Obstetrics News and Research

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Gynecology and obstetrics are twin subjects that deal with the female reproductive system. While obstetrics deals with pregnancy and its associated procedures and complications, gynaecology involves treating women who are not pregnant.

Lots of caffeine during pregnancy increases risk of miscarriage

High doses of daily caffeine during pregnancy - whether from coffee, tea, caffeinated soda or hot chocolate - cause an increased risk of miscarriage, according a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

22 Jan 2008

For pregnant women coffee is a definate no!

Researchers in the U.S. say they have found strong evidence that high doses of caffeine during pregnancy significantly increase the risk of miscarriage.

21 Jan 2008

New research advancements in the treatment of premature ovarian failure

Scientific Director of the Meharry Center for Women's Health Research and a team of researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch and the University of Saskatchewan have recently discovered that the gene mutation believed to be a possible cause of premature ovarian failure may be corrected when an adenovirus compensating for the mutated gene is introduced. Findings were reported in the recent issue of Molecular Human Reproduction.

15 Jan 2008

Soybeans for hot flashes

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have found that a compound in soybeans is effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes in menopausal women.

10 Jan 2008

Genital mycoplasmas are a frequent cause of congenital fetal infection

Premature babies are subject to a host of threats that can result in fetal/neonatal disease.

7 Jan 2008

Research focuses on basic cellular mechanics that instigate the muscle contractions of labor

In the 21st century, human tissue can be generated from stem cells and severed limbs are successfully reattached, while the physiological processes governing life's most fundamental event, childbirth labor, remain a medical mystery.

4 Jan 2008

Genetic link to spina bifida discovered

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston have discovered an association between genes regulating glucose metabolism and spina bifida.

20 Dec 2007

Laser procedure may treat vasa previa

A University of South Florida fetal surgeon at Tampa General Hospital successfully treated in utero a rare but potentially devastating condition in which placental blood vessels block the birth canal and can rupture during labor, leaving the baby without vital blood and oxygen.

20 Dec 2007

New study suggests why vaccines directed against cancer, HIV don't work

Researchers from the University of Missouri and Imperial College London have found evidence suggesting why vaccines directed against the virus that causes AIDS and many cancers do not work.

14 Dec 2007

Male infertility - epigenetics may be the underlying cause

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) suggest epigenetics, or the way DNA is processed and expressed, may be the underlying cause for male infertility.

13 Dec 2007

Likelihood of falling pregnant steadily decreases the fatter a woman is

A new study of obesity and the probability of pregnancy has shown that a woman's chances of a spontaneous pregnancy steadily decrease the fatter she is.

13 Dec 2007

Time to remove the stigma associated with incontinence

An independent panel convened this week by the NIH found that fewer than half of individuals experiencing fecal or urinary incontinence - the inability to control bowel movements or urination, respectively - report their symptoms to healthcare providers without being prompted.

13 Dec 2007

Direct-to-consumer advertising for commercial genetic testing is on the rise and may be problematic

Direct-to-consumer advertising for commercial genetic testing is on the rise and may be problematic, according to a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) physician. In the December issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Erin Tracy, MD, MPH, warns that such testing is poorly regulated and may present potential pitfalls for patients and physicians.

2 Dec 2007

Eltrombopag studied in Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

There are estimated to be between 50,000 -- 100,000 individuals in the U.S. diagnosed with chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease that dramatically reduces the number of platelets in their blood -- causing bruises, nosebleeds and, sometimes, life-threatening brain hemorrhages.

29 Nov 2007

Indomethacin a common drug for stopping preterm labor may be harmful for babies

A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis of studies on the issue publishedthis monthin American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

21 Nov 2007

Whole-body positron emission tomography can reassure cervical cancer patients

Whole-body PET (positron emission tomography) scans done three months after completion of cervical cancer therapy can ensure that patients are disease-free or warn that further interventions are needed, according to a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

21 Nov 2007

Project aims to deepen the medical and research community's understanding of women's health

Women's bodies and medical needs are vastly different than men's way beyond their reproductive systems.

20 Nov 2007

HIV drug resistance risk in mothers reduced by tenofovir/emtricitabine with nevirapine during labor

New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) shows that adding a single dose of two common anti-HIV drugs can prevent HIV-positive pregnant women from developing resistance to an entire class of drugs, potentially improving future treatment options.

14 Nov 2007

What's in a name? Labels like 'normal' and 'abnormal' on test results can affect patients' medical decisions

Patients whose physicians place labels on their test results - such as normal or abnormal, positive or negative - are inclined to make different decisions about their health care than those who receive the same results solely in terms of numbers and other quantifiable measures, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

5 Nov 2007

Indomethacin drug for stopping preterm labor may be harmful for babies

A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published today in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

2 Nov 2007