Canadian Research Suggests Maternal IV Fluids Linked to Newborns' Weight Loss

BioMed press release.

A newborn baby's weight loss is often used to determine how well a baby is breastfeeding, and concern about a baby which loses too much weight may result in supplementing breastfeeding with formula. However, many women receive IV fluids during labor, and new research published in BMC's open access journal International Breastfeeding Journal shows that some of a newborn's initial weight loss may be due to the infant regulating its hydration and not related to a lack of breast milk.

A group of Canadian researchers looked at relationships among the IV fluids a mother received during labor (or prior to her caesarean section), neonatal output (measured by diaper weight), and newborn weight loss. They found that during the first 24 hours following birth there was a positive association both between the IV fluids given to mothers before birth and neonatal output, and between the neonatal output and newborn weight loss. At 60 hours post birth, the time of the average lowest weight, there was a positive relationship between maternal IV fluids and newborn weight loss.

"Nurses, midwives, lactation consultants, and doctors have long wondered why some babies lose substantially more weight than others even though all babies get small amounts to eat in the beginning," said principal investigator Prof Joy Noel-Weiss from the School of Nursing at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Health Sciences. "It appears neonates exposed to increased fluids before birth might be born overhydrated, requiring the baby to regulate his or her fluid levels during the first 24 hours after birth."

Prof Noel-Weiss added, "We should reconsider the practice of using birth weight as the baseline when calculating newborn weight loss in the first few days following birth. For mothers and their breastfed babies, accurate assessment of weight loss is important. Although more research is needed, based on our findings, we would recommend using weight measured at 24 hours post birth as a baseline."

Alongside this article, the researchers have provided a standardized method for clinicians to collect and analyze data about newborn weight loss in their own maternity site, in the hope that this protocol will help them to make informed decisions when assessing newborn weight changes.

1. An observational study of associations among maternal fluids during parturition, neonatal output, and breastfed newborn weight loss. Joy Noel-Weiss, A Kirsten Woodend, Wendy E. Peterson, William Gibb and Dianne L Groll. International Breastfeeding Journal (in press)

2. Iatrogenic newborn weight loss: knowledge translation using a study protocol for your maternity setting . Joy Noel-Weiss, A Kirsten Woodend and Dianne L Groll. International Breastfeeding Journal (in press)

Study Shows Pregnant Mother's Diet Impacts Infant's Sense of Smell

PRESS RELEASE

A major new study shows that a pregnant mother's diet not only sensitizes the baby to those smells and flavors, but physically changes the brain, directly impacting what the infant eats and drinks in the future.

"This highlights the importance of eating a healthy diet and refraining from drinking alcohol during pregnancy and nursing," said Josephine Todrank, PhD, who conducted the two-year study while a visiting scientist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. "If the mother drinks alcohol, her child may be more attracted to alcohol because the developing baby "expects" that whatever comes from the mother must be safe. If she eats healthy food, the child will prefer healthy food."

Researchers studying mice found that the pups' sense of smell is changed by what their mothers eat, teaching them to like the flavors in her diet. At the same time, they found significant changes in the structure of the brain's olfactory glomeruli, which processes smells, because odors in the amniotic fluid affect how this system develops.

"This is the first study to address the changes in the brain that occur upon steady exposure to flavors in utero and early in postnatal life when the newborn is receiving milk from the mother," said Diego Restrepo, PhD, co-director of the Center for NeuroScience at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and sponsor of the study. "During these periods the pup is exposed to flavors found in the food the mom is eating."

The research, he said, could have important public health implications.

"Many diseases plaguing society involve excess consumption or avoidance of certain kinds of foods," said Restrepo, a professor of cell and developmental biology. "Understanding the factors that determine choice and ingestion, particularly the early factors, is important in designing strategies to enhance the health of the infant, child, and adult."

In her study, Josephine Todrank fed one group of pregnant and nursing mice a bland diet and another a flavored diet. At weaning age, the pups from mothers on the flavored diet had significantly larger glomeruli than those on the bland diet. They also preferred the same flavor their mother ate, while the other pups had no preference.

"Exposure to odor or flavor in the womb elicits the preference but also shapes the brain development," said Todrank, whose work was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and was published December 1, 2010 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a major biological research journal.

"From the fetus' point of view, whatever is in the womb is considered "good." If your mother ate it and survived to give birth to you then it was probably safe," she said. "This is a good strategy for a mouse that is foraging for food. It treats those same foods as safe."

Due to the similarities in mammalian development, she said, there is no reason to think that experiments would produce different results in humans.

"What an expectant mother chooses to eat and drink has long-term effects – for better or worse – on her child's sensory anatomy as well his or her odor memory and food preferences in the future," Todrank said. "It is not yet clear how long these changes and preferences last, but we are currently investigating that question."

Breastfeeding Cuts Fever Risk After Vaccines

A new study shows that infants who are exclusively breastfed are less likely to run fevers after their routine immunizations than infants who are partially breastfed or only receive formula.

"Babies want to nurse more frequently, and because they are nursing more frequently, they are getting more food [than formula-fed infants], so whatever need they have to repair their body and bring down the fever is being met," said Barbara Holmes, a lactation specialist at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Read more:

Study Shows Breastfed Babies Less Likely to Have Fevers After Vaccinations, by Denise Mann

Facilitating Adoption for Special Needs Children

Today a friend of mine told me about an organization called CHASK, Christian Homes Adopting Special Kids. This group is doing a beautiful thing and welcoming special needs babies into Christian families, when the birth parents are not interested or capable to parent them. CHASK gives parents a real alternative to choosing abortion for their babies.

From the CHASK website:

"Today, 80% of unborn babies with medical concerns are aborted. We want parents to hear about life choices. CHASK provides family to family support helping families raise their child with special needs. Loving homes are waiting to adopt these special babies if the birth moms and dads are not able to parent. Thousands of Christian families believe that life is precious. They are wanting to put action behind their faith in Jesus Christ by opening their homes and hearts to one of God’s special little ones."

Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy

I have been serving women as a doula for over a year and just had my first encounter with what is apparently an extremely common rash in pregnant women - Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. Or, much shorter, PUPPP.

I found info here: http://dermatology.about.com/cs/pregnancy/a/puppp.htm

photo from Wikipedia

more photos here: www.skinsight.com

Apparently the common treatment is steroids. But that sends up red flags for me... I am curious about what effects this might have on the baby and the mother's health.

While looking for alternative remedies, I found quite a strong consensus that Grandpa's Pine Tar soap does a superior job of diminishing the itch and clearing

away the rash.

Find it here: http://www.grandpabrands.com/pinetar1024.html

It seems that some women found other solutions, including nettle tea, dandelion root (as a tea or in capsules), flax seed oil, and aloe applied topically.
(Mothering magazine)

Guiding Clients Towards Holiday Wellness

These are some good insights from Kristin Schumann of Charis Childbirth. You can read her complete column at this URL: www.charischildbirth.org/newsletter/

She says, "With these things in mind, we can ask the right questions to guide our clients toward decisions that will help them truly experience this holiday season as the most wonderful time of the year.

Learn to decline invitations to events you have neither the time nor energy to attend.

Too many things to do means not enough rest and added stress, both of which will lead us further from our wellness goals rather than toward them.

Offer to prepare healthy recipes to take to events so that there is an alternative to the unhealthy holiday treats that are sure to be in abundance at holiday parties. Some simple options would be a fruit platter, a mixture of raw nuts and seeds with dried cranberries, a raw vegetable plate with homemade dip such as hummus, or a beautiful red and green salad. I have found that the healthy food I bring ends up being a big hit with everyone else and I have contributed to their wellness success in addition to my own.

Take advantage of sunny days.

Lower temperatures drive people indoors and away from the sunshine. Make a point to keep your blinds and curtains open so that as much sunshine as possible will enter your home. Go for a brisk walk in the sunshine during the warmest part of the day whenever possible. Sunshine is extremely important for our immune system and our overall outlook on life.

Be reasonable about gift-giving.

Make something special for friends and family. This year, my family collected pretty shells on the beach all year and are making beautiful Christmas ornaments out of our shells. Financial struggles are major stressors during the holidays. It helps to make it a point to live within our means and focus on the heart of love behind the giving rather than the monetary value of the gift. After all, that is what is most important anyway.

~Kristin Schuchmann
Executive Director, Charis Childbirth