Group B Strep

If you are pregnant—or know anyone who is—you need to know about group B strep, also known as GBS. About a quarter of all women carry the bacteria that cause GBS infection. GBS bacteria are usually not harmful to you and won’t make the people around you sick. But GBS bacteria can be very dangerous for your newborn. Babies can get very sick and even die if their mothers pass GBS bacteria to them during childbirth. That’s why it’s so important for you to get tested for GBS each time you get pregnant.

If you are pregnant and have GBS, doctors can give you an antibiotic (usually penicillin) during labor that will prevent the bacteria from spreading to your baby. If you think you might have a C-section or go into labor early, talk with a healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Remember:

• Ask your healthcare provider for a GBS test when you are 35–37 weeks pregnant (9th month).
• If the test shows that you carry the bacteria, talk with a healthcare provider. Be sure to tell them if you are allergic to penicillin or other antibiotics.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

The best way to protect your unborn child from cytomegalovirus (CMV) is to protect yourself — especially by washing your hands.

A woman infected with CMV can pass the virus to her unborn child. As a result, this infection can lead to birth defects or other serious problems–even death.

The risk of getting CMV through casual contact is very small. Usually the virus is passed from infected people to others through direct contact with body fluids. Practicing good hygiene can reduce your chance of CMV infection while pregnant.

Remember:

• Wash your hands thoroughly (15 –20 seconds) with soap and water, especially after changing diapers or coming into contact with children’s body fluids.
• Use soap and water or a disinfectant to clean hard surfaces that have come into contact with children’s body fluids.
• Avoid kissing young children on the face or lips.
• Don’t share food, drinks or eating utensils with young children.
• If you work in a day care center, limit your close contact with children younger than 2 ½ years of age, especially if you’ve never been infected with CMV or don’t know if you’ve been infected.

If you’re pregnant (or planning a pregnancy) and have concerns about CMV, talk with a healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Listeriosis

Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. About one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy.

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria bacteria. It mostly affects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems.

Infected pregnant women may experience a mild, flu-like illness, or worse. The disease can also be very serious for unborn babies or newborns. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or infection in newborns.

In general, you can protect yourself from listeriosis by eating foods that are thoroughly cleaned and cooked. Pregnant women and others who are especially susceptible to the disease should take extra precautions.

If you are pregnant and think you have listeriosis, talk to your healthcare provider immediately. If you are infected, your doctor can give you antibiotics that can protect your unborn baby or newborn.

Source:

Centers for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/Features/PrenatalInfections/ (accessed May 22, 2009).

Of course it may have been nothing, but you never know. It is better to be safe than have a sick baby! From now on I will be keeping a close eye on the formula and strongly encourage you all to do the same! (I am not saying there is a problem with a formula! I am just bringing to your attention to be cautious!)

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation:

• Adults under age 50 need a total of 1,000 mg of calcium from all sources (and 400-800 IU of vitamin D) daily.
• Adults 50 and over need a total of 1,200 mg of calcium from all sources (and 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D) daily.

It is usually best to get the calcium you need from food. Foods that are high in calcium include:

• low-fat dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
• salmon and sardines
• dark green leafy vegetables
• calcium fortified orange juice
• foods made with calcium fortified flour
• almonds

Three to four servings of dairy foods provide about 1,200 mg of calcium. One serving equals one cup of milk or yogurt, 1½ ounces of cheese, or two cups of cottage cheese. Non-fat and low-fat dairy products have as much calcium as higher fat varieties.

Your doctor may suggest taking a calcium supplement if you don’t get enough calcium from the food you eat. Be careful not to get more than 2,000 mg of calcium each day. Consuming too much calcium can increase your risk of kidney problems.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Being out in the sun for 20 minutes every day helps most peoples’ bodies make enough vitamin D. Eggs, fatty fish, cereal, and fortified milk are good sources of vitamin D.

Source:

National Institutes of Health, http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2010/April/feature2.htm (accessed August 13, 2010).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/AppendixB.htm#appB5 (accessed August. 13, 2010)

National Osteoporosis Foundation, http://www.nof.org/prevention/calcium2.htm (accessed August 13, 2010).

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limited television for children – and discourages it altogether for children under age 2.

A study in the October, 2011, issue of the journal, Pediatrics, finds that some TV shows may be worse than others. The study, “The Immediate Impact of Different Types of Television on Young Children’s Executive Function,” tested 4-year-old children’s attention, problem solving, self regulation and other executive function abilities after they watched one of two cartoons for nine minutes. A control group of children received crayons and markers for free drawing for the same time period. The children who watched a fast-paced cartoon featuring an animated kitchen sponge did significantly worse on tests than the drawing group. There was no difference between the drawing group and children who watched a slower-paced, realistic cartoon about a typical preschool boy. Study authors stated they cannot tell which features of the TV show created the effects, though they speculate the combination of fantastical events and the fast pacing are responsible. They conclude that parents should be aware that watching similar television shows may immediately impair young children’s executive function.

Under age two, talking, singing, reading, listening to music or playing are far more important to a child’s development than any TV show.

Source:

American Academy of Pediatrics,  http://www.aap.org/sections/media/ToddlersTV.htm (accessed September 16, 2011)

What Do You Drink? It Makes More Difference Than You Think!

Calories in drinks are not hidden (they’re listed right on the Nutrition Facts label), but many people don’t realize just how many calories beverages can contribute to their daily intake. As you can see in the example below, calories from drinks can really add up. But there is good news: you have plenty of options for reducing the number of calories in what you drink.

Substituting no- or low-calorie drinks for sugar-sweetened beverages cuts about 650 calories in the example above.

Of course, not everyone drinks the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages shown above. Check the list below to estimate how many calories you typically take in from beverages.

Milk contains vitamins and other nutrients that contribute to good health, but it also contains calories. Choosing low-fat or fat-free milk is a good way to reduce your calorie intake and still get the nutrients that milk contains.

Learn To Read Nutrition Facts Labels Carefully

Be aware that the Nutrition Facts label on beverage containers may give the calories for only part of the contents. The example below shows the label on a 20-oz. bottle. As you can see, it lists the number of calories in an 8-oz. serving (100) even though the bottle contains 20 oz. or 2.5 servings. To figure out how many calories are in the whole bottle, you need to multiply the number of calories in one serving by the number of servings in the bottle (100 x 2.5). You can see that the contents of the entire bottle actually contain 250 calories even though what the label calls a “serving” only contains 100. This shows that you need to look closely at the serving size when comparing the calorie content of different beverages.

Sugar By Any Other Name: How To Tell Whether Your Drink Is Sweetened

Sweeteners that add calories to a beverage go by many different names and are not always obvious to anyone looking at the ingredients list. Some common caloric sweeteners are listed below. If these appear in the ingredients list of your favorite beverage, you are drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage.

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Honey
• Sugar
• Syrup
• Corn syrup
• Sucrose
• Dextrose

High-Calorie Culprits in Unexpected Places

Coffee drinks and blended fruit smoothies sound innocent enough, but the calories in some of your favorite coffee-shop or smoothie-stand items may surprise you. Check the Web site or in-store nutrition information of your favorite coffee or smoothie shop to find out how many calories are in different menu items. And when a smoothie or coffee craving kicks in, here are some tips to help minimize the caloric damage:

At the coffee shop:

• Request that your drink be made with fat-free or low-fat milk instead of whole milk
• Order the smallest size available.
• Forgo the extra flavoring – the flavor syrups used in coffee shops, like vanilla or hazelnut, are sugar-sweetened and will add calories to your drink.
• Skip the Whip. The whipped cream on top of coffee drinks adds calories and fat.
• Get back to basics. Order a plain cup of coffee with fat-free milk and artificial sweetener, or drink it black.

At the smoothie stand:

• Order a child’s size if available.
• Ask to see the nutrition information for each type of smoothie and pick the smoothie with the fewest calories.
• Hold the sugar. Many smoothies contain added sugar in addition to the sugar naturally in fruit, juice, or yogurt. Ask that your smoothie be prepared without added sugar: the fruit is naturally sweet.

Source: 

Centers For Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/drinks.html (accessed March 25, 2009).

What Are Whole Grains?

Whole grains are cereal grains that consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked kernel, which includes the bran, the germ and the inner most part of the kernel (the endosperm).

Some examples of whole grains include whole wheat, oatmeal, whole-grain cornmeal, brown rice, whole-grain barley, whole rye, and buckwheat. Spelt, often thought of as a unique whole grain, is actually a member of the wheat family.

When trying to select products that contain whole grains, look for those that show whole grains listed first on the ingredient list. The ingredient list on a food label shows ingredients in the order of the most abundant by weight.

For products such as bread or pasta to be labeled whole grain, the grain can be ground, cracked or flaked, but it must retain the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm.

A Daily Dose of Whole Grains

Eating at least three one-ounce equivalents of whole grains per day can reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. Examples of a one-ounce equivalent include:

• 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
• 1/2 cup cooked 100% whole-grain pasta
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or whole-grain barley
• 1 regular slice of 100% whole-grain bread
• 1 cup of whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal (flakes or rounds) or 1¼ cup puffed

Source:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm151902.htm (accessed January 22, 2010).

About Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid.

Why is folic acid so important?

Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine (anencephaly and spina bifida) by 50% to 70%.

How much folic acid do you need?

400 micrograms (mcg) every day.

When should you start taking folic acid?

For folic acid to help prevent major birth defects, you need to start taking it at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant.

However, you need folic acid every day, whether you are planning to get pregnant or not, for the healthy new cells the body makes daily. Think about the skin, hair, and nails. These – and other parts of the body – make new cells each day.

How can you get enough folic acid?

There are two easy ways to be sure to get enough folic acid each day:

1.  Take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day.

Most multivitamins sold in the United States have the amount of folic acid women need each day. Women can also choose to take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day.

Multivitamins and folic acid pills can be found at most local pharmacy, grocery, or discount stores. Check the label to be sure it contains 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid, which is 400 micrograms (mcg).

2.  Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day.

Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic acid.

Source:

Centers For Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html (accessed May 17, 2010).

Week 2: The uterus forms a lush, blood-rich lining of tissue.

Week 3: About half way through your cycle, one egg is swept into the fallopian tube.  This is ovulation.

Week 4: The blastocyst, a fluid-filled cluster of cells, still multiplying divides into two parts.  The hafl attached to the uterine wall becomes the placenta, the blood-vessel-filled support system that nourishes the developing life, and the other half will become the baby.

Week 5: The ball of cells, about the size of an apple seed, has become an embryo.  The placenta and umbilical cord, through which the baby will recieve nourishment and oxygen, are on the job.  Many women now suspect pregnancy; a home pregnancy test can confirm it.

Week 6: The embryo looks more like a tadpole than a human.  Its heart, no bigger than a poppy sead, has begun to beat.  Other major organs, including kidneys and liver, have begun to develop and the neural tube (which connects the brain and spinal cord) closes.  The physical sensations of pregnancy – nausea, sore breasts, fatigue, frequent urination – kick in.  The first prenatal checkup is usually scheduled between 6 and 10 weeks.

Week 7: The embroy is the size of a small raspberry.  It has an oversized head in preportion to the body, dark spots where the eyes and nostrils are beginning toform, pits that mark the ears, and protruding buds that will become the arms and legs.

Week 8: Now grape size, the embryo has distinct fingers and toes, slightly webbed.  Its skin is nthin as parchment.  Your expanding uterus is not the size of a peach.

Week 9: by now you’ll be spilling out of your old bra and need better support.  The strawberry-size beging is not called a fetus.  It is constantly moving, though you won’t be able to feel the movements for some time.

Week 10: In both shape and size the fetus looks a bit like a medium shrimp.  It’s genitals begin to form, though you can’t yet tell the sex by looking at a sonogram.  The prenatal test chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is usually performed around 10 – 12 weeks.

Week 11: Your uterus is the size of a grapefruit.  The fetus, about 2 inches long and weighing less than half an ounce, is swallowing and kicking.  Its vital organs are fully developed.  Each day more minute details fill in, such as fingernails and hair.  Beginning about now, its rapid “whooshing” heartbeat can be heard through a Doppler, a hand-held sound-wave stethoscope.

Week 12: For you, nausea begins to wane and energy picks up.  The uterus moves up to front-and-center of your abdomen, from its usual spot on the pelvic floor, which relieves pressure on the bladder.  About 2 1/2 inches long, the fetus is fully formed, from toothbuds to toenails.  Its primary task during the next 6 months will be to grow larger and stronger until it can survive on its own.  With the most critical development past, the odds of miscarriage drop considerably after 12 weeks.

Source: Parenting Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth.  Copyright 1998 by Parenting Magazine.