Aurora magazine

Eating lots of dried fruit during pregnancy improves the neuropsychological development of children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend eating 50-80 grams of dried fruit per week, at least in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is enough to improve children's cognitive functions, memory and concentration.

Dried fruit is beneficial for health in many ways, even outside of pregnancy: it combats oxidative stress and reduces the risk of hypertension and diabetes. In old age, regular consumption also slows down the cognitive decline of aging.

The merit is of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and of the many beneficial substances contained in these foods, including omega-3. Omega-3s are essential for adult health, but they also play an essential role in fetal development. According to some studies, these fatty acids regulate the timing of gestation and the weight of newborns at birth. In addition, these substances accumulate in the frontal part of the fetus' brain, improving memory and cognitive functions even in the years to come.

Despite the many benefits of regular consumption of dried fruit during pregnancy, overdoing it could be harmful. There may be a correlation between peanut consumption in pregnancy and allergy in children. For this reason, it is important to consume dried fruit in the recommended quantities, without exaggerating either way.

Source: news-medical.net

Dr Kirsten Perret led a randomized trial on the effects of vaccines in pregnancy. The study involved 687 pregnant women from six countries, divided into two groups: the first took the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine; the second took a placebo. Once the babies were born, doctors checked the levels of antibodies in mothers and babies. Children of unvaccinated women produce a greater number of their own antibodies to pertussis.

Nonetheless, this slight "deficit" is in fact irrelevant in clinical terms. The study in question shows in fact how maternal antibodies transfer to the newborn, protecting it more than effectively. The effect of these antibodies far exceeds that of any antibodies produced by the infant himself, protecting him for months. Their effect wears off after the newborn has been vaccinated. Doctors also checked for any negative effects of vaccines, both on moms and babies.

The two groups showed no difference: neither the vaccinated women nor the infants showed side effects. This means that the vaccination did not harm any of the subjects involved, proving safe. The team conducted the study to verify the safety of current Australian guidelines.

Gynecologists advise all pregnant women to get vaccinated between the 20th and 32nd week of gestation. Infants should instead be vaccinated around 2 months of age. This is enough to guarantee total coverage for children, avoiding infection and hospitalization.

Source: medicalxpress.com

The selection of the most motile spermatozoa is now a must in assisted fertilization. In this way sperm samples are "cleaned" of all slow, diseased, damaged spermatozoa. This increases the chances that IVF will have a happy outcome. However, scientists are still uncertain as to what factors influence sperm quality.

A team of biologists from the Technical University of Dresden has analyzed different types of bovine spermatozoa. He assessed its metabolism, motility and tail length, looking for connections. The data revealed a connection between the rate of metabolism and the movements of the flagellum. The faster the cell's metabolism, the better it moves in the flow. However, the correlation is not so immediate.

Veronika Magdanz explained the actual weight of the results. It is not simply a matter of looking for the sperm that metabolizes the most. Selected cells also have lower energy stores, as they consume more and faster. Certain metabolic pathways can therefore have negative consequences on the health of cells, damaging their integrity. For example, one of these pathways produces dangerous free radicals that accelerate the deterioration of spermatozoa.

The results of the study explain why select sperm based on how fast they move. It will be possible to apply them both to humans and to farm animals, albeit with a few more insights.

Source: tu-dresden.de

Pregnant women who suffer from asthma experience multiple complications, which also affect children. Asthma is linked to a higher rate of cases of hypertension, with a consequent increase in the chances of preeclampsia. In addition, children are more likely to be born with congenital and underweight abnormalities.

This was stated in a study conducted on over 100,000 pregnancies, published in the European Respiratory Journal. Dr. Kawsari Abdullah's team analyzed the 103,424 pregnancies of 57,524 women. All the women involved suffered from asthma and gave birth between 2003 and 2012. Of these, 2,663 women suffered from severe symptoms while pregnant, that is, they found themselves out of breath and panting.

The women in question turned to their doctors at least five times and / or at least once to the hospital. About 8-13% of pregnant women worldwide suffer from chronic asthma. Still, it is an uncontrolled disease. The study aimed to analyze the phenomenon, also taking into account any risk factors. Age, lifestyle, place of residence can in fact influence the severity of asthma and related disorders. Scientists compared the problems of women who were keeping asthma under control and those of women with severe symptoms.

The second group reported 30% more likely to suffer from preeclampsia and 17% to suffer from hypertension. Their children had a 14% higher chance of being born underweight and / or prematurely. In addition, they were 21% more likely to be born with congenital anomalies.

Source: eurekalert.org