For the Week Ending October 20, 2019.
Swedish researchers looked at the risk of having health conditions including high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart disease or epilepsy among adults who had been born prematurely. The study titled, “Prevalence of Survival Without Major Comorbidities Among Adults Born Prematurely,” was published in the latest issue of the JAMA this month. Read the article here.
Study uncovers brain biology behind postpartum depression
Chronic stress during pregnancy triggers an immune response in the brain that has potential to alter brain functions in ways that could contribute to postpartum depression, new research in animals suggests. The Ohio State University researchers who made the discovery have been studying the brain biology behind postpartum depression for several years, creating depressive symptoms in pregnant rats by exposing them to chronic stress. Chronic stress during pregnancy is a common predictor of postpartum depression, which is characterized by extreme sadness, anxiety and exhaustion that can interfere with a mother’s ability to care for herself or her baby. Benedetta Leuner, associate professor of psychology at Ohio State and lead author of the study, presented the findings Saturday (Oct. 19, 2019) at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago.
Pregnant women with anemia more likely to need blood transfusions after cesarean delivery
Pregnant women with anemia are twice as likely to need blood transfusions after a cesarean delivery, as those without the condition, according to a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2019 annual meeting. Yet most pregnant women aren’t screened early in their pregnancy for iron deficiency, which can lead to anemia. In the study, researchers analyzed a prospective clinical registry as well as the electronic health records of 5,527 women who had a planned cesarean delivery during a 4-½-year period and determined 1,276 (23%) tested positive for anemia when they were admitted to the hospital for delivery. Of the women who had anemia, 107 (8.4%) had a blood transfusion vs. 187 of the 4,251 women who didn’t have anemia (4.4%), meaning the adjusted odds of receiving a transfusion were two times greater for women who had anemia upon hospital admission.
The most popular article on The Pulse this week was Helpful Tips For First Time Breastfeeding. Read it here.
