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EHR data could help avoid pre-term deliveries for pregnant COVID-19 patients

Using electronic health record data to simulate drug trials for pregnant patients could one day offer a solution to the current practice of delivering babies pre-term if an expectant mother contracts COVID-19, according to a position paper published in Nature Medicine.

10 Jun 2020

Giving good bacteria to stressed mothers prevents autism-like disorder in offspring

Giving beneficial bacteria to stressed mothers during the equivalent of the third trimester of pregnancy prevents an autism-like disorder in their offspring, according to a new animal study by University of Colorado Boulder researchers.

26 May 2020

Study finds evidence of injury in placentas from COVID-19-positive pregnant women

The placentas from 16 women who tested positive for COVID-19 while pregnant showed evidence of injury, according to pathological exams completed directly following birth, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

22 May 2020

MRI reveals signs of fetal alcohol syndrome in the womb

New images reveal the earliest impairments to nonhuman primate fetal brain development due to alcohol ingested by the mother, in a study led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University involving rhesus macaques.

13 May 2020

Study can lead the way to new treatment methods for hepatitis C in infants

Only about five per cent of the babies born to mothers with hepatitis C are themselves infected by the disease.

27 Apr 2020

Born into a pandemic: Virus complicates births for moms and babies

Mallory Pease's contractions grew stronger as her husband, Mitchell, drove her to Oaklawn Hospital in Marshall, Michigan, to give birth to their second child. It had been a routine pregnancy, but she told her doctor she'd recently developed a sore throat, aches, coughing and shortness of breath — symptoms her provider knew could indicate COVID-19.

24 Apr 2020

Researchers discover physiological mechanisms underlying pediatric B-ALL

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal immature B-cell precursors in the bone marrow and is the most common pediatric cancer.

23 Apr 2020

Protecting children from undernutrition in flood-prone areas of India

Monsoon rainfall has become more unpredictable in India. Floods and droughts have become more common and pose multiple risks to human health and wellbeing, with children under five being particularly vulnerable.

15 Apr 2020

Spina bifida surgery before birth more effective at healing neurological structure

Surgery performed on a fetus in the womb to repair defects from spina bifida triggers the body's ability to restore normal brain structure, Mayo Clinic research discovered.

1 Apr 2020

What is the best week for the birth of twins?

A new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics indicates that the optimal time of birth for twins is at 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

9 Mar 2020

Switching what heart cells consume could help them regenerate

Switching what the powerhouses of heart cells consume for energy could help the heart regenerate when cells die, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers suggests.

23 Feb 2020

Study: About 8% of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol few weeks before birth

About 8 percent of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol two to four weeks before birth, according to a new study.

20 Feb 2020

Acid reflux drug may be a promising therapy to reduce preterm birth

Lansoprazole, an over-the-counter acid reflux drug that is often taken by pregnant women, may be a promising therapy to reduce preterm birth, according to a computational drug repurposing study that also tested several of the drugs in mice.

13 Feb 2020

Drug to improve fetal growth may increase blood pressure and blood sugar levels in offspring

Research suggests that a drug recently assessed as a potential treatment for fetal growth restriction may cause high blood pressure and raise blood sugar levels in offspring.

6 Feb 2020

Climate change inflicts catastrophic effects on children’s health

The grim effects that climate change will have on pediatric health outcomes was the focus of a "Viewpoint" article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by Susan E. Pacheco, MD, an expert at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

27 Jan 2020

Study: Benefits of fetal surgery to repair spina bifida continue through school age

The benefits of fetal surgery to repair spina bifida, a procedure pioneered at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in 1997, continue through school age, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study reports today in the journal Pediatrics.

24 Jan 2020

BPA activates immune response in mice that persists for at least three generations

Some plastic food and beverage containers still contain bisphenol A, which can mimic the hormone estrogen. Although experts say that small amounts of BPA detected in foods are unlikely to cause problems, some people worry that constant low-level exposures could have health effects, especially for developing fetuses, infants and children.

16 Jan 2020