Twins News and Research

RSS

Study: Genetics plays major role in development of autism

Using new statistical tools, Carnegie Mellon University's Kathryn Roeder has led an international team of researchers to discover that most of the genetic risk for autism comes from versions of genes that are common in the population rather than from rare variants or spontaneous glitches.

21 Jul 2014

Cannabis use and schizophrenia ‘share genetic risk’

Variants of genes that predispose people to developing schizophrenia also predispose them to using cannabis, a study of more than 2000 people has found.

3 Jul 2014

Research findings provide promising news for couples considering in-vitro fertilization

Using computer-automated, time‐lapse photography of embryos in the laboratory during in-vitro fertilization may improve embryo selection, potentially increasing the chances of pregnancy among women undergoing the procedure, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and five other fertility centers.

3 Jul 2014

Obesity before pregnancy can lead to preterm births

Women who are obese before they become pregnant face an increased risk of delivering a very premature baby, according to a new study of nearly 1 million California births.

25 Jun 2014

Longer looks: Caregivers effort to stay well; patients who turn to religion for cures; new views on postpartum depression

More than 65 million people, or 29 percent of the U.S. population, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family members or friends during any given year, and spend an average of 20 hours per week providing that care.

20 Jun 2014

Researchers investigate correlation between lower back pain and genes

Lower back pain is a broad yet subtle subject. It has widely been associated with early degeneration of the discs of the human spine.

4 Jun 2014

Researchers uncover previously unidentified genes responsible for keloid scarring

Researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit have uncovered previously unidentified genes that may be responsible for keloid scarring, a discovery that could unlock the mystery of keloid development and provide insight for more effective treatment.

30 May 2014

Marmoset monkey may offer clues to reducing stillbirths in human mothers

The marmoset monkey may offer clues to reducing stillbirths in human mothers, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing.

30 May 2014

Environmental factors equally as important as genes in understanding causes of autism

Environmental factors are more important than previously thought in understanding the causes of autism, and equally as important as genes, according to the largest study to date to look at how autism runs in families.

5 May 2014

Girls labeled fat at age 10 are more likely to be obese at 19, say researchers

Girls who are told by a parent, sibling, friend, classmate or teacher that they are too fat at age 10 are more likely to be obese at age 19, a new study by UCLA psychologists shows.

29 Apr 2014

Prenatal smoking, genetic risk factors increase aggressive behavior in children

Researchers have found evidence of an interaction between prenatal smoking and genetic risk factors that increase aggressive behavior in children, especially in girls.

25 Apr 2014

RMANJ releases new fertility checklist for early diagnosis and treatment options

With over seven million men and women in the United States impacted by infertility, information about early diagnosis and various infertility treatment options like in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) can offer help to many patients looking to overcome infertility.

22 Apr 2014

Study sheds light on how extra chromosome 21 upsets equilibrium of entire genome in Down syndrome

Occurring in about one per eight hundred births, Down syndrome - or trisomy 21 - is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability. It results from a chromosomal abnormality where cells of affected individuals contain a third copy of chromosome 21 (1% of the human genome).

18 Apr 2014

Financial pressures lead patients, doctors to choose fertility treatments that raise risk of premature birth

While it is well known that fertility treatments are the leading cause of increases in multiple gestations and that multiples are at elevated risk of premature birth, these results are not inevitable, concludes an article in Fertility and Sterility.

17 Apr 2014

IVF prevents multiple births in patients undergoing fertility treatments

While fertility treatments have helped many people become parents, they commonly result in multiple births, increasing the risk of prematurity, and leading to lifelong complications.

17 Apr 2014

Carb breakdown gene linked to obesity, researchers find

Researchers at King's College London and Imperial College London have discovered that people with fewer copies of a gene coding for a carb-digesting enzyme may be at higher risk of obesity. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that dietary advice may need to be more tailored to an individual's digestive system, based on whether they have the genetic predisposition and necessary enzymes to digest different foods.

31 Mar 2014

Six in every ten serious heart defects in foetuses go undetected in ultrasound scans

Over six in every ten serious heart defects in foetuses go undetected in the ultrasound scans given to all pregnant women. According to research at Linköping University in Sweden, one reason why malformations are not found is obesity in the expectant mother.

13 Mar 2014

Twin brains reveal similar progressions of neuropathological changes

Despite widespread use of a single term, Alzheimer's disease is actually a diverse collection of diseases, symptoms and pathological changes.

3 Mar 2014

Dyspnea during light daily activities used as indicator of exercise intolerance and low fitness

Dyspnea, a sensation of breathlessness, during light daily activities can be used as an indicator of exercise intolerance and low fitness. According to a study on Finnish twins, persistent or developing dyspnea reveals an increased risk of death.

21 Feb 2014

ACOG’s consensus statement on preventing first-time cesareans

Today's release of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (ACOG) consensus statement on preventing first-time cesareans is an important step in closing gaps between evidence and the day-to-day care that women receive in pregnancy and labor.

20 Feb 2014