Fertility & Pregnancy News

Women stressed during pregnancy have unhappy kids Reported December 03, 2008 Sydney (IANS): Women stressed during pregnancy were more likely to have children with a higher risk of developing behavioural and emotional problems. Researchers analysed data from more than 1,700 children in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study, … [Read more...]

Birth-control pills, low birth weight linkedReported March 09, 2009 Women who get pregnant within a few weeks of taking birth-control pills seem much more likely than others to have low birth-weight or premature babies, concludes a new Canadian study that deals with one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs. The findings suggest couples should consider using … [Read more...]

New moms need more time to breastfeed November 24, 2007 Chinese women should be given more maternity leave to better breastfeed their babies, in line with World Health Organization recommendations, a leading pediatrician suggests. Mothers feed their babies during a breastfeeding campaign in Indonesia's Java province August 14, 2007. … [Read more...]

Detecting Danger in NewbornsReported August 22, 2007 TORONTO, Canada (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Fetal anemia is a dangerous pregnancy complication that can wreak havoc on unborn babies. Detecting the condition in the womb is vital, but it takes an invasive procedure to do so. Now, there may be an easier way to spot the condition in moms and babies. Little Warren is … [Read more...]

'Don’t drink' warning for pregnant womenMarch 18, 2007 Women will be told not to drink alcohol while pregnant or when trying for a baby, under Government plans to stick warning labels on bottles of booze. Health ministers have met drinks industry bosses to encourage them to label bottles of wine, spirits and beer with a message of … [Read more...]

Child neglect linked to feeding Reported January 27, 2009 Women who do not breastfeed their infants are nearly four times more likely to neglect and abuse their child, a study of Australian women has found. The analysis of about 6000 Queensland mothers and their children also discovered that the longer a woman breastfeeds, the less likely … [Read more...]

Baby’s Smile a Natural High Reported July 09, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) The happy smile of a baby does more than warm a mother’s heart. It literally makes her glow. Using magnetic resonance technology, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine were able to actually see key reward areas of a mother’s brain light up when she was shown pictures of her smiling baby. The reaction … [Read more...]

Night shift linked to late pregnancy loss 2004-12-23 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who regularly work the night shift may have an increased risk of a miscarriage late in pregnancy or a stillbirth, a new study suggests. The study of more than 40,000 Danish women who worked during pregnancy found that those who … [Read more...]

Differences in IVF vs. Natural PregnanciesReported February 02, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- There are distinct differences in protein detection between woman who become pregnant through in-vitro fertilization rather than spontaneous pregnancies in the first half of gestation, according to a new study. "Since women who have IVF pregnancies have a higher rate of complication … [Read more...]

Alcohol Dependence Delays Childbearing Reported August 25, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women with alcohol dependence (AD) may end up having fertility problems. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine finds alcohol use in both teenage and adult females can cause reproductive dysfunctions. AD in women is associated with delayed reproduction. Reproductive … [Read more...]

Maternal death rare in Australia Reported May 12, 2008 Australia continues to have one of the lowest maternal death rates in the world, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report, Maternal deaths in Australia 2003–2005, shows that over the three years from 2003–2005, only … [Read more...]

Non-invasive screening 'halves Down's Syndrome births'June 30, 2007 Offering non-invasive screening to all pregnant women can half the number of children born with Down's Syndrome (DS), new research has found. Researchers from Denmark's Kennedy Institute found that the number of children born in the country with the condition dropped by 50 … [Read more...]

Asthma Risk Begins in the Womb Reported May 19, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- During pregnancy, a new mom is conscious of her eating, drinking, exercise and exposure to cigarette smoke for the health of her unborn child. But a less obvious behavior can also have lifelong effects on children. Mom’s stress during pregnancy raises a child’s risk for asthma. A pregnant woman’s … [Read more...]

BPA may pose greater threat to newbornsReported February 24, 2009 Bisphenol A, the controversial chemical used to make plastic, lingers far longer in the bodies of babies who ingest it than in adults because they lack a crucial liver enzyme needed to break it down, according to researchers at the University of Guelph. The finding prompted one of the researchers to … [Read more...]

No Evidence Older Women Generate New Eggs July 11, 2007 Science Daily — It is highly unlikely that older women generate new eggs, report researchers at the University of South Florida in collaboration with a center in China. The USF study, published in the March 2007 issue of the journal Developmental Biology and highlighted April 26, 2007 in Nature, … [Read more...]

Detecting Fetal Infections SoonerReported February 02, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research may help doctors identify and treat a life-threatening infection that is linked to premature birth, illness and death in order to prevent its devastating effects. Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine identified proteins associated with the bacterial infection early onset … [Read more...]

A Better Way to Predict Preemie Survival Reported April 17, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Each year, 40,000 babies are born so prematurely that parents and doctors must make a decision whether or not to provide the infant with medical intervention to try to save it’s life. These decisions are made based on the projected chance of survival for the infant -- which now is more … [Read more...]

Doctors rebel on abortion changes December 16, 2004 DOCTORS have forced the Health Department to dump a secret plan to tighten the guidelines for women seeking a taxpayer-funded abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy.Documents obtained by The Australian confirmed the Health Department formally … [Read more...]

Bacteria Linked to Infant Deaths Reported June 09, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – There are many theories about what causes sudden unexpected death of an infant (SUDI) or cot death. In the U.K., SUDI is one of the most common reasons for infant death in the first year of life. A new study finds high levels of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria may explain the … [Read more...]

The War Against Abortion: Brazilians Come Out Swinging at Massive Pro-Life Conference Reported February 12, 2008 APARECIDA, BRAZIL, February 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) -Approximately 40,000 people packed the second-largest basilica in the world last week in Brazil's First International Congress in Defense of Life, opening a new stage in … [Read more...]

Study shows rise in underweight newborns Reported August 03, 2008 OTTAWA - More Canadian babies are underweight when they arrive in the world, according to a new report on birthing trends in Canada that also showed the rate of caesarean sections and the use of epidurals is increasing. The study released Wednesday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) … [Read more...]

Child’s Dental Health Linked to Pregnancy Reported July 09, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The importance of vitamin D during pregnancy is often stressed to women. Now, a new study backs this recommendation. Researchers found pregnant women with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have children with enamel defects and tooth decay. Vitamin D concentrations in the body are … [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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

Asthma Risk Increases with Fall BirthdayReported November 21, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A fall birthday might make kids oldest in their class at school, but it could also make them more likely to develop asthma. Children who are born four months before the height of cold and flu season have a greater risk of developing childhood asthma than children born at any other … [Read more...]

Brazil doles out 'morning after' pills Reported November 20, 2007 São Paulo, Brazil - As part of a new fight against Brazil's sky-high number of unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions, the country's most populous state is offering "morning after" contraceptive pills at metro stops and 90 percent off contraceptive pills at pharmacies. And … [Read more...]