News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms March 2, 2009

News to know:

TV may do no harm or good to babies

Watching television neither hurts or helps babies' development, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

The study found no correlation between the amount of time children spent viewing television before they reached 2 years of age and their progress at age 3.

Vitamin B12 can prevent major birth defects

Researchers recommend women get enough vitamin B12 in addition to folic acid before becoming pregnant. Doing so decreases their risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord.

The study, which was published in Pediatrics, showed that vitamin B12 deficiency was a risk factor for neural tube defects like spina bifida and anencephaly independent of folic acid, another B vitamin.



Common household chemicals tied to infertility
Shampoo, clothes, food packaging, and other household products contain chemicals that may make it harder for some women to get pregnant, according to the first study on the subject.

Researchers looked at chemicals belonging to a group called perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs, which appear in a variety of common products, from upholstery to pesticides

While researchers said it's still too early to recommend women who want to conceive try to avoid these products, results are concerning.