Babies in strollers are exposed to twice more pollution than adults

Babies in prams can be exposed to up to 60 per cent more pollution than their parents, causing potential damage to their frontal lobe and impacting on their brain development, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK examined over 160 references to highlight the factors concerning the pollution exposure of babies in prams and associated mitigation strategies. The study, published in the journal Environment International, also investigated different types of prams based on their height, width, and whether they seat one child or two…

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New robot can help treat rare birth defect that affects the food pipe of babies

Scientists have created a robot, which can be implanted into a baby’s body to treat a rare birth defect that affects the food pipe. The prototype robotic implant, developed by the researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital in the US, encourages tissue growth in babies. The robot is a small device which is attached to the oesophagus by two rings. An incorporated motor then stimulates the cells by gently pulling the tissue. Using two types of sensors – one to measure the tension in the tissue and…

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Vitamin E Deficiency May Affect Learning Skills in Babies, Load up on the Nutrient With these Foods

Pregnant women have to be extremely careful about the food they consume as it not only nourishes the mother but also the baby in the womb. Any deficiency can lead to health problems in the new born. According to a new research, babies who lacked vitamin E nourishment while in the womb are likely to be at an increased risk of developing impairments in mental skills that include learning and metabolic problems. The study was carried out on zebrafish because their neurological development is similar to that of a human,…

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Some Babies May Need Allergy Tests Before Trying Peanuts

Most of the time, parents can safely feed peanuts to babies on their own, but infants with a history of allergies should still get a checkup first, a research review confirms. “If your infant has a history of an allergic disorder (i.e. eczema, food allergy), we would recommend that he/she be evaluated for a peanut allergy by an allergist, before introducing a peanut containing product at home,” said lead study author Dr. Sara Anvari of Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “Also, when introducing peanuts at…

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Maternal B12 Deficiency May up Diabetes Risk in Babies

Women with vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy may predispose their children to metabolic diseases such as Type-2 diabetes, a team of researchers led by one of Indian origin has warned. The vitamin is found in animal products, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk. Its deficiency are more likely to occur in pregnant women, who follow a vegetarian diet, the study said. “The nutritional environment provided by the mother can permanently programme the baby’s health,” said Ponusammy Saravanan, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Warwick in Britain. In this…

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Giving Babies Eggs and Nuts Early May Avert Allergies

Infants who get a taste of eggs and peanuts starting when they’re as young as 4 months old may have a lower risk of developing allergies to those foods than babies who try them later, a research review suggests. With eggs, giving babies that first spoonful between 4 and 6 months was associated with 46 percent lower odds of egg allergies than waiting to introduce this food later. For peanuts, offering infants a sample between 4 and 11 months was associated with 71 percent lower odds of peanut allergies than…

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