Fertility & Pregnancy

Predicting Pre-Term Delivery Reported March 14, 2005 AUSTIN, Texas (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Each year, about 13 percent of pregnant women in the United States will go into premature labor. This often happens without warning. But a simple test could tell women their chances of having a pre-term delivery. Monica Burcham … [Read more...]

Women who want to ensure the neurological health of their unborn children would do well to avoid stress. A new study conducted in mice suggests repeated exposure to even mildly stressful situations can increase the risk for cerebral palsy in the developing fetus. The research was conducted in France by investigators who exposed pregnant mice to disrupted cycles of light … [Read more...]

Russia Sees 64 Percent of Its Pregnancies End in Abortion, Causing Infertility Issues Reported September 30, 2008 Moscow, Russia (LifeNews.com) -- Russia has long been a world leader in terms of the percentage of pregnancies that end in abortion and experts say those figures are still high. They say the abortion epidemic is leading to a problem of … [Read more...]

Stay Upright for Shorter ChildbirthReported April 20, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you lie down during the early stages of childbirth, you might endure a longer labor. A new study reveals women who kneel, stand, walk around or sit upright have a significantly shorter first stage of labor compared to women who lie down. Researchers analyzed data from 21 studies that … [Read more...]

Substance Abuse Treatment Helpful in Pregnancies Reported June 30, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research reveals treating pregnant women for substance abuse early in their pregnancy can help achieve the same health and delivery outcomes as pregnant women with no substance abuse. In a new study done by Kaiser Permanente, researchers examined 49,985 women and found … [Read more...]

Women with recurrent miscarriage and infertility are undergoing tests and treatments that have no scientific rationaleMonday, 29-Nov-2004 Women with recurrent miscarriage and infertility are undergoing tests and treatments that have no scientific rationale and are linked with known risks to mother and fetus, warn researchers in this week's BMJ. Fertility … [Read more...]

Treating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Reported July 25, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The effects of fetal alcohol exposure may be more profound than researchers hoped. Results of a new study reveal the prenatal damage to peptides in the fetal brain may endure into adulthood despite environmental enrichment provided in a child's early years. Neurotrophins -- a family of peptides … [Read more...]

Managing Teenage Pregnancy 01 August, 2007 A new paper to be published in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist ( TOG ) will look at the causes of teenage pregnancy and offers recommendations on tackling this social problem. Though a decreasing figure since 1998, the UK still has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. … [Read more...]

"Eating for two" and "taking it easy" may not be the safest advice for obese pregnant women. In fact, the opposite applies for most obese women. A recent study reveals the improved overall health of obese women who followed healthy diet and exercise during pregnancy was also passed along to their unborn children. "For a very long time, it was a concern that maintaining the … [Read more...]

Maternal depression affects infants' sleep Reported May 08, 2009 LOS ANGELES, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Babies born to depressed mothers are more likely to have sleep problems and early-onset depression during childhood, a new study has found. In the first six months of life, these babies, affected by their mothers' depression, took longer to fall asleep at night, slept in shorter … [Read more...]

Autism Study to Follow Pregnant Women Reported June 09, 2009 WASHINGTON -- Researchers are looking for 1,200 women who have a child with autism and who are pregnant with another child, as part of a large study of the disorder. The study is primarily funded by the National Institutes of Health along with money from Autism Speaks, an advocacy group. The project, known as … [Read more...]

Even Late Preemies at Risk for InfectionReported May 07, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Extreme prematurity is known to increase the risk of a respiratory syncytial virus infection (RSV), but a new study shows that even mild prematurity can increase the odds.   RSV infection is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and often leads to pneumonia. … [Read more...]

The study's tallest women were also significantly more likely to have twins. However, the link wasn't as strong as the one between twin births and increased BMI. Women who were obese before pregnancy are significantly more likely to give birth to fraternal twins, a new study shows. However, identical twins were not linked to maternal obesity. Fraternal twins are born from … [Read more...]

Genetic Cause Found for Fetal Movement Disorder Reported June 04, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – As any pregnant woman knows, babies like to kick and turn while in the womb. However, some babies stay still, which can lead to complications and even death. Now researchers are learning why these babies aren’t as active. A mutation on a gene responsible for controlling a portion of … [Read more...]

Women deserve better access to birth control: UNReported September 07, 2009 BERLIN, Germany (AFP) - With a woman dying every minute because of complications in childbirth or pregnancy, the UN on Tuesday appealed for the world to contribute more to improve women's health and access to contraception. "It would cost the … [Read more...]

Eating Anemia Out Reported January 08, 2009 "Our bodies take a long time to replenish such heavy loss of iron. Pregnant women particularly need more iron to cope with the demands of the growing baby and placenta”, says Vasundhara Singh, assistant dietician, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi." A study released by Harvard Health … [Read more...]

Induction of Labor Recommended for Women With High Blood PressureReported August 05, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Inducing a pregnancy at 37 weeks, may be healthier for some women and their babies. About six percent of pregnancies are affected by gestational hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, mild preeclampsia, and other hypertensive disorders. A recent … [Read more...]

41% of women going through pregnancy have had miscarriages Reported August 03, 2009 TOKYO — More than 40% of women who have gone through pregnancy have experienced miscarriages, a survey by a health ministry research group showed Sunday. The group under the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry also said around 80,000 women a … [Read more...]

Study: Women’s raises keep the birthrate down Reported December 13, 2008 If a woman’s salary goes up, she is less likely to have children, while a man’s salary increase has the opposite effect, according to a report by the Korea Development Institution. A report by researcher Kim Jeong-ho released yesterday found that if a woman’s salary goes up by 10 … [Read more...]

Low vitamin E intake during pregnancy can lead to childhood asthmaReported August 25, 2007 (Dubai Health & News) Children whose mothers had a low intake of vitamin E during pregnancy are more likely to develop wheezing and asthma by age five. This research appears in the first issue for September 2006 of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, … [Read more...]

Warning to pregnant women - flaxseed oil 'ups' the risk of a premature birthReported November 02, 2008 The scientists from Montreal University have found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. The study which examined the dangers of some natural products was conducted by Professor Anick … [Read more...]

Bariatric surgery reduces pregnancy complications for obese womenReported March 25, 2009 Washington, Mar 25 (ANI): A study by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s (BGU) Faculty of Health Sciences has suggested that obese women can reduce the risk of medical and obstetric complications when they become pregnant by undergoing bariatric surgery. Between … [Read more...]

Memories Inside the WombReported July 20, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Babies begin learning even before they are born. Scientists in the Netherlands have now demonstrated short-term memory in fetuses at 30 weeks. The study, conducted by researchers at Maastricht University Medical Centre and the University Medical Centre St. Radboud, provides insights into fetal development … [Read more...]

New Danger Linked to Smoking During Pregnancy Reported March 9, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study out of Spain reveals that smoking while pregnant is linked with increased chromosomal abnormalities in fetal cells, which may translate to an increased risk of cancer. Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been proven … [Read more...]

Dramatic rise in Caesarean births Reported June 16, 2008 A dramatic increase in the number of births through Caesarean section has been registered between 1995 and last year, with a jump of 16 per cent. Figures from the National Obstetrics Information System (NOIS) show that the percentage of Caesareans shot up from 15.9 per cent in 1995 … [Read more...]

Obese Pregnant Women: More Doctor Visits Reported April 03, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Trying to get pregnant, but want to lose a few pounds first? Here’s more motivation: new evidence suggests not only does obesity during pregnancy put a mother and child at a greater risk for health problems, it is also linked to an increase of health care services. In a recent study of … [Read more...]

Parkinson's Disease Linked to Reproductive HistoryReported February 26, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study suggests a woman's reproductive history could raise or lower her chances of developing Parkinson's disease. The research examined the records of over 80,000 women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Observations Study. Researchers discovered women … [Read more...]

Predicting Success With IVF Reported March 15, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who are considering in-vitro fertilization (IVF) may soon be able to opt for a simpler test to see how likely it is the procedure will result in enough eggs to support a pregnancy. According to … [Read more...]

Preserving Fertility in Cancer PatientsReported July 24, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The vast improvement in cancer treatment and increased survival rates have created a challenge for young cancer patients, since the chemotherapy and radiation treatments that save lives often threaten fertility. Techniques to safeguard fertility, such as freezing eggs for later embryo … [Read more...]

Russian woman gives birth to quintuplets in Oxford Reported November 15, 2007 LONDON (Reuters) - A Russian woman has given birth to five healthy quintuplet girls at an Oxford hospital after defying Russian doctors who suggested she abort some of the foetuses. (Advertisement) "They're very well. All five," Lawrence Impey, a doctor at John Radcliffe … [Read more...]