Fertility & Pregnancy

New research published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that pregnant women in Sweden had inadequate levels of iodine in their diets. Proper iodine nutrition is necessary for neurological development of the fetus. Iodine is an element that is involved in the production of … [Read more...]

High impact activities, such as jogging, ball games, and aerobics may be most helpful among moms-to-be study suggests. Exercising up to five times weekly before pregnancy may help to stave off pelvic girdle pain--an umbrella term for any type of pain associated with the joint and ligament changes prompted by pregnancy--finds research published online in the British Journal … [Read more...]

Nearly a quarter of teenagers in England and Wales who have had an abortion have been pregnant before, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). Drawing on more than 20 years' worth of data the study shows, for the first time, the number of young women aged 15-19 undergoing an abortion who had experienced at least one previous pregnancy, resulting … [Read more...]

Everyone knows that exercise is good for you, regardless of your age. But a new study coming out of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and presented earlier this month at the 2015 annual meeting of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) shows that some types of physical activity have a greater impact on body composition in postmenopausal compared to premenopausal … [Read more...]

With food allergies in children on the rise, parents often ask the question, How do I prevent food allergies in my baby? A new review published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), based on the latest evidence, interprets new evidence to guide physicians and families regarding food introduction and allergy prevention. "If parents ask how to prevent allergy in … [Read more...]

Stress experienced by mothers during pregnancy is related to their children's behavior, as well as mental and cognitive outcomes in middle childhood and into adolescence, but few studies have looked at the relationship between maternal pregnancy stress and children's motor development. Now a new longitudinal study has found that mothers who experienced more stressful events … [Read more...]

Changes in the vaginal microbiome are associated with effects on offspring gut microbiota and on the developing brain, according to a new study published in Endocrinology, a journal of the Endocrine Society. The neonate is exposed to the maternal vaginal microbiota during birth, providing the primary source for normal gut colonization, host immune maturation, and metabolism. … [Read more...]

An IVF technique which freezes all embryos generated in an initial treatment cycle and transfers them in a later cycle as freeze-thawed embryos does not improve outcome as some studies have suggested. Results of the study, performed at the Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI) clinic in Valencia, Spain, are presented today at the ESHRE Annual Meeting by Dr Ernesto … [Read more...]

New research shows that the estimated one-third of Americans who have a cluster of health problems that add up to metabolic syndrome don't absorb dietary vitamin E as effectively as healthy people. The same study also had good news for the whole population: Cow's milk with or without fat promotes absorption of the natural form of vitamin E found in foods. People in the … [Read more...]

What has previously been known as good cholesterol--high density lipoprotein (HDL)--has now been shown to be not so good in protecting women against atherosclerosis while they are transitioning through menopause. That's according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health that was presented last week at the annual meeting of The North … [Read more...]

A study of up to 433,390 UK adults, led by The University of Manchester, has linked being under and overweight at birth with poorer hearing, vision and cognition in middle age. Researchers in Manchester, Nottingham, Cincinnati and Madison, Wisconsin analysed data from up to 433,390 UK adults from the UK Biobank study. Associations with birth weight -- an index of prenatal … [Read more...]

In The BMJ this week, experts discuss the evidence and current guidelines on the controversial topic of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. "Alcohol is not essential to the health or well being of a pregnant woman and is known to be harmful to her baby," argue Mary Mather, a retired paediatrician, and Kate Wiles, a doctoral research fellow in obstetric medicine at Guys and St … [Read more...]

  Premature infants have heightened risks of deadly diseases because their organs and immune systems are not fully developed. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a major gastrointestinal disease that causes the intestines to die, is a leading cause of death among these infants and is the most the common disease for babies born before 32 weeks. Now, University of … [Read more...]

Johns Hopkins researchers have found that offspring born to mother rats stressed during pregnancy lost weight faster and failed to turn on appropriate brain hunger signals in response to exercise and food restriction, compared to offspring from non-stressed mothers. The research reveals a specific combination of stress, personality, and environmental factors that may contribute … [Read more...]

In many countries, caesarean section is routinely used if the woman previously gave birth by caesarean section. Doctors and midwives in countries with a high rate of vaginal births after caesarean sections have for the first time been asked in a study to give their views on how to increase the percentage of vaginal births. The summarised research shows that a vaginal birth … [Read more...]

From melting glaciers to increasing wildfires, the consequences of climate change and strategies to mitigate such consequences are often a hotly debated topic. A new study led by the University of Utah adds to the ever-growing list of negative impacts climate change can have on humans--low birth weight. The first of its kind, the two-year project led by U geography professor … [Read more...]

An international study of nearly 70,000 women has identified more than forty regions of the human genome that are involved in governing at what age a woman goes through the menopause. The study, led by scientists at the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter, found that two thirds of those regions contain genes that act to keep DNA healthy, by repairing the small damages that can … [Read more...]

Young women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer may be more likely to remain fertile if they also receive hormonal treatment, according to new research presented to the 2015 European Cancer Congress on Monday and published simultaneously in Annals of Oncology. Researchers will tell the Congress that the addition of treatment with a so-called luteinising … [Read more...]

Preeclampsia, when a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure and protein in the urine, is one of the most common medical complications of pregnancy, and the consequences for both mother and baby can be devastating. The only way to cure preeclampsia is to deliver the baby, but now researchers propose one of the first therapeutic interventions for the condition that may allow … [Read more...]

High-dose vitamin D supplementation in postmenopausal women was not associated with beneficial effects on bone mineral density, muscle function, muscle mass or falls, according to the results of a randomized clinical trial published online by JAMA Internal Medicine. Low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteoporosis because of decreased total fractional calcium absorption … [Read more...]

Women may now have yet another reason to quit smoking given the results of a new study that is being reported online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The Swedish study involving 25,474 women is the first to quantify the combined effects of smoking and age at menopause on overall mortality in terms of survival time by investigating the … [Read more...]

Women who are obese during pregnancy may die earlier or have an increased risk of heart problems later in life, according to a new study in the United Kingdom. “What is surprising is that a measurement of obesity in pregnancy when women are young is a marker of risk for later cardiovascular disease and mortality,” said senior author Rebecca M. Reynolds of the Queen’s Medical … [Read more...]

A medical emergency that strikes in mid-air is a scary prospect for any traveler, but it presents a particularly complex situation for physicians and other healthcare providers. In an instant, a doctor could go from nodding off to making medical, ethical and legal decisions that could represent the difference in a fellow passenger's life or death. A new article in the New … [Read more...]

Weight loss and exercise improve ovulation in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome, a common hormone disorder that often causes infertility, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of female infertility. The condition occurs when a woman's … [Read more...]

Can events you endured as a child really impact your ability to have children yourself? New research in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology examines the mechanism by which adverse experiences in childhood impact female fertility. In their paper 'Adverse childhood event experiences, fertility difficulties and menstrual cycle characteristics', Marni B. Jacobs … [Read more...]

In a study to be presented on Feb. 5 in an oral concurrent session at 8 a.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in San Diego, researchers will report that the variation of interval from delivery time to conception of the next pregnancy has a strong impact on the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. Preterm birth … [Read more...]

Women's contraceptive choices are more often driven by current relationships and sexual activity than by long-term pregnancy intentions, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Cynthia H. Chuang, associate professor of medicine and public health sciences and Carol S. Weisman, Distinguished Professor of Public Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology and … [Read more...]

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who intended to breastfeed their infants exclusively for two months had a lower risk of relapse during the first six months after giving birth compared with women who did not breastfeed exclusively , according to an article published online by JAMA Neurology. About 20 percent to 30 percent of women with MS experience a relapse within the … [Read more...]

A new international study shows that 5,000 fetuses in Europe annually are affected by spina bifida and other severe defects on the central nervous system. Seventy per cent of these pregnancies are terminated, while increased mortality and serious diseases affect the children who are born. At least half of the cases can be avoided by adding folic acid to staple foods as is … [Read more...]