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Evolutionarily novel genes found to be expressed in tumors

A team of scientists from Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) studied the evolutionary ages of human genes and identified a new class of them expressed in tumors -- tumor specifically expressed, evolutionarily novel (TSEEN) genes.

16 Dec 2019

Perinatal exposure of rats to flame retardants changes the liver epigenome

Studies have shown that perinatal exposure of rats and mice to common flame retardants found in household items permanently reprograms liver metabolism, often leading later in life to insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

13 Dec 2019

Tulane study focuses on treatment of preeclampsia

A Tulane University researcher has received a grant that will support the development of new imaging methods to improve the treatment of preeclampsia.

10 Dec 2019

Water births are safe and cause fewer first and second-degree tears, shows study

A new study found that water births are no more risky than land births, and that women in the water group sustain fewer first and second-degree tears.

10 Dec 2019

Fetal heart rate could predict future heart health of babies

Changes in heart rate due to low oxygen conditions experienced by the fetus during pregnancy could predict the future heart health of babies, suggests research published today in The Journal of Physiology.

6 Dec 2019

Researchers draw an evolutionary link between pregnancy and cancer malignancy

A UConn School of Dental Medicine researcher used pregnancy to unlock a missing link between various species of mammals and cancer malignancy--fundamentally changing the way we look at cancer metastasis.

5 Dec 2019

Common cold virus could infect fetus via placenta

According to researchers, the common cold viruses are capable of infecting human placental cells and may thus transmit the infection to the fetus in the womb during pregnancy. The new study was published in the journal PLOS ONE, and provides the first concrete proof that this type of carriage is possible.

3 Dec 2019

Daughters of women with PCOS five times more likely to develop the syndrome in adulthood

Daughters of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are five times more likely to be diagnosed with PCOS as adults, and the generational transmission is driven by high androgen levels during pregnancy, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden report.

2 Dec 2019

Daily cannabis use during pregnancy associated with delayed fetal growth

Daily marijuana use during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of low birth weight, low resistance to infection, decreased oxygen levels and other negative fetal health outcomes, according to a new study from a team of UNLV Medicine doctors.

2 Dec 2019

Changes in placenta could mean males born to older mothers more prone to heart problems

A new study in rats shows that older mother rats develop poorer placentas which are in turn related to later risk of heart problems in their male offspring. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that both male and female offspring are smaller in size when the mother is older. However, the placental development in older mothers with male fetuses is especially impaired, leading to worse placental function. As a result, heart problems are more common in later life in these offspring, as is high blood pressure.

28 Nov 2019

Placenta changes in older mothers linked to greater odds of heart problems in male offspring

Placenta changes could mean male offspring of older mums more likely to develop heart problems in later life, rat study finds.

28 Nov 2019

Opioid use during pregnancy alters the baby's brain

During pregnancy, everything taken in by the mother crosses the placenta. Opioid use during pregnancy is tied to changes in the baby’s brain, a new study found.

25 Nov 2019

Nanotechnology could help address pre-eclampsia which affects 10 million women

University of South Australia biomedical engineer Dr. Marnie Winter has been awarded US$100,000 from the world's largest private foundation to help better understand and tackle a condition which kills 76,000 women and 500,000 babies each year.

25 Nov 2019

Novel solution could produce accurate, automated placental diagnostic reports

Placentas can provide critical information about the health of the mother and baby, but only 20 percent of placentas are assessed by pathology exams after delivery in the U.S. The cost, time and expertise required to analyze them are prohibitive.

25 Nov 2019

World's first surgical navigation system for fetal surgery developed

The placenta of every expectant mother is located in a different place, its blood vessels are never the same and its connection to the fetus and the umbilical cord also varies from one pregnancy to another.

25 Nov 2019

Eating disorder can affect pregnancy outcome and offspring’s health

A pregnant woman with an eating disorder needs to be screened for complications more carefully because she is high-risk.

21 Nov 2019

Doctors warn against umbilical cord milking in preterm infants

The umbilical cord also termed as the navel string or funiculus umbilicalis, is the channel between the developing fetus and the placenta. It carries oxygenated blood and nutrients from the placenta to the fetus.

20 Nov 2019

Acute kidney injury on the rise in hospitalized pregnant women

A study presented at ASN Kidney Week 2019 (November 5 to November 10) shows that the rate of acute kidney injury (AKI) is rising among US women who are hospitalized in pregnancy. The highest risk is in pregnant diabetic women. Women who suffer acute damage to the kidney while pregnant have 260 times the risk of death while in hospital compared to other pregnant women, at 2.6% vs 0.01%. Both mother and baby are at risk of increased illness and death if the woman has kidney injury during pregnancy.

11 Nov 2019

Zika virus causes altered immune responses and brain abnormalities in healthy pig offspring

Zika virus infection in the womb produces altered immune responses and sex-specific brain abnormalities in apparently healthy pig offspring, according to a study published November 14 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Uladzimir Karniychuk of the University of Saskatchewan, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 11 Nov 2019

Study provides first data on infectious risk in children exposed to non-TNFi biologics and tofacitinib

A new study found that very few serious infections were seen in children born to mothers with chronic inflammatory diseases who used non-TNFi biologics or tofacitinib during pregnancy compared to children not exposed to these drugs and children exposed to TNFi biologics in utero.

10 Nov 2019