Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

EHRs enhance quality of patient care in community-based settings

A new study by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, provides compelling evidence that electronic health records (EHRs) enhance the quality of patient care in a community-based setting with multiple payers, which is representative of how medicine is generally practiced across the United States.

10 Oct 2012

Researchers discover mechanism by which magnesium reduces cytokine production

Magnesium sulfate is given to many pregnant women to treat preterm labor and preeclampsia and was recently shown to prevent cerebral palsy; however little is known about how it works. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine recently discovered the mechanism by which magnesium reduces the production of cytokines.

10 Oct 2012

Isolated fetal echogenic bowel ‘may be benign’

Results of a Dutch study show that the majority of fetuses with fetal echogenic bowel carry a good prognosis.

9 Oct 2012

New data from Genzyme's AUBAGIO and LEMTRADA clinical trials to be presented at ECTRIMS

Genzyme, a Sanofi company, announced today new data from Genzyme's clinical development programs for AUBAGIO (teriflunomide) and LEMTRADATM (alemtuzumab) will be presented at the 28th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Lyon, France, October 10-13.

9 Oct 2012

Maternal depression treated by SRIs can change the timing of language development in babies

Maternal depression and a common class of antidepressants can alter a crucial period of language development in babies, according to a new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Harvard University and the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital.

9 Oct 2012

Prenatal fish consumption may reduce risk of ADHD-related behaviors

A study of children in the New Bedford, Mass., area suggests that low-level prenatal mercury exposure may be associated with a greater risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related behaviors and that fish consumption during pregnancy may be associated with a lower risk of these behaviors, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

9 Oct 2012

CSIS report examines current, planned interventions aimed at improving maternal health

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on Friday released a report (.pdf) titled "Improving Maternal Mortality and Other Aspects of Women's Health," the center reports on its webpage.

8 Oct 2012

Government investment in eye examinations may boost the economy

Governments could add thousands of millions of dollars to the global economy simply by investing in eye examinations and the provision of glasses for some 703 million people who need them, according to a study published this month in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

6 Oct 2012

Oral medication as effective as Botox injections for treating incontinence in women

Oral medication for treating a type of incontinence in women is roughly as effective as Botox injections to the bladder, reported researchers who conducted a National Institutes of Health clinical trials network study, with each form of treatment having benefits and limitations.

6 Oct 2012

Study: Free birth control lowered abortion, teen birth rates

A new study that gave free birth control to low-income teens and women in St. Louis has found that the free contraception dramatically lowered rates for teen births and abortions.

6 Oct 2012

Major depression goes unnoticed in pregnant women

Healthcare professionals looking after pregnant women should maintain a high level of awareness for the possibility of major depressive disorder, say US researchers who found the condition frequently goes undetected.

5 Oct 2012

Providing no cost birth control can reduce unintended pregnancies, abortion rates in women

Providing birth control to women at no cost substantially reduced unplanned pregnancies and cut abortion rates by 62 percent to 78 percent over the national rate, a new study shows.

5 Oct 2012

Researchers identify genetic risk allele for uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are the most common type of pelvic tumors in women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) are the first to discover a genetic risk allele (an alternative form of a gene) for uterine fibroids in white women using an unbiased, genome-wide approach.

5 Oct 2012

Myocardial infarction mortality rates decrease by 44% over the last 15 years in Argentina

Mortality caused by myocardial infarction has decreased by 44% over the last 15 years in Argentina, according to new research which will be presented during the 38th Argentine Congress of Cardiology.

5 Oct 2012

Study shows impact of obstetric unit closures on outcomes of mothers and babies

After a series of Philadelphia hospitals started closing their maternity units in 1997, infant mortality rates increased by nearly 50 percent over the next three years. The mortality rates subsequently leveled off to the same rate as before the closures, but pediatric researchers say their results underscore the need for careful oversight and planning by public health agencies in communities experiencing serious reductions in obstetric services.

5 Oct 2012

Selective screening misses gestational diabetes

Selective screening for gestational diabetes does not always identify women who have the condition, shows research.

4 Oct 2012

Key tips on how to sleep better, have more sex and stress less

Making the time to take care of your body and fulfill your needs becomes increasingly more difficult with the pressures and stresses of a demanding schedule, fast-paced job and the increasing number of distractions around us.

4 Oct 2012

BPA exposure can impact thyroid hormones in pregnant women and newborns

Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like compound that has drawn increased scrutiny in recent years, has been linked to changes in thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women and newborn boys, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

4 Oct 2012

New spontaneous genetic mutations play a significant role in schizophrenia

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified dozens of new spontaneous genetic mutations that play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia, adding to the growing list of genetic variants that can contribute to the disease.

4 Oct 2012

Assisted reproduction technology may increase risk of MS activity among women

Researchers in Argentina report that women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo assisted reproduction technology (ART) infertility treatment are at risk for increased disease activity.

4 Oct 2012