Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Latest scientific research in children's health to be presented at PAS meeting

The latest scientific research in children's health will be presented in Boston April 28-May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting. More than 6,500 leaders in academic pediatrics from around the world are expected to attend the meeting at the Hynes Convention Center.

24 Apr 2012

Having a baby low on the list of priorities for most Australian women: Survey

Reports show that now only four per cent of women aged 18-44 want a baby. Around seven in 10 women say they want kids at some stage. Women want to feel financially secure before settling down says the report. The survey, which was conducted by Galaxy Research between March 30 and April 2, was commissioned by the ovulation and pregnancy test company Clearblue.

23 Apr 2012

DSG's eCaseLink EDC chosen for Ariosa's Non-Invasive Chromosomal Examination of Trisomy study

Ariosa Diagnostics, a molecular diagnostics company focused on prenatal testing, has chosen to use DSG's eCaseLink EDC (electronic data capture) system for the NEXT (Non-Invasive Chromosomal Examination of Trisomy) study.

23 Apr 2012

Herpes zoster vaccine safe and well tolerated: Study

The herpes zoster vaccine, also known as the shingles vaccine, is generally safe and well tolerated according to a Vaccine Safety Datalink study of 193,083 adults published online in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

23 Apr 2012

FDA warns about contaminated ultrasound gel

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings for doctors, hospitals and clinics regarding contaminated ultrasound gel produced by a New Jersey company that infected 16 cardiac patients and could pose serious risks to pregnant women and others who undergo ultrasound imaging and treatment.

22 Apr 2012

SEBM announces 2012 winners of Young Investigator Award

The Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine is pleased to announce the 2012 winners of the Young Investigator Award. This is a $500 travel grant for undergraduate/ graduate students and/or individuals within 5 years of receiving doctoral degrees who are members of the Society to attend the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego this month.

21 Apr 2012

Access to family planning services important for adolescent women

In a Huffington Post "Global Motherhood" opinion piece, UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin writes, "It warms my heart to see that safe motherhood and women's reproductive health are finally being recognized as important development issues," but "millions of women in developing countries still lack even the most basic care during pregnancy," leading to maternal death and injury and hundreds of millions of women lack access to family planning services, including modern contraceptives.

20 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: Bishops find fault with GOP budget; Pelosi on court's role in health law

In February, the Catholic Church attempted to impose its opposition to birth control on its employees, upsetting Democrats and the left. This week, the Church is criticizing Republicans, acting in the highest tradition of its social mission by speaking out against spending cuts on programs for the poor.

20 Apr 2012

Researchers identify risks in pregnancy related specifically to obesity

Obese women run the risk of problems during pregnancy, labour and complications for the baby's health. A new study of more than 3000 expectant mothers confirms this, and also reveals that being underweight also has specific complications.

20 Apr 2012

EASL publishes new clinical practice guideline on ALD

EASL today announced the publication of a new clinical practice guideline (CPG) in the area of Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD), bringing the number of CPGs published to date to eight.

19 Apr 2012

Mississippi Gov. signs landmark anti-abortion law, other states restricting contraception, abortion access

The state's new law could effectively close the state's only clinic. Meanwhile, a law in Idaho designed to limit abortions is being challenged.

18 Apr 2012

No added HIV risk with hormonal contraceptives

An HIV prevention trial that pre-dates the shift to antiretroviral (ARV)-based approaches is nonetheless helping to answer some of the most relevant and topical questions the field is facing today.

18 Apr 2012

Excessive gestational weight gain as problematic as pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity

One out of every two women of reproductive age is overweight or obese. Researchers from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, from the University of Ottawa (faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences) and from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute set out to discover if overweight or obese women are in fact more likely to give birth to above average weight babies, as reported in the Journal of Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.

18 Apr 2012

Viewpoints: The missing debate on women; The true cost of care; Fair wages for home health aides

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just reported that the nation's teen pregnancy rate is at an all-time low. Increased contraceptive use appears to have played a significant role in the decline. The Guttmacher Institute estimates that without Title X services, hundreds of thousands more teenagers would become pregnant every year. Why does GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney think eliminating the federal money for family planning -; $327 million annually -; is wise?

17 Apr 2012

Air pollution can contribute to obesity in children

Overall, 17% of children in the United States are obese, and in inner-city neighborhoods, the prevalence is as high as 25%. While poor diets and physical inactivity are the main culprits, there is new evidence that air pollution can play a role.

17 Apr 2012

Gestational diabetes on the rise

Although the disease usually goes away after delivery, it can have permanent consequences. Not only can the mother be prone to develop diabetes later in life, but their babies are also at greater risk for chronic health problems.

16 Apr 2012

Abortion-restricting bills proceed in Ariz. and Iowa as new Miss. law targets only abortion clinic

A pair of bills passed the Arizona Senate Thursday to prohibit public money for family-planning from going to organizations that give abortions and to allow some businesses to avoid paying for contraception for employees. Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer also signed a bill banning most late-term abortions.

16 Apr 2012

Study contains warning for obese expectant mother

A new University of Illinois study contains a warning for obese women who are planning pregnancies. Even if they eat a healthy diet when they are pregnant, their babies will develop in an unhealthy environment that places the infants at risk for future health problems.

16 Apr 2012

Flu shots offered to populations at risk at the beginning of season

All Care Inala Medical Centre doctor Michael Ho said flu shots were becoming more popular each year. “Flu seasons tends to begin in late March early April to June,” he said. “More and more people are opting to get vaccinations because they are promoted well within the community.” He added, “It is particularly important for elderly people to be immunized because their immune system is already not at its best…This is also the case for people who have chronic medical conditions like diabetes, severe asthma, or heart disease. With their current condition, if they catch the flu they can end up with a worse outcome.”

12 Apr 2012

Efforts to improve maternal health in Uganda moving forward

This post on RH Reality Check examines a Ugandan court case "alleging that the Ugandan government failed to protect the ... constitutional rights to life and health [of several women] by allowing them to die in ill-equipped and poorly managed public hospitals, or failing to provide them with basic maternal care."

12 Apr 2012