Acetaminophen during pregnancy linked to autism? Maybe.
Studies seem to show a small, but significant, increase in risk of autism in children of mothers who took acetaminophen during pregnancy.
Vaccines approved for pregnant women — Tdap, RSV, COVID, flu
The CDC now recommends the Tdap, RSV, COVID-19, and flu vaccines for pregnant women. These vaccines protect the mother and child.
Prenatal vitamins during pregnancy reduce the risk of autism
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I’m not exactly a fan of vitamin supplements. They are expensive and they usually don’t have a beneficial effect on health, despite the claims of the supplement industry. But… Read More »Prenatal vitamins during pregnancy reduce the risk of autism
COVID vaccine during pregnancy means better-protected babies
According to a new study, mothers who receive a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy provide strong protection against the disease to their babies. This adds to the body of evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine is important for pregnant mothers.
Furthermore, there is solid evidence that the vaccines are safe for pregnant mothers while protecting the mother and developing fetus from harm from the disease. The benefits are overwhelming.
In this post, I will examine the newly published article that provides robust and rigorous evidence that mothers who receive the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy provide strong protection to their newborn babies.
Read More »COVID vaccine during pregnancy means better-protected babies
Pregnant women who get the COVID vaccine have better outcomes
Another large study has been published that adds to the body of evidence that pregnant women who received had the COVID-19 vaccine have better outcomes for themselves and their babies. As I have written so many times, the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for pregnant women.
As you can predict, I’m here to write about that article so that you have it ready when you need to convince a friend, a partner, a family member, or even yourself that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the right and best thing to do when pregnant.
Read More »Pregnant women who get the COVID vaccine have better outcomes
Increased risk of stillbirth among women with COVID-19 — get the vaccine
The CDC just published a report that women who have COVID-19 at delivery have an increased risk of stillbirth compared to women who do not have the disease. If this isn’t a good reason for pregnant women to get the COVID-19 vaccine, I do not know what else to say.
This article will be very short because the published paper really provided only three pieces of data which are convincing reasons for pregnant women should get the COVID-19 vaccines.
Read More »Increased risk of stillbirth among women with COVID-19 — get the vaccine
Two studies show that COVID vaccines are safe during pregnancy
I know that I’ve been written a lot about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy and how dangerous COVID-19 is to pregnant women. But it is important that we remind everyone that these COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, and two new studies reiterate that.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 vaccination rate amongst pregnant women still lags other groups – 25% of mothers-to-be have gotten one during their pregnancy. Rates are even lower for Latina and Black expectant mothers, at 22% and 15%, respectively, compared with 27% of white and 35% of expectant mothers. Given the dangers of COVID-19 to pregnant women and the developing fetus, these are frightening low numbers.
Let’s take a look at these studies that confirm the safety profile of these COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy.
Read More »Two studies show that COVID vaccines are safe during pregnancy
COVID-19 vaccines are not related to spontaneous abortions – new research
Newly published research supports the fact that COVID-19 vaccines are not linked to spontaneous abortions in pregnant women. This data supports the CDC’s and other health authorities’ recommendations that pregnant women receive the vaccine to protect themselves and their developing fetus.
However, there was little research that supported the actual safety and effectiveness of the vaccines during pregnancy. Pregnant women were excluded from the early clinical trials, although a few may have been enrolled prior to diagnosis of pregnancy.
A new peer-reviewed research letter provides evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are not linked to spontaneous abortions or miscarriages.
Read More »COVID-19 vaccines are not related to spontaneous abortions – new research
Flu vaccine unrelated to miscarriages – getting the facts right
A while ago, the Washington Post dropped this provocative headline, “Researchers find a hint of a link between flu vaccine and miscarriages.” Add this to the long list of anti-vaccine tropes, which include the HPV and COVID-19 vaccines, that somehow, in some magical way, these vaccines cause something bad to fertility or pregnancy.
Of course, a more thorough review of the research shows that the flu vaccine does not miscarriages. A careful reading of the Washington Post article shows that it is filled with nuance and hedging because the underlying published article does not actually provide robust evidence that any flu vaccine increases the risk of miscarriages.
The Washington Post made several points that are important to consider, and we’ll examine the underlying research in more depth. But the most important point they made is that,
The findings suggest an association, not a causal link, and the research is too weak and preliminary, experts said, to change the advice, which is based on a multitude of previous studies, that pregnant women should get a flu vaccine to protect them from influenza, a deadly disease that may cause serious birth defects and miscarriage.
I wonder how many anti-vaccine radicals will fail to make that point, instead, screaming that “vaccines are dangerous and the worthless flu vaccine causes miscarriages.”
Well, of course. Del Bigtree isn’t known for his scientific knowledge.
Well, we don’t cherry-pick our evidence here, so we’re going to look at the broad body of evidence with respect to the flu, flu vaccines, and pregnancy. Because that’s how we roll here. And because we think pregnant women deserve the best information possible to protect themselves and their developing babies. Because that’s also how we roll here.
Read More »Flu vaccine unrelated to miscarriages – getting the facts right
COVID-19 prognosis between pregnant and non-pregnant women – get the vaccine
I keep pushing that pregnant women should get the COVID-19 vaccine because of the disease’s poor prognosis. A recent meta-review clarifies that pregnant women have worse outcomes and prognoses from the disease than non-pregnant women.
This morning, I read a heartbreaking story of a 30-year-old woman who died from COVID-19 within a week after giving birth to her baby girl, Summer Reign McMullen. The mother, Kristen, was only able to hold her newborn for two minutes before she had to be moved to the intensive care unit.
So, I’m going to write about the difference in COVID prognosis between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Maybe what I’ll write here will cause one pregnant woman to get the vaccine – saving her life and allowing her baby to grow up with a mother. I hope someone will listen. I hope someone will take what I write and show it to a friend, sibling, daughter, or mother who has avoided the vaccine. Hope isn’t scientific, but that’s all I’ve got right now.
Read More »COVID-19 prognosis between pregnant and non-pregnant women – get the vaccine