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Progesterone gel can reduce preterm birth in women with short cervix

A groundbreaking clinical study of a new method for preventing premature birth in millions of women each year, published in the medical journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, shows that the rate of early preterm delivery in women can be reduced by 45 percent - simply by treating pregnant women at risk with a low-cost gel of natural progesterone during the midtrimester of pregnancy until term.

7 Apr 2011

UT Southwestern gynecologist receives Burroughs Wellcome Fund for premature birth study

A UT Southwestern Medical Center gynecologist is one of five researchers nationwide selected to receive a $600,000 Burroughs Wellcome Fund grant to investigate the biological mechanisms and causes of premature birth.

6 Apr 2011

Teenage birth rate in the U.S. falls

Encouraging new data shows the teenage birth rate in the U.S. fell to the lowest level on record in 2009 - but is still one of the highest in developed countries. Numbers dropped to 39.1 births per 1,000 females from 61.8 births in 1991, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The latest figures record that 410,000 teenage girls aged 15 to 19 years old gave birth in the United States in 2009. The rate is especially high among black and Hispanic teens. Geography plays a key role too with young mothers more common in some states than others.

5 Apr 2011

First transdisciplinary research center dedicated to identify causes of premature birth

The March of Dimes and Stanford University School of Medicine today launched the nation's first transdisciplinary research center dedicated to identifying the causes of premature birth. Prematurity is the number one reason for newborn death in the United States today, yet in nearly half of the cases of premature birth, there is no identifiable cause.

31 Mar 2011

March of Dimes awards Healthy Babies Healthy Business Seal of Approval to The Children's Hospital in Denver

The March of Dimes today announced it has awarded its first-ever Healthy Babies Healthy Business Seal of Approval, to The Children's Hospital in Denver. Children's becomes the first organization in Colorado - and the nation - to earn this new certification.

21 Mar 2011

March of Dimes to honor fragile X syndrome researcher with Lifetime Achievement award

A world-renowned fragile X syndrome researcher, who was the first to identify the long-sought genetic abnormality responsible for this disorder, will be honored by the March of Dimes.

16 Mar 2011

Bad relationship with partner is the strongest predictor of maternal emotional distress

Pregnancy is meant to be a joyous time however some women experience overwhelming 'baby blues' before the birth of their child. Anxiety and depression during pregnancy can result in premature birth, or low birth weight, and impact the child's health even into early school years.

14 Mar 2011

Study finds passive smoking increases risk of still birth by 23%

Pregnant non-smokers who breathe in the second-hand smoke of other people are at an increased risk of delivering stillborn babies or babies with defects, a study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has found.

9 Mar 2011

Scientists receive March of Dimes grant for preterm birth research

With the help of funding from the March of Dimes, scientists will study whether low doses of inhaled carbon monoxide may prevent inflammation that triggers preterm labor, analyze the role genes play in causing preterm delivery, and develop blood tests to help identify women at risk of preterm delivery.

8 Mar 2011

New study: Lifestyle intervention can help pregnant women control their weight

Excessive weight gain isn't healthy at any stage of life, but during pregnancy it can do lasting harm to the mother and baby alike. Now researchers at Brown University and The Miriam Hospital are encouraged by a new study describing an intervention that helped pregnant women control their weight.

1 Mar 2011

Three proteins responsible for success of progesterone treatments in prevention of preterm labor

Research presented today at the 31st Annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) ― The Pregnancy Meeting™ has found that three proteins known as XIAP, BID, and Bcl-2 are responsible in part for the success of progesterone treatments in the prevention of preterm labor. They may also play an important role in triggering normal labor.

10 Feb 2011

New study: Fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly improves child's mobility

Performing delicate surgery in the womb, months before birth, can substantially improve outcomes for children with a common, disabling birth defect of the spine. Experts at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia co-led a new landmark study showing that fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently.

9 Feb 2011

March of Dimes appreciates FDA for approving new drug to prevent preterm births

The first-ever drug known to prevent some preterm births, which won market approval today from the Food and Drug Administration, was welcomed by the March of Dimes.

5 Feb 2011

Obstetrics and Gynecology: One third of pregnant women are not screened for gestational diabetes

Nearly one third of pregnant women are not being screened by a simple laboratory test for gestational diabetes mellitus (gestational diabetes), according to a study of more than 900,000 American women published online today in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

From Quest Diagnostics 21 Dec 2010

New report on improving outcome of pregnancy

Moms and babies everywhere deserve high quality health care, and a new report from the March of Dimes and its partners offers providers a vision for how to offer top-notch services while giving moms practical tips to help them make smart choices.

15 Dec 2010

Do not delay breast cancer therapy during pregnancy

Do not delay treatment of breast cancer just because a woman is pregnant, said lead researcher Sibylle Loibl, Dr. med, of the German Breast Group.

13 Dec 2010

Positive results from PROCHIEVE 8% vaginal progesterone gel Phase III trial to reduce preterm birth risk

Columbia Laboratories, Inc. and Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced positive top-line results from the PREGNANT Study, a large, global Phase III clinical trial evaluating PROCHIEVE® 8% vaginal progesterone gel to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women with a short cervical length as measured by transvaginal ultrasound at mid-pregnancy.

7 Dec 2010

GFAP levels predict brain injury, death in critically ill children on ECMO

Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists have discovered that high blood levels of a protein commonly found in the central nervous system can predict brain injury and death in critically ill children on a form of life support called extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation or ECMO.

23 Nov 2010

March of Dimes reports decline in Colorado’s premature birth rate

Premature birth in Colorado has declined along with three key contributing factors, it was reported today by the March of Dimes in its annual assessment, the Premature Birth Report Card. However, despite these improvements (and for the third straight year), the state's overall grade is a "D."

18 Nov 2010

8 states get better grade on 2010 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card

Eight states earned a better grade on the 2010 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card and 32 others and the District of Columbia saw their preterm birth rates improve.

17 Nov 2010