Fertility & Pregnancy News

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...]

Women who use prescription medication to terminate a pregnancy are unlikely to have problems caused by the abortion during future pregnancies. New research reveals medical abortions do not increase the risk of miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, premature birth or low birth weight. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, wanted to know if women who have had a … [Read more...]

Hospitals breastfeeding 'key' for new mums   Reported November 14, 2009 A LEADING obstetrician has questioned the worth of the national breastfeeding strategy and instead called for more beds in public maternity hospitals. Gino Pecoraro, the Australian Medical Association Queensland's president-elect, said allowing new mothers to stay in hospital … [Read more...]

Breast Milk Builds Trust Reported July 22, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Results of a new study show how the "trust" hormone, oxytocin, is released in a mother's brain when she is breastfeeding her child. Oxytocin has long been known to be the hormone that, when released in the blood, causes milk to be let down from the mammary glad so a baby can breastfeed. More recent … [Read more...]

Call for Action on Premature Births Reported November 14, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In an evaluation of premature births in each state, the March of Dimes gave the nation a “D” on their first annual Premature Birth Report Card. Not a single state earned an “A.” Every year more than half a million babies are born prematurely in the United States, or before 37 weeks … [Read more...]

Hypertension, Other Risk Factors Identified for Small-for-Gestational-Age Births Reported August 08, 2008 August 8, 2008 — In pregnant women, chronic hypertension, young or older maternal age, and recurrent early spontaneous abortions are associated with an increased risk for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births, according to the results of a … [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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]

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...]