Childbirth News and Research

Latest Childbirth News and Research

OB-GYNs explore common pregnancy myths

In the engaging, humorous, and very informative HANDS OFF MY BELLY!: THE PREGNANT WOMAN'S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO MYTHS, MOTHERS, AND MOODS (Prometheus Books, $18.00), Drs. Shawn A. Tassone and Kathryn M. Landherr-experienced obstetricians and gynecologists, a husband-and-wife team of physicians, and parents of four children-explore superstitions and myths surrounding pregnancy, from the most common to the most obscure.

9 Sep 2009

Dilafor Phase II clinical trial completes

Karolinska Development (publ) today announced that one of its portfolio companies, Dilafor AB, has concluded an extensive clinical study of its candidate drug, tafoxiparin, a new drug substance for the prevention of protracted labor during childbirth.

4 Sep 2009

World should contribute $23B to increase women's access to contraception, UNFPA says

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Tuesday "appealed for the world to contribute more to improve women's health and access to contraception," Agence France-Presse reports.

4 Sep 2009

Also in Global Health news: Flu, cholera in PNG; improving life awards; HIV/AIDS in Rwanda; men and maternal/child health; MDR-TB in India

"Twin outbreaks of a flu-like illness and dysentery in a remote region of Papua New Guinea have killed 47 people and infected another 2,000 villagers, a senior medical official said Monday," Agence France-Presse reports. According to provincial health adviser Doctor Theo Likei, the WHO has collected and is testing samples of the virus from the "stricken villages" (8/31). Additionally, the country is experiencing a cholera outbreak - "the first time the disease has officially been confirmed in the country," the BBC reports (Mercer, 8/31).

1 Sep 2009

PacifiCord to start its fifth free prenatal class in Southern California

Dedicated to serving the private cord blood banking needs of Southern California, PacifiCord (www.pacificord.com) today announced it will be offering free prenatal classes in Temecula starting September 21, 2009.

31 Aug 2009

Virginia Health Information publishes online guide containing information about obstetrical services in Virginia

Childbirth accounts for one in every four hospital discharges in Virginia. Virginia Health Information -- Virginia's source for health care data -- has published an updated, free, interactive online guide containing information on the quality and charges for obstetrical services in Virginia.

29 Aug 2009

PacifiCord to conduct free prenatal classes in San Diego from September 2009

25 Aug 2009

Research looks at drop in delivery-related rate of death for infants born at term

During about the last 20 years, the risk of delivery-related death at birth or shortly thereafter for term infants has decreased nearly 40 percent in Scotland, with the largest contributing factor being a decrease in the number of deaths caused by a lack of oxygen for the baby during the childbirth process, according to a study in the August 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Aug 2009

Huge cost of scaling up entire health system in Sub-Saharan Africa

Hiring the nearly 800,000 workers needed to eliminate the staggering shortage of health care professionals in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015 will cost $2.6 billion a year, or 2.5 times the annual funds currently allocated for health worker wages in the region, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and collaborators from the World Health Organization (WHO) and The World Bank.

6 Aug 2009

Importance of increased funding for molecular diagnostics

On July 9, 2009, the Society for Women’s Health Research convened experts on Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers on the importance of increased funding for new medical tests, called molecular diagnostics.

6 Aug 2009

Maternal mortality; health system strengthening, Opinions

Columnist Nicholas Kristof examines maternal health in developing countries in his latest New York Times opinion piece. Kristof describes a Pakistani woman's birth experience to illustrate the sort of "dramas" that "play out constantly in poor countries" where one "woman dies a minute from complications of pregnancy or childbirth somewhere in the world, and 20 times as many suffer childbirth injuries," he writes.

30 Jul 2009

Analysis suggests human development is set by ongoing interplay of parent and offspring genes

An analysis of rare genetic disorders in which children lack some genes from one parent suggests that maternal and paternal genes engage in a subtle tug-of-war well into childhood, and possibly as late as the onset of puberty.

28 Jul 2009

Anesthesia not harmful for babies during birth process

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section. These findings are reported in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology.

28 Jul 2009

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia reduces dose needed during labor

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia during labor can reduce the amount of anesthetic drug required, while avoiding potential complications caused by morphine-like "opioid" drugs, according to a study in the August issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

27 Jul 2009

USA Today examines Afghan health sector successes, need for further improvements

When considering an overhaul of "the failure-plagued Afghanistan reconstruction program," U.S. development officials are looking to Afghanistan's health sector, "where more than $1 billion in international aid since 2002 has produced measurable results," USA Today reports.

16 Jul 2009

Expert suggests women should grin and bear the pain of childbirth

An expert in midwifery who has suggested that women should grin and bear the pain of childbirth has come in for a fair amount of flak.

15 Jul 2009

U.N. calls for investing in women to ensure economic recovery, reduce 'health gap'

To mark World Population Day on July 11, U.N. officials are calling for investment in women and girls during the global financial crisis as a way to promote economic recovery and tackle poverty and inequality, afrol News reports.

15 Jul 2009

Local anaesthetic during a Caesarean section reduces need for painkillers post-op

Giving a local anaesthetic during a Caesarean section helps manage pain after the operation and can reduce consumption of painkillers, according to Cochrane Researchers. The researchers recommend local anaesthetics as part of integrated pain management strategies for Caesarean section operations, provided that consideration is given to the cost.

7 Jul 2009

Pilot study removes standard hospital bed as focal point of labor

A University of Toronto pilot study that re-conceptualized the hospital labour room by removing the standard, clinical bed and adding relaxation-promoting equipment had a 28 per cent drop in infusions of artificial oxcytocin, a powerful drug used to advance slow labours.

6 Jul 2009

Federal Minister for Health to launch Australia’s first national maternity surveillance system

Australia is one of the safest places to give birth, yet women continue to suffer serious illness as a result of pregnancy and childbirth. A new national initiative led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) aims to improve the understanding of rare and severe conditions in pregnancy.

23 Jun 2009

Childbirth News and Research

Latest Childbirth News and Research

OB-GYNs explore common pregnancy myths

Dilafor Phase II clinical trial completes

World should contribute $23B to increase women's access to contraception, UNFPA says

Also in Global Health news: Flu, cholera in PNG; improving life awards; HIV/AIDS in Rwanda; men and maternal/child health; MDR-TB in India

PacifiCord to start its fifth free prenatal class in Southern California

Virginia Health Information publishes online guide containing information about obstetrical services in Virginia

PacifiCord to conduct free prenatal classes in San Diego from September 2009

Research looks at drop in delivery-related rate of death for infants born at term

Huge cost of scaling up entire health system in Sub-Saharan Africa

Importance of increased funding for molecular diagnostics

Maternal mortality; health system strengthening, Opinions

Analysis suggests human development is set by ongoing interplay of parent and offspring genes

Anesthesia not harmful for babies during birth process

Adding a drug called neostigmine to epidural analgesia reduces dose needed during labor

USA Today examines Afghan health sector successes, need for further improvements

Expert suggests women should grin and bear the pain of childbirth

U.N. calls for investing in women to ensure economic recovery, reduce 'health gap'

Local anaesthetic during a Caesarean section reduces need for painkillers post-op

Pilot study removes standard hospital bed as focal point of labor

Federal Minister for Health to launch Australia’s first national maternity surveillance system

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

Childbirth News and Research

Latest Childbirth News and Research

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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