UTSpeaks: Raising babies (part two) 23 August, 2011
UTSpeaks: Raising babies (1 - Professor Maralyn Foureur)
Jan 12, 2015
Is there an ideal way for parents and health carers to ensure babies get the best start in life?
All agree that every precious baby deserves the best possible start in life. But what is the best possible start and when does that start begin – before or after birth? With all that we already know and understand about pregnancy and infant development, do we truly understand the obstacles and opportunities at the heart of raising a child to its full potential?
This public lecture traces the journey of a child from the moments before conception to its first years as an infant. It considers the complex influences at work on mother and child such as fear, anxiety, social expectations and intergenerational parenting experiences. Insights will be offered based on cutting-edge research from which all would-be parents, infant care professionals and wider community would benefit.
Professor Maralyn Foureur
Maralyn is Professor of Midwifery at UTS and for the Central Coast and Northern Sydney Local Health Networks. She has led research in innovative models of midwifery care and the development of midwifery practice and education. Her research includes how birth unit design impacts on women and staff stress, communication, and ultimately birth outcomes. Maralyn co-leads the consortium called Birth After Caesarean Interventions which undertakes research promoting normal birth and raising the rate of vaginal birth after caesarean section.
All agree that every precious baby deserves the best possible start in life. But what is the best possible start and when does that start begin – before or after birth? With all that we already know and understand about pregnancy and infant development, do we truly understand the obstacles and opportunities at the heart of raising a child to its full potential?
This public lecture traces the journey of a child from the moments before conception to its first years as an infant. It considers the complex influences at work on mother and child such as fear, anxiety, social expectations and intergenerational parenting experiences. Insights will be offered based on cutting-edge research from which all would-be parents, infant care professionals and wider community would benefit.
Professor Maralyn Foureur
Maralyn is Professor of Midwifery at UTS and for the Central Coast and Northern Sydney Local Health Networks. She has led research in innovative models of midwifery care and the development of midwifery practice and education. Her research includes how birth unit design impacts on women and staff stress, communication, and ultimately birth outcomes. Maralyn co-leads the consortium called Birth After Caesarean Interventions which undertakes research promoting normal birth and raising the rate of vaginal birth after caesarean section.
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Transcript
UTSpeaks: Raising babies (part two)23 August, 2011
RAISING BABIES
Maralyn FoureurProfessor of Midwifery
University of Technology Sydney
Aim of presentation
To explore how the early stages oflife might influence a child’s future wellbeingPeri-conceptionPregnancyBirthEarly newborn/breastfeeding
What can we learn from available research evidence?
What kind of evidence?
From a wide range of disciplines- Neuroscience, Neuro-biology, Neuro-architecture, Psycho-biology, Psycho-neuro-immunology, Epidemiology, Epigenetics – and more...
Aided by new tools: fMRI, PET scan, 4D Ultrasound imaging
New science of Epi-Genetics = Above the Genes
Genes are being switched on or silenced by signals from outside the Gene sequence
Signals includenutrition, emotions, stress, toxins
What kinds of Research? Unethical to manipulate the environment for
human studies Experiments with animals - first
Then search to find confirming evidence in humans
Look for naturally occurring ‘experiments’ or Large population based–longitudinal (over
time), observational studies
ALL FORMS OF RESEARCH HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS…
PERINATAL RESEARCH EXAMPLES
The Agouti Mouse Stressed Pregnant Rats Genetically Engineered Mice
Studies in Humans
STUDY 1: THE STORY OF THE AGOUTI MOUSE AND HER BABIES
Prone to Obesity - Diabetes - Cancer
THE AGOUTI GENE CAN BE SILENCED…
Pregnant Agouti fed a diet rich in soy extract, folate, B12…
-will have babies who still have the agouti gene but are otherwise normal
STUDY 2: STRESSED PREGNANT RATS…
Abused and neglected their pups
Pups developed epigenetic modifications to their DNA
Pups grew up to be poor mothers
3RD GENERATION EFFECTS
And passed on these changes to the next generation of offspring
STUDY 3: ITS NOT ALL BAD NEWS…TRANS-GENERATIONAL EFFECTS ON BRAIN’S PLASTICITY
1. Mice genetically engineered to have a memory defect
2. Placed in an enriched environment
Memory improved
3. Offspring of those mice - who had the same memory defective gene - also had an improved memory
SO WHAT HAVE WE ENCOUNTERED SO FAR?
Gene mutation can cause obesity, diabetes and cancer
Changes to diet can silence the gene mutation from being expressed
Maternal Stress during pregnancy can alter the structure of the DNA (gene expression) in the unborn offspring
The changes to the gene expression result in behavioural changes in the offspring
Changes to the gene expression can continue to occur across generations
An enriched environment can overcome changes in the genes
IS THERE ANY CONFIRMATION OF THESE EPIGENETIC EFFECTS IN HUMAN STUDIES?
Naturally occurring ‘experiments’
Nutrition – famine Cardiovascular
disease, metabolic syndrome, neurodevelopmental disorders
Longitudinal studies
Longitudinal studies Antenatal maternal
mood disorders (depression)
Changes to the baby’s DNA
Increased salivary cortisol levels at 3 months of age
Upregulated stress responses
There are common findings we may need to pay attention to…
The Fetus is sensitive to its mother’s nutrition and psycho-emotional state
The mother’s experiences are translated into chemical & electrical messages that flood her body and brain and may change her behaviour
and in turn- chemical and electrical messages flood the baby’s body and brain
and potentially shape its neuro-behavioural development
ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN STRESSFUL PERINATAL EXPERIENCES AND LATER LIFE EVENTS
These include…
Diabetes Cardio vascular
disease Autism spectrum
disorders Schizophrenia Psychotic disorders Drug Dependency Suicidality
IS THERE A SOLUTION?
Secure mother-infant attachment-predicts long term resilience to physical and psychological distress
New Models of maternity care aim to reduce maternal stress and enhance mother-infant attachment
Studies of Birth Unit Design aim to contribute to reduced maternal stress
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