Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

High levels of acid in processed foods could affect fetus' developing brain

With the number of children diagnosed with autism on the rise, the need to find what causes the disorder becomes more urgent every day. UCF researchers are now a step closer to showing the link between the food pregnant women consume and the effects on a fetus' developing brain.

20 Jun 2019

Dangerous brain parasite invades host cell, maintains steady nutrient supply

A team of researchers has found that a dangerous type of parasite that affects the brain, maintains a stable supply of essential nutrients as it replicates in the host cell. In an unexpected turn of events, the body itself delivers food to the harmful predator.

20 Jun 2019

Study: Arkansas Medicaid work requirements hit those already employed

The Medicaid work requirement plan devised by Arkansas and approved by the Trump administration backfired because it caused thousands of poor adults to lose coverage without any evidence the target population gained jobs, a new study finds.

19 Jun 2019

Cleveland Clinic surgical team performs its first in utero fetal surgery to repair birth defect

Cleveland Clinic has successfully performed its first in utero fetal surgery to repair a spina bifida birth defect in a nearly 23-week-old fetus.

19 Jun 2019

Study uncovers potential new way to prevent common pregnancy-related complications

About 1 in 10 pregnant women experience placenta abnormalities that lead to life-threatening preeclampsia (hypertension), preterm labor and fetal growth problems, but finding effective treatments to effectively prevent or reverse these conditions has so far been elusive.

19 Jun 2019

Three beagles successfully identify lung cancer by scent, shows study

Three beagles successfully showed they are capable of identifying lung cancer by scent, a first step in identifying specific biomarkers for the disease.

18 Jun 2019

Overweight men contribute to increase in fertility problems

About 15% of couples in fertile age have experienced fertility problems. Men contribute to 50% of the cases when a couple cannot achieve the desired pregnancy.

17 Jun 2019

Augusta vision scientist receives grant to learn more about keratoconus’ causes and treatments

It's an eye condition where genetics and environmental factors like ultraviolet light and vigorous eye rubbing conspire to make the usual curvature of the cornea more pointy, leaving us with double vision and nearsighted.

17 Jun 2019

Elimination of vertical transmission of HCV from mothers to babies

Hepatitis C virus transmission from mothers to babies could largely be prevented if Canada recommended universal screening for HCV in pregnancy, argues a commentary in CMAJ.

17 Jun 2019

Study focuses on the recurrence of developmental disorder in future pregnancies

Having a child with a developmental disorder can cause parents to worry about the outcome of further pregnancies.

17 Jun 2019

Long-acting contraceptives do not increase risk of HIV, concludes new study

One of the largest and most robust studies on HIV infection rates has concluded that long-acting contraceptives do not increase the risk of contracting HIV.

14 Jun 2019

Women's pre-pregnancy obesity changes breast milk contents which can affect infant growth

In the first study of its kind, LSU Health New Orleans researchers report that women's pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity produces changes in breast milk, which can affect infant growth.

14 Jun 2019

Study: Pregnant woman's sense of personal space expands only during third trimester

New research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that women undergo a significant mental as well as physical change during the late stages of pregnancy.

14 Jun 2019

Mutations in fetal genome may contribute to premature birth

Mutations in the gene that codes for SLIT2, a protein expressed in fetal cells in placentas and involved in directing the growth of the fetal nervous system, may contribute to premature births, possibly by activating the mother’s immune system.

From PLOS ONE 14 Jun 2019

Pre-pregnancy maternal obesity may affect growth of breastfeeding infants

A pioneering new study suggests that babies born to obese or overweight women fail to grow properly during breastfeeding.

14 Jun 2019

UK government to consider fortifying flour with folic acid to combat neural tube defects

A 12-week consultation has been launched to discuss whether folic acid should be added to flour in the UK.

13 Jun 2019

Overweight young children have a doubled risk of high blood pressure

Overweight four-year-olds have a doubled risk of high blood pressure by age six, raising the hazard of future heart attack and stroke. That's the finding of a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.

13 Jun 2019