Family Tips

In America levels of premature births steadily increase, mark experts.

Coefficients of premature births have considerably increased in the USA, since 2005. An intensive increase in these levels for the last year emphasizes urgent need in development of effectual measures on prevention of premature birth risks, are sure experts of the research center March of Dimes. Physicians remind, that prematurely born babies frequently die during the first month of their life, and the rest children are at risk of respiratory disorders, physiologic jaundice, slow brain development and difficulties of feeding.

According to the American National center of health statistics, the percentage of babies who have been given birth earlier than 37 weeks continues to increase diligently. Now in the USA more than 525 thousand children (12,7 %) were born before the put term. By the end of this year, by estimation, this level achieve 12,8 %, and 543 thousand kids will face certain problems of physical and intellectual development. Since 1990 the level of premature birth in the country has increased for 20 %, have fixed the American researchers. In their opinion, such parameters obviously speak about serious reproductive crisis of demography. Besides, in 2005 high level of premature births cost for the national public health services 26 billion dollars. Medical expenses for prematurely born children are approximately 10 times more, than for healthy kids.

Passive smoking at a very young age considerably increases risk of development of food and respiratory allergy later, inform Swedish researchers in an article published in magazine Thorax.

As it appeared, smoking during pregnancy did not influence on atopic sensitization of babies (an initial stage of allergy), whereas babies whose mothers smoked at their presence, already in the age of 2 months had twice high probability of development of allergy to cat’s wool (antibody Е in their blood twice more often jointed allergen of cat’s wool), and in the age of 4 years had 1,5 times higher probability of food allergy, inform Eva Lannero (Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm) and her colleagues.

Official research in the Great Britain has shown that mothers who have regularly eaten peanuts, give birth to babies with very low risk of allergy.

Initially scientists advised future mums to refuse peanuts, as it ostensibly is injurious to health of the future kid. However last careful researches have proved completely opposite, informs The Age.

Researchers advise to refuse peanuts completely only to those with individual food intolerance. Symptoms of nut allergy can be revealed very easily: almost at once appear red stains on the face, pustules in a mouth and a dyspnea.

Strong stress experienced by future mother during the early pregnancy, raises risk of schizophrenia in the child, informs edition Archives of General Psychiatry.

Scientists from University of Aarhus used the data of about 1,38 million deliveries, fixed in the Danish national register in the period from 1973 to 1995. Using the data of the register, head of the research Preben Bo Mortensen and his colleagues have specified almost 22 thousand women, who have experienced death of the spouse or other close relative, and 14 thousand future mothers, whose close relatives were diagnosed cancer heart attack or an insult. Then scientists have tracked destiny of these women’s children.

It was found out, that children of these women 67 % more often fell ill with schizophrenia. Death of the relative at the late pregnancy, as well as the news about illness of the close person, did not influence risk of schizophrenia, informed researchers.

In the researchers’ opinion, hormones, generated by an organism of a future mother in reply to stress, can influence fetus’ brain developing.

There is no explanation of this phenomenon at the moment: there are no obvious reasons for such baby-boom in the USA. In the neighboring Canada, also receiving many immigrants, the average woman gives birth to 1.5 children for all life. The American demographers also cannot tell, whether this baby-boom of 2006 will be the beginning of a new demographic tendency, or it is just a casual local “anomaly”.

Anyway, from the middle 70th, when birth rate in the USA, as well as in all West European countries, has reached the bottom point - 1.7 children for one woman - here, unlike Europe, began counter movement, and by the end of the XX century this parameter has grown up to 2.0. But higher than this level, birth rate has not risen for more than 40 years.

Let’s note that in Israel there is also increase of birth rate, and demographers are inclined to interpret it as a post-war baby-boom: the number of pregnant women has significantly increased after The Second Lebanese war.

In the USA, unlike other developed countries, baby-boom is evident: 4.3 million babies were born in 2006 - as much, as during the last post-war “baby-boom”, in 1961.

For the next 45 years there was not born so many children in the country, informs АР.

In 2006 the average of children for one American woman has reached 2.1 - the “gold” parameter needed and the sufficient for reproduction of population at the given level. It sharply distinguishes USA from all West-European countries were fertility rates make from 1.3 (Italy) up to 1.9 (France), and the population gradually grows old.

The quarter of the babies were born in Spanish-speaking families of the natives of Latin America, who has higher birth rate, than on the average in the country. However demographers cannot explain baby-boom only with contribution of Spanish sector: “baby-boom” is observed in all ethnic communities, all colors of skin and all age groups. White American women, black Americans, Alaska aboriginals have given birth to more babies – the only exception are immigrants from the countries of Asia.

According to all available information from the American pediatrists, only the following facts have been experimentally proved:

1. Breast feeding of the child with hereditary susceptibility to an allergy even for four months reduces risk of cow’s milk protein allergy and diathesis.

2. Breast feeding for three months reduces risk of a false croup, but whether it reduces risk of an asthma in more elder age – is not clear for the present time.

3. Soy-based breast milk substitutes do not reduce risk of an allergy. Hypo-allergenic milk formulas have some efficiency in this respect, but only “moderate” one.

4. Up to 4 - 6 months children do not need the solid food, but absence of eggs, fish and other potentially “allergenic” food in a diet of more senior children does not reduce risk of allergic reactions.

5. The women who have excluded from the diet some products for the time of pregnancy and breast feeding, cannot save children from an allergy - at least, researches do not confirm efficiency of such measures.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has adopted new recommendations on breast feeding and prophylaxis of an allergy at babies, informs Associated Press. The old recommendations, which imposed a set of restrictions on nursing mothers and pregnant women, are cancelled: the researches carried out for the last seven years, have not confirmed, that these restrictions can actually save children from allergic reactions, including asthma.

From all former recommendations only one has been confirmed and proved by researches: children should be breast-fed in the first months of a life, and it really reduces risk of children’s allergies. As to restrictions on the use of any products by pregnant or nursing mothers, none of the researches confirmed, that these measures can lower risk of an allergy.

According to previous recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, adapted in August, 2000, nursing mothers whose children have hereditary susceptibility to an allergy were recommended not to use for food cow milk, eggs, fish, peanuts and other nuts. For seven years doctors have not manage to confirm, that food restrictions can prevent allergies.

Avoid long standing in lines.

Traveling by car, stop more often to have some rest is to pass and lie down for a while.

Put on loose-fitting and convenient clothes. Don’t be lazy to take a small pillow under a back.

In Europe pregnancy and a birth of the child are not occasions to limit a woman in pleasures to travel or go somewhere. Unfortunately, not everywhere transport is that comfortable, so a pregnant woman would better avoid travel by train or a bus in summer because of absence of qualitatively working conditioner. Besides travel by bus has some more disadvantages: shortage of seats, irregularity of sanitary stops.

So in brief, well planned travel, with accent on comfort, instead of the cost, will afford you great pleasure. And pleasures, as it is known, are very useful for a pregnant woman.

Traveling for the pregnant woman is quite safe, provided absence of complications. In any case before planning a trip, it would better to consult with the doctor. Here some advice which will help to choose a transport and will make travel more comfortable.

The best time for airfare is a second trimester, when nausea does not disturb any more and the woman does not feel tired.

The majority of airlines don’t allow pregnant women after 36 weeks to flight, therefore you, for certain, will need a medical certificate. Cruise ships lay down their own demands concerning the term when pregnant women can travel.

As to the travel by car, everything depends on you, but you should remember, that long distance travels are not that comfortable. The railway has no limits.