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Why pregnant women may want to start counting their babies' kicks
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Tracking these prenatal movements can reveal low fetal activity at an earlier stage of pregnancy, which can help soon-to-be parents know that there may be something wrong with their baby. - photo by Herb Scribner
Organizations in the United States and across the world are calling for pregnant women to count how often their babies kick while in the womb because it can help them identify prenatal issues and prevent stillbirths.

Tracking these prenatal movements that start happening 18 to 25 weeks into pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association, can reveal low fetal activity at an earlier stage of pregnancy.

Low fetal activity may indicate to parents that there's something wrong with the prenatal development of the baby, according to research from Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in 2012.

"Reduced activity in the belly may be a sign of the fetus being in a vulnerable or threatened condition, thus the risk of complications become greater the longer you wait to contact the health services, Eli Saastad told Science Nordic.

Tracking has also led to a decrease in stillbirths because pregnant women who count are more likely to consult their physicians. A 2009 study found there was a 33 percent decrease in stillbirths when parents kept track of the movements of their babies while they were in the womb. The study recommended that tracking fetal movement should be a part of routine care for new mothers.

And that recommendation hasn't gone unnoticed. In the United States, Count the Kicks is one organization that promotes prenatal tracking and its importance.

The goal of Count the Kicks is to improve the chances of delivering a healthy baby and prevent unexpected birth complications and even late-term stillbirth," the Count the Kicks' website says.

Count the Kicks also has a branch in the United Kingdom. Pregnant women can download the organization's app to start tracking their baby's movements.

Another campaign called Still Aware, which is based in Australia, also encourages mothers to keep track of their baby's prenatal activity. According to the campaign, spending time monitoring your baby's movements can help mothers bond with their children before they are born.

A babys only direct link to the outside world is through its mother, Still Aware founder Claire Foord told Kid Spot, an Australian website for families. At Still Aware, we believe that making time to daily monitor a babys movement is as important as mothers taking prenatal vitamins and staying healthy.

Watch this video to learn more about Still Aware and the benefits of counting your baby's kicks.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.