Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

More reason to take folic acid while pregnant

Taking folic acid supplements during pregnancy can significantly reduce the likelihood for babies being born with cleft lip and palate, researchers say.

2 Jul 2012

Working to reduce adolescent pregnancy in Zimbabwe

As part of a monthly series of posts guest edited by FHI 360 on behalf of USAID'S Interagency Youth Working Group (IYWG), this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog by Primrose Nanchani Manyalo, a field officer at Restless Development, discusses how "adolescent pregnancy is a harsh reality that many young girls encounter."

2 Jul 2012

Number of babies born due to assisted reproduction technologies reaches 5 million

The number of babies born as a result of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) has reached an estimated total of 5 million since the world's first, Louise Brown, was born in July 1978. The figures will be presented this week at the 28th annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology), which begins today, 1st July, in Istanbul, Turkey.

2 Jul 2012

Stress during pregnancy increases children's risk for abnormal health conditions at birth

Expectant mothers who dealt with the strain of a hurricane or major tropical storm passing nearby during their pregnancy had children who were at elevated risk for abnormal health conditions at birth, according to a study led by a Princeton University researcher that offers new insights into the effects of stress on pregnancy.

30 Jun 2012

Standing for long time when pregnant carries repercussions

Women who stand for long periods while they are pregnant risk hampering the growth of their developing fetus, researchers say in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

29 Jun 2012

Pregnant women with preeclampsia, diabetes need biomarkers checked

Researchers are calling for cardiovascular biomarker profiling in pregnant women with preeclampsia and diabetes to help predict their future CV disease risk.

29 Jun 2012

Financial reward stubs out smoking habit

Rewarding drug-dependent pregnant women with money each time they cut down on or stop smoking is an effective way to reduce smoking levels in this population, say researchers.

29 Jun 2012

Link between phthalates and early eczema uncovered

Research published in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that prenatal exposure to butylbenzyl phthalate, a common component of vinyl flooring, may increase a child’s risk for developing early eczema.

29 Jun 2012

U.N. High Level Task Force on Global Food Security to shift focus to 'Zero Hunger Challenge' initiative

"In the wake of the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's High Level Task Force on Global Food Security will be reoriented to focus on a new initiative as part of its efforts to ensure a coherent U.N. system approach to the issue of food and nutrition security," the U.N. News Centre reports.

29 Jun 2012

Prenatal exposure to PCBs impacts reproductive function in offspring

Prenatal exposure to the environmental contaminants polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, causes long-term changes to the developing brain that have adverse effects on reproductive function later in life, a new study finds. Results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

28 Jun 2012

Fetal growth in pregnancy may be affected by standing for long periods

Standing for long periods during pregnancy may curb the growth of the developing fetus, suggests research published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

28 Jun 2012

Can London summit broaden discussion of family planning to include needs of young women?

"I find a new report released Tuesday by Save the Children particularly interesting because it broadens the debate" over family planning by discussing not only the logistics of providing modern contraceptives to women in need, but "the young women, sometimes no more than children themselves, who risk their lives and those of their babies if they become pregnant inside or outside of marriage," Guardian health editor Sarah Boseley writes in her "Global Health Blog."

28 Jun 2012

Pregnancy complications are leading killer of teenage girls worldwide, Save the Children report says

Pregnancy is the biggest killer of teenage girls worldwide, with one million girls annually dying, being injured, or contracting a disease because of pregnancy or childbirth, according to a report (.pdf) released Tuesday by Save the Children, the Daily Mail reports.

28 Jun 2012

Arena receives FDA approval for Belviq to treat obesity

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for chronic weight management.

28 Jun 2012

Covidien introduces campaign to help educate women about risk of VTE during pregnancy

Covidien, a leading global provider of healthcare products, today announced the launch of its "1 in 1,000" campaign to help educate women about the risk of pregnancy-related blood clots, one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in the developed world.

28 Jun 2012

OOM women in mid-pregnancy have reduced levels of EDCs than general population

A lifestyle that features fresh foods and limited use of products likely to contain environmental chemicals has been shown to reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as BPA and phthalates, in a small population study. EDCs are linked to a number of adverse health complications including neuro-developmental delays, behavioral issues and fertility problems.

27 Jun 2012

Prenatal exposure to BPA appears to program uterine estrogen responsiveness in adulthood

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A, or BPA, a chemical found in many common plastic household items, can cause numerous genes in the uterus to respond differently to estrogen in adulthood, according to a study using a mouse model. The results will be presented Tuesday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

27 Jun 2012

Link between bacterial vaginosis and female-to-male HIV transmission risk

An investigation led by UCSF has found that the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission is increased three fold for women with bacterial vaginosis, a common disorder in which the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted.

27 Jun 2012

Maternal factors associated with fetal growth restriction

A Japanese study has found that maternal rather than fetal factors are associated with fetal growth restriction. A comparison of maternal and fetal angiotensin-converting enzyme genotypes with the size of babies at birth found evidence of this connection.

27 Jun 2012

Molecular determinant of implantation success uncovered

A signaling sequence initiated by the embryo and hinging on the epithelial Na+ channel leads to successful implantation, researchers report in Nature Medicine.

26 Jun 2012