Prenatal News and Research

RSS

Mother-infant touch and contact promote baby's neurophysiological development

As the world prioritizes social distancing to stop or slow down the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), a new study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University demonstrates that mother-infant touch and contact are essential for optimal neurodevelopmental regulation in early infancy.

25 Mar 2020

Diet affects sperm and the health of offspring

A new study published in the journal Molecular Cell, in March 2020, reports that parental diet is a crucial factor in the future metabolic health of the offspring.

19 Mar 2020

Researchers uncover molecular events underlying paternal diet-induced metabolic disorders in children

When parents eat low-protein or high-fat diets it can lead to metabolic disorders in their adult offspring. Now, an international team led by researchers at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research have identified a key player and the molecular events underlying this phenomenon in mice.

19 Mar 2020

Drug from scorpion venom could offer hope for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

A research team led by Children's National Hospital faculty was able to "rescue" a pre-clinical model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in juvenile models, reversing motor skill deficits with the help of a novel drug derived from scorpion venom.

18 Mar 2020

Air pollution exposure takes a heavy toll on gut bacteria, boosting risk of chronic illnesses

Breathing dirty air takes a heavy toll on gut bacteria, boosting risk of obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and other chronic illnesses, new University of Colorado Boulder research suggests.

11 Mar 2020

Scientists explore link between fruit consumption during pregnancy and infant cognition

You may have heard of a 2016 study linking cognitive enhancement in babies with eating more fruit during pregnancy. But how strong is that link? That's the question scientists at the University of Alberta asked as they set out to verify the findings in a new study.

4 Mar 2020

Cannabis use more prevalent among pregnant women with depression

Cannabis use is much more common among pregnant women with depression and pregnant women with depression are more than 3 times more likely to use cannabis than those without depression, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

3 Mar 2020

New tool shows potential to predict developmental toxicity in humans with high accuracy

Recently published results from an evaluation of 1,065 chemical and drug substances using the devTOX quickPredict (devTOXqP) screening platform developed by Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc. demonstrated the platform's ability to predict developmental toxicity in humans with high accuracy using a cell-based test.

3 Mar 2020

Women with independent living challenges have highest risk for unintended pregnancy

Pregnancies among women with disabilities are 42% more likely to be unintended than pregnancies among women without disabilities, says a new report published in the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.

28 Feb 2020

Study analyzes the effect of maternal smoking on newborns’ body size and proportion

Although quitting smoking during the 1st trimester of pregnancy reduces the risk of low birth weight, it isn't enough to protect the unborn child from being born shorter and with smaller brain size, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows.

26 Feb 2020

As the coronavirus spreads, Americans lose ground against other health threats

Antibiotics revolutionized the care of infections. Vaccines turned deadly childhood diseases into distant memories. Americans lived longer, healthier lives than their parents.

26 Feb 2020

Chronic inflammation in pregnancy associated with neurodevelopmental delays in offspring

In pregnant women, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression and anxiety can increase the chances of learning delays, behavior problems and mental health issues in their children's early years.

25 Feb 2020

Study: About 8% of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol few weeks before birth

About 8 percent of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol two to four weeks before birth, according to a new study.

20 Feb 2020

FETO therapy produces favorable outcomes when fetal and maternal care are highly coordinated

Researchers from The Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy report new evidence that fetuses with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a rare but life-threatening, lung-damaging condition, experience a significantly high rate of success for the fetal treatment known as FETO, if they and their mothers receive coordinated and highly experienced care in the same expert setting.

20 Feb 2020

Research looks at prenatal cannabis use

More and more, pregnant women today are using cannabis, which is mostly for relieving stress and coping with mood changes. However, the risk associated with this for pregnant women who have mental ill-health or trauma is mostly unexplored.

19 Feb 2020

Autism in young boys linked to phthalate exposure before birth

A new study published in February 2020 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives shows that being exposed to phthalates during intrauterine life is associated with the occurrence of autistic traits in boys 3-4 years old, but not in girls. These include poor social interaction, repetitive behavior, and a narrow range of interests, stopping short of an actual diagnosis of autism.

19 Feb 2020

Text messaging helps improve access to prenatal health information, study finds

Pregnant urban African American and immigrant Afro-Caribbean women are more likely to receive the prenatal health information they need if they are given access to mhealth apps like Text4baby.

14 Feb 2020

OB-GYNs recommend low-dose aspirin for all patients to prevent preeclampsia

Lowering the risk of developing a life-threatening condition while pregnant is as simple as taking low-dose aspirin every day, according to OB-GYNs at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

13 Feb 2020

Digital solution for a smart pregnancy

Wouldn't it be handy if you were able to record your baby's heartbeat or even take an ultrasound scan just using a smartphone app at home, without having to make an appointment to visit your obstetrician or go to the hospital, with all the additional travel and waiting time that entails? Technology is currently being developed which ought to make this possible in the near future.