plus 4, Pregnancy watch begins for panda - Palm Beach Interactive

Pregnancy watch begins for panda - Palm Beach Interactive
Perry hints at pregnancy - Himalayan Times
Let 2010's Panda Pregnancy Watch Begin! - DCist.com
Pregnancy hopes rise again: Panda artificially inseminated - Washington Post
Get to know your prenatal nosh - StarPhoenix

Pregnancy watch begins for panda - Palm Beach Interactive

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 05:47 PM PST

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WASHINGTON — Experts at the National Zoo artificially inseminated a giant panda Saturday and Sunday after she went into heat, zoo officials said. Mei Xiang underwent the nonsurgical insemination after she and the zoo's male giant panda, Tian Tian ...

Perry hints at pregnancy - Himalayan Times

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:05 PM PST

Agencies

LONDON: Katy Perry has apparently been giving small hints of pregnancy on twitter. The singer may be expecting a child with boyfriend Russell Brand. In a post addressed to the British comedian, she wrote, "i heard ur prego-ed". Also, she has made similar suggestive entries on the web in recent past. "Let me tell you 2010 is BUMPIN!" the Daily Star quoted her as stating. Another bizarre message went, "I WANT IN N OUT!" The couple, mostly seen together, recently visited India.

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Let 2010's Panda Pregnancy Watch Begin! - DCist.com

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 04:28 PM PST

Mei Xiang couldn't have timed it better if she tried. Just as Washingtonians were preparing to wish our final goodbyes to our beloved Butterstick, Tai Shan's mom quite surprisingly went into heat yesterday afternoon, and her and 'Stick's dad, Tian Tian, wasted little time getting to work, as seen above.

We don't really need to go into the sad details of Butterstick's imminent departure (sniffle), but there'd hardly be a better present than a new cub for his mom and dad -- who are scheduled to leave later this year -- to leave us before they hit the road back to China. One would assume that if they have a cub, an extension would probably be granted by the Chinese government.

If you hadn't learned from every year we go through this, female pandas usually only spend about 48 hours in heat each spring -- though this is the second straight year that Mei Xiang has experienced an early sexual revolution.

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Pregnancy hopes rise again: Panda artificially inseminated - Washington Post

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:05 PM PST

Mei Xiang underwent the nonsurgical insemination after she and the zoo's male giant panda, Tian Tian, tried to mate but failed, the zoo said.

Panda reproduction in captivity is complex and difficult, and zoo scientists have only about 48 hours once a year, when the female is in heat, to try to achieve a pregnancy.

A giant panda cub this year would be a special sensation because the zoo is facing the potential loss of all three of its giant pandas by next year.

Mei Xiang went into heat about noon Saturday, and she and Tian Tian attempted to mate for several hours, the zoo said. After experts saw that the attempts had failed, the animals were anesthetized and the insemination procedures began.

Now begins Washington's annual panda pregnancy watch, which can last three to six months, the panda gestation period. The two adult pandas will be separated, and scientists will closely monitor the female.

The zoo also announced Sunday that its beloved 4-year-old giant panda, Tai Shan, will depart for China early next month. A public farewell party is scheduled for Jan. 30 at the zoo.

Tai Shan, born at the zoo in 2005 via artificial insemination, is the only offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. Subsequent breeding attempts have failed.

Giant pandas are native to China, which owns all giant pandas in U.S. zoos. The adult pandas are at the National Zoo on a 10-year loan from China that expires this year. Tai Shan, by agreement with the Chinese, was to have been sent there two years ago, but China granted an extension.

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Get to know your prenatal nosh - StarPhoenix

Posted: 10 Jan 2010 06:44 PM PST

If you're pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant, odds are you have a lot of things on your mind. With baby names, nurseries and ultrasounds to consider -- not to mention morning sickness, aversions and cravings to deal with (I had an intense craving for bacon throughout my first trimester), a mom-to-be can be forgiven for occasionally putting her diet on the backburner. Last week, Health Canada released its updated guidelines for prenatal nutrition. This week, we'll break down the revised recommendations for expecting moms.

FISH

Many women feel they should avoid fish during pregnancy to reduce their exposure to toxins such as mercury, dioxins and PCBs. In fact, according to Health Canada, "the benefits of eating fish are greater than not eating fish, when pregnant women choose the recommended types and amounts." According to the guidelines, pregnant women are encouraged to consume 150 grams (about 5 ounces) of fish per week.

Fish are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosahexaenoic acid (EPA). When a pregnant woman consumes fish, the EPA and DHA cross the placental barrier and are used by the developing fetus to support brain and retinal development. Research on fish intake and pregnancy has demonstrated a slight increase in length of pregnancy and better neurodevelopment in those who consume fish regularly. Even postpartum depression has been associated with low circulating levels of DHA in the mother (DHA passes through breastmilk to the infant, reducing the amount available for mom), though more research is needed in this area.

When it comes to types of fish to choose, your best bets are low-mercury fish, including salmon, trout, herring, haddock, canned light tuna, pollock, sole, flounder, anchovy, char and Atlantic mackerel. High-mercury fish to limit or avoid include fresh and frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy and escolar. If these large, predatory fish are consumed during pregnancy, Health Canada recommends no more than a single 150-gram serving per month.

An alternative to fish are omega-3 fish oil supplements. While cod liver oil should be avoided by pregnant women(it often contains very large quantities of vitamin A that could become excessive when combined with a multivitamin), choosing a fish oil supplement can be a reasonable alternative, especially if the thought of fish becomes wholly unappealing during pregnancy. As for flaxseed, hemp, chia and other sources of alpha-linolenic acid (a precursor of EPA and DHA), there is less evidence to support their benefits.

Finally, when it comes to preparing fish during pregnancy, extra precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of both mom and baby. That means cooking fish thoroughly, and avoiding raw fish (sadly, that includes sushi) to reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.

FOLATE

Folate, a type of B vitamin, plays a critical role in the development of the brain, spine and skull of the fetus, especially in the first four weeks of pregnancy -- a time when most women don't know they are pregnant. To reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, Health Canada recommends that all women of childbearing age take 0.4 milligrams of folic acid per day (note that folate is the form of the vitamin found naturally in foods, while folic acid is the synthetic form in vitamins and fortified grains), which is most easily obtained by taking a pre-natal multivitamin.

While a regular, daily dose of folic acid is a good thing, in most cases, taking too much isn't a great idea. Not only have high doses (more than 1,000 mcg or 1 mg per day) been implicated with an increased risk of certain cancers (high doses of folic acid seem to repair precancerous cells) in the general population, but a recent study demonstrated a greater risk of colon cancer in the children of women who took very high doses of folate during pregnancy. This means that most pregnant women should limit or avoid extra B-vitamin supplements (they contain folic acid), and mega-dosing on multivitamins. By all accounts, consuming folate-rich foods, including green vegetables, lentils, beans and orange juice, is safe.

IRON

Finally, pregnant women should take a multivitamin with 16 to 20 mg of iron per day. This not only provides enough iron for the developing fetus, but also helps prevent iron deficiency anemia in the mother. Note, however, that the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron during pregnancy is actually 27 mg per day, so moms-to-be need to make up the difference by eating iron-rich foods, including lean cuts of red meat, shrimp, sardines, chicken, beans and legumes, iron-fortified cereals, pumpkin seeds, eggs and tofu.

- For more information on the revised guidelines, visit the Health Canada website at hc-sc.gc.ca.

- Jennifer Sygo is a dietitian in private practice at Cleveland Clinic Canada (clevelandcliniccanada.com), which offers executive physicals, prevention and wellness counselling and personal health care management in Toronto.

jsygo@rogers.com

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