Womb News and Research

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The womb is the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis. This is the organ in which a baby grows. Also called uterus.

Scientists solve 60-year-old mystery of how thalidomide caused birth defects

More than 60 years after the drug thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have solved a mystery that has lingered ever since the dangers of the drug first became apparent: how did the drug produce such severe fetal harm?

2 Aug 2018

Gestational diabetes may increase offspring's heart disease risk

Gestational diabetes may increase the risk of blood vessel dysfunction and heart disease in offspring by altering a smooth muscle protein responsible for blood vessel network formation.

19 Jul 2018

Rat study shows negative effects of perinatal exposure to phthalates

Male and female rats exposed in the womb and during lactation to plasticizing chemicals known as phthalates had significantly fewer neurons and synapses than those that were not exposed, researchers report in a new study.

19 Jul 2018

Study highlights potential of fetal gene therapy to prevent lethal neurodegenerative disease

A fatal neurodegenerative condition known as Gaucher disease can be prevented in mice following fetal gene therapy, finds a new study led by UCL, the KK Women's and Children's Hospital and National University Health System in Singapore.

16 Jul 2018

Research reveals why risks of complications in pregnancy vary based on baby's sex

The sex of a baby controls the level of small molecules known as metabolites in the pregnant mother's blood, which may explain why risks of some diseases in pregnancy vary depending whether the mother is carrying a boy or a girl, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

12 Jul 2018

Mice study shows how vaginal microbiota may affect stress levels of offspring

Exposing newborn mice to vaginal microbes from stressed female mice may transfer the effects of stress to the newborns, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

10 Jul 2018

Study finds vitamin D deficiency in many pregnant women

One in three pregnant women in Norway has a vitamin D deficiency at the end of her pregnancy, a major study published earlier this year in PLOS One has shown.

6 Jul 2018

Study: Treg cells may protect infants from getting infected with HIV from their mother

Scientists now report that Treg cells, a type of regulatory lymphocyte, may be protecting babies in the womb from getting infected with the HIV virus when the mother is infected.

11 Jun 2018

Study defines molecular basis to explain connection between mother’s nutrition and infant growth

For years, pregnant mothers have questioned their nutritional habits: "Will eating more cause my baby to be overweight?" Or, "I'm eating for two, so it won't hurt to have an extra serving, right?"

24 May 2018

Scientists reveal mechanisms that may help preterm infants extend nephron development window

Nephrons are the microscopic blood-filtering units inside our kidneys that convert waste products into urine, regulate our electrolyte levels and our blood pressure.

22 May 2018

Exposure to air pollution in the womb can lead to high blood pressure in childhood

Children who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution during the third trimester of their mother's pregnancy had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure in childhood, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

14 May 2018

Coffee consumption during pregnancy linked to risk of overweight or obesity in children

A study published in the BMJ Open journal shows that even moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy, one to two cups per day, is related to a risk of overweight or obesity in school age children.

11 May 2018

Engineers aim to create ultrasound helmet that could provide real-time images during surgery

Ultrasound technology for the brain could mean real-time images during surgery, a better idea of which areas get stimulated by certain feelings or actions and, ultimately, an effective way for people to control software and robotics by thinking about it.

9 May 2018

Woman should not be compelled by law to take pregnancy-related risks

Laws should not force women to risk death and injury by having a baby, according to a QUT legal academic who has says abortion can be decriminalized without society and governments making a moral judgment.

3 May 2018

Caffeine during pregnancy - babies 66 percent more likely to become overweight

A new study has shown that babies carry a 30 percent increased risk of being overweight when they are exposed to two cups of coffee daily while within the mother’s womb. If the mothers were consuming more than three cups of coffee a day while they were pregnant, the babies were 66 percent more likely to become overweight.

25 Apr 2018

Painkiller use during pregnancy could affect unborn child's fertility in later life

Taking painkillers during pregnancy could affect the fertility of the unborn child in later life, research suggests.

16 Apr 2018

Mother's stress during pregnancy changes brain connectivity in-utero

The time babies spend in the womb is far from idle. The brain is changing more rapidly during this time than at any other time in development. It is an active time for the fetus to grow and explore, and of course connect to its mother.

26 Mar 2018

Leading experts to promote cardiovascular health at EuroPrevent 2018

The impact of nutrition and lifestyle on cardiovascular health will be key elements discussed by health professionals during EuroPrevent 2018 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in April. EuroPrevent is the annual congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, a branch of the European Society of Cardiology.

23 Mar 2018

New 3D tissue model of developing heart could be used to test safety of drugs during pregnancy

The heart is the first organ to develop in the womb and the first cause of concern for many parents.

16 Mar 2018

One in 14 pregnant women continue to smoke

According to a report released this week (28th February 2018), one in 14 women who have given birth in the United States has smoked during their pregnancy despite warnings regarding the harmful effects of the same. The report comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC’s) National Center for Health Statistics.

1 Mar 2018