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3-year study identifies key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn, child deaths

A three-year study conducted by the WHO, Aga Khan University, and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) "has identified key interventions to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths," PANA/Afrique en Ligne reports.

17 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Fascination with Wyden, Ryan plan; Need for school nurses; Pa. abortion bill controversy

The new Wyden-Ryan Medicare framework is the most fascinating policy and political maneuver of the year. Let me try to explain why.

16 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone decreases odds of premature delivery in women

A new study co-authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. John O'Brien found that applying vaginal progesterone to women who are at a high risk of preterm birth significantly decreased the odds of a premature delivery.

16 Dec 2011

GOP presidential candidates promise limits on abortion

Republican presidential contenders Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum appeared at the screening of an abortion documentary hosted by former candidate Mike Huckabee. They each spoke for about 10 minutes, and offered descriptions of the steps they'd take to limit abortion if elected president.

16 Dec 2011

Protecting displaced women and children from gender-based violence

In this post in the State Department's "Dipnote" blog, David Robinson, acting assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, reports on gender-based violence (GBV) among refugee populations, writing, "Displaced women and children are especially vulnerable to gender-based violence. ... Without legal status or the protection of any government, stateless women and girls are also vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including trafficking in persons.

16 Dec 2011

Glucocorticoid inhalation during pregnancy does not increase risk of diseases in offspring

Inhaled glucocorticoids for the treatment of asthma during pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of most diseases in offspring, but may be a risk factor for endocrine and metabolic disturbances, according to a new study.

16 Dec 2011

AlertNet examines effects of Nepalese water shortages on local women's hygiene

AlertNet examines how water shortages in Nepal are impeding women's hygiene in the country. The news service profiles the village of Paudiyalthok in the country's Panchkhal Valley, about 25 miles east of the capital Kathmandu, where "a lack of reliable water sources is affecting many aspects of [residents'] lives, and women are bearing the brunt of changing weather patterns."

16 Dec 2011

Family planning efforts in Pakistan lag despite rising population, Washington Post reports

The Washington Post examines how "Pakistan's family planning efforts have lagged far behind those of other large Muslim-majority nations," despite rising population numbers.

16 Dec 2011

Evidence-based interventions to reduce newborn and maternal mortality

Some 56 evidence-based interventions will sharply reduce the 358,000 women who still die each year during pregnancy and childbirth and the 7.6 million children who die before the age of 5, according to a massive three-year global study.

16 Dec 2011

Increased temperatures can shorten gestation time and lead to stillbirth

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) world-first research has found a link between increases in temperature and the incidence of stillbirth and shorter pregnancies.

16 Dec 2011

Almost two-thirds of pregnant women in B.C. consume prescription drugs

Almost two-thirds of women in British Columbia filled at least one prescription at some point in their pregnancy, including drugs with potential risks, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.

16 Dec 2011

Hologic receives FDA approval for Cervista HTA system to detect cervical cancer

Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Cervista HTA (high throughput automation) system for use with the Company's previously approved Cervista human papillomavirus (HPV) HR test.

From Hologic, Inc. 16 Dec 2011

Antimalarial drugs administered during pregnancy safer than contracting malaria, study suggests

"Antimalarial drugs are safer for pregnant women than contracting the disease," according to a study from the University of Oxford published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases on Tuesday that "assessed the effects of malaria and its treatment in the first trimester of pregnancy," HealthCanal.com reports.

16 Dec 2011

Senate Democrats seek justification for Plan B decision

Thirteen Democrats and one independent expressed disappointment in Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' decision to block younger teenagers from buying the "Plan B" emergency contraceptive without a prescription. Meanwhile, a federal judge says he will review the decision.

15 Dec 2011

Potential breakthrough test would predict breast cancer progression, recurrence

A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) PhD student has developed a potential breakthrough test for predicting the likelihood of the spread or return of breast cancer.

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone safe and effective in preventing preterm birth

Women with a short cervix should be treated with vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth, according to a landmark study by leading obstetricians around the world. Vaginal progesterone decreased the rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns.

15 Dec 2011

Chevron's role in fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa

In this Africa.com opinion piece, Ana Ruth Luis, medical director of the Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit at Chevron Africa and Latin America Ex in Angola, discusses what she calls "the important role Chevron has in driving down the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Africa."

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone reduces rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications

A team of investigators of the National Institutes of Health housed at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Wayne State University (WSU) published today that performing a cervical ultrasound in all pregnant women and treating those with a short cervix with vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications.

15 Dec 2011

Experts warn expectant moms about dangers of common cold medicines during pregnancy

Experts in pregnancy and breastfeeding health at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line warn expectant moms about the potential dangers of common cold medicines during pregnancy.

15 Dec 2011

Gynaecological cancer survival rates have improved in Eastern England

Gynaecological cancer survival rates have improved in Eastern England following the reorganisation of services and multidisciplinary team working finds a new study published in the gynaecological oncology themed issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

15 Dec 2011