Courtesy of: Your Napa Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna

Health Alert: Poor Sleep Can Impact a Soon-To-Be Mom’s Mental Health. New research suggests that nearly
30% of expectant mothers experience poor quality sleep, which can double their risk for antepartum depression, antepartum anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings suggest that steps to maintain good sleep hygiene may have a protective effect on a pregnant woman’s mental health.
Maternal Child and Health Journal, July 2022

Diet: Maternal Diet Can Affect Child’s Birth Weight. An analysis of data collected from 260 new mothers revealed that a diet pattern characterized by a high intake of cereals and breads, coffee and tea, and processed fats is associated with an increased risk for both low and excessive birth weight for the baby.
Maternal Child and Health Journal, July 2022

Exercise: Stay Fit! Using data from the Generation 100 Study, researchers report they have identified an association
between higher cardiorespiratory fitness and greater structural complexity in key areas of the brain normally affected by advancing age.                                                                    Neuroimage, August 2022

Chiropractic: Manual Therapies Plus Stabilization Exercises for Chronic Neck Pain. Among a group of 58
patients with chronic neck pain and mobility deficits in the upper cervical spine, researchers found that the combination of spinal manipulative therapy, mobilization therapy, and stabilization exercises targeting the upper cervical spine led to improvements in pain and range of motion that were not observed in participants in a stabilization exercise-only group. Doctors of chiropractic often manage chronic neck pain using a multimodal approach that can include spinal manipulation, mobilization, and stabilization exercises.                                     Life (Basel), May 2022

Mental Attitude: Big Increase in Teen Hospitalizations for Mental Health Issues. According to a new study, the
number of teens admitted to the hospital for suicidal ideations or suicide attempts increased by 60% between 2019 and 2020. Researchers also observed a significant increase in admissions for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.                                            Hospital Pediatrics, May 2022

Wellness/Prevention: A Pet Dog May Shield Children from Crohn’s Disease. Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation in the digestive tract that can result in abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. An analysis of data on nearly 4,300 people enrolled in the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Genetic, Environmental, and Microbial project found that having a family dog during childhood is associated with a healthier gut microbiome later in life. Senior author Dr. Williams Turpin notes, “Our study seems to add to others that have explored the ‘hygiene hypothesis,’ which suggests that the lack of exposure to microbes early in life may lead to lack of immune regulation toward environmental microbes.”
American Gastroenterological Association, May 2022

Quote: “It is love, not reason, that is stronger than death.” ~ Thomas Mann

Your Napa Chiropractor Dr. Joseph T. Megna