Canada's program that aims to prevent pregnancy in women who use the powerful acne drug isotretinoin (Accutane) is not effective, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Of the women taking the drug, 30% to 50% do not comply with the program's requirements, which, given the severe harm the drug can cause to a fetus, represents poor performance … [Read more...]
Fertility & Pregnancy
Refugee women at higher risk of preterm birth, study finds
Refugee women who come to Canada have greater risk of giving birth prematurely than non-refugee immigrants, a study by a St. Michael's Hospital researcher has found. Those risks are fueled by the fact that the preterm birth rate was 7.1 per cent among secondary refugees -- those who spent more than six months in a transit country before arriving in Canada -compared to five per … [Read more...]
Medical scientists discover potent method for improving drug-free fertility treatment
For those facing infertility, IVF has long been the established option to have a baby. Now Australian and Belgian medical scientists have discovered how to improve a woman's chances of becoming pregnant using a less invasive and cheaper alternative. The innovation, which has already undergone pre-clinical testing, uses growth factors to enhance an existing fertility … [Read more...]
Recommendation for better counseling access for women preferring cesarean births
A study involving over 6,500 pregnant women from 6 countries in northern Europe highlights a clear need for appropriate support and advice when cesarean section (c-section) is elected for non-medical reasons, and for the accurate communication of the risk and benefits of c-section birth, suggests new research published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & … [Read more...]
Seasonal influenza vaccination during pregnancy may reduce risk of stillbirth
Seasonal influenza vaccination may guard against stillbirth, a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online suggests. Researchers in Western Australia analyzed data from nearly 60,000 births that occurred during the southern hemisphere's 2012 and 2013 seasonal influenza epidemics, and found that women who received the trivalent influenza vaccine … [Read more...]
Fifteen million unwanted pregnancies a year caused by underuse of modern contraception
Fifteen million out of 16.7 million unwanted pregnancies a year could be avoided in 35 low- and middle-income countries if women had the opportunity to use modern methods of contraception, according to a study that applies to about one-third of the world's population. The authors of the study point out that women who become pregnant unintentionally in these countries may … [Read more...]
Strategy for increasing survival of mothers, newborns in South Asia
In several South Asian countries, midwifery is not an established profession. As a result, complications in both mothers and newborns are extremely common. Malin Bogren has been commissioned by the UN to work in Nepal, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. In her thesis, she presents a strategy on how the midwifery profession can be established in low-income countries -- and in this way, … [Read more...]
International law fails to protect pregnant women in war zones
Deaths from violent conflict and lack of available care are major causes of mortality among pregnant women in war zones, warn doctors in an editorial published in The BMJ. More needs to be done to protect women from violence in conflicts, and to provide appropriate medical care required, they argue. "In times of war, the focus is usually on the male soldiers," they … [Read more...]
Smoking while pregnant may compromise children’s kidney function
In a new study, young children showed signs of kidney damage if their mothers smoked while pregnant. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), add to the list of negative health effects that can result from maternal smoking during pregnancy. Because smoking is a well-known risk factor for … [Read more...]
How to cure hot flushes if you’re going through the menopause?
Now here’s some good news for women approaching or going through the menopause : exercise could be the cure for your hot flushes as long as it’s vigorous enough. The theory is simple. Athletes can regulate body temperature better than unfit people due to the fact that they exercise so much. So could exercise help women suffering hot flushes and night sweats – which … [Read more...]
Cesarean section children may have a greater risk of obesity
Children delivered by Cesarean section may have an increased risk for obesity compared to children born vaginally, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016. Compared to vaginally-delivered children, Cesarean-delivered children had 40 percent greater odds of becoming overweight or obese in childhood. This association was … [Read more...]
Early exposure to excess hormone causes genital defects in females
University of Florida researchers have identified cells targeted by a male hormone and found that an excess of that hormone at a specific time can cause genital defects in female mice. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study identifies a window of fetal development and a type of cell targeted by masculinizing hormones that … [Read more...]
Ovarian Transplantation Might Be Possible In Future
Approximately 11% of women worldwide suffer from premature ovarian failure. This can have many different causes: chemotherapy administered for a malignant disease might irreversibly damage the ovaries and, because of the advances in modern cancer therapy, the number of young women surviving cancer is on the increase. The women, some of whom are still very young, prematurely … [Read more...]
Miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy may trigger post-traumatic stress disorder
Women may be at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder following a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, suggests a new study. The team behind the research, from Imperial College London, say the findings suggest women should be routinely screened for the condition, and receive specific psychological support following pregnancy loss. In the study, published in the journal … [Read more...]
How human eggs end up with the wrong number of chromosomes
One day before ovulation, human oocytes begin to divide into what will become mature eggs. Ideally, eggs are packaged with a complete set of 23 chromosomes, but the process is prone to error, especially with age. In a Review published October 20 in Trends in Cell Biology, researchers discuss the latest research on why many human oocytes frequently have a wrong number of … [Read more...]
Antibiotics Prior to C-Section Reduce Chances Of Infection
Physicians at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues have discovered that administering the antibiotic azithromycin alongside the standard recommended antibiotic regimen, cefazolin, reduces infection rates by 50 percent for women who have a non-elective cesarean delivery. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows adding the dose of … [Read more...]
C-section carries increased risk for postpartum venous thromboembolism (VTE)
Women are four times more likely to suffer a VTE after a cesarean-section compared to a vaginal birth, according to a new study in CHEST®. Roughly one-third of all births in Europe and North America now occur via cesarean section (CS). Following any birth, women are at an increased risk for a venous thromboembolism (VTE), but it's believed that CS leaves women more … [Read more...]
Depression in early pregnancy linked to gestational diabetes
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a two-way link between depression and gestational diabetes. Women who reported feeling depressed during the first two trimesters of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to develop gestational diabetes, according to an analysis of pregnancy records. Conversely, a separate analysis found that women who developed … [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Can Help Infants Battle The Risk Of Asthma
Infants who have a genetic profile linked with asthma risk could be protected against respiratory symptoms if they are breastfeed, according to a new study. "Our study is the first to show that breastfeeding can modify the effect of asthma-related genetic profiles on respiratory symptoms in the first year of life," commented Dr Olga Gorlanova, from the University … [Read more...]
Extremely low birth weight babies are 4 times more likely to have abnormal blood glucose
By the time they are in their early 30s, extremely low birth weight (ELBW) babies are four times more likely to develop dysglycemia, or abnormal blood glucose, than their normal birth weight (NBW) peers. These babies who were born weighing less than 2.2 pounds are also more likely than their peer group to have higher body fat and lower lean mass in adulthood, although … [Read more...]
Pain-Reliever Used In Pregnancy May Cause Behavioral Issues In Kids
Using the common pain-relieving medication acetaminophen during pregnancy was associated with increased risk for multiple behavioral problems in children, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics. Acetaminophen is generally considered safe in pregnancy and is used by a many pregnant women for pain and fever. Evie Stergiakouli, Ph.D., of the University … [Read more...]
Vitamin D Levels May Drop When Women Stop Using Birth Control
Women risk having their vitamin D levels fall when they stop using birth control pills or other contraceptives containing estrogen, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Vitamin D is a hormone involved in the immune system and managing calcium levels in the blood. Proper calcium levels are … [Read more...]
Estrogens In Cow’s Milk Does Not Affect Reproductive Health
Estrogen occurs naturally in cow's milk. Recently, there has been concern that consuming milk containing elevated amounts of estrogen could affect blood levels of the hormone in humans, leading to an increased risk of some cancers. A new study published in the Journal of Dairy Science® investigated cow milk's effects on blood hormone levels in adult mice and found that … [Read more...]
New Anti-HIV Medication To Protect Women And Infants
HIV remains a major health concern for women and children globally. Worldwide, the majority of new HIV infections occur in young women. Each year, 1.5 million women living with HIV become pregnant. Without effective treatment, up to 45 percent of HIV-infected mothers will transmit the virus to their child, usually through breastfeeding. In an effort to prevent HIV transmission … [Read more...]
Breast Milk Reduces Infection Risk In Premature Babies
Full-term babies receive natural protection from their mothers that helps them fight off dangerous infections. However, babies born prematurely lack protective intestinal bacteria and often are unable to be nursed, causing their infection-fighting capabilities to be underdeveloped. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine have found that a manufactured … [Read more...]
Thyroid During Pregnancy
A third of pregnant women have iron deficiency, putting them at increased risk of having a thyroid disorder and suffering complications such as miscarriages and preterm births. These are the conclusions of a new study published today in European Journal of Endocrinology. Pregnant women need to make enough thyroid hormone for the full development of their babies' brains, … [Read more...]
Umbilical Cord Benefits
A patch made from cryopreserved human umbilical cord may be a novel method for treating spina bifida in utero, according to researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The findings were published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, the journal of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A … [Read more...]
Obscure Virus Found in Women with Infertility
A new study has found that the little-known member of the human herpesvirus family called HHV-6A infects the lining of the uterus in 43% of women with unexplained infertility but cannot be found in uterine lining of fertile women. The study was conducted by investigators at the University of Ferrara, Italy. The study also found that the response of the immune system to … [Read more...]
The Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy
Researchers collected and re-examined clinical trial data on exercise during pregnancy and whether it plays a role in preterm birth, and found that exercise is safe and does not increase the risk of preterm birth. In addition, women who exercised were less likely to have a C-section than those who did not. The study was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & … [Read more...]
Endometrial Scratch May Help to Conceive
There is a much disputed claim that "injury" to the lining of the uterus -- whether inadvertent or deliberate -- increases the chance of embryo implantation and thus the chance of pregnancy in certain groups of women having IVF. The "injury" has usually been performed as a biopsy from the womb lining (endometrium), whose action is believed to cause a favourable inflammation … [Read more...]
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