You are invited to attend a workshop entitled ” Sleep Matters: Effects on Maternal Mental Health & Infant Behavior on Wednesday, June 6, 2012.

The session will be held at  8:00am to 4:00pm at Holy Name Medical Center ,Teaneck, New Jersey.

This conference will discuss the health consequences of sleep loss and review changes in sleep physiology during the perinatal period with a

focus on postpartum depression (PPD). Participants will learn about the relationship between maternal depression and infant sleep, behavioral

sleep treatment options for perinatal women with mood disorders and hear current advice regarding nighttime breastfeeding and PPD.

Get more information and register for this cutting-edge conference on sleep patterns and it’s affects on pregnancy and later infant behavior.

Register Now!

Read the report, Guidelines for the Identification & Management of Lead Exposure in Pregnant & Lactating Women, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Extreme maternal obesity may be contributing to birth defects, or even death for mothers and babies.  To read this article on the perils of obesity on childbearing click here.

A small study has found that babies exposed to methamphetamine and alcohol before birth have smaller caudate nucleus regions in the brain than non-exposed children or children exposed to alcohol only in the womb, HealthDay News reported March 17.

Researchers compared brain scans of 13 children exposed to alcohol before birth, 21 children exposed to meth and alcohol, and 27 children who were not exposed to either drug.

The caudite nucleus assists in learning, memory, motor control and motivation.

“We know that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong brain, cognitive and behavioral problems,” said researcher Elizabeth Sowell of the University of California at Los Angeles. “In this study, we show that the effects of prenatal meth exposure, or the combination of meth and alcohol exposure, may actually be worse. Our findings stress the importance of drug abuse treatment for pregnant women.”

The findings were published March 17, 2010 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

A federally funded treatment and prevention program is being credited with a 32-percent decline in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) cases among Native Americans in Alaska,  Anchorage Daily News reported Feb. 19.

The $29-million program, which also included a multimedia education campaign, “did turn the corner,” said Diane Casto of the state Division of Behavioral Health. “What we know about prevention … you need to get the message out strongly, consistently, over and over again. It gave a good kick-start.”

The rate of children born with FAS among native populations declined from about 20 per 10,000 births in 1996 to 13.5 in 2002, according to state officials. Also, fewer children were born with alcohol spectrum disorders.

By contrast, the FAS rate among non-Native residents in Alaska did not drop.

You can read more studies about alcohol consumption at Join Together.

Reproductive Healthcare for Women with Disabilities: Free, Web-Based Program for Clinicians

Through a cooperative agreement with NCBDDD, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has developed a free, six-part, web-based program for clinicians working with women who have disabilities. “Reproductive Healthcare for Women with Disabilities” is an interactive and searchable resource available on the ACOG website. Intended to provide guidance in working with individual patients and for professional education, the program will offer CE credit to practitioners. Among the topics are: Scope of Disability, Sexuality, Psychosocial Issues, The GYN Exam and Screenings, Contraception and AUB, Pregnancy and Parenting, Diet/Exercise/Weight, Adolescent Considerations, Aging and Osteoporosis, Specific Disabilities, Developmental Disabilities, Sensory Impairments, ADA Requirements, Disability Culture, Office and Practice Solutions, and Resources. Visit  the ACOG website and use the search term “disability.”

The report analyzes the barriers to health care that result in our country’s troubling maternal mortality and morbidity statistics. Among other issues, the report examines discrimination; financial, bureaucratic and language barriers to accessing care; information about maternal care options; participation in care decisions; staffing and quality questions; and accountability and oversight.  Two years of analysis, including over one hundred interviews, went into the preparation of the report. We hope it proves to be a valuable tool in your own work.

Going forward, Amnesty International’s recommendations to improve maternal health will include calling for federal accountability on the issue of improving maternal health via an Office of Maternal Health within the Department of Health and Human Services, increasing support for community health centers, establishing state maternal mortality review boards and implementing presumptive eligibility for Medicaid in all states.

You can read the summary at DeadlyDeliverySummary or the  full report at DeadlyDelivery2.