Future mommies, cut the fat

Pregnant women…watch your diet. What you eat can affect both you and your newborn. Gestational diabetes is a common pregnancy complication that can affect both you and your baby. Data from 13,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II show high fat intake can put you at risk.

Dr. Katherine Bowers is a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health.

International Program Highlight: Visits Highlight the Importance of CDC’s Influenza Activities in India

In August 2011, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden visited India and saw firsthand CDC’s important work. Dr. Frieden returned with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius in January 2012 to learn more about CDC’s collaborations around influenza surveillance and research in India.

More Resources to Protect Mothers and Babies

Many children born preterm require additional medical attention and early intervention services, special education and may have conditions that affect their productivity as adults. To help reduce the rising number of premature births and ensure more babies are born healthy, HHS announced the Strong Start initiative, designed to reduce preterm births and improve outcomes for newborns and pregnant women.