Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Acupuncture to reduce back pain in pregnancy

A Yale researcher and expert in the practice of acupuncture is conducting a three-year study on the effectiveness of this ancient Chinese practice in reducing low back pain during pregnancy.

3 Feb 2005

MRI is both safe and accurate for diagnosing pregnant women with acute pain in the abdomen and pelvis

MRI is both safe and accurate for diagnosing pregnant women with acute pain in the abdomen and pelvis, surpassing the limits of both CT and ultrasound for this purpose, according to a new study by researchers from University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, NC.

3 Feb 2005

Nearly 10,000 preterm births could have been prevented in 2002

Nearly 10,000 preterm births could have been prevented in 2002 if all pregnant women at high risk for a premature baby and eligible for weekly injections of a derivative of the hormone progesterone had received them, according to a new study published in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

31 Jan 2005

Premenstrual exacerbation of depression common

Virginia Commonwealth University mental health experts have found that women with depression commonly report fluctuations in their symptoms across the menstrual cycle — a key factor that may help physicians better evaluate and treat depressed women.

30 Jan 2005

Clinical trials to test the safety of a first-of-its-kind human hookworm vaccine

Clinical trials to test the safety of a first-of-its-kind human hookworm vaccine will begin in the Washington, DC area in a couple of months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conferred investigational new drug status on the vaccine.

27 Jan 2005

Major health problems in babies of diabetic mothers on the rise

During the past decade, babies born to women with type 2 diabetes have shown an increasing number of serious health problems -- including stillbirth and birth defects, such as brain, spine and heart congenital malformations that can lead to infant deaths, according to a study published in the February issue of Diabetes Care.

27 Jan 2005

Doctors under pressure to compromise good health care for athletes

Doctors are repeatedly coming under pressure to compromise principles of good health care when treating athletes, reveals a small preliminary study in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

26 Jan 2005

Increase in small babies is major reason behind the increase in U.S. infant mortality

An increase in the birth of very small infants is the major reason behind the increase in U.S. infant mortality in 2002, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The increase in infant mortality, from 6.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2001 to 7.0 in 2002, was the first increase in the infant mortality rate since 1958 and was reported last year by CDC.

26 Jan 2005

New report on the health effects of perchlorate, found in many public drinking-water supplies

A new report by the National Academies' National Research Council on the health effects of perchlorate, a chemical that in high doses can decrease thyroid function in humans and that is present in many public drinking-water supplies

26 Jan 2005

RU-486 plus prostaglandins remains the most effective nonsurgical abortion method

The most common medical approach to terminating early pregnancy — the drug RU-486 plus prostaglandins — remains the most effective nonsurgical abortion method, according to a new research review.

24 Jan 2005

Mother’s diet and slimness might have long-term effects on the health of her baby

Researchers have discovered a link between the amount of blood flowing through the liver of the unborn baby in late pregnancy and the diet of expectant mums.

20 Jan 2005

Parental notification laws concerning contraception would affect teenagers

Rachel K. Jones, Ph.D., and colleagues with the Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York, N.Y., conducted a study in which 1,526 female adolescents younger than 18 years (minors) seeking reproductive health services at 79 national family planning clinics were surveyed between May 2003 and February 2004.

19 Jan 2005

Program aimed at improving the quality of treatment for depression is effective at reducing depression

An intervention for adolescents aimed at improving the quality of treatment for depression is effective at reducing depression, according to a study in the January 19 issue of JAMA.

19 Jan 2005

Home HIV-AIDS test could be a reality within two years

A portable device similar to a home pregnancy test that can quickly detect the presence of infectious diseases, including HIV-AIDS and measles as well as biological agents such as Ricin and anthrax, is the goal of a new joint research project

17 Jan 2005

Prenatal exposure to industrial and environmental pollutants probably causes most childhood cancers

Most childhood cancers are "probably" down to prenatal exposure to industrial and environmental pollutants, most likely to have been inhaled by the mother during pregnancy, suggests research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

16 Jan 2005

First new guidelines in more than a decade for managing asthma during pregnancy

The report reflects new medications that have emerged and updates treatment recommendations for pregnant women with asthma based on a systematic review of data on the safety of asthma medications during pregnancy. An executive summary ("Quick Reference") of the guidelines is published in the January issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.

12 Jan 2005

New portable infectious disease detector

A portable device similar to today's home pregnancy tests that can quickly detect the presence of infectious diseases, including HIV-AIDS and measles, as well as biological agents such as ricin and anthrax, is the object of a new joint university/industry research project.

10 Jan 2005

CDC concern over contraceptive decline deserves second look

On January 4, The Washington Post allocated front page coverage to a biased December 2004 study by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Contraceptive use among American women.

6 Jan 2005

Stem cells could reveal secrets of illness in later life

Mums to be have known for some time that what they eat when pregnant affects their unborn child but now scientists believe that the diet of our mothers during pregnancy may even affect our predisposition to illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure in late life.

5 Jan 2005

Easier access to emergency contraception would not increase the risk of STDs

Making it easier to obtain emergency contraception would not increase unprotected intercourse, lead to abandonment of regular contraception, or increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

5 Jan 2005