Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Hairspray linked to common genital birth defect in baby boys

British scientists from Imperial College London say women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias.

24 Nov 2008

Ultrasound helps provide rapid treatment of DVT

Scientists in the United States have discovered that ultrasound waves help dissolve blood clots in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) faster than clot-busting drugs.

24 Nov 2008

Significant link between hairspray and genital birth defect hypospadias

Women who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

21 Nov 2008

New insight into the events that prime the uterine muscles for contraction

During pregnancy, the muscles of the uterus are relatively inactive.

20 Nov 2008

Water aerobics make it easier to give birth

A course of water aerobics classes has been shown to reduce the amount of pain-killing medication women request during labor.

20 Nov 2008

Light drinking has certain health benefits, researchers look at why

While the physiological damage and social havoc created by alcohol abuse and dependency are well-known, it is also true that light-to-moderate drinking has certain health benefits.

20 Nov 2008

Pregnancy and fertility following bariatric surgery

Women who undergo weight-loss surgery, known as bariatric surgery, and later become pregnant after losing weight may be at lower risk for pregnancy-related diabetes and high blood pressure - complications that can seriously affect the mother or her baby - than pregnant women who are obese, according to new findings from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that are published in the November 19 issue of JAMA.

19 Nov 2008

Obese women who undergo bariatric surgery decrease pregnancy-related health complications

Obese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

18 Nov 2008

Risk of maternal and newborn complications may be lower after bariatric surgery

A review of previously published studies suggests that rates of adverse outcomes for mothers or pregnant women and newborn babies, such as gestational diabetes and low birth weight, may be lower after bariatric surgery compared with pregnant women who are obese, according to an article in the November 19 issue of JAMA.

18 Nov 2008

Is hysteroscopic sterilization permanent for women?

Women who have decided that they do not want to ever become pregnant often select permanent sterilization.

18 Nov 2008

Pelvic girdle syndrome linked to diabetes

Diabetes appears to be linked with an increased risk of pelvic girdle syndrome. This is shown in a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Akershus University Hospital.

16 Nov 2008

Second pregnancy for Thomas Beatie

With the world abuzz of the news of his second pregnancy, Thomas Beatie tells the definitive story of his first pregnancy this Tuesday on Discovery Health.

13 Nov 2008

U.S. fails hundreds of thousands of its youngest citizens on the day they are born

The United States is failing hundreds of thousands of its youngest citizens on the day they are born, according to the March of Dimes.

12 Nov 2008

Reduced risk for pre-eclampsia among women who have aborted

Women who have had two or more induced abortions have a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia by 60 %.

12 Nov 2008

High-fat diet during pregnancy makes new cells in fetal brain that cause early onset obesity

A study in rats shows that exposure to a high-fat diet during pregnancy produces permanent changes in the offspring's brain that lead to overeating and obesity early in life, according to new research by Rockefeller University scientists.

11 Nov 2008

Fatty diet during pregnancy produces new neurons in fetal brain

11 Nov 2008

Scientists create therapy programme to treat depression in women in developing countries

Although depression is a major health problem world-wide, experts say its impact is greatest in developing countries where 80% of the population live. Often there are no resources available to treat sufferers.

11 Nov 2008

New advances in diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases

Researchers are presenting more than 450 abstracts on investigational findings in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases at the ACAAI Annual Meeting in Seattle, Nov. 6-11. Following are highlights of some key studies in allergy-immunology.

11 Nov 2008