Fertility & Pregnancy News

Perchlorate not tied to pregnancy thyroid problems Reported May 14, 2010 (Reuters Health) - Everyday exposure to perchlorate, an industrial chemical found in drinking water and a range of foods, may not impair thyroid function in pregnant women, a new study suggests. "Our data are reassuring," lead researcher Dr. Elizabeth N. Pearce, of … [Read more...]

H1N1: A Serious Threat to Pregnant Women Reported May 25, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study shows the H1N1 virus may be particularly dangerous for pregnant women. In fact, expecting women who contract the virus are at a greater risk for complications such as fetal distress, premature delivery, emergency C-sections and even fetal … [Read more...]

Study Says, Birth Control Pill might Lower Sexual Drive in WomenReported May 11, 2010 It is a report on the development of society's outlook towards sex when you compare the concerns, which were hoisted regarding the birth control pill 50 years back, when it was backed up by the Food and Drug … [Read more...]

Dads Get the Baby Blues Too Reported May 20, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- It is well known that new mothers sometimes suffer prenatal and postpartum depression, with negative personal, family, and child developmental impact, but depression among new fathers has received little attention. Researchers have found that about 10 percent of fathers … [Read more...]

Preventing HIV Transmission From Mother to Baby Reported May 14, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Researchers have developed a new way to package medications for HIV-positive mothers in developing countries, which could help prevent their newborn babies from also getting the disease. The inexpensive, easy-to-use system developed by biomedical engineers … [Read more...]

Drinking While Pregnant Puts Babies At Risk for Cancer Reported May 06, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may be putting their unborn child at risk for a rare form of cancer. Each year, about 700 children are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to Julie Ross, Ph.D., director of the division … [Read more...]

Hormonal Contraceptives Linked to Female Sexual Dysfunction Reported May 07, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women taking hormonal contraceptives were at highest risk of Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD), while women taking non-hormonal contraceptives were at lowest risk for FSD -- lower than women not using any contraceptive. "Sexual problems can … [Read more...]

Multiple births to cash-strapped IVF mums on rise   Reported May 02, 2010 TWIN and triplet birth rates are set to rise as more Australian women undergoing IVF ask doctors to implant multiple embryos to reduce the cost of fertility treatment. Specialists say cuts to the Medicare rebate have pushed up patient costs by about $1500 for each … [Read more...]

Study: Vitamin D Vital for Pregnant Women Reported May 03, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy is not only safe for mother and baby, it can also prevent preterm infections, labor and births.   According to lead author Carol L. Wagner, MD, pediatric researcher at Medical University of South Carolina, in … [Read more...]

Morning sickness linked to parents   Reported May 01, 2010 Women whose mothers experienced severe morning sickness are three times more likely to develop the condition in their own pregnancy, research has suggested. Serious sickness affects up to 2% of pregnancies, meaning thousands of women in the UK suffer each year. The condition … [Read more...]

Smokers show lower risk of pregnancy complication Reported April 21, 2010 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study adds to evidence that women who smoke during pregnancy have a lower risk of a complication called preeclampsia -- in findings that may help shed light on how the condition arises. The results, researchers say, do not in any way … [Read more...]

Bleeding with first baby ups later pregnancy risks Reported April 21, 2010 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who bleed early in pregnancy but don't miscarry are at increased risk of pregnancy complications, and this risk carries over to their next pregnancy, according to a large new study from Denmark. The findings suggest that doctors should … [Read more...]

No link between infertility, rare infant cancer: study Reported April 23, 2010 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children conceived with the help of infertility treatment are no more likely than those conceived naturally to develop infant leukemia, according to the largest study to date to investigate the relationship. Infant leukemia strikes … [Read more...]

Study: Vitamins C, E don't prevent preeclampsia Reported April 20, 2010 LOS ANGELES — Contrary to the results of earlier studies, large quantities of vitamins C and E do not prevent preeclampsia, high blood pressure and other complications of pregnancy, researchers found in the largest study of the vitamins to date. British … [Read more...]

Fit Pregnancy, Fit Babies Reported April 09, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Pregnant women who engage in regular moderate-intensity aerobic exercise will have babies whose birth weight is slightly lower without restricting the development of maternal insulin resistance, which is essential in maintaining nutrient availability to the fetus. … [Read more...]

Sexually Transmitted Disease: The Next Superbug? Reported April 01, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A sexually transmitted infection may be on its way to becoming untreatable after showing growing resistance to multiple antibiotic drugs. Researchers at the Health Protection Agency in London say some strains of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea are … [Read more...]

Pregnancy Alert: DVT Forms in Left Leg Reported March 31, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in pregnant patients is more likely to occur on the left side, and in particular in the left leg. "In nonpregnant patients, DVT, the formation of a blood clot, is most common in the calf veins," Dr. Wee-Shian Chan, of Women's College … [Read more...]

Pregnancy and Stress Causes Asthma in Kids? Reported March 19, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Stressed out pregnant women may be putting their babies at risk for developing asthma. Researchers compared the cord blood of infants born to moms in high stress environments to moms in lower stress situations, and discovered certain differences in … [Read more...]

Pregnancy Alert: Hip Implants Reported March 15, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Moms with metal hip implants pass metal ions on to their infants while pregnant. Although the effects of this transmission aren't yet known, medical device companies are already working on technologies to reduce the release of ions from implants. Data from a new study … [Read more...]

Dangerous Deliveries: Keeping Mom and Baby Together Reported March 15, 2010 PHILADELPHIA (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One in every 33 babies is born with a birth defect. The most seriously affected babies often spend their crucial first hours or days separated from their mothers. New delivery units are designed to keep these high-risk babies and … [Read more...]

Dental Care Lowers Preterm Birth Risk Reported March 09, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One of the first things an expectant mother should do is schedule a trip to the dentist, especially if she has a history of gum disease. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and Washington University, St. Louis, conducted a study to … [Read more...]

C-Sections on the Rise: New Insight Reported March 11, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- "Once a C-section, always a C-section" seems to be taking hold as a mantra at medical facilities across the United States. Fear over complications associated with attempting vaginal birth after a cesarean section has lead to an increase in repeat C-sections since … [Read more...]

Breast-Feeding Helps Mom Stay Slimmer Later in Life Reported March 05, 2010 FRIDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- The benefits of breast-feeding for infants are numerous and well-known, but researchers are finding more and more that breast-feeding can be a boon to mom's health as well. In fact, the latest study on the subject suggests that … [Read more...]

Can delaying pregnancy cut early water break risk? Reported March 02, 2010 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women whose water has broken early may want to wait at least 18 months before having their next child, new research shows. Known by doctors as preterm premature rupture of membranes, this complication, in which a woman's water breaks … [Read more...]

Low birth weight may affect adult lung health Reported March 08, 2010 NEW YORK - Middle-aged adults who were born at a relatively low weight may have more breathing difficulties than those who were bigger newborns, a new study suggests. In a study of 627 Chinese men and women in their 40s, researchers found that participants' scores on standard … [Read more...]

Support Groups Improve Birth Outcomes Reported March 10, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Community support groups may be able to reduce neonatal deaths and lower rates of maternal depression, but only if the population coverage is wide enough and the programs are appropriately designed. In trials in Nepal, participatory women's groups reduced … [Read more...]

Vaginal birth after C-section is called safe Reported March 11, 2010 LOS ANGELES — Vaginal birth after Caesarean, or VBAC, is reasonably safe and should be more widely available, a National Institutes of Health advisory panel concluded Wednesday. Such deliveries once accounted for 25 percent of U.S. births among women with a previous Caesarean delivery but have now … [Read more...]

Pregnant Women Should Ensure Adequate Iodine in the Diet Reported March 02, 2010 A team of researchers from the Childhood and Environmental Project (INMA) has recently studied the consequences of iodine supplementation in pregnancy and found that iodine nutritional status should be one of the essential nutrients monitored for optimal brain development in the … [Read more...]

Pregnancy Pounds Add up to Diabetes Reported February 26, 2010 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, may increase their risk of developing diabetes later in pregnancy. A three-year study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research of 1,145 pregnant women from an ethnically diverse population … [Read more...]

IVF 'May Increase Risk Of Stillborn Babies' Reported February 24, 2010 Women who undergo certain fertility treatments are more likely to have a stillborn baby than those who get pregnant the natural way, a study has claimed. The risk of stillbirth increases fourfold with both in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm … [Read more...]