Pregnancy study ‘reassuring’ for women with MS
CBC News: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | 6:12 PM ET
Pregnant women with multiple sclerosis are at slightly higher risk for some pregnancy complications but are no more likely to have other problems compared with other women, a new U.S. study suggests.
Researchers used a national database on 18.8 million deliveries in the U.S. between 2003 and 2006 to compare newborns born to women with MS and 10,000 other women.
Women with MS were slightly more likely to have caesarean deliveries (42 per cent) compared with 33 per cent in the general population, Dr. Eliza Chakravarty of Stanford University School of Medicine and her colleagues reported in Wednesday’s online issue of the journal Neurology.
“These results are reassuring for women with MS,” Chakravarty said in release.
“Women and their doctors have been uncertain about the effect of MS on pregnancy, and some women have chosen to delay or even avoid pregnancy due to the uncertainty. We found that women with MS did not have an increased risk of most pregnancy complications.”
To read the rest of this article, please click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Exercise up to the end of pregnancy
The Times of India, ANI13 November 2009, 01:45pm IST
A new study carried out by Polytechnic University of Madrid has revealed that exercising up to the end of pregnancy has no harmful effect on the
weight or size of the foetus .
An exercise regime carried out during the second and third trimester of pregnancy does not harm the health of the foetus”, said Jonatan R. Ruiz, researcher at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and principal author of this study, who has coordinated a team from the Polytechnic University of Madrid in collaboration with the Swedish centre.
These findings highlight the benefits for the health of the baby and the mother when a physically-active lifestyle is maintained throughout pregnancy.
160 healthy women between the ages of 25 and 35 took part in the study, all of whom had sedentary habits and no risk of premature birth.
To read the rest of this article, please click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )SOGC fact sheet: Adjuvant Versus Non-Adjuvant H1N1 Vaccine for Pregnant Women
The purpose of this fact sheet is to clarify the difference between an adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted vaccine and whether or not pregnant women should receive one or the other.
While it is the first time an adjuvant is being used in an influenza vaccine, these adjuvants have been used in other vaccines for decades.
All countries are stating that both types of vaccine are safe.
After discussion with the Public Health Agency of Canada, and based on the evidence for other adjuvanted vaccines as well as experience around the world to date with the adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine, Canadian experts say that both the adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccines are safe for pregnant women.
| Therefore, pregnant women should be offered the choice to receive an adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted vaccine based on the following considerations, not safety concerns.
Considerations for Pregnant Women
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Adjuvant H1N1 Vaccine
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Non-Adjuvant H1N1 Vaccine
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Amount of viral inoculate required to protect an individual
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Lower dose (4 times less viral material than the non-adjuvanted vaccine)
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Higher dose (4 times more viral material than the adjuvanted vaccine)
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Number of doses required to achieve immunity
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1 | 1 |
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Cross-protection against mutations of the virus
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Possible | None |
For pregnant women over 20 weeks gestation
If you have a chronic health condition (diabetes, asthma, hypertension, etc.), get vaccinated against H1N1 as soon as a vaccine (adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted) is available.
If you reside in an area where H1N1 flu rates are high or increasing, get vaccinated against H1N1 as soon as a vaccine (adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted) is available.
For more information from the SOGC regarding H1N1 and pregnancy, please click here.
The Public Health Agency of Canada offers a similar look at the risks and benefits of the vaccine. To see this article, please click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )OBGYNs back H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women
AOL News Canada
Source: CBC News Posted 10/22/09 4:25 PM
Both forms of the H1N1 vaccine are safe for pregnant women, a group of Canadian doctors said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced the approval of the adjuvanted swine flu vaccine. An adjuvant is a substance that stimulates the body’s immune response.
Canada has also ordered about 1.8 million doses of non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine, and regulatory approval of that version is expected in a week or two.
“Women should be provided with the option to receive either H1N1 vaccine based on facts, not fear about safety,” Dr. Michel Fortier, president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, said in a statement Thursday.
“More important than the decision about which H1N1 vaccine a pregnant woman should take is the decision to get vaccinated, regardless of the vaccine type selected.”
The adjuvant is a natural product made of fish oil, water and vitamin E.
While this is the first time an adjuvant has been used in an influenza vaccine in Canada, the adjuvant has been used in other vaccines for decades.
Non-adjuvanted vaccine available in November
The adjuvanted vaccine includes four times less viral material than the non-adjuvanted vaccine, the society noted.
A single dose of the adjuvanted vaccine is needed to achieve immunity in healthy adults. Clinical trials are underway to test how many doses of both types are needed to protect pregnant women, and it’s possible that multiple doses of the non-adjuvanted vaccine may be needed.
The adjuvanted vaccine is also more likely to offer protection from mutations in the virus, the group said.
GlaxoSmithKline’s adjuvant has been tested in about 45,000 people worldwide and was evaluated by Health Canada and other regulators as part of a review of the H5N1 avian flu vaccine before the H1N1 pandemic started in the spring, with no significant safety concerns raised.
In July, an expert committee at the World Health Organization recommended that pregnant women should receive non-adjuvanted vaccine where possible, but that the adjuvanted version could be used if necessary.
Likewise on Wednesday, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. David-Butler-Jones, recommended giving pregnant women one dose of non-adjuvanted vaccine. If that is not available and H1N1 rates are high or increasing in their area, then women more than 20 weeks into their pregnancy may be offered the adjuvanted version.
Pregnant women with an underlying health condition should talk to their health-care provider about getting the adjuvanted form, Butler-Jones advised, rather than wait for the non-adjuvanted vaccine which may not be available until November.
To read the rest of this article, please click here.
For more information about pregnancy and H1N1, please see the SOGC website here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )WHO: Safety of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccines
30 October 2009
Safety
Are pandemic vaccines safe?
Outcomes of studies completed to date suggest that pandemic vaccines are as safe as seasonal influenza vaccines. Side effects seen so far are similar to those observed with seasonal influenza vaccines.
What about safety for pregnant women?
To date, studies do not show harmful effects from the pandemic influenza vaccine with respect to pregnancy, fertility, or a developing embryo or fetus, birthing or post-natal development. In view of the elevated risk for severe illness for pregnant women infected by the new influenza, in clinical studies, pregnant women are a group that should be vaccinated against infection, as supplies allow.
Recent studies show that infected pregnant women have a 10 times higher chance to require hospitalization in intensive care units than infected persons in the general population, and 7% to 10% of hospitalized cases are women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.
Additional studies on pregnant women following immunization are continuing.
What about my child’s safety from a reaction?
The most frequent vaccine reactions in children following influenza immunization are similar to those seen after other childhood immunizations (such as soreness at the injection site, or fever). A child’s health care provider or vaccinator can advise on the most appropriate methods for relief of the symptoms. If there are concerns about a child’s safety from a reaction, consult a health care provider as soon as possible. Please note that a child may suffer from a condition not related to immunization, which coincidentally developed after vaccination.
Testing and approval
What kind of testing is being done to ensure safety?
Because the pandemic virus is new, both non-clinical and clinical testing is being done to gain essential information on immune response and safety. The results of studies reported to date suggest the vaccines are as safe as seasonal influenza vaccines. However, even very large clinical studies will not be able to identify possible rare events that can become evident when pandemic vaccines are administered to many millions of people.
WHO advises all countries administering pandemic vaccines to conduct intensive monitoring for safety and report serious adverse events.
Who approves pandemic vaccines for use?
National authorities for medicines approve (or license) pandemic influenza vaccines for use. These authorities carefully examine the known and suspected risks and benefits of any vaccine prior to its licensing. Expedited regulatory processes in some countries have helped to license the new vaccine in a timely manner. However, the testing and manufacturing processes for the new vaccines are similar to seasonal influenza vaccines to ensure quality and safety.
Side effects
What are the expected side effects of the new vaccines?
Some side effects can be associated with influenza vaccination. How often they result depends on the type of vaccine, how it is administered, and the age of the vaccine recipient. There are two main types of vaccines: one is manufactured with inactivated viruses, the other uses live viruses.
Inactivated vaccines, administered by injection, commonly cause local reactions such as soreness, swelling and redness at the injection site, and less often can cause fever, muscle- or joint- aches or headache. These symptoms are generally mild, do not need medical attention, and last 1 to 2 days. Fever, aches and headaches can occur more frequently in children compared to elderly people.
Rarely, such influenza vaccines can cause allergic reactions such as hives, rapid swelling of deeper skin layers and tissues, asthma or a severe multisystem allergic reaction due to hypersensitivity to certain vaccine components.
Live vaccines are given via a nasal spray, and can commonly cause runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, and can less frequently cause sore throat, low grade fever, irritability and head- and muscle- aches. Wheezing and vomiting episodes have been described in children receiving live influenza vaccines.
Have clinical studies identified all the possible side effects?
Again, even very large clinical studies will not be able to identify possible rare events that can become evident when pandemic vaccines are administered to many millions of people. These can only be assessed when a vaccine is in widespread use.
Clinical trials often provide safety information for the general population. Additional monitoring of some special groups of vaccine recipients is necessary to gather specific safety information.
Additional and comprehensive monitoring efforts of the pandemic influenza vaccine are being planned as they are being used by more and more people around the world.
WHO advises all countries administering pandemic vaccines to conduct intensive monitoring for safety, and report adverse events.
Adverse events
Have their been any reports of serious reactions, or adverse events, to pandemic vaccines?
As of late October, there is no indication at this stage that unusual adverse events are being observed after immunization, according to clinical trials and adverse event monitoring during deployment of vaccines in early introducer countries. The need for continued vigilance and regular evaluation by health authorities is ongoing.
How should serious reactions to the vaccines be reported?
Reports of serious adverse events, and those raising concerns, should always be submitted to national authorities. So far, reports of potential adverse events following immunizations have been well notified to authorities.
What happens when an adverse event is reported?
At the national level, individual reports are scrutinized for completeness and possible errors. In some instances, reports need to be validated and additional details must be checked. Reports are analysed for findings that are expected or appear more frequently than expected. If an analysis indicates a potential problem, further studies and evaluation are conducted and all relevant national and international authorities are informed. Decisions for appropriate measures are then made to ensure continuing safe use of the vaccine.
Risks falsely associated with vaccines
Will pandemic vaccines contain thiomersal, which some believe is a risk to health?
Thiomersal is a commonly used vaccine preservative to prevent vaccine contamination by bacteria during use. Inactivated vaccines will contain thiomersal if they are supplied in multi-dose vials. Some products can have ”traces” of thiomersal when the chemical is used during the production process as an antibacterial agent, which is later removed during the purification process.
Thiomersal does not contain methyl mercury, which is a naturally-occurring compound and whose toxic effects on humans have been well studied. Thiomersal contains a different form of mercury (i.e. ethyl mercury, which does not accumulate, is metabolized and removed from the body much faster than methyl mercury).
The safety of thiomersal has been rigorously reviewed by scientific groups. There is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults, including pregnant women, exposed to thiomersal in vaccines.
Why do some pandemic influenza vaccines contain adjuvants and others don’t? Are vaccines with adjuvants a health risk?
Adjuvants are substances that enhance the immune response in vaccines and can make them more effective. They have been used for many years in some vaccines. Scientific data support the safety of adjuvants in pandemic influenza vaccine production.
Some seasonal influenza vaccines that are intended for people known to have poor immune responses to immunization contain an adjuvant. Some pandemic vaccines contain an adjuvant to reduce the amount of virus antigen to be used (an antigen is a substance capable of stimulating an immune response).
Manufacturers decide whether a product is formulated with or without an adjuvant. Adjuvants used with pandemic influenza vaccines are already licensed for use with other vaccines (e.g. hepatitis B, seasonal or pandemic influenza vaccines, or others), and have a safe track record.
Can influenza vaccination cause chronic diseases?
Current evidence does not indicate that seasonal influenza or pandemic influenza vaccines, or any other vaccine against novel human influenza viruses, either induce or aggravate the course of chronic diseases in vaccine recipients. Careful assessment is required to clarify if adverse events that occur after vaccination are actually caused by an influenza vaccination.
Can influenza vaccination cause Guillain Barré syndrome?
Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rapidly developing, immune-mediated disorder of the peripheral nervous system that results in muscular weakness. Most people recover completely but some have chronic weakness. It can develop following a variety of infections, including influenza. In people who have been immunized with available vaccines, the frequency of GBS usually is the same as in unvaccinated people. Extensive studies and data analysis of influenza vaccines have only found a well established causal association with the 1976 vaccine that contained an H1N1 swine-influenza-like virus. No other clear association has been found with either seasonal or other pandemic influenza vaccines.
How can a repeat of the 1976 swine flu vaccine complications (Guillain-Barré syndrome) experienced in the United States of America be avoided?
During the 1976 influenza vaccination campaign, about 10 persons per million vaccinated persons developed GBS.
The reason why GBS developed in association with that specific vaccine has never been firmly established. The potential for the development of a similar risk with future vaccines can never be totally excluded. However, pandemic influenza vaccines are manufactured according to established standards, and are similar to recent well-studied influenza vaccines that have shown no association with GBS. Surveillance after vaccines have been sold (post-marketing surveillance) is being conducted to look for potential developments of serious adverse events. Safety monitoring systems are an integral part of strategies for the implementation of the new pandemic influenza vaccines.
(updated from 12 July 2009, 27 May 2009 and 2 May 2009 versions)
To read more from the WHO website and H1N1 , please click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Diet changes helpful for pregnancy diabetes
CBC News Last Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 | 6:54 PM ET
Treating mild diabetes that develops during pregnancy helps prevent serious problems that can occur when an infant gains too much weight, a new U.S. study suggests.
Women with gestational diabetes — temporarily high blood sugar levels during pregnancy — have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than the general population.
The condition can also cause the fetus to grow too large and require delivery by caesarean section. Such children are at greater risk of becoming obese when young and developing Type 2 diabetes as adults.
About four per cent of pregnant women in the United States develop gestational diabetes, resulting in about 135,000 cases a year, said Dr. John Thorp, the study’s author and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In a study of 958 women that appears in Thursday’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that, compared to women with untreated diabetes, those treated for mild gestational diabetes had:
· Fewer babies that were overly large (7.1 per cent versus 14.5 per cent). · Fewer cesarean sections (26.9 per cent versus 33.8 per cent). · Less shoulder damage during birth (1.5 per cent versus 4.0 per cent).
“There is every reason to fully treat women with even the mildest [gestational diabetes] based on our results,” said the study’s leader, Dr. Mark Landon of Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus.
The study started with women who were between 24 and 31 weeks pregnant. They were randomly assigned, with 485 women receiving treatment, including dietary changes, blood-glucose monitoring and insulin, if necessary, and 473 getting no treatment.
There were no deaths in either group, and no difference in other birth-related complications.
Excess weight gain minimized
Of those in the treatment group, 93 per cent were able to keep their blood sugar under control through diet alone. The other seven per cent needed insulin.
To read the rest of this article, please click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Pregnancy and H1N1
By Sabriya Rice
CNN Medical Producer
(CNN) — For the past several months, Amy Wolf has been glued to the television, intently watching for information on how best to prepare for H1N1 flu.
She usually does not worry about the flu, but this year is different: Wolf is eight months into her second pregnancy. “I watch the news like crazy, and it seems like every time I would watch or read something, there was a picture of a pregnant woman,” Wolf says.
She’s right to be concerned. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnancy puts Wolf at higher risk of complications for flu in general, and so far that also holds true for the novel 2009 H1N1 virus. The most recent data show that from April 15 to May 18, 2009, thirty-four percent of the pregnant women infected with the H1N1 virus were hospitalized, and by June, six pregnant women had died.
“I’ve never heard of something affecting pregnant women more than anyone else,” says Wolf.
More worrisome — the virus is already widespread in Tennessee, where she lives. Wolf says a neighbor’s son was recently hospitalized. “[H1N1] just seems more real to me than a lot of the other health concerns.” Track the H1N1 virus
A perusal through our Empowered Patient inbox found swine flu is a hot topic among pregnant women. We took the questions we received to experts for answers.
Is the H1N1 vaccine safe for pregnant women?
According to a guide for pregnant women released by the CDC, the H1N1 vaccine “will be made using the same processes and facilities used to make seasonal influenza vaccines,” which are already proven to be safe, and are currently recommended for pregnant women.
“We anticipate the safety to be similar to the seasonal flu vaccine, which has been given to millions of pregnant women and has not been shown to have any adverse events in pregnant women or their children,” says Artealia Gilliard, a spokeswoman for the CDC.
However, recognizing that pregnant women in particular may be hesitant, Dr. Jesse Goodman, chief scientist for the Food and Drug Administration, says “out of an abundance of caution” researchers are conducting studies on pregnant women and other high-risk groups. “It’s always good to have more information,” Goodman says. The FDA approves and licenses the vaccine. Quiz: Test your H1N1 knowledge
About 120 expecting mothers are participating in clinical trials across the country. Health officials anticipate the results of these studies will be available in the coming weeks.
Should I get the H1N1 vaccine, a regular seasonal flu shot (or both) while I am pregnant?
The CDC encourages pregnant women to get the seasonal flu shot now because it’s available, and to also get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
“A pregnant woman who gets any type of flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization,” the CDC says in its guide for pregnant women. Gilliard also says this is important no matter which trimester you are in. “It should not be delayed until beyond the first trimester because even pregnant women in the first trimester have become very ill,” she wrote in an e-mail.
As a woman advances in her pregnancy, her immune system becomes more compromised, which is one of the reasons both the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend women who will be pregnant during the flu season get flu shots.
If I get the vaccine while pregnant, will this also protect the baby when he/she is born?
“One of the things the body does very well is give antibodies to the babies,” says Dr. Buddy Creech, a researcher conducting clinical trials on pregnant women at Vanderbilt University. “It’s one of the greatest reasons we vaccinate pregnant women.”
Creech says past flu studies have found that when women get flu shots before giving birth, they help build immunity for their child that is particularly helpful during the infant’s first few months of life.
“If we’re going to protect those children, it’ll be with vaccines rather than drugs,” Creech says.
Is it safe to get vaccinated while breastfeeding? Should my newborn also be vaccinated?
According to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, the H1N1 vaccine will be recommended for children ages six months and older. Newborns and infants younger than 6 months cannot receive the vaccine.
Health officials say breastfeeding is one way a mother might be able to help protect her baby. “The vaccine is safe if she breastfeeds, and she may even pass along some immunity to her infant,” says Gilliard of the CDC. “It will also reduce the chance that [the mom] will get the flu and pass it to her infant.”
What’s the difference between the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine?
The seasonal flu vaccine is updated each year to protect against the predominant flu strains expected to circulate during the flu season.
Health officials say the process and formulation of the H1N1 vaccine is identical to that of the seasonal flu shot. The main difference is that the novel 2009 H1N1 strain was first seen in April 2009, after the seasonal vaccine had been developed.
Will the H1N1 vaccine be free of thimerosal?
According to the CDC, versions of the H1N1 vaccine will be ordered with and without the preservative thimerosal. Preservatives are sometimes used in vaccines to help prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria that find their way into the vaccine vials. Read what the CDC says about Thimerosal in H1N1 vaccines
The FDA has approved applications from four manufacturers to begin producing the novel 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine. In all, some 40 million to 50 million doses are expected to be produced.
Amy Wolf is not as worried anymore: On September 15, she became one of the first pregnant women in the United States to receive the vaccine. She participated in the clinical trial at Vanderbilt University, where she is employed. “I thought If I could do something now to protect both myself and my baby, then it just seems stupid not to.”
Wolf signed up only after speaking with the researchers at the university and her OB-GYN, and asking a ton of questions. She says, for her, the benefits of participating outweighed the risks.
“I really don’t feel like a guinea pig,” Wolf says. “I haven’t had a single medical professional tell me I shouldn’t do it. And that made me feel really confident.”
To read this article, please click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Study on pregnant women’s concerns about childbirth
The Mother-Infant Wellness Lab at UBC is conducting a survey to better understand pregnant women’s feelings about labour and delivery. If you are over 18 and pregnant, you can participate!
If you would like to participate, please click here. You can also access this study and more information about their lab at www.motherinfantwellness.ca.
Breastfeeding has health benefit for moms: Study
Breastfeeding has health benefit for moms: Study
By Sharon Kirkey, Canwest News Service
Breast isn’t just best for baby: mothers who don’t breastfeed their babies may increase their risk of heart attacks and strokes decades later, new research suggests.
The evidence comes from the massive Women’s Health Initiative trial and involved nearly 140,000 women.
Researchers found that women who breastfed were less likely when they were older to have developed high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death in Canadian women.
“The longer a woman breastfed her baby, the better it was for both of them,” says lead author Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, of the University of Pittsburgh.
“We know that women who don’t breastfeed their babies are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer,” Schwarz says. Recent studies show women who don’t breastfeed also have higher risks of diabetes and high blood pressure.
“Ours is the first study that shows that there really is a strong effect in terms of preventing heart attacks and stroke for women who nursed for more than six months,” says Schwarz, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences.
The study appears in the latest issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Health Canada recommends breast milk should be the only food or drink for the first six months of life, and that breastfeeding continue, along with the gradual introduction of solid food, for two years or more. But a national survey released last month found only 14 per cent of new moms in Canada were exclusively feeding their newborns breast milk by age six months.
Breastfeeding helps protect babies against infections and disease, benefits that are thought to last a lifetime.
“We now know that it’s important for mothers’ health as well,” Schwarz says.
Her team analyzed data from 139,681 post-menopausal women, average age 63, enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative study, known best for its research on hormone replacement therapy. Researchers looked at the women’s lifetime history of breastfeeding, meaning how many months in total they had breastfed their babies.
Women who had breastfed for one to six months had less diabetes, less high blood pressure and less high cholesterol, all known risk factors for heart disease.
Those who breastfed for seven months or more were significantly less likely to have actually developed cardiovascular disease compared to women who had never breastfed. Women who breastfed for a lifetime total of at least 12 months were 10 per cent less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke or developed heart disease when they were older.
The finding held after researchers took age, income, body mass index, diet, physical activity, family history of heart disease and other factors into account.
For Schwarz, the study was personal. “As a new mom who went back to work, I found pumping a bit challenging,” Schwarz says. “Everybody kept telling me it was good for my baby. I wondered what effect it had on my own health.”
Fat stores accumulate during pregnancy, and other studies have shown that, in populations where breastfeeding is rare, pregnancy might increase the risk of heart disease.
One theory is that breastfeeding lowers that risk by mobilizing fat stores.
“Breastfeeding has an important role in the way women’s bodies recover from pregnancy,”Schwarz says. “I think what we’re seeing is that when this process is interrupted by women feeding their babies things other than human milk, women are more likely to have a number of health problems.”
When milk isn’t expressed, she said, women don’t unload all the body fat stored up during pregnancy.
Prolactin and oxytocin, hormones involved in producing milk and releasing it from the body, may also have effects on a woman’s heart.
The study doesn’t prove cause and effect, just an association, and there may be other issues at play, cautions Dr. Beth Abramson, a Toronto cardiologist and spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. For example, women who choose or are able to breastfeed may have less stressful lives.
“They may be in a different economic bracket because they may not at that time have had to go back to work. You sometimes can’t correct for everything.
“If a woman is considering breastfeeding, this may be another potential benefit,” Abramson says, “but if a woman has, for various reasons, chosen not to, or can’t breastfeed, not all hope is lost. There are a lot of healthy behaviours we can engage in to reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke,” such as not smoking or quitting, keeping physically active and managing weight.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Gisele Bündchen: ‘I’m Crazy About Children’
Gisele Bündchen: ‘I’m Crazy About Children’
By Liz McNeil
Originally posted Wednesday June 24, 2009 03:40 PM EDT
Pregnant with her first child, supermodel Gisele Bündchen is focusing on family and home life these days.
“I am crazy about children … I am an adoptive mother … I’ve already had this experience for two years,” she says in a recent TV interview with Brazil’s Fantastico, of her relationship with husband Tom Brady‘s 21-month-old son John Brady, whose mother is actress Bridget Moynahan.
Bündchen also raves about getting hitched this past Spring. “I think I’ve met the right person, my partner, my companion,” she says. “I already knew that we would get married a year and a half before we got married. We felt it. The heart spoke louder.”
When the heart speaks, priorities change, she adds. “Before … I had to go out, had to work. Now I think about it twice, three times, four times. So I only do the things that I really want to do,” Bündchen says. “I prefer to stay at home. The big husband wins. Because of this relationship, what is most important to me is the family. Now I am creating my other family.”
And, in addition to preparing for her new baby, she wants to prepare … dinner. Says Bündchen, who turns 29 in July, “I am Cancer. I want to stay at home, cooking, relaxing. You have to follow the heart.”
For this article and more click here.
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