Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Study reveals large microbial diversity in breast milk

Spanish researchers have traced the bacterial microbiota map in breast milk, which is the main source of nourishment for newborns. The study has revealed a larger microbial diversity than originally thought: more than 700 species.

4 Jan 2013

March of Dimes book offers scientifically-based advice for pregnant women, tips for new parents

Taking a daily multivitamin containing the B vitamin folic acid is one of the best ways to prevent birth defects and an important step toward having a healthy baby, yet only about one-third of women know about it.

4 Jan 2013

Longer looks: DIY abortions and the law; Helping other parents reach out to mentally ill children; Human growth hormone and Big Pharma

McCormack knew that an abortion would cost $400 to $2,000, depending on how far along she was. ... She couldn't come up with that kind of money. So she called her older sister, who owned a computer, and asked her to order abortion pills for her on the Internet.

3 Jan 2013

Neonatal chemokines altered in autistic spectrum patients

A study by scientists has found limited evidence to support a role for proinflammatory chemokines in the pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

3 Jan 2013

Link between SSRI use in pregnancy and stillbirth refuted

Study findings suggest that use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors during pregnancy does not pose any increased infant mortality risk.

3 Jan 2013

Mothers should let their babies ‘cry it out’ when they wake up at night: Study

Today, mothers of newborns find themselves confronting a common dilemma: Should they let their babies "cry it out" when they wake up at night? Or should they rush to comfort their crying little one?

3 Jan 2013

Molecular signals make some women prone to miscarriage

Scientists have identified molecular signals that control whether embryos are accepted by the womb, and that appear to function abnormally in women who have suffered repeated miscarriages.

3 Jan 2013

Treatment of maternal sleep-disordered breathing with CPAP therapy improves fetal activity levels

A new study suggests that treatment of mild sleep-disordered breathing with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in pregnant women with preeclampsia improves fetal activity levels, a marker of fetal well-being.

3 Jan 2013

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer receive FDA approval for ELIQUIS to reduce risk of stroke and SE

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ELIQUIS (apixaban) to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

2 Jan 2013

Global infertility unchanged

The global rate of infertility has not significantly changed over the past 2 decades, with the exception of regions in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, a study shows.

2 Jan 2013

Babies begin absorbing language while still in the womb

Babies only hours old are able to differentiate between sounds from their native language and a foreign language, scientists have discovered. The study indicates that babies begin absorbing language while still in the womb, earlier than previously thought.

2 Jan 2013

No significant link between SSRI use during pregnancy and risk of stillbirth, neonatal death

In a study that included nearly 30,000 women from Nordic countries who had filled a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prescription during pregnancy, researchers found no significant association between use of these medications during pregnancy and risk of stillbirth, neonatal death, or postneonatal death, after accounting for factors including maternal psychiatric disease, according to a study in the January 2 issue of JAMA.

1 Jan 2013

Manipulating transcription factor can change subtype of breast cancer

Australian scientists have shown how a 'transcription factor' causes breast cancer to develop an aggressive subtype that lacks sensitivity to oestrogen and does not respond to anti-oestrogen therapies such as Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.

28 Dec 2012

Implementation of appropriateness criteria required for elective procedures

Many of the most common inpatient surgeries in the United States are performed electively. These surgeries are expected to significantly increase with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.

27 Dec 2012

Not all hospitals play fair in reporting first baby of the new year

"The race to have the first baby is something all hospitals share enthusiasm for, especially in large cities like Chicago, and, unfortunately, not all hospitals play fair," said Karen Deighan, MD, OB/GYN, director of OB/GYN at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System. Loyola has welcomed the first baby of the new year for Chicago twice in the past three years.

27 Dec 2012

Gene therapy shows promise for severe coronary artery disease

Diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease, a group of patients too ill for or not responding to other treatment options decided to take part in a clinical trial testing angiogenic gene therapy to help rebuild their damaged blood vessels.

21 Dec 2012

Maternal vitamin D deficiency could cause low birth weight

Women deficient in vitamin D early in their pregnancies are more likely to deliver babies with lower birth weights, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health research reveals.

20 Dec 2012

Long physical work does not greatly influence miscarriage risk

Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that fears about substantially increased miscarriage risks in women working shifts, long hours, and in jobs involving moderate-to-high physical workload may be largely unfounded.

19 Dec 2012

Smoking and drinking have no impact on male fertility

Alcohol drinking and smoking seem to have no significant impact on male fertility, report researchers.

19 Dec 2012

Infertility rates have hardly changed over past 20 years, says study

In 2010, almost 50 million couples worldwide were unable to have a child after five years of trying. Infertility rates have hardly changed over the past 20 years, according to a study by international researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine.

19 Dec 2012