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Women with MET genetic variant and autoantibodies more likely to have autistic children

A study by researchers at UC Davis has found that pregnant women with a particular gene variation are more likely to produce autoantibodies to the brains of their developing fetuses and that the children of these mothers are at greater risk of later being diagnosed with autism.

20 Oct 2011

Study explores how internet message boards help women after pregnancy loss

Nearly one in six pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth, but parents' losses are frequently minimized or not acknowledged by friends, family or the community.

20 Oct 2011

Study: Women still have hot flushes/night sweats years after menopause

Women still have hot flushes and night sweats years after the menopause finds a new study published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

20 Oct 2011

Experts recommending fewer cancer screenings

New cervical cancer screening guidelines are the latest example of this emerging cautious view.

20 Oct 2011

USAID funding PATH projects to improve health in resource-poor settings

USAID this week announced investments in two new projects to be led by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), according to a USAID press release.

20 Oct 2011

Estrogen regulates energy expenditure, appetite and body weight

A recent UT Southwestern Medical Center study found that estrogen regulates energy expenditure, appetite and body weight, while insufficient estrogen receptors in specific parts of the brain may lead to obesity.

20 Oct 2011

IRIN examines improvements in maternal, infant mortality indicators in Myanmar

IRIN examines maternal and child health in "conflict-afflicted eastern Myanmar, [where] until recently obstetric care was often crude, unsterile and dangerous for both mother and child, health experts say." To address high rates of maternal and infant mortality in the region, "in 2005 several CBOs, the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at Johns Hopkins University, and the Global Health Access Program launched the Mobile Obstetric Medics (MOM) project -- dramatically boosting access to care," IRIN writes.

20 Oct 2011

Link between neighborhood poverty and low-income women's health

Low-income women with children who move from high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhoods experience notable long-term improvements in some aspects of their health, namely reductions in diabetes and extreme obesity, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Chicago and partner institutions.

20 Oct 2011

BRA Day to promote awareness on breast reconstruction surgery

Only seven per cent of female breast cancer patients opt for breast reconstruction surgery. Dr. Melinda Musgrave is determined to find out why.

20 Oct 2011

USAID, Kimberly-Clark announce partnership to improve maternal, child health in Andean region

USAID and Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a manufacturer of health and hygiene products, on Tuesday announced "they will work together to improve maternal and child health in the Andean region, starting in Colombia and Ecuador," according to a USAID press release.

20 Oct 2011

New guidelines for prevention and early detection of cervical cancer

The American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP), and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) have proposed new guidelines for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer.

20 Oct 2011

AAGL to showcase innovative surgical approaches, teaching tools at 40th Global Congress

Technology has radically changed the way surgeons practice medicine, and nowhere is this more evident than in the field of gynecologic endoscopy. AAGL, the oldest professional organization devoted to teaching minimally invasive treatment for women's health problems, will showcase a number of innovative surgical approaches and teaching tools among the hundreds of postgraduate courses and practice labs offered at its annual Global Congress, November 6-11, 2011 at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL.

19 Oct 2011

Women more likely to develop lupus at earlier ages

Debilitating. Destructive. Life-altering. These are just a few words used to describe autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases affect women 8 times more often than men, with lupus being one of the most disruptive. Lupus is a disease that occurs when a person's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs instead of attacking foreign invaders such as common viruses and bacteria. Lupus often results in wide-spread inflammation, pain, swelling and organ/tissue damage throughout the body.

19 Oct 2011

Aspen Institute panel speakers call for increased aid for women to help plan families

A panel hosted by the Aspen Institute's Global Leaders Council on Monday called for "a boost of aid for women in developing countries such as Somalia to help them control their fertility," Agence France-Presse reports. "Somalia has the eighth highest birth rate in the world, and the average family has seven children," and "one percent of married women in Somalia have access to modern contraception, ... according to data compiled by the Population Reference Bureau," the news agency notes.

19 Oct 2011

Medicare reimbursements high for digital mammography — though test may be no more effective than less expensive ones

High-tech, digital mammography may not be any better at detecting breast cancer in women over 65 than older film-based systems, but Medicare is spending millions of taxpayer dollars reimbursing the procedure at a far higher rate. A new study comparing digital mammography with less expensive film mammography found that the two types of breast cancer screens are equally effective at detecting cancers in most women. ... The study was performed by the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.

19 Oct 2011

“Binge drinking is binge spending” for the individual as well as the State: Report

Binge drinking is costing the U.S. economy more than $200 billion a year, mostly in lost workplace productivity, a U.S. health agency said on Monday.

18 Oct 2011

Yearly mammogram after 40 has high rate of false alarms: Study

Latest evidence suggests that getting a mammogram each year after age 40 may not be a good idea. A study suggests that far fewer women would be put through the anxiety of being called back for a second mammogram and unnecessary biopsies if screening took place every two years.

18 Oct 2011

New DNA-based prenatal blood test can identify pregnancy with Down syndrome

A new DNA-based prenatal blood test that can strikingly reduce the number of risky diagnostic procedures needed to identify a pregnancy with Down syndrome is ready to be introduced into clinical practice.

18 Oct 2011

Gender differences in sexuality should not be taken at face value

In the racy television hit show, Sex and the City, Carrie, one of the main characters tells her best girlfriends that "Men who are too good looking are never good in bed because they never had to be."

18 Oct 2011

Positive results from Roche's Phase 3 HannaH trial for HER2-positive early breast cancer

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing products targeting the extracellular matrix for the diabetes, cancer, dermatology and drug delivery markets, today announced that the Phase 3 HannaH trial, conducted by Roche, showed that women with HER2-positive early breast cancer who received a new, investigational subcutaneous (SC) injection of Herceptin (trastuzumab), experienced comparable results to Herceptin given as an intravenous infusion.

18 Oct 2011