The number of women choosing to give birth at home has steadily risen in the United States with a 29% increase recognized from 2004 through 2009.

While the increase is an impressive result home births in the US still only account for one in 90 births or the equivalent of 1.1% of all births that take place annually in America.

In 2009 the number of home births based on a static percentage fell to just .7% equating to 29,650 children born at home.

In examining the number of birth in the United States researchers found some interesting statistics. For example a majority of the women who choose a home birth are 35 or older and already have a least one child. The study also found that Montana has the highest number of home births with 2.6% of child births occurring away from the hospital.

According to a Boston University professor who co-wrote the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, the home births are typically not “accidental” but instead involve “women who are consciously rejecting the system.”

The study also looked at the effects of home births and found that children born in a hospital are two times more likely to be born prematurely or suffer from low-weight.

The findings are likely a result of home birth mothers taking more time to educate themselves about “best practices” before conceiving and then carrying a child.

My wife and I chose to have our first child at home and six weeks ago she entered the world nearly four weeks early but completely healthy at 7 pounds five ounces thanks to a regimented diet, prenatal pills taken well in advance of the pregnancy and an understanding of proper pregnancy lifestyle choices by both my wife and myself.

Do you believe that home births are a good option for parents seeking a less “everything is an emergency” approach than what is offered by many hospital delivery rooms?

Home Births Increased 29% Over Five Year Period is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new study suggests that babies born to mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes have a higher risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Gestational diabetes (pregnancy diabetes) typically develops in the second or third trimester, especially in women who eat unhealthy, are considered overweight and don’t exercise.

The study didn’t aim to prove a direct link between gestational diabetes and ADHD but rather examined how diabetes-related changes in the blood shared by mother and fetus could affect a child’s developmental progress.

Researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York studied 212 preschoolers, two-thirds of whom were at risk for ADHD based on reports supplied by their teachers and parents.

After interviewing parents about their pregnancy healthy conditions researchers found that 21 moms had gestational diabetes. Researchers then discovered that between the ages of three to four the children who had mothers with gestational diabetes scored lower on language, memory and IQ tests then diabetes-free moms. By the age of six children with gestational diabetes carrying mothers scored lower on communication and attention testing.

Researchers also found that being poor pronounced the effects of gestational diabetes. According to the study kids were 14 times more likely to meet ADHD criteria by the age of six when compared to middle class or well-off women who hadn’t had gestational diabetes.

The research also found that poor women who did not have gestational diabetes did not place their children at an increased risk for ADHD compared to more well off groups.

While researchers are not sure why certain children with gestational diabetes are at a higher risk they believe being exposed to extra glucose in the blood that passes through the placenta could affect oxygen or iron in the blood which in turn slows development by altering brain functions.

The full report can be found in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Pregnancy Related Diabetes May Increase Risk Of Children With ADHD is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jenni Lake was a happy go lucky teenager until the migraines started.  She was 16 and a sophomore at Pocatello High School when she went to Salt Lake City for an MRI.  The scan revealed a two centimeter mass on her brain.   Jenni had a biopsy and soon after she was diagnosed with stage three astrocytoma. She had three tumors on her brain and three on her spine.  She had to start chemo and radiation immediately and even with both the doctors gave her a 30% chance of living two years.

She was also told there was a good chance that even if the cancer treatments did work she would be left sterile, with no chance of ever getting pregnant.  She had a boyfriend at the time, Nathan Wittman, and he stuck with her through all the treatments all the issues and he even took her to the prom the following year.  At that point her treatments were shrinking the tumors and it seemed as if she may get through it.

Then she woke up one morning in pain, her stomach was wrenching and she needed to go to the hospital.  What she found out was she was pregnant.  Her and her boyfriend hadn’t worried about protection because they were told she couldn’t conceive anyway.

The Oncologist told her that her treatment regimen could not be given to a pregnant woman, she had two options.

1. Get an abortion and continue her treatments

2. Keep the pregnancy but stop the treatments.

Jenni relaized that it was going to be option 2.  She was going to give life to her baby, and then hopefully continue the treatments after she gave birth.

In the end though, Jenni only weighed 108 pounds when she gave birth a few weeks ago.  Her cancer had come back with a fury and she new that it wasn’t going to get better.  She had the baby 12 days ago and on the day she delivered, she told the nurse “”I’m done, I did what I was supposed to. My baby is going to get here safe,’” said Diana Phillips, Jenni’s mother.

She named the baby Chad Michael.  Then she died 12 days later.

What decision would you have made in Jenni Lake’s Shoes?

Jenni Lake Lost Her Fight WIth Cancer, but Gave Her Son Life is a post from: The Inquisitr

I am pretty sure that even with China’s notoriety regarding knock-offs, and extremely cheap ones at that, this wasn’t exactly a headline you would be expecting. However it seems that like with most other things we can buy online China is now taking the lead with fake pregnancy bellies.

The bellies come in three sizes, making it easier to be convincing I guess, and are made out of silica gel. Apparently the silica gel gives a much more natural appearance and feel. It also makes them a lot more comfortable to wear according to some of the online companies selling them.

At this point it seems that these fake pregnancy bellies are being bought by actors, by those wanting to know what being pregnant feels like, and of course those looking to pull some kind of practical joke on someone.

Of course you know it is just a short period of time now before some lunatic buys one so they can convince everyone they are pregnant and then go steal someone’s baby. Either that or try to always get a seat on the bus.

via Oddity Central

Sales of fake pregnancy bellies soar in China is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you are reading this on a WiFi-enabled computer, please be warned that a new study published in the Fertility and Sterility journal has linked WiFi connectivity with possible sperm damage.

Researchers placed drops of healthy sperm near a laptop downloading data. Four hours later, it was observed that a quarter of the sperm stopped swimming and 9 percent showing DNA damage. In a separate controlled environment away from the computer, only 14 percent of the sperm stopped swimming.

Argentinian researchers believed that electromagnetic radiation from wireless internet caused the zapping of the sperm.

If this is any consolation to WiFi loving men, researchers said that the results were not conclusive and more research should be done.

If in case this is true, would you give up using WiFi for a healthy sperm?

WiFi May Be Nuking Your Sperm is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kate Middleton is pregnant. That is, if we are going to believe that her refusal to eat peanut paste during a royal appearance in Copenhagen is because she’s pregnant.

Doctors usually recommend that pregnant women stay away from peanuts and its bi-products to avoid allergies.

According to an ABC News report, cameras covering the event caught the Duchess of Cambridge declining to taste a bite of peanut paste during the couple’s visit to the United Nations aid depot in Copenhagen.

The paste is a staple of UNICEF packages being handed out to areas suffering from famine.

When pressed, Middleton’s spokesman stressed that she doesn’t have any peanut allergy. So, what’s the reason behind her refusal to eat peanut paste? Could it be that she does not really like it? She’s full? Maybe, she’s pregnant? Oh well, we’re going in circles here.

Let’s just wait for the official announcement.

Kate Middleton is Pregnant (Rumor) is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jessica Simpson on Monday took to Twitter for confirmation of what we were already almost certain of, the 31-year-old singer and fashion designer is with child.

On her official Twitter account Simpson tweeted:

“It’s true. I am going to be a mummy.”

This will be the first child for Jessica Simpson and her fiance Eric Johnson.

According to the Associated Press Simpson will not cut back her schedule at this time and is still expected to appear alongside another former Reality TV star Nicole Richie on the upcoming NBC reality show “Fashion Star.”

Congratulations to Jessica and Eric, although we could have made that congratulations known a month ago when Jessica Simpson’s baby bump first started showing and she cancelled her wedding but did not break up with Eric Johnson, leading to speculation that the baby was coming first.

The announcement means a second grandchild for Joe and Tina Simpson, Jessica’s younger sister Ashlee Simpson gave birth to a baby boy, Bronx, in November 2008 with ex-husband Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy).

Are you surprised by Simpson’s Twitter announcement?

Jessica Simpson Tweets Confirmation Of Pregnancy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jessica Simpson Pregnancy Rumors Heat Up At Macy’s Store is a post from: The Inquisitr

A recent study that will be published in the upcoming issue of the journal Pediatrics has concluded that children who are exposed to tobacco smoking before birth are 3.6 times more likely to be born with severe asthma.

The study also found that children exposed to smoking while in the womb are three times more likely to develop asthma later in childhood, while visiting the emergency room four times more often than children who were not exposed.

Researchers examined 16 institutes and centers in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico to determine the impact of smoking before birth, in the first two years and during the time of the child’s symptoms,

According to researcher Haig Tcheurekdjiad:

“The only outcome that had an impact on the severity of asthma was smoking during pregnancy”

Haig added:

“Even after controlling for all of the other co-factors, the children who had the most severe forms of asthma were more than three times more likely to have had a mother who smoked while she was pregnant.”

Researchers are still unclear as to why a baby’s lungs would be affected since they don’t actually inhale the smoke, however they speculate that it’s a genetic predisposition to lung inflammation, impaired lung development or negative effects of tobacco smoke, while the current study points to genetic changes before birth:

“There are environmental factors that leave their fingerprint on DNA and may have their expression several years out,” explained Burchard, a UCSF clinical professor of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Medicine who studies asthma genetics.

Asthma Risk In Children Increased When Mom Smokes During Pregnancy is a post from: The Inquisitr

The number of women who opt to give birth at home is at the highest level it has been since 1990, climbing 20% between 2004 and 2008.

The results were published Friday online in Birth, and drew data from birth certificates filed in each of the fifty states. Certain regions, such as Western states, had higher increases, while areas such as the Southeast were less affected by the trend. In 2004, 0.56% of births occurred at home, or 23,150. By 2008, 0.67%, or 28,357 births were homebirths.

The study, authored in part by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistician Marian F. MacDorman, cited a vague heightened interest in Caucasian women as the defining factor accountable for 94% of the increase. Per the Los Angeles Times, that increase in interest may be partially due to larger representation in the media of the practice as well as discouragement from the medical establishment:

The increase in home births may be related to the popularity of movies like 2008′s “The Business of Being Born,” executive produced by actress Ricki Lake, or TV shows such as TLC’s “A Baby Story” that have followed women as they give birth at home in bed or in a bathtub.  But the relationship may not be a simple one.  The 2004-2008 increase actually began before many of the articles and movies about home births became popular, the authors noted, adding that the trend coincided with several statements of physician opposition to the practice of home births.

The study also indicated that more women chose certified midwives over other midwives in the years studied.

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More American women skipping maternity ward in favor of home births is a post from: The Inquisitr

A huge, global study has revealed some surprising information about the pervasiveness of stillbirths, even in high-income countries with more comprehensive health care systems.

Study co-author Joy Lawn says more than 7,000 stillbirths occur each day, which Lawn says is a higher toll than AIDS and malaria combined. The researchers relied on a few different data sources to compile the statistics and say that although rates of stillbirths have declined nearly 15% since 1995, there were still 2.64 million incidents in 2009. 76% of the world’s stillbirths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, but researchers said that wealthier countries such as Australia, Canada, the US and the UK had seen “little or no improvement over the last two decades.”

Part of the study’s thrust was the preventability of stillbirths:

Study: Half of all stillbirths preventable is a post from: The Inquisitr

The subject of alcohol consumption by pregnant women is a hotly contested one, and while heavy drinking is universally discouraged, many people disagree on the implications of mild drinking.

Some pregnant women look forward to a glass of wine a day, often on the advice of an OB-GYN. When I was pregnant with my now ten-year-old, my doctor advised me to drink a glass of wine each night to cope with chronic insomnia, although I was too afraid to follow that particular instruction. I knew many women who did engage in the odd or even nightly unit of alcohol, though, and it was always considered a bit of an acceptable risk to indulge in moderate alcohol consumption. A study released today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that light drinking carries little to no risk, and seems to indicate that previous advice on the subject was a bit conservative:

Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study in Britain, a data-rich look at 11,500 children born in the U.K. during the first two years of this century, researchers at University College in London concluded that the children of women who drank “lightly” — meaning up to one to two drinks a week — during pregnancy did no worse on cognitive tests at age 5 than children of mothers who did not drink at all. Actually, they did slightly better on the tests, which included things like “naming vocabulary,” “picture similarities” and “pattern construction.”

Some doctors are concerned that women will see the data as a”green light” to consume alcohol while pregnant:

“You can walk on a railroad track and not be hit by a train, but that doesn’t mean it’s a safe thing to do,” said Dr. Michael Katz, senior vice president for Research and Global Programs with March of Dimes, and professor emeritus of Pediatrics at Columbia University. “I worry about this article because it could be over-interpreted, and over-interpreting data of this nature is probably dangerous.”

While no one wants to be a literal buzzkill, the naysaying doctors raise the eternally relevant point about the “occasional glass of wine”- chances may be overwhelming that your baby will turn out fine, but is it worth the risk?

[ABC, NYT, image]

Doctors conflicted about safety of light drinking during pregnancy is a post from: The Inquisitr

Automatically updating apps from actual, born people can be a bit irritating- should we start enabling the ability to tweet for twitterers in utero?

When I read about the Kickbee (>gag<) “Tummy Tweeter,” I was a combination of already bored and kind of grossed out. As a parent myself, I’m not anti parents blogging, tweeting or generally being involved in social media, nor do I think that parenting should be a taboo topic in that medium. But this is just kind of gross and horribly self absorbed as a concept. Says Inhabitots:

Baby’s movements are captured by a microcontroller in the Kickbee, which transmits the signals wirelessly to a computer program. The software then analyzes the movement to determine if it was a kick. Kicks can be shared on Twitter or as text messages via Twitter.

The device, created by (of course) an expectant father named Corey Menscher, fits across a knocked up lady’s midsection kind of like a fetal monitor. It’s meant to keep dads in the loop while they’re away at work or otherwise not experiencing every glorious second of the pregnancy ordeal. But at the risk of sounding old, my husband got through two whole stretches of being an expectant dad blissfully not knowing exactly when the kid kicked me in the ribs. You know who also didn’t know about that? Everyone I know. Not only was it kind of unpleasant, but seriously, does anyone care enough to read it on Twitter? (Or even as a text message, the other option for transmitting baby kick info.)

Also not surprising- Twitter updates of fetal kicks aren’t the only thing in the pipeline. In the same vein, from the same inventor:

The Burbee, a burp cloth that transmits the warmth of your little one to Dad through a special heater-equipped button down shirt that he wears; and the Bathbee, which uses a rubber ducky receiver in your tots tub to transmit the scent of baby oil to a children’s lunchbox turned air freshener.

Tweeting from the womb: adorable or annoying? is a post from: The Inquisitr

A US study of 350,000 home births and 200,000 hospital deliveries suggests that infants born at home have twice the mortality rate of those born in hospitals in the US and Europe.

Although the risk of death is still low at .02%, researchers believe that the risks of giving birth at home have been previously underestimated due to inaccurately recorded data:

The researchers argued that the safety of home births may have previously been overplayed by the fact that when there are complications and a woman is rushed to hospital, any adverse outcome is recorded as a hospital birth.

Home deliveries did prove to have a more rapid recovery time for mothers, fewer cases of hemmoraging, fewer cases of tearing and a reduced rate of infections. But researchers do say the benefits come with the added risk:

“Women choosing home birth, particularly low-risk individuals who had given birth previously, are in large part successful in achieving their goal of delivering with less morbidity and medical intervention than experienced during hospital-based childbirth,” said lead author Dr Joseph Wax from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Maine Medical Center.

“Of significant concern, these apparent benefits are associated with a doubling of the neonatal mortality rate overall and a near tripling among infants born without congenital defects.”

Among the infants in the study that died during a home birth, the most common factors involved were respiratory troubles and failed attempts at resuscitation.

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Childbirth at home doubles risk of infant death, study says is a post from: The Inquisitr

Doctors can vary a bit in the recommendations about drinking and pregnancy.

Some medical professionals say as much as a glass of wine daily is okay, while some believe there is no way to determine how much alcohol, if any, is safe to consume while pregnant. But a new study indicates that even moderate drinking during pregnancy can have lasting effects on a male fetus:

In a study of almost 350 young men, sperm levels were a third lower in those whose mothers had drunk more than four drinks a week during pregnancy compared with teetotallers.

The Danish researchers told a fertility conference these men may have a harder time getting their partner pregnant.

The study grouped participants one of four ways: women who abstained totally, those who consumed 1-2 units of alcohol per week, those who consumed 3-4 units of alcohol per week and those who drank more than 4 units a week. Men whose mothers belonged to the latter groups had a concentration of sperm 32% lower than men in the first group.

The BBC goes on to state that UK researchers believe drinking while pregnant may not so much cause the reduced fertility in affected males so much as indicate other markers leading to the findings. Dr. Alan Pacey of the University of Sheffield elaborated:

“It needs following up but it might help us understand factors which affect testicle development in the womb.”

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Drinking while pregnant can reduce future fertility in a male fetus is a post from: The Inquisitr

In a recent survey of 1,000 women aged 18 to 50 in England researchers found that some of the silliest myths about female contraception still remains. While ancient methods of crocodile dung and honey before sex competed with sea sponges and beeswax after sex modern day variations can appear just as strange.

When if comes to alternate barrier methods one if five women had heard of common kitchen items such as bread, cling film (Saran Wrap) and chicken skins being used. As far as oral contraceptives it seems that Coca-cola, kebabs and potato chips were high on the list.

Other myths surround the use of oral contraceptive pills. One in 10 of the women questioned believed that it always takes a number of years to regain fertility after discontinuation of the pill. Others believed that the pill could protect them against HIV.

Professor Steve Field, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, commented: "This is alarming but not surprising.

Source: BBC News – Contraception myths ‘widespread’

It’s so nice to see that we live in such an enlightened world.

Chicken skin remains as a contraception myth is a post from: The Inquisitr

How romantic…

Reality TV douchenozzle Spencer Pratt told press that if wife Heidi gets pregnant, it’s all over. The 26-year-old star feels that he’s too immature to reproduce, and even seemed to address his missus’ veiled threat to get knocked up “accidentally” in the meantime. Heidi said:

“I think I’m ready… I think I was born ready. I’m very maternal. I’m very loving. I would be the best mom ever. [Spencer doesn't feel] quite the same, but maybe he just doesn’t know he wants kids yet. I think he never wants kids, but maybe I’ll have a surprise for him.”

Hmm… Heidi, for someone who’s so Christ-y, that doesn’t seem like a very Christian thing to do in your marriage. But Spencer won’t be falling for that babydaddy stuff. Regardless of what he promised in front of God and their families, if Heidi gets pregnant, she gets kicked to the curb. Spencer explains:

“What happens if she does? I told her there’s a divorce or adoption… If she’s not down with the adoption, I think it’s divorce.”

“Heidi is, like, trying to have a baby like it’s going to buy a new pair of Louis Vuittons. She’s really ready to start this family. She’s not playing. And that’s what I’m saying — you can’t sneak a baby.”

I think many people would agree that there’s probably not any point in our lifetimes where the world will “want,” as he refers to the possibility, a “Spencer Pratt spawn.” Still and all, even a vapid, vacillating irritant like Heidi doesn’t warrant that kind of treatment publicly.

[Source: Popcrunch]

Spencer to Heidi: if you get knocked up you can GTFO is a post from: The Inquisitr

A woman in Tunisia is said to be poised to steal Octomom Nadya Suleman’s limelight, by giving birth to twelve babies.

The woman allegedly conceived the freakish number of fetuses via fertility treatments after suffering several miscarriages. According to the Sun, British “fertility experts” have confirmed the strange story, but have said the pregnancy carries “colossal risks.” Reports indicate the woman is “feeling fine” and in “good health,” but she is being continually monitored by medical personnel.

The clearly out-of-touch with reality dad-to-be was quoted as saying:

“In the beginning, we thought that my wife would give birth to twins, but more foetuses were discovered. Our joy increased with the growing number.”

He even seemed to be under the impression the delivery could occur naturally. And the pregnancy has a very slim chance of a completely positive outcome. Fox News’ “consulting medical expert” Dr. Manny Alvarez had this to say:

“When you get to a pregnancy with that many multiples, often some of them spontaneously die,” Alvarez said. “Anything more than five babies becomes a very high-risk pregnancy.”

If the woman does succeed in carrying a majority of the babies to term, Alvarez said she will need constant monitoring, and will more than likely need to be hospitilized.

“The rates of premature labor for multiples are astronomical,” he added.

Tunisian woman set to out-spawn Octomom, by four is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mariah Carey’s fueling pregnancy rumors with her recent visit to the ob-gyn, complete with a suspicious slip of paper. It turns out that last year when Minnie Driver was pregnant, she was seen carrying an identical paper from the same doctor’s office, and now Page Six is on the “L.A. Paper Trail.”

An observer told Richard Johnson that Mariah left the North Crescent Boulevard location “clutching what looked like a sonogram and being greeted by her entourage with cheers. She was ebullient.”

Even the rep sounded unsure this time, commenting that “As far as I’m told it’s not true.” (Emphasis mine.) See? Even the rep didn’t really know– Mariah is way too coy to reveal the news yet. Stay tuned!

Mariah Carey Is Probably Pregnant is a post from: The Inquisitr

Eva Longoria shot out at pregnancy rumors recently in OK!, saying “I’m not pregnant. I’m just fat. I gained 5lb over the summer so instead of a size zero, I’m a size one.”

Wow. Bringing numbers into that one doesn’t prove much of a point, considering a good deal of women will be cringing when they see sizes “0″ and “1″ anywhere near the word “fat.”

Don’t worry. She’s barely over 5 feet tall, so her size 1 is our size 8 (or something like that). Repeat after me: it’s all relative.

Image: WireImage

If This is “Fat,” We Have a Big Problem is a post from: The Inquisitr