Strollerderby : health problems

IVF Babies Two to Four Times More Likely to Have Birth Defects

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:30:00 GMT

A study by researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that babies conceived through in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection have a higher rate of birth defects than babies conceived naturally.

In a study of 18,500 babies, the CDC found that babies conceived through assisted reproduction were about twice as likely to develop heart defects and cleft palates and about four times more likely to develop gastrointestinal problems (esophageal atresia and anorectal atresia). The study factored in other health risks, such as smoking, and applied only to single births (since multiple births are also associated with a higher risk of birth defects).

Although the risk of birth defects is very low with any method of conception, the CDC notes that "it is still important for parents who are considering using ART [assisted reproductive technology] to think about all of the potential risks and benefits of this technology."

Childcare Relationships and Bickering Parents Affect Kids' Stress Hormones

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:30:00 GMT

It seems self-evident that kids with poor childcare relationships or parents who frequently fight are more stressed than other kids. But now two new studies have established this common sense theory from a biological standpoint, by monitoring the levels of cortisol (the human stress hormone) in preschoolers and 6-year-olds. As parents across the country struggle to afford high quality childcare and to maintain a stable home environment, these studies are unfortunately quite applicable to these trying economic times.

In most people, cortisol levels decrease throughout the day. But for many children in full-time daycare, the stress hormone increases as the day progresses. Researchers found that class size clearly affected children’s moods, with preschoolers in classes of 10 or fewer children producing less cortisol than those in classrooms with closer to 20 other kids.

Children with poor relationships with their daycare providers became more stressed after one-on-one interactions with the teacher, while clingier kids had higher overall cortisol increases throughout the day.

Similarly, a study of 6-year-olds with bickering parents found that those who were very involved in and distressed about the fights produced more cortisol than other 6-year-olds. Since high levels of cortisol have been linked to health and psychological problems, this finding offers a biological understanding of why kids who get very upset by their parents’ arguments are more likely to have psychological problems later. (Whether higher levels of cortisol are a cause or an effect of psychological disorders is not clear.)

The study’s authors hope that understanding the biological basis of stress in young children will change the way kids in these common problematic situations are treated. For instance, monitoring kids’ levels of cortisol could help indicate whether a given intervention is working to relieve stress or not.

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Photo: pregnancy-depression-help.com

Drinking In Youth Won't Just Break Your Mama's Heart

Kelly Mills — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:02:00 GMT

I think it is just plain messed up when any teen wild oat sowing has repercussions later in life. I mean, how can adolescents really appreciate that current behavior might lead to problems when they are fifty? I'm still stunned I managed to fill out my college applications and send them in, I was so short-sighted. Well, it turns out that being a lush when you are a youngster makes you more at risk for certain problems, and not just being branded "the Beer Bong Queen" by your cohort and having the name stick with you at your high school reunion.

Researchers interviewed 2,818 people (in scientific terms we call that "a good honkin' sample") about their drinking histories and other lifestyle stuff like smoking and exercise. They found that people either tended to drink heavily in their youth, and then taper off in middle-age; or drink moderately throughout their lives. (Note that none of my roommates was ever on the latter trajectory.) Those who partied hardy were a third more likely to have metabolic syndrome, which is a grouping of risk factors for heart disease that includes abdominal obesity, low good cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other stuff. In other words, young drunkery might mean heart problems later. So you know, kids, don't do drugs.