Womb News and Research

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The womb is the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis. This is the organ in which a baby grows. Also called uterus.

Retina scans could help identify Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the Cedars-Sinai and NeuroVision Imaging LLC have made it possible to identify the pathological markers of Alzheimer’s using retinal scans. These scans are non- invasive and could be performed routinely in future to detect this dreaded form of degenerative brain disease. The paper was published online in the JCI Insight on 17th of August.

22 Aug 2017

Zika suppresses immune system during pregnancy to harm baby, report researchers

Scientists from the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered that the Zika virus works by suppressing a pregnant woman’s immune system so that the virus can spread and increase the chance of harming an unborn baby.

22 Aug 2017

Novel mussel-inspired glue could one day save lives of youngest patients

Whether to perform surgery on a fetus is a heart-wrenching decision. This type of surgery involves penetrating the highly delicate amniotic sac, increasing health risks to the fetus.

21 Aug 2017

Artificial womb may provide avenue to improve outcomes for extremely preterm infants

An artificial womb has been successfully used to incubate healthy baby lambs for a period of one week, and researchers hope the technology will one day be able to do the same for extremely premature babies.

17 Aug 2017

Mice study reveals how natural killer cells in the placenta can cause miscarriages

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have identified how natural killer cells in the mouse placenta can cause a fetus to fail to grow in the womb or cause miscarriages.

9 Aug 2017

Researchers track how flu shot during pregnancy affects expectant mothers and babies

Pregnant women and young babies are among those most at risk for complications, hospitalization, and death from the flu.

1 Aug 2017

Culture of silence around vaginal bleeding poses threat to women's health

The culture of silence around vaginal bleeding at all stages of life endangers women's health and is compounded by limited access to clean water, sanitation, and factual information in low and middle-income countries, according to a study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The findings are published in the online journal BMJ Global Health.

31 Jul 2017

Aggressive treatment for hypertension may lead to kidney damage, research suggests

Aggressive combination treatments for high blood pressure that are intended to protect the kidneys may actually be damaging the organs, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests.

18 Jul 2017

Language development may start in utero, study suggests

A month before they are born, fetuses carried by American mothers-to-be can distinguish between someone speaking to them in English and Japanese.

18 Jul 2017

Malaria drug effectively blocks Zika virus transmission to the fetus

Devastating consequences of Zika virus infection are suffered in the womb, where the virus can cause brain damage and sometimes death.

10 Jul 2017

Neuroscientists discover how prenatal alcohol exposure increases risk for drug addiction later in life

One of the many negative consequences, when fetuses are exposed to alcohol in the womb, is an increased risk for drug addiction later in life.

10 Jul 2017

Maternal consumption of alcohol could produce transgenerational effects

Soon-to-be mothers have heard the warning - don't drink while pregnant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued numerous statements about the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, as it can lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in newborns.

7 Jul 2017

Barnardo's issues tips to help parents bond with their babies before birth

Start bonding with your baby before birth with these top tips from Barnardo’s during Infant Mental Health Awareness Week.

20 Jun 2017

Being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects, study finds

The risk of babies being born with major birth defects increases, the more overweight or obese a mother is, according to a Swedish study. The authors of the research say their findings “underline the importance of having a maternal BMI in the normal range before pregnancy” and that efforts should be made to encourage women of reproductive age to adopt a healthy lifestyle and obtain a normal body weight before conception.

15 Jun 2017

Study suggests human embryos not susceptible to dying early as often claimed

How difficult is it to conceive? According to a widely-held view, fewer than one in three embryos make it to term, but a new study from a researcher at the University of Cambridge suggests that human embryos are not as susceptible to dying in the first weeks after fertilization as often claimed.

13 Jun 2017

Obesity and overweight epidemic – A study from 195 countries over quarter of a century

The terms overweight and obesity refer to an excess amount body of fat that may be detrimental to health.

12 Jun 2017

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy may cause subtle facial changes in babies says new study

According to a newly published study, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy may cause some distinct facial changes in babies. These subtle changes in the facial features of the babies are non-detectable with the naked eye said researchers. They can be detected using a 3D analysis they said. The changes in the facial features of the babies included those to the nose, lips and eyes that were picked up by the computer. These changes could be seen in babies whose mothers took any amount of alcohol during pregnancy.

7 Jun 2017

New study establishes link between prenatal stress and onset of eating disorders

Stress affects the body and can trigger illness -- from psychiatric disorders to heart disease. Humans are exposed to stress at different intensities throughout life -- as children, in adolescence, and in old age. But when is the impact of stress on our systems most powerful? Many researchers maintain that the critical effect occurs prenatally, inside the womb.

1 Jun 2017

Long-term stress for the mother can influence growth of unborn child through amniotic fluid

The feeling of constantly being on edge, always having to take care of everything, not being able to find a balance: If an expectant mother is strongly stressed over a longer period of time, the risk of the unborn child developing a mental or physical illness later in life - such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or cardiovascular disease - increases.

30 May 2017

Physical stress to mother during pregnancy can influence growth of unborn child

If the mother is stressed over a longer period of time during pregnancy, the concentration of stress hormones in amniotic fluid rises, as proven by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Zurich. Short-term stress situations, however, do not seem to have an unfavorable effect on the development of the fetus.

29 May 2017