Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Folic acid appears to reduce risk of cleft lip and palate

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.

28 Jan 2007

Health inequalities in Britain

Tackling health inequalities in Britain needs closer co-ordination between all major policy areas including health, education, housing, employment and taxation, according to the authors of a new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) publication.

23 Jan 2007

Impact of birth defects on families and nation

Two separate government reports highlight the economic costs of birth defects, focusing attention on the ongoing need for prevention.

22 Jan 2007

Retinoblastoma gene may play a critical role in the development of the placenta

An important cancer-related gene may play a critical role in the development of the placenta, the organ that controls nutrient and oxygen exchange between a mother and her fetus during pregnancy, and perhaps in miscarriages.

10 Jan 2007

Latin America attempts to increase access to emergency contraception

Governments across Latin America are attempting to increase access to emergency contraception -- which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse -- despite "stiff resistance" from the Roman Catholic Church, Reuters reports.

9 Jan 2007

Retinoblastoma gene may play a critical role in the development of the placenta

9 Jan 2007

Effects of lactation on alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis

Mothers who breastfeed should be sure to have enough Calcium in their diet, or may risk bone loss around their teeth and gums, according to a new study that appears in the January issue of the Journal of Periodontology (JOP).

9 Jan 2007

Young single men are more likely to bank sperm before testicular cancer treatment

A quarter of men with testicular cancer banked their sperm before treatment, but only six per cent of those actually used the sperm to father a child, according to a study published in the January issue of the UK-based urology journal BJU International.

8 Jan 2007

Portuguese favor lifting abortion ban

About 64% of Portuguese voters said they favor lifting the country's ban on abortion, according to a poll released Thursday by Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha and the pollster Aximage, Reuters reports (Reuters, 1/4).

7 Jan 2007

Effect of vitamin supplementation on neonatal morbidity and mortality

Undernourished women who take a vitamin and mineral supplement while pregnant may be less likely than women taking only iron and folic acid supplements to have babies weighing less than 2,500 grams, and their newborns may be less likely to have morbidity in the first seven days of life.

2 Jan 2007

New oral contraceptive not such a bitter pill

A company in the United States has come up with the first chewable birth control tablet.

11 Dec 2006

Case studies examine role of hormones, psychology in false pregnancy

Recent case studies of pseudocyesis, or false pregnancy, as well as studies of similar conditions in animals, suggest that hormones and psychology might contribute to the condition, the New York Times reports.

5 Dec 2006

'Too thin' women much more likely to miscarry

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in England have found that being very thin and underweight might increase the risk of women miscarrying during pregnancy.

4 Dec 2006

Mifepristone offers hope for breast cancer victims

A team of scientists have discovered some unexpected benefits with the abortion pill RU486 (Mifepristone).

4 Dec 2006

New approaches to expanding HIV testing

Nearly 300 U.S. physicians, government health officials and HIV/AIDS advocates on Wednesday gathered in Washington, D.C., for a two-day meeting that focuses on new approaches to expanding HIV testing in the nation and its potential effect on the health system, Reuters Health reports.

2 Dec 2006

Reproductive health agendas hampered by global focus on HIV/AIDS programs, controversies over abortion, other issues

The global focus on HIV/AIDS initiatives and "ideological controversies" surrounding issues such as abortion have "marginalized" reproductive and sexual health in the global health agenda, according to a panel of public health experts said on Friday at a news conference on Friday, CQ HealthBeat reports.

23 Nov 2006

No good reason to invest in new fetal oxygen monitor

New technology for measuring blood oxygen levels of a baby during labor which was intended to provide information useful for preventing birth complications, apparently offers no apparent benefit.

23 Nov 2006

Test strips for the rapid detection of cocaine

Saving the life of a poisoning victim is often a matter of minutes. It is best when the emergency doctor can perform a reliable diagnosis on the spot to determine which poison or what type of drug overdose a patient is suffering from. Complicated laboratory analyses and a complex apparatus are out of place in the emergency room.

21 Nov 2006

Novel way of tackling diseases related to the immune system

A new study has suggested a novel way of combating diseases related to the immune system, including cancer and autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes and arthritis. The study, funded by the Wellcome Trust, appears online in the journal Nature.

14 Nov 2006

More U.S residents trust TV for health info

Increasing numbers of U.S. residents gather and trust health information, including HIV/AIDS information, seen on fictional prime-time television shows, the Los Angeles Times reports.

13 Nov 2006