Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Family planning linked to better child and maternal health, says study

Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and unplanned pregnancies are associated with poorer health and lower rates of educational and economic achievement for women and their children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

29 May 2014

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be linked to lower IQs

A new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers has found that prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be significantly linked to lower IQs and greater hyperactivity in five-year old children.

29 May 2014

State highlights: Calif. tables immigrant health care bill; new La. hospital financing plan; Calif. insurance commissioner powers

Nearly 200 proposals were shelved in the Legislature on Friday, including controversial measures that would have provided health care coverage to people in the country illegally, imposed a tax on oil drilled from the ground and created a voluntary substance-abuse counseling program for doctors (McGreevy and Mason, 5/23).

28 May 2014

Study provides insight into genetic causes of cleft lip and cleft palate

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, have identified how a specific stretch of DNA controls far-off genes to influence the formation of the face.

28 May 2014

Researchers study why male babies generally have worse outcomes than females

Sexual inequality between boys and girls starts as early as in the mother's womb - but how and why this occurs could be a key to preventing higher rates of preterm birth, stillbirth and neonatal death among boys.

28 May 2014

Women’s perception towards physical activity can predict their fitness levels after childbirth

The way a woman feels about tackling everyday physical activities, including exercise, may be a predictor of how much weight she'll retain years after childbirth says a Michigan State University professor.

23 May 2014

Study suggests healthcare professionals must be alert to rarer, severe causes of headaches during pregnancy

Most headaches in pregnancy and the postnatal period are benign, but healthcare professionals must be alert to the rarer and more severe causes of headaches, suggests a new review published today (23 May) in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).

23 May 2014

New study suggests greater focus on maternal mental health

Maternal depression is more common at four years following childbirth than at any other time in the first 12 months after childbirth, and there needs to be a greater focus on maternal mental health, suggests a new study published today (21 May) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

21 May 2014

New drug offers promising possibility for treating adults with periodontitis

Nearly half of all adults in the United States suffer from the gum disease periodontitis, and 8.5 percent have a severe form that can raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and pregnancy complications.

21 May 2014

Two new studies aim to change HIV infections in children, maternal deaths due to HIV

HIV has been transformed into a chronic, manageable disease for most people living with HIV in the United States, where mother-to-child transmission of HIV is now a rare occurrence.

20 May 2014

Highlights: Nurse practitioners fight for autonomy in Texas; Ohio physician assistant prescriptions; drug options in Colo.

A selection of health policy stories from Texas, Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Alabama, Connecticut and Kansas.

20 May 2014

Study: Children's asthma linked to air pollution in 2nd trimester of pregnency

Children who are exposed in utero to high levels of particulate air pollution during the second trimester of pregnancy may be at greater risk of developing asthma in early childhood, according to a new study presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

20 May 2014

Biovision provides list of businesses, projects selected for Investor Conference and Catalyzer sessions

Biovision, the annual forum on future-oriented research in life sciences, today announces the list of biotech and medtech companies and projects selected for the Investor Conference and Catalyzer sessions. Awards will be presented during the closing ceremony.

20 May 2014

Breastfeeding initiation and success impacted by diabetes status of mother

Women diagnosed with diabetes before or during pregnancy are less likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding their newborns than women without diabetes, a new study suggests. Led by clinician-scientists in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and collaborating institutions, the findings point to areas for improved prenatal and postnatal education of women with diabetes.

20 May 2014

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can increase asthma risk in children

19 May 2014

First Edition: May 19, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about federal health care subsidies and an update on states small business health exchanges.

19 May 2014

Shire intends to submit NDA for lifitegrast to treat dry eye disease

Following a May 15, 2014, meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announces today that it intends to submit a New Drug Application for lifitegrast as a treatment for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease in adults in the first-quarter 2015, as we complete remaining chemistry and manufacturing work.

19 May 2014

UCMC's new program supports families with sick, premature babies hospitalized immediately after birth

A new program to support families with sick and premature babies hospitalized immediately after birth was unveiled at University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) today.

19 May 2014

Study finds association between sleep and obesity in young children

One of the most comprehensive studies of the potential link between reduced sleep and childhood obesity finds compelling evidence that children who consistently received less than the recommended hours of sleep during infancy and early childhood had increases in both obesity and in adiposity or overall body fat at age 7.

19 May 2014

Supplemental vitamin C taken by pregnant smokers improves measures of lung function for newborns

Supplemental vitamin C taken by pregnant smokers improved measures of lung function for newborns and decreased the incidence of wheezing for infants through 1 year, according to a study published by JAMA.

19 May 2014