Fertility & Pregnancy

Later Term Abortion on the Rise in France Reported August 21, 2008 PARIS, August 21, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Post 12-week abortions performed in France, which are only permitted for specific “medical reasons”, increased by 10% in 2006 with a reported 6,787 compared to 6,093 in 2005. France’s Biomedical Agency (Agence Biomedicin), which released its 2006 figures on … [Read more...]

Giving birth? Check the Price Tag!Reported October 30, 2007 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The cost of living has taken on a whole new meaning. New research reveals the price of having a baby from the first prenatal exam to delivery, and everything in between, averages about $7,600 for an uncomplicated birth. The total includes charges for hospital delivery, prenatal … [Read more...]

Gum disease ups risk of premature birthMarch 6, 2007 Pregnant women with periodontal (gum) disease are at increased risk for delivering their infants prematurely, according to a French study. Drs Jean-Noel Vergnes and Michel Sixou of the Dental School in Toulouse, France found that a mother's gum disease increased the risk of … [Read more...]

Increasing Number Of Women In India Serving As Surrogate Mothers, Reuters ReportsJuly 14, 2007 Reuters on Monday examined the practice of surrogate motherhood in India, where surrogacy services are "far cheaper than in the West." There are no official figures on the number of surrogate births in India, but it estimated that about 100 to 150 … [Read more...]

Mothers Pass Dangerous Toxins To Babies Through Breast Milk Reported May 07, 2008 A landmark study shows dangerous dioxins are passed directly from mother to baby via breast milk, but can be significantly reduced by Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, analyzed dioxin … [Read more...]

Lifelong Health Issues for Preterm Birth Reported March 26, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Premature birth is the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States; but for babies who do survive, health implications may last further into adulthood than previously thought. Researchers at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, … [Read more...]

Is It Safe To Get Pregnant After Breast Cancer? Reported August 25, 2007 A recent study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at the survival rates of women between 15 and 44 years old who were diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently got pregnant. It included 2,539 women, and of these women five percent had at least one pregnancy after being diagnosed. In the … [Read more...]

Depression, anorexia, childbirth affect sex lifeReported November 05, 2007 NEW YORK - Childbirth and the psychiatric disorders anorexia and depression can affect a woman's sex life, but in different ways, a small study suggests. Research has shown that women with mental health conditions, including major depression and eating disorders, tend to report more problems with … [Read more...]

Low Birth Weight Linked to Phthalates Reported June 29, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Exposure to phthalates, chemical compounds used as plasticizers in personal care products, children's toys, and some medical devices, may put infants at risk of low birth weight, a new study shows. Phthalate exposure can begin in the womb and has been associated with negative changes in … [Read more...]

Abortion No Longer a Crime in Capital July 17, 2007 MEXICO CITY - The Mexico City legislature voted Tuesday to legalise abortion, after several weeks of heated debate in which conservative groups and the Catholic Church traded insults with pro-choice activists and threatened them with … [Read more...]

New Predictors of IVF success Reported July 02, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In-vitro fertilization treatments (IVF) yield unpredictable results; the national success rate is between 30 and 40 percent for women under 38 years. New research may identify genetic predictors for the potential outcome for IVF patients. Dr. Cathy Allan from the Retunda Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, … [Read more...]

Herbal remedies risk to pregnant women Reported October 04, 2008 Two in three women could be risking their unborn child's health by taking herbal remedies, a major study in Norwich has revealed. Many pregnant women take alternative medicine on recommendations of friends or family despite the fact there is little evidence that they are safe. The … [Read more...]

Oh Baby! Interventional Radiology Makes Childbirth SaferReported March 13, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- C-sections and 'invasive' placenta conditions can result in excessive bleeding and be life threatening for mothers. At a recent Interventional Radiology Conference doctors released the findings of two new studies about procedures that are making childbirth safer. The first … [Read more...]

Pregnant Women and Clinical Trials Reported September 30, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For years, being pregnant meant you probably would not be enrolled in a clinical trial. Now, bioethicists at Duke University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities, say it’s time to change that because pregnant women are being excluded not just from the risks of … [Read more...]

Preventing Cerebral Palsy in Preemies Reported August 29, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A common treatment to delay labor is preventing cerebral palsy in pre-term infants, according to researchers. One-third of all cases of cerebral palsy occur in infants born preterm. A method often used to prevent labor -- intravenous magnesium sulfate administered to mothers -- showed a … [Read more...]

Risks for Twin Pregnancies Reported July 4, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The number of twins being born today has dramatically increased thanks to assisted conception. Even though multiple pregnancies are more common, they are still risky. In fact, a new study finds uncomplicated twin pregnancies might be even more risky than previously thought. Researchers suggest an … [Read more...]

Use of Antidepressants While Pregnant Can Affect Baby THURSDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take antidepressants like Paxil or Prozac while pregnant may have babies who experience withdrawal syndrome in the first few days of life, a new study finds. Spanish scientists, using a worldwide drug alert system, found a higher-than-expected … [Read more...]

Breast feeding 'may reduce cot deaths' July 19, 2007 Breast feeding may protect against cot death, say scientists. It is not clear why, but closer contact between mother and child may be a factor. The conclusion is based on new research carried out in Scandinavia. Breast feeding for at least four months was linked with a slightly lower … [Read more...]

Testosterone Connected to Disease Reported August 13, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research reveals testosterone may be a key factor when it comes to spreading diseases. The study was done in mice, but researchers say the findings help explain why males are more likely to get infected and transmit disease. Testosterone is the male sex hormone. Previous studies have … [Read more...]

New Drug Fights Two Cancers Reported November 22, 2005   (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The experimental drug phenoxodiol shows promise in fighting cancers of the prostate and cervix, according to two new studies. The first study is from Yale University's School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. Researchers recruited women with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, vagina or vulva. … [Read more...]

Apples, fish - necessary foods during pregnancyJune 23, 2007 According to a new study conducted at the University of Aberdeen, UK, eating fish and apples during pregnancy protects children against asthma and allergic diseases. The study found that the children of mothers who ate the most apples were less likely to ever have wheezed or have … [Read more...]

Umbilical Cord: Source of Plentiful Stem CellsReported December 24, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- According to new research, parents who bank stem cells from the blood and tissue of the umbilical cord at the time of birth could provide a legacy of therapeutic options for muscle, bone and some blood disorders for their children, should they be needed at some point in the … [Read more...]

Endometriosis ups risk of preterm birth: studyReported July 08, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women with endometriosis are at increased risk for delivering prematurely as well as suffering a number of other adverse pregnancy outcomes, results of a study indicate. Endometriosis is a painful condition that affects women during their reproductive years and is … [Read more...]

Earlier Vaccination Saves Babies’ Lives Reported November 05, 2008 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A simple shift in your baby’s vaccination schedule may protect him or her from an increasingly dangerous disease. New research shows administering the pertussis, or whooping cough, vaccine to infants two weeks earlier than is customary may significantly reduce infant … [Read more...]

Exercise Can Help Moms-to-be Stop Smoking Reported September 29, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Here’s a healthy way for pregnant women to stop smoking -- start moving. Two new studies from the University of London find exercise can help pregnant women kick the habit. In both trials, researchers looked at women 12 to 20 weeks into their pregnancy who were over age 18 and … [Read more...]

Fertility Treatments: Pros and Cons Reported May 21, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) - Moms thinking about conceiving using fertility treatments should weigh the pros and cons more carefully, new research suggests. Two recent studies provide conflicting answers on whether or not assisted reproductive technology and frozen embryos leads to healthy babies. One study showed twins born … [Read more...]

Memory problems after pregnancy? Reported February 06, 2008 A woman's memory can be impaired for at least a year after giving birth, says an Australian study in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. But the impact is minimal and mainly affects new or demanding memory tasks, said the researchers, who analysed the findings of 14 … [Read more...]

Glucose Intolerance in Pregnancy Linked to Future Heart Disease Reported August 26, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Mild glucose intolerance in pregnancy may be an early identifier of women who are at increased risk of heart disease in the future, according to a new Canadian study. As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Canadian women, it … [Read more...]

Hospital Care for Women Inconsistent Reported June 26, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study reveals the quality of maternity and cardiac care for women is extremely inconsistent because of large variations among hospitals. HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare ratings organization, has released it’s fifth annual Women’s Health in American Hospitals study aimed … [Read more...]

India's Legal Abortions Kill 80,000 Women Annually, Local Expert Says December 20, 2007 New Delhi, India (LifeNews.com) -- A medical expert in India says an estimated 80,000 women die from legal abortions there on an annual basis. The figures provide further evidence that abortion does not became safer if legalized, as unlicensed and unregulated … [Read more...]