Umbilical Cord News and Research

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The umbilical cord is the structure that attaches the fetus to the placenta and acts as the medium through which nutrients, gases and waste products travel between the mother and the fetus.

Clinical cell therapy expert shares the benefits of donating cord blood

July is National Cord Blood Awareness Month, and many parents are not aware of the option they have to donate it and the benefits that public donation can bring.

29 Jul 2019

Clinical study demonstrates potential of regenerative therapy for hypoplastic left heart syndrome

A phase I clinical trial is the first research monitored by the Food and Drug Administration that demonstrates the potential of regenerative therapy for hypoplastic left heart syndrome through collecting, processing and injecting an infant's own stem cells directly into the heart at the time of surgery.

24 Jul 2019

Mothers with gestational diabetes transferring harmful 'forever chemicals' to their fetus

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts have found that pregnant women with gestational diabetes have a higher rate of passing on harmful synthetic chemicals called PFAS (17 - per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to their unborn babies and thus risking their health.

17 Jul 2019

Vitamin D is essential for preventing preeclampsia

A new study suggests vitamin D may reverse impaired cell interactions in the blood vessels that occur in preeclampsia- a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure.

9 Jul 2019

Ochsner Hospital for Children joins national consortium to provide solutions for hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Mayo Clinic's Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Ochsner Hospital for Children are collaborating within a consortium to provide solutions for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare and complex form of congenital heart disease in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.

17 Jun 2019

Trump administration cracks down on fetal tissue research

The Trump administration is cutting funding for fetal tissue research despite opposition from scientists and clinicians.

10 Jun 2019

Blood stem cell breakthrough could spare some patients from side effects of cancer treatments

A method of growing blood stem cells in the laboratory has been developed by researchers at Stanford University and the University of Tokyo, in a breakthrough that could spare some people with blood and immune disorders from the side effects of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

31 May 2019

MIT researchers develop novel method for analyzing massive cell datasets

Data-sampling method makes "sketches" of unwieldy biological datasets while still capturing the full diversity of cell types.

3 May 2019

Delayed umbilical cord clamping improves survival of extremely premature infants

New research shows delayed umbilical cord clamping improves survival and reduces risk of brain injury in extremely premature infants.

2 Apr 2019

Cellular mechanism that connects smoking during pregnancy and baby’s obesity risk identified

Using foreskin tissue from newborn circumcisions, a group of researchers have identified a potential cellular mechanism that connects a mother's smoking while pregnant with an increased risk of offspring obesity later in life.

30 Mar 2019

Study shows link between maternal diet during pregnancy and risk of ADHD symptoms in children

The results of a study led by a team from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, a center supported by "la Caixa", suggest that the risk of a child developing symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be modulated by the mother's diet during pregnancy.

28 Mar 2019

Blood test and mathematical model can estimate preterm birth rate in low-resource countries

Preterm birth is a leading cause of death among children under the age of five, with low resource countries facing the greatest challenge.

19 Mar 2019

Air pollutants may damage fetal cardiovascular development

Microscopic particles in air pollution inhaled by pregnant women may damage fetal cardiovascular development, according to a study by Rutgers researchers.

11 Mar 2019

Researchers comprehensively sequence the human immune system

For the first time ever, researchers are comprehensively sequencing the human immune system, which is billions of times larger than the human genome. In a new study published in Nature from the Human Vaccines Project, scientists have sequenced a key part of this vast and mysterious system -- the genes encoding the circulating B cell receptor repertoire.

14 Feb 2019

Lab model reveals the formation of new blood vessels

To provide sufficient oxygen to tissues and organs within the body, blood vessels need to sprout new offshoots to form a widespread blood supply network, much like the trunk, branches, and twigs of a tree.

31 Jan 2019

Health care industry spends $30b a year pushing its wares, from drugs to stem cell treatment

Hoping to earn its share of the $3.5 trillion health care market, the medical industry is pouring more money than ever into advertising its products — from high-priced prescriptions to do-it-yourself genetic tests and unapproved stem cell treatments.

8 Jan 2019

Multicenter study demonstrates effectiveness, safety of topical antibiotics in NICU babies

A team of doctors led by Karen L. Kotloff, M.D., University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, has performed a clinical trial involving multiple hospitals that tested the effectiveness of applying a topical antibiotic known as mupirocin for prevention of Staphylococcus aureus infection in babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.

28 Dec 2018

FDA warns Genetech for marketing stem cell products without approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Genetech, Inc. of San Diego, California and its president, Edwin N. Pinos for marketing stem cell products without FDA approval and for significant deviations from current good tissue practice and current good manufacturing practice requirements, including some violations that may have led to microbial contamination, potentially causing serious blood infections in patients.

20 Dec 2018

Research explores effects of cannabis use on males’ reproductive health

As legal access to marijuana continues expanding across the U.S., more scientists are studying the effects of its active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in teens, adults and pregnant women.

19 Dec 2018

Study reveals urban and rural differences in prenatal exposure to essential and toxic elements

New findings from a team of Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine researchers reveal urban and rural differences in prenatal exposure to essential and toxic elements.

13 Dec 2018