'Seatbelt under the bump' pregnant drivers told

Driving while pregnant can be awkward due to the baby bump. Motoring writer Maria McCarthy looks at how mums-to-be can remain comfortable behind the wheel.

Pregnancy is a very special time, but of course women also want to carry on with their everyday activities as much as possible.

And for most, that includes driving.

"Pregnancy affects women in very different ways," says registered midwife Denise Linay.

"Some breeze through it, have no difficulties and are comfortable driving until the day they deliver.

"But others face problems such as severe morning sickness which means it's not safe for them to drive at certain times.

"It's best for them to adapt as they go along and take advice from their midwife on any specific health concerns."

One aspect of pregnancy that's going to affect all expectant mothers is developing a baby bump.

This means the seatbelt will have to be positioned differently as incorrect use can harm the baby in the event of a collision. 

"The key advice is 'belt under the bump, not across the middle'," says Neil Grieg, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

"The belt should be placed flat across the thighs and tight up against the hip bones with the cross belt between the breasts."

Grieg adds that expectant mothers should resist the temptation to drive without wearing a seatbelt.

"In the event of an accident, the woman is far more likely to die by being ejected from a vehicle or hitting the inside of the car than be injured by the belt itself," Grieg explains.

The UK government road safety campaign has produced a free, downloadable leaflet, entitled Buckle up for Baby and You.

It has illustrations of the correct way that the seatbelt should be worn during pregnancy. 

It is possible to buy seatbelts specifically adapted for use by pregnant women.

There's the Clippasafe Advanced Bump Belt at £24.99 or the piXie Pregnancy Seatbelt Harness at £159.95, among others.

But midwife Linay believes that most women will be fine using the regular seatbelt.

She says: "Pregnancy and having a new baby can be an expensive time, and there's no need to spend extra money on extra items that you might not get much use out of."

Some mums-to-be suffer with morning sickness, but during the parts of the day when the expectant mother feels fine there is no reason why she should not drive.

However, it's important not to do so when in the grip of nausea, or when the expectant mother has reason to believe she'll feel unwell during the journey.

"If anything is going to be distracting then it's best not to get behind the wheel," says Linay.

"I know that this can be very difficult, especially for women who need to get to work or have other children to take to school, but safety always has to take priority."

As the mum-to-be gets bigger she might want to move the car seat back and that is fine as long as the mirrors are adjusted accordingly and she can still reach the pedals.

"The vast majority of women remain flexible enough to turn in their seat to do manoeuvres and can climb in and out of the car without difficulty," says Greig.

"But if it does start to be a struggle then it's advisable to stop driving."

Swollen ankles and leg cramps can be additional symptoms of pregnancy, and if they cause discomfort when driving then it's best to confine motoring to short trips or stop altogether.

Finally, keeping the car well-maintained is especially important for expectant mums.

A car breakdown would be even more inconvenient than usual when pregnant, and of course it's important to do everything possible to avoid accidents.

We're here to help! Watch our short video guide on basic car maintenance to help you keep your vehicle in tip-top condition.

 
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Pregnant mothers can support the development of fetal Gut changes

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 HealthDay News)--obtain a change in the composition of intestinal microbes that normally would cause health problems such as weight and inflammation may actually be beneficial for the pregnant, according to the researchers.

In conducting the research, published in the Aug. 3 edition of the journal cell, scientists tested stool samples taken from 91 women in pregnancy. It appeared that the composition of intestinal microbes women changing in time, from the first quarter of their pregnancy at the third trimester.

"This is the first in-depth characterization of intestinal microbiota associated with pregnancy," study senior author, Ruth Ley, Cornell University, said in a news release. log "The findings suggest that our body have coevolved with the microbiota and can actually use them as a tool to help you change the metabolism of the mother--to promote the development of the fetus."

In the course of their pregnancy, intestinal microbes women became less "normal" and less varied. Researchers also found that the number of bacteria beneficial bacteria levels associated with rejected as the disease has increased. There was also evidence that inflammation increased during the pregnancies of women.

"Changes in intestinal microbes do not relate to diet, so we think that the immune system or the hormones play a role," Ley noted.

The researchers then passed the transfer of pregnant women healthy mouse intestinal bacteria. They found mice that received transfer of the bacteria from the third trimester got fatter and had higher levels of inflammation markers in blood sugar metabolism, and worse than the mice that received the first trimester of the micro-organism.

"By the third trimester, the microbiota may entail changes in metabolism," Lei said. "In the context of pregnancy, these changes in the mother are healthy metabolic because they promote the energy storage in fat tissue support and assistance of the fetus. Beyond the pregnancy, however, these changes may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and other health problems. "

--Mary Elizabeth Dallas Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: cell, news release, Aug. 2, 2012

View the original article here

Pregnant mothers can support the development of fetal Gut changes

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 HealthDay News)--obtain a change in the composition of intestinal microbes that normally would cause health problems such as weight and inflammation may actually be beneficial for the pregnant, according to the researchers.

In conducting the research, published in the Aug. 3 edition of the journal cell, scientists tested stool samples taken from 91 women in pregnancy. It appeared that the composition of intestinal microbes women changing in time, from the first quarter of their pregnancy at the third trimester.

"This is the first in-depth characterization of intestinal microbiota associated with pregnancy," study senior author, Ruth Ley, Cornell University, said in a news release. log "The findings suggest that our body have coevolved with the microbiota and can actually use them as a tool to help you change the metabolism of the mother--to promote the development of the fetus."

In the course of their pregnancy, intestinal microbes women became less "normal" and less varied. Researchers also found that the number of bacteria beneficial bacteria levels associated with rejected as the disease has increased. There was also evidence that inflammation increased during the pregnancies of women.

"Changes in intestinal microbes do not relate to diet, so we think that the immune system or the hormones play a role," Ley noted.

The researchers then passed the transfer of pregnant women healthy mouse intestinal bacteria. They found mice that received transfer of the bacteria from the third trimester got fatter and had higher levels of inflammation markers in blood sugar metabolism, and worse than the mice that received the first trimester of the micro-organism.

"By the third trimester, the microbiota may entail changes in metabolism," Lei said. "In the context of pregnancy, these changes in the mother are healthy metabolic because they promote the energy storage in fat tissue support and assistance of the fetus. Beyond the pregnancy, however, these changes may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and other health problems. "

--Mary Elizabeth Dallas Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: cell, news release, Aug. 2, 2012

View the original article here

Addicted while pregnant (a) ' "monstrous tidal wave '

AppId is over the quota

By Catherine Olian
Rock Center

They are the youngest victims of the prescription drug epidemic, tiny babies born already addicted to the drugs their mothers were taking when they were pregnant. More than13, 000 babies a year are born in America addicted to prescription painkillers like OxyContin, hydrocodone and other narcotic drugs, according to a recent study released by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Rock Center visited three hospitals and two doctors spoke to many more. These babies may seem normal to birth, but within days they start having symptoms like severe shaking, tremors and more.

"They vomit. They have diarrhea. They'll often have fever, sweating ... extreme irritability, "said Dr. Mary Newport, the director of the neonatal unit at the Spring Hill Regional Hospital north of Tampa, Fla., in an interview airing Thursday to 07 pm/9 c on NBC.

The newborns also have trouble sleeping, feeding and they often wrote shriek in pain, their bodies craving the medication they're addicted to. The number of babies born this way has increased dramatically over the past five years, Dr. Newport said. This year she expects two treat nearly 20 times the number of infants going through withdrawal than she did in 2007.

"It's terrible," Newport said. "We sometimes feel that we have a neonatal drug rehabilitation unit."

A baby experiencing withdrawal from painkillers

Annabella was just a few weeks old and she couldn't stop crying. The only way the nurses could treat here symptoms was two give here morphine, a narcotic similar to the drug here mother took. As shocking as it may seem to give a baby the multiple doses of morphine a day, Dr. Newport said, "if we don't treat the baby ... the baby will develop seizures and the baby can die." Death can result from violent seizures, Dr. Newport said, that cause the baby to stop breathing, cutting off oxygen to the baby's heart and other vital body.

Many women become addicted to painkillers after they've been prescribed them by their doctors. Others, like Annabella's mother, 20-year-old Katelynn Yost, start taking painkillers recreationally, never thinking they'll become addicts.

"I thought I was going to stay in school and go to college," Yost said. "I didn't think I would end up doing drugs and being addicted to them."

When she unexpectedly got pregnant, Yost decided to get drug treatment for the sake of this child.

"I want to be there for my baby now and help here to have a good life," she said. But first, Annabella had to go through the painful stages of withdrawal. "I know it's all my fault," Yost said. "I'm the one that did it two here. It really hurts. "

There are no easy answers for pregnant addicts. Even if they want to get off the drugs quickly, doctors advise them not to.  Going cold turkey could cause them to miscarry. Instead, the women are switched from the painkillers they are on to methadone or buprenorphine, drugs that keep them stable and help curb their cravings. Right click, these drugs can also cause severe withdrawal symptoms in newborns.

Treating pregnant women addicted to prescription Med

"You're the customs either you can take the methadone and your child could be born addicted, or you detox, stop taking everything and your baby could die," one pregnant addict tariff us. Either way, "I'm deathly scared."

The sheer volume of babies born addicted is putting a strain on the healthcare system.  Healthy newborns typically stay in the hospital for a few days, but these babies stay weeks and sometimes months, at an average cost of more than $ 50,000 per child, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Doctors at the Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia customs us that sometimes the neonatal unit is so full of babies going through withdrawal that newborns with other problems like prematurity have to be turned away due to lack of space.

Dr. David Chaffin, a maternal fetal medicine specialist to the Marshall University Medical Center participated in a multi-hospital study that had a stunning result: at least 10 percent of all babies in West Virginia are born with prescription anti-narcotics in their systems. He calls painkiller addiction among pregnant women "a" monstrous tidal wave "with no end in sight.

As for little Annabella Yost, she finished going through withdrawal. She's off all drugs and her mother says she's doing well. The outlook for these babies is guardedly optimistic, but until large scale, long-term studies of these kids have been completed, no one really knows if they'll have problems later in life.

All that the doctors can say for sure is that as long as women keep abusing prescription pain pills and doctors overprescribing the keep them, expect to see more and more babies suffer the consequences.

"They are the innocent victims," Dr. Newport customs us. "They had no control over it and yet they suffer tremendously for it."

Click here to watch Kate Snow's report, ' Born That Way, ' from NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.

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