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Skin sensors for antenatal surveillance in developing countries

A new study published in March 2020 in the journal Nature Medicine reports the use of a wireless system of skin-mounted sensors to monitor the health of newborn babies in an inexpensive and versatile platform that can be adapted to the vast majority of healthcare settings with ease.

11 Mar 2020

What is the best week for the birth of twins?

A new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics indicates that the optimal time of birth for twins is at 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

9 Mar 2020

Gene therapy reverses cardiac dysfunction in mice with Barth syndrome

Barth syndrome is a rare metabolic disease in boys caused by mutation of a gene called tafazzin or TAZ. It can cause life-threatening heart failure and also weakens the skeletal muscles, undercuts the immune response, and impairs overall growth.

9 Mar 2020

Immune systems of preemies can catch up

According to a new study published in March 2020 in the journal Nature Communications, babies born prematurely up to 32 weeks of pregnancy can quickly catch up on their immune system function after birth, bringing them to a state comparable to term infants.

9 Mar 2020

Harmless fMRI provides the earliest peek into visual cortex of newborns

Within hours of birth, a baby's gaze is drawn to faces. Now, brain scans of newborns reveal the neurobiology underlying this behavior, showing that as young as six days old a baby's brain appears hardwired for the specialized tasks of seeing faces and seeing places.

2 Mar 2020

Length of pregnancy related to chemical DNA changes in newborns

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have together with an international team mapped the relationship between length of pregnancy and chemical DNA changes in more than 6,000 newborn babies.

2 Mar 2020

New mobile phone app developed to determine risk of preterm birth

An improved mobile phone app will help identify women who need special treatments at the right time and reduce emotional and financial burden on families and the NHS.

2 Mar 2020

Clinical factors during pregnancy associated with congenital CMV infection in newborns

A group led by researchers from Kobe University has illuminated clinical factors that are related to the occurrence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in newborns.

28 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

Therapeutic hypothermia effectively targets brain injury sites

When a newborn suffers lack of oxygen before or during birth, doctors have very little time to save precious brain tissue.

20 Feb 2020

Daily moisturizer does not prevent eczema according to new research

Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a skin condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, and dry due to inflammation. Most commonly found in babies and children, previous recommendations say that daily moisturizer use is crucial in preventing eczema bouts.

20 Feb 2020

Researchers uncover why Zika virus caused most harmful brain damage to Brazilian newborns

Due to Zika virus, more than 1,600 babies were born in Brazil with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, from September 2015 through April 2016.

18 Feb 2020

Potential method for better treatment of premature babies

A new study published in the journal Immunology in February 2020 reports the discovery of a process that occurs in the body naturally, but which enhances the production of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in the lung alveoli of premature babies. These are sentinel cells that keep the mucosal surfaces clean and healthy. They are crucial to building resistance to infection within the human body.

18 Feb 2020

Scientists may have a way to boost innate lung immunity in preterm babies

The continuing epidemic of pre-term birth includes this stark reality: tiny, fragile babies are born with underdeveloped lungs and prone to lifelong respiratory infections and related chronic illnesses.

18 Feb 2020

Stress in kids could have long term genetic consequences finds study

Researchers have found that being separated from parents at a young age could lead to a rise in stress hormones, which could have direct consequences on altering the genetic makeup of the child, which can then be passed on to the future generations. The study titled, "Childcare outside the family for the under-threes: cause for concern?" was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

16 Feb 2020

New 'smart' diaper can alert caregiver when it is time to change

For some infants, a wet diaper is cause for an instant, vociferous demand to be changed, while other babies may be unfazed and happy to haul around the damp cargo for lengthy periods without complaint. But if worn too long, a wet diaper can cause painful rashes, and miserable babies -- and parents.

16 Feb 2020

Improving ability to predict autism risk with few drops of blood

Within days of birth, a few drops of blood are collected from every newborn in California--and across the United States -- which are then stored on filter paper and screened for dozens of genetic and congenital disorders, such as phenylketonuria, an inherited metabolic disorder that can result in intellectual disability, seizures, heart and behavioral problems.

13 Feb 2020

Study finds no evidence of intrauterine vertical transmission of COVID-19 infection

There is currently no evidence that the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causes severe adverse outcomes in neonates or that it can pass to the child while in the womb, according to a small observational study of women from Wuhan, China, who were in the third trimester of pregnancy and had pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

12 Feb 2020

Minigenes produced by CRISPR combat liver disease in mice

A new gene-editing technique based on CRISPR was used to successfully avoid the development of a liver disease that can be caused by hundreds of mutations, as well as to ease the symptoms in mice. This proof-of-concept study was published online in the journal Science Advances in February 2020.

12 Feb 2020

Telemedicine can help pregnant women struggling with opioids

Sarah, a military veteran living on the coast of South Carolina, knew she had a problem. The opioids prescribed for her pain were becoming a headache of their own.

11 Feb 2020