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.

State highlights: Ohio managed care plans launch; Bluecross Blueshield plan faces Ore. lawsuit; N.Y. policy on unvaccinated children upheld

A selection of health policy stories from Ohio, Oregon, New York, Colorado, Iowa, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, California and Minnesota.

24 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Concerns about ACOs; problems in Va. gov.'s strategy; Medicaid 'black hole'

Although Obamacare's health insurance expansion has directly provided coverage to only about 4 percent of Americans, changes embedded in the Affordable Care Act could affect many more people, and not always in good ways.

24 Jun 2014

Parents opt for emergency room visits to help children attend child care

Substantial proportions of parents chose urgent care or emergency department visits when their sick children were excluded from attending child care, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers.

23 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 23, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including news stories about healthcare.gov management changes.

23 Jun 2014

State highlights: New Fla. abortion restrictions; docs move to affluent areas; farmworkers' mental health in Calif.

A selection of health policy stories from Florida, Wisconsin, California, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina and Maryland.

17 Jun 2014

Researchers create three-dimensional complement of human retinal tissue in a dish

Using a type of human stem cell, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have created a three-dimensional complement of human retinal tissue in the laboratory, which notably includes functioning photoreceptor cells capable of responding to light, the first step in the process of converting it into visual images.

11 Jun 2014

Exposure to elevated levels of steroid hormones in the womb linked to later development of autism

Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark have discovered that children who later develop autism are exposed to elevated levels of steroid hormones (for example testosterone, progesterone and cortisol) in the womb. The finding may help explain why autism is more common in males than females, but should not be used to screen for the condition.

3 Jun 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

Researchers study why male babies generally have worse outcomes than females

Sexual inequality between boys and girls starts as early as in the mother's womb - but how and why this occurs could be a key to preventing higher rates of preterm birth, stillbirth and neonatal death among boys.

28 May 2014

Despite worsening economic conditions, infant health improves among poor Americans

Despite worsening economic conditions for those at the bottom, infant health has steadily improved among the most disadvantaged Americans, according to a review published in Science by Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

23 May 2014

Salk scientists explore earliest detectable changes in the brain that lead to schizophrenia

Using new stem cell technology, scientists at the Salk Institute have shown that neurons generated from the skin cells of people with schizophrenia behave strangely in early developmental stages, providing a hint as to ways to detect and potentially treat the disease early.

14 May 2014

Study: Genetics as well as environment in womb play important roles in development of baby

A recent study led by A*STAR's Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) found that genetics as well as the environment in the womb play important roles in the development of the baby.

29 Apr 2014

Scientists use analysis of epigenetic marks on DNA to measure baby's development in womb

An international study, involving scientists at the University of Southampton, has used an analysis of epigenetic marks on DNA to measure how much a baby's development in the womb is determined by the genes inherited from the parents, as compared with the mother's nutrition, mental health and lifestyle.

28 Apr 2014

Researchers use RNA sequencing to look at early- and late-stage development of the heart

Most people think the development of the heart only happens in the womb, however the days and weeks following birth are full of cellular changes that play a role in the structure and function of the heart. Using mouse models, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have now been able to categorize the alternative splicing (the process in which genes code proteins, determining their role) that takes place during these changes and what mechanisms they affect.

26 Apr 2014

Men's health conditions may be influenced by exposure to testosterone in womb, says study

Men's susceptibility to serious health conditions may be influenced by low exposure to testosterone in the womb, new research suggests.

23 Apr 2014

TSRI scientists to study effects of pain medication on prenatal brain development

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded a $472,500 Cutting Edge Basic Research Award (CEBRA) by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health to study models of the brain development of newborns who have been exposed-and become addicted-to prescription pain medication while still in the womb.

10 Apr 2014

Study examines links between parental obesity and risk of autism developmental in child

Several studies have looked at possible links between maternal obesity during pregnancy and the risk of developmental disorders in the child. However, paternal obesity could be a greater risk factor than maternal obesity, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

8 Apr 2014

Research to identify exact mechanisms behind preterm birth and fetal brain injury

An inflammatory protein that triggers a pregnant mouse's immune response to an infection or other disease appears to cause brain injury in her fetus, but not the premature birth that was long believed to be linked with such neurologic damage in both rodents and humans, new Johns Hopkins-led research suggests.

6 Mar 2014

Researchers discover how 'entrance exam' set by womb determines if implantation of an embryo is successful

Researchers have discovered how an 'entrance exam' set by the womb determines if the implantation of an embryo is successful; potentially a milestone for advances in pregnancy treatments.

7 Feb 2014

Some neurologic diseases associated with prenatal exposure to inflammatory immune responses

Johns Hopkins researchers report that fetal mice — especially males — show signs of brain damage that lasts into their adulthood when they are exposed in the womb to a maternal immune system kicked into high gear by a serious infection or other malady. The findings suggest that some neurologic diseases in humans could be similarly rooted in prenatal exposure to inflammatory immune responses.