WEDNESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News)– Women who develop diabetes before they become pregnant are three to four times more likely than non-diabetic women to have a baby with at least one birth defect, says a U. This is the first study to identify the wide range of birth defects — such as heart defects, brain and spine defects, oral clefts, limb deficiencies, and defects of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract — associated with pre-pregnancy diagnoses of type 1 or type 2 diabetes . Adolfo Correa, an epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a CDC news release. In addition, preconception care should be considered and promoted for women with pre-pregnancy obesity , which is a known risk factor for both diabetes and birth defects, Correa and colleagues recommended. While risk factors for some birth defects have been identified, the cause of most birth defects is unknown. read more

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The number of children born to teens and preteens in DuPage County rose by almost 9 percent, according to the most recent figures released by the state. The Illinois Department of Public Health released figures this week showing 557 girls ages 10 to 19 in DuPage gave birth in 2006, up from 513 in 2005. Officials at the not-for-profit Teen Parent Connection in Glen Ellyn, formerly known as Greater DuPage MYM, said this rise means they must find extra resources to offer more pregnancy prevention initiatives at area schools. The organization’s Healthy Families DuPage, which offers home visit services to help teen parents adjust to their new roles, serves approximately 135 families and has a waiting list of more than 20 others. Teen Parent Connection recently expanded it’s Baby Steps program to the Henry Hyde Resource Center in Addison. For details on the Teen Parent Services Program offered by the DuPage County Health Department, call (630) 682-7979, ext. read more

Technorati Tags: dupage, teen, parent, , 2006, connection, pregnancy news

It always surprises me just how much little ones, even very small babies, love books. Books are for all ages, but here’s what your baby gets out of them…

That whole open-shut-open-shut issue is like baby heaven.

Great pictures!

Bright and subtle colors, plus the black and white contrast of big word books.

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