Newborn News and Research

RSS

Moms and babies more likely to die when co-ICU arises

When mothers and newborns are both admitted to intensive care units they are significantly more likely to die than when neither is admitted to an ICU, new research has found.

23 Oct 2012

Mother–baby intensive care admission carries high mortality risk

Mothers and newborns who are both admitted to an intensive care unit are significantly more likely to die than mother–baby pairs who are not, a study suggests.

22 Oct 2012

Gothenburg researchers aim to discover new methods for treatment of childhood obesity

By studying intestinal flora in newborn children, Professor Fredrik Bäckhed and his team of researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, aim to discover new methods to treat childhood obesity.

17 Oct 2012

FOS prebiotic could replace intravenous feeding in pediatric patients with intestinal failure

Adding the right prebiotic to the diets of pediatric patients with intestinal failure could replace intravenous feeding, says a new University of Illinois study.

16 Oct 2012

Clinical prediction rules developed for chorioamnionitis in preterm babies

A clinical prediction rule composed of clinical birth variables could be used to predict histologic chorioamnionitis and histologic chorioamnionitis with fetal involvement in preterm babies, a study shows.

15 Oct 2012

Embryonic neuron transplants could effectively treat brain diseases

The unexpected survival of embryonic neurons transplanted into the brains of newborn mice in a series of experiments at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) raises hope for the possibility of using neuronal transplantation to treat diseases like Alzheimer's, epilepsy, Huntington's, Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

15 Oct 2012

Longer looks: Mitt Romney's health care legacy; Closing of Philly hospitals brings 'grim consequences;' Young doctors and their apps

A journey into the places, people, and decisive moments that made the men who are competing for the presidency. ...As governor, Romney knew he needed what political pros called a "legacy issue" if he wanted to run for president one day. He devoted his energy towards reforming health care, an issue that Democrats had been grappling with and a problem that cost the state dearly as taxpayers bore the brunt of covering the uninsured.

11 Oct 2012

RMND1 gene mutations responsible for severe neurodegenerative disorders

Scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University working with a team at Oxford University have uncovered the genetic defect underlying a group of rare genetic disorders.

10 Oct 2012

Biologists solve long-standing scientific mystery of how mice first know to nurse or suckle

A team led by biologists at The Scripps Research Institute has solved the long-standing scientific mystery of how mice first know to nurse or suckle.

5 Oct 2012

Newborn mice use mum's unique odour to begin breastfeeding

Researchers show for the first time that a mammal begins to suckle its mother's milk through a learned response built on learning her unique combination of smells. When it is born, the newborn is exposed to the smell of its mother's amniotic fluid and the baby then responds to those smells to feed.

5 Oct 2012

Study shows impact of obstetric unit closures on outcomes of mothers and babies

After a series of Philadelphia hospitals started closing their maternity units in 1997, infant mortality rates increased by nearly 50 percent over the next three years. The mortality rates subsequently leveled off to the same rate as before the closures, but pediatric researchers say their results underscore the need for careful oversight and planning by public health agencies in communities experiencing serious reductions in obstetric services.

5 Oct 2012

Ketamine can help improve brain function in Rett syndrome mice

A promising study out today in the prestigious Journal of Neurosciences showed that in a mouse model of Rett syndrome, researchers were able to reverse abnormalities in brain activity and improve neurological function by treating the animals with an FDA-approved anesthesia drug, ketamine.

4 Oct 2012

BPA exposure can impact thyroid hormones in pregnant women and newborns

Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like compound that has drawn increased scrutiny in recent years, has been linked to changes in thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women and newborn boys, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

4 Oct 2012

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011, and the improvement was across the board -- every racial and ethnic group benefited, and there were fewer preterm babies born at all stages of pregnancy, according to preliminary birth data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics.

4 Oct 2012

Devex interviews global health experts during U.N. week

During last week's events in New York, including the U.N. General Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Social Good Summit, Devex interviewed several newsmakers on the sidelines of the meetings. WHO Assistant Director-General on Family, Women and Children's Health Flavia Bustreo in an interview with Devex said three challenges to continuing to lower maternal, child, and infant death rates include improving accountability, channeling resources to areas with the least improvement, and keeping a focus on women and children.

3 Oct 2012

Gentle chiropractic care improves child's overall health and well-being

Irritation to a young person's nervous system can begin in utero. The baby's position during delivery (natural or cesarean) can create stress on their nervous system. Even a "normal, healthy" birth can induce 40-50 pounds of pressure on a newborn's neck and spine.

29 Sep 2012

Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health receives $20 billion in new money

The Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health has received about $20 billion in new money, according to a new report from The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).

28 Sep 2012

NBSTRN develops new tool for newborn screening researchers

After one-and-a-half years of intense development, end-user testing, a successful pilot, and through a contract to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Newborn Screening Translational Research Network (NBSTRN) Coordinating Center has developed a centralized, web-based virtual repository of newborn dried blood spots (DBS) as an indispensable tool for newborn screening researchers.

27 Sep 2012

Comprehensive prenatal care can decrease rates of low birth weights

Comprehensive prenatal care can decrease the rate of low birth weights, according to a study led by Dr. Yasmin Neggers, a University of Alabama researcher and professor of human nutrition and hospitality management.

25 Sep 2012

More money, focus needed to reach maternal, child health MDGs

Though the global community has "made incredible inroads" on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), "the majority of developing countries are still expected to fall short of the MDG targets for reducing maternal and child mortality by 2015," Carole Presern, director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), writes in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog.

24 Sep 2012