Dear moms-to-be, avoid use of these cosmetic products and creams during pregnancy

If you are an expectant mother in the first trimester, avoid use of cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines to protect the foetal brain development from chemicals that can trigger autism in your baby, say experts. Archana Dhawan Bajaj, gynecologist and obstetrician at Nurture IVF Centre, and Taruna Dua, consultant and gynecologist at Aakash Healthcare, have listed ingredients and products that should be avoided: * Make-up products like lipstick, lip gloss, lip balms, eyeliners, mascaras, deodorants, foundation, nail polish, body oil, talcum powder, hair removal products and hair dyes can cause a…

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Dear women, here’s the most effortless method of keeping UTIs at bay

Doctors say that one in five women suffer from UTI at least once in their lifetime. Now, American researchers may have found a simple way to prevent urinary tract infections — drinking an additional three pints (or 1.42 liters) of water a day could help keep the infections at bay in women who are prone to them. Led by Thomas M Hooton, MD, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Miami School of Medicine, the study looked at 140 healthy premenopausal women who had at least three UTIs in…

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Dear parents, watch out for these 9 signs that indicate your kid needs an eye test

With the proliferation of screens in our lives – phone screen, tablets, Kindles, computers – television isn’t the only source of eye strain for kids and adults. But, unlike in case of adults, it is harder to gauge when children develop vision issues. “More often than not, vision problems go unnoticed until children begin school,” said associate professor of Ophthalmology Marcela Frazier, “Children grow up naturally adapting to vision issues, so when they get into school and start reading and learning, that is when parents and teachers begin to notice…

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Dear yoga lovers, beware! Chemicals in yoga mats may affect your fertility

Several surprising products may have an impact on your chances to be a parent, recent research has shown. If you are planning to undergo fertility treatment, you might want to avoid products like yoga mats. Products with flame retardant chemicals can disrupt in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), the study has claimed. The findings showed that women with higher urinary concentrations of a common type of flame retardant known as organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) – used in polyurethane foam in many products, including upholstered furniture, baby products and gym mats – had reduced likelihood of clinical…

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Dear parents, take note. Cholera vaccines are less effective for children under 5

Vaccines are helping India wipe out several diseases. When it comes to cholera though, things may be different. A study has found that cholera vaccines provide significantly less protection for children under the age five, a population particularly at risk of dying from the diarrhoeal disease. A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the US conducted a review of literature, which considered seven clinical trials and six observational studies. They found that the standard two-dose vaccine regimen reduced the risk of getting cholera on average by 58% for adults but only…

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Dear women, eat more fruits and veggies daily to keep stress away

  The study found that women who ate five-to-seven servings of fruit and vegetables daily had a 23% lower risk of stress. Does your routine, responsibilities and work issues stress you out? Eat more fruits and veggies. A study says people, especially women, who eat five-to-seven servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day are at a lower the risk of psychological stress. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal Open, indicate that people, who ate five-to-seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables had a 14% lower risk of…

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