Author

Kate

Kate Givans is a wife and a mother of five—four sons (one with autism) and a daughter. She’s an advocate for breastfeeding, women’s rights, against domestic violence, and equality for all. When not writing—be it creating her next romance novel or here on Growing Your Baby—Kate can be found discussing humanitarian issues, animal rights, eco-awareness, food, parenting, and her favorite books and shows on Twitter or Facebook. Laundry is the bane of her existence, but armed with a cup of coffee, she sometimes she gets it done.

Parenting

Caldwell Baby Born with Hole in Heart Recovering Well After Surgery

by Kate June 23, 2023

written by Kate

What should have been a joyous moment for a new mother turned into a frightening nightmare. Her son, baby Micah, was born with a rare defect of the heart. The condition, known as Tetralogy of Fallot, affects an estimated 1,660 infants in the U.S. each year.

Image VIA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetralogy_of_Fallot

“There’s four different things wrong with his heart,” Yesenia Rangel, Micah’s mom said. “He had like a hole in his heart and his arteries were facing the wrong way and he had to get a pulmonary artery replaced with the cadaver piece, so, he’ll need future surgeries to replace that.”

She’d given birth at Saint Alphonsus. Both were transferred to St. Lukes, where a cardiologist assessed little Micah. Mother and baby were then flown to California, to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, where Micah received emergency open heart surgery.

Image VIA https://www.ktvb.com

“They put us on a plane,” Rangel said. “Then we arrived there, I had to get my family flown over there too that same night. It was just really scary. I was somewhere new, and I’ve never been there… it was like really stressful.”

The entire procedure took eight hours.

“I just was scared he wasn’t going to make it,” Rangel said. “Like he might not wake up from surgery, even beforehand, like up until surgery, I was just scared ‘like, what if my baby doesn’t make it through surgery?’… the days up until I was trying to enjoy it just in case he didn’t come back out of surgery.”

Thankfully, he did just fine. Mom and baby spent a month in California while Micah recovered. Today, he’s doing quite well. Other than his scars, you wouldn’t know he’d had surgery.

Image VIA https://www.ktvb.com

“He’s been recovering well, like within a week after surgery, they were taking all the tubes out. he didn’t have any more tubes within that first week and I mean, since he’s been home, he’s been doing really good,” Rangel said.

She has Medicaid and hopes that will cover most of their expenses. However, she’s started a GoFundMe page to help her family recover from other financial losses, as dad wasn’t able to work while they were in California. The family added that they are grateful to St. Luke’s for sending them to California, and to the Ronald McDonald house, where they stayed during Micah’s surgery and recovery.

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June 23, 2023 0 comment

mother sitting on bed and leaning on headboard while feeding baby with breast

breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Duration May Lead to Better Academic Performance

by Kate June 10, 2023

written by Kate

How long a child is breastfed could impact their test scores at age 16. Published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal, the study followed approximately 5,000 people in England born between 2000 and 2002. Authors Renee Pereyra-Elias, Claire Carson, and Maria A. Quigley evaluated the duration of breastfeeding and school results at age 16.

Children with longer breastfeeding durations were 38%-39% more likely to achieve higher marks in school, and they were 25% less likely to fail their exams. Specifically, they were more likely to have a high score in English and Math GCSEs, and less likely to fail their English GCSE. There seemed to be no correlation between breastfeeding duration and the failure of Math GCSE.

Longer breastfeeding durations were typically found among older, educated mothers. They were less likely to speak a language other than English at home, and they were less likely to identify as white.

The possibility of higher academic scores wouldn’t be the only benefit to breastfeeding. Infants who are nursed tend to have better immune systems, and other studies have indicated they may be less likely to develop certain conditions like asthma, eczema, and childhood diabetes.

It should be noted, however, that mothers should not feel guilty if they are unable or unwilling to breastfeed. The study only found a correlation between academic performance and breastfeeding duration; it may not be the actual cause.

The age and education of the mother could have had a direct impact on the test scores as well. Other mediating factors, such as parenting technique, diet as the child grew, and socioeconomic circumstances were not factored into the study either.

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June 10, 2023 0 comment

Childbirth

World’s First Baby is Born via Robotically Transplanted Uterus

by Kate June 9, 2023

written by Kate

Sweden has welcomed the world’s first child born from a robotically transplanted uterus. Born two weeks early via C-section, the six pounds 13 ounce baby boy is reported to be healthy and doing well. The 35-year-old mom and the uterus donor (a relative) are also said to be well.

The transplant was done in October of 2021 at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Pernilla Dahm-Kahler, adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, was the principal surgeon in the delicate procedure.

She and her colleague, Dr. Niclas Kvarnstrom, started by inserting cameras and robotic arms through small keyholes in the donor’s lower abdomen. Those arms were controlled by tools that resembled joysticks. With the aid of their 3D cameras, they took a step-by-step approach. Once the uterus was freed, they detached it from its blood vessels and vaginally removed it using a laparoscopic pouch.

The recipient had a small incision made in her pelvis area. This is where the uterus was inserted. The robot arms sutured the organ to the recipient’s blood vessels and then to the vagina and other supportive tissues. Neither donor or recipient had to be opened up.

“With robot-assisted keyhole surgery, we can carry out ultra-fine precision surgery,” Kahler said.
“The technique gives very good access to operate deep down into the pelvis. This is the surgery of the future, and we’re proud and glad to have been able to develop uterine transplantations to this minimally invasive technical level.”

“With the robot-assisted technique procedures can be done that were previously considered impossible to perform with standard keyhole surgery,” said Kvarnstrom. “It is a privilege to be part of the evolution in this field with the overall goal to minimize the trauma to the patient caused by the surgery.”

Ten months after the transplant, the mother had an embryo created through IVF. A few weeks later, the pregnancy was confirmed. Her pregnancy went well and was concluded via C-section at the end of May 2023.

The work was headed by Mats Brannstrom, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

“This is the 14th baby born in the uterus transplantation project at Sahlgrenska Academy, and more births are awaited this summer,” he said. “The research project continuously evaluates numerous variables in donors, recipients, and children after the uterus transplantation, following up the operation for several years afterward. All this is done to maximize the efficacy of the operation and minimize side effects in the patients.”

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June 9, 2023 0 comment

Childbirth

UW Doctors Perform Life-Saving Surgery, Remove Large Tumor from Baby’s Neck

by Kate June 8, 2023

written by Kate

Ashley Manderle, of Waupun, was at her 16-week ultrasound appointment when doctors discovered a mass on the left side of her baby’s neck. Over the next four weeks, doctors monitored the tumor. It nearly doubled in size, and doctors began to worry it would get so large, the baby’s airway would be completely cut off. They decided to deliver at 32 weeks.

Little Layla was partially delivered using an EXIT (Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment) procedure. It’s similar to a C-section, but the baby stays attached to its mother. Dr. Inna Lobeck, pediatric and fetal surgeon, says they delivered her head, the mass, and one arm. The rest of Layla’s body remained inside. This allowed them to insert a breathing tube into baby’s airway before they fully removed her from the mother’s uterus. The team had just 30 minutes to complete the procedure before the placental support would run out and the baby would need to be fully delivered. The process took a total of 12 minutes.

UW Health Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Center team poses for pictures after EXIT surgery

IMAGE VIA UW Health Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Center

“If you can imagine if she was born without an EXIT, 12 minutes is a long time, so she would be very high risk of cerebral palsy, neurodevelopmental delay, or very likely death, because you can’t go 12 minutes without an airway,” Dr. Lobeck said.

The mass was 17 cm big, which was bigger than the baby’s head. She had to be laid on her belly or side as she waited for surgery to make sure the tumor didn’t collapse her airway. Four days after she was born, doctors were able to successfully cut out the tumor.

Layla’s tumor was called a teratoma, which is a solid mass, and a very rare anomaly that can develop in pregnancy. It is usually benign, which means it is not cancerous, Lobeck said. Thankfully tests confirmed the tumor was not cancerous.

Ashley says Layla is doing great, and that there’s very little scarring.

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June 8, 2023 0 comment

Recalls

Babies Continue to Experience Death as Federal Officials Delay Rules on Infant Loungers

by Kate June 6, 2023

written by Kate

In September of 2021, federal officials issued an urgent warning regarding a popular product, the Boppy Newborn Lounger: stop using them IMMEDIATELY. At that time, the padded pillows had been linked to the deaths of eight infants. More than three million of them were recalled.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wanted to take matters a step further; some experts believed that similar products posed the same risk, so they wanted to issue a sweeping regulation on all infant loungers. Red tape and lash back from manufacturing companies prevented them from taking such action.

One company, in particular, sued the CPSC after it tried to recall their product. They accused the agency of “overreaching” and claimed that the two deaths associated with their product were due to misuse.

Since then, 10 deaths have been linked to infant loungers. Investigations by NBC News turned up even more deaths, linking infant loungers to at least 26 deaths. Product safety experts say this is almost certainly an undercount, as autopsy reports do not always mention specific products.

“The death certificate is not clear, and if it doesn’t list the product, then you don’t know,” said NJ Scheers, a statistician and former CPSC staff member who reviewed NBC News’ methodology.

Red tape isn’t the only reason these products remain on the market; most are described as a place for baby to rest while they are awake. Of course, infants can fall asleep at any given moment. Some companies advise parents to “transition” their children once they fall asleep, but this doesn’t always happen. The results can be devastating for tired and distracted parents.

“You can’t put that burden on parents,” CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said in a recent interview. “If you have a product that looks like it’s good for sleep, you can’t claim that it’s not a sleep product.”

Parents have started speaking up, and many are enraged that infant loungers remain on the market. Although the CPSC clearly has concerns over the safety of these products, they maintain that they have always advised parents to avoid leaving infants on or near soft items while sleeping. Additionally, the agency indicates they didn’t have what they needed to create and enforce new requirements on infant loungers and other, similar products.

“The Commission cannot act rashly,” CPSC Commissioner Peter Feldman said in a statement. “A rule that is stayed or overturned offers zero consumer protection.”

Carol Pollack-Nelson, a product safety consultant who has worked on behalf of industry and consumers, says caregivers might be tempted to use items that are even more hazardous if the loungers are no longer available. Lounger manufacturers maintain their stance: education is the best way to prevent future deaths. Consumer advocates say the products need to be eliminated.

“Waiting for that process to play itself out is ignoring what we already know,” said Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger, a consumer advocacy group.

Some states refuse to wait for federal action. In New York, legislation introduced a statewide bill prohibiting the sale of infant loungers. Retailers and secondhand stores that offer them would be fined up to $500 for violating the ban.

“If we can’t make them safer, we’ve got to get rid of them,” said Dr. Warren Seigel, district chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics New York chapter.

“I do think the federal government moves a lot slower than the states, which is why we introduced the bill,” Democratic Assembly member, Amy Paulin, said. “The fact that New York will pass something will give impetus for the federal government to do the same.”

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June 6, 2023 0 comment

Childbirth

Hero Doctors Deliver Breech Baby on Flight from Nicaragua to Miami

by Kate June 3, 2023

written by Kate

At only seven months pregnant, 17-year-old Abigail Amoretti was cleared to fly from Nicaragua to Miami. While in Mexican airspace, she’d gone to the bathroom. Dr. Raquel Rodriguez heard her moaning in pain and went to see what was wrong. It quickly became apparent that the girl was in labor.

According to Neuvo Radio Ya, Rodriguez had blankets spread across the floor in the plane’s aisle. She helped the girl remove her pants and found the umbilical cord was hanging out. The situation became even more dire when the female doctor inserted her hand to search for the baby’s head and found a pair of feet instead.

“The girl started to push, I started to give her directions on how she should push because she was pushing wrong since she was a first timer,” Rodríguez told the outlet.

By now, then scene had drawn the attention of another physician—Dr. Suamy Bermudez. Rodriguez, who only practices dermatology, let Bermudez take over. He pulled the baby out by her feet and found the cord wrapped around her neck.

“When the doctor takes the girl out, the girl gets stuck by the umbilical (cord). That was the hardest part. The doctor had to look for maneuvers to remove the head,” Rodriguez said. “She was completely limp and cyanotic, that is, she was purple from the suffering of all the time that the (mother) had been enduring the pain and the contractions.”

Rodriguez immediately went to work, giving the baby mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Another doctor massaged the girl’s heart. After a few moments, the girl’s chest began to move. Five minutes later, she releases her first cry. From there, the doctors went to work on the mother.

“When the girl was pink and was breathing on her own and making movement with her little mouth, we had to separate the placenta,” Rodríguez said.

She stayed with mom and baby as the flight diverted to Cancun, which was closer than Miami. They had to navigate through a serious storm, but the flight arrived without any problems. Passengers cheered mom on as paramedics wheeled her off the flight. The baby was carried behind in an emergency blanket. Both were transported to Cancun General Hospital and are stable.

“Thank you very much to all those people who have prayed and have placed me and my girl in the hands of God, thank God I am fine,” Amoretti wrote on Facebook. ‘The girl is a little delicate but for God there is nothing impossible, he has been taking care of us and with the help of God I will soon come out of this process that is so hard on my life.”

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June 3, 2023 0 comment

Childbirth

Woman Thinks She’s Having Gallbladder Troubles but Finds Out She’s in Labor

by Kate June 1, 2023

written by Kate

Rachel O’Donnell had been told she had severe polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), so when she started to experience stomach pains, she assumed it was her gallbladder. Suffice it to say, she was in complete disbelief when the emergency department told her she was in labor.

“I told the nurses they were wrong and they needed to test again, but it turns out they weren’t,” Rachel told Today Extra.

The 43-year-old was so certain that they were wrong, she waited until the very last minute to tell her partner what was happening.

“I needed to confirm this first before anyone made any phone calls and it wasn’t until things got a bit more serious and I was signing paperwork for blood transfusions in case the baby or I didn’t make it during surgery that I said ‘Can we make that phone call now please?”‘ she said.? “People have nine months to prepare for this, we had an hour?!”

She says she hadn’t experienced any of the normal pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness or extreme weight gain. Though, in hindsight, her dog may have known.

“He was very protective of my stomach area, my partner wasn’t allowed to put his hand around my waist and the dog would lie on my stomach and my belly all the time,” she said. “I just thought he was being an annoying puppy, but now I think maybe he was telling us something else.”

Born via cesarian (and at just 30 weeks gestation), little Xavier needed to be resuscitated shortly after birth because of a drop in his heart rate. He spent some time in the NICU but is now home with his mom and the family dog. According to mum, the pup refuses to leave the boy’s side.

“He literally is Xavier’s best friend, they are sitting right beside each other as I speak,” she said.

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June 1, 2023 0 comment

Parenting

Man Saves Toddlers from Burning Car Moments Before Explosion

by Kate June 1, 2023

written by Kate

Sam Heiler and his wife, Melissa, didn’t set out to be heroes. They were simply driving through Navajo County, Arizona for a week-long vacation when something caught Sam’s eye. It was a vehicle, on fire. His first instinct was to keep driving, but the 30-year-old’s decision to stop ended up saving the lives of two young children.

SCREEN CAP VIA FOX NEWS

“Something came over him, and he felt like he had to stop and see if he could help,” Melissa told Fox News.

There were two people outside of the burning vehicle, punching the windows with their bare hands. Apparently, the parents had exited the car and the doors had locked when they shut the doors. Their toddler daughters were trapped inside.

“They had about 20 more seconds until the fire spread from the engine block to the cab. The girls were screaming, the parents were screaming, my wife was screaming-it was bad,” Sam said. “When the fire hit the fuel tank it made a legitimate fireball explosion.”

Sam began throwing rocks at the windows.

“Dad followed suit, but from the panic, attempted to throw rocks at the back windows where the girls would have been covered with glass and a heavy rock had broken through. All the while, the flames had now spread to completely cover the front hood of the car, and the two- and three-year-olds are screaming,” Melissa added.

Finally, they were able to break open a window and open the doors. Sam helped remove the girls from their car seats and get the girls to safety.

No one had cell phone service on the remote road, but Sam was able to flag down another driver using a glow stick that he had in the car. Emergency personnel were notified once these drivers were able to regain service, which was about another 25 miles up the road. Authorities eventually arrived on the scene to help the parents and the two girls.

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June 1, 2023 0 comment

Autism

Autism Research Indicated Father’s Genetic Influence May Play a Greater Role Than Previously Thought

by Kate May 27, 2023

written by Kate

Scientists have long assumed that autism-related genetic mutations come from the mother. Researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) are challenging this belief with a recently published study. They say the father’s genes may actually play a greater role than previously thought, especially in families with multiple children on the autism spectrum.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) covers a range of neurological and developmental conditions that affect how the individual communicates, socializes, learns, and behaves. Some are high-functioning and can lead productive lives. Others never learn to speak or care for themselves. They may experience maladaptive behaviors, including difficulty regulating emotions and stemming (repetitive behaviors). Each individual is different—even if born into the same family.

Previously, this was thought to be caused by an issue with the mother’s genetics, but Professor Michael Wigler and Asociate Professor Ivan Iossifov from CSHL have flipped the script. Their study, which spanned over the course of two decades, analyzed the genomes of 6,000 volunteer families. They found thousands of genes that might lead to autism if they are damaged, but they could not identify all of the sources. They decided to dive deeper.

In families where only one child fell on the autism spectrum, siblings tended to share fewer genetics with their father than their mother, but in families where multiple children had ASD, the children shared more of the father’s genetic makeup.

Researchers don’t yet understand how the dad’s genome makes its mark on children with autism, but they have some theories. One is that the father may carry some protective mutations that don’t get carried on during the fertilization process. Another is that the father may pass down a mutation that triggers an immune response that causes her system to attack the growing embryo.

Either way, this study opens new doors in autism research. New treatments, screenings, and possibly even preventative measures may stem from their future endeavors. It may even encourage researchers to look at paternal genome influence in other neurological conditions, such as schizophrenia.

“Our future research is exciting,” Iossifov says. “If one of those theories or two of them prove to be true, then it opens different treatment strategies, which can, in the future, affect quite a lot of families.”

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May 27, 2023 0 comment

Parenting

“Toddler Milk” Isn’t as Healthy or Nutritious as Parents Might Think

by Kate May 26, 2023

written by Kate

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably seen “toddler milk” on the television, or in stores. Your pediatrician may have even recommended it if your child is underweight. Comprised mostly of powdered milk, sugar, and vegetable oils, this ultra-processed product can definitely help a child put on a few pounds. The packaging and commercials even suggest you’re giving your child something wholesome. Scientists say you shouldn’t be fooled, however, because these products aren’t anywhere near as healthy or nutritious as you might think.

“Our review found that parents are buying toddler milk because they think it holds nutritional benefits for their children,” said Doctoral student, Ana Paula Richter, who studies health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Pubic Health. “This belief is not surprising given the prevalence of marketing claims on toddler milk products about the supposed benefits. Unfortunately, these claims are generally not backed up by science.”

If anything, these products could be detrimental to a child’s health because of the sugar and sodium content. They also contain less protein than cow’s milk, and they are completely unnecessary for the health and development of a child. So why are these products flying off the shelves at an alarming rate (220% global increase on sales from 2005 to 2019)?

That’s what Richter and her fellow researchers at Gillings wanted to know.

“The increase in sales is quite dramatic and highlights a need to continue studying the impact toddler milk consumption might be having on nutritional outcomes in children,” Richter said in the May 19 publication of Nutrition Reviews.

Joined by Shelley Golden, Marissa Hall, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Deshira Wallace, and alum Anna Grummon, who is now at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the team analyzed about 45 articles on toddler milk to better understand how the product is being marketed, and why.

Overall, it was determined that parents have their child’s health and best interests in mind; they’re just confused or misled by the packaging and information being given to them.

For example, one study of Latino parents in the U.S. determined parents most often gave their children toddler milk because they believe it contains extra nutrients (72%), boosts brain development (41%), and supports healthy growth in children (52%).

A second study determined that most U.S. parents think toddler milk is equally healthy (38%) or healthier (44%) than cow’s milk. A third found that 60% of parents believe toddler milk provides their child with nutrients they aren’t getting from other foods and beverages.

The confusion was primarily attributed to packaging and marketing tactics. Seventeen of the reviewed studies indicated that packaging and advertising materials are misleading. Some include the use of health claims alongside photos of happy, healthy babies. Others suggest these products aid with digestion and are a good “safety net” for picky eaters.

“Our study found that the similarity of toddler milk and infant formula advertising and packaging is likely part of a strategy to circumvent laws that regulate how companies advertise infant formula,” Grummon said.

Researchers say it might be time to reign in these unverified claims with stricter regulations.

“Regulation might include guidelines about how companies should label toddler milk to differentiate it from infant formula and to ensure advertising does not contribute to parents’ misperceptions,” said Hall. “For example, regulators could prohibit scientifically unsubstantiated claims, which could prevent caregivers from being misled about the healthfulness of toddler milk.”

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May 26, 2023 0 comment

Pregnancy

Administering RSV Vaccine to Expectant Mothers May Reduce Risk of Severe Illness in Newborns

by Kate May 25, 2023

written by Kate

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a common respiratory virus that produces cold-like symptoms. While the illness is typically mild for healthy adults, infants are especially susceptible to severe illness. This past winter, an estimated 43.4 percent of illnesses resulted in hospitalization, with the majority of those being children under one year of age. Additionally, an estimated 300 U.S. deaths occur each year because of RSV.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted in favor of a vaccine that may help prevent illness in babies. If approved, it will be the first vaccine designed to protect infants from the potentially fatal illness. This news comes just one month after a study on the vaccine.

Researchers gave 3,682 women the vaccine and another 3,676 a placebo. Overall, the vaccine was found to have an efficacy rate of nearly 82 percent. Within 90 days of birth, a total of 33 babies were diagnosed with a severe lower respiratory tract infection in the placebo group. In comparison, only 6 babies in the vaccine group received the same diagnoses.

The efficacy of the vaccine was found to wane over time, dropping to 69 percent at six months after birth. However, this is still a significant reduction in illness rate—and it still targets the age group that is most at risk.

“It’s critically important to have this vaccine in the pediatric age group,” Dr. Thomas Russo, a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, tells Yahoo Life. “The zero to 6-month age group — along with older adults — are at the greatest risk for severe disease and serious outcomes from RSV.”

The vaccine was given to mothers during pregnancy because the immune systems of infants are still extremely immature. If given directly to the newborn, there could be severe side effects. Administering it to the mother allows the antibodies to cross through the placenta and into the baby, offering them some protection from RSV for the first few months of life.

“The idea is that we’ll vaccinate pregnant women, and they’ll make the antibodies that will cross the placenta and offer the baby protection for the first few months of life,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, tells Yahoo Life.

No major safety concerns were reported from the vaccine itself, and although the rate of premature birth was slightly higher in the vaccine group (5.6% compared to 4.7% in the placebo group), study authors say this is not statistically significant. For these reasons, experts believe the vaccine will pass through FDA approval.

“The one fly in the ointment is the numerical imbalance of premature birth in the vaccinated group,” Russo says. “It wasn’t statistically significant, but often we don’t know if this was by chance or not in groups this small.”

Schaffner estimates that it will be available to pregnant mothers before the next season hits.

We have one for adults aged 60 and older. It may well be that we’ll have an RSV vaccine for pregnant women also — that would be very exciting,” he says.

He adds that an RSV vaccine for pregnant women is sorely needed. “RSV is the last of the important seasonal viruses for which we don’t have a vaccine,” he says. “We have one for flu and COVID, and RSV is one that causes an awful lot of illness.”

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May 25, 2023 0 comment

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