Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

San Francisco judge has slammed the new Bush legislation on abortions as unconstitutional

US federal Judge Phyllis Hamilton has slammed the new Bush legislation on abortions as unconstitutional "This court concludes that the act is unconstitutional because it poses an undue burden on a woman's ability to choose a second trimester abortion; is unconstitutionally vague; and requires a health exception,".

2 Jun 2004

Federal abortion ban is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced

The federal abortion ban passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush last year is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced, Federal District Court Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton ruled yesterday (1st June 2004).

2 Jun 2004

Discovery of a key marker in breast cancer tumors

Cancer researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered a key marker in breast cancer tumors that may help determine which women with early stage breast cancer have a better chance of survival. The research appears in the June 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

31 May 2004

More likely that older IVF mothers will suffer a pregnancy loss

It is a widely known that, as women age, it becomes more difficult for them to become pregnant. In a study from the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, researchers documented that it is also increasingly more likely that older IVF mothers will suffer a pregnancy loss, most often due to cytogenetic abnormalities of the fetus.

27 May 2004

Inadequate hospital staffing affecting death rates in the birthing unit

Inadequate staffing levels and ineffective deployment of midwives are key to many adverse events and near misses in birthing units, according to an international researcher in midwifery.

27 May 2004

Link between oral bacterium and premature babies

For years, scientists have noticed a particular oral bacterium can be found in the amniotic fluid of about 20 percent of women with premature babies.

27 May 2004

Outlaw teen sexuality!

That’s right ban it, make it illegal, against the law, verboten. May is teen pregnancy prevention month. Let’s get real about the problem that is confronting us. The United States now has more teen pregnancies than any other country in the industrialized world. Over 1 million teenagers get pregnant every year and 78% of teen pregnancies are unintended.

26 May 2004

Pregnant female asthmatics who eat oily fish may be helping to protect their children against developing asthma

Pregnant female asthmatics who eat oily fish, such as salmon or trout, may be helping to protect their children against developing asthma, according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Orlando on May 25.

25 May 2004

Prenatal cocaine exposure not associated with lower full scale IQ scores

A study in the May 26 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests that prenatal cocaine exposure was not associated with lower full scale IQ scores, or verbal or performance IQ scores at age 4 years.

25 May 2004

Children's behaviour is linked to contact with real father

The importance of a father figure in children's lives has been demonstrated by a new study of families with separated parents in Bristol.

25 May 2004

Folic acid important before pregnancy

Only about 25 per cent of women in many countries voluntarily take folic acid tablets before conception, says a U of T researcher.

22 May 2004

Obese women more likely to have pregnancy complications and caesarean sections than women of average weight

The controlled study is one of the largest ever to look at obesity in pregnancy, following more than 16,000 pregnant women at 14 medical centers across the country.

20 May 2004

Study has important implications for African Americans who suffer from high blood pressure

A new study has important implications for the millions of African Americans who suffer from high blood pressure. The study, AADVANCE, shows Diovan HCT(R) (valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) lowers blood pressure in African Americans to aggressive recommended target blood pressure goals as effectively as amlodipine.

20 May 2004

Britain's youth complacent about HIV/AIDS

New data from surveys across the UK reveal a decline in 12-15 year olds’ knowledge about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. Figures from 1995-2001, (see tables), using a sample of 142,281 young people, show a declining trend of youngsters who think that HIV can be passed on by:

19 May 2004

25% of women in many countries voluntarily take folic acid tablets before conception

By taking folic acid before pregnancy or during the first few weeks after conception, women can markedly lower the risk of neural tube defects in their offspring; the defects commonly manifest themselves as a debilitating health condition known as spina bifida. The neural tube is fully developed 22 to 28 days after conception

19 May 2004

A mother-to-be who eats fish during the later stages of pregnancy is less likely to have a very small baby

However the latest research from the Children of the 90s project has shown no link between fish consumption and average birthweight once other factors have been taken into account. There was also no evidence of increased frequency of premature birth in mothers not eating fish.

13 May 2004

People infected with chlamydia is at an all-time high

The number of people in Washington infected with chlamydia is at an all-time high. According to the Washington State Department of Health 16,796 people were diagnosed with chlamydial infection in 2003. The Department of Health is advising all sexually active women age 25 and younger to be tested at least once a year for chlamydia.

12 May 2004

Fewer pregnant women in Washington are smoking

Fewer pregnant women in Washington are smoking. The percentage of women in our state who smoke during the last three months of pregnancy has dropped to 10 percent, according to new survey data released today by the Washington State Department of Health. That is the lowest rate since the department began surveying in 1998. At that time, 13 percent of pregnant women were smoking, but since then the number has steadily dropped.

12 May 2004

Two serious birth defects in the U. S. are on the decline

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects of the spine (e.g., spina bifida) and the brain (e.g., anencephaly) that occur during early pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.

10 May 2004

Research finds feeding ewes well impacts on future generations

Research that has found a two-fold difference in the amount of epithelial tissue in the mammary glands of foetal lambs whose dams were well fed throughout pregnancy compared to dams fed at maintenance levels could have important implications for sheep farm management in New Zealand – and perhaps human nutrition.

10 May 2004