Archive for December, 2009
Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy
Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy May Not Increase Asthma Risk in Offspring CME
CME Released: 12/03/2009; Valid for credit through 12/03/2010
December 3, 2009 — Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is not associated with increased risk for asthma in children, according to the results of a prospective study reported in the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
“The relationship between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and asthma in children remains unclear and warrants further investigation, ” write Elizabeth M. Kang, MPH, from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues. “To identify risk factors for childhood asthma, we analyzed data from a prospective cohort study of women followed through their pregnancies and subsequent follow-up of their children at 6 years of age to investigate the etiology of childhood asthma. With detailed classification and comprehensive reporting of acetaminophen, we aimed to estimate the role of prenatal exposure to acetaminophen in the development of asthma in children.”
The study cohort consisted of 1505 pregnant women and their children. Follow-up continued until age 6 years ± 3 months. In the first and third trimesters, acetaminophen use was evaluated before 24 weeks of gestation and within 1 month of delivery. At age 6 years, children were evaluated for asthma, and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were derived from logistic regression models that adjusted for potential confounding variables.
During pregnancy, 69% of women used acetaminophen. Use of acetaminophen was not associated with a significantly increased risk for asthma in the offspring (aOR, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53 – 1.10). For women who used acetaminophen during both the first and the third trimester, the risk for asthma was significantly reduced in the offspring (aOR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36 – 0.98), with no apparent dose response. Acetaminophen consumption greater than 10,400 mg (32 tablets) per month was not associated with increased risk (aOR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.19 – 5.30).
“Our results suggest that acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not increase risk of asthma in children,” the study authors write.
Limitations of this study include lack of data on acetaminophen exposure during the second trimester, reliance on self-report for acetaminophen exposure and for asthma diagnoses, and failure to control for cotherapy.
“It may still be premature for public warnings of acetaminophen and increased risk of asthma,” the study authors conclude. “Acetaminophen is the drug of choice for pain relief during pregnancy and early childhood, and this study offers reassurance that antenatal acetaminophen has limited, if any, effects on asthma development in children.”
The National Institutes of Health supported this study. The study authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Obstet Gynecol. 2009;114:1295- 1306. Abstract.
Ladypallooza
There was such an incredible vibe in the room at Ladypallooza on Saturday, Dec. 5th. People came and no one left. We ate incredibly delicious food from Cucina Aurora, Kitchen Witchery. I met some amazing women. The music was rockin from Liza Coppola and Erin Shultz and later on soothing from Jessie Haynes. Doula extraordinare Lisa Inglese organized an uplifting, great day where we shared ideas from elightened folks. In between all the activities and workshops: Mary Lewis’ Children’s Entertainment, Infant Massages, Medium Session with Mary, Feng Shui 101, What’s a Doula?, The Law of Attraction, Estate Planning from Alicia J. Klat–holistic law.
I learned so much about being a woman. Our journey never stops and always continues to grow. As a busy woman, mother-of-three, I’m always on the back burner of life. I smolder there, slow cooking. Unfortunately sometimes, I pop and explode. I find a really good way to prevent that is by tuning into the Earth Mother within.
Ladypallooza helped re-align me with that inner feminine energy. That night I had a dream. I was floating above the room and saw thousands of white laser light beams criss crossed in a labyrinth pattern suspended within the patchwork of the cathedral ceiling. It looked like blown glass tubes, clear and throbbing with energy. I woke up refreshed.
Check out our doula recommendations.
Saturday, December 5 Ladypallooza
Come have fun in our one-day women’s symposium. Tis the season for festivities! Celebrate the spirit of women at Ladypallooza. We’ll be dancing and singing and sharing ideas on Saturday, December 5 between 10 am and 4 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Stony Brook. Ladypallooza is sponsored by Mothers Emerge Worldwide, a non-profit organization dedicated to help women find holistic health care before, during and after birth. Shop from local craftswomen, enjoy music from female musicians, participate in workshops, listen to discussions about women’s health, wellness and pregnancy. They’ll be gourmet snacks. $5.00 fee or bring a canned good donation and get in free. Children under 13 are free. Ladypallooza at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 380 Nichols Road, Stony Brook. Visit, www.ladypallooza.com
Mothers Emerge Worldwide 
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