PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Physically active moms-to-be give babies a head start on heart health

Labor of love: Study results to be discussed at Experimental Biology 2011 meeting

2011-04-08
(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 – Moms-to-be long have been told by their doctors and baby-related books and websites that staying fit during pregnancy is good for both mother and child. When it was reported a couple of years back that exercising strengthens a fetus' heart control, many pregnant women took heed and hit the ground running, literally. Some signed up for prenatal yoga classes; others found new ways to incorporate low-impact aerobic activities into their daily lives.

But, for those pregnant women out there who might not be feeling all that motivated, or anything but energized, new research being reported this weekend could tip the scales: It turns out that exercising during pregnancy might be the earliest intervention strategy available to you for improving your child's heart health after birth.

"It is my hope that these findings will show that efforts focused on improving health need to start during pregnancy rather than in childhood," says Linda E. May, an exercise physiologist and anatomist at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences who has been heading up a series of studies on fetal heart development for the past four years. "Most of the focus today is on school-age children, but interventions should be focused long before that."

A 2008 pilot study conducted by May and her collaborators at KCUMB and the Kansas City University of Medicine found that pregnant women who exercised at least 30 minutes three times a week had fetuses with lower heart rates – a sign of heart health – during the final weeks of development.

Now the team has revealed that the fetuses' improved cardiovascular heart control is maintained one month after pregnancy, which indicates that mothers' efforts to stay active have lasting effects. The study results are to be presented this week at the Experimental Biology 2011 annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

For expectant mothers like Kelli Gifford of Katy, Texas, the idea that an extra Zumba class or lap around the park could put her baby on a path to heart health puts an extra spring in her step.

"I had been regularly exercising many hours a week for years before I got pregnant and felt no need to change anything after I became pregnant," said Gifford, who was not involved in the study. "Of course, I checked with my doctor and researched websites to make sure I wasn't causing my baby any harm, but it seemed to be the consensus to keep doing what I was doing as long as I felt OK -- and I have! I feel great and haven't been sick a day. It's been really beneficial to both me and my baby, and I hope it helps both of us long-term as well."

May's research team's latest investigation involved 61 moms-to-be and monitored maternal-fetal and infant heart function four times over the course of the study. The women's aerobic activity levels ranged from power walking to running. Some of the more active participants also lifted weights and practiced yoga.

"The system that controls heart function is known to improve with regular aerobic exercise," May says, "and improved heart control function is evidence of a healthy cardiovascular system and overall health. Not only did the mothers' exercise help maintain and improve their own health, but it set their babies up for a healthier start."

At 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Room 101 of the Walter E Washington Convention Center in D.C., May will present her findings during a 30-minute talk before the American Association of Anatomists at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting.

The research team's work is funded by the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and the Hoglund Brain Imaging Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

May's collaborators include: Kathleen Gustafson, a research assistant professor at the Hoglund Brain Imaging Center at KUMC; Henry Yeh, a statistician at KUMC; Alan Glaros, a statistician at KCUMB; and Richard Suminski, an exercise physiologist at KCUMB.

###

About Experimental Biology 2011

Experimental Biology is an annual gathering of six scientific societies that this year is expected to draw 13,000-plus independent scientists and exhibitors. The American Association of Anatomists (AAA) is a co-sponsor of the meeting, along with the American Physiological Society (APS), American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP), American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET).

About the American Association of Anatomists

The American Association of Anatomists, based in Bethesda, Md., was founded in 1888 for the "advancement of anatomical science." Today, AAA is the professional home for biomedical researchers and educators focusing on anatomical form and function. In addition to being the primary educators of medical students in their first year of medical school, AAA members worldwide work in imaging, cell biology, genetics, molecular development, endocrinology, histology, neuroscience, forensics, microscopy, physical anthropology, and numerous other exciting and developing areas. AAA publishes three journals—The Anatomical Record, Anatomical Sciences Education and Developmental Dynamics—plus a quarterly newsletter. Among its other programs and services, the organization sponsors an Annual Meeting (part of Experimental Biology), runs an extensive awards program, and maintains a website (www.anatomy.org) that offers members and others a variety of tools to enhance their teaching, research, and overall professional development.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Hot topics in chemical biology and drug development at EB2011

2011-04-08
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 – What do blinking fireflies, the cellular power plants that are human mitochondria, parasitic worms in sub-Saharan Africa and synthetic sugars have in common? At first glance, not a lot; but, after a good hard look, they represent bright threads in the tapestry of knowledge for those trying to patch the gaps between chemical biology, technology, therapies and cures. In the coming days, as part of the Experimental Biology 2011 conference in Washington, D.C., two dozen researchers will go public about their ongoing work aimed at improving our ...

Findings may help keep pancreatic disease off the menu

2011-04-08
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 – Timing is everything. That's especially true when it comes to the activation of enzymes created by the pancreas to break down food. When the timing is right, those enzymes are activated only when they reach the gut, where they get to work releasing and distributing nutrients that we need to survive. If the timing is wrong and the enzymes are activated too soon, they break down the pancreas itself, which is painful and sometimes fatal. Fortunately, most of the time the body is a master timekeeper and has a game plan for what to do if a signaling ...

What's coming next in the biochemical battle of the bulge?

2011-04-08
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 -- Dozens of researchers in the coming days will lay out what's around the corner in the biochemical battle of the bulge as part of the Experimental Biology 2011 conference in Washington, D.C. The three-day program on obesity, sponsored by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's minority affairs committee, will showcase the work of scientists from all over the world who have their sights set on reversing the epidemic by laying bare and manipulating, to mankind's advantage, its molecular underpinnings. Nine 25-minute ...

Paycheck Software from Halfpricesoft Takes Sting out of Payroll Problems for Small Businesses in California

Paycheck Software from Halfpricesoft Takes Sting out of Payroll Problems for Small Businesses in California
2011-04-08
Many people who start their own successful companies are intelligent, have field experience and an entrepreneur spirit to get things done. However, when it comes to accounting, and in particular payroll software, they often stumble. That's why Halfpricesoft co-founder Dr Ge went to work creating ezPaycheck, and its latest version, ezPaycheck 2011 payroll software for California users. "For more than ten years I was a programmer and consultant," says Dr Ge. "During that time I discovered many small business owners often had one thing in common, regardless of their industry: ...

At EB2011: The role of metabolism in disease

2011-04-08
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2011 – Metabolism encompasses the biochemical reactions that sustain life and is usually thought of as two complementary systems: one that breaks down nutrients to generate energy and another that harnesses this energy to produce the building blocks cells need to thrive. Considering the fundamental importance of this chemical give-and-take, it's not surprising that metabolic dysfunctions can lead to serious diseases. Next week, experts on metabolism will convene for a thematic program, at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's ...

'Paperless' research to be highlighted at international conference

Paperless research to be highlighted at international conference
2011-04-08
New technology is revolutionizing the precise recording of history at an ancient, lost city, bucking a tradition that has been in place for centuries. University of Cincinnati researchers will present "The Paperless Project: The Use of iPads in the Excavations at Pompeii" at the 39th annual international conference of Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA). The conference takes place April 12-16 in Beijing, China. The iPad research experiment, led by Steven Ellis, UC assistant professor of classics, and John Wallrodt, a senior research associate ...

Unreliable 'outcomes' measures hamper efforts to assure better, safer care

2011-04-08
With a push to make hospitals and doctors more accountable for health care quality, more attention must be paid to the accuracy and reliability of measures used to evaluate caregivers, says a prominent Johns Hopkins patient safety expert. Writing in the April issue of the journal Health Affairs, Peter J. Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, argues that as the desire to evaluate and improve health care intensifies, there remains little consensus as to which measures are scientifically ...

Evolution of the animal temperature sensor: The functional adaptation to environmental change

2011-04-08
The animals on the earth have adapted themselves to the environmental temperature changes such as hot in deserts, or cold in the glacial epochs. However, the molecular mechanism for adaptation to thermal environments in the evolutionary process involving temperature sensors was not well understood. Professor Makoto Tominaga and Assistant Professor Shigeru Saito at The National Institute for Physiological Sciences (Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience) demonstrate that the molecule called TRP channels, serve as temperature sensors in animals, sense different temperature ...

Fukushima-related measurements by the CTBTO

2011-04-08
Since the double disaster of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that affected hundreds of thousands of people and seriously damaged the Fukushima Daichi power plant in Japan on 11 March 2011, minute traces of radioactive emissions from Fukushima have spread across the entire northern hemisphere. A monitoring network designed to detect signs of nuclear explosions picked up these traces from the stricken power plant. To date, more than 30 radionuclide stations that are part of the International Monitoring System (IMS) have provided information on the spread of radioactive ...

NASA telescopes join forces to observe unprecedented explosion

NASA telescopes join forces to observe unprecedented explosion
2011-04-08
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Swift, Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have teamed up to study one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts yet observed. More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location. Astronomers say they have never seen anything this bright, long-lasting and variable before. Usually, gamma-ray bursts mark the destruction of a massive star, but flaring emission from these events never lasts more than a few hours. Although research is ongoing, astronomers say that the unusual blast likely arose when ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits

Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters

Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can

Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds

Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication

Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows

Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more

Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

DFG to fund eight new research units

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

Disparities and gaps in breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49

US tobacco 21 policies and potential mortality reductions by state

AI-driven approach reveals hidden hazards of chemical mixtures in rivers

Older age linked to increased complications after breast reconstruction

ESA and NASA satellites deliver first joint picture of Greenland Ice Sheet melting

Early detection model for pancreatic necrosis improves patient outcomes

Poor vascular health accelerates brain ageing

[Press-News.org] Physically active moms-to-be give babies a head start on heart health
Labor of love: Study results to be discussed at Experimental Biology 2011 meeting