Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Samuel Morse, Blizzard Baby, December 27, 2010

Ah.... One of the great things about home birth -having the midwife come to you in the blizzard instead of  having to trudge out into the blowing snow to go the the hospital. Samuel Morse sure picked a cold and billowy morning to be born. Brrr! But snuggled with mom he is as happy as can be. Welcome!

May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Monday, December 27, 2010

Nathan Henri, December 23, 2010

Even while waiting on a name, this little guy was as cute as a button. His name was worth waiting for: Nathan Henri. His big brother Levi wasn't sure if the new baby or the blue balloons that came with him were more interesting.



May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Baby Nathaniel Guy, December 22, 2010

Born on December 22, in time to celebrate Christmas in his father's arms, Nathaniel Guy is sturdy, sweet and so alert! Welcome, little one.




May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Our Christmas baby: Savion Taheim, December 25, 2010

On Christmas Day, Savion Taheim arrived and captured his mother's heart. He is sweet and serene and tenacious. Welcome!




May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Sunday, December 19, 2010

MedScape Article: Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen Linked to Childhood Wheezing

After so many years of saying that as far as we know acetaminophen is safe to use in pregnancy, now the story has been updated. See below for information that was presented at the World Allergy Organization 2010 Conference. Babies in utero are still of this external world, exposed to our environment, sometimes with long term term consequences. So whats a mother-to-be to do when she has a headache? Drink lots of water, get a neck tub, try and ice pack, judicious use of essential oils, pray, and yes, maybe even some Tylenol. Pain isn't going to be good for babies-to-be either.




May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

From Medscape Medical News

Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen Linked to Childhood Wheezing

Becky McCall


December 16, 2010 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) — The exposure of pregnant women to certain environmental factors is associated with wheezing and asthma in their children.

Speaking here at the World Allergy Organization (WAO) 2010 International Scientific Conference, Harold Nelson, MD, professor of medicine at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, discussed the environmental factors that trigger epigenetic changes in the fetus, but which might not manifest until the children are 3 to 5 years of age, or even older.

"The children's genotypes are changed so that if they run into the appropriate environmental factors when they are older, they may be susceptible to wheezing or asthma," he told Medscape Medical News.

Factors that might present a risk to the developing fetus include acetaminophen, maternal vitamin D deficiency, domestic spray chemicals, tobacco smoke, and maternal use of antibiotics.

"How can something that happens in the uterus have an impact on asthma in the child aged 6, 7, or 8? The explanation, if it is causal, is in epigenetic mechanisms," Dr. Nelson explained. "Early environmental exposure in utero plays a key role in activating and altering genes through histone methylation and acetylation of DNA, and alteration of chromatin structure. Once these have occurred in the fetus, they will be replicated throughout the infant's life, and may even be passed to subsequent generations."

Low intake of vitamin D by the mother might be associated with epigenetic changes in the fetus. Dr. Nelson added that low levels of vitamin D are a major problem in people in temperate regions of the globe. "By contrast, the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in oily fish, dairy, and produce, has been reported to be protective against asthma during pregnancy."

"This isn't the severe rickets-causing deficiency, but rather insufficient levels of the vitamin," Dr. Nelson pointed out. He said that insufficient vitamin D is linked to dysfunctional T cell regulation, with a lack of downregulation of Th1 and Th2. Vitamin D also interferes with the toll-like receptor signaling associated with bacterial and viral infections, which predisposes the infant to increased respiratory tract infections."

Domestic spray cleaning products have also been associated with epigenetic changes. Dr. Nelson cited European data from adults supporting an association between maternal use of domestic chemicals during pregnancy and wheezing and impaired lung function in children up to 8.5 years of age.

"They showed that exposure was associated with the early onset of persistent asthma, intermediate onset of persistent asthma, and late onset of wheezing. These were only found in nonatopic children," Dr. Nelson reported.

"There were also detriments in pulmonary function. Risk of wheezing at 8.5 years is linked to exposure to domestic chemicals prenatally. We see no relation with intermittent wheezing, which is more related to viral infections," he added.

An increasing number of longitudinal and observational studies have related exposure to acetaminophen in utero to asthma in later childhood.

In the United States, acetaminophen use by pregnant women has increased substantially since the early 1980s, so that the majority of women in the United States take acetaminophen during pregnancy. "Over a similar time period, 1980 to 1995, asthma prevalence among children in the United States doubled," said Dr. Nelson.

Further evidence of an association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and wheezing in offspring was drawn from the Nurses' Health Study, an investigation of factors influencing women's health in 48,000 American nurses who were followed prospectively for 6 years. Information was gathered on the use of acetaminophen, and this was related to the development of physician-diagnosed asthma.

"Those who used acetaminophen for over half of the days, compared with those who didn't use it at all, had an increase in asthma of 60%" (odds ratio, 1.62) reported Dr. Nelson.

He referred to a recent study conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York City, who compared total intake of acetaminophen by women during pregnancy with wheezing in children at age 5. They showed a highly significant dose-response relation for those with no exposure, 1 day of exposure, 2 to 4 days of exposure, and more than 5 days of exposure.

The researchers found that 34% of mothers reported acetaminophen use during pregnancy, and 27% of their children had wheezing at 5 years. On analysis, prenatal acetaminophen exposure predicted current wheeze (multivariate relative risk, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.20 to 2.42; P = .003), and the risk was found to increase with increasing number of days of prenatal acetaminophen exposure (P < .001).

It has been suggested that acetaminophen interferes with the glutathione defense mechanism against oxidative stress in the lungs and with T-regulatory cell development, Dr. Nelson noted.

The researchers looked at the glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTP) polymorphism in the study children and found that the association between acetaminophen exposure and wheezing was limited to children with a polymorphism in the GSTP gene. "Unaffected children have AA alleles, whereas affected children have at least 1 copy of the GSTP1 minor allele (AG or GG)."

Dr. Nelson particularly welcomed this study because it avoided selection bias. "If there was a bias that caused women with a knowledge of [the association] to avoid acetaminophen, there was still no way they would have known about their genetic make-up. I think this study is really clear of selection bias because it only occurred in the two thirds of the participants with the GSTP polymorphism. The one third that didn't have the polymorphism had no risk."

"This is the strongest argument so far that this is real," concluded Dr. Nelson.

Commenting on the study, Richard Lockey, MD, president of the WAO and director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Florida, said that Dr. Nelson addressed a very important aspect of medicine. "Probably the most compelling evidence for such an association is with passive smoking, smoking, and with newer information, particularly acetaminophen."

He added that establishing a causal relation is complicated. "Asthma is so complex that I suspect there are many factors that predispose us to develop this disease — our genes, certain prenatal exposures, diet, exposure to certain kinds of infections, cats, dogs, and dust mite exposure in our environment both before and after we are born, among others."

Finally, Dr. Lockey cautioned that it is too soon to conclude that these findings will alter the prevalence of asthma in the near future. "While some avoidance is possible, much more information is necessary about these associations in particular to determine whether we can change the prevalence of asthma by changing what we do during pregnancy and during childhood."

Dr. Nelson and Dr. Lockey have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

World Allergy Organization (WAO) 2010 International Scientific Conference. Presented December 7, 2010.

Medscape Medical News © 2010 WebMD, LLC
Send comments and news tips to news@medscape.net.

Friday, December 17, 2010

After Dozens of Deaths, Drop-side Cribs Outlawed

 Even the traditional drop side crib is now outlawed. So many dangers, so many hazards. Oh, what is a parent to do? Just let your baby sleep on his midwife!



May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

After Dozens of Deaths, Drop-side Cribs Outlawed
Associated Press

(Dec. 15, 2010)   It's the end of the traditional crib that has cradled millions of babies for generations. The government outlawed drop-side cribs on Wednesday after the deaths of more than 30 infants and toddlers in the past decade and millions of recalls.

It was a unanimous vote by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban the manufacture, sale and resale of the cribs, which have a side rail that moves up and down, allowing parents to more easily lift their child from the crib.

The new standard requiring cribs to have fixed sides would take effect in June. The move by CPSC would also prohibit hotels and childcare centers from using drop-sides, though those facilities would have two years to purchase new cribs. CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum hailed the new standard for cribs as one of the strongest in the world. "I believe these new standards will markedly reduce crib-related hazards and help to ensure that young children sleep more safely in their cribs," Tenenbaum said after the vote.

Around for decades, drop-side cribs have come under scrutiny in recent years because of malfunctioning hardware, sometimes cheaper plastics, or assembly problems that can lead to the drop-side rail partially detaching from the crib. When that happens, it can create a dangerous "V''-like gap between the mattress and side rail where a baby can get caught and suffocate or strangle.

In all, drop-side cribs have been blamed in the deaths of at least 32 infants and toddlers since 2000 and are suspected in another 14 infant fatalities. In the past five years, more than 9 million drop-side cribs have been recalled, including cribs from big-name companies such as Evenflo, Delta Enterprise Corp., and Pottery Barn Kids.....

CPSC video

Thursday, December 16, 2010

MedScape Article:Experts Argue about Home Birth Issue

The Wax article, poor as it was, lives on. Here is a recent editorial with some good folks. (Quinn thinks that home birth is just fine and dandy, thank you very much!).























May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com










Friday, December 10, 2010

Little Princess Suraya

First December brought Local Care Midwifery a King, and now a princess; Suraya Elizabeth arrived early Friday morning. Just like her name, she is beautiful, calm and adored. Welcome!
May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Baby Asa















On the morning of December 6, little Asa, named for an ancient king, came into the world. By the time the winter sun was rising in the sky, Asa had met his adoring family and was snuggled in for a nap. Thanks be for the new day and this newborn baby too!





May all babies be born into loving hands... 

 K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Henry Matthew

Hank -big sturdy name for such a sweet little baby. One look at this kid's hands and I knew that Hank was the right nick name; Baby Henry Matthew has some big ole mitts! He also has a beautiful, strong mom, a loving dad and an adoring big sister. Way to go Hank!




May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Friday, November 19, 2010

Vegan Thanksgiving Barley

Ok, so this blog posting is not exactly midwifery related, but sharing recipes is fun! Here is a vegan dish that can be used as a stuffing or side salad, depending on how you chose to serve it. Enjoy!


May all babies be born into loving hands...
  
K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
 www.localcaremidwifery.com 
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com




Thanksgiving Barley (Vegan)



2 cups pearl barley cooked in 4 cups water (I use a rice cooker) let cool
½ sweet onion, minced
½ cup Craisons
1 large carrot (organic) grated
1 medium apple, peeled and diced
1 cup pepitas (I prefer toasted)
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup white Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp good salt (Pink Himalyian, my new fav)
½ teaspoon ground ginger

Toss everything together.  Check seasonings. Serve as a cold side salad or, my plan is to hollow out small pumpkins and squashes and bake inside (with tops on)


Monday, November 15, 2010

New Mothers Discussion and Support Group

Emily Marynczak has started facilitating postpartum groups for new moms. One of my beloved clients just finished up with this group -now she misses it! There is not enough support for new families in the immediate postpartum; this is a wonderful option. It is important to make some time for special yourself and your new one.



 May all babies be born into loving hands....
 
K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

New Mothers Discussion and Support Group

6 week sessions: Wednesday mornings 9:30-11:00am

Winter Session #1:  January12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16

Winter session #2: March 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13

 
Emily Marynczak will be facilitating a small intimate gathering to explore and share the challenges and triumphs of having a new baby.   The focus of this group will be mother’s learning from mothers. Group discussions will cover a range of topics on parenting. Topics from past groups have centered on the emotional and physical adjustments to motherhood, sleep issues, feeding issues, self care and changes in your primary relationships now that the baby is here.  There will always be time for open discussion. Come with your baby, sip some tea and share  your journey.

 
These Groups are being sponsored by Congregation Beth Emeth:

To Register Please call Debbi Sokoler, 432-1392 or Emily Marynczak, 478-0062 or email Emily at emilymarynczak@hotmail.com

 Cost per session: $108 ($90. for Congregation members)

Group location: Congregation Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Road: Albany NY 12208

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Freedom Fiesta was a hit!

The Freedom Fiesta, a celebration of the activation of the Midwifery Modernization Act was a hit. Thanks to all who attended in body, mind or spirit. We danced, hugged, ate great food and celebrated. A wonderful basket of goodies was donated by SonRise Diaper Service, blankets and diapers were generously donated to Unity House, and a nice (!) check will be going to NYSALM to support their work advocating for New York's midwives. Thanks to us all!





May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Monday, November 1, 2010

“Midwifery Modernization Act” in effect November 1, 2010

The MMA is in effect today. Congratulations to us all. In celebration, come to the Freedom Fiesta this Saturday at the Brunswick Elks Club, starting at 6 PM. The event is free (donations accepted). Also, please bring a new or gently used baby blanket or a pack of disposable diapers for donation to Unity House. See you there!


May all babies be born into loving hands...

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

“Midwifery Modernization Act” in effect November 1, 2010

 
The New York State Association of Licensed Midwives (NYSALM) is proud to announce that as of November 1, the “Midwifery Modernization Act” goes into effect.  This amendment to the Midwifery Practice Act will increase access to women’s health care especially in communities where there has been a shortage or absence of health care providers.  This amendment also rightly places responsibility for informed consent between midwives and the women they serve rather than on a written practice agreement with a physician.

NYSALM is extraordinarily grateful to both consumers in New York and to our legislators who made this important change possible.  Midwifery consumers and women’s health care advocates were passionate and invaluable in this legislative effort.  We also applaud the NYS Legislature, Governor Paterson who signed the bill on July 30, and the State Health Department for recognizing the importance of taking action on this issue.

We are particularly grateful to the many women staffers in both the Assembly and Senate who were so helpful behind the scenes and to our legislators who worked on this bill while simultaneously working to get the state’s budget passed.  Laura Sheperis, President of NYSALM, said “We were pleased to see how hard the members of the legislature worked to pass this bill in an extremely efficient manner, and we were thrilled to have unanimous support in the Senate.”

The previous requirement of a written practice agreement had been a barrier to both choice of provider and access to care for many women across the state over the past 18 years since the midwifery licensing law was passed in 1992.

NYSALM looks forward to our continuing relationship with our physician colleagues and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) as we all work to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in our state and to increase client satisfaction.  We are partners in the health care of women, and we appreciate physicians’ expert consultation when the women in our care have medical needs beyond our scope of practice.  While written practice agreements are no longer necessary for NY midwives, functional collaborative relationships are as important as ever.

November 1, 2010 is an historic date for midwifery in New York.  Thank you!


To contact NYSALM, please call 518-852-7965.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Teething Tablets by Hyland's being recalled

While I have loved Hyland's Teething Tablets for decades, there currently seems to be a problem with them. Please do not give them to your children at this time. Belladona toxicity is nothing to mess around with!


May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database: Special Alert

Our team at Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database monitors regulatory alerts related to natural medicines from around the world. We wanted to take this opportunity to advise you about an important recall.

• Teething Tablets by Hyland's is being recalled throughout North America due to serious safety concerns. Many parents give this product to children to reduce teething-related pain. Product labeling indicates that it should contain only a very small homeopathic dilution of the drug belladonna. However, laboratory analysis has found that some batches contained more of the drug than it should. Some children who have taken it have developed belladonna toxicity. Advise parents not to use this product. 

Evenflo Car Seat Recall

Hope this does not apply to you or yours but if it does, call and get the free reinforcement plate. (And maybe use another car seat in the meantime if your child is under 40 pounds.)


May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com


Evenflo Car Seat Recall
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition

(Oct. 25, 2010)   The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is alerting consumers about the recall of more than 13,700 Evenflo Maestro child safety seats.  The company is recalling the seats because in the event of a crash, a crack can form at the front of the seat, adjacent to the harness adjuster, causing the child to be restrained improperly.  Child seats with model numbers beginning with 310 and produced between November 24, 2009 and April 9, 2009 are included in the recall.  Model numbers and the manufacture date can be found on a label on the side of the car seat.

Owners of the affected seats can contact Evenflo at 1-800-233-5921 to obtain a free metal reinforcement plate to provide extra structural support in the area of the harness adjuster.  The seat should not be used with children weighing under 40 pounds without the repair bracket, but can still be used as a belt positioning booster by children weighing over 40 pounds until the remedy kit arrives.

For more from NHTSA about the recall, click here.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Elijah Asher

And baby makes three. This little boy is very well loved by his two big sisters; Mommy can hardly get him to herself.


May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle,
CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Baby Benjamin

Dreaming of superheros, robots and football games, baby Benjamin is already contemplating his next career:
heartbreaker. What a cutie! 










May all babies be born into loving hands... 

K. Michelle Doyle, CNM, NYS LM
www.localcaremidwifery.com
www.localcaremidwifery.blogspot.com