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Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, the documentarians behind the critically-acclaimed film The Business of Being Born and authors of Your Best Birth, will exclusively preview clips of their new film on MyBestBirth.com as a webisode series. Beginning on July 6, 2009, the series will feature never-before-seen interviews from Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Melissa Joan Hart, Alyson Hannigan, Laili Ali, Kellie Martin, Sarah Wayne Callies, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Joely Fisher and others, discussing their personal birth experiences. Crawford's birth story will begin the series, airing over four weeks and culminating with an online chat with Crawford. The other celebrity stories will immediately follow.

The new film, titled My Best Birth and scheduled for release this fall, is a new educational video that will further explore the American maternity care system, while providing women with more in-depth information about their childbirth options, information not covered in Lake and Epstein's previous projects.

"After releasing The Business of Being Born and Your Best Birth, Abby and I started receiving numerous requests from parents and parents-to-be yearning for additional information, which lead to the launch of our social networking site, MyBestBirth.com, last month" says Lake. "Since launching the site, we've seen how powerful and healing the sharing of birth stories can be for many parents. This demand spearheaded the new film and gave us the idea to ask celebrities to share their very personal birth stories."

Learn more in the article Ricki Lake: Speaking Out on the Business of Being Born.

Photo credit: Paulo Netto (6-30-09)

Matthew McConaughey, 39, and his girlfriend, Camila Alves, are expecting their second baby, according to People magazine. "We have more blessed news to celebrate this Father's Day that [will] make this time next year double the fun. Levi is going to be a big brother ... Yeah, we pulled off the greatest miracle in the world one more time, Camila and I are expecting our second child, bringing more life into the world, making more to live for. The future looks bright as the family grows," writes McConaughey on his Web site. The couple already has one child together, Levi, 11 months old.

(6-30-09)

Judy Reyes, 41, who plays Carla on ABC's Scrubs, and her boyfriend, George Valencia, are expecting a baby together, according to People magazine. No other details have been released.

(6-30-09)

The number of women who drink alcohol while pregnant is not decreasing, according to a 15-year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately one in eight women drank any amount of alcohol while pregnant, the study says.

The drinking patterns persisted despite repeated warnings from surgeons general about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant. The surgeons general have told pregnant women, and women who may become pregnant, to abstain from alcohol consumption in order to eliminate the chance of giving birth to a baby with alcohol-related birth defects.

The CDC analysis, as well as a study also published by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, shows that far too many women use substances (especially alcohol) during their pregnancies. The CDC study, "Alcohol Use Among Women of Childbearing Age, United States, 1991-2005," is in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The CDC study also found that one of every 50 pregnant women engaged in binge drinking each year during the 15 years. "Exposure to alcohol can cause lifelong physical and mental disabilities that are preventable by avoiding alcoholic drinks while pregnant," says Edwin Trevathan, director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. "All women should know that there is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink or safe time to drink it during pregnancy. We encourage all women to pay attention to the surgeon general warnings."

The study found that pregnant women most likely to report any alcohol use were 35-44 years of age (17.7 percent), college graduates (14.4 percent), employed (13.7 percent), and unmarried (13.4 percent). Pregnant women who binge drink were more likely to be employed and unmarried than were pregnant women who did not binge drink. This study did not examine the reasons why women are still drinking while pregnant.

Any alcohol use was defined as at least one drink of any alcoholic beverage in the past 30 days. Binge drinking was defined as having five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past 30 days.

"By screening and advising women about the risks of drinking while pregnant, health care providers can play a key role in reducing rates of fetal alcohol syndrome," says Clark Denny, a CDC epidemiologist and primary author of the study. "This study revealed that there is still a great need for health care professionals to routinely ask all women who are pregnant or at risk of being pregnant about their alcohol consumption."

For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/fasd.

Also learn more by reading the following articles:

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Why Moms-to-be Shouldn't Even Have "Just One"

Non-alcoholic Drinks for Pregnancy: Spirits of the Season for Mom-to-be

Conquering Addictions: Breaking Bad Habits for a Healthy Pregnancy

(6-30-09)

Elizabeth Castro Wilson, who on March 18, 1985, became the first "IVF baby" born in the East San Francisco Bay Area, joined two other "pioneer IVF babies" in a reunion with the doctors who helped create them, when the Reproductive Science Center of the San Francisco Bay Area (RSC) celebrated its 25th anniversary as one of the nation's first private IVF clinics.

Wilson, now 24, lives in Prescott, Ariz., and is a medical assistant, pre-med student and mother of two. At the reunion she will meet two others whose births made news: Travis McCullar, 22, the second baby in the nation born from a frozen embryo (October 26, 1986), and Brian Strickland, 24, the second IVF baby born in Contra Costa County (May 6, 1985).

McCullar's birth was so notable that he was featured in USA Today as "A month-old miracle of science" and on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. "In those days I was involved in live televised debates with medical ethicists on the news of their births," says RSC surgical and research director Dr. Donald I. Galen, the infertility pioneer who treated the McCullars and Stricklands.

(6-30-09)

When should a parent schedule a comprehensive eye assessment for a baby? Clinical research has shown that at 6 months, the average baby has reached a number of critical developmental milestones, making this an appropriate age for the first eye and vision assessment.

According to the American Optometric Association's (AOA) 2008 American Eye-Q survey, which tracks public knowledge and understanding of a wide range of issues related to eye and visual health, only 13 percent of parents make sure their children receive a comprehensive eye assessment in their first year.

It's estimated that one in 10 children is at risk from an undiagnosed eye or vision problem that, if left untreated, can lead to difficulties later in school or even permanent vision loss. Additionally, many children at risk for eye and vision problems are not being identified at an early age, when many of those problems might be prevented or more easily corrected.

Infant eye and vision assessments offer early detection of vision and eye health problems and are critical to a child's development. Through the Optometry's Charity – The AOA Foundation's public health program, InfantSEE, optometrists provide a one-time, comprehensive eye assessment to infants in their first year of life, typically between the ages of 6 and 12 months. These assessments are provided at no cost to all families, regardless of families' ability to pay or access to insurance coverage.

"Many eye conditions have no visual symptoms so detection by a parent or in a well-baby checkup may be difficult," says Dr. Glen Steele, optometrist and chair of the InfantSEE committee. "Therefore, an early comprehensive vision assessment is the best way to ensure your baby has healthy eyes and appropriate vision development – now and in the future."

"The good news about a trip to the optometrist is that most babies seem to enjoy the 'games' we use to determine whether their visual development is progressing normally and their eyes are healthy," says Dr. Steele.

Since infants cannot speak, optometrists perform several non-invasive tests that evaluate visual acuity, refraction, motility, alignment, binocularity and overall eye health. As detailed below, these tests can identify signs of vision problems, such as strabismus (crossed-eyes), amblyopia (lazy eye) and diseases of the eye.

Family health history is also an important part of an infant's eye assessment. An optometrist will want to know about the parents' vision problems as well as the broader family's eye and medical history, developmental history and demographic data. Factors that may indicate a baby is at significant risk for visual impairment include the following:

Premature birth, low birth weight or oxygen used following birth

Family history of eye diseases such as retinoblastoma (eye cancer), congenital cataracts or metabolic or genetic disease

Drug or alcohol use during pregnancy

Sexually transmitted diseases, cytomegalovirus or HIV

Difficult or assisted labor, which may be associated with fetal distress or low Apgar scores

In addition to sharing findings with the parents, the doctor of optometry may send summary information to the infant's pediatrician, family physician or other appropriate practitioners to report and explain any significant condition(s) or concerns diagnosed in the assessment.

To learn more, visit InfantSEE.org.

(6-30-09)

A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University researchers reports that amniotic fluid surrounding Down syndrome fetuses shows oxidative stress, a condition that could harm fetal cells and play a role in affected individuals. The results demonstrate secondary adverse consequences of Down syndrome and suggest potential prenatal therapies.

Dr. Diana Bianchi, Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics at Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, and Dr. Donna Slonim, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Tufts University, conducted an analysis of the human genome from cell-free fetal messenger RNA in amniotic fluid surrounding fetuses. Their team identified molecular and biochemical pathway changes that were evident in the Down syndrome fetuses as compared to normal fetuses as early as the fourth month of pregnancy.

Down syndrome occurs when an individual has three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two. The longstanding assumption has been that proteins produced by the additional copy of chromosome 21 were almost exclusively responsible for the atypical development and function associated with the syndrome. A surprising aspect of the findings was that the molecular abnormalities observed were predominantly produced by genes on the other chromosomes.

As a next step, researchers are examining amniotic cells to determine if they show similar genomic profiles to the cell-free material in the fluid. If that is the case, they will begin to look at the effectiveness of anti-oxidant compounds as potential treatment in vitro.

"While more research is needed, this study illuminates a possible pathway to treating some aspects of Down syndrome in the womb," Dr. Bianchi says. "While we do not know the extent to which the developing fetus is affected by oxidative stress, we know this abnormal environment is not conducive to optimal development."

For more information, visit www.tufts-nemc.org or www.pnas.org.

(6-30-09)

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has announced new oral health guidelines for expectant mothers and infants following its 62nd Annual Session in Honolulu, Hawaii. The guidelines call for all pregnant women to receive counseling and oral health care during pregnancy, and also that infants receive an oral health risk assessment and oral care by their first birthday. These steps will contribute to optimal oral health for both mom and baby.

"There is evidence associating periodontal disease and increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight," says AAPD's Immediate Past-President Dr. Beverly Largent. A recently published study found significant differences between women treated for periodontal disease and those who were not treated. The findings suggest that incorporating periodontal care may result in improved pregnancy outcomes.

"Because premature births have become the No. 1 obstetric problem in the United States, we felt the need to provide more guidance about necessary oral care for expectant moms, in addition to promoting oral health as a key part of pregnant women's overall health," says Dr. Largent.

The guidelines are based on studies that suggest that proper dental care during the perinatal period may help prevent preterm and low birth weight babies and is an important aspect of overall health for pregnant women – allowing them to enter delivery in optimal health. Many women, however, are unaware of the implications poor oral health can have on themselves and their babies and often don't seek oral care during pregnancy.

Additionally, mothers with poor oral health may be at greater risk of infecting their children with the bacteria that causes cavities, increasing their children's caries risk at an early age. Because cavities in infants are preventable, determining which mothers are at the highest risk improves opportunities for preventive intervention.

"Every expectant mother should receive a comprehensive oral health evaluation and risk assessment," says Dr. Largent. "Dental treatment is safe throughout pregnancy, and this is a time when expectant mothers need to be screened for oral risks, counseled on proper oral hygiene and receive necessary dental treatment."

The updated guidelines also address proper oral care for infants and toddlers, the age group most susceptible to early childhood caries (ECC), which is an infectious but preventable disease that causes tooth decay and potentially more serious health issues. When left untreated, ECC can affect speech and communication, eating and dietary nutrition, sleeping, learning, playing and quality of life – even into adulthood. The guidelines outline how simple changes in a mother's oral hygiene, diet, use of topical fluoride and sharing of eating utensils can significantly reduce a child's risk for ECC.

Additionally, because physicians, nurses and other health care professionals see expectant or new mothers and their infants on a regular basis, the AAPD guidelines also encourage health care professionals to talk to their patients about proper oral care. In addition, the AAPD recommends that curriculum at medical, nursing and allied health professional programs include education in perinatal and infant oral health.

For more information on perinatal and infant oral health or to view the updated guidelines, visit www.aapd.org.

(6-23-09)

Giving birth to a low birth weight baby may be reduced by taking multivitamins vs. supplements of iron and folic acid, as it's recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Researchers analyzed data from more than 36,000 women and their infants. They found that taking a multivitamin, which already contains iron and folic acid, reduced the risk of having a low birth weight baby by 17 percent. The research was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

(6-23-09)

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, 28, and her husband, New England Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady, are expecting a baby, according to People magazine. This will be the couple's first child together. Brady has a son, John, with his ex-girlfriend, Bridget Moynahan. Bundchen and Brady married on February 26, 2009.

(6-23-09)