Prenatal
The Link Between Parental Smoking, Obesity, and Diabetes
When mothers smoke during pregnancy, their choice may affect the children for the rest of their lives. The January 5, 2002 issue of the British Medical Journal reports an analysis of 17,000 births dur…
Folic Acid
Women who take folate during pregnancy appear to reduce the chances that their children will later develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A study published in the December 8, 2001 issue of The La…
Smoking During Pregnancy Increases!
I've heard headlines this week about how great we are doing at decreasing smoking during pregnancy. But smoking rates among pregnant teens increased by 5% between 1994 and 1999, according to an August…
The Latest on Pregnancy and Alcohol
A study in the August 2001 issue of Pediatrics demonstrates the association of prenatal alcohol exposure and later childhood behavior problems at lower levels of alcohol exposure than had been previou…
They’re Playing Our Song: Long, Bonding Memories
Dr. Greene's take on babies' memories... It had been a full year since they last heard the songs. Before that, the babies had listened to the songs time and time again during the final 3 months that t…
A Can A Week Is All When It Comes To Fish
Dr. Greene explains the concept of a can a week for fish consumption in pregnant or breastfeeding moms... Eating too much mercury damages children's immune systems and kidneys, but its toxicity to the…
Lasting Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Alcohol is now recognized as the most common major destructive environmental agent to which a fetus is likely to be exposed. It is directly responsible for 10-20% of mental deficiency with IQ's in the…
Eating Licorice and Premature Babies
Pregnant women who eat lots of black licorice may be at increased risk of pre-term labor, according to a study in the June 2001 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. (more…)…
Dads Make a Difference
Dr. Greene on the importance of dads! Men with multiple sclerosis seem to be more than twice as likely to transmit the disease to their children as women with this disease, say researchers from the Ma…
Gum Disease and Preterm Labor
Women who have gum disease are more than twice as likely as other women to give birth to a premature baby, according to a study of more than 2000 women presented at the 2001 annual meeting of the Amer…
Seafood and Preventable Neurologic Problems
Fish are a good source of protein, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. But some fish contain mercury that is harmful to your health. What should you do? (more…)…
Neurologic Damage
Dr. Greene's perspective on neurologic damage in babies... For years, those who work with newborns have noticed neurologic abnormalities in babies who were exposed to cocaine while in the uterus. Thes…
Preventable Mental Retardation?
A study in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that untreated urinary tract infection during the first and third trimester of pregnancy is associated with a 40% increase in mental reta…
Pregnant Women Should Take Caution Using Untested Remedies
An expecting mom in her 37th week of pregnancy told me that her midwife recommended that she take evening primrose oil to bring on labor slowly, but surely. The mom asked me if there would be any side…
Effects of Alcohol and Pregnancy
The first trimester of pregnancy can be a vulnerable time. Some medicines taken during that period can have catastrophic effects on the baby. The third trimester is generally safer. Evidence published…
The Millennium Baby – A Century of Technology
Having a millennium baby in January 2000 is very different from having a baby in January 1900. Back then, there were no early pregnancy tests to know in a moment that a baby was coming, and no blood t…
Dilemma in Treating Cancer During Pregnancy
How tragic to be expecting a child - one of life's great joys - and to discover that you have breast cancer. This nightmare happens during about one in 3,500 pregnancies. We know that chemotherapy wor…
Mother’s Instincts
As parents we know that having children changes our entire experience of the world. Women also know that the miracle of pregnancy changes the body in tangible ways. New research published in the Novem…
Preventing Down Syndrome?
Is Down syndrome just a random event that more commonly strikes the children of older mothers? Is there nothing that can be done to prevent it except getting pregnant at a younger age or detecting and…
Prenatal HIV Testing: Is It Worth It?
Dr. Greene's take on prenatal HIV testing... The number of babies born in the United States who are infected with HIV has dropped dramatically since 1992, according the August 17th, 1999 edition of th…