Pregnancy and Breastfeeding : 130 Articles

It used to be that when a woman became pregnant, she didn't alter her habits much. But over the past few generations, we've learned that what you eat before and during pregnancy is critical for producing a healthy baby. This section contains sound information for women who are contemplating pregnancy, those who are already expecting, and brand new mothers.

Sugary soft drinks may increase risk of gestational diabetes

Drinking more than 5 servings of sugar-sweetened soft drinks a week prior to conception appears to significantly elevate the risk of developing diabetes during a pregnancy. In this new study,…

Adding omega-3 DHA to infant formula boosts cognitive skills

Babies fed formula supplemented with the essential fatty acid DHA appear to have higher cognitive skills than infants given standard formula, according to a new study from the Retina…

Multivitamins may prevent life-threatening preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, a dangerous condition affecting pregnant women, is marked by high blood pressure, fluid retention and protein in urine during pregnancy. Normal-weight women who use…

Vitamin D may prevent infection during pregnancy

Pregnant women who are deficient in vitamin D may be at increased risk for developing bacterial vaginosis, a vaginal infection that may have harmful effects on the pregnancy, according to a…

Seek nutrition counselling for a healthy pregnancy

Nutritionists can help pregnant women avoid putting on too many pounds by discussing appropriate weight gain, recording the woman's weight, and by making nutrition recommendations.…

Pregnancy and Listeriosis

Although rare, pregnant women are 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis, an infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes.…

Postpartum weight loss is best with prolonged breastfeeding

New moms may be better able to return to their pre-pregnancy weight by exclusively breastfeeding their infants, according to new research from the University of Georgia. In this study,…

Pregnancy weight gain may harm child's future health

Women who are pregnant and gain too much weight may be raising their child's risk of being overweight later in life, say researchers from the University of Pennsylvania. In this new…

Maternal pregnancy weight gain linked to children's weight

Children of mothers who gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy are more likely to be overweight by age seven, say researchers from the University of Pennsylvania…

Prenatal low mercury fish intake is good for kids' brains

Children of mothers who ate more fish during pregnancy score higher on cognitive tests than children of mothers who avoided seafood while pregnant, say…

Too much, too little weight gain during pregnancy poses risks

Women who gain more or less than the recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report…

Breastfeeding makes children smarter

Children who were breastfed longer and more exclusively have higher IQ scores than children who were nursed for shorter lengths of time and given other foods for nourishment, say researchers…

Mother's diet may influence baby's gender

Women are more likely to give birth to boys if they're eating a high-calorie diet shortly before becoming pregnant, according to scientists from Oxford and Exeter universities. In this new…

Fish oil in pregnancy may boost babies' brain development

Expectant mothers who eat enough omega-3 fats late in pregnancy may give their babies a brain-power boost, a new study in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests. Researchers found that among 109…

Omega-3 fats boost infants' brains

The typical North American eats lots of meat - and not much fish. Fish is a source of omega-3 fats, which are essential to human health and neurological development. Our omega-3…

Women planning pregnancy urged to take more folic acid

Nearly half of neural tube and other birth defects can be prevented if women planning to conceive or pregnant would take folic acid supplements. Neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spinal…

Britain deems alcohol as safe during final months of pregnancy

British health officials have advised pregnant women that a low-to-moderate alcohol intake (less than one drink a day) is okay after the first three months of pregnancy. Experts at the…

Obese women don't need to gain weight during pregnancy

Most women are told that they should gain 20 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. However, that's not the case for obese women. According to new research from St. Louis University, obese women -…

Pregnant and lactating women need more vitamin D

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should increase their vitamin D intake to 2,000 IU (international units) per day, says the Canadian Pediatric Society. This controversial new…

Folic acid fortification drastically cuts birth defects

According to Canadian researchers at Laval University in Quebec, the folic acid fortification of cereals that has been mandatory in Canada since 1998 has cut the rate of neural tube defects in…