Fertility & Pregnancy

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...]

Another Reason Not to Smoke While Pregnant: Birth DefectsReported August 17, 2007 FRIDAY, Aug. 17 (HealthDay News) -- One of the first things every new parent does is count the baby's fingers and toes. But, women who smoke during pregnancy may be in for an unhappy surprise, because smoking increases the odds that a baby will be born with finger or toe deformities. Just a … [Read more...]

Australian Women Become Mothers Only When Nearing Thirty Reported December 18, 2008 Australian women become mothers only when nearing thirty, and the average age of first-time mothers is around 28 years. The 16th annual report on pregnancy and childbirth in Australia released on 9 December by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare … [Read more...]

Mothers-to-be 'more willing to accept pain' than doctors Reported August 26, 2008 Mothers-to-be will also accept greater physical risks than clinicians to avoid medical intervention, researchers have found. Experts said that many doctor's view could be "biased" by their experiences in dealing with complex deliveries. For the study, … [Read more...]

Baby Blues Reported August 05, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research provides insight into the disabling depression experienced by many new mothers and may lead to better treatment. Postpartum depression has been linked to changes in steroid hormone levels in the brain, but experts believe other factors also contribute to the condition. Researchers recently observed in … [Read more...]

Bleak Outlook for Preemies Reported January 6, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The prognosis for very premature babies is not good. A new study shows most infants born before 26 weeks gestation have moderate or severe mental impairment. Prematurity is a common and serious problem. The number of preterm births is rising each year, … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding May Reduce MS RelapsesReported February 27, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of relapse after pregnancy for women with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study found. Researchers followed pregnant women with and without MS during each trimester and up to a year after giving birth. Among the women with MS, 52 percent reported they did … [Read more...]

More links between birth-control patch and blood-clot risk Reported January 22, 2008 A new warning is being issued over the safety of the birth-control patch after a study found women on the patch are twice as likely to develop serious blood clots as those taking oral contraceptives. It's the second study in less than two years that found women using the Ortho Evra patch … [Read more...]

A new study shows women who consume more folate are less likely to develop high blood pressure. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston analyzed data from two large studies, which included more than 156,000 women. Researchers gave the women questionnaires, which asked about their folate and supplemental folic acid intake. None of the … [Read more...]

NRT has no 'serious' impact on still birth Reported August 20, 2008 New research has found the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) by pregnant women has no serious impact on the risk of stillbirth. Smoking during pregnancy is known to increase the risk of stillbirth and pregnancy complications. A report published in the BJOG: An International … [Read more...]

Another Step Toward Polio Eradication Reported October 17, 2008 Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A polio vaccine that targets just one strain of the virus may offer more protection than the older, more comprehensive vaccine, new research shows. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows when the monovalent type 1 poliovirus vaccine is … [Read more...]

Binge-drinking 'may not hurt the unborn' Reported November 14, 2007 PREGNANT women can indulge in binge-drinking without doing any harm to their unborn child, new research suggests. Oxford University’s Jane Henderson and Ron Gray, along with the Danish researcher Ulrik Kesmodel from the University of Aarhus, argued that there … [Read more...]

Baby Quest: Boy or Girl: You DecideReported February 06, 2008 LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People have been trying to play a role in determining the sex of their children for thousands of years. But whether your nursery is pink or blue has always been left up to chance ... until now. Not only is it possible to use science to choose the sex of your child -- … [Read more...]

Blocking Infections, Protecting New MomsReported December 30, 2009 MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One in three expectant moms will deliver by C-section. The last thing a new mom needs is to worry about is surgical site infections. Now, there's something new to keep moms infection-free. Swapna Reddy and her husband are less than an hour away from one of the biggest … [Read more...]

Most moms report 'positive' birth experience Reported May 07, 2008 Slightly over half (54 per cent) of new Canadian mothers rate their labour and birth experience as "very positive," according to a new report from Statistics Canada. Of women who gave birth during a three-month window in 2006, another one-quarter (26 per cent) said the experience was somewhat positive, … [Read more...]

Dads Play Bigger Role in Fetus Development Reported June 16, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Fathers may contribute more to the conception and development of a fetus than previously thought. A recent study from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah, found the father's sperm delivers much more complex genetic material than once thought. Particular genes are … [Read more...]