A Healthy & Yummy Halloween Treat

“Halloween” or “All Hallow’s Eve” dates back 2,000 years to the most significant Celtic holiday: the night before the new year (November 1 on their calendar), when the dead returned to mingle with the living. Scary faces were sculpted into turnips and gourds and lit with burning embers to ward off evil spirits. Today’s jack-o-lanterns are but one vestige of that pagan celebration. However, pumpkins have other uses besides keeping evil spirits away and frightening trick-or-treaters. 

This Halloween, do the neighborhood ghosts and goblins—and yourself—a favor. Try my favorite Halloween recipe instead of munching on all that unhealthy candy.

Low-Fat Pumpkin Banana Bread

Ingredients
•    1 mashed, ripe banana
•    1 cup pumpkin puree
•    1/4 cup coconut oil
•    1 large egg
•    2 egg whites
•    2 cups whole wheat flour
•    1 tsp baking powder
•    1/2 tsp baking soda
•    1/2 tsp salt
•    2/3 cup sugar
•    1/2 tsp nutmeg
•    1/2 tsp ginger
•    1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place mashed banana, pumpkin puree, oil, egg and egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with an electronic mixer on low speed.

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana and pumpkin mixture and beat until just moist.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean. It serves twelve.

An occasional sugar splurge isn't going to hurt you, but overindulgence can contribute to a host of health problems. So this Halloween try replacing those unhealthy treats with tasty ones like this.

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A New Recommendation For Pap Smear Testing Has Been Released, But This Does Not Mean You Can Skip Your Annual Exam

Dr. Bev Blessing FNP, PHD

A new recommendation for pap smear testing has been released with the opening line of "most women need testing for cervical cancer only every three to five years". For many readers that statement can sound like most women can begin to skip their annual exams. What the article does not say is probably more important than what it does say.  

The new recommendation is only focusing on screening for cervical cancer in low risk populations. It does not address high risk patients, people with compromised immune systems, those with increased risk factors, changes related to STDs, or many other gynecologic areas of concern. It also does not mention screening for vulva cancer, vaginal cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer or breast cancer, which are routinely a part of the annual exam.  The recommendation is only referring to pap smears. 

What that means for most of us, is that at our annual women's health exam, during the pelvic portion, a sampling of the cervical fluid will not be tested except every 2-3 years. Everything else stays the same. The bottom line is: To ensure your health as a woman, it is still very important keep your appointment for your annual exam!

Read the recommendation here: http://bit.ly/V1ptIA

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Study Shows That Maternal-Newborn Separation When Both Mother And Newborn Admitted To ICU Following Birth Increases Risk Of Death Significantly

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Mothers and newborns who are both admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) after delivery are significantly more likely to die compared with mom-baby pairs not needing ICU admission, found a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). As well, when both mother and baby require admission to an ICU, they are much more likely to be managed at different hospitals, thereby negatively impacting maternal-infant bonding. 

Researchers completed a population-based study of all 1.02 million live born singleton deliveries in Ontario between 2002 and 2010. They found that infant mortality was 28 times higher and maternal death 330 times higher when a newborn was admitted to a neonatal ICU (NICU) while its mother was admitted to an adult ICU - collectively called "co-ICU" - than when neither mom nor baby was admitted to an ICU. Separation of mother and infant soon after birth was 31 times more common with co-ICU than no ICU, because one or both needed to be transferred to another hospital. 

"In addition to being at high risk of death, newborns admitted to the NICU experience long-term morbidity," writes lead author Dr. Joel Ray, Departments of Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Michael's Hospital, and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. "This produces a great deal of stress for the parents." When the mother requires admission to an ICU as well, she may be unable to care for, or bond with, her baby. This can have long-term implications for mother-child bonding. 

To explain the higher risk of death for mothers and babies both admitted to an ICU, the authors suggest that "abnormalities of the maternal and fetal placental circulations may often co-exist, and a diseased placenta may adversely affect mother and fetus alike. Placental dysfunction may result in preeclampsia, placental abruption and placental infarction, paralleled by an increased rate of preterm cesarean delivery and involvement of the maternal hepatic, cardiac, renal and cerebral systems." 

Coordination of care plans by ICU staff for mothers and babies in their respective ICUs, especially by trained social workers, as well as efforts to transfer mothers and babies to the same hospital, may help lessen the burden of maternal-newborn separation. 

The authors conclude that "co-ICU admission may be one optimal marker of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality beyond maternal ICU or NICU admission alone."

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Study Shows That Language Development In Babies Affected By Maternal Depression

Dr. Enrique Jacome 

Maternal depression and a common class of antidepressants can alter a crucial period of language development in babies, according to a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Harvard University and the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital. 

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study finds that treatment of maternal depression with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) can accelerate babies' ability to attune to the sounds and sights of their native language, while maternal depression untreated by SRIs may prolong the period of tuning. 

"This study is among the first to show how maternal depression and its treatment can change the timing of language development in babies," says Prof. Janet Werker of UBC's Dept. of Psychology, the study's senior author. "At this point, we do not know if accelerating or delaying these milestones in development has lasting consequences on later language acquisition, or if alternate developmental pathways exist. We aim to explore these and other important questions in future studies." 

The study followed three groups of mothers - one being treated for depression with SRIs, one with depression not taking antidepressants and one with no symptoms of depression. By measuring changes in heart rate and eye movement to sounds and video images of native and non-native languages, the researchers calculated the language development of babies at three intervals, including six and 10 months of age. Researchers also studied how the heart rates of unborn babies responded to languages at the age of 36 weeks in the uterus. 

"The findings highlight the importance of environmental factors on infant development and put us in a better position to support not only optimal language development in children but also maternal well-being," says Werker, who adds that treatment of maternal depression is crucial. "We also hope to explore more classes of antidepressants to determine if they have similar or different impacts on early childhood development." 

Background 

"These findings once again remind us that poor mental health during pregnancy is a major public health issue for mothers and their infants," says co-author Dr. Tim Oberlander, a professor of developmental pediatrics at UBC and CFRI. "Non-treatment is never an option. While some infants might be at risk, others may benefit from mother's treatment with an antidepressant during their pregnancy. At this stage we are just not sure why some but not all infants are affected in the same way. It is really important that pregnant women discuss all treatment options with their physicians or midwives." 

Previous research by Werker has found that during the first months of life, babies rapidly attune to the language sounds they hear and the sights they see (movements in the face that accompany talking) of their native languages. After this foundational period of language recognition, babies begin focusing on acquiring their native tongues and effectively ignore other languages. 

The current study suggests that this key developmental period - which typically ends between the ages of eight and nine months - can be accelerated or delayed, in some cases by several months. In another recent study, Werker has found that this development period lasts longer for babies in bilingual households than in monolingual babies, particularly for the face recognition aspects of speech. 

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UK Study Shows That Everyday Chemicals Raise Country's Breast Cancer Rates

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Ever since they have routinely added synthetic chemicals to everyday household and personal care products, the breast cancer rate among women in the UK has risen dramatically, says Breast Cancer UK, a British charity.

According to the UK office for National Statistics, in 1971 out of 100,000 women, only 66 got breast cancer, in 2010 the figure jumped to 126 per 100,000 - an increase of nearly 100%. However, since screening was introduced in 1987, the number of women dying from the disease has been falling steadily.

Women are exposed to toxic chemicals every time they put on makeup, clean the house or use plastic. A growing number of scientists believe that routine exposure to such chemicals may be having an impact on breast cancer rates.

Breast Cancer UK predicts that 1 in every 8 women will develop breast cancer at some time in their lives. This increase in breast cancer rates is expected to continue rising.

The authors of a new report from Breast Cancer UK say that it is possible to reduce chemical exposure by taking some simple steps. Many things that people come into contact with every day have chemicals we do not know very much about, especially what long-term exposure might cause. Examples of products include the lining of bottles and food cans, plastic lunch boxes, personal care products, cosmetics, and cleaners. According to Breast Cancer UK, many of these products do contain chemicals that raise the risk of developing breast cancer.

The charity says that the chemicals in these products typically end up inside a woman's body. On a daily basis, people may be rubbing hormone-distributors which make their way into the body through their skin. We are also eating and drinking these chemicals.

Here are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to breast cancer causing chemicals:

Shop for safer products - products today list which chemicals are included in their manufacture or preparation. Look for goods that have a certified label for organic ingredients. Labels with few ingredients tend to have products which are less toxic. Also, when using these products, do so less often and in smaller amounts.

Be extra careful with food and drink - if you are drinking or eating chemical-laden products, you are much more likely to have an accumulation of hazardous chemicals in your body. Be especially careful with babies and young children, they cannot eliminate these compounds from their system as well as adults can, especially BPA and other hormone disrupting substances. Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. revealed in Hormones & Cancer in 2010, in a study in mice that prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals can raise a female's risk of cancer later on in life. Examples of hormone-altering substances include bisphenol-A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES)


Cut down on consuming or using the following products:

• Foods and drinks that come in cans. Look out for cans that say they are BPA free on the label. The majority of cans contain Bisphenol A (BPA). A chemical that upsets our hormone system - BPA has been associated with breast cancer risk.


• Products with fragrance added, such as cleaning products, washing powder (detergent) and air fresheners. In order to make them unpalatable (undrinkable), manufacturers commonly add PVC.


• Body care products - avoid, or cut down on the ones that contain TEA (triethanolamine), Formaldehyde, DEA (diethanolamine), Parabens, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DMP, DEP), DMDM Hydantoin, Triclosan, Fragrance, PEGs (polyethylene glycol), and anything with "glycol" or "methyl.


• Hand washes and anti-bacterial soaps - look for products without Triclosan, which can disrupt hormones and has been associated with breast cancer risk


• Toothpaste - avoid those that contain Triclosan. If you really want to go back to basics, brush your teeth with baking soda.


• Products with Parabens - some drinks, pie fillings, beers, pickles and jams may contain Parabens. Parabens may disrupt the hormones. Cosmetic product labels will list them if they have been added, however food products might not. Seek out Parabens-free goods. Scientists from the University of Reading, England, found traces of Parabens in all the tumor samples taken from women with breast cancer. They added that further studies are needed to find out why.

You can make your make your own cleaning products:

• Window cleaner - mix three tablespoons of vinegar with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Some people say the vinegar-water mix should be 50-50. If the windows are very dirty, use ½ teaspoon of liquid soap, 3 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 cups of water. Shake it all up. Wipe the glass afterwards with newspaper rather than paper toweling them.


• All purpose disinfectant - mix 2 teaspoons of borax, 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 3 to 4 cups of hot water into a spray bottle. If you want it to be extra powerful, add ¼ teaspoon of liquid soap.


• General dusting - use a damp cloth. You could add 1 teaspoon of olive oil per ½ cup of vinegar, mix it all together in a bowl and use it to wet a small cloth.

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