Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Link found between a lack of vitamin D and pre-eclampsia

Researchers in the United States have found an association between vitamin D levels in pregnant women and the risk of pre-eclampsia; they say women who have a vitamin D deficiency early in their pregnancy are at risk from pre-eclampsia.

9 Sep 2007

Folic acid helps prevent facial cleft

A new study finds that women who take folic acid supplements early in their pregnancy can substantially reduce their baby's chances of being born with a facial cleft.

5 Sep 2007

Adult offspring of parents with PTSD have lower cortisol levels

A small study suggests that adults whose parents are Holocaust survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to have lower average levels of the stress hormone cortisol than the adult offspring of parents without PTSD, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Sep 2007

Pregnancy-induced hypertension

Warnings signs such as increased stress could indicate that pregnancy-induced hypertension is reaching life-threatening levels, found Temple University researcher Kathleen Black, DNSc, RNC, the author of a study in the September/October issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing.

3 Sep 2007

Pregnant women exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have sleep disturbances

Pregnant women exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have sleep disturbances such as subjective insufficient sleep, difficulty in initiating sleep, short sleep duration, and snoring loudly or breathing uncomfortably, according to a study published in the September 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

3 Sep 2007

Baby's conception and birth influences mother's dreams

The conception and birth of a child are emotional events that influence the dreams of most new mothers. In a surprisingly high number of cases, this influence reflects negative aspects of maternal responsibility, depicting the new infant in dreamed situations of danger and provoking anxiety in the mother that often spills over into wakefulness.

3 Sep 2007

Discovery suggests location of genes for breast density, a strong risk factor for breast cancer

Studying the DNA of 889 people, gene hunters at the Mayo Clinic and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Centers have identified a region on chromosome 5p that is significantly associated with dense breast tissue, a known risk factor for breast cancer.

2 Sep 2007

Many NYC youth use condoms, but other forms of birth control lag

More than two thirds (69%) of sexually active New York City teens use condoms, compared to 63% nationwide, according to a new survey of public high school students.

30 Aug 2007

Gestational diabetes doubles children's risk of obesity

According to the latest research babies born to mothers with untreated gestational diabetes have nearly double the normal risk of becoming obese during childhood.

29 Aug 2007

Higher maternal sugar levels increases risk of childhood obesity

Treating diabetes during pregnancy can break the link between gestational diabetes and childhood obesity, according to a Kaiser Permanente study featured in the September issue of Diabetes Care.

28 Aug 2007

Proteomic analysis of human amniotic fluid

Researchers report in the August issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics the most complete list so far of proteins present in the human amniotic fluid, the liquid that surrounds a fetus during pregnancy.

24 Aug 2007

New diabetes mellitus clinical practice guidelines

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) has announced the release of its medical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus.

24 Aug 2007

Hemorrhoids tips

Are you tired of the itch and burn of hemorrhoids? While it's a fairly common condition, many patients may be too embarrassed to talk to their doctor about it.

22 Aug 2007

Abortion pill does not spoil later pregnancies

According to the latest research the abortion pill poses no apparent risk to a woman who later decides to have a child.

16 Aug 2007

Eating junk food during pregnancy and breastfeeding gives offspring taste for junk food

Mothers who eat junk food during pregnancy and breastfeeding may be putting their children at risk of overeating and developing obesity, according to a study funded by the Wellcome Trust and carried out at the Royal Veterinary College, London.

16 Aug 2007

Pregnant women advised to cut out junk food for their child's sake

British researchers are warning pregnant women that a penchant for junk food may be condemning their children to crave the same diet.

14 Aug 2007

Risk of bacterial vaginosis linked to preterm birth appears higher for African-Americans

Risk of a common vaginal infection linked to preterm birth appears to escalate when even one partner is African-American, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study presented today at the 34th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology in Boston.

13 Aug 2007