Prenatal News and Research

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Viewpoints: Could Congress sue Obama?; abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers

President Obama is setting a dangerous precedent by suspending his enforcement of laws on health care, immigration, drugs, banking and so much else, but the courts may soon be asked to throw a brushback pitch. .

17 Jun 2014

University of Kentucky receives $12.2 million grant to reduce negative health from hazardous chemicals

The University of Kentucky has received a $12.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue its work to better understand and minimize negative health and environmental impacts from hazardous waste sites.

17 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 11, 2014

Today's headlines include a range of stories about the upset of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor -- a Virginia primary election shocker -- as well as continuing coverage of health law implementation issues and congressional responses to the VA's health care troubles.

11 Jun 2014

Text4baby benefits pregnant women

The leading mobile health service in the nation, Text4baby, was found to significantly benefit pregnant women, according to a new study led by Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University and the Madigan Army Medical Center.

10 Jun 2014

NIDA review offers new insights into the negative health effects of marijuana

The current state of science on the adverse health effects of marijuana use links the drug to several significant adverse effects including addiction, a review reports.

9 Jun 2014

Sequenom signs national agreement to provide MaterniT21 PLUS LDT

Sequenom, Inc., a life sciences company providing innovative testing and genetic analysis solutions, announced today its wholly owned subsidiary, Sequenom Laboratories, has signed a national agreement with a leading health insurance company covering 13 million people throughout the United States, to provide the MaterniT21™ PLUS laboratory-developed test (LDT).

9 Jun 2014

Hispanic women urged to be informed about pregnancy and baby health

Hispanic women are significantly more likely to have a baby with a neural tube birth defect, and nearly a quarter of all preterm births in the United States are Hispanic, according to a new report from the March of Dimes.

4 Jun 2014

Common antidepressant use during pregnancy may contribute to higher risk of ASD in children

A new study from researchers at Drexel University adds evidence that using common antidepressant medications during pregnancy may contribute to a higher risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children, although this risk is still very small.

4 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

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be linked to lower IQs

A new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers has found that prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be significantly linked to lower IQs and greater hyperactivity in five-year old children.

29 May 2014

Sex cell determination requires maintenance throughout life

The way in which the sex of an organism is determined may require lifelong maintenance, finds new research from the University of Minnesota.

23 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

Study: Children's asthma linked to air pollution in 2nd trimester of pregnency

Children who are exposed in utero to high levels of particulate air pollution during the second trimester of pregnancy may be at greater risk of developing asthma in early childhood, according to a new study presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

20 May 2014

Breastfeeding initiation and success impacted by diabetes status of mother

Women diagnosed with diabetes before or during pregnancy are less likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding their newborns than women without diabetes, a new study suggests. Led by clinician-scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and collaborating institutions, the findings point to areas for improved prenatal and postnatal education of women with diabetes.

20 May 2014

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can increase asthma risk in children

19 May 2014

New approach to detect chromosomal abnormalities without harm to mother or fetus

Chromosomal abnormalities that result in birth defects and genetic disorders like Down syndrome remain a significant health burden in the United States and throughout the world, with some current prenatal screening procedures invasive and a potential risk to mother and unborn child.

7 May 2014

Rat pups exposed to tobacco smoke are at higher risk of developing metabolic disease

While many parents-to-be are aware that the health of their baby starts before they've actually arrived into the world, recent research reveals that "harm" (i.e., tobacco smoke, dirty air, poor nutrition, even preeclampsia) may not present itself disease-wise until well into adulthood or when a second harmful "hit" triggers the individual's susceptibility.

6 May 2014

Physiology researcher receives grant to study effects of plastics on cardiovascular system

Nikki Posnack, Ph.D., a post-doctoral pharmacology and physiology researcher at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), received a $209,926 grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study plastics and their potential human health risks, particularly in the cardiovascular system.