Wellness Database
Wellness Database: Prenatal
Prenatal health is vital for a mother and her child. Proper nutrition can benefit a child's development and can help to prevent chronic diseases..
Related Studies
Vitamin E May Improve Endometrial Response in Women with Unexplained Infertility
Summary: In a study involving 53 women with unexplained infertility undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation and intrauterine insemination (IUI), oral treatment with 400 IU/d vitamin E in addition to clomiphene citrate, was found to be associated with an improved endometrial response - with the difference in endometrial thickness on the day of hCG administration significant, between the groups. The authors state, "Vit E administration may improve the endometrial response in unexplained infertile women via the likely antioxidant and the anticoagulant effects. It may also modulate the antiestrogenic effect of clomiphene citrate and the problem of a thin endometrium in these cycles may be adjusted."
Reference: "Vitamin E effect on controlled ovarian stimulation of unexplained infertile women," Cicek N, Eryilmaz OG, et al, J Assist Reprod Genet, 2012 Feb 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Zekai Tahir Burak Women Education and Research Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Devlet Mah. Subay Loj. Hizirreis Apt.No:19/11 Yenisehir, Ankara, Turkey).
Maternal Vitamin D Levels Linked with Language Development in Offspring
Summary: Maternal serum 25(OH)-vitamin D (vitD) concentrations during a critical window of fetal neurodevelopment may affect language development outcomes in offspring. VitD concentrations were measured in mothers (n= 743) at 18 weeks pregnancy and grouped into quartiles. Offspring were assessed at 2, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17 years of age with the Child Behavior Checklist. Receptive language was assessed at ages 5 and 10 years. Analysis revealed significant linear trends between quartiles of maternal vitD levels and language impairment at 5 and 10 years of age. Researchers found that the risk of women with vitD insufficiency during pregnancy having a child with clinically significant language difficulties was increased close to 2 times compared with women with normal vitD levels. Findings suggest maternal vitD insufficiency during pregnancy may be associated with offspring language impairment.
Reference: "Maternal Serum Vitamin D Levels During Pregnancy and Offspring Neurocognitive Development," Whitehouse AJ, Holt BJ, et al, Pediatrics, 2012 Feb 13; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Subiaco, Australia. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ).
Higher Vitamin D Intake During Pregnancy May Reduce Risk of MS in Children
Summary: In a study involving data collected from 35,794 mothers of participants of the Nurses' Health Study II, inquiring about their diet during pregnancy with their nurse daughters, out of whom 199 of the nurses were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), results found that the relative risk of MS was lower among women born to mothers with high milk or vitamin D intake during pregnancy. Specifically, the multivariate adjusted RR of MS was 0.62 for nurses whose mothers consumed 2-3 glasses of milk/day, as compared to those who consumed less than 3 glasses per month; and 0.57 for nurses whose mothers were in the highest quintile of vitamin D intake, as compared to those in the lowest. Comparing the highest to the lowest quintiles of predicted 25(OH)D levels in pregnant mothers, the adjusted RR was 0.59. The authors state, "Higher maternal milk and vitamin D intake during pregnancy may be associated with a lower risk of developing MS in offspring."
Reference: "Gestational vitamin D and the risk of multiple sclerosis in offspring," Mirzaei F, Michels KB, et al, Ann Neurol, 2011 July; 70(1): 30-40. (Address: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) ).
DHA Supplementation During Pregnancy May Reduce Colds in Infants
Summary: In a randomized, double-blind, controlled study involving pregnant women and their infants (n=834), supplementation with DHA during pregnancy (400 mg/d from 18-22 weeks gestation through parturition) was found to reduce the occurrence of colds in offspring at 1 month and influenced illness symptom duration at 1 month (OR=0.76), 3 months, and 6 months. Shorter durations of cough, (26% less) phlegm (15% less), and wheezing (30% less) were found at 1 month in the infants of mothers who had supplemented with DHA, however, interestingly, there was a 22% increase in the duration of rash. At 3 months, infants whose mothers received DHA spent 14% less time sick, and at 6 months, these same infants experienced shorter durations of fever (20%), nasal secretion (13%), difficulty breathing (54%), rash (23%) and "other illnesses" (25%), though interestingly, they also experienced a 74% increase in the duration of vomiting. The authors conclude, "DHA supplementation during pregnancy decreased the occurrence of colds in children at 1 month and influenced illness symptom duration at 1, 3, and 6 months."
Reference: "Prenatal Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation and Infant Morbidity: Randomized Controlled Trial," Imhoff-Kunsch B, Stein AD, et al, Pediatrics, 2011 Aug 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA).
Folate May Prevent Birth Defects
With a case-control study, we investigated whether periconceptional intake of supplemental or dietary folate reduced the risk of having a neural tube defect (NTD)-affected pregnancy. Mothers of 549 (88% of eligible) cases and 540 (88%) controls were interviewed in person about vitamin supplements used in either the 3 months before or the 3 months after conception and also about usual diet in the 3 months before conception. Women with any use of a folic acid-containing vitamin in the 3 months before conception had a lower risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy [odds ratio (OR) = 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.45-0.94]. ORs were similar for 3 levels (< 0.4, 0.4-0.9, and > 0.9 mg per day) of average daily intake of folic acid. Any level of use in the first 3 months after conception resulted in a lowered risk as well (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.46-0.79). Reduced risks were less marked for Hispanics and were not observed among women who graduated from college. Modest reduced risks were noted among non-vitamin users whose estimated daily dietary intake of folate was more than 0.227 mg. We observed decreasing risk with increasing folate intake from combined dietary sources and vitamin supplements. A reduction in NTD risk associated with folate intake is consistent with other studies; however, the reduced risk may be particular to subsets of the population, primarily non-Hispanic women and women whose education does not exceed high school.
Periconceptional vitamin use, dietary folate, and the occurrence of neural tube defects. Epidemiology. 1995 May;6(3):219-26.
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Nutrients and Diet
Alpha Lipoic Acid Amino Acids Antioxidants Arginine Calcium Carnitine Carotene Chromium Picolinate Citrulline Coenzyme Q10 DHEA Fat Fiber Fruit and Vegetables Garlic Ginkgo Biloba Glucosamine Vegetarian Diet Green Tea Iron Lutein Lycopene Magnesium Mediterranean Diet Multivitamins Nitric Oxide Nuts Olives Omega 3 Fatty Acids Policosanols Polyphenols Pomegranate Probiotics Pycnogenol Red Yeast Rice Salt Saffron Selenium Soy Theanine Vitamin A Vitamin B Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K White Tea Zinc
