Women who are pregnant and have significant symptoms of depression could be at greater risk of complications from the flu, an Ohio State University study released yesterday suggests. Researchers had 22 pregnant women complete questionnaires about their depressive symptoms, then took blood samples after the women had received flu shots. They found the women with the most severe symptoms of depression had double the response to the vaccine as those who weren’t depressed.
The researchers suggest that their responses might also be more severe to an actual influenza infection, and that these women might be more susceptible to complications. The study appears online and is scheduled for eventual print publication in Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended for several years that pregnant women get vaccinated against seasonal flu, but only about 12-13% actually do. And pregnant women have been more vulnerable to the H1N1 flu circulating since April, accounting for 6% of all deaths in the U.S. from the virus even though they make up just 1% of the population.
It’s tough when you feel as if you’ve tried everything – and still no baby. I’ve talked with more than one couple about this during my years as a health writer, and heard their desperation as they search for reliable information and answers. To help light the way, I decided to run a few common fertility myths by Lisa Masterson, M.D. She’s an OB-GYN and fertility specialist on staff at Cedars Sinai and UCLA, and a co-host of the popular daytime television show 
More than 100,000 pregnant women in the U.S. develop gestational diabetes each year, and for the past four decades doctors have been debating whether these women should be treated. If you’re one of them, a new study suggests a conversation with your OB-GYN is in order.
Pregnant women in labor can now have more than the standard cup of ice chips if they’re thirsty, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said Aug. 21. For decades, laboring women haven’t been allowed so much as a glass of water in the delivery room in case they needed to be anesthetized for an emergency cesarean. Under anesthesia, there’s a chance that anything left in the stomach could be drawn into the lungs – which could be fatal. But experts have now decided that improved anesthesia techniques, along with continuing to restrict solid food during labor, offers enough protection. The new recommendation states that women in uncomplicated labor can have small amounts of water, fruit juice without pulp, carbonated beverages, clear tea, black coffee or sports drinks. And even women preparing for a planned cesarean delivery can drink clear liquids up to two hours before they have anesthesia. 
Pregnancy shouldn’t be a license to overeat – especially if you’re already obese – concludes a study out this month in The Journal of the National Medical Association. 
Building a healthy baby starts long before conception, and Get Ready To Get Pregnant, 
12 Million Kids Have Trouble Getting To the Dentist
