The health and wellbeing of pregnant women and babies is never too far from the news and much has happened in the last 12 months. Here are a few of the stories that have hit the headlines, with an explanation of the facts behind them

“Free vitamins for pregnant women in Scotland”

Scotland became the first UK nation to roll out the universal provision of free vitamins for all pregnant women on 1 April 2017. 

This means all pregnant women living in Scotland, regardless of their income, will be entitled to supplements containing folic acid, vitamin D and vitamin C. These will be available from community pharmacies and dispensing practices, as well as from some midwives and health visitors.

It is hoped that the initiative, which has widespread support among healthcare professionals, will improve the health of both mothers and their babies. Scottish public health minister Aileen Campbell confirmed the development at Edinburgh Royal Maternity Hospital and said: “We are committed to giving every child in Scotland the very best start in life and helping women to enjoy a healthy pregnancy is a key part of this. There is strong evidence that taking vitamins during pregnancy improves both the mother and baby’s health. By offering them to all pregnant women we can contribute towards giving every baby a fair and equal chance – a move that is widely supported by healthcare professionals.”

Previously, only pregnant women eligible for the Healthy Start scheme and expectant mothers under the age of 18 were eligible for free vitamins, and this remains the case across the rest of the UK.

“Peanut-based foods in early life prevents allergies”

UK-led research that found regular consumption of peanut-containing foods in early life reduced the risk of peanut allergy by 81 per cent, has informed the basis of new US guidelines.

These guidelines suggest that if an infant has severe eczema or an egg allergy, peanuts may be introduced at around four to six months, after seeking medical advice, while waiting longer may increase the risk of an allergy developing. For infants with mild to moderate eczema, the guidelines recommend that peanut-containing foods can be introduced around six months to reduce risk of developing a peanut allergy, and that for babies with no signs of allergies or eczema, peanuts can be introduced freely into the diet along with other solid foods, without seeking medical advice.

The evidence is currently being reviewed by the Department of Health. At the time of printing, UK guidelines say that if a child has eczema or a food allergy, or there’s a family history of allergy, parents should get medical advice before giving them peanuts for the first time. If there’s no family history of food or other allergies, peanuts can be crushed or ground into peanut butter and given from the age of six months. Whole nuts should not be given to children under five years as they can choke on them.

“Breastfeeding doesn’t boost intelligence”

While breastfeeding is known to protect babies from infection in early life, its long-term impact on outcomes such as cognitive ability and intelligence is less clear. This was the focus of new research published in the March 2017 peer-reviewed medical journal Pediatrics.

The research concluded that when looking at cognitive abilities and problem behaviours at ages three and five years, breastfeeding was only associated with a small benefit in hyperactivity at age three. There were no significant benefits seen in these outcomes at age five, once the children were at school. 

The study followed 8,000 babies in Ireland for five years to look at whether breastfeeding had an impact on problem solving and vocabulary (cognitive abilities), and problem behaviours. Babies breastfed for up to six months showed no significant difference in cognitive abilities or problem behaviours when compared to non-breastfed babies at ages three or five.

Those babies who were exclusively or almost exclusively breastfed for over six months had slightly lower hyperactivity levels at age three (as rated by parents) than those who were never breastfed. This difference was not seen in those who were partially breastfed for this long, or by the time the children reached age five.

An important point to note: the study should not discourage women from breastfeeding, as the authors themselves note that it does not bring into question the other known benefits of breastfeeding, such as reduced infection rates in babies.