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Early risk, attention and brain activation in adolescents born preterm

In one of the first studies to use brain imaging with adolescents born prematurely, New Jersey researchers report that the effects of premature birth and environmental risks on the brain during the first three years of childhood continue through adolescence.

23 Mar 2006

Average pregnancy in the U.S. is now 39 weeks

The most common length of pregnancy in the United States is now 39 weeks, a week shorter than the traditional definition of a full-term pregnancy. This shift occurred between 1992 and 2002, according to a new analysis by the March of Dimes published this month in a special supplement of the journal "Seminars in Perinatology."

23 Mar 2006

Small birthweight and premature birth may be associated with a higher risk of child abuse and neglect

The findings are based on almost 120,000 children born between 1983 and 2001, who had been placed on the child protection register of one county in south east England

15 Mar 2006

Premature babies pre-disposed to psychiatric problems in teens

According to British researchers, being born very premature can affect a child's personality into adulthood.

28 Feb 2006

Project could lead to fall in prescribing errors for children

Initiatives aimed at cutting the number of errors made when prescribing medicines to children are the focus of a project being led by researchers at The University of Nottingham and The School of Pharmacy, University of London.

24 Feb 2006

Low birth weight infants overcome difficulties by adulthood

As young adults, the majority of extremely low birth-weight infants are attaining similar levels of education, employment and independence as normal birth-weight infants, according to a study by researchers at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in the February 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

9 Feb 2006

Preimplantation cell number may affect birthweight

Dr Lieberman et al. at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA have measured the quality of human embryos by counting and assessing the properties of their individual cells.

2 Feb 2006

8 million children born every year with serious birth defects

According to a new report, every year an estimated 8 million children are born with a serious birth defect of genetic or partially genetic origin.

31 Jan 2006

African-American girls have a better chance of survival as premature babies

Extremely premature baby girls, especially those who are African American, are much more likely to survive than extremely premature white boys, according to research published in the January issue of Pediatrics.

26 Jan 2006

Girls and black infants have better chances of survival when born very premature

Black baby girls born weighing 2.2 pounds or less are more than twice as likely to survive as white baby boys born at the same weight, when many preemies are still too tiny to make it on their own, University of Florida researchers have found.

6 Jan 2006

Prem babies more at risk of high blood pressure

According to a new Swedish study, premature birth may create a risk for high blood pressure later in life.

22 Nov 2005

Significant association between gingivitis and preterm birth

Pregnant women will want to include a periodontal evaluation as part of their prenatal care. That's because researchers found that periodontal treatment significantly reduced the risk of having a preterm birth or a low birthweight infant, according to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology.

21 Nov 2005

New respiratory synctial virus treatment for at-risk infants under study

A new, enhanced-potency onoclonal antibody designed to keep the sniffles from turning into a devasting illness in at-risk babies is under study at the Medical College of Georgia Children's Medical Center.

14 Nov 2005

Findings imply that cognitive difficulties can be detected early

The rate of premature births in the United States is on the rise, with one in eight babies born before 37 weeks gestation in 2003, a 13 percent increase from 10 years ago.

14 Nov 2005

Hormonal clue to higher asthma rates in women

According to experts hormone fluctuations resulting from life cycle changes are a factor in higher rates of asthma, more frequent emergency department visits, and higher hospital admission rates in women than in men.

7 Nov 2005

Hormone responsible for types of high blood pressure could also cause preeclampsia

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Academic Health Center have found evidence of a hormone they say is responsible for certain types of high blood pressure (hypertension), and could also cause preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous condition that occurs during pregnancy.

17 Oct 2005

Important developmental link between the cerebrum and the cerebellum

Higher cognitive functions, like language and visual processing, have long been thought to reside primarily in the brain's cerebrum. But a body of research in premature infants at Children's Hospital Boston is documenting an important role for the cerebellum

3 Oct 2005