Scientists have discovered that women on low-calorie diets or who skip breakfast at the time of conception are more likely to give birth to girls than boys. It also shows that child's sex is associated with the mother's diet, and higher energy intake is linked to males.

There has been a small but consistent decline, of about one per 1,000 births annually, in the proportion of boys being born in industrialized countries over the past 40 years.In humans, going without breakfast may be interpreted by the body as signaling low food availability, since it depresses levels of blood sugar.

Although sex is genetically determined by fathers, it is known that high levels of glucose encourage the growth and development of male embryos while inhibiting female ones, although the exact mechanism is unclear. In evolutionary terms, this correlation may make sense.

Males' breeding potential is strongly influenced by fitness, while females breed more consistently.

"If a mother has plentiful resources then it can make sense to invest in producing a son because he is likely to produce more grandchildren than would a daughter. However, in leaner times having a daughter is a safer bet," Mathews said.

Some researchers have been sounding alarms for years over the change in sex ratios in developed countries and have in the past blamed pollutants and synthetic chemicals such as those found in some pesticides which disrupt human hormones.

Doctors has introduced a new formula that significantly improves embryo implantation rates and reduce pregnancy complications in assisted reproductive technology. Existing assisted reproductive technology procedures triple the risk of pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction and pre-term births, some of which are life-threatening to the mother or her baby. But, the researchers hope to correct these problems with the new treatment.

According to lead researcher professor Claire Roberts, "Assisted reproductive technologies provide some hope for the couples, but they have a relatively poor success rate with 15% to 40% of embryo transfers resulting in ongoing pregnancies, depending on maternal age.

"Fertility in women declines significantly with age, and so too does the success of ART. Since women are delaying childbearing, ART is increasingly required to make couples' desire to have children a reality. ART techniques act primarily to facilitate conception, rather than to promote embryo implantation and placentation. Therefore, they do not assist in some forms of infertility and pregnancy complications............

• Morning sickness in pregnancy
• Indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy
• Itching (cholestasis) during pregnancy
• Low lying placenta praevia
• Constipation in pregnancy
• Bleeding in pregnancy
• Backache in pregnancy
• Hemorrhoids
• Constipation in pregnancy
• Baby anxiety
• Stretch marks

New research shows that the mothers of some children may have made antibodies against their fetuses brain tissue during pregnancy that crossed the placenta and caused changes that led to autism.
The causes of autism, a disorder manifesting itself with a range of brain problems and marked by impaired social interactions, communication disorders and repetitive behaviors, remain unknown for an estimated 90 percent of children diagnosed with it.

Scientists caution that the findings neednt be cause for alarm, but should be viewed instead as a step forward in untangling the complex nature of autism.

Mostly anecdotal past evidence of immune system involvement has emerged from unusual antibody levels in some autistic children and from postmortem brain tissue studies showing immune abnormalities in areas of the brain. Antibodies are proteins the body makes in response to viruses and bacteria or sometimes mistakenly against its own tissues. Yet, the majority of children with autism have no clinical evidence of autoimmune diseases, which prompted scientists to wonder whether the antibodies transferred from mother to child during pregnancy could interfere with the fetal brain directly.

To test their hypothesis, the research team used a technique called immunoblotting (or Western blot technology), in which antibodies derived from blood samples are exposed to adult and fetal brain tissue to check whether the antibodies recognize and react against specific brain proteins.

Comparing the antibody-brain interaction in samples obtained from 100 mothers of autistic children and 100 mothers of children without autism, scientists found either stronger reactivity or more areas of reactivity between antibodies and brain proteins in about 40 percent of the samples obtained from the mothers of autistic children. Further, the presence of maternal antibodies was linked to so-called developmental regression in children, increasingly immature behaviors that are a hallmark of autism.

While the findings suggest an association between autism and the presence of fetal brain antibodies, the researchers say further studies are needed to confirm that particular antibodies do indeed cross the placenta and cause damage to the fetal brain.

The mere fact that a pregnant woman has antibodies against the fetal brain doesnt mean she will have an autistic child, Singer says. Autism is a complex condition and one that is likely caused by the interplay of immune, genetic and environmental factors.

No one in this universe can guarantee to deliver a baby without the risk for barin injury during birth that can happen because of following

• Prolonged Labor

• Prematurity - delivery before 37 weeks

• Large birthweight - eight pounds, 13 ounces or more • Size of maternal pelvis

• Abnormal presentation - breech delivery

Ways that birth can injure the baby's brain

1. Skull Injury: A baby's skull is soft and the bones are not firmly fused. That means that if anything compresses the skull, it can damage the brain. This could be done by: • The force of labor contractions against the skull - which would usually not cause lasting damage. But sometimes the scalp is bruised and the associated swelling can cause brain injury • Too strong a use of forceps - which can compress the skull and cause lasting brain injury

2. Lack of oxygen :Insufficient oxygen to the baby's brain for too long a period will cause permanent brain injury. Ways this can happen are: • The baby does not get enough oxygen in between contractions to last for the duration of contractions, when oxygen stops flowing through the placenta. • The baby is born prematurely with inadequately developed lungs. Therefore when it takes the first breath after birth, it is immediately in Respiratory Distress Syndrome. This can be treated with an artificial surfactant to substitute for the baby's missing natural surfactant in the lungs. It's a foamy substance that lowers surface tension inside the tiny lung air sacs and keeps them from collapsing. But if it is not done quickly, the brain can be deprived of oxygen too long and sustain injury.

• Fetal distress: during birth was not noticed. If no fetal monitoring is done of the baby's heart rate, the delivery room staff may not know it is getting insufficient oxygen. A baby with fetal distress should be immediately be given a C-section. • Placental abruption - the placenta separates from the uterine wall, therefore being cut off from the mother's blood circulation. This lowers the baby's blood circulation. • Cord prolapse - the umbilical cord becomes pinched during birth, cutting off the baby's supply of oxygen

All these situations need swift intervention to prevent brain injury to the baby.

4. Cerebral palsy :This is a name for a cluster of results of brain injury during birth. They are permanent conditions of disordered physical movement, posture and balance. The impairment becomes evident in infancy, as the child is slow to learn how to sit, crawl and walk. Each case is individual. There may be seizures, breathing problems, bladder control problems, dental problems, and many more, and they can range from mild to very severe.

Pregnancy is a wonderful and incredible experience. Pregnancy Calendar is attempting to help you understand your pregnancy and the fetal development taking Preganacy is divided into three trimesters. 1st Trimester 2nd Trimester and 3rd Trimester .

Month - 1

• Tiny limbs open out; these grow into arms and legs. • Formation of heart and lungs; heart starts beating by 22nd day. • Formation of neural tube which later develop into brain and spinal cord. •

Your baby is around ¼ inch in length at the end of first month.

Month -2

• Most body organs form but do not develop fully. • The placenta which exchanges nutrients from your body for waste products produced by the baby, begins to develop. • Eyelids form but are closed. Ears, fingers, toes, ankles and wrists also appear. • Your baby is now 1 inch long and weighs less than 28.3 g. Week-8 Week-12

Month - 3

• Your baby's nails begin developing. • Small buds start forming in the mouth that later grow into teeth. • Soft hair begins to grow. • As your pregnancy progresses, all the body organs of your baby will develop further and the baby gains weight. • Your baby grows to about 2½-3 inches in length.

Month - 4

• You continue to nourish your baby through the umbilical cord. • Your baby displays movement. • Baby's skin is pink and transparent. • Your baby is now about 6-7 inches long and weighs about 0.11-0.14 kg. Week-16 Week-20

Month - 5

• Your baby sleeps and wakes at regular intervals • The baby becomes more energetic and lively and movements become more intense. • Finger and toe prints are formed • The baby is now around 10 inches long and weighs about 0.22-0.45 kg.

Month - 6

• Eyelids begin to part and the eyes open. • The skin becomes red and wrinkled and covered with fine, soft hair. • At the end of 6 months, your baby is around 12 inches long and weighs about 0.68-0.9 kg. Week-24 Week-28

Month - 7

• The baby responds to light and sound. • The baby sucks its thumb, opens and closes its eyes. • The baby constantly kicks and stretches its body. • The baby is now about 15-16 inches long and weighs about 1.13-1.36 kg.

Month - 8

• The brain continues to grow at a fast pace. • Your baby starts rolling around, kicking and stretching. • Sometimes an elbow or heel of the baby against your abdomen can be noticed. • Fingernails grow to the tips of fingers. • Lungs may still not be completely developed. • Sometimes an elbow or heel of the baby against your abdomen can be noticed. • Sometimes an elbow or heel of the baby against your abdomen can be noticed. Week-32 Week-36 Week-40

Month - 9

• The ninth month marks the full term of the baby. • The baby's lungs are completely developed and begin to work independently. • The baby gains a little bit of weight. • The baby usually drops into a head-down position and rests lower in your abdomen. • By the end of ninth month, the baby is 19-21 inches long and weighs about 2.72-4.1 kg. Key points • Growth of the baby takes up to 40 weeks. • Pregnancy is divided into three periods or trimesters, each consisting of 3 months. • Formation of heart and lungs; heart starts beating by 22nd day. • During the fifth month the baby sleeps and wakes at regular intervals • At the end of 6 months, the baby is around 12 inches long and weighs about 0.68-0.9 kg. • During the seventh month the baby constantly kicks and stretches its body. • During the eight month lungs may still not be completely developed. • During the ninth month the baby usually drops into a head-down position and rests lower in your abdomen.