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Pregnant women with bird flu pass it on to their unborn

Chinese experts say they have found that pregnant women infected with the H5N1 bird-flu virus can pass the disease on to their unborn babies.

29 Oct 2007

40,000 computers used to tackle bird flu in search for new anti-viral drug discoveries

Last month a collaboration of European and Asian researchers launched a new attack against the deadly bird flu virus, harnessing the combined power of more than 40,000 computers across 45 countries to boost the pace of anti-viral drug discovery.

4 Oct 2007

Cholesterol levels both high and low linked to premature births

A new study suggests that not only is a very low level of cholesterol a danger to pregnant women, but high cholesterol too increases the risk of premature birth.

3 Oct 2007

Low maternal cholesterol levels may lead to adverse birth outcomes

Pregnant women who have very low cholesterol may face a greater risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with more moderate cholesterol levels, a team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reported today.

2 Oct 2007

H5N1 able to pass through placenta to fetus and infect organs other than lungs in adults

The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus can pass through the placenta of pregnant women to the unborn fetus, and can infect organs other than the lungs in adults. These are the conclusions of authors of an Article in The Lancet.

1 Oct 2007

How H5N1 virus works

H5N1 influenza, also known as avian influenza, is considered a major global threat to human health, with high fatality rates.

27 Sep 2007

Trop-2 new target for anti-tumour therapy in cancer

Italian scientists announced (Monday September 24) that they have found a new and promising target for anti-tumour therapy in cancer.

25 Sep 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

Modulating fat levels essential for successful pregnancy

New data, generated in mice by Richard Proia and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, provides a potential reason for early pregnancy loss in humans.

21 Sep 2007

Rapid testing for pre-natal detection of Down syndrome

Scientists in California are reporting an advance toward rapid testing for pre-natal detection of Down syndrome and other birth defects that involve an abnormal number of chromosomes.

18 Sep 2007

Abortion pill does not spoil later pregnancies

According to the latest research the abortion pill poses no apparent risk to a woman who later decides to have a child.

16 Aug 2007

Inflammation from bacterial infections linked to preterm births and deaths

New findings from the mouse study holds potential to develop ways to curb the emotional and economic toll on families that lose babies to preterm labor and fetal death, said Han, a member of from the department of periodontics.

9 Aug 2007

Study looks at progesterone therapy

Progesterone therapy does not reduce the chances of preterm birth in women pregnant with twins, reported researchers in a network sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

3 Aug 2007

Active management of risk in pregnancy lowers Cesarean rates

At a time when national rates of cesarean delivery have climbed above 30%, a four-year study of patients receiving an alternative method of obstetric care experienced a significantly lower rate of cesarean births, according to a study published in the current issue of the Annals of Family Medicine .

1 Aug 2007

Complex assisted reproduction procedures more likely to lead to umbilical cord abnormality

The more complex the assisted reproduction procedure, the more likely the umbilical cord develops in an atypical place or have other abnormalities, a scientist told the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

4 Jul 2007

Natural hormone relaxin offers hope to infertile couples

A new study from the University of Leicester is investigating whether a naturally produced hormone could provide the key to helping couples conceive.

29 Jun 2007

New type of mouse embryonic stem cell discovered

Scientists have discovered a new type of mouse embryonic stem cell that is the closest counterpart yet to human embryonic stem (ES) cells, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced.

28 Jun 2007

Umbilical cord blood may safely preserve insulin production in children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes

University of Florida researchers sought to determine whether it is feasible to use a patient's own cord blood stem cells to neutralize the body's autoimmune attack on the pancreas and help restore the organ's ability to make insulin, which regulates how the body uses sugar and other nutrients for energy.

27 Jun 2007

Fine particulate matter from traffic may influence birth weight

After the scientists had investigated the effects of the exposure of adults and children to particulate matter in the past, they are now first focussing on the risks to unborn life in this recent study.

26 Jun 2007