Posts Tagged control group
Insufficient Vitamin D levels in pregnant women
Posted by in Pregnancy on October 22nd, 2009
Irrelevant of where you stand on the Big Bang Theory, Adam & Eve or Darwin’s evolution, the concept of women getting pregnant has been around for a very long time. And it’s something we’re very good at. Women have successfully given birth in the most difficult conditions, and to this day still do. In famine, war zones, severe poverty and with serious illnesses, women have produced healthy children “against the odds”.
But that is where the problem lies: “against the odds”. And as we learn more about pregnancy and foetal development and learn more about how lifestyle and nutrition can affect a baby’s development in the womb, we also discover that there are things we can do to lower the risk of our babies having health problems. This is why pregnant women don’t drink alcohol and avoid pate, soft cheeses, raw egg and such like. It is only relatively recently that pregnant women have been advised to significantly limit their tuna intake due to the effects mercury can have on their unborn child.
We are constantly learning about pregnancy and making lifestyle decisions based on those learnings. Recently attentions have turned to Vitamin D and the suggestion that mothers-to-be, even including those supplementing, might not be getting enough of this important vitamin – crucial for the development of the baby’s bones and the health of the mother’s.
A recent study in Northern Ireland tested the vitamin D levels in 99 pregnant women, plus a control group of 38, all living at latitudes of 54 to 55 degrees. In each gestation length group there were significant numbers deficient in Vitamin D and very high numbers with insufficient amounts. At 20 weeks, 44% of the group were Vitamin D deficient and a huge 96% were insufficient. And while those that supplemented did generally show higher levels, insufficiency was still evident.
This was an observational study, and therefore cannot be used to make recommendations on the exact levels of Vitamin D pregnant women should supplement with. However, it does give some suggestion that pregnant women should take a Vitamin D supplement, especially in the winter. Why? Our bodies produce Vitamin D when they get exposure to the sun, but in climates such as the UK our bodies may not produce any Vitamin D during the winter months so we are entirely reliant on getting this from our diet. Some foods are fortified with the vitamin but this study certainly suggests these levels aren’t high enough for pregnant women.
Understandably there are very strict guidelines about what vitamins and minerals it is safe for pregnant women to supplement with which is why existing pregnancy supplements such as BioCare’s Ante-Natal Forte include 5mcg of Vitamin D. These guidelines errs very much on the side of caution – as they should – but with the participation and moral difficulties of running experiments, this caution can actually mean pregnant women aren’t getting the best nutritional support available.
This will always be the case, and the safety of every unborn child far outweighs the potential benefit more knowledge could bring. But it is also important to keep finding new, and safe, ways of increasing and improving our knowledge about pregnancy, and how supplementing could optimise the “odds” of a healthy child, and mother.
Sam worked in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years and became more interested in the role diet and nutrition plays in people’s health, so her studies took her in a more nutritional direction. She now works at a company who sell nutritional health supplements, namely Totally Nourish.
Article Source: Insufficient Vitamin D levels in pregnant women
Research Shows the Benefits of Baby Sign Language
Posted by in Babies on August 5th, 2009
The study assigned the children into two groups, one that used baby sign language and one that did not. Children were recruited at the age of eleven months and their language development was followed until they were three years old. Language assessments designed to measure comprehension and language production were conducted at intervals during the study. The ability to put words into sentences and intellectual development was measured at 24 months. The most interesting finding was that the average scores of children using baby sign language were higher than the control group who were not using baby sign language. At twenty-four months, the signing children had a three month developmental advantage over the non-signing children. Even more amazing was that at thirty-six months, this had increased to be equivalent to a twelve month advantage in their overall language skills and comprehension.
Learning a second language improves overall language skills.
It has also been demonstrated in other scientific research that children who learn a second language early on in life become comparatively ahead in both languages when compared to a child who speaks only one language. Sign language stimulates early brain development and enhances the communication and social skills.
Baby sign language enriches the bonding and relationship between you and your child. Your relationship with your child is enriched by baby sign language as you are talking to your baby, encouraging imitation, exploring new opportunities together and interacting more frequently. All of this provides the child with a sense of security, love and affection.
Baby sign language empowers your child to have a sense of control over their environment lessoning frustration. Empowering your child with communication skills much earlier in life than they would usually develop with speech can have a profound effect on reducing the frustration felt by the child, especially when they reach the age generally known to parents as the terrible twos.
Baby sign language allows babies to share their world with us.
Using baby sign language can give you a unique opportunity to get to know your babies wants and needs from a very early age. It can also give you insight into their personality and their perception of the world around them. Baby sign language is the perfect way of getting to know your baby better.
Lisa Baade is the author of Toddler Interpreter, A Parent’s Guide to Baby Sign Language for Hearing Babies and Toddlers. By the time the baby has worked through the 5 stages of learning, the baby signs have progressed with the child’s development and most children will be ready to replace all signs with fully developed speech, which remains the goal. Toddler Interpreter Baby Sign Language Resources can be purchased on line from http://www.toddlerinterpreter.com
Article Source: Research Shows the Benefits of Baby Sign Language
