Fathers-to-be who expose their pregnant partners to secondhand smoke put their babies at risk of heart defects, researchers warn. For the new study, investigators in China reviewed 125 studies that included a total of nearly 9 million prospective parents and more than 137,000 babies with congenital heart defects. All types of parental smoking were linked to an increased risk of these birth defects, the analysis found. Compared to no smoking exposure, the increased risk was 124 percent for women exposed to secondhand smoke while pregnant, 74 percent for men smoking, and 25 percent for women smoking. “Fathers are a large source of secondhand smoke for pregnant women, which appears to be even more harmful to unborn children than women smoking themselves,” said study author Jiabi Qin of Central South University in Changsha, China. “Fathers-to-be should quit smoking,” Qin said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology. The overall risk with all types of parental smoking was greater when the analysis was restricted to Asian groups, the study authors noted. Women’s exposure to secondhand smoke was dangerous throughout pregnancy — and even before, according to the report. While those who smoked before getting pregnant had no added risk, those who smoked during pregnancy were more apt to give birth to a child with a heart defect. Specifically, smoking while pregnant was associated with…  read on >

People transitioning female to male face issues around future fertility. But new research suggests children in the future are a real possibility for these transgender men. Now, research shows that transgender men can remain fertile after even one year of testosterone treatment. It’s common for transgender men — those who were born female but who identify as male — to undergo testosterone therapy as a gender-affirming treatment. But some may later want children through their own pregnancy or via surrogate, the Israeli researchers explained. “Because the long-term effects of testosterone therapy on fertility are unknown, the current recommendation is to stop testosterone at least three months before fertility treatments,” said lead investigator Dr. Yona Greenman. She heads the Transgender Health Center at Tel Aviv-Sourasky Medical Center. The study included 52 transgender men, aged 17 to 40, who received testosterone therapy over 12 months. They had the expected increase in testosterone blood levels and decrease in estrogen, but their levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) remained in the normal range for fertility. AMH levels are used to appraise remaining eggs in the ovaries. Average levels in study participants decreased only slightly, suggesting their ovarian function was well-preserved, according to Greenman. Participants also showed no changes in the thickness of their uterine lining. A thick lining is crucial for embryo implantation and a successful pregnancy. The findings are…  read on >

More American women had health insurance and access to care after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was fully in place in 2014, and poorest women benefited most, according to a new report. For the study, researchers examined U.S. National Health Interview Survey data on insurance affordability, access to care and the use of preventive services — such as flu vaccination, mammograms, and blood pressure and cholesterol screening — among women aged 19 to 64. Forty percent of low-income women were uninsured prior to the ACA (often called “Obamacare”), the study found, versus 17 percent in 2014 and 11 percent in 2016. The review found that more than 4 percent of the poorest women were more likely to have seen a doctor within a year in 2014-2017. Among all women, there were increases of between 3 percent and 7 percent for preventive screenings and vaccinations. After ACA, women in all income groups had more blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings and flu shots, according to the study published March 21 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Before ACA, about one-third had no access to affordable insurance and care, the findings showed. “Given current debates around the ACA and women’s historical challenges obtaining health care, this research is important to highlight how women’s access and affordability of care have improved as a result of the ACA,” said…  read on >

Fathers-to-be who expose their pregnant partners to secondhand smoke put their babies at risk of heart defects, researchers warn. For the new study, investigators in China reviewed 125 studies that included a total of nearly 9 million prospective parents and more than 137,000 babies with congenital heart defects. All types of parental smoking were linked to an increased risk of these birth defects, the analysis found. Compared to no smoking exposure, the increased risk was 124 percent for women exposed to secondhand smoke while pregnant, 74 percent for men smoking, and 25 percent for women smoking. “Fathers are a large source of secondhand smoke for pregnant women, which appears to be even more harmful to unborn children than women smoking themselves,” said study author Jiabi Qin of Central South University in Changsha, China. “Fathers-to-be should quit smoking,” Qin said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology. The overall risk with all types of parental smoking was greater when the analysis was restricted to Asian groups, the study authors noted. Women’s exposure to secondhand smoke was dangerous throughout pregnancy — and even before, according to the report. While those who smoked before getting pregnant had no added risk, those who smoked during pregnancy were more apt to give birth to a child with a heart defect. Specifically, smoking while pregnant was associated with…  read on >

Postpartum depression is a common and often devastating condition for new mothers, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first drug to help combat it. The drug, Zulesso (brexanolone), is delivered via intravenous infusion. “Postpartum depression is a serious condition that, when severe, can be life-threatening,” noted the FDA’s Dr. Tiffany Farchione. “Women may experience thoughts about harming themselves or harming their child.” The condition “can also interfere with the maternal-infant bond,” added Farchione, who is acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products in the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The FDA decision “marks the first time a drug has been specifically approved to treat postpartum depression, providing an important new treatment option,” she said in an agency statement. Psychiatrist Dr. Martha Wald agreed that women battling postpartum depression have long needed new options. “There is tremendous stigma around postpartum depression for women,” said Wald, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst at Duke University, in Winston-Salem, N.C. “Many women experience great shame and feel inadequate as mothers if they struggle with depression at a time that is supposed to be joyous.” “Because of this stigma, many women choose to not seek help and endure great suffering in silence,” she said. “Postpartum depression affects 15 to 20 percent of the general population, and at least half of this group goes untreated.…  read on >

The jittery, delusional potheads of the old movie “Reefer Madness” have prompted eye rolls and chuckles over the years, but a new study argues that the cult classic might contain a kernel of truth. Smoking pot every day could increase your risk of a psychotic break with reality, particularly if you have access to high-potency strains of marijuana, European researchers report. As many as 1 in 5 newly diagnosed cases of psychosis might be linked to daily cannabis use, according to data gathered from 11 hospitals across Europe. People who used pot on a daily basis were three times more likely to have a first-time diagnosis of psychosis, and five times more likely if they used high-potency marijuana every day, researchers said. The new study “raises real concerns about the dangers posed by high-potency marijuana,” said Emily Feinstein, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Center on Addiction. “Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the availability of high-concentration THC products, for both medical and recreational use,” said Feinstein, who wasn’t involved with the study. “While there may still be questions about the nature of the link between daily use of high-potency marijuana and psychotic disorder, this study suggests that we should be monitoring this issue very closely and taking steps to protect the public’s health.” But NORML Deputy Director…  read on >