Fertility & Pregnancy

Largest Canadian survey on menopause reveals treatment gapsJune 21, 2007 An unprecedented 2.7 million Canadian women – or one in six – will reach menopause over the next decade. Today, more women than ever face the many disruptive symptoms that can accompany the transition towards this major life event. However, a new national survey on menopause – … [Read more...]

Young women in China too shy to ask for contraceptives November 11, 2007 Young women want more information, but need private and anonymous family planning because of judgemental attitudes surrounding premarital sex and particularly premarital pregnancy. Encouraging contraceptive use among young migrant workers in China to prevent pregnancy and … [Read more...]

Diabetes Risks Could Start in the Womb Reported May 12, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Babies with low birth weight caused by intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) are at risk for developing adult-onset, type 2 diabetes. Using a rat model, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia found the expression of a gene that is critical for proper functioning of … [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...]

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...]

Diet Linked to Sperm Abnormalities Reported March 20, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Eating green leafy vegetables, fruit and beans may be beneficial for men conscious of their reproductive health. Researchers have found an association between folate (a water soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in some vegetables, fruits and lentils) and levels of chromosomal sperm … [Read more...]

Poor Sleep in Late Pregnancy Tied to Tougher Labor NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - First-time mothers who get little sleep late in pregnancy may have a longer labor and higher odds of a cesarean section than women who are more well-rested, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among the 131 women they followed, those who … [Read more...]

Anti-Depressants Raise Respiratory Risks in NewbornsReported February 09, 2006 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research out of the University of California, San Diego reveals mothers who use common anti-depressants during pregnancy may be putting their offspring at risk for a serious respiratory disorder. This baby study shows … [Read more...]

Booze linked to higher risk of premature babies Reported January 26, 2009 WOMEN who drink heavily in the first three months of pregnancy are more likely to have a premature baby, research suggests. Experts found that women who were binge drinkers could also put their babies at risk even if they stopped drinking after the first three months. … [Read more...]

New procedure to spot viable IVF embryos Reported May 14, 2008 Fertility researchers have developed a new procedure to be used in IVF treatment that could "revolutionise" success rates within two years. When couples attend fertility clinics for IVF, eggs from the woman are fertilised with sperm and the resulting embryos allowed to develop in … [Read more...]

Baby Quest: Fertility FrontiersReported February 1, 2008 LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- You can't stop a woman's biological clock. But now, researchers can stop her eggs from aging, which makes having a biological child a reality for women in their forties and fifties. Researchers are also trying to make pregnancy possible for women without a uterus. By her … [Read more...]

Blocking the inflammatory response to bacteria may hold the key to healthier babies. Researchers working in a mouse model report good results from a strategy aimed at defusing key receptors in the placenta that trigger inflammation when they sense the presence of bacteria. Inflammation can then led to early labor and increased risk of death for the infant, who may be born … [Read more...]

'Giant' 17-Pound Baby Born in Brazil A 38-year-old diabetic Brazilian woman has given birth to a 17lb baby. Delivered by cesarean section, the newborn weighs the same as the average six-month old. Doctor's say the child is in good health despite the fact that he is receiving oxygen for breathing problems and a glucose IV to maintain a … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding Protects Tiny Intestines Reported July 03, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – An ingredient found in breast milk produced in the first few days after birth helps protect tiny intestines and get them ready for a lifetime of eating and drinking. British researchers discovered the effect of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor – or PSTI – by first testing breast milk … [Read more...]

Mothers tout benefits of breastfeeding Reported September 14, 2008 In the 2008 Breastfeeding Challenge, Canada registered the highest number of participants raising awareness over the importance of breastfeeding. "Every baby has a right to eat, and every woman has the right to feed their baby," said Maryanne King, the lactation consultant for the Prince Albert Parkland … [Read more...]

Chemicals in Everyday Items Linked to InfertilityReported February 02, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A group of chemicals used in many everyday items may be linked to infertility in women, a new study finds. Researchers in Europe found women who had higher levels of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in their blood took longer to get pregnant than … [Read more...]