News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms May 19, 2008

News to know:

Stress during pregnancy may raise baby's risks
Moms-to-be who are stressed about money, relationships and other problems during pregnancy may give birth to babies who are predisposed to allergies and asthma, according to new reseach.
The study found that mothers who were the most distressed during pregnancy were most likely to give birth to infants with higher levels of immunoglobulin E or IgE — an immune system compound — even though their mothers had only mild exposure to allergens during pregnancy.


FDA stresses birth defect risks with Roche drug
Health regulators again warned that Roche and Novartis drugs prescribed to organ transplant patients can cause miscarriages and birth defects when used by pregnant women.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first issued a warning in October 20007 after receiving reports of miscarriages and infants born with ear and mouth birth defects after their mothers took Roche's CellCept. At the time, the FDA added its most serious warning to CellCept and a similar Novartis AG drug, Myfortic.
Concern that some physicians may not have seen the initial warning prompted the FDA to reissue its notice that that before prescribing the drugs doctors should confirm their transplant patients are not pregnant, and are using effective contraception.

Breastfeeding may cut mom's arthritis risk
Women who breast-feed their babies longer are less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis, according to a recent study. Mothers who breast-fed for 13 months or more were half as likely to get the painful joint condition as women who never breast-fed, according to the study which was published in British Medical Journal's Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Exercising as teen may stave off breast cancer
New research shows exercise during the teen years — starting as young as age 12 — can help protect girls from breast cancer when they’re grown.
Researchers tracked nearly 65,000 nurses ages 24 to 42 who enrolled in a major health study. Women who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23 percent less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms March 24, 2008

News you need to know:

FDA to consider HPV shot for women up to 45
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to expand use of Gardasil, a vaccine intended to prevent cervical cancer, to women aged 27 to 45.
The vaccine currently is approved for use in girls and women aged 9 through 26 to block four types of human papilloma virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer and genital warts.

Flu vaccine safe for egg-allergic kids
Two new studies suggest that the flu vaccine can be safely given to children with egg allergies. Because the vaccine contains egg protein, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend it for anyone with severe allergies to eggs. Many doctors hesitate to give the vaccine to anyone with even a mild allergy to eggs.
Researchers suggested testing children to determine the severity of their allergy--and then giving the vaccine in three to four smaller, escalating doses until they received the full dose.

More women succeeding at pregnancy after cancer
An increasing number of women are having safe and successful pregnancies after being diagnosed with cancer, according to a CNN report. There are no specific guidelines or timetables for women wanting to get pregnant after cancer treatment, the article said. It is important that a woman talks with her doctor right after diagnosis if she wants to preserve fertility.

News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms March 17, 2008

News for Mommies-Come-Lately:

Halle Berry gives birth to first child
Halle Berry, 41, joined the Celebrity Mommy-Come-Lately Club on Sunday. Her publicist announced she gave birth to a daughter. The father is 32-year-old model Gabriel Aubrey.

Breastfeeding may curb type-2 diabetes later
Breast-fed babies appear to be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes when they reach adolescence, according to findings published in the medical journal Diabetes Care.

If pregnant women stop smoking, babies are happier
British reseachers reported that mothers who stop smoking while pregnant tend to have cheerier, more adaptable babies. Meanwhile, babies of women who continued to smoke while pregnant were notably grumpy.

Drinking plus hormones may up breast cancer risk
New research suggests even moderate drinking may raise the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women on hormone replacement therapy.

Glass baby bottles making a comeback
Concerns about a chemical in hard plastic makes old-fashioned new again. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a manmade chemical used in polycarbonate plastic, the material used to make most baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic food containers. Americans are widely exposed to BPA, but opinions on its safety are mixed.
Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a manmade chemical used in polycarbonate plastic, the material used to make most baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic food containers. Americans are widely exposed to BPA, but opinions on its safety are mixed.
Some pediatricians advise families to use alternatives to polycarbonate bottles to be on the safe side.