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Why some sperm swim in circles – it’s a protein defect

A new study published in the journal PNAS shows that some sperm cannot swim straight because they lack a protein called VSP. This motility defect seriously impacts the rates of successful fertilization. In addition, VSP is also found to regulate the amount of calcium that enters the flagellum, the whiplike organelle that propels the sperm towards the waiting ovum or egg. This important discovery may help treat infertility more effectively.

3 Dec 2019

Reducing STAT demand can improve patient care, suggests new study

While a lab test might be ordered STAT to help save a life, a new study suggests that the STAT test order should rest in peace, and instead the time standard for most clinical lab tests, like the commonly requested complete blood count, or CBC, should be more efficient.

3 Dec 2019

Radiologists at Mayo Clinic take procedural practice into the future

Looking to the future, radiologists at Mayo Clinic in Rochester saw an opportunity to bring several disparate tools together into a unified space to serve complementary roles in sophisticated, minimally invasive cancer treatments.

2 Dec 2019

Changes in placenta could mean males born to older mothers more prone to heart problems

A new study in rats shows that older mother rats develop poorer placentas which are in turn related to later risk of heart problems in their male offspring. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that both male and female offspring are smaller in size when the mother is older. However, the placental development in older mothers with male fetuses is especially impaired, leading to worse placental function. As a result, heart problems are more common in later life in these offspring, as is high blood pressure.

28 Nov 2019

Fertility treatments cause epigenetic changes in mouse embryos, study finds

Though epigenetic disorders - diseases caused by faulty gene expression - are still rare overall, babies born using fertility treatments have up to an 11-fold higher risk of inheriting them.

26 Nov 2019

New findings could help clinicians to improve care for pregnant women and new mums with depression

Professor Sue Jordan from the University's College of Human and Health Science, who led the study, says the findings could be used to help clinicians improve care for women during pregnancy and after they have given birth.

20 Nov 2019

Six ways physicians can help optimize reproductive health in women with epilepsy

Worldwide, more than 15 million women of childbearing age have epilepsy. Each year about 600,000 of them become pregnant.

20 Nov 2019

Eating disorders increase risk of premature birth

Pregnant women with eating disorders should undergo extended pregnancy screenings considering their increased risk of complications. That is the conclusion from a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

20 Nov 2019

Using digital data and AI to improve quality of life for people with diabetes

Until now, medical doctors have used biomarkers to determine the health status of people with diabetes (PWDs).

14 Nov 2019

Fertilization discovery reveals egg's role, potentially paves way for new contraceptive

An unexpected discovery about fertilization from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals new insights on how sperm and egg fuse and could have major implications for couples battling infertility – and may lead to a future male contraceptive.

13 Nov 2019

Acute kidney injury on the rise in hospitalized pregnant women

A study presented at ASN Kidney Week 2019 (November 5 to November 10) shows that the rate of acute kidney injury (AKI) is rising among US women who are hospitalized in pregnancy. The highest risk is in pregnant diabetic women. Women who suffer acute damage to the kidney while pregnant have 260 times the risk of death while in hospital compared to other pregnant women, at 2.6% vs 0.01%. Both mother and baby are at risk of increased illness and death if the woman has kidney injury during pregnancy.

11 Nov 2019

Study provides first data on infectious risk in children exposed to non-TNFi biologics and tofacitinib

A new study found that very few serious infections were seen in children born to mothers with chronic inflammatory diseases who used non-TNFi biologics or tofacitinib during pregnancy compared to children not exposed to these drugs and children exposed to TNFi biologics in utero.

10 Nov 2019

New light on the essential reproductive role of the clitoris

A new study focuses on the role of the clitoris in females, showing that when it is stimulated, it triggers a wave of changes within the rest of the reproductive tract. The outcome of these changes confers on the clitoris not only recreative but also reproductive importance, according to the studies.

10 Nov 2019

Study finds lower levels of liver decompensation in pregnant women with cirrhosis

Data from a new study presented this week at The Liver Meeting – held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and funded by the AASLD Foundation – found that less than two percent of pregnant women with cirrhosis had liver decompensation within one year of delivery, and their odds of decompensation is much lower than non-pregnant women with cirrhosis.

10 Nov 2019

Study highlights impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol and informs prevention efforts

Drinking in pregnancy can harm a developing baby. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) describes the range of effects that can be caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.

5 Nov 2019

Father’s nutritional pattern affects child’s cardiovascular health

While couples often change their lifestyle in order to conceive faster, including crash diets, a new study in mice throws up the possibility that this kind of extreme dietary modification by the father might result in adverse effects on the child conceived in this manner.

17 Oct 2019

Providers take many approaches to help support women and families after infant loss

For women who suffer the devastation of an infant loss during pregnancy, emotions can run the gamut. They may feel guilty, angry or even relieved. No matter the feeling, expressing those emotions plays a big role in adapting to life after such a tragic event.

17 Oct 2019

Chewing gum to track fertility: Ovulaid

Infertility is a very potent cause of frustration and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as of high stress. Infertility or subfertility is defined by the World Health Organization as unsuccessful attempts to conceive for five or more years.

10 Oct 2019

Endometriosis: Thousands of women suffer from debilitating pain

Endometriosis affects approximately 1 in 10 women in their reproductive years. The condition, described as debilitating, painful, and emotionally-draining, has taken a toll on the lives of many women across the globe. But the condition isn’t getting the needed adequate attention, hinting the need for more research on ways to battle it.

8 Oct 2019

Men should stay alcohol-free for at least six months before conception

A new study has revealed that men hoping to conceive should stop drinking for at least six months before to prevent congenital heart diseases.

4 Oct 2019

Conception News and Research

Why some sperm swim in circles – it’s a protein defect

Reducing STAT demand can improve patient care, suggests new study

Radiologists at Mayo Clinic take procedural practice into the future

Changes in placenta could mean males born to older mothers more prone to heart problems

Fertility treatments cause epigenetic changes in mouse embryos, study finds

New findings could help clinicians to improve care for pregnant women and new mums with depression

Six ways physicians can help optimize reproductive health in women with epilepsy

Eating disorders increase risk of premature birth

Using digital data and AI to improve quality of life for people with diabetes

Fertilization discovery reveals egg's role, potentially paves way for new contraceptive

Acute kidney injury on the rise in hospitalized pregnant women

Study provides first data on infectious risk in children exposed to non-TNFi biologics and tofacitinib

New light on the essential reproductive role of the clitoris

Study finds lower levels of liver decompensation in pregnant women with cirrhosis

Study highlights impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol and informs prevention efforts

Father’s nutritional pattern affects child’s cardiovascular health

Providers take many approaches to help support women and families after infant loss

Chewing gum to track fertility: Ovulaid

Endometriosis: Thousands of women suffer from debilitating pain

Men should stay alcohol-free for at least six months before conception

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