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New camera technology paired with electron microscope allows biologists to see tiny cellular components

Using a new, lightning-fast camera paired with an electron microscope, Columbia University Medical Center scientists have captured images of one of the smallest proteins in our cells to be "seen" with a microscope.

26 Aug 2016

Umbilical cells from babies of obese mothers show impaired expression of vital genes regulating metabolism

Scientists have long known that infants born to women who are obese show higher risks of obesity, but they don't fully understand what boosts those risks.

23 Aug 2016

Prenatal exposure to organochlorine chemicals linked to increased odds of autism in children

Chemicals used in certain pesticides and as insulating material banned in the 1970s may still be haunting us, according to new research that suggests links between higher levels of exposure during pregnancy and significantly increased odds of autism spectrum disorder in children.

23 Aug 2016

Yale study provides insight into how Zika virus may be transmitted from pregnant mother to fetus

In a new study, Yale researchers demonstrate Zika virus infection of cells derived from human placentas. The research provides insight into how Zika virus may be transmitted from expectant mother to fetus, resulting in infection of the fetal brain.

18 Aug 2016

Clinics with comprehensive care for premature infants alleviate concerns for parents

On January 24, 2013, Iris Vega-Figueroa's life changed completely. That's the day she gave birth to her twin girls, Iris and Geraldine. The twins were monoamniotic-monochorionic, meaning they shared one amniotic sack and one placenta in the womb. These rare pregnancies are considered high risk because of the uneven blood flow that occurs between the infants through the placenta.

8 Aug 2016

Disordered airway microbiome at birth may be linked to severe neonatal lung disease

In contrast to the general belief that the airways of an infant are sterile until after birth, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers and colleagues have found that the infant airway is already colonized with bacteria or bacterial DNA when a baby is born -- and this is true for infants born as early as 24 weeks gestation.

5 Aug 2016

UTMB researchers unlock clues to understand signals that trigger labor and delivery process

In a normal full-term pregnancy, signals from the mature organs of the fetus and the aging placental membranes and placenta prompt the uterus' muscular walls to begin the labor and delivery process. It's still unclear how these signals accomplish this goal or how they reach from the fetal side to the maternal side.

3 Aug 2016

Naturally occurring estrogen in cow’s milk does not affect blood hormone levels, study shows

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.

3 Aug 2016

Maternal placental syndromes increase short-term risk of developing cardiovascular disease

The short-term risk of developing cardiovascular disease following a first pregnancy is higher for women experiencing placental syndromes and a preterm birth or an infant born smaller than the usual size, a University of South Florida study reports.

27 Jul 2016

Researchers develop first placenta-on-a-chip to model interface between mother and fetus

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed the first placenta-on-a-chip that can fully model the transport of nutrients across the placental barrier.

26 Jul 2016

Researchers discover how Zika virus travels from pregnant mother to fetus

Zika virus can infect numerous cell types in the human placenta and amniotic sac, according to researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley who show in a new paper how the virus travels from a pregnant woman to her fetus. They also identify a drug that may be able to block it.

19 Jul 2016

Salk scientists propose new molecular criteria for generating naïve stem cells

Salk scientists and colleagues have proposed new molecular criteria for judging just how close any line of laboratory-generated stem cells comes to mimicking embryonic cells seen in the very earliest stages of human development, known as naïve stem cells.

17 Jul 2016

Boy babies more likely to experience complications at birth than girls

New research led by the University of Adelaide has confirmed that boy babies are much more likely to experience potentially life-threatening outcomes at birth than girls.

11 Jul 2016

Researchers identify set of genes that play vital role in early human development

Oxford University researchers are closer to solving a decade-old mystery after discovering that a set of genes they are studying play a key role in early human development.

29 Jun 2016

Researchers find new way for treating GBS infection in neonates

Researchers have discovered how the bacteria Group B streptococcus (GBS) avoids detection by the immune system during pregnancy.

28 Jun 2016

Pre-existing dengue antibodies can intensify Zika virus infection

Previous exposure to the dengue virus may increase the potency of Zika infection, according to research from Imperial College London.

23 Jun 2016

Scientists aim to explore how gestational diabetes can put babies at lifelong risk for cardiovascular disease

Gestational diabetes can put babies at a lifelong risk for cardiovascular disease, and scientists want to better understand how.

21 Jun 2016

Study finds link between pontosubicular necrosis and placental pathology

Pediatric and Developmental Pathology – A stillbirth occurs when a baby is born without any signs of life. Placental pathology is found to be related to the cause of death in a significant number of pregnancies that result in stillbirth

20 Jun 2016

Alabama physician recommends childbearing-age women to take precautions against Zika virus

As concerns about the Zika virus rise among women of childbearing age in the United States, Joseph Biggio, M.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, wants those who are pregnant or trying to conceive to take precautions.

6 Jun 2016

Lower quantities of CD74 protein in placentas of preeclamptic women can impact fetal development

Preeclampsia is one of the most common complications to occur during pregnancy, yet its causes are still unknown. A new study involving patients, cell cultures and animal experiments has now shown that those affected by the disease have lower quantities of the placenta's immune protein CD74, and that certain inflammatory factors are higher. These factors disrupt the formation of the placenta and leave the fetus undernourished.

3 Jun 2016