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Boston IVF to offer test of women's biological clock in the northeast

Boston IVF has announced it will be the first IVF center in the northeast to offer Repromedix's Plan Ahead test, an innovative blood test that provides an assessment of a woman's egg supply by combining multiple factors including the measurement of ovary-related hormones AMH, Inhibin B, and FSH.

22 Jan 2008

New research may shed light on how proteins interact with drugs and other small molecules

Proteins, the biological molecules involved in virtually every action of every organism, may themselves move in surprising ways, according to a recent study from the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory that may shed new light on how proteins interact with drugs and other small molecules.

16 Jan 2008

New folic acid seal helps women choose enriched grain foods to help prevent birth defects

Not enough American women understand that consuming the B vitamin folic acid every day can help prevent serious birth defects, and only 40 percent are taking daily multivitamin supplements containing this essential nutrient beginning before pregnancy, two recent surveys show.

14 Jan 2008

Pregnant women who are overweight/obese set the stage for offspring's obesity risk

The number of overweight and obese Americans continues to grow rapidly. Today, 50 percent of adults are overweight and up to 20 percent are obese. While the number of overweight/obese children is at an all time high, the steady increase of overweight infants -- individuals under 11 months old -- is alarming.

4 Jan 2008

Likelihood of falling pregnant steadily decreases the fatter a woman is

A new study of obesity and the probability of pregnancy has shown that a woman's chances of a spontaneous pregnancy steadily decrease the fatter she is.

13 Dec 2007

More evidence that biological factors play a significant role in the development of sexual orientation

A study of men in Ontario, Canada provides a new twist on the connection between sexual/relational orientation and right or left-handedness.

27 Nov 2007

First chemical evidence of a sperm recognition system in the oviducts of pigs

Adding another layer of competition to the mating game, scientists are reporting possible biochemical proof that the reproductive system of female mammals can "sense" the presence of sperm and react to it by changing the uterine environment.

19 Nov 2007

New studies add weight to link between pre-eclampsia and heart disease

Two studies, published together on bmj.com, add further weight to the theory that pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular diseases may share common causes or mechanisms.

2 Nov 2007

Pope says pharmacists have right to conscientiously object to fill emergency contraception

Pope Benedict XVI on Monday at the 25th International Congress of Catholic Pharmacists in Rome told attendees that they have a right to conscientiously object to dispensing drugs such as emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy if take up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse, the AP/Google.com reports (Winfield, AP/Google.com, 10/29).

31 Oct 2007

Low-dose aspirin for in vitro fertilisation

Although it is inexpensive, easy to obtain and poses little health risk, women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) cannot rely upon aspirin to help them become pregnant, according to a systematic review of nine studies.

23 Oct 2007

Discovery on human individuality and maternal and paternal DNA

Have you ever wondered why you inherited your mother's smile but not your father's height?

18 Oct 2007

Why teen mums are at risk of having low birthweight babies

The UK has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. In Scotland, one in ten babies are born to a teenage mother.

24 Sep 2007

Metformin could potentially improve pregnancy outcomes in women with insulin resistance

Women who are obese, have type 2 diabetes or a family history of type 2 diabetes could one day have more successful pregnancies because of a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

10 Sep 2007

Baby's conception and birth influences mother's dreams

The conception and birth of a child are emotional events that influence the dreams of most new mothers. In a surprisingly high number of cases, this influence reflects negative aspects of maternal responsibility, depicting the new infant in dreamed situations of danger and provoking anxiety in the mother that often spills over into wakefulness.

3 Sep 2007

Effects of obesity on egg and infertility discovered

A researcher at the University of Adelaide, Australia, has discovered scientific evidence that obesity is a key factor in infertility – because of how it affects women's eggs.

24 Aug 2007

First case of successful ovarian tissue transplantation between two, nonidentical sisters

A woman, whose ovaries had failed due to damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, has received a successful ovarian transplant from her genetically non-identical sister.

3 Aug 2007

Report reveals pregnancies exposed to accutane despite iPledge

Despite a mandatory program designed to prevent pregnant women from being exposed to the anti-acne medication Accutane and similar medications containing isotretinoin (a known teratogen or birth defect-causing agent), 122 pregnancies were exposed during the first year of the program, known as iPledge, a report revealed.

1 Aug 2007