Gynaecology News and Research

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New birth control guidelines in U.S.

Planned parenting groups are cheering while some religious organizations are unhappy with the move that would require health insurance companies to provide women free birth control, in keeping with new Obama administration guidelines. The Department of Health and Human Services call it “historic” and also say that insurance companies must provide women with other preventive services free of charge.

1 Aug 2011

Study reveals clear need to halt escalating use of Caesarean sections

Caesarean section rates are steadily increasing globally. Requiring two doctors to agree that a Caesarean section is the best way to deliver a baby, rather than just needing one opinion, providing internal feedback to doctors on the number of operations performed and seeking support from local opinion leaders may reduce the use of this procedure.

27 Jul 2011

Lack of genetic screening for cancers

In a new study published Monday in the journal Cancer, it was noted that while genetic testing to check if a woman has the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations can be a useful tool for preventing breast cancer and ovarian cancer in some cases, many doctors are not referring patients.

26 Jul 2011

Understaffed maternity units in UK struggling to cope

Across the UK, maternity units were forced to close to new admissions 1,055 times last year, nearly always because of understaffing or lack of beds, a series of Freedom of Information requests have found. At least 927 women were turned away. On the other hand in some London trusts one in five midwifery posts lies vacant. The Royal College of Midwives says at least 4,700 extra midwives are needed in England and Wales.

25 Jul 2011

C-sections on the rise: One in three mothers opting for procedure

According to the latest study reports, one in three births in the U.S. are now delivered by Caesarean section, which is an all time high and an increasd of 25 percent over seven years.

24 Jul 2011

New report: Ultrasound in Cardiology, OB/GYN and Radiology

A new survey of radiology professionals by InMedica (www.in-medica.com) found that ‘image quality’ and the ‘right balance of price versus performance’ were the most important factors when choosing a new ultrasound system. Advanced features and brand name were ranked least important, according to the results from the report “Western European Customer Insights: Ultrasound in Cardiology, OB/GYN and Radiology – 2011 Edition”.

18 Jul 2011

Study confirms maternal alcohol consumption increases risk of birth outcomes

Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and small size for gestational age, confirms a study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

11 Jul 2011

Romantic fiction bad for marriages and love life!

According to a warning in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) seemingly innocent and harmless romantic fiction may also be a cause of marital breakdown, adulterous affairs and unwanted pregnancies. This comes from an article in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, which said women struggle to distinguish between romantic fiction and real life.

10 Jul 2011

Merck Serono announces recipients of second Grant for Fertility Innovation

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announces the recipients of its second Grant for Fertility Innovation.

8 Jul 2011

Smoking pregnant mums have smaller unhealthier babies

Professor Nick Macklon of Southampton University says even though most women now understand there is “overwhelming evidence” that smoking during pregnancy is harmful to the developing child, they continue to do so.

7 Jul 2011

Cleavage stage embryo with aneuploidy can undergo genetic normalisation process

Professor William G. Kearns told the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology that a three-day-old embryo with an incorrect number of chromosomes was capable of undergoing "a dynamic process of genetic normalisation" so that by day five, when it had developed to the blastocyst stage, it had become euploid, with the correct number of chromosomes.

5 Jul 2011

ICSI study shows strong increase in first trimester pregnancy loss after the age of 38

The research, presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, also showed that rates of preclinical abortion, miscarriage and overall pregnancy loss during the first trimester remained more or less constant until the age of 34, but increased steadily from the age of 35 onwards.

5 Jul 2011

New insight into oocyte chromosome abnormalities

Ovarian stimulation undertaken by women of advanced maternal age receiving fertility treatment may be disrupting the normal pattern of meiosis - a critical process of chromosome duplication followed by two specialised cell divisions in the production of oocytes and sperm - and leading to abnormalities of chromosome copy numbers that result in IVF failure, pregnancy loss or, more rarely, the birth of affected children with conditions such as Down's syndrome, which is caused by the inheritance of three copies of chromosome 21.

4 Jul 2011

SOGC launches first Facebook game about healthy sexuality for Canadians

Today, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is launching its first Facebook game - Sex Quest - to help Canadians learn about healthy sexuality, contraception and STIs.

27 Jun 2011

More frequent use of ultrasound recommended in twin pregnancies

Featured in the June edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada is a new clinical practice guideline which suggests that carrying twins requires greater monitoring and, therefore, the more frequent use of ultrasound technology to conduct the ongoing assessment of twin pregnancies.

23 Jun 2011

Cancer vaccine shows promise

In the latest research news, a cervical cancer vaccine programme has produced the first evidence of disease prevention among treated women. This vaccine targets human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus believed to trigger cervical cancer in women.

17 Jun 2011

Study explores age differences in barriers to cervical cancer screening attendance

Older women are too embarrassed to go for smear tests, and fear pain, while younger women are too busy, according to a Cancer Research UK study, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology today.

14 Jun 2011

Avvo.com, cites top 10 most popular medical specialty categories based on website's patient usage

Avvo (www.avvo.com), the world's largest online directory for doctors and lawyers that provides free rankings for 90% of the working physicians in the U.S., today revealed the most popular medical specialty categories based on Q1 2011 metrics quantifying patient participation in Avvo's online services that include searching Avvo's physician directory, asking health related questions in the Q&A forum, and submitting reviews on their doctors' Avvo profiles.

9 Jun 2011

Latest Breast cancer screening guidelines deemed unsafe by 80% women

Nearly 80 percent of women feel the new guidelines against breast cancer are unsafe as they stated that screening for those under 50 is not mandatory. The controversy over screening mammography flared up in late 2009, when a government-funded group of independent experts decided to change its recommendations. Instead of advising annual mammograms in all women age 40 and above, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) said women shouldn't routinely get screened until they hit 50, and those between 50 and 74 should only have mammograms every two years. But most of the women also seriously overestimate their risk of developing the disease, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester found.

31 May 2011

New genetic testing technology for IVG embryos

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have devised a new technique, which helps couples that are affected by or are carriers of genetic diseases have in vitro fertilized babies free of both the disease in question and other chromosomal abnormalities. The results were reported in the April issue of Fertility and Sterility.

23 May 2011