Birth Weight News and Research

RSS

Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothers, babies

Women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report by the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.

7 May 2008

Extra iron for infants who don't need it might delay development

A new study suggests that extra iron for infants who don't need it might delay development -- results that fuel the debate over optimal iron supplement levels and could have huge implications for the baby formula and food industry.

5 May 2008

Factors affecting survival, disability of extremely premature infants identified

Gestational age has long been the factor most commonly used to predict whether an extremely low-birth-weight infant survives and thrives, but four additional factors that can help predict a preemie's outcome have been identified by the National Institutes of Health Neonatal Research Network, of which Yale is a member.

29 Apr 2008

Social networking, malaria and philanthropy partnership

Philanthropy just got easier and a lot more accessible to the public thanks to the social networking power of the Internet and a ground-breaking partnership between a young British entrepreneur, a global health think tank and an African medical research institute.

20 Apr 2008

Study shows factors influencing premature infant survival, disability

Based on observations of more than 4,000 infants, researchers in an NIH newborn research network have identified several factors that influence an extremely low birth weight infant's chances for survival and disability. The findings offer new information to physicians and families considering the most appropriate treatment options for this category of infants.

17 Apr 2008

Low birth weight linked to heart disease

According to new research from Britain, being small at birth along with an excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood are indicators for future heart disease risk.

14 Apr 2008

Low birth weight and heart problems

Researchers who have followed 5,840 people from before birth to the age of 31 have found evidence suggesting that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may lead to low grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.

10 Apr 2008

Pregnant teens don't get no smoking message

According to a new study pregnant teenagers don't get the no smoking message and almost half of all Australian teenage prospective mothers continue to smoke during pregnancy.

7 Apr 2008

Being born bottom first is inherited

A baby is twice as likely to be born bottom first if either or both the parents were themselves breech deliveries, according to a study published ahead of print on bmj.com.

31 Mar 2008

African-American women less likely to reduce drinking during pregnancy

New Saint Louis University research found that although white women are more likely to drink or binge drink prior to pregnancy, African-American women are less likely to reduce drinking during pregnancy, which may be linked to a higher rate of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) among the population.

20 Mar 2008

Quit smoking during pregnancy for a happier baby

New research from the UK has revealed that women who smoke heavily during pregnancy have the most difficult babies.

13 Mar 2008

Current recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy should be revised, says expert

Current recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy - developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1990 - should be revised, according to an internationally recognized obesity expert and chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women's health at Saint Louis University.

12 Mar 2008

Guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy should be revised

Current recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy - developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1990 - should be revised, according to an internationally recognized obesity expert and chairman of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at Saint Louis University.

10 Mar 2008

Black babies with very low birth weights more likely to be born in hospitals with high neonatal death rates

In New York City, black babies with very low birth weights (less than 1,500 grams, or 3 pounds, 5 ounces) are more likely to be born in hospitals with high risk-adjusted neonatal death rates, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study in the March issue of Pediatrics.

4 Mar 2008

Smoking and pre-eclampsia

Pregnant women who suffer from the high risk condition pre-eclampsia which leads to the death of hundreds of babies every year are putting the lives of their unborn children at significantly increased risk if they continue to smoke during pregnancy.

26 Feb 2008

Genetic and environmental hormonal response to stress in children depends on family context

A study conducted on 346 19-month-old twins by an international team led by Universite Laval professor of psychology Michel Boivin reveals that the genetic and environmental bases of hormonal response to stress depend on the context in which a child grows up.

21 Feb 2008

Study explains preeclampsia develops

In a study of pregnant women, those with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure were found to have higher levels of a peptide that raises blood pressure in the pieces of tissue linking mother and fetus, according to researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

11 Feb 2008