Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

First nationwide study of pregnancy outcomes in women with rheumatic disease

The first nationwide study of pregnancy outcomes in women with rheumatic disease confirms that they experience greater pregnancy risks and longer hospital stays than the average pregnant woman.

20 Nov 2005

Row over Plan B unearths suspicion of political manipulation

Congressional investigators are saying there is a suspicion that senior U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials may have decided to reject a politically sensitive request for over-the-counter sales of a "morning-after" contraceptive months before agency scientists finished reviewing the scientific data.

16 Nov 2005

Women warned about contraceptive patch

The makers of a revolutionary contraceptive patch are warning women that they are at a greater risk of blood clots and other serious side-effects because of the higher doses of hormones the patch delivers.

15 Nov 2005

Warnings to be put on condoms

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling for warnings to be placed on condoms.

14 Nov 2005

Women should continue to exercise during pregnancy

Obstetricians and gynecologists need to do a better job of encouraging women with uncomplicated pregnancies to exercise, a Saint Louis University School of Public Health study concludes.

14 Nov 2005

Maternal malaria and gravidity interact to modify infant susceptibility to malaria

Every year at least 30 million women in malaria-endemic areas of Africa become pregnant. Many of them develop placental malaria, a pregnancy-specific form of the disease, which frequently results in low birth weight of the child.

13 Nov 2005

Warnings about blood clots with contraceptive patch

According to U.S. regulators, Johnson & Johnson's Ortho Evra contraceptive patch contains higher levels of a hormone known to cause blood clots than average birth control pills.

13 Nov 2005

New screening test can predict Down syndrome in first trimester

According to new research, an early blood test has proven to be an accurate predictor for Down syndrome.

13 Nov 2005

British mother demands the right to know about teenage abortion

A British mother is presently fighting government guidelines issued last year to reduce teenage pregnancy, abortions and sexually transmitted diseases.

10 Nov 2005

Waiting for Plan B - don't hold your breath!

According to a Food and Drug Administration official, regulators may take months to review public comments on Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s application to sell the Plan B "morning-after" contraceptive without a prescription.

9 Nov 2005

Oestrogen helps women concentrate

Scientists at the University of Bradford have discovered that the hormone oestrogen could be responsible for giving women the advantage when performing certain tasks such as driving.

7 Nov 2005

Error found in standard guidelines on fetal varicella syndrome

The UK’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB), published by Which?, has identified an important error in standard guidelines on fetal varicella syndrome. This finding has major implications worldwide for advice given to women with chickenpox in late pregnancy.

7 Nov 2005

Hormonal clue to higher asthma rates in women

According to experts hormone fluctuations resulting from life cycle changes are a factor in higher rates of asthma, more frequent emergency department visits, and higher hospital admission rates in women than in men.

7 Nov 2005

First study to investigate regional low birth weight rates on a national scale

Low birth weight, an important risk factor of infant mortality and childhood developmental disorders, varies more than 3-fold in regions across the U.S., according to national research conducted at Dartmouth Medical School. The study offers promise for health care experts in an area of prenatal health where progress has been elusive.

7 Nov 2005

Teenages who eat regularly with their family less likely to be overweight

They might prefer to be in front of the TV or Playstation, but Brisbane teenagers are likely to be healthier if they eat meals with mum and dad.

3 Nov 2005

Hypertension and uric acid contributes to premature delivery

Pregnant women with hypertension who also have elevated blood uric acid levels may face an increased risk of complications that could be fatal for mother and baby, University of Pittsburgh researchers have found.

30 Oct 2005

Terminating compared with delivering an unwanted first pregnancy was not directly related to risk of depression

Claims that terminating an unwanted first pregnancy raises the risk of depression is called into question in a study published online by the British Medical Journal.

30 Oct 2005

Growth patterns before birth, after birth and into childhood reveal a risk of coronary heart disease later in life

The risk of developing coronary heart disease as an adult is more strongly related to childhood growth patterns than body weight at any particular point in development, according to a new study published in the Oct. 27 New England Journal of Medicine. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

27 Oct 2005

Early diagnosis guarantees therapeutic success in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common tumour amongst the female population. In recent years its prevalence has increased considerably without the reasons thereof being very clear, although lifestyle changes such as first pregnancy taking place at a later age or the reduction in the period of breast-feeding may play an important role.

25 Oct 2005

Depression alone affects approximately 1.3 million Australian women ever year

Women's health problems, depression and child abuse represented a major health crisis in Australia, a seminar focusing on women and mental health over the weekend was told.

24 Oct 2005