“Food-Safe” Plastic Linked to Low Birth Weight
Till recently, plastics were considered hazardous materials linked to cancer, largely due to the presence of dangerous substances known as phthalates, which were used to provide flexibility.
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Category: Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Vitamin C During Pregnancy Protects Babies from Distress and Constant Crying
About 25% of pregnant women in the United States do not get the minimum recommended amount of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). We also know that stress in a pregnant woman can lead to a shortage of several key nutrients and can affect the baby’s development.
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Iron deficiency in pregnancy affects the baby’s brain
A new study in mice suggests that iron deficiency during pregnancy causes damage to the unborn baby that cannot be reversed. The study was carried out at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in the US and published in The Journal of Nutrition in 2026. The team fed female mice either enough […]
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A rare cancer that passed between twins in the womb
Carrying identical twins always brings special feelings and wonder, but our bodies sometimes hide very strange medical secrets. In extremely rare cases, a baby can develop malignant tumours while still in the womb. Such tragedies have puzzled doctors: does each baby develop the disease on its own, or can it cross from one twin to […]
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Twins: myths, facts and health
1. Twins and superstition Twins have always attracted more attention than other babies, and in some cultures they are viewed strangely: the mother of twins may be shunned or revered. In parts of India she was once considered unchaste, because a man was thought unable to father more than one child at a time. Some […]
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Antioxidants in pregnancy may protect babies from obesity
A study has found that eating more fatty food during pregnancy is linked to more obesity in children. Animal studies have shown that a high-fat, high-sugar diet in pregnancy increases oxidative stress (a build-up of free radicals), raising the offspring's risk of obesity and diabetes after birth. This study showed that giving the animals antioxidants […]
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Donated breast milk is not enough on its own
Some mothers whose babies were born at full term (nine months) donate some of their milk for premature babies (born at seven months, for example) whose mothers cannot produce milk. Breast milk helps protect babies, especially premature babies, from complications that can be fatal. But a new study suggests that donated milk may lack many […]
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Vomiting in babies
Many breastfeeding mothers struggle with their baby's vomiting, especially in the first months of life. They worry when it keeps happening and they can't stop it. Here are a few important points about vomiting in babies. Vomiting is very common in childhood, especially in babies, who bring back a small amount of milk after a […]
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Children who eat dirt: iron deficiency
A mother came to see me in tears, worried and puzzled that her child was eating dirt. I asked her to sit down and calmed her. Her child was irritable and pale, underweight and had a poor appetite. After examining him I asked for some lab tests, and the result was as I expected: a […]
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Thirteen tips from a paediatrician
As an Arab proverb says, it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Here is a set of candles for parents. 1. The umbilical cord Keep a baby's cord stump clean and dry. Salt, oil, powder and antiseptic mixtures all help cause infection of the navel and problems we can do […]
Read moreA new contraceptive pill with folic acid
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new type of contraceptive pill that contains folic acid, one of the B vitamins. Folic acid is known to help form new cells, and it is given to pregnant women to prevent serious birth defects of the nervous system, such as a neural tube that […]
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