Posted: 12/11/2006
Local Doctors Study Effects of Prenatal Care on Long-Term Health of Offspring
Doctors at the Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G;), have been involved in research designed to help prevent debilitating diseases through improved prenatal care. The relatively new field of study, known as the developmental origins of health and disease, has discovered that a person’s risk of many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, some cancers, and osteoporosis, may be tied to what occurred in their mother's womb.

“For example, it’s recommended that all women planning pregnancy be screened and properly treated for thyroid disease, the most common endocrine disorder,” says George S. Taliadouros, M.D., founder of DVIF&G.; It occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t function properly, either producing too much hormon (hyperthyroidism) or too little hormone (hypothyroidism). If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to mental retardation and other cognitive problems in newborns. “That’s why early testing and the proper treatment is necessary,” he adds.(For more on DVIF&G;’s research on hypothyroidism and pregnancy, click on “Press Center,” then “Press Releases” and finally “DVIF&G; Issues Medical Alert.”)

“At DVIF&G; we’ve long known that the health of the mother greatly affects her ability to carry full-term and the future health of her child,” says Dr. Taliadouros. “That’s why we developed a series of diagnostic tests to detect maternal preconception conditions that can have irreversible and lifelong effects on the fetus.” These effects include insulin resistance (IR), commonly seen in patients with polycystic ovaries (PCO), hypothyroidism, and mood and stress disorders. DVIF&G; also provides effective therapies for those conditions and instituted the Stork’s Nutrition Program®, a program exclusive to the practice, that provides medical nutrition therapy to pregnant women to optimize the health outcomes of both mother and child.

Founded in 1994, DVIF&G; offers comprehensive infertility care. The practice has offices in Marlton, NJ,Lawrenceville, NJ, and Vineland, NJ. For more information on DVIF&G;’s programs, please browse this website or call (856) 988-0072.