Wildfire smoke bad for unborn babies
Wildfires can produce dangerous levels of pollution, especially to unborn babies, a new study finds.
Researchers at the University of Maryland found that the amount of air pollution babies in their mothers’ wombs were exposed to doubled between 2003 and 2019. Previous studies have concluded that fine-particulate-matter pollution, the type produced by wildfires, can harm people more than other types. Those studies also linked excessive wildfire smoke to early-childhood health issues.
While experts warn people with pre-existing conditions to stay indoors and avoid wildfire smoke, researchers say pregnant women should consider doing the same.
Source: Frontiers in Environmental Health journal
Sleep quality linked to mental health in preteens
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While there have been many studies that have connected the link between adolescent mental health and screen time, new research points to sleep quality as an even bigger factor.
Researchers at UC Davis Health found that sleep was the strongest factor for how well children age 10 to 13 performed in school and their social abilities when compared to screen time, exercise or diet. Screen time had the second greatest effect on social functioning and academic performance.
Researchers said that while these findings shouldn’t take the place of professional mental health care, they do offer some guidance on factors that can help children thrive.
Source: Psychological Medicine
Dad’s diet weighs on fetal development
While several studies have shown the drawbacks of eating ultraprocessed foods, new research points to a different area of concern when it comes to the health of potential children.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo found that fathers consuming ultraprocessed foods could affect their children before they’re conceived. Scientists took a look at 43 families – a mother, father and eventually a newborn – and examined several characteristics of the baby once born, including the birth weight and body composition.
They found that the fathers who ate more ultraprocessed foods had babies with higher birth weights, as well as thicker skin-folds around their hips and thighs. Researchers say the findings suggest that how well the father eats before conception may affect how the baby develops in the womb.
Source: Nutrition Research journal
More kudos for breakfast
If you typically skip breakfast, you may want to rethink that. Early research from the University of Texas at Austin suggests that those who ate breakfast consumed more healthful ingredients and vitamins later in the day, including fiber and iron. This holds espically true for teens.
The findings, presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference in July, showed teens who ate around 30 grams of protein for breakfast ate fewer sugars and overall improved their diets.
Source: American Society for Nutrition
Mammography declining in some groups
While researchers say the number of women getting mammograms is still high, they’ve seen a significant decline in those getting them among non-Hispanic white women ages 40-49.
A study published in JAMA Network Open found mammogram numbers also have dipped among uninsured women and smokers.
Researchers point to the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendation that advises against routine screening for women younger than 50 as the potential cause. However, in 2024, the organization began recommending biennial screening for women ages 40 to 74, considering breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women in the U.S.
Source: WashU Medicine
