Prenatal News and Research

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Ark. lawmakers override veto, ban most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy

The state House on Wednesday followed the Senate in overriding Gov. Mike Beebe's veto of the measure. Opponents say the law "would blatantly violate" the Constitution and plan to challenge it in court.

8 Mar 2013

Discovery provides clues for potentially eliminating HIV infection in children

A two-year-old child born with HIV infection and treated with antiretroviral drugs beginning in the first days of life no longer has detectable levels of virus using conventional testing despite not taking HIV medication for 10 months, according to findings presented today at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta.

5 Mar 2013

Exercise during pregnancy can reduce rate of cesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women

Researchers at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have found that regular and supervised exercise by experts during pregnancy can reduce the rate of instrumental and cesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women.

4 Mar 2013

Combination of two environmental factors contributes to schizophrenia

The interplay between an infection during pregnancy and stress in puberty plays a key role in the development of schizophrenia, as behaviourists from ETH Zurich demonstrate in a mouse model. However, there is no need to panic.

2 Mar 2013

National Birth Defects Prevention Network honors BU researcher with Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., Award

Allen A. Mitchell, MD, a professor of public health (epidemiology) and professor of pediatrics at the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, recently received the Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., Award at the annual meeting of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network. Mitchell, who is also the director of Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center (SEC), was recognized for his significant lifetime contributions to the field of birth defects.

28 Feb 2013

Study: Infants of African ancestry more likely to be born prematurely

Low birth weights are more prevalent among Brazilians with African ancestry and may be attributed to less use of prenatal care facilities and where those ethnic groups live, according to a new study.

27 Feb 2013

DHA supplementation during pregnancy reduces very low birth weight and early preterm delivery

University of Kansas researchers have found that the infants of mothers who were given 600 milligrams of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy weighed more at birth and were less likely to be very low birth weight and born before 34 weeks gestation than infants of mothers who were given a placebo. This result greatly strengthens the case for using the dietary supplement during pregnancy.

26 Feb 2013

Quest Diagnostics offers access to a new non-invasive prenatal test developed by Natera

Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX), the world’s leading diagnostic information services company, and Natera, a leading innovator in prenatal genetic testing, today announced that Quest Diagnostics will offer physicians access to Panorama™, a new non-invasive prenatal test developed by Natera.

From Quest Diagnostics 21 Feb 2013

Signaling pathway might determine genetic susceptibility for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading preventable cause of developmental disorders in developed countries. And fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a range of alcohol-related birth defects that includes fetal alcohol syndrome, is thought to affect as many as 1 in 100 children born in the United States.

21 Feb 2013

Study identifies and discusses key factors that lead to obesity in pregnant women

A much neglected part of the obesity epidemic is that it has resulted in more overweight/obese women before and during pregnancy. Their offspring also tend to have higher birth weights and more body fat, and carry an increased risk of obesity and chronic diseases later in life. However, the nutritional factors and mechanisms involved pre and during pregnancy that may influence child obesity remain uncertain.

14 Feb 2013

Periconceptional folic acid intake may reduce risk of autistic disorder in children

In a study that included approximately 85,000 Norwegian children, maternal use of supplemental folic acid from 4 weeks before to 8 weeks after the start of pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder in children, according to a study appearing in the February 13 issue of JAMA.

13 Feb 2013

Congenital anomaly prevalence should spark ART policy change

Assisted reproductive technology may be associated with the increased proportion of multiple birth infants affected by congenital abnormalities since the 1980s, European research suggests.

12 Feb 2013

AHRQ, CMS announce new children's EHR format

The benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) may become more widely available to children through an EHR format for children's health care announced today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

10 Feb 2013

GSTM gene mutation, air pollution can increase risk of asthma-related cockroach allergy

An allergic reaction to cockroaches is a major contributor to asthma in urban children, but new research suggests that the insects are just one part of a more complex story. Very early exposure to certain components of air pollution can increase the risk of developing a cockroach allergy by age 7 and children with a common mutation in a gene called GSTM may be especially vulnerable.

6 Feb 2013

Birthweight extremes influence psychotic symptom severity

Both high and low birthweight increase the severity of psychotic symptoms, particularly disorganized and negative symptoms, research indicates.

30 Jan 2013

Tributyltin exposure may cause ‘transgenerational obesity’

Research shows that offspring of mice exposed to low doses of the chemical tributyltin, used in paints, plastics, and other consumer products, have greater than normal body fat, liver fat, and fat-specific gene expression.

30 Jan 2013

Study shows high stress levels among rural pregnant women

Stress during pregnancy puts mothers' and their babies' health at risk, previous research has shown. Now, a University of Missouri study indicates low-income pregnant women in rural areas experience high levels of stress yet lack appropriate means to manage their emotional and physical well-being. Health providers should serve as facilitators and link rural women with resources.

30 Jan 2013

Research into anesthesia neurotoxicity in the developing brain

Several studies have found evidence that children who undergo repeated surgical operations with general anesthesia before the age of 4 may be at an increased risk for learning disabilities.

28 Jan 2013

Low birth weight not linked to childhood asthma

Results from a US study do not support an association between low birth weight and an increased risk for childhood asthma.

25 Jan 2013

Prenatal inflammation associated with increased risk of autism in children

Maternal inflammation during early pregnancy may be related to an increased risk of autism in children, according to new findings supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Researchers found this in children of mothers with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), a well-established marker of systemic inflammation.

25 Jan 2013

Prenatal News and Research

Ark. lawmakers override veto, ban most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy

Discovery provides clues for potentially eliminating HIV infection in children

Exercise during pregnancy can reduce rate of cesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women

Combination of two environmental factors contributes to schizophrenia

National Birth Defects Prevention Network honors BU researcher with Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., Award

Study: Infants of African ancestry more likely to be born prematurely

DHA supplementation during pregnancy reduces very low birth weight and early preterm delivery

Quest Diagnostics offers access to a new non-invasive prenatal test developed by Natera

Signaling pathway might determine genetic susceptibility for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Study identifies and discusses key factors that lead to obesity in pregnant women

Periconceptional folic acid intake may reduce risk of autistic disorder in children

Congenital anomaly prevalence should spark ART policy change

AHRQ, CMS announce new children's EHR format

GSTM gene mutation, air pollution can increase risk of asthma-related cockroach allergy

Birthweight extremes influence psychotic symptom severity

Tributyltin exposure may cause ‘transgenerational obesity’

Study shows high stress levels among rural pregnant women

Research into anesthesia neurotoxicity in the developing brain

Low birth weight not linked to childhood asthma

Prenatal inflammation associated with increased risk of autism in children

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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