If you are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, do be aware that taking anti-depressants may harm the unborn baby.

If you are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, do be aware that taking anti-depressants may harm the unborn baby. Read this BBC News report. You may like to read further about anti-depressants on my webpage here, and some further advice for pregnant mothers here.

Obesity: New Vulnerable Group

I see that there's a new Vulnerable Group reared its head - or swished its little tails! - There are some genetically modified mice that are very vulnerable to becoming obese because of a mutation in a particular gene, reported here. Well I don't think we need to trouble ourselves about that particular vulnerability, though one feels sympathy for the mice having their genes damaged, apparently in the cause of providing some information for the drug industry to avail itself of in its never-ending trawl for profitable products to unload on innocent citizens. Unless we allow drug researchers or their mates who work in genetic engineering to interfere with our genes we are unlikely to suffer this genetic problem ourselves, or - perish the thought! - any of us is tricked into eating any of these GM mice and something untoward happens... (Memo: best to avoid eating GM foods, whether animal or vegetable, and best to avoid eating animals that have been fed GM crops. Since no one knows what could happen, the precautionary principle should be applied.)

The Vulnerable Groups in whom I am most interested are those who are vulnerable to becoming obese because of salt sensitivity or sodium retention. The groups of people vulnerable to salt are babies and children, people who take or who have taken certain prescribed steroids, including prednisone and prednisolone, or certain other prescribed drugs, women who take or have taken HRT or other oestrogen-containing drugs such as some contraceptive medications, people who take or have taken amitriptyline or other tricyclic antidepressants or some other psychotropic/psychoactive drugs, pregnant mothers, PMT sufferers and people who ate salt as children. These groups need to minimise their salt intake. They will lose weight easily if they eat less salt and salty food.

Pregnant? The Horizon programme on BBC2 tonight could be of special interest to you

BBC2's Horizon programme tonight at 9pm is about the crucial importance of those nine months in the womb. Those months may well be the most important time of life, may critically determine the destiny, especially the health, of the unborn baby.

"Horizon explores the secrets of what makes a long, healthy and happy life. It turns out that a time you can't remember - the nine months you spend in the womb - could have more lasting effects on you today than your lifestyle or genes. It is one of the most powerful and provocative new ideas in human science, and it was pioneered by a British scientist, Professor David Barker. His theory has inspired a field of study that is revealing how our time in the womb could affect your health, personality, and even the lives of your children."

Dieting in early pregnancy risks damaging your baby's brain

If you eat too little in early pregnancy you may stunt your baby's brain development. Read physorg.com article.

Here is the safe way to avoid gaining excess weight in pregnancy.

Overweight pregnant women have been targeted with unhelpful advice from Professor Mike Kelly, NICE public health director.

This BBC News article explains that "if a woman is obese during pregnancy, she has an increased risk of developing serious complications like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, miscarriage and stillbirth. She is also more likely to have a Caesarean section. NICE says women with a body mass index of more than 30 should be encouraged to lose weight before they become pregnant. During pregnancy, losing weight can be harmful to the unborn child, so women are advised to eat healthily and to do gentle exercise."

Unfortunately, in the audio clip from this morning's Radio 4 Today programme, Professor Kelly gives two unhelpful pieces of advice. I'm with him when he says to avoid sugary drinks and drink plenty of water, but when he says that 'healthy eating' for everyone should be based on starchy food and avoiding fatty food I disagree. I believe a healthy diet is logically one that approximates to a Stone Age ('Paleo') diet, and is low in carbohydrates. But the most important advice of all for pregnant women is to avoid salt and salty food. This is the safe way to avoid fluid retention and excess weight gain. And it does not entail going hungry or counting calories.

During pregnancy, because of the hormone changes it brings, a woman is vulnerable to salt/sodium. If during this vulnerable time she eats salty food, her blood volume will rise more than it would if she were not eating salty food. This is because high oestrogen in the blood stream causes the muscles in the walls of the blood vessels to relax and so the blood vessels allow in more sodium and the water it attracts to itself. The veins become swollen.

When the baby is born the hormone levels change again and the oestrogen level goes down. The muscles in the walls of the blood vessels tighten up again and some of the excess salt and water in the blood is excreted. But if the veins were badly overstretched and weakened during the pregnancy, the woman will not return to her former weight. With each succeeding pregnancy, the problem will worsen; the veins will become weaker and more swollen; the blood volume will rise further; she will become more overweight.

See Pregnancy Advice about Salt.

How to lose weight.

Vulnerable Groups.

Pregnant women in the UK need to take supplements of vitamin D.

Despite some conflicting advice, researchers are recommending pregnant women to take vitamin D supplements because diet and sunshine are providing insufficient levels of the vitamin. Read the BBC News article. "The paper said the UK was the only one of 31 countries examined which did not recommend that women of reproductive age took a vitamin D supplement, and that it also fails to endorse a daily supplement for expectant mothers."

Avoiding vitamin D deficiency brings many health benefits, especially for pregnant mothers and the babies who will be born to them. - Check it out.

Obesity in IVF pregnancy doubles risk of miscarriage

See BBC News article. It is such a shame that overweight people are mostly unaware - because the health professionals do not tell them - that reducing their intake of salt and salty food will reduce their excess weight by reducing their excess fluid retention/water weight, caused by sensitivity to salt. It is even more important, during pregnancy, that women keep their salt/sodium intake low, because the natural hormone changes that occur during pregnancy make them even more vulnerable to salt during the period of pregnancy. It is salt reduction, rather than calorie reduction, that should be advocated. Salt reduction would reduce the risk of miscarriage, as well as the risk of high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, excessive weight gain and many other health problems associated with pregnancy, both IVF pregnancies and non-IVF pregnancies.
See Pregnancy Advice.

SSRI antidepressants taken in early pregnancy linked to birth defects in the babies

The Guardian reports that there is a link between women taking certain anti-depressants in the early weeks of pregnancy and birth defects in a small proportion of the babies born to the women.

These SSRI antidepressants include Prozac and Seroxat aka Paxil. Doctors have been warned against prescribing these drugs to pregnant women by the FDA, by the MHRA (UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority) and by NICE, nonetheless British GPs have prescibed these pills to pregnant women and other women of childbearing age without warning of the potential dangers. (Seroxat is made by GlaxoSmithKline, the British drug company.)

I urge you to read the whole of the Guardian article. Clearly there have been grave faults by the doctors and by the drug companies. In my opinion, so many drugs are teratogenic (i.e. able to disturb the growth and development of an embryo or fetus) that drugs should be completely avoided during pregnancy unless there is a very good reason for them.

Actually there is no good reason to prescribe anti-depressants to anyone. - See Anti-depressants 'no better than dummy pills' about research by a Hull University team led by Prof Irving Kirsch. Not very often doctors seek to reduce pill-taking! - I fervently hope this will save a lot of people having their lives/health damaged by these harmful, useless drugs.

As far as depression goes, a major cause of 'depression' is inadequate nutrition or dieting. Many women attempt to diet, especially during pregnancy, as they fear gaining a lot of weight because of the pregnancy. Dieting by pregnant women should be actively discouraged. It is harmful for both the woman and for the unborn baby. Weight gain is not caused by eating too many calories or not taking enough exercise. It is caused by fluid retention/sodium retention/salt sensitivity and is preventable by minimising salt intake and avoiding salty food.
Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, stroke, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver damage and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs, hunger or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better! See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.
Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and
http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/story.html - my 'political' page

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

See advice for pregnant mothers
Children and Obesity

Associated health conditions
and FAT RETENTION

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/socio.html - social and economic considerations.

Ms Salt feeds her babies salty food. This means that the triplets will become and stay fat. Poor little souls.

The Telegraph reports that Leanne Salt is feeding her eight-month-old babies, Deanna, Daisy and Finlee, McDonald's burgers, crisps and ready meals. These are highly salted foods and completely unsuitable for babies.

To look after three little babies must be a very tiring job and it is understandable that their mother turns to ways to cut down the work she has to do. Unfortunately, by choosing high salt foods she is storing up a host of health problems for her children. They will become fat and have high blood pressure. They will be at risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. They will die younger than they should.

The grave dangers of a salty diet for babies and young children should be stressed to pregnant mothers so that their babies can be protected from this terrible damage to their health.

It is not the calories that are the problem; it is the salt content.

High salt intake is a major contributory factor in many chronic health problems, including obesity.

Children and Obesity

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, stroke, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs, hunger or expense by eating less salt! - Try it!

See my website www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk
The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/story.html - my 'political' page

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/socio.html - social and economic considerations

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

See advice for pregnant mothers

Associated health conditions

and FAT RETENTION

Pregnant women who find it difficult to stop smoking will be targeted in a new government campaign.

Campaign to help pregnant women stop smoking
article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"The advertising campaign, from NHS Smokefree, will highlight how every smoked cigarette restricts essential oxygen to the baby.

A baby's heart has to beat harder every time a pregnant woman smokes, it will show.

Around one in five pregnant women in England smoke during their pregnancy – equal to about 100,000 women at any one time.

A poll of 224 pregnant women for the campaign revealed 28 per cent would seek help to stop smoking but were worried about being judged."

The NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline number is 0800 1699 169.

If you are pregnant, then for the sake of your own health and that of your baby-to-be, you should avoid salt and salty food.

See advice for pregnant mothers

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

Children and Obesity

Associated health conditions

and FAT RETENTION

Women who eat too little during pregnancy increase the risk of their children becoming obese in later life, experts have warned.

Women who eat too little during pregnancy increase risk of obesity in children
Article in the Telegraph: - further evidence that dieting is harmful.

I suppose that women who eat too little during pregnancy do it because they hope that this will prevent them from gaining too much weight during pregnance. - Actually, the way to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy is to avoid eating salt or salty food. This also reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. It is also good for the baby-to-be that the pregnant mother avoids salt and salty food.

See http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/pregnant_mothers.html - some advice for pregnant mothers

And see Sodium in foods

Pregnant women who are depressed are twice as likely to have a premature baby compared with those who have no symptoms of depression, say scientists.

Depression can double risk of premature baby, scientists say
Report in the Telegraph

Extract:

"The most severely depressed women have the highest chance of giving birth early. The study also suggests that other risk factors, such as obesity and stress, can make the link between depression and premature labour even stronger.

Researchers interviewed 791 women in San Francisco around their 10th week of pregnancy and found that 41 per cent of the women reported significant or severe depressive symptoms.

The women with less severe depressive symptoms had a 60 per cent higher risk of a premature baby compared with women without significant depressive symptoms. Women with severe depressive symptoms had more than twice the risk."

Reducing salt intake reduces all these risk factors - obesity, depression and stress, so pregnant mothers should be strongly advised to avoid salt and salty food during their pregnancy.

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

See advice for pregnant mothers

Children and Obesity

And see Sodium in foods and

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

Associated health conditions

Breast feeding significantly 'cuts cancer risk in mothers'

Breast feeding 'cuts cancer risk in mothers'
Article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"Whether they breastfeed two babies for six months each or one baby for a year, women can cut their risk of developing the disease significantly, said Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for the World Cancer Research Fund.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, with 45,000 cases diagnosed in Britain each year.

The protective effects of breastfeeding over a long period of time have been well documented.

Studies have shown mothers who breastfeed past a child's second birthday are half as likely to develop the disease as those who stop at 12 months.

However, a recent survey for the WCRF found that three out of four women were unaware that breastfeeding could cut their risk of developing the disease.

Speaking at the start of breast cancer awareness month, Dr Thompson urged mothers to breastfeed for as long as they could. She said brestfeeding for a year could reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by 4.8 per cent

"We want to get across the message that breast-feeding is something positive that women can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer," she said.

"Because the evidence that breast-feeding reduces breast cancer risk is convincing, we recommend women should breast-feed exclusively for six months and then continue with complementary feeding after that.""

Reducing salt intake, especially during pregnancy, also reduces the risk of developing breast cancer and many other diseases, as well as reducing obesity. - It's good for the baby too.

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

See advice for pregnant mothers

Associated health conditions

and FAT RETENTION

Salt and salty food are bad for pregnant women. - Read more here:

See advice for pregnant mothers

and Sodium in foods

and children's health

When maternal age and number of previous miscarriages were taken into account obese women were shown to have a higher chance of a further miscarriage

Obese women at greater risk of repeat miscarriages
Article in the Sunday Telegraph

Extract:

"Researchers at St Mary's Hospital in London found that obese women who had suffered one miscarriage had a significantly increased risk of a further miscarriage compared to those who were of a normal weight.

The 11-year study investigated the effect of body mass index (BMI) on unexplained recurrent miscarriages. The women had their BMI measured and were placed into one of four categories: underweight; normal; overweight; and obese.

When maternal age and number of previous miscarriages were taken into account, those women who were obese were shown to have a 60 per cent higher chance of a further miscarriage compared to those with normal weight, although the precise reasons are not yet clear.

Winnie Lo, Clinical Nurse Specialist at St Mary's Hospital, said "Ours is the first study to look directly at the link between BMI and recurrent miscarriage. It shows that obese women who experience recurrent miscarriage are at greater risk of subsequent pregnancy loss."

It's such a shame that pregnant mothers aren't told the truth about how obesity comes about and how best to reduce it...)o:

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and

See advice for pregnant mothers

Pregnant women are urged not to use perfume or scented cream after research suggests they could cause unborn boys infertility or cancer in later life.

Pregnant women advised to stop wearing perfumes for sake of babies' health
Article in the Sunday Telegraph

Extract:

"Research has found the reproductive system of male foetuses could be damaged by chemicals as early as eight weeks' gestation by chemicals including those found in cosmetics.

Such damage could lead to infertility or testicular cancer, according to the research carried out on rats by Professor Richard Sharpe, principal investigator at the Medical Research Council's Human Sciences Unit.

The scientist said he had discovered a "time window" of eight to 12 weeks' gestation, when certain hormones in the foetus are activated and the male reproductive system comes into being.

Prof Sharpe said future problems of male fertility, including undescended testicles, low sperm count and the risk of testicular cancer could be determined at this time if these hormones, such as testosterone, do no work properly."

Low salt intake is also good for pregnant women. See advice for pregnant mothers

If you are pregnant and want to avoid stretch marks or at any rate keep them to a minimum you need to avoid eating salt and salty food.

See advice for pregnant mothers

See Associated health conditions

See Sodium in foods and

vulnerable groups

If you are pregnant, there are 3 things you should cut down on for the health of the baby and yourself: alcohol, smoking and salt

Alcohol - See Half of women drink alcohol while pregnant - Telegraph article

Extract: "More than half of women drink alcohol while pregnant despite growing evidence that it can lead to low IQ, attention deficit disorders and more serious lifelong complications in children."

Smoking - See Ten reasons for pregnant women to quit smoking - Daily Mail article

Salt - See advice for pregnant mothers

Warning: Using a mobile phone while pregnant can seriously damage your baby, according to research

Warning: Using a mobile phone while pregnant can seriously damage your baby

Extracts from the Independent on Sunday:

"Women who use mobile phones when pregnant are more likely to give birth to children with behavioural problems, according to authoritative research.

A giant study, which surveyed more than 13,000 children, found that using the handsets just two or three times a day was enough to raise the risk of their babies developing hyperactivity and difficulties with conduct, emotions and relationships by the time they reached school age. And it adds that the likelihood is even greater if the children themselves used the phones before the age of seven.

The results of the study, the first of its kind, have taken the top scientists who conducted it by surprise. But they follow warnings against both pregnant women and children using mobiles by the official Russian radiation watchdog body, which believes that the peril they pose "is not much lower than the risk to children's health from tobacco or alcohol".

The research – at the universities of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Aarhus, Denmark – is to be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology and will carry particular weight because one of its authors has been sceptical that mobile phones pose a risk to health."

"Professor Sam Milham, of the blue-chip Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and the University of Washington School of Public Health – one of the pioneers of research in the field – said last week that he had no doubt that the results were real. He pointed out that recent Canadian research on pregnant rats exposed to similar radiation had found structural changes in their offspring's brains.

The Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection says that use of the phones by both pregnant women and children should be "limited". It concludes that children who talk on the handsets are likely to suffer from "disruption of memory, decline of attention, diminishing learning and cognitive abilities, increased irritability" in the short term, and that longer-term hazards include "depressive syndrome" and "degeneration of the nervous structures of the brain"."