Amniotic Fluid News and Research

RSS

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood may help build new heart valves

Children with heart defects may someday receive perfectly-matched new heart valves built using stem cells from their umbilical cord blood, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

11 Nov 2008

New non-invasive prenatal blood test for Down's syndrome, safer for the fetus

American researchers have created a prenatal blood test which can be used to determine if an unborn baby has Down's syndrome and the new test is safer for the fetus.

7 Oct 2008

Premature births may be the result of undiagnosed infection

Scientists in the U.S. say a significant number of premature births may be caused by infections which are undiagnosed and the heavier the infection, the more likely the women were to deliver younger, sicker babies.

26 Aug 2008

Infections of amniotic fluid may be a significant cause of premature birth

Previously unrecognized and unidentified infections of amniotic fluid may be a significant cause of premature birth, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

25 Aug 2008

Maternal deaths following cesarean delivery can be reduced

Maternal death rates have remained constant in the United States for many decades. Are there any improvements in health care that could reduce these rates further?

4 Aug 2008

Measuring amniotic volumes - single deepest vertical pocket technique best

Women often undergo early caesareans or induced labour following detection of decreased amniotic fluid volume, because this is seen as a sign of foetal distress.

16 Jul 2008

Protein in embryonic stem cells control malignant tumor cells

A protein that governs development of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) also inhibits the growth and spread of malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, Northwestern University researchers have discovered.

4 Mar 2008

A taste for alcohol may come from the womb

Young people whose mothers drank when pregnant may be more likely to abuse alcohol because, in the womb, their developing senses came to prefer its taste and smell.

13 Dec 2007

Food preferences begin in the womb

Researchers in the U.S. have found that a liking for healthy food can begin in the womb.

3 Dec 2007

What's in a name? Labels like 'normal' and 'abnormal' on test results can affect patients' medical decisions

Patients whose physicians place labels on their test results - such as normal or abnormal, positive or negative - are inclined to make different decisions about their health care than those who receive the same results solely in terms of numbers and other quantifiable measures, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

5 Nov 2007

Rapid testing for pre-natal detection of Down syndrome

Scientists in California are reporting an advance toward rapid testing for pre-natal detection of Down syndrome and other birth defects that involve an abnormal number of chromosomes.

18 Sep 2007

Testosterone in the womb linked to autism

The researchers believe the results reinforce findings from tests on animals and also support the hypothesis that higher levels of testosterone may contribute to autism.

12 Sep 2007

Proteomic analysis of human amniotic fluid

Researchers report in the August issue of Molecular & Cellular Proteomics the most complete list so far of proteins present in the human amniotic fluid, the liquid that surrounds a fetus during pregnancy.

24 Aug 2007

Inflammation from bacterial infections linked to preterm births and deaths

New findings from the mouse study holds potential to develop ways to curb the emotional and economic toll on families that lose babies to preterm labor and fetal death, said Han, a member of from the department of periodontics.

9 Aug 2007

Bacteria from mouth found in the amniotic fluid of some pregnant women

A study appearing in the July issue of the Journal of Periodontology found bacteria commonly found in the mouth and associated with periodontal diseases in the amniotic fluid of some pregnant women.

4 Jul 2007

Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may effect unborn child

Stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy may have an effect on her unborn child, most likely mediated by the transfer of stress hormones across the placenta.

1 Jun 2007

MR spectroscopy of choline levels shows promise as a marker of fetal lung maturity

The researchers performed high resolution MRS on 15 amniotic fluid samples for evaluation of fetal lung maturity between 34 and 40 weeks gestation and were analyzed using trimethysilylpropionic acid (TSP) as a reference standard.

11 May 2007

MR spectroscopy of choline levels shows promise as a marker of fetal lung maturity

8 May 2007

After age 40 pregnant mums have three times the risk of stillbirth

According to researchers at Yale School of Medicine in the United States, women who have a baby when they are aged 40 or over are three times more likely to experience a stillbirth.

12 Feb 2007

What's the best way to treat twin-twin transfusion syndrome?

It's one of the biggest controversies in fetal surgery and the cause of heated debate among surgeons and maternal-fetal medicine physicians around the world: What's the best way to treat twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), one of the most common conditions requiring fetal surgery and the leading cause of mortality in twins?

11 Feb 2007