Amniotic Fluid News and Research

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Researcher seeks best way to obtain parental consent for research regarding newborn resuscitation

For years, obtaining parental consent for clinical research regarding newborn resuscitation in the delivery room has been a challenge. Now, a Saint Louis University pediatric researcher is asking new mothers and pregnant women when doctors should seek parental permission to allow medical research related to delivery room treatments.

14 Feb 2014

Hospital-diagnosed maternal bacterial infections during pregnancy increase risk of autism in children

Hospital-diagnosed maternal bacterial infections during pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders in children, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published Dec. 23 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

24 Dec 2013

UCLA stem cell researchers track early development of human articular cartilage

Stem cell researchers from UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have published the first study to identify the origin cells and track the early development of human articular cartilage, providing what could be a new cell source and biological roadmap for therapies to repair cartilage defects and osteoarthritis. These revolutionary therapies could reach clinical trials within three years.

13 Dec 2013

Study: Increased duration of breastfeeding could be associated with decreased incidence of autism

In an article appearing in Medical Hypotheses on September 20, a New York-based physician-researcher from the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine has called for the testing of umbilical cord blood for levels of a growth protein that could help predict an infant's propensity to later develop autism.

6 Nov 2013

Clinical study to investigate effects of prenatal chromosomal abnormalities through microarray analysis

Reproductive genetics researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) are leading a multicenter prospective clinical study investigating the effects of chromosomal abnormalities (duplicative or missing material) found prenatally through microarray analysis.

22 Aug 2013

Researcher receives $1.58M NIDCR grant to advance research on link between oral bacteria and fetal death

A new four-year, $1.58 million grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, will allow a Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine researcher to advance her work linking oral bacteria to fetal death.

9 Jul 2013

Research lays foundation for genetic test to identify hip dysplasia in newborns

Research from Thomas Jefferson University is laying the foundation for a genetic test to accurately identify hip dysplasia in newborns so that early intervention can be initiated to promote normal development.

4 Jun 2013

Study: Stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells, form electrical couplings

Stem cells drawn from amniotic fluid show promise for tissue engineering, but it's important to know what they can and cannot do. A new study by researchers at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital has shown that these stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells and form electrical couplings with each other similar to those found in heart tissue.

3 May 2013

Study investigates new way to treat necrotizing enterocolitis

Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid were used to restore gut structure and function following intestinal damage in rodents, in new research published in the journal Gut.

25 Mar 2013

Non-invasive prenatal genetic screening: an interview with Dr. Charles Strom, Senior Medical Director, Quest Diagnostics

A new category of non-invasive genetic screening tests is gaining a great deal of interest in the medical field – including from Quest Diagnostics -- for its potential to help screen women during pregnancy for genetic abnormalities known as trisomies, the most common of which is Down syndrome.

From Quest Diagnostics 13 Mar 2013

Risk of preterm birth associated with intra-amniotic debris and shortened cervix

In a study to be presented on February 14 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting -, in San Francisco, California, researchers will report findings suggesting an increased risk of early (less than 35 weeks) preterm birth when intra-amniotic debris is present in nulliparous women with a short cervix.

13 Feb 2013

Potential connection between autism and insulin-like growth factor

A New York-based physician-researcher from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, best known for his research into fertility and twinning, has uncovered a potential connection between autism and a specific growth protein that could eventually be used as a way to predict an infant's propensity to later develop the disease.

2 Feb 2013

Exposure of human f-tal testicles to bisphenol A reduces testosterone production

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound that is included in the composition of plastics and resins. It is used, for example, in the manufacture of food containers such as bottles and babies' feeding bottles. It is also found in the protective films used inside food and drink cans and on till receipts where it used as a discloser. Significant levels of BPA have also been found in human blood, urine, amniotic fluid and placentas.

23 Jan 2013

Neonatal chemokines altered in autistic spectrum patients

A study by scientists has found limited evidence to support a role for proinflammatory chemokines in the pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

3 Jan 2013

New biocompatible patch can repair congenital heart defects

A painstaking effort to create a biocompatible patch to heal infant hearts is paying off at Rice University and Texas Children's Hospital.

13 Dec 2012

New prenatal genetic test results in more clinically relevant information

A large, multi-center clinical trial led by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) shows that a new genetic test resulted in significantly more clinically relevant information than the current standard method of prenatal testing.

6 Dec 2012

Answers to the questions of stem cells

Next week, more than 1,200 people from 25 countries are expected to attend the 8th Annual World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach, Fla., a gathering co-sponsored by Mayo Clinic. As those close to the science explore potential stem cell applications, many patients have questions about what stem cells are and how they are being used. Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinic's Regenerative Medicine Consult Service, answers some of the most commonly asked questions about stem cells.

29 Nov 2012

In utero exposure to BPA associated with decreased thyroid function in newborn sheep

In utero exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can be associated with decreased thyroid function in newborn sheep, according to a recent study accepted for publication in Endocrinology, a journal of The Endocrine Society. Hypothyroidism is characterized by poor mental and physical performance in human adults and in children can result in cognitive impairment and failure to grow normally.

15 Nov 2012

Could lactate levels in amniotic fluid help diagnose dysfunctional labour?

With as many as a 30 percent of pregnant women in Australia experiencing a caesarean birth, a study led by researchers from the University of Sydney aims to determine if there is a link between high levels of lactate in amniotic fluid and difficult labours which may end with a caesarean section.

13 Nov 2012

Testosterone exposure early in life can have lasting impact on brain function and behavior

New findings led by Dr. Michael Lombardo, Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues at the University of Cambridge indicate that testosterone levels early in fetal development influence later sensitivity of brain regions related to reward processing and affect an individual's susceptibility to engage in behavior, that in extremes, are related to several neuropsychiatric conditions that asymmetrically affect one sex more than the other.

6 Nov 2012