News from July 2010

Researchers find obesity increases risk for Preterm Birth- McMaster University

July 31, 2010

Researchers at McMaster University found that ther is a 30 percent increased risk of induced perterm birth before 37 weeks among overweight or clinically obese women.

Please see the article below:

Overweight and obese women are at greater risk of giving birth to a preterm baby, new Canadian research finds. And the heavier the woman, the greater the risk.

The findings come from researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, who pooled data from 84 studies involving more than one million women.

They looked at spontaneous preterm births, in which women suddenly go into labour early, and induced births, in which doctors bring on labour, or perform a C-section.

They found that the overall risk of preterm birth before 37 weeks was not significantly different among overweight or obese women compared with normal weight women. But there was a 30 per cent increased risk of induced preterm birth before 37 weeks among overweight or obese women.

The heavier the woman, the higher the risk of induced preterm birth before 37 weeks, with very obese women at 70 per cent greater risk than normal weight women.

(this article taken from CTV.ca news)

The full link to the article can be found at bmj.com here

Some caffeine okay during Pregnancy- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

July 26, 2010

New guidelines set to appear in the August issue of ‘Obstetrics & Gynecology’ states moderate caffeine consumption doesn’t appear to cause miscarriage or preterm birth. However, it remains unclear whether a high level of caffeine consumption is linked to miscarriage.

The full story with a link to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee Opinion No. 462 can be found here

(This article taken from CTV.ca news)

Stress found to play an important role in preterm birth

July 22, 2010

Women who experience severe life events stress during the first or second trimester of pregnancy may be at increased risk for delivering preterm babies and infants with low birth weight, according to research published in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

(taken from HealthDay 2010)

Please see the link to modernmedicine.com here for the full story.

Daily Telegraph report reveals- Teenage mothers at greater risk of preterm birth

July 17, 2010

This report by the Daliy Telegraph in the United Kingdom reports on recent research that has shown that teenage mothers are at a greater risk of giving birth to premature and underweight babies.

The babies born out of teenage mothers are at a greater risk of dying in their first year of life. The research has also brought out another shocking fact that the teenage moms get pregnant again even before they cross the age limit of 20 and this means for a greater risk for them.

(taken from The Daily Telegraph)

Please see the full article here

Survey reveals Preterm Birth rarely discussed with Doctor

July 12, 2010

A new survey has revaled that most new or expectant mothers and doctors don’t discuss preterm birth.

Findings show communication barriers between moms and their healthcare providers on risk factors and lifelong health consequences of preterm birth

(taken from the March of Dimes Foundation website news desk)

The full story can be found at the March of Dimes Foundation website here

March of Dimes Foundation launches Campaign to reduce Preterm Birth

July 7, 2010

The March of Dimes Foundation has launched an education campaign on preterm birth.

Below is the introduction to the campaign:

Preterm birth is any birth that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy. It is the cause of many infant deaths and lingering infant illnesses in the United States. Every pregnant woman needs to know about preterm labor and birth—why it happens and what she can do to help prevent it.

You can find more information at the website here