Birth Weight News and Research

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Maternal smoking during late pregnancy may affect baby's birth weight

A doctoral dissertation by a Professor at the Catholic University of Valencia "San Vicente Mártir" finds that every cigarette a mother smokes a day during the third quarter of pregnancy reduces the baby's birth weight in 20 grams. Professor Rafael Vila, Faculty of Nursing, received his PhD with the distinction Cum Laude for his dissertation entitled "Anthropometric, haematological, obstetric and toxic variables that influence birth weight: a predictive model".

20 Jan 2014

Researchers receive $8M grant to expand research in arsenic toxicity in children, pregnant women

The Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth and its partner universities have received an $8 million grant to expand their research into arsenic toxicity in children and pregnant women.

17 Jan 2014

Risk factor for life-threatening bowel infection in premature infants identified

Many premature infants suffer a life-threatening bowel infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

17 Jan 2014

Prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence for daughters

Tobacco smoking by pregnant women has long been viewed as a public health risk because of smoking's adverse effects on the development of a fetus.

10 Jan 2014

Risk of serious complications higher for babies conceived by assisted reproductive therapies

A University of Adelaide study has shown that the risk of serious complications such as stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight and neonatal death is around twice as high for babies conceived by assisted reproductive therapies compared with naturally conceived babies.

8 Jan 2014

Poverty, not smoking, linked to COPD mortality

An international study shows that national mortality rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do not correlate well with the prevalence of smoking in low-income countries but do show a strong inverse correlation with wealth.

30 Dec 2013

New American Journal of Public Health issue explores methods, practices to enhance birth outcomes

In a new issue of the American Journal of Public Health, researchers and experts investigate the latest methods and practices in improving birth outcomes. The special issue compiles a collection of commentaries, research studies and editorials to discuss maternal and child health topics ranging from disparities to breastfeeding.

20 Dec 2013

Cedars-Sinai physicians awarded grant to study pregnancy problems resulting from fertility treatments

Two Cedars-Sinai physician-researchers have been awarded grants totaling $4 million from the National Institutes of Health to study how the environment - both in the womb and in the hospital where the baby is born - can affect the newborn and the mother.

18 Dec 2013

Results-Based Financing for Health can get 20% more health care with same funds

Countries and major donors are changing the way they finance maternal and child, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS health programs in low-income countries to increase their impact.

11 Dec 2013

Loyola nurses eliminate risk of pressure ulcers in infants born prematurely

Infants born prematurely are at a significantly increased risk for pressure ulcers, yet nurses at Loyola University Health System have been able to eliminate this threat for patients in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.

21 Nov 2013

Malaria No More honors Hillary Rodham Clinton with Global Leadership Award

In an inspiring awards dinner Monday night, Malaria No More presented Former United States Secretary of State and Former Senator from New York Hillary Rodham Clinton with the Global Leadership Award.

15 Nov 2013

Study investigates association between preterm birth and later retinal detachment

Children born extremely prematurely have up to a 19 times greater risk of retinal detachment later in life than peers born at term, according to a Swedish study published this month in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

8 Nov 2013

FDA issues GRAS Letters of No Objection for Morinaga's proprietary probiotic strain

Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., the second largest dairy product company in Japan, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued Generally Recognized as Safe Letters of No Objection for Morinaga's proprietary probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium breve M-16V for food applications and infant formulas.

6 Nov 2013

Low birth weight infants more susceptible to invasive infections

Low birth weight infants are host to numerous microorganisms immediately after birth, and the microbiomes of their mouths and gut start out very similar but differentiate significantly by day 15 according to a study published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

29 Oct 2013

Skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant leads to increase in breastfeeding rates

Skin-to-skin contact between mother and infant in the delivery room is associated with an increased likelihood for exclusive breastfeeding, according to an abstract presented Oct. 28 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.

29 Oct 2013

Researchers find relationship between solar intensity and ADHD prevalence

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder. Scientists do not know what causes it, but genetics play a clear role. Other risk factors have also been identified, including premature birth, low birth weight, a mother's use of alcohol or tobacco during pregnancy, and environmental exposures to toxins like lead.

23 Oct 2013

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases infant hospitalizations and death

Maternal smoking is associated with both respiratory and non-respiratory infections in infants, resulting in increased risk for hospitalization and death, according to an abstract to be presented Sunday, Oct. 27, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.

22 Oct 2013

Discovery Labs submits IND application to start AEROSURF phase 2 clinical program

Discovery Laboratories, Inc., a specialty biotechnology company dedicated to advancing a new standard of respiratory critical care, today announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to initiate its AEROSURF phase 2 clinical program.

17 Oct 2013

Pregnant women exposed to metoclopramide experience no increased risk of congenital malformations

In an analysis that included more than 40,000 women exposed to the nausea medication metoclopramide in pregnancy, use of this drug was not associated with significantly increased risk of major congenital malformations overall, spontaneous abortion, and stillbirth, according to a study in the October 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Oct 2013

NUS, A*STAR establish joint center to study role of nutrition and development in health, disease in Asia

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and A*STAR will be jointly establishing the S$148 million Singapore Centre for Nutritional Sciences, Metabolic Diseases, and Human Development (SiNMeD).

11 Oct 2013