Prenatal News and Research

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Two government reports show little progress in improving patient safety; reducing racial, ethnic health disparities

The U.S. has not made substantial improvement in narrowing health care disparities among racial and ethnic groups, nor has it improved quality of care, according to two Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports released on Wednesday by HHS, Politico reports (Allen, Politico, 5/6).

7 May 2009

Caribbean success story - drop in HIV infections in the Dominican Republic

The last decade has seen a sharp drop in HIV infections in the Dominican Republic, resulting largely from reductions in risky sexual behavior, according to a paper in a supplement to the May 1 issue of JAIDS: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.

4 May 2009

CDH10 gene found to play a critical role in prenatal risk of autism

UCLA scientists, in partnership with 30 research institutions across the country, have identified a new gene variant that is highly common in autistic children.

30 Apr 2009

Risk factors for autism

Children who are firstborn or breech or whose mothers are 35 or older when giving birth are at significantly greater risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have reported in a new study with Utah children.

27 Apr 2009

Genetics may help explain alcohol-related susceptibility and resistance

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to teratogenesis, the development of embryonic defects.

22 Apr 2009

Maternal immune response to fetal brain during pregnancy a key factor in some autism

New studies in pregnant mice using antibodies against fetal brains made by the mothers of autistic children show that immune cells can cross the placenta and trigger neurobehavioral changes similar to autism in the mouse pups.

20 Apr 2009

Evidence grows that maternal immune response to fetal brain during pregnancy a key factor in some autism

16 Apr 2009

Prenatal exposure to influenza virus shown to reduce intelligence in adulthood

The Hong Kong flu pandemic was responsible for more than 700,000 deaths worldwide in the late 1960s, with major disease outbreaks in Europe in the winter of 1969-1970.

15 Apr 2009

Mehamphetamine use during pregnancy causes abnormal brain development in children

A first of its kind study examining the effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy has found the drug appears to cause abnormal brain development in children.

15 Apr 2009

You are what your mother did not eat during pregnancy

The new science of epigenetics explains how genes can be modified by the environment, and a prime result of epigenetic inquiry has just been published online in The FASEB Journal: You are what your mother did not eat during pregnancy.

13 Apr 2009

Discovery of gene linked to short-rib polydactyly syndrome

After 12 years of searching, UCLA scientists have tracked down the first known gene mutation responsible for a heartbreaking disorder that kills newborn babies.

1 Apr 2009

A new theory on autism put forward

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.

1 Apr 2009

Ultrasound saves money, improves rheumatologic care

A few years back, 76-year-old Joseph Buggie woke up to pain so throbbing, he couldn't muster the strength to roll over, let alone crawl out of bed.

31 Mar 2009

Schizophrenics at increased risk for type 2 diabetes

People with schizophrenia are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers have found.

30 Mar 2009

Insecticide exposure may play role in obesity epidemic among some women

Prenatal exposure to an insecticide commonly used up until the 1970s may play a role in the obesity epidemic in women, according to a new study involving several Michigan State University researchers.

20 Mar 2009

Medical costs for one premature baby could cover a dozen healthy births

The medical costs that businesses pay to care for one premature baby for a year could cover the costs for nearly a dozen healthy, full-term infants, according to new statistics from the March of Dimes.

17 Mar 2009

Combination of genes and prenatal exposure to smoking increases teens' risk of disruptive behavior

A study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a component of the National Institutes of Health, shows that prenatal exposure to smoking combined with a specific genetic variant places children at greatest risk for behavioral problems.

5 Mar 2009

Prenatal molecular diagnosis for tuberous sclerosis complex

Geneticists from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have reported the world's first series of cases of prenatal diagnosis for women at risk of having a child with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

2 Mar 2009

Educational materials for new mothers may prevent shaken baby syndrome

Educational materials on how to deal with crying newborns lead to increased knowledge about infant crying and behaviours that are important to preventing shaken baby syndrome, found two new studies being published online March 2 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) and Pediatrics.

2 Mar 2009

UT Southwestern teaching hospital halves its rate of premature births

UT Southwestern Medical Center's primary adult teaching hospital has cut its rate of preterm births by more than half in the past 15 years, even as national rates are rising, researchers have found.

2 Mar 2009