Childbirth News and Research

Latest Childbirth News and Research

Understanding the economic impact of the 'girl effect'

"The ability to choose if and when to have children is a huge piece of the puzzle to the 'Girl Effect,' but it is not the only piece. ... The 'Girl Effect' is an amalgamation of exactly these three components: security, health, and power."

16 Feb 2012

Baby Jaya receives a pacemaker 15 mins after birth

Little Jaya lived up to her name which in Hindi means victorious. Jaya Maharaj became one of the smallest recipients of a pacemaker when she was just 15 minutes old.

15 Feb 2012

New group of compounds may protect brain cells from inflammation

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Feb 2012

Transgender man falls pregnant and becomes a natural mother

A transgender man in his 30’s was able to carry a child after taking female hormones to reverse the effects of his female-to-male sex change treatment. The man from the West Midlands, UK is in a long-term relationship. It is not clear whether his partner is male or female. Medical ethics experts have called for a full inquiry into the issues surrounding transgender births, saying the interests of the child should not be risked to “fulfill the rights of an adult”.

13 Feb 2012

'The Elders' promote 'Girls Not Brides' initiative in India

"A group of prominent activists from around the world known as 'The Elders' arrived in India Thursday to take a stand against the practice of child marriage" and promote its global "Girls Not Brides" movement, VOA's "Breaking News" blog reports.

13 Feb 2012

Preterm C-section could raise risk of breathing difficulties: Study

Cesarean sections are often performed when a baby is going to be born early. Labor may also be induced when a woman's water breaks too early in the pregnancy. However, two new studies suggest that these common practices may, in fact, not benefit babies. The two new studies were presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

12 Feb 2012

COC pill alleviates symptoms of painful menstrual periods

A large Scandinavian study, that has been running for 30 years, has finally provided convincing evidence that the combined oral contraceptive pill does, indeed, alleviate the symptoms of painful menstrual periods reports scientists from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

7 Feb 2012

Worldwide malaria death figures - a gross underestimate, finds latest research

According to latest research malaria kills twice as many people every year as formerly believed, taking 1.2 million lives and causing the deaths not only of babies but also older children and adults.

3 Feb 2012

Number of unsafe abortions soars worldwide: Report

A new worldwide analysis by the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization shows that unsafe abortions are on the rise across the world. After a period of significant decline in the global abortion rate as a whole, researchers found that those numbers had begun to plateau. The report was published in the Lancet.

22 Jan 2012

Decisive role of grandmothers on maternal and infant nutrition, health

Grandmothers and other senior female family members should play a key role in nutrition and health programmes for children and women in non-Western societies. However, they are often overlooked by health organisations that don't understand the importance of their role or see them as an obstacle to promoting good nutrition and health practices.

20 Jan 2012

C-sections on the rise and most mothers not well informed: Queensland study

According to a latest study from Queensland, it is doctors, not mothers, who are responsible for the rising rate of babies born by caesarean section in Australia. Queensland has the highest rate of C-sections in Australia and researchers say often women are not properly informed when they make the decision to go ahead with surgery.

19 Jan 2012

Study outlines how QI initiatives can increase overall survival rates for mothers, children

A large regional hospital in Ghana saw a reduction in maternal and infant deaths after continuous quality improvement (QI) initiatives were put into place through a collaborative partnership.

19 Jan 2012

Estimating number of births without skilled birth attendants in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

Noting that the "fifth Millennium Development Goal target for 90 percent of births in low- and middle-income countries to have a skilled birth attendant (SBA) by 2015 will not be met," researchers from University College London estimate "that there will be between 130 and 180 million non-SBA births in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa from 2011 to 2015 (90 percent of these in rural areas)" in this BioMed Central Pregnancy & Childbirth article.

19 Jan 2012

Chronology of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome revealed

It is known from studies that exposure to alcohol during gestation can cause a range of birth defects. But now scientists have drawn up a chronology of when the damage occurs.

17 Jan 2012

Longer looks: The body's fight against losing weight; Rick Santorum's contraception, anti-abortion records analyzed

For years, the advice to the overweight and obese has been that we simply need to eat less and exercise more. While there is truth to this guidance, it fails to take into account that the human body continues to fight against weight loss long after dieting has stopped. ... it's clear, from a public-health standpoint, that resources would best be focused on preventing weight gain. The research underscores the urgency of national efforts to get children to exercise and eat healthful foods.

6 Jan 2012

Twin births on the rise in the U.S.

Over the last three decades there has been a rise in the number of twins born in the U.S. Mostly this is the result of test-tube babies and women waiting to have children until their 30s, when the chances of twins increase. In 2009, 1 in every 30 babies born in the U.S. was a twin, an astounding increase over the 1 in 53 rate in 1980, according to a government report issued Wednesday.

5 Jan 2012

Postpartum Support International unveils new Spanish language educational DVD

Postpartum Support International Unveils New Spanish Language Educational DVD "MADRE SALUDABLE, FAMILIA FELIZ" Offered to Hospitals & Healthcare Agencies Nationwide As Part of Clinical Training & Education Program Helping Alleviate the #1 Complication of Child Birth: Untreated Depression

5 Jan 2012

Fetal heart rate monitor may improve infant's health

Despite the numerous medical advances that happen every day, the infant mortality rate in the United States is still higher than most European countries. While experts believe this is closely linked to the growing rate of pre-term births, researchers are committed to finding ways to make labor and delivery safer. Northwestern Medicine- researchers are examining a new device that may support improved newborn health at delivery through closer monitoring of infant oxygen use during labor.

22 Dec 2011

3-year study identifies key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn, child deaths

A three-year study conducted by the WHO, Aga Khan University, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) "has identified key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths," PANA/Afrique en Ligne reports.

17 Dec 2011

AlertNet examines effects of Nepalese water shortages on local women's hygiene

AlertNet examines how water shortages in Nepal are impeding women's hygiene in the country. The news service profiles the village of Paudiyalthok in the country's Panchkhal Valley, about 25 miles east of the capital Kathmandu, where "a lack of reliable water sources is affecting many aspects of [residents'] lives, and women are bearing the brunt of changing weather patterns."

16 Dec 2011