Lafayette Online » Moms-to-be

Fish info for pregnant, nursing women available on iPhone apps

Carolyn Shelby — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:35:11 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Information about safe fish consumption for pregnant and nursing women is available from a variety of Purdue University sources, including an iPhone application, Web site and a wallet card.

The Fish for Your Health mobile apps and wallet cards let women look up information while they are shopping at the grocery store or eating at a restaurant.

“We’re motivated to assure that babies are healthy, so our goal is to make sure that women eat fish and that they also make the best decisions to obtain the proper nutrients,” said Charles Santerre, a professor of food toxicology in the Department of Foods and Nutrition.

“Safe seafood consumption can be confusing when trying to remember which fish are safe to consume and at what frequency. Thanks to these electronic outlets as well as the traditional wallet card, women can look up information while they are shopping at the grocery store or eating at a restaurant. Women that make good decisions will reduce their baby’s risk from pollutants while optimizing the benefits from omega-3 fatty acids.”

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to brain and eye development, and consuming mercury at high levels can lead to neurological problems. Recreationally-caught fish and fish that is bought in grocery stores or selected in restaurants can contain mercury and PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls, which are pollutants that can harm the developing brain.

Salmon contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, while catfish, tilapia and canned light tuna contain low amounts of the healthy fats. Marlin, shark and swordfish are some of the fish that contain mercury or PCBs at levels that exceed safety standards for sensitive populations, such as pregnant or nursing women, women that will become pregnant, and young children.

Information about what fish to avoid, fish that are low in pollutants and fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids is available at the “Fish for Your Health” site at http://www.fish4health.net. Information about the iPhone applications and how to use the mobile Web site features are available at the site.

The “Fish for Your Health” site has recently been expanded to include information specific to individual states, such as advisories about eating fish from the local waters. The Indiana link also includes information specific to each county and information in Spanish. Details about how much fish to eat as well as how to clean and prepare fish also are available on the site.

“Our preliminary data suggests that our wallet card encourages women to eat more seafood in part by alleviating their fears of contaminants but also by providing credible information,” Santerre said.

The Web site also features a video of Carl A. Behnke, chef and clinical professor instructor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, demonstrating how to clean and safely prepare fish. The site also includes a video introduction.

More than 330,000 versions of the first wallet card have been distributed since 2006. The updated wallet card is currently being distributed in Sea Grants programs, an aquarium in California, as well as in maternity wards, state health departments and Cooperative Extension offices in Florida, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, California and Rhode Island.

Motion for Moms prenatal fitness program starts Aug 4

Carolyn Shelby — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:37:32 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The second summer session for “Motion for Moms” will start at 5:00p on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education in Lafayette, Indiana.

Motion for Moms is a light exercise and fitness program for expecting moms, as well as for moms who have recently delivered.

Motion for Moms is a light exercise and fitness program for expecting moms, as well as for moms who have recently delivered and is sponsored by St. Elizabeth Regional Health’s Physical Therapy Department.

Motion for Moms will include traditional strengthening, stretching, endurance activities including yoga and Pilates, as well as resistive exercises to prepare the new mom for her childbirth experience and for caring for her newborn. An educational component will be a part of each section. Topics that will be covered will include nutrition, pain management during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, relaxation techniques, posture, foot care and safety information.

This session of Motion for Moms is set for 5:00p to 6:00p on Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 4 and going through Sept. 10. Cost is $40 for the 12 sessions. Medical clearance from your doctor is required prior to participation. A release form can be obtained by calling the Kathryn Weil Center for Education at (765) 449-5133.

Classes will be held at the Kathryn Weil Center for Education, which is located in the Medical Arts Building, located at 415 N. 26th St., Suite 400 in Lafayette on the Home Hospital campus.

For more information or to register, please call the center at (765) 449-5133.

Birth and Beyond at Tippecanoe Mall

Carolyn Shelby — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:49:02 +0000

LAFAYETTE, Ind. -– Clarian Arnett Health and the Tippecanoe Mall have partnered in efforts to coordinate an education and information event for moms and moms-to-be.

“We understand the importance of family and that’s why we decided to host an event dedicated to growing families,” said Carrie Loudon, Event Coordinator. The Birth and Beyond event will be held this Saturday, April 25th from 11:00a–3:00p at the Tippecanoe Mall Community Court (near Kohl’s).

There will be around 20 different booths with information about several Clarian Arnett specialties in addition to community services and resources beneficial to moms. Kids can enjoy face painting, story time, crafts, animals from the Columbian Park Zoo and more!

The participating vendors include:

Dream Dinners
Columbian Park Zoo
Personal Touch Portrait Studios
American Red Cross
Mom’s Club
Yoga for You
Tippecanoe County Child Care
Riley Children’s Hospital
Tippecanoe County Public Library
JCPenny
Old Navy
Tippecanoe County Health Clinic

Clarian Arnett participating departments include:

Childbirth Education
Labor & Delivery
Mother/Baby
NICU
Pediatrics
OB/GYN
Nutrition
CPR
Plastic Surgery

Lafayette Online » Moms-to-be

Fish info for pregnant, nursing women available on iPhone apps

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Motion for Moms prenatal fitness program starts Aug 4

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