Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

IVF success compromised by heavy smoking

Fertility experts say the women who are heavy smokers are less likely to become pregnant through IVF treatment, even when donated eggs are used.

13 Nov 2006

Survey reveals Americans disagree with Bush's abstinence-only sex education programs

A new survey in the United States has revealed that the majority of American adults, regardless of their political affiliation, support a more balanced approach to sex education in schools.

7 Nov 2006

Teen births cost U.S. Government $9.1 billion in 2004

The U.S. government in 2004 incurred at least $9.1 billion in costs related to teen births, despite significant decreases in teen pregnancy and birth rates since the early 1990s, according to a report released on Monday by the National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy, USA Today reports (Koch [1], USA Today, 10/30).

30 Oct 2006

USA Today examines issues Supreme Court will decide in challenge to federal abortion ban

USA Today on Monday examined how Congress' "power to limit the reach" of Roe v. Wade -- the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case that effectively barred state abortion bans -- by "restricting medical options for women" will be tested in the Department of Justice's appeal to the high court to uphold a federal law banning so-called "partial-birth" abortion.

30 Oct 2006

Oral contraceptives increase risk for breast cancer in some women

A meta-analysis published in the October issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings indicts oral contraceptives as putting premenopausal women at significantly increased risk for breast cancer, especially women who use them prior to having a child.

30 Oct 2006

Conjoined Canadian twins doing well

Canadian conjoined twins born in a complicated c-section procedure are apparently doing well.

26 Oct 2006

Increased access to contraception not linked to decrease in numbers of unplanned pregnancies, abortions

The belief that increased access to contraception will "reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion" has "intuitive appeal, but the data prove otherwise," Susan Wills, associate director for education for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, writes in a Washington Post letter to the editor in response to a Post opinion piece by William Saletan, science and technology reporter for Slate magazine.

24 Oct 2006

Evolutionary connection between food supply and brain size

In a study of orangutans living on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, scientists from Duke University and the University of Zurich have found what they say is the first demonstration in primates of an evolutionary connection between available food supplies and brain size.

23 Oct 2006

New Jersey Assembly Committee approves bill requiring pharmacists to fill emergency contraception prescriptions

The New Jersey Assembly Health and Senior Citizens Committee on Thursday approved a bill (A 992) that would require New Jersey's 9,000 licensed pharmacists to fill prescriptions for all drugs, including contraceptives, despite "any sincerely held moral, philosophical or religious beliefs," the Newark Star-Ledger reports (Livio, Newark Star-Ledger, 10/20).

23 Oct 2006

Portuguese Parliament approves referendum on loosening abortion restrictions

The Portuguese Parliament on Thursday approved a government proposal to hold a national referendum early next year aimed at loosening abortion restrictions in the country, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 10/19).

23 Oct 2006

Uganda begins enrollment of Phase I trials of a perinatal HIV vaccine

Uganda last week began enrollment of Phase I trials of a perinatal HIV vaccine that aims to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, Uganda's Daily Monitor reports (Nabayunga, Daily Monitor, 10/18).

19 Oct 2006

Female survivors of childhood cancer: preterm birth and low birth weight among their children

Female childhood cancer survivors may face pregnancy problems, including early deliveries and low birth weight children, according to a study in the October 19 Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

17 Oct 2006

Tuberculosis fourfold the risk for Celiac sufferers

Swedish researchers are suggesting that people with celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, have an increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB).

17 Oct 2006

Contraceptive options in the U.S. examined

The New York Times on Tuesday examined contraceptive options in the U.S., where 60% of unplanned pregnancies occur among women who use contraception.

17 Oct 2006

Washington Post examines Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race between Santorum, Casey

The Washington Post on Sunday examined the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey (D) (Finkel, Washington Post, 10/15).

17 Oct 2006

FDA Attorneys seek dismissal of Plan B lawsuit

The Center for Reproductive Rights on Wednesday during two hearings at a U.S. District Court in New York City asked federal judges to grant a subpoena of White House documents and officials in its lawsuit against FDA over the agency's rejection of Barr Laboratories' first application for nonprescription Plan B sales, Long Island Newsday reports.

16 Oct 2006

New guide to help countries prevent violence against children

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a practical new guide to help countries prevent violence against children. Children are the victims of startling levels of violence, often at the hands of those who should be protecting them.

16 Oct 2006

Kaiser summarizes editorials on CDC routine HIV testing recommendations

Two newspapers recently published editorials regarding the new CDC HIV testing recommendations.

8 Oct 2006

FDA approves Zolinza for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zolinza (vorinostat) capsules for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a type of skin cancer, to be used when the disease persists, gets worse, or comes back during or after treatment with other medicines.

8 Oct 2006

New York State law prevents new CDC testing recommendations from being implemented

A New York state law passed in the 1980s prevents the state from implementing CDC's revised recommendations on HIV testing in the U.S. that say HIV tests should become a routine part of medical care for residents ages 13 to 64 and that requirements for written consent and pretest counseling should be dropped, the New York Times reports.

5 Oct 2006