Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Untimely death of Kerryn McCann a stark warning

The revelation that champion marathon runner Kerryn McCann did nothing for months after discovering a lump in her breast, is a stark warning to women to heed any changes they notice in their breasts and seek medical advice.

9 Dec 2008

Light cigarettes may be more toxic than traditional cigarettes

Typically, tobacco companies market harm-reduction cigarettes as being safer than traditional "full-flavored" brands, leading many smokers to conclude that the use of harm-reduction brands lowers their exposure to toxicants.

8 Dec 2008

Recombinant human antithrombin drug decreases risk to pregnancy and surgery patients with hereditary antithrombin deficiency

Pregnancy and surgery patients with a serious blood disorder that causes excessive clotting have responded well to treatment with a man-made anti-clotting protein.

8 Dec 2008

Biomarkers in blood could aid diagnosis of two severe and debilitating forms of malaria

Canadian researchers have identified protein biomarkers that shed new light on the development of two severe and debilitating forms of malaria.

8 Dec 2008

Migraines linked to lower risk of breast cancer

Women who suffer from migraines may take at least some comfort in a recent, first-of-its-kind study that suggests a history of such headaches is associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer. Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report these findings in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

7 Dec 2008

Environmental tobacco smoke linked to behavioral problems in boys with asthma

Boys with asthma who are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke have higher degrees of hyperactivity, aggression, depression and other behavioral problems, according to researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

5 Dec 2008

New insights into development of the human immune system

A UCSF study has found that a surprisingly high number of maternal cells enters the fetus during pregnancy, prompting the generation of special immune cells in the fetus that suppress a response against the mother.

5 Dec 2008

Pregnant women with asthma can be more confident about some medicines

Women can usually keep using the same asthma drugs they were using before they got pregnant.

3 Dec 2008

Avoid stress and exercise lots during pregnancy

New Australian research has found that even minor, everyday stress during pregnancy possibly affects a developing foetus.

2 Dec 2008

Vitamin D enhances placental innate immunity

In a paper available at the online site of the journal Biology of Reproduction, a team of UCLA researchers reports for the first time that vitamin D induces immune responses in placental tissues by stimulating production of the antimicrobial protein cathelicidin.

1 Dec 2008

Place of birth plays a role in the occurrence of asthma in U.S black population

The researchers found that within one inner-city population, blacks born in the United States were more likely to have asthma than blacks who were born outside of the United States.

1 Dec 2008

Babies exposed to tobacco in utero more irritable, difficult to soothe

Previous studies have shown that babies exposed to tobacco in utero are more likely to have a low birth weight and are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome.

1 Dec 2008

Exposure to folic acid antagonists during pregnancy has risks

Exposure to folic acid antagonists during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of placenta-mediated adverse outcomes such as preeclampsia, placental abruption, fetal growth restriction or fetal death reports a retrospective cohort study published in CMAJ.

1 Dec 2008

High levels of prenatal smoking exposure affects sleep in early babies

A study in the Dec. 1 issue of the journal Sleep is the first to show that high levels of prenatal smoking exposure strongly modify sleep patterns in preterm neonates, which places infants at a higher risk for developmental difficulties that could persist throughout early and middle childhood.

1 Dec 2008

New cream for vaginal dryness approved

Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its subsidiary Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s New Drug Application (NDA) for Synthetic Conjugated Estrogens-A (SCE-A) 0.625 mg/g Vaginal Cream.

1 Dec 2008

Eating eggs when pregnant may help prevent breast cancer in offspring

A stunning discovery based on epigenetics (the inheritance of propensities acquired in the womb) reveals that consuming choline - a nutrient found in eggs and other foods - during pregnancy may significantly affect breast cancer outcomes for a mother's offspring.

1 Dec 2008

Epilepsy drug valproate may increase risk of autism in children

A new study shows that women who take the epilepsy drug valproate while pregnant may significantly increase their child's risk of developing autism.

1 Dec 2008

Elementary school social development intervention leads to better-functioning young adults

A social development intervention administered in elementary school appears to have positive effects on mental health, sexual health and educational and economic achievement assessed 15 years after the intervention ended, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

1 Dec 2008

South Africa's battle with AIDS receives funding boost

South Africa's revitalised drive against AIDS has received a £15 million boost which could help save millions of lives and stop the spread of HIV across the country.

30 Nov 2008

No benefit from nifedipine widely used to prevent premature births

A trial where a popular drug was compared with a placebo found it worked no better at maintaining pregnancy after the initial bout of preterm labour is halted.

26 Nov 2008