetus, linked to a greater risk of premature birth and low birth weight. As a result, the researchers took into account all these elements, so as to have the least possible "polluted" data. After eliminating the other potentially detected factors, the scientists verified whether the relocation alone had an effect on pregnancy.

A move in the first quarter is associated with 37% more chances that the child is born underweight and 42% who is born first. Furthermore, in 9.8% of the cases the children were smaller than calculated with prenatal tests.

The data concerns women from all social classes, young and old. However, researchers cannot explain the reason for this phenomenon. It is probably the fault of the stress and physical effort associated with the move.

Source: eurekalert.org