Prenatal drinking can alter baby's genes

Pregnant women are advised to stay away from alcohol, according to a new study drinking moderate to high levels of alcohol might alter the DNA of their babies. 


"Our findings may make it easier to test children for prenatal alcohol exposure and enable early diagnosis and intervention that can help improve the children's lives," said lead author.





An earlier study  found that binge and heavy drinking may trigger a long-lasting genetic change in adults. 


In this study, researchers found changes in two genes - POMC, which regulates the stress-response system, and PER2, which influences the body's biological clock; in women who drank moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy and in children who had been exposed to those levels of alcohol in the womb. 


Heavy drinking is described as four or more drinks on at least five occasions in a month whereas moderate drinking in women is about three drinks per occasion. 


Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can include physical or intellectual disabilities as well as behavioural and learning problems. While there is no cure, early intervention treatment services can improve a child's development, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 


The study also found that infants exposed to alcohol in the womb - which passes from the mother's blood through the umbilical cord - had increased levels of cortisol, a potentially harmful stress hormone that can suppress the immune system and lead to ongoing health issues.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                       https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                     FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                   

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Estrogens hormones in pregnant women increases autism risk

High levels of estrogen hormones in the womb could increase the risk of a foetus developing autism later, suggests a study. 

In 2015, a team of scientists measured the levels of four prenatal steroid hormones, including, 2 known as androgens, in the amniotic fluid in the womb and discovered that they;re higher in male fetuses who later developed autism.

Same scientists have built on their previous findings by testing the amniotic fluid samples from 98 individuals , but this time looking at another set of prenatal sex steroid hormones called estrogens. This is an important next step because some of the hormones previously studied are directly converted into estrogens.

All 4 estrogens were significantly elevated, on average, in the 98 fetuses, who later developed autism, compared to the 177 fetuses who did not. High levels of prenatal estrogens were even more predictive of the likelihood of autism than were high levels of prenatal androgens ( such as testosterone).

The lead researcher said, this new finding supports the idea that increased prenatal sex steroid hormones are one of the potential causes for the condition. Genetics is well established as another, and these hormones likely interact with genetic factors to affect the developing foetal brain.

These elevated hormones could be coming from the mother, the baby or the placenta. Our next step should be to study all these possible sources and how they interact during pregnancy, said one of the researchers.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                      FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                    

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High levels of estrogens hormones in the womb could increase the risk of a foetus developing autism later, suggests a study. The study was published in the journal 'Molecular Psychiatry'. In 2015, a team of scientists measured the levels of four prenatal steroid hormones, including two known as androgens, in the amniotic fluid in the womb and discovered that they were higher in male foetuses who later developed autism. https://thehansindia.com/life-style/health/estrogens-hormones-in-pregnant-women-increases-autism-risk-550709

https://thehansindia.com/life-style/health/estrogens-hormones-in-pregnant-women-increases-autism-risk-550709

5 Common Symptoms That Can Effect On The Body

The average human being spends at least fifty percent of his (or her) time and energy on staying healthy. Whether it's through eating habits, exercise or even just regular once-a-year trips to the doctor's office, our goal is constant functionality.
Because of this, we have a tendency to treat most things that look like run-of-the-mill symptoms with the classic medication combo of paracetamols and sleep.
But for these few symptoms, a trip to the doctors is definitely warranted, if only to be on the safe side. That is because though they seem to be symptoms for one thing, they may actually be signs for something much worse.
So be aware of these 5 seemingly regular symptoms: 

1.The Length of Your Ring Finger
Believe it or not, this friendly little digit on your finger may have more to do with your biology than you realize. The length of your fingers, in general, have their own effects on your day-to-day life, affecting the way you write or how you sleep.
But recent studies have shown that it is actually a prenatal excess of hormones that leads to the formation of the fingers at their varying sizes. 
A neuroscientist observed that a ring finger that is longer than the index finger, in boys, is a symptom of a surge of testosterone that occurs in the mother halfway through the second trimester. This hormonal excess can also have an effect on behavior and physical health.
In women, a longer ring finger is a sign of an increased risk of osteoarthritis of the knee. The length or rather the difference in length between your fingers can be signs of your vulnerability to diseases such as oral cancer, prostate cancer as well as indicative of personality traits like athletic ability and reflex. 

2.Sudden Wrinkling of the Earlobes
Wrinkling, in general, is a perfectly natural process of aging, and in most cases, the most wrinkles can do is make you look distinguished. But in the case of this particular type of wrinkling, which occurs diagonally across the earlobe, it has been linked to the onset of major heart diseases. 
A study conducted in 1989 focused on the presence of earlobe creases in persons who died from a variety of cardiovascular diseases.
The results of the study showed that 72% of the men and 67% of the women studied were found to have creases on their earlobe.
This crease, which has come to be referred to more popularly as Frank’s Sign (after the physician who first described the crease), is still considered to be indicative of both cardiovascular ailments as well as diabetes.  

3.Bizarre Cravings
A pregnant woman is entitled to her fair share of cravings, and they can come, like a tsunami of desire, at any time and any place. "I know its 3 a.m, but I need curly fries." Perfectly normal, even if you’re not pregnant (though in that case, you’re less likely to have your desire fulfilled).
However, cravings can sometimes take a weird turn. Cravings for dirt, paper or ice, essentially what you’d consider non-food items, is something that has been linked to Pica, which is a serious eating disorder, or Anemia-related iron deficiencies. 
The latter can also cause pale skin, brittle bones, and teeth, as well as fatigue. While there has been research done to look into the positive health benefits eating dirt can have, especially for someone malnourished or pregnant, these particular cravings may be indicative of a much worse problem.                   

4.Swelling of the Extremities
Swelling is never a good sign unless it’s your heart with love. Swelling of the extremities, however, can be more indicative of bigger problems. Swelling of the hands and fingers are usually signs of one of the various types of arthritis.
Arthritis can be treated with medical and surgical options so it won’t have to immobilize you and completely stop your day to day functionality. If you find your lower extremities swollen, your legs or your feet, it could be a sign of edema.
Edema is an unusual accumulation of fluid under the skin. Edema itself arises under normal circumstances due to an unhealthy diet, pregnancy or lack of proper exercise, and is pretty well treatable with prescription medications.
But more recent discoveries have found that Edema can be linked to more intense ailments like thyroid conditions, cirrhosis of the liver and many others. 

5.Darkened Waste 

Often, in medicine “everything comes down to your poo”. And as strange as it may sound, there is truth in the statement.
While I know its not a habit for many to turn around and see their stool, much like the consistency, the color of your waste can also be an indicator of possible ailments. 
Darkened urine or excrement can be a sign of internal bleeding and gastrointestinal disorders, so if you haven’t eaten any dark foods during the day (like black licorice or blueberries), you should definitely check with your doctor.  
On the flip-side, extremely light colored waste can be indicative of gallstones, tumors, and other serious ailments. Similarly, yellowish tinges could be a sign of digestive problems.
In the case of urine, darker yellow means you’re not getting enough water, so time to double that dose!
It’s important to keep in mind though, the case isn’t the same with babies, and the color of their poop can be indicative of very very different things, most of which are harmless, but I’d still always advise being on the safe side and consulting a doctor.  

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Prenatal stress changes brain connectivity in-utero

The time babies spend in the womb is far from idle. The brain is changing more rapidly during this time than at any other time in development. It is an active time for the fetus to grow and explore, and of course connect to its mother. And new evidence from in-utero fetal brain scans shows, for the first time, that this connection directly affects brain development: A mother's stress during pregnancy changes neural connectivity in the brain of her unborn child.

"It has long been thought that the stress of a mother during her pregnancy may imprint on the brain of her developing child," says the author who is presenting this new work today. "Despite the clear importance of this time frame, we presently possess very little understanding of how functional macroscale neural networks build during this precious time in human life, or the relevance of this to future human health and development."

This prenatal work is part of a growing body of research to better understand how the human brain develops across its lifespan, from fetus to old age. "We are interested in how a human brain constructs over time to become the adult brain," says the author whose work focuses on identifying sensitive periods of brain development from childhood into adolescence. She is chairing a session on new findings in brain development at the meeting: "The talks aim to bridge across the very long brain development that gives rise to mature functioning."

Seeing the changing fetal brain
Research in newborns and older children to understand prenatal influences has been confounded by the postnatal environment, the Dr. explains. But recent advancements in fetal imaging allowed her and her team to gain insight into a critical time period in brain development never previously accessible.

Using fetal resting-state fMRI, they examined functional connectivity in 47 human fetuses scanned between the 30th and 37th week of gestation. The researchers recruited the participating mothers from a low-resource and high-stress urban setting, with many reporting high-levels of depression, anxiety, worry, and stress.

They found that mothers reporting high stress had fetuses with a reduced efficiency in how their neural functional systems are organized. It is the first time, imaging has shown a direct influence of maternal stress on fetal brain development, independent of influences of the postnatal environment.
"The major thrill is that we have demonstrated what has long been theorized, but not yet observed in a human, which is that the stress of a mother during her pregnancy is reflected in connectional properties of her child's developing brain," the Dr. says. The data suggest that the brain does not develop in a sequence from simplest systems (e.g., vision, motor) to more complex high-order systems, but perhaps instead first develops the areas that will be most critical in bridging across systems.

The researchers found that the cerebellum played a central role in the observed effects, suggesting it may be especially vulnerable to the effects of prenatal or early life stress. The cerebellum has the highest density of glucocorticoid receptors, which are involved in stress responses, than any other place in the brain. The Dr. and her team plan to further investigate this as a possible mechanism for the stress responses they observed.

Although conducting in-utero brain scans are challenging -- first and foremost because of the always wriggling babies -- working with expectant mothers is quite rewarding, the Dr. says. "A lot of our moms are interested in being part of this research, not because of concerns they have in their pregnancy," she says, "but because they appreciate the heightened vulnerability of budding human life, and this is an opportunity to help other women that may not have the same fortune in their circumstances."

Making connections into adulthood
Cognitive neuroscientists are especially interested in understanding sensitive periods of time when the environment has the largest influence on future brain functions. To identify such times, the team has honed in on connections between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the amygdala.

"A majority of developmental change during childhood and adolescence are the changes in connections," she explains. "We have largely focused on the connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex because of the very large changes we have observed there across childhood and adolescence and their central role in emotional behaviors."

Studying awake children as young as 4-years old, the researchers identified developmental periods when the nature of the communication between the amygdala and the PFC operates differently than in an adult. The connections develop very slowly over childhood, with a dramatic shift toward the end of childhood when the transition to adolescence brings about more adult-like characteristics. Looking at coincidental environmental events in childhood, the researchers also found data to suggest that amygdala-medial PFC connections are highly impressionable to external forces.

"The human brain is designed to learn from the environment. This is thanks to the long period of infancy, childhood, and adolescence that humans enjoy," the Dr. says. "What has amazed me most about the developing brain is that it is not simply an immature version of the adult brain but instead is designed to collaborate with the expected care-giving ecology."

Indeed, says the Dr.: "We must consider the developing brain in context, thinking about the role of the environment in shaping the brain. It is a topic that inspires us to promote healthy brain growth, to ask what it is that we do for children in the lifestyles, opportunities, and learning conditions we create for them."

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Seeds of disease are sown before birth

Stress might have harmed your health even before you were born, a new study suggests.

The researchers have found that epigenetic disruptions, which are associated with chronic disease later in life, are already common at birth.

Possibly, these aberrations result from stresses in the intrauterine environment (e.g. maternal smoking, maternal diet, or high levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals).

This finding supports the belief that seeds of disease are sown before birth, increasing the importance of optimal prenatal care.

"This study may help us understand whether epigenetic mechanisms contribute to chronic disease susceptibility already prior to birth,".

"We are currently exploring which stresses during prenatal life may contribute to these epigenetic disruptions," the researcher said.

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Possible Link Between Prenatal Cell Phone Exposure and Childhood Behavior Problems

Exposure to cell phones before birth and afterward may increase a child’s risk for developing certain behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inattention, and problems getting along with peers, a study suggests.


The new research does have limitations; the study researchers point out that there aren’t enough data to say how, or even if, cell phone exposure may cause any behavioral problems in children.


But taking some simple precautions to reduce exposure during pregnancy and among children seems prudent. “Be aware of your exposure and while the science develops, use precaution,” . “It is very easy to reduce exposure by keeping your phone away from body and using a hands-free device, so why not do it?”


Pregnant women should be careful about exposure for lots of reasons, not this study. Warnings actually appear on phones that say pregnant woman should avoid exposure to their abdomen,” “We do not have a lot of data, and if we are smart we would not insist on waiting to get lots of data before taking these simple precautions.”




It’s not just pregnant women who need to heed this advice. Several studies have shown that men who keep their cell phones in their pocket may risk damaging their sperm.


for more info kindly read-
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20101206/cell-phone-use-in-pregnancy-risks-for-child?page=2
.