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On July 26, 2010, moms and babies got the attention they deserve thanks to Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard of California. Roybal-Allard, along with 25 co-sponsors, filed the Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century bill (HR 5807) also known as “MOMS for the 21st Century.” A sweeping piece of legislation, MOMS for the 21^st Century aims to promote optimal pregnancy outcomes by making evidence-based maternity care a national priority. Key provisions include:

• Establishing a focal area on optimal maternity care in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health;

• Establishing a federal interagency coordinating committee on the promotion of optimal…

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When you think about the essential vitamins and minerals you need during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, iodine is not one that usually comes to mind. Yet experts say that a small amount of iodine (about 0.2 milligrams a day) is essential for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, as it plays an important role in the neurological development of the baby.

“Iodine helps make thyroid hormone, which regulates body growth and energy use,” says Ari Brown, M.D., a pediatrician in Austin, Texas, and co-author of Expecting 411, Baby 411 and Toddler 411. “And in pregnancy, iodine deficiency can lead to subtle neurological problems…

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Taxed with too many questions and too little time, but intent on meeting the needs of parents and health professionals alike, Dr. Thomas Hale is planning to create a national call center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The InfantRisk Center will be associated with the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health and will give callers up-to-date, evidence-based information on the use of medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Hale, Professor of Pediatrics at Texas Tech University and author of Medications and Mother’s Milk, hopes to have the call center up and running by the end of July 2010 and is asking…

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Commonly called “brain food,” fish is in the news again, and this time experts are advocating for more not less. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendations regarding fish intake during pregnancy and while breastfeeding have prompted two experts on brain health to write an open letter to the FDA asking that the advice be updated—sooner rather than later.

In the letter, professors Thomas Brenna of Cornell University and Michael Crawford of London Metropolitan University describe the agency’s current recommendations (dating back to 2004) as not only out of date but potentially harmful. They note that the recommendation that women who are…

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Pregnant? Guess what? Your risk for type 2 diabetes just went up. But not to worry. You can neutralize that risk by simply breastfeeding your baby!

A recent study published in Diabetes Care revealed that each year of breastfeeding was associated with a 14 percent decrease in the risk for type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the University of Western Sydney questioned nearly 53,000 women ages 45 and older—some with children, some without—about their health and lifestyle. They found no difference in the risk for type 2 diabetes between women with children and those without. However, women with children who did not breastfeed…

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In her directorial debut, Christy Turlington Burns—fashion model, mother of two, and maternal health advocate—explores women’s reproductive health in No Woman No Cry. Screened this week to rave reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival, No Woman No Cry captures the plight of pregnant women in four parts of the world—a Maasai tribe in Tanzania, a slum in Bangladesh, a post-abortion care ward in Guatemala, and a prenatal clinic in the United States—as they strive to give birth to healthy babies.

In Bangladesh, only 1 in 10 births occur in a clean environment and with the aid of a skilled healthcare provider. The…

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If you’re planning to get pregnant, trying to conceive, or expecting a baby, you may want to check in with your doctor about your weight to ensure you are in a healthy range. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds that maternal obesity may increase a baby’s risk of heart defect.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the New York State Department of Health found that on average, obesity increases a woman’s chance of having a baby with a heart defect by around 15 percent. As the mother’s level of obesity rises, so too…

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An estimated 1,500 babies are born each year with neural tube defects, birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. While the cause is unclear, research shows that getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, by 70 percent. As a result, it is recommended that all women of child-bearing age eat folate-rich foods such as dried beans, leafy green vegetables, fortified cereal, and orange juice and take the recommended amount of folic acid (currently 400-800 mcg) each day. To educate women about the importance of…

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A National Institutes of Health study published in the New England Journal of Health finds that taking vitamins C and E in early pregnancy does not reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Characterized by high blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in the urine, preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of premature birth and maternal death, accounting for 15 percent of premature births and 50,000 maternal deaths worldwide each year. Earlier studies suggested that vitamins C and E might reduce the risk of preeclampsia. But the NIH study, the largest to date, showed no decrease in the incidence of preeclampsia in a group…

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Grin and bear it takes on new meaning when you are pregnant and suffering from an acute or chronic condition such as influenza or asthma. In the past, doctors have been reluctant to give expectant mothers much needed medication during pregnancy, and pregnant women have been inclined to refuse medication offered, concerned about how the drugs might affect unborn babies. Unfortunately, many medical conditions left untreated can harm both mother and baby, highlighting the need to assess both long-term benefits and short-term risks.

In an effort to better understand the risks associated with medications taken during pregnancy, the U.S. Office of…

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Employed by the Red Cross after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, text messaging contributed to record donations. In less dire circumstances but indicative of the popularity of text messaging, millions text their vote for their favorite American Idol. But what can text messaging do for you?

With text4baby, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) is flipping the text message and using it to help expectant and new moms.

The familiar ping, ding, or ringtone sounds out from your handset:

“Give your baby a good start by not drinking alcohol, smoking or using drugs. For help call 800-784-8669 (smoking); 800-662-4357 (drugs & alcohol).”

“Feeling…

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Mother Nature often knows best, but she can also be deadly. Herbs, natural remedies, and dietary supplements have become increasingly popular as treatments for a wide range of conditions. Many consider these natural, non-traditional therapies harmless, but natural doesn’t mean safe, especially for pregnant women.

While expectant moms know that smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy can be risky, few realize that herbal medicines, natural remedies, and alternative therapies can actually harm pregnant women or their unborn babies.

Unlike traditional medicines, herbs and other natural supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so there are no set standards for…

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