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acetaminophen pregnancy autism

Acetaminophen during pregnancy linked to autism? Maybe.

I’ve been asked several times about the veracity of the claims that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy was linked to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. I do get tired of all the claims about what causes autism, especially when it comes to vaccines.

However, in this case, there seems to be some quality evidence that consuming analgesics, like acetaminophen, may be linked to an increased risk of autism.

Let’s look at some of the best data which may support this claim.

Read More »Acetaminophen during pregnancy linked to autism? Maybe.
COVID-19 vaccine pregnancy

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 woman COVID-19 vaccine

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
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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
COVID vaccines pregnancy

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
pregnant standing near the flower

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 miscarriages

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 prognosis pregnant

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
coronavirus vaccine pregnant

CDC recommends coronavirus vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding women

On 11 August 2021, the CDC strongly recommends the coronavirus vaccine for pregnant women to protect the health of the mother and the developing fetus. Despite the claims of COVID-19 deniers everywhere, the disease is dangerous and can cause both short- and long-term harm to anyone, and that means pregnant persons and their newborn babies. That’s why the COVID-19 vaccine is so important.

The CDC’s recommendation is:

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people aged 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future. Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19.

Unfortunately, recent data from the CDC shows that coronavirus vaccine uptake by pregnant women has lagged badly in the USA. There are a lot of reasons for this, as you might guess.

Let’s take a look at what the CDC is stating and why pregnant persons should get the coronavirus vaccine.

Read More »CDC recommends coronavirus vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding women
COVID-19 vaccines infertility

COVID vaccines and infertility – study shows no effect on ovarian function

As a result of various tropes about COVID-19 vaccines, anti-vaxxers claim that the vaccine causes infertility. It does not, and now we have a small study that shows no effect on ovarian function that sometimes can lead to infertility in women.

The claims about vaccines and infertility are one of the go-to tropes of the anti-vaccine world. For example, they tried this nonsense with the HPV vaccine which was based on a retracted study, and they failed. They tried to claim that the tetanus vaccine caused “mass sterilization” in Africa, and they failed there too.

This time quacks like Christiane Northrop, a retired OB/GYN with no expertise in vaccine research, are trying to claim the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna will cause infertility. Anti-vaxxers are trying to use some seriously twisted “logic” to get from the facts about these vaccines to a major myth that somehow, in some magical way, these vaccines will cause infertility. 

Let’s get right to the point – no, they don’t. But let me give you the science.

Read More »COVID vaccines and infertility – study shows no effect on ovarian function