Fertility & Pregnancy News

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...]

Breastfeeding has health benefit for moms: StudyReported July 21, 2009 Breast isn't just best for baby: mothers who don't breastfeed their babies may increase their risk of heart attacks and strokes decades later, new research suggests. The evidence comes from the massive Women's Health Initiative trial and involved nearly 140,000 women. Researchers found that women who … [Read more...]

A technique to detect genetic disorders in embryos before they're implanted seems to be relatively harmless for babies once they're born. The research was presented at the European Human Genetics Conference in Nice, France. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a new technique that allows specialists to detect whether or not an embryo contains a gene that will lead … [Read more...]

Double Breakthrough may Combat MalariaReported December 09, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The discovery of new protein biomarkers in the blood may help doctors detect two dangerous forms of malaria earlier. Scientists recently found women with placental malaria -- a form of the disease that develops in the placenta of a pregnant woman and affects her unborn child -- carry a … [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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

Attacking Autism: Earlier DiagnosisReported February 03, 2009 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Autism is a developmental disorder that impacts a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. A new case is diagnosed every 20 minutes in the United States, but getting to a diagnosis can be a frustrating battle. New breakthroughs may be the key to early … [Read more...]

Canada's fertility rate at 10-year high: StatsCan Reported September 26, 2008 Canada's fertility rate reached a 10-year high in 2006, when women aged 30 to 34 had more babies than women aged 25 to 29 for the first time, Statistics Canada said Friday. The total fertility rate — the average number of children per women — rose to 1.59 in 2006, up from 1.54 in 2005, the … [Read more...]

Predicting Premature Birth July 16, 2007 Science Daily — With pre-term births a major international health problem, scientists are reporting an advance toward developing a much-needed, noninvasive test for predicting when pregnant women are about to deliver early. Oregon Health Science University’s Srinivasa R. Nagalla and colleagues there and at the … [Read more...]

Diabetes Before Pregnancy Doubles in Women, Teens Reported April 28, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- More women and teens are developing diabetes before they become pregnant. A new study from Kaiser Permanente looked at 175,249 teenagers and adults who gave birth in Southern California between 1999 and 2005. It finds twice as many cases of pre-pregnancy diabetes during the six … [Read more...]

Screening for Down's Syndrome Reported November 10, 2005  (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study takes a closer looks at screening methods used to identify Down's Syndrome in a developing fetus. Researchers explain first trimester screening for Down's Syndrome using ultrasonography has been widespread since its introduction in the 1990s. However, second trimester screening … [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...]

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...]

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...]

Fish benefits outweigh risks for pregnant women, study finds Reported September 10, 2008 Pregnant women who want to eat the best diet for their babies worry about fish. Fish are rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid essential to brain growth, but many of the most commonly eaten fish are contaminated by mercury, a toxin that can damage the developing … [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...]