Fertility & Pregnancy

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...]

Quitting smoking in pregnancy good sign for child behaviour   Reported October 06, 2009 A PhD student at the University of Western Australia, working with the Telethon Institute of Child Health, has revealed there are long-term benefits for a child if their mother quits smoking even after the pregnancy is established. The findings will be … [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...]

New Way to Boost a Newborn's Immune System Reported April 26, 2006 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers may have found a new way to enhance newborns' immune systems, making vaccines more effective. A new study from Children's Hospital Boston reveals one part of a newborn's immune response can be used to … [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...]

China to Limit Abortions December 19, 2004 Next month Guiyang will test a pilot program in the hopes of stopping China's widespread problem of abortion female fetuses. This new policy will ban doctors from performing abortions on women who are more than 14 weeks along in their pregnancy. Currently in China couples many only have one child. Since girls are … [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...]

Women grow old genetically July 9, 2007 Women may be genetically suited to long life Women have a natural genetic advantage over men which allows them to live longer, scientists have shown. Despite the less healthy lifestyles of men in the past compared to women, experts have still been slightly puzzled as to why the average lifespan of a woman … [Read more...]

Vertical Transmission of Helminthic Infection is possibleTrichinellosis-October 14, 2002 The parasitic worm Trichinella spiralis may be transmitted from mother to child in pregnancy, researchers in Argentina found in a rat study. "To evaluate whether pregnancy has a synergetic effect on the host's immune response against … [Read more...]

Excessive alcohol use linked to fertility problems Reported August 20, 2008 Fertility problems in adult women may be linked to heavily drinking in the teens and early 20s, American researchers said. A study of two groups of Australian twins found women who were alcoholics had children later in life but there was no effect among men. The … [Read more...]

Recipe for a surprise deliveryJuly 13, 2007 LITTLE Anastasios Christopoulos will always be able to thank his mum and dad and his grandfather's cooking for bringing him into the world. After he was born three days ahead of schedule on the floor of his parents' Brooklyn Park home last Friday, mum Kathy joked her father-in-law's … [Read more...]

Bacteria Shuts Down Immune System in NewbornsReported July 16, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cells in order to promote its own survival, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the Skaggs … [Read more...]

Controversial Chemical Fine for Pregnant WomenReported October 09, 2007 NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Classical music ... books ... and now Baby Einstein toys? We want our kids to be smart! But what really works? Studies show up to 20 percent of a child's IQ is influenced by prenatal experience. So, what you can do before your baby is even born? … [Read more...]

C-sections Don’t Help With Baby Blues Reported February 25, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women considered at risk for postpartum depression aren’t likely to benefit from having a planned cesarean section, shows a new study out of Great Britain. Results show no difference in postpartum depression rates between women who had … [Read more...]

Survival tips for new moms Reported July 10, 2007 New mom Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit found herself wandering around the house, ravenously hungry, wondering if she could stand to eat another container of yogurt or another healthy cookie or bowl of cereal. Again. "It's awful!" she says. "People tell you a lot of stuff about having a baby, but nobody tells you what to do … [Read more...]

Classical Music Keeps Preemies HealthyReported January 08, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A Mozart sonata a day may be just what the doctor ordered for preemies struggling to stay healthy. A new study at Tel Aviv University found premature babies who listen to music by the 18-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may gain weight faster than those who don't. "It's not … [Read more...]

Depressed Moms-to-be Brighten up Reported July 7, 2004 PITTSBURGH (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Post-partum depression and even depression during pregnancy are common, but treating the condition can be especially challenging. Antidepressants are rarely recommended for pregnant or breast feeding women. So what’s a woman to do for help? Motherhood was always in the plans for … [Read more...]

Babies from frozen embryos less likely to be premature Reported July 09, 2008 A Danish study has found that IVF babies born from embryos that are frozen are less likely to be underweight or premature than those conceived during fresh treatment cycles. Frozen embryos are thawed before they are used and there has been some concern in the past that the … [Read more...]

Do Birth Control Pills Make Women Weaker?Reported April 27, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Oral contraceptives appear to impair muscle gains in young women and are associated with lower hormone levels, according to a new study. Researchers set out to examine the effect of oral contraceptives (OC) on healthy women between the ages of 18 and 31. The women participated in a … [Read more...]

Abnormal Placentas Predict Early Cardiovascular Disease Reported November 18, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In a recent study headed by Joel Ray, M.D., from the University of Toronto in Canada, researchers found women with a maternal placental syndrome during pregnancy have a higher risk of premature cardiovascular disease. A maternal placental syndrome may be caused by … [Read more...]

Abortion - No Longer a Taboo SubjectJuly 14, 2007 BUENOS AIRES - Capitalising on a more favourable public opinion, an alliance of civil society organisations in Argentina presented to Congress a draft law Monday for the legalisation of abortion in a country where illegal abortions are the main cause of maternal mortality. On the … [Read more...]

A women's health specialist In Papua New Guinea says a poorly manufactured birth control pill could result in unwanted pregnancies. Radio Australia's Firmin Nanol reports that the professor of gynaecology at the University of PNG's Medical School says a birth control pill being given to women is of poor quality. Professor Glen Mola says the pill, Planak, made in Indonesia … [Read more...]

Ten per cent of pregnant women victims of violence - study Reported August 13, 2008 Almost 10 per cent of pregnant woman are victims of violence during pregnancy, putting their unborn children at risk, new research suggests. Two studies from of Auckland University, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and … [Read more...]

China's One-child Policy Reveals Complexity, Effectiveness July 15, 2007 Science Daily — The first systematic examination of China’s fertility policy and practice reveals that, despite government exemptions in rural areas, 63 percent of Chinese couples are strictly limited to one child. Furthermore, the policy has proven remarkably effective, with … [Read more...]

CMV Vaccine for NewbornsReported October 29, 2007 MINNEAPOLIS (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Most adults have had the virus known as CMV, or cytomegalovirus, and they probably didn't even know it. But if an unborn baby is infected with the virus -- through his or her mother -- the consequences are very serious. CMV is the second leading cause of mental retardation, after Down … [Read more...]

Depression Increases Preterm Delivery Risk Reported October 24, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research reveals there may be a significant link between depression during pregnancy and preterm delivery. Preterm delivery (delivery at less than 37 weeks gestation) is the leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity. It’s also the leading reason behind medical expenditure … [Read more...]