Insecticides and birth defects in boys New research from England suggests that there’s something else to be careful about during pregnancy: insect repellents and insecticides. Researchers looked at 471 baby boys born with a malformation called hypospadias, where the opening of the penis appears on the underside, rather than the tip. (Surgery can correct the problem in most cases, although no surgical procedure is completely without risk.) The boys’ mothers were asked about their lifestyles. Compared with the mothers of healthy babies, mothers of boys with hypospadias were more likely to have used insect repellents during the first trimester of pregnancy. Read

Bassinet and cradle safety guidelines The best beds for babies are full-sized cribs , so consider bassinets, cradles, and bedside sleepers with caution. Bassinet and cradle manufacturers can voluntarily comply with the ASTM standard for these products (indicated by a JPMA seal on the package)—and certification can provide a layer of protection—but at present aren’t required to. If you decide to buy or use a bassinet or cradle, you can’t be too careful. Here are more safety considerations to keep in mind when you’re looking at these baby beds: Buy certified and buy new. Although it’s not a complete guarantee of safety, buying a certified product adds a layer of protection. Certified products must meet the ASTM standard requirements such as correct spacing of side slats or bars. In 2008, for example, 900,000 Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible close sleeper/bedside sleeper bassinets (200,000 of which also carried the Graco logo or a Disney Winnie-the-Pooh motif) were recalled because the bassinet has metal bars that can be exposed when the Velcro flap that covers them is not properly secured—and the bar spacing exceeded the maximum 2 3/8 inches allowed under the federal crib standard, forming a strangulation hazard. Beware: Some of those bassinets could still be in circulation online and at tag sales and secondhand shops. (See two more babies die in Simplicity bassinets .)

Folic acid may reduce risk of heart defects in babies From the moment that “+” sign appears on a pregnancy test, expectant mothers (and fathers) have plenty of planning, nesting, and stressing to do before their baby’s arrival. Although tasks like picking a name can wait, making sure you get enough folic acid cannot. In fact, doctors advise women to make sure they get enough of this nutrient before they even become pregnant, as this can reduce the risk of spina bifida and related birth defects. Now, a new study suggests another reason to be vigilant about getting enough of this vitamin: a lower risk of serious heart defects. Using government databases, researchers tracked serious heart defects among babies born in Quebec, Canada, in the 9 years before folic acid was added to grain products, and in the 7 years after. They found little variation in the annual rates of serious heart problems before folic acid was added, with around 1.64 babies in every 1,000 having these defects. In the years following, however, serious heart defects decreased, affecting around 1.47 babies in every 1,000. Learn more about the study, and how much folic acid you should take, in the rest of this Health blog post. Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Can you eat during labor? They don't call it labor for nothing. Delivering a baby can be exhausting work, lasting 10, 20 or more hours for some women. So how can moms-to-be keep up their strength? How about a fortifying snack of…ice chips? After eating-for-two throughout pregnancy, women are often advised not to eat at all during labor. Does food help or hinder labor? Neither, according to a large study released last month, which found that women’s deliveries were remarkably similar whether they snacked or fasted. The study involved more than 2,400 healthy women in England who were having their first baby. They were randomly split into two groups. In one, women were advised to consume only water and ice chips during labor. In the other, women were encouraged to eat small, regular amounts of food, such as bread, cookies, fruits, low-fat yogurt and fruit juice. Researchers found little difference between the groups in: How long labor lasted How often the women vomited Whether they needed C-sections Whether their deliveries were assisted with forceps or a vacuum There were also no differences in the babies’ overall condition at birth or their chance of being admitted to a special care unit. These findings suggests that the fast-or-snack question is perhaps best left to the mom-to-be at the time of labor, assuming she is healthy and expected to have a normal delivery. Read the rest of this post on our Health blog . And see our report on safer childbirth for related information. Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences

Cord blood banking: Doctors weigh in The promotional pitches started early in my pregnancy, even before all my friends knew I was expecting. There were brochures in the mail, flyers at my doctor's office and ads in pregnancy magazines—all counseling me to privately bank the blood from my newborn’s umbilical cord to preserve the valuable stem cells within. Doing so would provide a type of biological insurance, in case my baby or another family member needed a stem-cell transplant or related therapy in the future. As someone who tends to overplan and prepare, this seemed like a no-brainer to me. Stem cells, I knew, are cellular building blocks that can develop into hundreds of other cell types. Scientists think they may hold the key to treatments and even cures for Parkinson’s, diabetes and a range of other diseases. And stem-cell transplants are already used to treat some cancers, and immune, and blood disorders. Wouldn’t I want my baby to have her own ready supply of perfectly matched stem cells, just in case? Of course. What parent wouldn’t? Read the rest of this post on our Health blog . Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences