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.

Quality-improvement project to standardize feeding practices helps micro preemies gain weight

A quality-improvement project to standardize feeding practices for micro preemies--preterm infants born months before their due date-- helped to boost their weight and nearly quadrupled the frequency of lactation consultations ordered in the neonatal intensive care unit, a multidisciplinary team from Children's National Health System finds.

13 Aug 2018

NCCN releases new treatment guidelines for rare cancers that impact women during pregnancy

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has released new treatment guidelines for a group of rare cancers that impact women during pregnancy.

10 Aug 2018

Long term effects of Zika virus exposure during pregnancy studied

Zika is a mosquito borne virus that can be dangerous in pregnant women as it can cause severe congenital malformations and damage to the baby. The extent of danger however is not known and a large study followed children who were exposed to this virus during their time within the womb.

7 Aug 2018

Cystic fibrosis impacts directly on intrauterine growth, shows research

New research, published in Thorax, funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust has shown that babies with cystic fibrosis are born weighing less than babies without the condition, even allowing that they are more likely to be born prematurely.

3 Aug 2018

Scientists solve 60-year-old mystery of how thalidomide caused birth defects

More than 60 years after the drug thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of children whose mothers took the drug while pregnant, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have solved a mystery that has lingered ever since the dangers of the drug first became apparent: how did the drug produce such severe fetal harm?

2 Aug 2018

Gestational diabetes may increase offspring's heart disease risk

Gestational diabetes may increase the risk of blood vessel dysfunction and heart disease in offspring by altering a smooth muscle protein responsible for blood vessel network formation.

19 Jul 2018

Rat study shows negative effects of perinatal exposure to phthalates

Male and female rats exposed in the womb and during lactation to plasticizing chemicals known as phthalates had significantly fewer neurons and synapses than those that were not exposed, researchers report in a new study.

19 Jul 2018

Study highlights potential of fetal gene therapy to prevent lethal neurodegenerative disease

A fatal neurodegenerative condition known as Gaucher disease can be prevented in mice following fetal gene therapy, finds a new study led by UCL, the KK Women's and Children's Hospital and National University Health System in Singapore.

16 Jul 2018

Research reveals why risks of complications in pregnancy vary based on baby's sex

The sex of a baby controls the level of small molecules known as metabolites in the pregnant mother's blood, which may explain why risks of some diseases in pregnancy vary depending whether the mother is carrying a boy or a girl, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

12 Jul 2018

Mice study shows how vaginal microbiota may affect stress levels of offspring

Exposing newborn mice to vaginal microbes from stressed female mice may transfer the effects of stress to the newborns, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

10 Jul 2018

Study finds vitamin D deficiency in many pregnant women

One in three pregnant women in Norway has a vitamin D deficiency at the end of her pregnancy, a major study published earlier this year in PLOS One has shown.

6 Jul 2018

Study: Treg cells may protect infants from getting infected with HIV from their mother

Scientists now report that Treg cells, a type of regulatory lymphocyte, may be protecting babies in the womb from getting infected with the HIV virus when the mother is infected.

11 Jun 2018

Study defines molecular basis to explain connection between mother’s nutrition and infant growth

For years, pregnant mothers have questioned their nutritional habits: "Will eating more cause my baby to be overweight?" Or, "I'm eating for two, so it won't hurt to have an extra serving, right?"

24 May 2018

Scientists reveal mechanisms that may help preterm infants extend nephron development window

Nephrons are the microscopic blood-filtering units inside our kidneys that convert waste products into urine, regulate our electrolyte levels and our blood pressure.

22 May 2018

Exposure to air pollution in the womb can lead to high blood pressure in childhood

Children who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution during the third trimester of their mother's pregnancy had a higher risk of elevated blood pressure in childhood, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

14 May 2018

Coffee consumption during pregnancy linked to risk of overweight or obesity in children

A study published in the BMJ Open journal shows that even moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy, one to two cups per day, is related to a risk of overweight or obesity in school age children.

11 May 2018

Engineers aim to create ultrasound helmet that could provide real-time images during surgery

Ultrasound technology for the brain could mean real-time images during surgery, a better idea of which areas get stimulated by certain feelings or actions and, ultimately, an effective way for people to control software and robotics by thinking about it.

9 May 2018

Woman should not be compelled by law to take pregnancy-related risks

Laws should not force women to risk death and injury by having a baby, according to a QUT legal academic who has says abortion can be decriminalized without society and governments making a moral judgment.

3 May 2018

Caffeine during pregnancy - babies 66 percent more likely to become overweight

A new study has shown that babies carry a 30 percent increased risk of being overweight when they are exposed to two cups of coffee daily while within the mother’s womb. If the mothers were consuming more than three cups of coffee a day while they were pregnant, the babies were 66 percent more likely to become overweight.

25 Apr 2018

Painkiller use during pregnancy could affect unborn child's fertility in later life

Taking painkillers during pregnancy could affect the fertility of the unborn child in later life, research suggests.

16 Apr 2018