Prenatal News and Research

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Consumer Genetics Conference to take place in Boston from Oct. 3-5

The 4th Annual Consumer Genetics Conference, taking place October 3-5 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, will include a keynote presentation by George Church that will provide a forthright and candid assessment of new sequencing technologies, including the emergence of nanopore DNA sequencing, current trends in personal genomics, and projections on the future path of medical genomics.

24 Sep 2012

Study documents women's experiences after abnormal prenatal chromosomal microarray testing

We often hear that "knowledge is power." But, that isn't always the case, especially when the knowledge pertains to the health of an unborn child, with murky implications, at best. A new study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, begins to document this exception to the general rule.

24 Sep 2012

Harris Health System campaign aims to reduce pregnancy-related complications in African-Americans

African-American women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications and about twice as likely to suffer a miscarriage than other ethnic groups in Harris County. The alarming facts prompted Harris Health System to launch an educational campaign aimed at African-American women before they get pregnant on the steps to have a safe and healthy birth.

24 Sep 2012

Maternal choline intake could essentially change fetal genetic expression into adulthood

Just as women are advised to get plenty of folic acid around the time of conception and throughout early pregnancy, new research suggests another very similar nutrient may one day deserve a spot on the obstetrician's list of recommendations.

24 Sep 2012

MVK mutations linked to disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis

A Chinese research team, led by Anhui Medical University and BGI, has found the strong genetic evidences of mevalonate kinase gene (MVK) mutations link to disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis (DSAP).

17 Sep 2012

Problem shared is a problem halved for mothers of cardiac defect babies

Posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety are common in pregnant women after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease, say researchers.

11 Sep 2012

Maternal posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety common after prenatal diagnosis of CHD

Heart defects are the most common form of congenital malformations affecting newborns. Infants who were prenatally diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) are more stable and have better outcomes than infants who were diagnosed after birth. Diagnosing CHD in a fetus also allows mothers to educate themselves on heart malformations, consider their options, and potentially plan for intervention or surgery after birth.

7 Sep 2012

Exposure to phthalates increases risk of asthma-related airway inflammation in children

Children exposed to diethyl phthalate (DEP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP)-phthalate chemicals commonly found in personal care and plastic products-have elevated risk of asthma-related airway inflammation, according to researchers at Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health.

6 Sep 2012

Prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide increases risk of noninfectious cough in children

Children exposed in the womb to the widely used pesticide additive piperonyl butoxide (PBO) have heightened risk of noninfectious cough at ages 5 and 6, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health and of Columbia University Medical Center.

6 Sep 2012

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking may promote obesity in adolescents

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking appears associated with an increased risk for adolescent obesity, and is possibly related to subtle structural variations in the brain that create a preference for eating fatty foods, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.

4 Sep 2012

Prenatal exposures to polyfluoroalkyl compounds may lead to obesity in babies

Pregnant women who are highly exposed to common environmental chemicals - polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) - have babies that are smaller at birth and larger at 20 months of age, according to a study from Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health published online in the August 30 edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.

31 Aug 2012

Blog examines study looking at role of stigma in HIV PMTCT

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog examines a recent study that found only slightly more than 44 percent of women in the Nyanza province of Kenya deliver their infants in a health care facility, with many women citing fear of stigma and discrimination as a reason for not attending clinics for prenatal care.

31 Aug 2012

Healthy diets during infancy and early childhood can prevent obesity in future

Rats born to mothers fed high-fat diets but who get normal levels of fat in their diets right after birth avoid obesity and its related disorders as adults, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

31 Aug 2012

Grb10 plays a crucial role in increasing muscle mass during development

Scientists have moved closer toward helping people grow big, strong muscles without needing to hit the weight room. Australian researchers have found that by blocking the function of a protein called Grb10 while mice were in the womb, they were considerably stronger and more muscular than their normal counterparts.

31 Aug 2012

UTMB to offer HPV vaccination against cervical cancer

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston's Dr. Abbey Berenson has been awarded a $1.2 million grant to start a program that will provide a vaccination against cervical cancer to many hundreds of low-income women who receive health care services at UTMB.

30 Aug 2012

Fear of stigma prevents pregnant women from seeking prenatal care, studies show

Though many pregnant women are aware that treatment could save their lives and the lives of their infants if they test HIV-positive during prenatal care, a new study and literature review have found that a "fear of being stigmatized as an AIDS patient is still a major barrier to good medical care for pregnant young women in many countries," the New York Times reports.

29 Aug 2012

March of Dimes emergency preparedness tips for pregnant women and new parents

Pregnant women evacuating their homes in advance of Hurricane Isaac should be sure to bring their medication, including their prenatal vitamins, as well as their medical records and their health care providers' emergency contact number.

29 Aug 2012

$Fetal fraction of cfDNA does not vary significantly among pregnant women regardless of trisomy risk$

Fetal fraction of cfDNA does not vary significantly among pregnant women regardless of trisomy risk

A study published in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine demonstrates that the fraction of fetal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal blood is unaffected by the mother's presumed risk for trisomy, offering support for the use of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for detecting genetic conditions such as Down syndrome in a broad patient population.

28 Aug 2012

Alcohol can cause more than one pattern of birth defects

A collaborative research effort by scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Duke University, and University College of London in the UK, sheds new light on alcohol-related birth defects.

23 Aug 2012

Views on Akin and women's health: 'A debate the GOP had hoped to avoid;' Views harkening back to colonial times

Commentators examine the repercussions of the Missouri Senate candidate's comments about rape and abortion.

23 Aug 2012

Prenatal News and Research

Consumer Genetics Conference to take place in Boston from Oct. 3-5

Study documents women's experiences after abnormal prenatal chromosomal microarray testing

Harris Health System campaign aims to reduce pregnancy-related complications in African-Americans

Maternal choline intake could essentially change fetal genetic expression into adulthood

MVK mutations linked to disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis

Problem shared is a problem halved for mothers of cardiac defect babies

Maternal posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety common after prenatal diagnosis of CHD

Exposure to phthalates increases risk of asthma-related airway inflammation in children

Prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide increases risk of noninfectious cough in children

Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking may promote obesity in adolescents

Prenatal exposures to polyfluoroalkyl compounds may lead to obesity in babies

Blog examines study looking at role of stigma in HIV PMTCT

Healthy diets during infancy and early childhood can prevent obesity in future

Grb10 plays a crucial role in increasing muscle mass during development

UTMB to offer HPV vaccination against cervical cancer

Fear of stigma prevents pregnant women from seeking prenatal care, studies show

March of Dimes emergency preparedness tips for pregnant women and new parents

Fetal fraction of cfDNA does not vary significantly among pregnant women regardless of trisomy risk

Alcohol can cause more than one pattern of birth defects

Views on Akin and women's health: 'A debate the GOP had hoped to avoid;' Views harkening back to colonial times

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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