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2nd Trimester
tartaruga
member
This OWT is actually true, says science
tartaruga
member
Anecdotally, it was true for me.
The Claim: Mother?s Heartburn Means a Hairy Newborn
THE FACTS It is an odd adage that has stuck around for ages: women who suffer heartburn during pregnancy will have babies with full heads of hair. But doctors have long shrugged it off.
Until now, that is. In December, researchers at Johns Hopkins University conducted a study intending to put the claim to rest. To their surprise, they ended up confirming it. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Birth, followed 64 pregnant women, about 78 percent of whom reported having some heartburn. After the women gave birth, two outside observers looked at pictures of their infants and rated their levels of hair.
Of the 28 women who reported moderate to severe heartburn, 23 had babies with average or above-average amounts of hair. Conversely, 10 of the 12 women who reported no heartburn had babies with little or no hair.
Other studies have shown that in pregnant women, high levels of estrogen and other hormones can relax the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus, causing heartburn. The same hormones, other studies show, can influence fetal hair growth.
The lead author of the study, Kathleen Costigan, who runs the fetal assessment center at Johns Hopkins, said the findings came as a shock.
?We?ve heard this claim hundreds of times, and I?ve always told people it?s nonsense,? she said. ?Since the study came out, I?ve had to eat a lot of crow.?
THE BOTTOM LINE Heartburn during pregnancy may mean a greater likelihood a baby will have a lot of hair.
The Claim: Mother?s Heartburn Means a Hairy Newborn
THE FACTS It is an odd adage that has stuck around for ages: women who suffer heartburn during pregnancy will have babies with full heads of hair. But doctors have long shrugged it off.
Until now, that is. In December, researchers at Johns Hopkins University conducted a study intending to put the claim to rest. To their surprise, they ended up confirming it. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Birth, followed 64 pregnant women, about 78 percent of whom reported having some heartburn. After the women gave birth, two outside observers looked at pictures of their infants and rated their levels of hair.
Of the 28 women who reported moderate to severe heartburn, 23 had babies with average or above-average amounts of hair. Conversely, 10 of the 12 women who reported no heartburn had babies with little or no hair.
Other studies have shown that in pregnant women, high levels of estrogen and other hormones can relax the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus, causing heartburn. The same hormones, other studies show, can influence fetal hair growth.
The lead author of the study, Kathleen Costigan, who runs the fetal assessment center at Johns Hopkins, said the findings came as a shock.
?We?ve heard this claim hundreds of times, and I?ve always told people it?s nonsense,? she said. ?Since the study came out, I?ve had to eat a lot of crow.?
THE BOTTOM LINE Heartburn during pregnancy may mean a greater likelihood a baby will have a lot of hair.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: This OWT is actually true, says science
i can say it's true for me anyways...
i've never had a problem with heartburn.. Before i was pregnant. But with DS.. i had it quite often.. especially after eating..
He was born will a full head of hair
I say not true. I was up every night in my 3rd tri with bad heartburn and even got heartburn from drinking water. It sucked.
My son, freaking bald. He didn't have enough hair to cut until about a month before his 2nd birthday, and even that was a bit of a stretch.
DS newborn
and at 6 months. Very very little hair.
Happy Easter
My Blog
both my kids had a full head of hair and i didnt have one ounce of heartburn! But my friend had wicked heartburn and her kid had hair an inch and a half long at birth. funny
I had heartburn maybe once with DD, and she was born with A TON of hair on her head!!
I've actually noticed that I RARELY see a baby of color that is bald. And by "of color" I mean any race darker than caucasian (including bi-racial children) : African American, African, Indian, Asian, etc. I, by no means, have any science to back that up though.
I know this is random but I saw you were from Indiana and had to ask if you had ties to the east coast? I'm from Indiana too but my dad and his whole family are from RI and are the only ones I know who say "wicked" or "wicked awesome". Random I know but it made me smile to see someone else use it.
Meh. I've NEVER had heartburn in my life and both of my kids were born with a TON of hair. Here's DD at 2 days old:
:::swoon:::
I'd like to know more about possible outside factors. Like for example women who happen to eat more spicy food or other food that may cause more heartburn ALSO happen to have darker hair or are of the ethnicity that may have darker and thicker hair?
Eh who knows!
BUT anyway I had the worst heartburn of my life with DD and it's getting pretty bad for me now with this baby, and DD was born pretty hairy. I was afraid she would have hair on her ears and forehead forever!
Now she's 14 months old and I'm happy to report she has no hair on her forehead and has a "normal" head of hair
we'll see how this baby turns out.
http://balletandbabies.blogspot.com
This was my daughter as a newborn. I had heartburn all throughout my 1st pregnancy. As you can tell in my signature she still has a lot of hair for a toddler.
<><
Tizzle 10/07 ~ Boppy 7/09 ~ Chicken 1/12
Books read in 2013: ~ Audiobooks listened to in 2013: 3
Currently reading: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Currently listening to: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
my currently-reading shelf:
5 REs + 3 surgical hysteroscopies for septum/lap + 3 failed IUIs
IVF w/ICSI/AH & acu = BFP!, unexplained spontaneous m/c @ 8w2d (our little girl),
FET w/acu = BFP!, B/G twins!, lost MP @19w, dx w/funneling cervix @20w,
twins nearly lost to IC @21w, saved by rescue cerclage, 17P & 16w of bedrest
Our twins born @36w4d via CS when A came foot first
Thankful for every day
And Elias Parker, Born 3.5 weeks early 12/20/2011
FINALLY!!! After 7 years of infertility!
With my son, I was on a prescription for my heartburn. Had it while I was in labor, too. Horrible. BALDEST kid in the world came out of me....