Pregnancy roundup: high fat diet cancer link; smoking and low sperm count

High fat diet and cancer

A new study suggests that a high-fat diet during pregnancy can have a knock-on health effect two generations of females down the line.

The US study suggests that a junk food diet may cause genetic changes that can lead to breast cancer in both daughters and granddaughters.

One could argue that the findings are superfluous at one level, because mothers are already recommended to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet.

However, despite the fact that the experiments were conducted on rats, it does add fuel to the argument that environmental factors can cause inheritable genetic changes.

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Smoking linked to low sperm count in sons

There are surely enough health reasons already to discourage expectant mothers from smoking during pregnancy, but if they weren’t enough, consider adding infertility of sons to that list.

Leading reproductive biologist, Professor Richard Sharpe, suggests that damage done in the womb from exposure of the unborn male to cigarette smoke can be even greater than that caused by a man smoking in later life.

“This review reminds us that the sperm production capacity of men is probably established quite early in life and perhaps even before they are born,” said male fertility expert, Dr Allan Pacey. “This highlights the importance of women having healthy pregnancies and not exposing their baby to harmful chemicals, such as cigarette smoke.”

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Pine nuts (plus three more tips): naturally improving male sex life

Men generally don’t like to admit there’s anything wrong with their sex lives, or how they perform, but let’s be honest about this and say that things don’t always work just as we want them to.

You could use some unnatural blue pill (other colours and brands are available, apparently) to ‘enhance’ your experience, but we all suspect that taking a concoction of synthetic drugs isn’t the best thing in the world for our health.

How about finding some natural things to perk up your sex life instead?

Two months ahead of Men’s Health Week (14-20 June) and Herbal Medicine Week (19-26 June), Dr Gaier is extolling the virtues of a totally natural extract.

And it comes from the humble pine nut.

Now, if finding a Siberian Cedar and extracting pinus sibirica yourself doesn’t sound like a bundle of laughs, you could always buy the extract ready bottled.

Dr Gaier says, “In Sibiria the tree, which grows to 80 metres and lives for 100 odd years, is referred to as the Queen of the Taiga, because its nuts provide the men there with tremendous health and sexual vitality.”

“Statistics show us that the use of pharmaceutical drugs to aid sexual performance is huge in the UK and I want to alert people to the dangers of using such drugs regularly. Now there’s an alternative, why would people suffer the headaches and stomach cramps, when they can get the same results without them. There is a natural remedy for most medical problems and my mission is to try and highlight some of the alternatives so people have a choice.”

If you’re not quite ready for that, there are three other very simple tips that could also improve your sexual health and performance:

1. Water: Being dehydrated can sap your energy, even slight dehydration of 1-2% of your body weight can make you feel tired. If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.

2. It’s good to nibble: It’s important to maintain a normal blood sugar level, in order to do this you should eat every few hours. This will help you maintain muscle tissue, which burns more calories than fat tissue, whilst putting the much-needed skip in your step and bounce into your bedroom. But don’t overdo it. Overeating can be just as bad as starvation.

3. Exercise: A good way to become energised is to keep yourself active. Exercise gets your heart pumping and increases your metabolism, but more importantly it releases endorphins which gives you that same happy sensation you get when you have sex or eat chocolate. For this reason your brain begins to crave it more, which can only do wonders for your sex drive!

DrGaier.com

Weight Watchers introduces Eat! Move! Play! initiative

You don’t have to look far to find someone talking about increasing levels of childhood obesity caused by poor diets and lack of exercise.

Now, Weight Watchers in the USA is starting an initiative to encourage parents to get their kids active, eating well, and ultimately being both happy and healthy.

Eat! Move! Play! is designed to break down some of the challenges that parents and children face.

Five Simple Rules help kids to learn about the importance of smart food choices and a love of physical activity:

1. Focus on wholesome, nutritious foods
2. Ensure that treats in reasonable portions are part of kids’ eating habits
3. Limit screen time, like television and video games
4. Ensure at least one hour of daily physical activity
5. Apply these rules to everyone in the home

Eat! Move! Play! guides readers on a variety of topics including how to speak with a child’s pediatrician about weight and how to deal with picky eaters and food challenges at all ages and stages.

The book provides gradual steps towards a healthier family lifestyle that can start simply with swapping white grains for whole grains, integrating family activities that involve exercise, planning healthy recipes and allowing children to play an active role in cooking. With more than 75 kid-tested recipes, checklists, and goal sheets for the month and near future, parents have a simple yet successful blueprint for healthier kids.

If you’re not in the US, fear not, because the book is available internationally too. Here’s the link for the book on Amazon UK: Weight Watchers Eat! Move! Play!: A Parent’s Guide for Raising Healthy, Happy Kids

Moving “with a bump”: ten tips for a stress-free house move while pregnant

According to a recent survey, nearly three-quarters of women found it harder to emotionally move on from the house their baby was born in, with two-thirds reluctant to move at all.

This leads to the interesting prospect of moving house while pregnant so you are in your chosen property when the baby is born.

HelpIAmMoving.com offers some advice to expectant mothers who are planning to endure the stresses and strains of moving house.

Most of them are good advice for any family, but of course there are some extra health and planning steps that are definitely worth bearing in mind.

1. Plan Ahead

Do things in stages, as you may (will) be very tired and so shouldn’t attempt to do everything in one go.

2. Pack Early

Non-essential items — such as unused clothing, CDs, books — can be packed up ahead of time.

Buy sturdy, modular boxes that can be easily packed, stacked and moved from old house to van to new house.

3. Register Early

Ensure that you are registered with essential healthcare services as soon as possible. This includes doctor, midwife and dentist.

This gives them adequate time to transfer files and for both you and them to get to know each other before the move happens.

The NHS Service Directories are a useful resource for organising this.

4. Know the Hospital

Get to know the new hospital before you move so that you are comfortable with its location and layout.

5. Notify Services

A good tip for everyone is to ensure that all relevant utility companies, clubs, banks, charities and so on are notified of your new address ahead of time. IAmMoving.com offers a free change of address service.

6. Grocery Shop Online

Do a shop before you move and store all your favourite goods, including baby items, so that they are easy to shop for once your baby is born.

7. No Bending or Lifting

Depending on what sort of person you are, you may be tempted to get stuck in on moving day, but you really do have the best reason for not getting involved.

Don’t bend to pack or unpack, and don’t lift heavy boxes. Get other people to sort all that for you.

8. Pack a Pamper Box

The day is likely to be stressful and tiring, so pack some items like bubble bath and candles in a separate bag and keep them with you. That way you have something to relax and unwind with when you reach your new home.

9. Prepare Your Hospital Bag

Regardless of whether you’re moving or not, keep your essential hospital bag in your car at least six weeks before your due date so that it doesn’t get mixed up with packing items.

Keep your hospital notes separate as well.

10. Drink!

Remember that you need to maintain good fluid levels, so keep bottled water with you and drink frequently throughout moving day.

Have you moved house while pregnant? What tips and advice would you give?

Epidemic of children with preventable illnesses reported

Warnings from the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool of an epidemic of children having wholly preventable illnesses form the basis of tonight’s BBC1 Panorama documentary “Spoilt Rotten”.

This harsh reality was surmised by Alder Hey’s medical director, Dr Steve Ryan, who suggested that “people are starting to say maybe this is a generation where children will be dying before their parents”.

That horrendous thought is based on medical statistics from the hospital:

• Over half of the 1,000 annual dental operations are on children under the age of six, often with severe, preventable tooth decay.
• Up to 1,000 children each year are admitted to hospital because of the effects of their parents’ passive smoking.
• Obesity rates in both children and adults is increasing rapidly, up from 5,056 in 2007-087 to 8,085 for 2008-09.

Dr Ryan continued, “I think that we’ve never been here before. We’ve never faced this epidemic. It didn’t happen in history. There were cholera epidemics, measles epidemics, whooping cough epidemics…(this) is subtle. It is in the background. But it’s massive.”

The Panorama programme can be seen tonight (Tuesday 13 April) at 9pm, or alternatively on BBC iPlayer.

Pregnancy roundup: epilepsy, exercise, incontinence

A trio of pregnancy-related health topics hit the headlines last week. Here’s a roundup.

Drinking during pregnancy increases epilepsy risk

According to research from the University of New Mexico’s Department of Neurosciences, children of mothers who drink during their pregnancy are six times more likely to suffer from epilepsy as they grow older, with an increased risk of at least one seizure at some point during their lives.

This adds to a growing body of study that indicates connections between drinking during pregnancy and rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, Parkinson’s Disease and stroke, and while it’s important to note that there’s no direct cause-effect here, it’s definitely something worth considering.

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Exercising mothers give birth to lighter babies

Women who exercise while pregnant gave birth to babies on average a third of a pound lighter than those of women who didn’t.

By ‘exercise’, we’re talking about the equivalent of daily 40-minute stationary cycling sessions, maintained until at least the 36th week of pregnancy.

Dr Paul Hofman who led the study said: “Our findings show that regular aerobic exercise alters the maternal environment in some way that has an impact on nutrient stimulation of fetal growth, resulting in a reduction in offspring birth weight. Given that large birth size is associated with increased risk of obesity, a modest reduction in birthweight may have long-term health benefits for offspring by lowering this risk later in life.”

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Incontinence during pregnancy ups risk afterwards

Women who experience any kind of incontinence during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have the problem after giving birth.

Unsurprisingly, natural childbirth carried a higher risk than those who had a caesarian section.

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The secret life of sperm: may aid contraception and male fertility

Swimming Sperm

Scientists have discovered something about sperm that makes perfect sense: they don’t start swimming until they are closer to the egg.

Because sperm only have limited resources, they need to maximise their chances of fertilising the egg.

Internal pH

University of California researchers have found that sperm increases its internal pH — its acidity or alkalinity — due to pores on its surface that allow it to jettison protons.

Dr Yuriy Kirichok, who led the research, said: “The concentration of protons inside the sperm cell is 1,000 times higher than outside.

“If you just open a pore, protons will go outside – we identify the molecule that lets them out.”

A substance called anandamide, present in the female reproductive tract and in particularly high levels near the egg, seems to be the trigger for this release, which in turn allows the sperm’s tail to begin moving, and the vigorous swimming to begin.

Cannabis

This may also explain why men who regularly use cannabis/marijuana experience greater levels of infertility.

Contraception and Fertility

It seems fair that, as scientists learn more about sperm, it could aid in two ways.

Firstly, it could be used to create effective male contraceptives.

Secondly, it could be another explanation for male infertility. Sperm’s motility is already measured. Research such as this could help to improve motility, or to ensure that sperm doesn’t use up its resources too early.

Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: “Although it seems obvious that sperm have to swim in order to find and fertilise an egg inside the female body, or in the dish during IVF, we are only just uncovering some of the molecular details that the sperm use when swimming”

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Five Prenatal Yoga Positions for Labour

Global yoga specialist, childbirth educator, and director of prenatal yoga specialist Jiivana UK Ltd, Zoe Mongey, lists her top five tips for labour.

Top Tip One: Carry out the early stage labour position: All Fours

Carry out the All Fours position during the early stages of labour to alleviate contraction pain.

This pose can be done on the floor or the bed.

It helps to encourage the baby into the anterior position so its spine swings to the front of your belly. It also relieves the pressure in the pelvis as gravity takes the weight away from the pelvis and to the belly.

Doing this pose, particularly in the last trimester, is an excellent way to encourage anterior lying babies.

Top Tip Two: Learn to use pelvic rotations to dissipate contraction discomfort

Trial pelvic rotations during the 1st stage of labour to dissipate the pain or use in second stage between contractions.

Kneel on floor or up onto the bed and use slow circling motions of the hips to help to dissipate the discomfort.

In this pose gravity also helps to push the baby down into the dilating cervix.

Use this position during contractions in the second stage to help descend the baby further down the birth canal in preparation for the next push.

Top Tip Three: Relax using the child’s pose

This position can be done on the bed or the floor.

Take the knees wider than the belly, big toes touching and sit back onto the heels. You can place your arms up on the bed, on your partner, stacked pillows or a ball.

In this position gravity also helps to push the baby down into the dilating cervix.

Top Tip Four – For the later stages of labour use the deep Squat position

The deep squat position is for later stages of labour.

Lean back onto your partner who is sitting on a chair or the ball and squat down with the knees wide.

You can also do this position up on the bed with the back of the bed raised to 90 degrees supporting the back, the knees bent and the feet flat on the bed.

This helps to widen the pelvic diameter bringing the baby’s head down into the dilating cervix.

Top Tip Five: Visualise your end goal by focusing on something special

When you are preparing your hospital bag, consider taking something special with you for the baby to wear after it’s born. This may be a little pair of socks or a little suit.

It can be anything that you feel is beautiful. You can look at it every now and then during your labour and this will help you focus on why you are there.

For more top prenatal and labour tips check out ‘Bliss from Within’. Jiivana’s complete package DVD helps to guide pregnant women through a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Zoe Mongey, director of Jiivana UK, said, “Whether you are birthing at home or in hospital yoga can help you cope better and enjoy the journey of pregnancy and the experience of labour.

“By physically preparing your body with yoga you will improve your comfort during pregnancy and reduce your risk of complications during labour. By practicing breathing techniques and visualisations you will calm and centre yourself and bond with your unborn baby during pregnancy and provide yourself with a tool to cope better during labour.

“Understanding and learning these poses will empower pregnant women with knowledge and understanding of active birth positions.

Jiivana has two renowned yoga DVDs — ‘Bliss from Within’ for mums-to-be, and ‘Baby Bliss’ for new mothers.

‘Bliss from Within’ has been endorsed as the most comprehensive prenatal Yoga DVD on the market by The National Association of Childbirth Educators as it features two 45-minute yoga programmes, alongside advice on positions and massage for labour, pelvic floor techniques, partner assisted yoga, breathing techniques, home prop for yoga and baby bonding visualisations.

The ‘positions for labour’ segment coaches Mums to be through a number of breathing techniques and positions that can help them during labour and provides massage and support techniques for their birthing partner.

‘Bliss from within’ is also used in hospital active birth classes around the world.

For more information on Jiivana please visit www.jiivana.co.uk.

UK’s premature/sick baby care needs to improve says three-decade strong Bliss charity

In the thirty years that special care baby charity Bliss has existed, it has repeatedly called for better services that care for premature and sick babies in the UK.

Every year, some 70,000 babies are born in need of specialist neonatal care in England alone. Added to this, the birth rate is increasing and more premature babies are surviving than ever, which puts additional pressure on overstretched services.

To celebrate thirty years and highlight the issues, Bliss has produced a special report — Three Decades and Counting — which documents the charity’s support and pushes for improvements to special care baby services.

Chief executive of Bliss, Andy Cole, said “We are delighted to be celebrating our thirtieth birthday with the publication of this special report, looking at how Bliss and the services for newborn babies we support have developed. After 30 years of fighting, 2009 should mark a significant change in the fortunes of premature and sick babies and the care they receive. Special care baby units have been stretched to the limits for far too long. We call on the Government and the NHS to ensure that the NHS Taskforce’s recommendations are now delivered without delay.”

Bliss

Bed sharing accounts for half of all cot deaths, study suggests

Over half of infant cot deaths are linked to babies sharing a bed with their parents, according to a new study by Bristol University.

However, other factors were also found to be linked and harmful, such as when a parent smokes, drinks alcohol or uses sedating drugs before bedtime.

Researchers suggest that further education is still required to reduce the risk of cot deaths, despite the success of the “Back to Sleep” campaign from the early ’90s.

“Parents need to be advised never to put themselves in a situation where they might fall asleep with a young infant on a sofa,” said researchers, adding that parents should never sleep with an infant in any environment after consuming alcohol or drugs.

Young single parents have been targeted as the most likely to ignore safe sleep advice, and for this reason the web site Bubbalicious.co.uk has been launched to provide support.

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Fussy eating kids drive their parents mad, survey finds

While it may not be as serious as those we’ve watched on Freaky Eaters, fussy eating kids are driving parents mad.

A survey of over 3,000 parents by Green Giant found that one in three children have been described as fussy eaters by their parents.

Added to this, two out of three parents say that their kids are fussier than they themselves were when growing up.

One in twenty children hide food they don’t want to eat (one mother reported that her six-year-old son is regularly caught flushing peas down the toilet), while others sneak food onto other plates or feed it to the dog.

Of course, sulking, tantrums and claiming to be full also make an appearance ion the list of tactics used by children trying to avoid eating unappetising food.

To appease the kids, one in five parents say they have to cook different meals for each family member, while a similar number buy special “reward” puddings.

General Mills nutritionist Vanessa McConkey RNutri says: “These findings reinforce the importance of getting back to the table – sitting down together as a family to enjoy mealtimes, without the many distractions revealed by this survey. Kids can be very fussy and encouraging them to eat a proper, nutritious meal can be difficult for parents.

“Instilling healthy eating habits early on in life will help ensure children eat a healthy, balanced meal, rich in vegetables and fruit and get more of the nutrients they need. It will also increase the likelihood of these healthy habits being carried on throughout life. Choosing vegetables like canned sweet corn can make it much easier to ensure children get one of their recommended five a day.”

Healthy eating is a real marketing buzzword at present, as you’ll see if you watch a few food adverts on TV, but it can be a difficult balancing act to find food that kids will eat and that’s reasonably good for them.

Do you consider your kids to be fussy eaters? How have you tried to resolve the issue, or have you found yourself giving in to their pressure?

Share your thoughts, tips and tricks in the comments below.

British relationships suffering due to poor sleep

If sleepless nights are causing problems and arguments between you and your partner, you’re not alone.

A recent survey suggests that over a third of British couples argue because of sleep-related issues.

Research shows that two out of five people get less than six hours of sleep each night, leading to both health and relationship problems.

One in ten people are kept awake by their partner every night, while a quarter say they are woken up at least once a month.

The top five health conditions that cause arguments between couples at night are:

1. Back Pain
2. Restless leg syndrome
3. Night terrors
4. Nocturnal cramp
5. Teeth Grinding

One in five Brits have slept in a different room because of a night-time row and one in four of those polled suffers from sleep envy and are jealous of their partners restful nights sleep.

A third of people in the UK say they end up sleeping on the sofa after a night time argument, while one in three choose the spare bedroom. One in twenty Brits have even slept in the children’s bunk beds in order to get a restful sleep!

Other interesting revelations from the survey include:

• Over half of us are regularly too tired for sex, while 1 in 10 would go without sex in order to get a good nights sleep
• Nearly half (44 per cent) would have more sex if we didn’t feel so tired
• Spooning is the UK’s favourite sleeping position – over a third of British couples (38 per cent) doze off with the man spooning the woman
• Nearly 20 per cent of romantic Brits fall asleep holding hands with their partner
• Not everyone likes to snuggle up – nearly half of all couples (48 per cent) regularly sleep turned away from each other, on opposite sides of the bed
• 36 per cent of people admit to sleeping better on their own – one in twenty have separate beds every night

Solving Sleep Problems

If you are having sleep problems which are leading to problems in your relationship, whether you are not able to fall asleep, wake up too often, don’t feel well-rested when you wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep then try the following top tips put together by sleep expert Chris Idzikowski:

Here are the dos and don’ts to help you get better nights sleep

Do:

• Plan your night – follow a set routine each night that gives you time to relax
• Relax – Try having a warm bath or reading a book before bedtime
• De-clutter – Make your bedroom a clutter free, restful place, with soft lighting
• Invest – buy the best bed you can afford – the average person spends 25 years in their bed so it is essential that your bed is right for you and your partner
• Use the 20 minute rule – get up and rest somewhere else and do not return back to your bed until you feel sleepy
• Exercise regularly – just be careful not exercise too close to bed time as this can prevent the brain from relaxing quickly

Don’t:

• Try to fall asleep – Tell yourself to let go of being awake, rest your eyes and visualize yourself slowly sinking into bed
• Drink alcohol – alcohol cab make you restless and is a diuretic which means more trips to the bathroom at night
• Drink caffeine – this will stay in your system for six hours and act as a stimulant – try herbal or fruit tea as an alternative
• Eat a heavy or spicy meal less than 2 hours before bed – your body needs to rest and not be busy digesting
• Watch TV in bed – this will disturb your partner as well as stop your mind from relaxing
• Keep electrical components in your bedroom

For further tips or to complete the first ever interactive sleep personality quiz to identify how good your sleep is, visit www.goodsleepadvice.com

The survey was carried out by Crampex (the only over the counter product for muscle cramp at night) to highlight November’s Sleep Disturbance Month.

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