Posted July 8, 2010

C-Section Babies Skip the Bacterial Slide (audio file link)

A new study shows that bacteria found on C-section babies just minutes after delivery is drastically different from the bacteria found on babies who are delivered vaginally. The findings pique interest in light of previous research suggesting that babies delivered via cesarean section may be more prone to health complications, such as asthma. But Stanford researcher Elizabeth Costello cautions against jumping to any conclusions. "Those theories relate to the hygiene hypothesis, which posits that the more we restrict our exposure to microbes, the less our immune system understands how to deal with them appropriately." Costello, one of the lead authors of the study, says her research simply shows a difference between the microbes babies are exposed to in the first moments of life, depending on the method by which they were delivered. "Whether or not those differences contribute later on is something that further studies will have to address,” she says. [Reported June 2010 by NPR; listen to story and interview w/ Costello on All Things Considered

 

Posted June 15, 2010

Asthma and Bonding (trailer link)

Trailer of video exploring the relationship between childhood asthma and maternal trauma associated with the birth of her child. An experimental treatment for the asthmatic children is then described. There are two versions of the actual video: one for the parents of an asthmatic child and the other for therapists. (Full parental version is available to members joining/renewing at 2-year level; for additional information: apppah@aol.com.)

The research for this treatment was supported by APPPAH, the Mental Insight Foundation, the Huizenga Foundation, and the Van Strum Foundation.