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Placenta barrier-on-a-chip could help explain why babies are born prematurely

More than one in 10 babies worldwide are born prematurely, according to the World Health Organization. Now scientists report in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering that they have developed an organ-on-a-chip that could help explain why.

1 Aug 2018

Women with PCOS more likely to have an autistic child

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data carried out by a team at Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre.

1 Aug 2018

Father’s genes can affect quality of maternal care received by a newborn

A father’s genes are no longer thought to just provide a blueprint for the growth and development of their offspring.

1 Aug 2018

Viagra in pregnancy trial stopped after 11 newborn babies died

A Dutch clinical trial was looking at the potential of Sildenafil or impotence drug Viagra to improve the growth in unborn babies of pregnant women. The study had to be stopped prematurely after the death of eleven babies.

25 Jul 2018

Mother’s sleep can impact health of their growing baby, shows research

How much sleep mothers get when they are pregnant can impact on the health of their growing baby, according to a new scoping study conducted by the University of South Australia.

23 Jul 2018

New vaccine could protect unborn babies from Zika virus

Until recently, the Zika virus was not a priority since it affected relatively few people and the cost of creating a vaccine was estimated at EUR 149-468 million. But the spread of Zika in the Americas and discovery of a link with reduced head size and brain damage in babies of women infected while pregnant changed that.

20 Jul 2018

Researchers raise viability of cloned mice using somatic cell nuclear transfer method

An international group of researchers have raised the viability of mice that were cloned using a method called somatic cell nuclear transfer, by stimulating two epigenetic factors, and by doing this have shown that creating cloned animals more efficiently will require further work in the area of epigenetics.

20 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

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

New lab-on-a-chip technology could soon help detect fetal genetic abnormalities in early pregnancy

Biomedical engineers Dr Marnie Winter and Professor Benjamin Thierry from UniSA's Future Industries Institute and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology are part of a team of researchers who have isolated fetal cells from maternal blood using a tiny microfluidic device, allowing for improved genetic testing.

11 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

Scientists take a deep dive into differences between Zika and dengue virus

More than two years after reports of skyrocketing Zika rates surfaced worldwide, questions still loom about this complicated virus.

6 Jul 2018

Scientists use stem cells to uncover why the Zika virus is so infective

Researchers have made an important discovery about the Zika virus that could lead to the development of more effective measures to protect people.

5 Jul 2018

Study explains why men are more at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders

A new study has shed light on the reason why males are more at risk than females for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and ADHD.

4 Jul 2018

New heat stable version of Carbetocin to prevent hemorrhage after birth

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that a new heat stable version of a drug Carbetocin can save lives of new mothers could “revolutionize” therapy. The results of the study looking at the effectiveness of the new version of the drug were published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

28 Jun 2018

Mice study opens new avenues to develop therapies for growth disorders

Maintaining equal growth rates in opposing limbs is crucial for animals to achieve a symmetrical adult form; what happens if something goes wrong with one limb during development?

27 Jun 2018

Technology breakthrough could enable detection of fetal genetic abnormalities in early pregnancy

A wide range of fetal genetic abnormalities could soon be detected in early pregnancy thanks to a world-first study led by University of South Australia researchers using lab-on-a-chip, non-invasive technology.

18 Jun 2018

Study shows effectiveness of prenatal Tdap vaccine in preventing infant pertussis

A study published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows the effectiveness of the Tdap vaccine for infants whose mothers receive the vaccine during pregnancy.

14 Jun 2018

Research shows programmed postnatal transition in newborn’s heart

In the fetus, the blood vessel known as the ductus arteriosus or ductus Botalli bypasses blood from the lung artery to the aorta.

13 Jun 2018

Impaired maternal-fetal environment associated with lower survival after surgery in newborns with CHD

Children who undergo surgery for congenital heart disease have lower survival rates by three years of age if there are specific problems during fetal development, such as hypertension in the mother or the newborn being born preterm or small for gestational age.

30 May 2018