Prenatal News and Research

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UMD study provides important insights into early sensory development

Some expectant parents play classical music for their unborn babies, hoping to boost their children's cognitive capacity later in life.

7 Nov 2017

Review explains nuances of non-invasive prenatal screening for pregnant women

As the use of non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) grows, there has been concern within the medical community that a poor understanding of this technique among clinicians and patients could negatively impact pregnancies.

3 Nov 2017

Mindfulness may offer coping mechanism for mothers of infants diagnosed with CHD

Mindfulness may offer an active coping mechanism for mothers faced with the stress of having a newborn diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD).

2 Nov 2017

Molecular tests to detect Zika virus should be repeated more than once in pregnant women

Molecular tests to detect Zika virus, which enable identification of the pathogen's genetic material in body fluids, such as blood, urine, semen and saliva during the acute phase of infection, have been used routinely in prenatal checkups for pregnant women with symptoms of the disease.

1 Nov 2017

Study shows effects of prenatal BPA exposure at low levels in developing rodent brain

New research from North Carolina State University reveals that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) at levels below those currently considered safe for humans affects gene expression related to sexual differentiation and neurodevelopment in the developing rat brain.

31 Oct 2017

Continued Paracetamol exposure during pregnancy linked to ADHD in offspring

A new study has found that long term or continued use of acetaminophen or paracetamol during pregnancy is linked to a doubled risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. The study entitled, “Prenatal Exposure to Acetaminophen and Risk of ADHD” was published in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics.

30 Oct 2017

Discovery may provide insight into how Zika virus gets transmitted from mother to fetus

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues in Brazil, report that the Zika virus is transmitted from mother to fetus by infected cells that, ironically, will later develop into the brain's first and primary form of defense against invasive pathogens.

27 Oct 2017

Dogs may protect children from allergic eczema and asthma

"Good dog!" Two studies being presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting show there may be even more reason to love your dog.

27 Oct 2017

Researchers mine blood-based epigenetic data to gain insights into autism biology

Using data from blood and brain tissue, a team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that they could gain insights into mechanisms that might help explain autism by analyzing the interplay between genes and chemical tags that control whether genes are used to make a protein, called epigenetic marks.

25 Oct 2017

Fever in first trimester of pregnancy increases risk for birth defects, study shows

Fevers in a mother's first trimester of pregnancy increase the baby's risk for some heart defects and facial deformities such as cleft lip or palate, but exactly how this happens is unclear. Scientists have debated whether a virus or other infection causes the defects, or if fever alone is the problem.

12 Oct 2017

Experts in obstetric care come together to realize quality measures for high-risk pregnancies

The United States spends significantly more money on the delivery of health care yet experiences inferior results. Maternal and infant mortality rates are elevated in the United States as compared to other high-income nations.

11 Oct 2017

Duke researchers unravel how fever in early pregnancy increases risk for heart, facial birth defects

Researchers have known for decades that fevers in the first trimester of pregnancy increase risk for some heart defects and facial deformities such as cleft lip or palate. Exactly how this happens is unclear. Scientists have debated whether a virus or other infection source causes the defects, or if fever alone is the underlying problem.

10 Oct 2017

Wayne State receives $2 million NIH grant for new study on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which result from maternal alcohol use during pregnancy, is the most common preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disabilities and affects an estimated 2 percent to 5 percent of school-aged children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5 Oct 2017

Researchers find genetic variation linked to effects of prenatal alcohol exposure

Researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have found a genetic variation, which associates with the damage caused by maternal alcohol consumption. This genetic variation clarifies the role of genetic factors in the alcohol-induced developmental disorders and could be useful in future diagnostics.

5 Oct 2017

For some refugees, women’s health care is a culture shock

Dinnertime is nearing, and the kitchen in this tidy home is buzzing. Lamyaa Manty, a 29-year-old Iraqi refugee, wears a neon-pink T-shirt and stirs a big pot of eggplant, onion, potatoes and tomatoes on the stove, a staple of Iraqi cooking called tepsi.

28 Sep 2017

Experts continue to recommend that all pregnant women receive a flu shot

The president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a statement recommending that all pregnant women receive a flu shot during any trimester of their pregnancy.

26 Sep 2017

Objective tool may help improve communication about prenatal weight gain, study shows

Significant improvements in communication between providers and patients surrounding gestational weight gain during prenatal care were found using a new combination of education and a tracking tool in a study by the Mother Baby clinical service line of Allina Health and Children's Minnesota.

26 Sep 2017

Study may provide insights into treating autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders

Alterations in a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called serotonin have been linked to a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

20 Sep 2017

Reporter’s notebook: In health care, a good price is hard to find

A recent story about why Northern California is the most expensive place in the country to have a baby began as a tip from an obstetrician. Dr. Sarah Azad told me that insurers were paying her just a third of what they pay doctors employed by large hospital systems in her town of Mountain View, Calif.

14 Sep 2017

Blood vitamin D levels could help predict multiple sclerosis risk

A new study has shown that assessing blood vitamin D levels may help predict whether a person is at risk of multiple sclerosis (MS).