The first trimester is a period when the mother’s body undergoes a lot of physiological changes and the foetus’s major organs start developing. During this time the risk of a miscarriage is high and foetal well-being is heavily dependent on maternal well-being. You will find yourself amidst a plethora of advice about what you should and should not do, a lot of which might not make sense. So if you are wondering about what safety measures to actually practice, here is a shortlist of safety measures.

Food and Beverages

After the foetus attaches itself to the uterine wall, it starts drawing nutrients and oxygen from you. What you consume will not only determine your health but the health of your developing baby too. While it is obvious that you must eat nutritious fiber-rich foods, there are some that you must avoid/ minimise.

• Caffeine: Consuming more than 300mgs of caffeine increases the risk of miscarriage.
• Big fish: Although fish is a very good source of protein and omega-2, big fish such as mackerel contain high amounts of methyl mercury and must be avoided.
• Raw and uncooked fish, eggs and meat: Pregnant women are much more prone to infections. Several bacteria like E. coli, Listeria and Salmonella can easily contaminate raw foods. Some of these, like Listeria, can pass on to the unborn baby through the placenta. Always consume well cooked food.
• Unpasteurized milk and cheese
• Avoid alcoholic beverages.

Smoking

Smoking, both active and passive, must be avoided when pregnant. Cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemicals that can pass through the mother’s bloodstream and reach the growing baby. Smoking narrows down blood vessels and reduces the oxygen supply to your baby. Even a single cigarette a day increases the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, and many birth defects such as low birth weight, stillbirth, and heart defects. So quit smoking as soon as you know that you are pregnant.

Hot Tubs

The body is unable to lose heat effectively when you use a hot tub, sauna, and even a steam room. This causes a significant rise in body temperature, which is unsafe for the developing baby. Hot tubs must be avoided completely during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Physical Activity

A mother’s body goes through a number of physical and hormonal changes during pregnancy. Fatigue and nausea are very common during the initial weeks. It is recommended that you get plenty of rest. Do not lift heavy weights to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the growing baby. Women can safely continue exercising during early pregnancy but if you have not been exercising before getting pregnant, it is advisable to take it slow. Walking is great. However, if you have any pregnancy complications please consult your doctor before starting anything new.

Hygiene

If you have pets, make it a habit to wash your hands after patting animals to avoid infections like Taxoplasmosis which can affect your unborn child causing brain damage. Wear gloves during gardening and avoid handling pet litter.

Sex

According to BabyCenter, “the amniotic sac and the uterine muscles protect the baby and a thick mucus plug seals the cervix to guard against infection”. If you have a normal pregnancy and your doctor has given you the green light then there is no reason to refrain from a pleasurable time as long as you are comfortable.

Pregnancy is a wonderful journey. Make the most of it by making informed and safe choices. Take care of yourself and trust your body. It will tell you what it needs and what feels wrong.

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Have you heard of “Green” pregnancy? As an expectant mother, you may have gone through all the practices to protect your baby in the womb. Healthy lifestyle, balanced eating, proper sleep, positive thinking are some of the measures we all take to safeguard our babies. Having done all these, there are still some external hazards that your baby may face, which remain even unknown to you. Here enters the effectiveness of “Green” pregnancy.

Katherine Sutherland, from the Women Physicians OBGYN Medical Group in Mountain View, CA said, “Going green is what will save the future environment which, in the long run, is the best thing we can give to our children. It is also a good time for couples to raise their awareness of what is important in their lives. They will be making many lifestyle changes with their pregnancy and the birth of their child, so it is an excellent time to include a long term commitment to the health of our world.”

So, in simpler language, it’s important for every expectant couple to adopt an environmentally safe lifestyle during pregnancy. Elizabeth Davis, a Chicago-based chiropractor and acupuncturist said, “You can’t have a sweet, healthy baby if you are poisoning it from day one. It’s not a hobby to be green. It should be a lifestyle. We don’t get to survive independent of our environment. If the terrain is toxic, than we get toxic. If it’s clean, we can hope to be clean.” And your diet and cleanliness play a crucial part in this.

An unborn baby depends entirely on its mother’s eating habits. What a mother eats provides nourishment to the baby. If a mother’s food contains significant amount of chemicals, some of them can be observed by the placenta. So, it’s always recommended to go for organic food products, as there are lower amount of toxins. A local farmer’s market is also a great place to find fresh organic vegetables and fruits during pregnancy. Water is a very important ingredient to keep your body hydration in place during pregnancy. However, instead of tap water, go for distilled water and bottled water to avoid toxins.

It’s also suggested to avoid taking fish, as they may be polluted with mercury, which can prove dangerous to your baby. However, it’s also true that a pregnant woman needs a good amount of protein in her daily diet. In this scenario, you can opt for vegetarian options like fresh beans and tofu, which are rich in proteins and at the same time safe for the environment. Elizabeth Davis advised to avoid food items with antibiotics and hormones as well.

Apart from food items, there are several other factors that expectant dads need to take care of. One such thing is cleaning products. Avoid products with strong ammonia odor, which is harmful for the environment and also may affect the lungs. If any of your family members come in contact with AJAX, wash immediately before it penetrates your skin. Apart from all these, Davis advised all pregnant women to get proper rest and exercise and not to sit beside the computer for the entire day.

Let’s move on to “Green” pregnancy to protect our future. Eat organic food, use products with fewer chemicals, and keep an eye on your soundings. The process may sound a little detailed and time-consuming but it’s only to gift your baby a better future ahead.

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I still remember those sleepless nights when my six month old was teething. This was my first experience as a mum and when my little girl was cranky and irritated, especially at night, I was completely at a loss of how to soothe her. Thankfully, my trusted paediatrician and the all-time source of information ‘the internet’ came to my rescue. I found out that baby teething is a common affair when a child is between 4 to 6 months old. Just being aware of some of the common indicators of baby teething will help you to act and respond faster to your baby’s needs.

Signs and symptoms

Every kid experiences different symptoms, say many reputed paediatricians.

Drooling

Trust me it’s hard to believe so much fluid can come out from a baby’s mouth unless you see it for yourself. Actually, teething stimulates drooling and it starts when the baby is between 10 weeks to two – three months old, though my daughter started when she was much older. I used to find her clothes always soggy which the paediatrician later on confirmed was due to teething.

Teething rash

Due to the continuous drooling and dripping, my baby started suffering from redness and rashes around her mouth, which according to the paediatrician was another symptom of teething. However, this was cured by applying baby nursing cream and lotion at regular intervals.

Coughing and/or gag

Drooling and dripping all the time can make your baby gag and cough too. Do not worry if your baby does not have any other signs of cold and flu.

Biting

This was the biggest problem when my little baby girl was teething. Pressure from the teeth poking through under the gums caused a lot of discomfort and to get instant relief, she was more inclined towards biting and chewing on just about anything that was in front of her.

Irritability

Don’t know about others, but my daughter used to be extremely fussy throughout the day due to aching. The doctor explained to me that because of the pressure of the little tooth on the gum most children (if not all) are likely to be fussy and irritable, either for a few hours or throughout the day.

Pulling ears and rubbing the chin and cheeks

This was the weirdest symptom of all. My baby girl used to pull her ears a lot or used to rub her chin and cheeks. I was a little surprised by this behaviour, but the paediatrician relieved me by telling me that this behaviour indicates that your baby will soon have little pearly white teeth. According to her, babies usually do this to create counter pressure that eases some of the pain.

But as I said earlier, it is not mandatory for all babies to show the same teething signs. While some will have the symptoms as stated above, others will show other signs or no sign at all.

Other Signs

Swollen gums

Swollen red gums are also a sign of teething, as was indicated by my paediatrician. For quick relief, gently rub your clean finger over the gums.

Refusing food

Often because of pain and irritation while teething, babies refuse to eat much. If it lasts long, then call your paediatrician and ask for a solution.

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A life-changing human condition, ASD or more commonly known as Autism Spectrum Disorder leaves one with an incapacity that is devastating. Clinical studies on multiple family histories and twins have shown that some cases of ASD are genetic. However, the majority do not fall under this category and appears suddenly in young children intermittently or idiopathically.

At the Hussman Institute of Autism (HIA) in USA, a team has been studying upcoming methodologies that are related to using of induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. A group of mature human stem cells from the skin or the blood on being experimentally induced, possess the potential to differentiate into most cell types in the body. Since 2006, the process of induction and differentiation has had period upgradations. “One of the exciting aspects of working with iPSCs is that we can study autism in human neurons that have the exact genetic background of a given individual with autism,” said John P. Hussman, executive director of HIA.

“Mini-brains” or organoids, a resultant from the iPS cells of ASD patients have been produced by another research group from Yale. It came to light that ASD mini-brains are comprised of inhibitory neuron which is a type of nerve cell that multiplies and blocks the production of a protein called FOXG1 and then returns these nerve cells back to their normal population count.

A CIRM funded study led by Rusty Gage on a secondary stem cell model for ASD proposing fresh evidences into the initial neurodevelopmental deficiencies seen in ASD patients were published in the Nature Journal Molecular Psychiatry by the Salk Institute (USA) in partnership with scientists at UC San Diego.

Under clinical conditions, Gage along with team of researchers attempted to create iPS cells particularly from those select ASD patients who had undergone a brain growth of up to 23% faster during their toddler stage. Under constant investigations, the researchers studied the ways by which iPS cells from these select ASD individuals developed into brain stem cells. The next stage of growth turned these brain stem cells into nerve cells. The entire growth progression was mapped and matched to that of healthy iPS cells from normal individuals.

Under close observation of the procedure, the team quickly found an issue with the multiplication of the brain stem cells in order to generate new nerve cells in the brain. The process has been termed as neurogenesis. A surplus amount of nerve cells were being produced as the brain stem cells extracted from ASD iPS cells exhibited additional neurogenesis compared to normal brain stem cells. The nerve cells were incapable of sending signals and establishing a working system of transmission. Due to a lack of the synaptic connections with each other by these additional nerve cells their performance remained anomalous, portraying an inability to be less effective compared to healthy neurons.

IGF-1, a drug that is currently undergoing clinical testing towards probable treatment for autism was used in this instance to treat the nerve cells. The team noticed partial correction in the abnormal activity observed in the ASD neurons. According to a Salk news release, “the group plans to use the patient cells to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind IGF-1’s effects, in particular probing for changes in gene expression with treatment.”

Gage’s opinion is that: “This technology allows us to generate views of neuron development that have historically been intractable. We’re excited by the possibility of using stem cell methods to unravel the biology of autism and to possibly screen for new drug treatments for this debilitating disorder.”

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What is Prenatal Infection? Prenatal infection is triggered because of a bacteria or virus that gets passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or delivery. Prenatal infections comprise bacterial or viral illnesses which are passed from a mother to her baby while the baby is in the uterus, during delivery, or immediately after birth.

February is International Prenatal Infection Prevention month, and so we decided to make people aware of this serious issue to safeguard our babies from the upsetting results of prenatal infections.

Prenatal Infection Prevention is vital for the security of your baby. It is necessary to govern the physical & emotional happiness of the child in the womb, after birth, and as the child grows up. These pre-emptive precautions not only help in protecting the unborn child but also the mother. Prevention methods include assisting the expectant mother with correct advice about nutrition, food handling practices, regular hygiene habits, and good hygiene if you have pets.

Let us look at some of the diseases that can be transferred to your kid because of prenatal infection

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a contagious virus that leads to liver damage and is a primary cause of chronic liver disease & cirrhosis. Roughly 20,000 infants that are born each year test positive for the hepatitis B virus. Infants are at acute risk of developing hepatitis B infection because of exposure to the blood of their mother during delivery.

Streptococcus

Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection is one of the major bacteria that causes infection to death in newborn infants. However, the mortality rates have declined after the introduction of antibiotics to women exposed to the risk during labour in the 1980s. In women, GBS can lead to vaginitis & urinary tract infections. GBS can also lead to fatal diseases like pneumonia, meningitis, & more other infections.

Rubella (German Measles)

Rubella is a virus that leads to German measles. German measles causes rash, fever, and symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection. The majority of people get exposed to Rubella during childhood, and they become immune to it once they develop antibodies with age.

Now let’s look at some of the methods that will help in preventing prenatal infection & aid in pregnancy care:

• Have less intake of under-cooked, cured or raw meats
• Avoid cross-contamination while cooking & make sure you wash your cutting board properly
• Do less gardening & handling soil. Stay away from vegetables & sprouts
• Make sure to drink boiled or filtered water
• Do not consume unpasteurized products
• Wash your hands as soon as you are done cooking, touching your face, nose, mouth, & pets.

The post This February Let’s Put Spotlight on Prenatal Infection Prevention appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

Zika virus belongs to the virus family Flaviviridae & the genus Flavivirus. The virus is spread through daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, namely A. aegypti.

The virus causes mild illness known as Zika fever in humans, and since 1950s it has been known to occur within a thin equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. In 2014, the virus spread eastward through the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, moving towards Easter Island & eventually reaching Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, & South America. Now Zika outbreak has become a global threat as it has reached pandemic levels.

The Zika virus is closely associated with dengue, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, & West Nile viruses. The illness is very much like dengue fever, which is treated by rest and does not have any medical cure as yet.

Medical association has theorised a possible link between Zika fever & microcephaly in new-born babies caused by transmission from mother to child. In January 2016, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) delivered travel guidance on countries affected with Zika virus, which includes greater precautions & guidelines for pregnant women.

Things to Keep in Mind for Pregnant Women Travelling to Places Affected With Zika Virus

As there is no vaccine and prophylactic medication for curing Zika virus infection, it is highly advisable for all pregnant women to consider postponing their travel to places affected with Zika virus. If a pregnant woman has to travel to an area affected with Zika virus, she should strictly protect herself from mosquito bites. Mosquitoes that carry Zika virus can be found both indoors & outdoors, mostly during daytime, so it is necessary to keep yourself protected from mosquito bites throughout the day. Some of the effective ways to avoid mosquito bites are by covering yourself with long-sleeved shirts & long pants, and usage of effective insect repellents. While staying in a Zika affected region, always make sure that you are in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.

How to Treat Pregnant Women Diagnosed With Zika Virus Disease

There are no specific antiviral treatments available for Zika virus disease. Treatment for Zika virus includes lot of rest, intake of fluids & use of analgesics & antipyretics. Conditions like fever can be treated with the help of acetaminophen. However, medication like aspirin & other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not advised during pregnancy, these medications should not be considered till the time dengue is not completely ruled out as it increases the risk for haemorrhage.

If a pregnant woman is confirmed to be affected by Zika virus, one should consider suggesting serial ultrasounds to keep a check on fetal anatomy & growth every 3 to 4 weeks. Referral to any specialist in maternal-fetal medicine or infectious disease with experience in managing pregnancy is highly advisable.

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Reshma Seth gave birth to her second child last year. The 33-year-old interior designer proudly shows photographs of her pregnancy days. “People would keep commenting on how my skin glowed. They kept saying it was because of the baby! But apart from my skin and hair improving in texture during the pregnancy, I also take very good care of my diet. I followed a regular skin care routine that my beautician gave me. I never suffered breakouts or stretch marks,” she grins.

With pregnancy changing the shape and size of your body, with strange cravings keeping you up all night and a perpetual bloated feeling dogging you down, it might be daunting to maintain a regular skin care routine during pregnancy. “Women feel that they are allowed to gain weight and look frumpy during their pregnancy. This is the period of their lives when others don’t judge them for weight gain or hairfall or patchy skin. But it is psychologically healthier to maintain good skin during those days,” says beautician Lynette Seqeuira, who specialises in pregnancy-related skin care.

Plus, all it takes is a few extra minutes every day to discover gorgeous, supple skin during pregnancy, says Lynette. “A little change in diet, some moderate exercise and daily skin care – that’s all it takes,” she explains.

Here are 5 easy pregnancy skin care tips for you to follow:

Skin Care Twice a Day

Start every morning with a basic skin care routine just after you wake up. Cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin to give it a special glow. This routine ensures that you do not develop acne, fine lines and age spots. Your skin recovers faster and fights ageing better. Cleanse and moisturise your face before bedtime, and slather on your preferred night cream to wake up looking gorgeous.

Eat Well

Your pregnancy diet should comprise all the food groups, but do stay away from alcohol, sugar and excess salt. These rob the natural moisture in your skin and make it tired and dry. Instead, drink unsweetened fresh fruit juices and eat raw salads comprising tomato, lettuce, cabbage, lemon, figs, apple, walnuts, dates and spinach. These foods provide essential hydration, clear the skin and impart a luminous glow. The skin is also fortified with essential vitamins and minerals to fight infection and toxins. Follow your doctor’s orders on diet and beverages during this time for the best results.

Tank Up on Water

It might seem counterproductive to drink too much water during your pregnancy – since you experience frequent urination – but water keeps your skin healthy and blemish free. It improves blood circulation, eliminates toxins from the body and keeps the skin supple. You can alternate drinking plain water with having two to three cups of green tea every day. Green tea is packed with anti-oxidants; these are excellent substances for skin repair and overall health.

Exercise in moderation

You cannot do intensive gym workouts or attend Zumba classes, but moderate exercise is essential during pregnancy. Take a brisk 30 minute walk and ask your doctor to prescribe yoga asanas to keep your joints supple. “Exercise helps tune the organs and eliminate toxins through sweat. It increases blood flow to the skin, thus making it healthier,” explains gym trainer Muskaan Shah.

Be Wise About Make-up

It is best to steer clear of make-up during pregnancy. “The skin is already undergoing several changes due to hormonal imbalances. Its texture changes during pregnancy. Besides, many pregnant women feel lethargic and omit to clean their make-up at night. This causes acne and blackheads,” explains fashion designer Ruchika Kakkar. “It is better to wear light, water-based make-up that is cleaned easily at the end of the day. Also, do not load your skin with excess products. Your make-up should not clog your skin and make it susceptible to breakouts.”

Follow these five easy pregnancy skin care tips for the best looking pregnancy in the world!

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