Neurobiologists in Japan who have begun to study infant responses have discovered that the calming effect a mother has when holding and rocking her child, is actually a physical reaction.

Researchers studied the heart rates of mice and human babies under six months of age. They found that both the mouse pups and the human babies’ heart rates slowed down when held. The reaction took three seconds to occur in human babies. The difficulty for adults to relax so quickly and the quick response time for babies makes researchers believe it is unique to infant physiology.

The researchers also did a test beforehand to see whether it mattered who picked up the baby. Babies showed the same reaction to fathers, grandmothers and mothers, which could dispel the “mother’s touch” myth.

The Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) and Consumer Reports held a live Twitter chat April 23 that discussed the importance of a 39-week pregnancy for a healthy baby.

WSMA and Consumer Reports mediated the chat, which Twitter users could participate in by using the hashtag #39Weeks in their tweets or via Twtvite. Chat participants included:

• Dale Reisner, M.D., an OB/GYN at Swedish Perinatal Hospital in Seattle, Washington. (Twitter handle: @DaleReisner)
• Quan Dau, M.D., a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an OB/GYN at the Everett Clinic. (Twitter handle: @QuanMD)
• The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization working to improve quality and safety in hospitals. (Twitter handle: @LeapfrogGroup)
• WSMA Doc Talk, a part of the WSMA that offers resources to patients to find the right doctor and care. (Twitter handle: @WSMADocTalk)
• Consumer Reports, an independent not-for-profit consumer resource for health information. (Twitter handle: @CR_Health)
• The Everett Clinic, located in Snohomish County, Washington, delivers more than 2,000 babies a year. (Twitter handle: @EverettClinic)

Questions during the chat included:

• What can women do to ensure a healthy delivery and prevent an early delivery?
• What are other procedures pregnant women should avoid?
• How can women find out how often their hospital performs early deliveries?
• What are the risks of pre-term delivery for mom and for baby?

The live chat gave insight to how many organizations and people across the country are invested in the 39 weeks mission.

Babies born vaginally have an advantage when it comes to allergies. A new study conducted by the Henry Ford Hospital and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed that babies born by c-section were five times more likely to have reactions to common household allergens than those born naturally.

The study, presented at the American Academy of Asthma, Allergies and Immunology’s annual meeting, tested newborns at four intervals of time until they were two years of age. C-section babies had more reactions to household allergens such as pets and dust.

The possible culprit for this could be certain microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract of c-section babies that may make their bodies more susceptible to the antibody Immunoglobulin E (IgE) when exposed to allergens. IgEs trigger cells that release chemicals, which cause allergic reactions.

While the causation for the pattern of these microorganisms found in c-section babies is unknown, researchers speculate that not being exposed to bacteria in the birth canal gives their immune systems a disadvantage.

Almost 30 percent of all births in the United States were reportedly c-sections in 2010.

Non-medically needed c-sections are advised against because they are costly and as with any major surgery, there are risks for complications. There are also other implications that c-section deliveries put babies are risk for more health problems. It is recommended that mothers allow labor to begin on its own.

Babies born at 37-38 weeks may have less of a developmental advantage than babies born at 39-41 weeks, according to a new study published online on the Pediatrics website.

Researchers tested the mental development and psychomotor skills of Chilean babies at 12 months of age, then checked what week of term they were delivered.

The research discovered for each additional week spent in the womb, the mental development score increased by 0.8 and the pyschomotor scores increased 1.4 points.

 ”Even though the definition of a full-term gestation is between 37 and 41 weeks, what I think this study shows is, that each week in the pregnancy is crucial,”

-Dr. Magaly Diaz-Barbosa, the medical director of neonatology for Miami Children’s Hospital told Kathleen Doheny of  HealthDay.

This association between the term week born and an infant’s development raises concerns for doctors and scientists because of the high rates of early induction and c-sections  in the United States. Collectively, they account for 40 percent of all births.

Because of these growing rates, understanding the effects of early delivery on brain development has been a recent focus of some researchers. Another study published in Pediatrics in March found children born before 39 weeks scored slightly lower on reading and math tests.

A new study published in BMJ discovered women who have low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are at a higher risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and for having a low birth weight baby.

The study also found low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are common in vegetarians, women with darker skin and women who get minimum sun exposure.

Vitamin D helps the body with calcium absorption and is vital to bone structure. Our bodies produce vitamin D naturally when our skin is exposed to the sun. Not many foods contain vitamin D, but most are fortified with it, such as milk and other dairy products. Taking a supplement can also help one meet their daily intake.