In the News August 6, 2007

News of interest for mommies-come-lately:

Study Suggests More Evidence of Harm from Smoking During Pregnancy
Researchers said exposure to cigarette smoke before birth may raise blood pressure substantially in infancy, which could have consequences later in life.

Italian Mothers Wait Longer for Children
According to a study by an Italian social research center, Italian women delay motherhood more than women in any other developed country. Neary five of every 100 babies in Italy are born to a mother who is over 40.

Hearing Test May Be Marker for SIDS
Research suggests that newborn hearing tests may provide a marker for infants at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS.)

Breastfeeding Rates only Halfway to 2010 Goals
Only 30% of the babies born in the U.S. in 2004 were exclusively breastfed for their first three months, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC.) By six months, only 11.3% were exclusively breastfed. The national goal of Healthy People 2010 calls for 60% of all babies to be exclusively breastfed for their first three months.

Toddler "word spurts" Guaranteed
Forget high-tech gizmos. Simply reading and talking to your baby is the key to your toddler's "word spurt"--the time when his vocabulary explodes, according to a report in the journal Science.

Ovarian Tissue Successfully Transplanted Between Nonindentical Sisters
For the first time, ovarian tissue was transplanted between nonidentical sisters, succesfully restoring fertility, according to researchers.

Preterm Twin Births Not Reduced by Progesterone Injections
Weekly shots of progesterone did not reduce the risk of the preterm birth of twins, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.