Futurity.org » prenatal

Pesticide exposure linked to low IQ

Sarah Yang-Berkeley — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:23:43 +0000

UC BERKELEY (US) — Children exposed prenatally to pesticides commonly used on food crops score as much as seven points lower on standardized intelligence tests when they reach the age of 7.

A new study finds that every tenfold increase in measures of organophosphates detected during a mother’s pregnancy corresponded to a 5.5 point drop in overall IQ scores.

BPA in plastics raises breast cancer risk

Karen Peart-Yale — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:08:22 +0000

YALE (US)—Exposure in the womb to chemicals common in plastics, including BPA, can increase an offspring’s risk of breast cancer, new research shows.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES), and similar compounds are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which are substances in the environment that interfere with the proper functioning of hormones, resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife.

Pregnancy problems surface after earthquake

James Devitt-NYU — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:11:52 +0000

By measuring birth outcomes for infants born before, during, and after the 2005 earthquake in Tarapaca, as well as those born within and outside the affected regions, and controlling for maternal and county-level characteristics, the study isolated the effect of exposure to the catastrophe from other determinants of birthweight. Above, a street in Tarapaca following the quake. (Courtesy: Diego Salgado/Flickr)

NYU (US)—Expectant mothers who were exposed to the 2005 Tarapaca earthquake in Chile were more likely to give birth prematurely than those women in the nation’s unaffected regions.

There was also a higher proportion of babies with lower birth weights in the earthquake-affected regions, says New York University sociologist Florencia Torche.

BPA in plastic permanently alters uterus

Karen Peart-Yale — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:28:37 +0000

Above, molecular model of bisphenol A (BPA), an organic compound found in plastics and plastic additives. A new study shows that BPA exposure permanently affects sensitivity to estrogen. Hugh Taylor says that exposure to BPA as a fetus is carried throughout adulthood. “What our mothers were exposed to in pregnancy may influence the rest of our lives.

YALE (US)—Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a common component of plastics, causes permanent abnormalities in the uterus of offspring, including alteration in their DNA, new research shows.

The study is the first to show that BPA exposure permanently affects sensitivity to estrogen. Details are reported in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Nurturing moms negate prenatal stress

Becky Jones-Rochester — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:35:40 +0000

“This is such refreshing news for mothers,” says study author Thomas O’Connor. “Pregnancy is an emotional experience for many women, and there is already so much for mothers to be careful of and concerned about. It’s a relief to learn that, by being good parents, they might ‘buffer’ their babies against potential setbacks.” (Courtesy: iStockphoto)

U. ROCHESTER (US)—A loving bond between mother and child early in life can help protect children from the damaging effects of prenatal exposure to stress hormone—known to be a harbinger for poor cognitive development.

Published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, the study represents the first direct human evidence that fetuses exposed to elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may have trouble paying attention or solving problems later on. But what may be more intriguing is the study’s second finding—that this negative link disappears almost entirely if the mother forges a secure connection with her baby.

Phthalates prevent boys from being boys?

Leslie Orr-Rochester — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:25:54 +0000

“Our results need to be confirmed, but are intriguing on several fronts,” Shanna Swan says. “Not only are they consistent with our prior findings that link phthalates to altered male genital development, but they also are compatible with current knowledge about how hormones mold sex differences in the brain, and thus behavior. We have more work to do, but the implications are potentially profound.”

U. ROCHESTER (US)—A study of 145 preschool children reports that when the concentrations of two common plastic softeners—known as phthalates—in mothers’ prenatal urine are elevated their sons are less likely to engage in male-typical play.

Findings were published recently in the International Journal of Andrology.

1918′s lessons point to prenatal flu exposure

Suzanne Wu-USC — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:49:03 +0000

Flu ward at Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D.C., during the influenza pandemic of 1918–1919. (Credit: Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress)

USC (US)—Fetal exposure to the 1918 H1N1 strain of influenza A appears to increase the risk for cardiovascular disease later in life, a new study finds.

“Our point is that during pregnancy, even mild sickness from flu could affect development with longer consequences,” says senior author Caleb Finch, a professor at the University of Southern California.

BPA making toddler girls grow aggressive?

Patric Lane-UNC — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:46:42 +0000

“Study results indicate that exposure to BPA early in the pregnancy seems to be the most critical issue. The most damaging exposure might happen before a woman even knows she’s pregnant,” says Joe Braun.

UNC CHAPEL HILL (US)—The first study to examine a possible link between prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and behavior problems in children finds that daughters of women exposed to BPA early in pregnancy are more likely to have unusually aggressive and hyperactive behaviors as 2-year-olds.

“In other words, girls whose mothers had higher BPA exposure were more likely to act like boys than girls whose mothers had lower BPA levels, especially if the exposure was seen earlier in pregnancy,” says the study’s lead author Joe Braun, a doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Boys’ behavior did not seem to be affected, although there was some evidence of increased internalizing scores among BPA-exposed boys.”

Low-cost bed nets prove priceless

Futurity-Jenny Leonard — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:51:23 +0000

Malaria, which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, is common among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa and is a major contributing factor to low birth weights and infant deaths in that region.

UNC CHAPEL HILL (US)—Giving insecticide-treated bed nets, at a cost of only about $6 each, to nearly 18,000 mothers at prenatal clinics in the Democratic Republic of Congo prevented hundreds of malaria-related infant deaths, a new study finds.

Genetic aftermath of alcohol during pregnancy

Futurity-Jenny Leonard — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:30:05 +0000

Dipak Sarkar’s research has shown that a seemingly irreversible reduction in the number and function of beta-endorphin neurons results in a permanent impairment of stress and immune system functions throughout life. While the body often displays the ability to recover from damage or disease, this does not seem to come into play with the loss of beta-endorphin neurons. The diagram of the brain shows the hypothalamus, home to beta-endorphin neurons, in relation to other parts of the brain.

RUTGERS (US)—A team of scientists is looking closely at the neuron-killing effect of alcohol during pregnancy and the toll it takes on a child’s ability to cope with stress and fight off disease later in life.