Womb News and Research

RSS

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.

Indomethacin drug for stopping preterm labor may be harmful for babies

A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published today in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

2 Nov 2007

Fetal surgery saves baby's life

Surgery performed on a baby while it was still in the womb has saved the child's life.

30 Oct 2007

New and safer infertility treatment produces healthy twins

The treatment known as in-vitro maturation or IVM, enables infertile couples to conceive without the need for the woman to take powerful hormonal drugs to stimulate her ovaries.

28 Oct 2007

Experts warn women about experimental fertility options

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has warned women that two experimental fertility procedures currently being offered remain unproven.

22 Oct 2007

Research shows how stem cells decide to become either skeletal or smooth muscle

Researchers have discovered a key protein that controls how stem cells "choose" to become either skeletal muscle cells that move limbs, or smooth muscle cells that support blood vessels, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

11 Oct 2007

Fetal cell transplant could be a hidden link between childbirth and reduced risk of breast cancer

Some benefits of motherhood are intangible, but one has been validated through biostatistical research: women who bear children have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

3 Oct 2007

Fetal cell "transplant" could be a hidden link between childbirth and reduced risk of breast cancer

Some benefits of motherhood are intangible, but one has been validated through biostatistical research: women who bear children have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

2 Oct 2007

In vitro fertilization technique enables pregnancy without multiple births

An in vitro fertilization technique that can avoid multiple births appears to be effective for women older than 35, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

2 Oct 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

Digibind offers new hopes for pre-eclampsia cure

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are trying to determine whether a drug already available to heart patients can also be used to delay delivery in expectant mothers with severe preeclampsia.

17 Sep 2007

World's longest-running study of the health effects of low levels of mercury exposure

The presence of mercury in dental amalgams, or fillings, is relatively common knowledge; however, whether its presence affects the neurological system is a debate that has been ongoing for 150 years.

13 Sep 2007

Scientists isolate stem cells in womb tissue

Scientists in Australia have found a way of identifying probable stem cells in the lining of women's wombs. The finding opens up the possibility of using the stem cells for tissue engineering applications such as building up natural tissue to repair prolapsed pelvic floors.

13 Sep 2007

Testosterone in the womb linked to autism

The researchers believe the results reinforce findings from tests on animals and also support the hypothesis that higher levels of testosterone may contribute to autism.

12 Sep 2007

Giving children a diet rich in fish and

“We believe that this is the first study that has assessed the impact of a child's diet on asthma and allergies and also taken into account the food their mother ate during pregnancy” says lead author Dr Leda Chatzi from the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Crete, Greece.

12 Sep 2007

Shaken not stirred for embryonic stem cells

Embryos spend much of their time in the womb bobbing along with a mother's movement, and, surprisingly enough, new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University suggests that embryonic stem cells may develop much better under similarly shaky conditions.

11 Sep 2007

Mothers-to-be in Britain will get £200 to spend on healthy food

Mothers-to-be in Britain are being given a grant by the government to spend on healthy food.

10 Sep 2007

Equine flu highlights issue of biosecurity

Not long before the equine flu outbreak, Dr Phil McManus from the University of Sydney School of Geosciences sent out an Australia-wide questionnaire to thoroughbred horse breeders. He asked them what they thought was the biggest threat to their industry.

5 Sep 2007

Gestational diabetes doubles children's risk of obesity

According to the latest research babies born to mothers with untreated gestational diabetes have nearly double the normal risk of becoming obese during childhood.

29 Aug 2007

Academic comments on horse flu scare

We should not be shocked that equine influenza has emerged in Australia. What is surprising is that we kept it out for so long. The Australian thoroughbred breeding and racing industry has received huge financial benefits from globalisation, but this process carries enormous risks. Foremost is the risk of disease.

28 Aug 2007