Prenatal News and Research

RSS

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

New guideline recommends first-trimester screening of pregnant women for asymptomatic bacteriuria

First-trimester screening of pregnant women for asymptomatic bacteriuria -- higher than normal bacteria levels without symptoms of a bladder infection -- is recommended by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care in an updated guideline in CMAJ

9 Jul 2018

NIPD offers reliable detection of fetal trisomies

Until a few years ago, invasive testing was the only way to diagnose trisomies, such as the Down syndrome, before birth. These invasive tests, for example amniocentesis, have a risk of causing miscarriage.

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

Screening mothers for PPD in emergency setting

It's a scenario that Children's emergency medicine specialist Lenore Jarvis, M.D., M.Ed., has seen countless times: A mother brings her infant to the emergency department in the middle of the night with a chief complaint of the baby being fussy. Nothing she does can stop the incessant crying, she tells the triage nurse.

30 Jun 2018

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may not be linked to increased risk of ADHD symptoms

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may not be associated with an increased risk of attention-deficit and hyperactivity symptoms in children aged 3 to 10 years.

26 Jun 2018

Study: Effects of in vitro fertilization depend on genetic variation inherited from parents

In vitro fertilization affects the regulatory region of genes essential for placental and embryonic growth, as well as the birth weight.

19 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 suggests state-of-the-art genomic testing for routine autopsy of stillbirths

Pregnancy loss and the death of a newborn baby are devastating events, and as of today around 25% of these perinatal deaths are unexplained despite autopsy.

18 Jun 2018

Vitamin D level in girls associated with muscle strength

Girls are stronger with higher levels of vitamin D, but the association was not found in boys. These are the results from a new large study from the Odense Child Cohort, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

14 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

Study shows modest link between mother’s attitude towards baby during pregnancy and later interactions

Mothers who 'connect' with their baby during pregnancy are more likely to interact in a more positive way with their infant after it is born, according to a study carried out at the University of Cambridge. Interaction is important for helping infants learn and develop.

12 Jun 2018

‘Where the need is’: Tackling teen pregnancy with a midwife at school

The student comes in for a pregnancy test — the second time she has asked for one in a matter of weeks. She’s 15. She lives with her boyfriend. He wants kids — he won’t use protection. She loves him, she says. But she doesn’t want to get pregnant. She knows how much harder it would be for her to finish high school.

12 Jun 2018

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to tobacco smoke linked with hearing impairment in children

Exposure to tobacco smoke prenatally and postnatally was associated with hearing impairment in a Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology study of young children in Japan.

6 Jun 2018

Zinc and copper metabolism in baby teeth may help predict ASD risk

Using evidence found in baby teeth, researchers from the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report that cycles involved in zinc and copper metabolism are dysregulated in autism spectrum disorder, and can be used to predict who will later develop the disease.

30 May 2018

New studies focus on vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy, for infants, children

Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and for infants and children is the focus of two studies, an editorial and a patient page.

30 May 2018

Research shines spotlight on placenta's critical role in genetic risk for schizophrenia

Hiding in plain sight, new research shines a spotlight on the placenta's critical role in nature versus nurture debate and how it confers risk for schizophrenia and likely other neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD, autism, and Tourette syndrome.

28 May 2018

Scientists develop new test to predict woman's risk of preterm birth

Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a test to predict a woman's risk of preterm birth when she is between 15 and 20 weeks pregnant, which may enable doctors to treat them early and thereby prevent severe complications later in the pregnancy.

24 May 2018