Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Researchers identify novel base modification in RNA

Over the past decade, research in the field of epigenetics has revealed that chemically modified bases are abundant components of the human genome and has forced us to abandon the notion we've had since high school genetics that DNA consists of only four bases.

18 May 2012

Nottingham researchers lead largest ever research project into genetics of pre-eclampsia

Researchers from The University of Nottingham are leading the largest ever international research project into the genetics of the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia.

17 May 2012

Treating prenatal maternal infections could improve birth outcomes, study suggests

Clinical trials are underway to test an azithromycin-based combination treatment for pregnant women, "which could tackle some of the leading preventable causes of death for babies in sub-Saharan Africa," according to researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), who published a report on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

17 May 2012

No significant differences in absorption between tablet and softgel capsule forms of folic acid

The bioavailability of folic acid does not significantly differ between delivery in standard tablet or softgel capsule forms, according to research published in this month's Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Folic Acid helps support a women's pregnancy and development of a healthy newborn.

17 May 2012

Dual prevalence of STIs/RTIs and malaria in pregnancy found among women in sub-Saharan Africa

A review of studies reporting estimates of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections/reproductive tract infections (STIs/RTIs) and malaria over the past 20 years suggests that a considerable burden of malaria and STIs/RTIs exists among pregnant women attending antenatal (before birth) facilities in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a review and meta-analysis of previous studies published in the May 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on Global Health.

16 May 2012

New clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with BSS

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have found new clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with a rare genetic disorder, Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome.

16 May 2012

Micronutrients, early food supplementation during pregnancy improve survival of newborns

Pregnant women in poor communities in Bangladesh who received multiple micronutrients, including iron and folic acid combined with early food supplementation, had substantially improved survival of their newborns, compared to women in a standard program that included usual food supplementation, according to a study in the May 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on Global Health.

16 May 2012

Thermo Fisher signs asset purchase agreement with Nephromics for PlGF assay

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced it has signed an asset purchase agreement with Nephromics LLC, which includes a patent license for exclusive rights to use PlGF for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Clinical trials have shown that PlGF supports the diagnosis and risk prediction for preeclampsia.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 16 May 2012

Pfizer fails to meet primary endpoint in TORISEL Phase 3 study for advanced RCC

Pfizer Inc announced that the Phase 3 INTORSECT (B1771003) study, evaluating TORISEL(temsirolimus) in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) whose disease had progressed on or after SUTENT (sunitinib malate) therapy, did not meet the primary endpoint of prolonging progression free survival (PFS) when compared to sorafenib.

16 May 2012

Biogen Idec announces availability of two new AVONEX dosing innovations for MS

Biogen Idec announced that two new dosing innovations designed to help patients receiving once-a-week AVONEX (interferon beta-1a) for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are now available in U.S. pharmacies.

15 May 2012

GOP's Medicare plan has some candidates playing defense

The budget plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has become a hot topic in many congressional races. One example is the Illinois race between Rep. Joe Walsh, a Republican, and Democratic challenger and Iraqi war veteran Tammy Duckworth.

14 May 2012

Excess weight before, during pregnancy can have long-lasting health consequences for the baby

That overweight during pregnancy can lead to overweight children and adolescents has been known for some time, but new research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in the US indicates that excess weight before and during pregnancy can have long-lasting health consequences for the offspring of such mothers even later in life.

14 May 2012

Maternal overweight can have long-lasting health consequences for children

14 May 2012

Inducing labour improves survival rates for babies

Babies born when labour is induced around their due date may have better survival rates than those whose birth is not induced, a study suggests.

14 May 2012

New EMR tool helps reduce unnecessary abdominal CT scan use among ER patients

A new electronic medical record tool that tallies patients' previous radiation exposure from CT scans helps reduce potentially unnecessary use of the tests among emergency room patients with abdominal pain, according to a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that will be presented today at the annual meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

14 May 2012

Factors associated with successful vaginal birth after Caesarean

Melissa Lunsford wants a vaginal delivery for her fourth child. Following a series of Caesarean and vaginal deliveries for her other children, she couldn't find a doctor or a hospital willing to give her the vaginal birth option for her current pregnancy.

11 May 2012

Decrease in preterm births leads to decrease in US infant mortality rate

More than 1,000 fewer babies died before celebrating their first birthday between 2007 and 2008, and many of them had the benefit of a full-term pregnancy, according to data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics.

11 May 2012

Pregnant White women more likely to smoke cigarettes

A new report shows that 21.8 percent of pregnant White women aged 15 to 44 currently (within the past 30 days) smoked cigarettes.

11 May 2012

Interim results from Seattle Genetics’ ADCETRIS phase II trial on CTCL

Seattle Genetics, Inc. today announced that interim results from an investigator-sponsored phase II clinical trial of ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) in patients with relapsed cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) were presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology annual meeting being held May 9-12, 2012 in Raleigh, NC.

11 May 2012

NEJM publishes results from Celgene’s REVLIMID phase III studies on MM

Celgene International Sàrl, a subsidiary of Celgene Corporation, today announced that results from three phase III studies evaluating the use of continuous REVLIMID(lenalidomide) treatment in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients or maintenance treatment with lenalidomide following autologous stem cell transplant were published online in the May 10, 2012 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

11 May 2012