Expectant moms have a lot to think about when it comes to their babies’ health, like eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and making sure they avoid things like smoking and alcohol. But what if something you couldn’t even see was affecting the healthy growth of your baby while it was still in the womb?

Experts at the University of California, Berkeley recently found that exposure to flame-retardant chemicals called PBDEs (polybrominated diphenylethers) could significantly affect the healthy brain development of babies in utero. Used in countless consumer products such as electronics, building materials, carpet and upholstery, motor vehicles and more, PBDEs have also been linked to increased risk of miscarriage and premature birth.

So what’s the connection? Researchers looked at more than 250 pregnant women and found that exposure to PBDEs may result in reduced levels of specific thyroid hormones necessary for healthy fetal brain development, and that higher levels of PBDEs in the mother’s blood were linked to lower levels of important thyroid-stimulating hormones.

The study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, underscores the danger of our modern environment and the thousands of toxins to which we are exposed daily. Curious about how toxic you are? Visit Brenda Watson’s Detox Strategy today and take the quiz! Plus, learn Brenda’s simple tips on how to reduce toxic exposure and eliminate stored toxins from your body.

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Two new reports from the National Institutes of Health tout the benefits of natural supplementation for both premature infants and their moms. In a study involving more than 100 babies who were born “extremely prematurely” (weighing 2 pounds, 2 ounces or less) researchers found that administering a probiotic supplement once daily until they reached 34 weeks actually helped the babies gain weight.

While nearly half of the infants received a combination of beneficial Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium infantis, the remaining participants did not receive any probiotics. The difference in weight gain, researchers believe, has to do with the ability of probiotics to help the body more effectively absorb needed nutrients from the diet. Providing an infant-friendly probiotic supplement during the early years also helps to promote healthy digestive and immune function later in life.

Another study found that mothers of premature infants can promote healthy brain development in their babies by taking a natural DHA supplement. An Omega-3 fatty acid found primarily in fish oil, DHA has been shown to promote healthy brain and nervous system function as well as eye health, and breast-feeding moms taking supplemental DHA had more than 10 times the amount of DHA in their breast milk than those who were not taking a supplement. Study author Dr. Isabelle Marc stressed the importance of dietary supplementation in order for moms to obtain sufficient levels of DHA for the “optimal growth and development” of their babies.

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