Is Ginseng Safe In Pregnancy?

Conflicting Information On Ginseng In Pregnancy

I've heard and read so much about the health benefits of Gensing.
 My site: www.getpregnantover40.com
 It also is frequently recognized as something to take for morning sickness.  However, you may want to think twice about taking Gensing if you're pregnant or trying to conceive because of some studies done on animals. Read more:

"Researchers from Hong Kong have warned that women should be cautious about using the herbal remedy ginseng in the early stages of pregnancy.

They have found evidence that ginsenoside Rb1 - one of the principal active components of ginseng - can cause abnormalities in rat embryos.

Their research is published in Europe's reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction.

Dr Louis Chan and colleagues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Prince of Wales Hospital, tested ginsenoside Rb1 in various concentrations on 9-day old rat embryos.

They found that embryos exposed to more than 30 micrograms per millilitre of ginsenoside Rb1 had significantly lower morphological scores. Morphological scores are a way of assessing the development of the important organs of embryos: the higher the score, the more normal is the development of the embryo.

See Also: Fertility and Green Tea (www.getpregnantover40.com)

At 30 micrograms the total morphological scores were significantly lower than the scores of the control group, which had not been exposed to gensinoside - 35 as opposed to 45 - and they had lower scores for heart, limbs, eye development and flexion. At the highest dose of 50 micrograms the total score fell to 28 and the embryos were also significantly shorter in body length and had fewer somites (muscle pre-cursor cells).

"Our study has demonstrated that ginsenoside exerts a direct teratogenic effect on rat embryos: that is to say it is capable of causing malformations in rat embryos," said Dr Chan.

"Although there are numerous reports in the literature concerning the potential benefit of ginseng, much less is know about the potential toxicity and there are no data about its potential effect on the developing human foetus. Yet a survey published in 2001 showed that over 9% of pregnant women report using herbal supplements, and in Asia up to 10% have taken ginseng during pregnancy," he said."
from:
(www.aphroditewomenshealth.com)

Bacteria May Sabotage IVF Success

Pregnancy Over 40, IVF Failure and Bacteria

After going through a number of failed IVF's, I found this article interesting.
http://www.getpregnantover40.com
 I do recall taking what they called a "prophylactic antibiotic" after my egg retrieval.  It was just a couple of doses, but this article may explain why it was given.  Apparently there's a high rate of bacteria present in women with failed IVF's. Read more:



From the article:

"Our findings were startling: we found 21 of the 31 FF samples contained one or more microorganisms. This in itself was contrary to accepted thought because it was believed the fluid surrounding the ovum was sterile," Dr Knox said.

This finding prompted a larger study by QUT PhD researcher Elise Pelzer, under a Wesley Research Institute scholarship, working with Dr Knox.

"We tested the FF of 148 women and found bacteria present in the fluid of 99 per cent of the women tested. Only the FF from one woman was sterile," Dr Knox said.

"By testing both vaginal swabs and FF we found that in some women bacteria present in the lower genital tract was transferred to the FF at the time of egg pick-up by the procedure TVOR (transvaginal oocyte, or ovum, retrieval).

"In this process ripened eggs are removed from the ovary by a needle through the vagina. In other women, we found the FF had been infected with unique bacteria not found in the lower genital tract.

"When we looked at pregnancy outcomes in the early study, we found that only 25 per cent of women with FF colonised with unique bacterial species achieved a successful pregnancy," she said.

"By contrast, bacteria introduced into the FF at the time of TVOR did not have the same effect and 50 per cent of these women achieved a successful pregnancy.

"Even though similar numbers of oocytes were collected at the time of TVOR from both groups of women, we also found that eggs from women with colonised FF had a lower rate of fertilisation to start with, which, of course, meant they produced fewer embryos for transfer to the womb."
from:  
  (insciences.org)

Topical Steroids and Pregnancy Complications

Pregnancy Over 40 and Skin Medications

I think we sometimes forget that medications that are applied to the skin still enter our bloodstream and can negatively affect a pregnancy.
My site: www.getpregnantover40.com
 If you've been prescribed topical steroids, you should check with your doctor and pharmacist about its safety for use in pregnancy. Read more:

Investigators at Chang Gung University in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and the University of Oxford (England) used the U.K. General Practice Research Database to identify 35,503 women who had been prescribed topical corticosteroids during or shortly before pregnancy, and a control group comprising 48,630 unexposed pregnant women.

Maternal exposure to potent or very potent topical steroids was associated with an adjusted 2.1-fold increased relative risk of fetal growth restriction.

Moreover, a significant dose-response relationship was found, such that for every 30 g of prescribed potent or very potent topical steroids, the risk of fetal growth retardation climbed by about 3%.

The risk rose with the increasing potency of the topical medication, Dr. Stein said at the meeting.

The investigators estimated that 168 pregnant women would have to receive potent or very potent topical steroids in order to result in one additional case of fetal growth restriction ( J. Invest. Dermatol. 2010 [doi:10.1038/jid.2010. 392]).

Pregnancy and GI Upsets

Pregnancy Over 40 and Your GI System

Morning sickness is just the beginning.
My site: www.getpregnantover40.com
 Many women have gastrointestinal problems throughout their pregnancy. Here is a good article on what you can do throughout the day to help relieve some digestive upsets. Read more:

Eat Smaller Meals More Frequently: This can help by preventing the system from getting overloaded. By eating more frequently, you are ensuring that you do get enough food during the day.

Walk After Meals: Walking is a natural laxative. The movement of the pelvis helps to allow material to move through the digestive system easier.

Eat a Variety of Fresh Fruits: Fresh and dried fruits can help to keep your system working smoothly.

Eat More Fiber: Fiber absorbs water as the food moves through your digestive system, which keeps things flowing at a good pace.

Avoid Offending Foods: If there is a food that makes you sick or uncomfortable every time you eat it, stop eating that food. There is such a large variety of foods available that you are sure to find an adequate substitute.

See Also: Strange Early Pregnancy Symptoms (www.getpregnantover40.com

Eat Protein Before Bed: Although all foods are broken down into glucose for use by your body, it takes your body longer to digest a protein than a carbohydrate or fat. By having a protein snack before bed you may be able to prevent having an "empty" stomach in the morning which is associated with morning sickness.

Eat Crackers Before Getting Out of Bed: Again, the idea here is to prevent the "empty" stomach that appears to be a cause of morning sickness.

Do Pelvic Rocks: Pelvic rocking (on your hands and knees moving your pelvis, see the Coaches Notebook for further explanation)allows the uterus to hang which gives the digestive system (which is getting more cramped every day) a chance to stretch out and flex its muscles so to speak. Try doing 100-200 about an hour after dinner or at bedtime.

Drink Water: Remember that fiber that absorbs water to keep things flowing smoothly. It has to have water to grab so drink up!

Put a Low Stool Under Your Feet While You Use the Bathroom: The squatting position is the natural elimination position for the human body. It allows the most room for everything to come out. Your cramped digestive system can use all the space you can give it.
from:  nutrition.birthingnaturally.net

Does Motherhood Make You A Worrywart? Not Necessarily

 Pregnancy Over 40 - worrying

Motherhood may contribute to your worry, but according to the article below, women tend to worry more than men in general.
My site:  www.getpregnantover40.com
That doesn't surprise most of us, but the article helps to explain why.

From the article:

Scientists have known that on the whole, females of all ages tend to worry more and have more intense worries than males. Women also tend to perceive more risk in situations and grow more anxious than men.

Now we know why.

Women are more likely than men to believe that past experiences accurately forecast the future, according to two new studies.

The research, involving both 3- to 6-year-olds and adults of both genders, tested the extent to which participants' thought that worry can be caused by thinking that a bad event that happened in the past could happen again in the future. (This skill, in its simplest form, is critical to social understanding as it is important to making decisions and assessing risk.)
 from:  Why Women Worry So Much (www.livescience.com)

Mother's Childhood May Affect Offspring

Pregnancy Over 40, Your Mother

I found it fascinating that a mother's environment may not only affect their child when she's pregnant, but long before she's pregnant.
My site: www.getpregnantover40.com
Read more:

From the article:

A study reveals that the severity of learning disorders may depend not only on the child’s environment but also – remarkably – on the mother’s environment when she was young. The study in memory-deficient mice, published in the February 4 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, was led by Larry Feig, PhD, professor of biochemistry at Tufts University School of Medicine and member of the biochemistry and neuroscience programs at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts University.

The researchers studied the brain function of pre-adolescent mice with a genetically-created defect in memory. When these young mice were enriched by exposure to a stimulating environment – including novel objects, opportunities for social interaction and voluntary exercise – for two weeks, the memory defect was reversed. The work showed that this enhancement was remarkably long-lasting because it was passed on to the offspring even though the offspring had the same genetic mutation and were never exposed to an enriched environment.

Previous research has shown that environmental exposures during pregnancy can affect offspring. “A striking feature of this study is that enrichment took place during pre-adolescence, months before the mice were even fertile, yet the effect reached into the next generation,” said Feig.

“The offsprings’ improved memory was not the result of better nurturing by mothers who were enriched when they were young. When the offspring were raised by non-enriched foster mothers, the offspring maintained the beneficial effect,” said co-author Junko Arai, PhD, postdoctoral associate in Feig’s laboratory.

“The effect lasted until adolescence, when it waned, suggesting that this process is designed specifically to aid the young brain,” continued Shaomin Li, PhD, MD, co-author, former postdoctoral associate in Feig’s laboratory, now at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“This example of ‘inheritance of acquired characters,’ was first proposed by Lamarck in the early 1800s. However, it is incompatible with classical Mendelian genetics, which states that we inherit qualities from our parents through specific DNA sequences they inherited from their parents. We now refer to this type of inheritance as epigenetics, which involves environmentally-induced changes in the structure of DNA and the chromosomes in which DNA resides that are passed on to offspring,” said Feig.

from:
insciences.org

Salt Intake In Pregnancy

Pregnancy Over 40 and Sodium

I think most of us naturally assume that a low salt diet would be good during pregnancy.
My site: www.getpregnantover40.com
 I was surprised to find out that this isn't true. We usually get more than enough sodium in our diets, but pregnant women shouldn't necessarily restrict sodium unless directed by their doctor. Read more:

From the article:

Sodium Restriction
Many women are casually advised by friends or family to restrict their salt intake to prevent 'swelling' of feet and ankles. This is not a current medical recommendation. While it is prudent to avoid 'excess' salt use, sodium restriction should not be casually undertaken. Edema (accumulation of fluid) in the feet and legs often occurs during pregnancy. This is a result of increased estrogen production and greater blood volume. Estrogen increases a mother's ability to absorb water into connective tissue, thus fluid retention is naturally higher. At the same time, progesterone increases the sodium content of urine, so more sodium than usual is lost by women during pregnancy. Therefore, despite the presence of edema, sodium needs still increase for pregnant women.

See Also: Foods For Fertility (www.getpregnantover40.com)

Although the increase in sodium requirement is not dramatic, it is important. Restricting sodium during pregnancy can cause problems for mother and her fetus, by disrupting this delicate fluid balance. Edema that occurs during pregnancy is not considered harmful, unless high blood pressure or protein loss in urine is also occurring. If your obstetrician advises a low sodium diet, clarify with the doctor the extent of sodium restriction and any fluid recommendation being made to you.

from:
www.storknet.com