Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Florida Senate approves new abortion restrictions

A controversial bill that would require women to undergo ultrasounds before they can have abortions received final approval in the Senate late Thursday, setting up an epic struggle in the House today, the last day of the session. The bill also affects Florida women's coverage in the new federal health exchanges to go into effect in 2014.

30 Apr 2010

G8 development ministers agree on 'guiding principles' for child and maternal health initiative

G8 development ministers "agreed to a set of guiding principles [for Canada's G8 maternal and child health initiative] that leaves flexibility for countries to 'build their basket of initiatives,'" Bev Oda, the Canadian minister for international cooperation, said at a closing news conference on Wednesday, the Toronto Star reports.

30 Apr 2010

Male and female babies respond to stress during pregnancy differently

University of Adelaide research is showing that the sex of the baby determines the way it responds to stressors during pregnancy and its ability to survive pregnancy complications.

30 Apr 2010

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital opens new Center for Fetal Health

Complex fetal diagnoses bring extraordinary strain to pregnant women and their families. Learning an eagerly-awaited child will be born with a medical problem is often the worst crisis an expectant parents can face.

30 Apr 2010

States move to require ultrasounds before abortions

Various states have passed or are considering bills to tighten abortion regulations.

30 Apr 2010

Summer born babies more at risk of multiple sclerosis, says research

A recent study in Australia has found a link between low exposure to sunlight during the first three months of pregnancy and development of multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life of the baby.

30 Apr 2010

2nd biannual fetal therapy reunion at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center

Over 200 infants and toddlers will converge at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center on Saturday, May 15 at a special event celebrating their lives and reuniting them and their parents with others who share similar experiences.

30 Apr 2010

Gonorrhea may soon become untreatable according to WHO

According to the World Health organization (WHO), gonorrhea may soon become untreatable and urgent measures need to be taken to prevent and treat the sexually transmitted infection. This is the result of improper use of first line antibiotics which has led to widespread anti microbial resistance to drugs. The cheaper antibiotics no longer have as much effect as they should and the higher antibiotics will soon lose efficacy as well.

30 Apr 2010

Isis Maternity is now Isis Parenting

Today, Isis Maternity, The Place for Expecting and New Moms, becomes Isis, Parenting Starts Here. This change reflects the breadth of education, products and community that Isis delivers to its clients. Since opening its doors in 2003, Isis has helped more than 35,000 families navigate early parenting from pregnancy to preschool.

29 Apr 2010

Canadian government says Canada's G8 maternal, child health plan will not include abortion

Canada on Monday at a meeting of G8 development ministers in Halifax, Canada, said its maternal and child health initiative, which is expected to be a "centerpiece issue" at the G8 summit in late June, will not include funding for abortion, the Associated Press/Washington Post (Gillies, 4/26).

28 Apr 2010

Researchers receive $5.7M in funding to investigate new ways to treat uterine fibroids

As many as 75 percent of women have uterine fibroids (leiomyomas), and approximately one-third to one-half of those women become symptomatic at some point during their reproductive lives - experiencing irregular uterine bleeding, anemia, pelvic pain or recurrent pregnancy loss.

28 Apr 2010

Tamiflu and two other drugs used to treat influenza appear safe for pregnant women and babies: Study

Tamiflu and two other drugs used to treat influenza appear safe for pregnant women and their babies, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a retrospective study of 239 cases of women who received the medications during pregnancy.

28 Apr 2010

IntegraMed America's Vein Clinics business grows 20% in first-quarter 2010

IntegraMed America, Inc., the leader in developing and managing specialty healthcare facilities in the fertility and vein care markets, today announced strong results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010.

27 Apr 2010

Slitrk5 gene linked to development of OCD-like behaviors

Researchers at the Ansary Stem Cell Institute and the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College discovered that mice missing a single gene developed repetitive obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors. The genetically altered mice, which behaved much like people with a certain type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), could help scientists design new therapies for this debilitating condition.

27 Apr 2010

New discovery links Slitrk5 gene to development of OCD-like behaviors

27 Apr 2010

Scientists develop rapid point-of-care diagnostic test to measure CD4 T-cells

Scientists at Australia's Burnet Institute have developed a rapid point-of-care diagnostic test for the measurement of CD4 T-cells, a marker of the immune system for people living with HIV and AIDS.

27 Apr 2010

Noninvasive method to predict premature birth

Existing techniques for predicting premature birth are inadequate or invasive - with risks and discomfort. Researcher Chiara Rabotti (Eindhoven University of Technology) developed a new measuring method, based on a rather simple electrode plaster that is attached to the abdomen. In the future every pregnant woman can thereby calmly await the moment, Rabotti expects.

27 Apr 2010

Dozens of states pass, debate greater restrictions on abortion

Dozens of states are passing or debating new restrictions on abortion, a trend fueled in part by passage of the nation's new health care law. Both sides of the hot-button issue are seeing new approaches to reduce abortions. … So far, 2010 has been 'very successful,' said Mary Spaulding Balch of the National Right to Life Committee.

26 Apr 2010

Peer counseling can help improve breastfeeding in overweight or obese women

Breastfeeding is best, but what happens when something goes wrong? And why do so many women struggle with this "natural" process even after carefully following all the well-meaning advice they've gotten from their health care providers? Not surprisingly, some women have more difficulty than others and there are many factors associated with experiencing breastfeeding problems - especially in the first week after birth.

26 Apr 2010

JHUSON introduces Text4Baby program to provide parenting tips to new parents

Having a baby is a very exciting time for new parents, with all the preparation and anticipation that comes with it. But how do parents find help and assistance—from prenatal care to parenting tips? Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing have come up with innovative ways to provide parenting tips to new parents of all demographics.

24 Apr 2010