Fertility & Pregnancy News

Maternal Mortality Leading Cause of Death for Women WorldwideJuly 13, 2007 More than 500,000 women died from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth in 2000, but 99% of those maternal deaths were preventable, according to the U.N. Population Fund's "State of World Population 2005" report released on Wednesday, BBC News … [Read more...]

Expectant Moms Should Wait Out Due Date for DeliveriesReported June 05, 2008 (HealthNewsDigest.com) - COLUMBUS, Ohio – Many parents become anxious toward the end of a pregnancy, when women are sleepless, fatigued and finding it difficult to perform their daily activities. Technology during the past 10 years has made labor induction easier and more successful, and now, … [Read more...]

Birth control pill that eliminates monthly period approvedReported December 20, 2007 (HealthDay News) -- Lybrel, a birth-control pill that does away with a woman's monthly period, was approved Tuesday by the U.S. The estrogen-progestin hormonal pill differs from traditional birth-control pills in that it does not include the "week off" of placebo pills that leads to a … [Read more...]

Formula, or milk?Reported November 24, 2007 Hospitals in San Bernardino County fall below the state average in terms of in-hospital breast-feeding rates, according a study recently released by the UC Davis Human Lactation Center. This is significant because mothers who don't breast-feed after giving birth at a hospital are unlikely to breast-feed once they check out. … [Read more...]

Maternal Exercise Boosts Heart Health of Unborn BabiesReported April 22, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Exercise during fetal growth may improve the cardiovascular health of an unborn baby. Researchers examined the effects of exercise on fetal breathing in 20- to 35-year-old mothers to be. Each exerciser participated in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three times … [Read more...]

Estimated 5 Million Women Admitted To Hospital Each Year Following An Unsafe Abortion   July 16, 2007 In the developing world as a whole, an estimated five million women are admitted to hospital each year for the treatment of complications from induced abortions, concludes a study in The Lancet. By … [Read more...]

Women who work fixed nighttime hours during pregnancy are more likely to suffer fetal loss, according to a new study. However, this correlation was not found among women who work rotating shifts. Researchers at the Danish Epidemiology Research Center analyzed data on more than 42,000 Danish women who worked during pregnancy. They compared rates of pregnancy loss of women who … [Read more...]

Overweight and UnderageReported August 04, 2009 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- We've all heard about the obesity epidemic in America, and it's hitting kids before they even learn how to walk and talk. Statistics show one in five 4-year-olds is considered obese. Doctors say parents can turn the trend around by knowing how much is too much when it comes to the … [Read more...]

Pre-Cancerous Treatment Linked to Pregnancy ProblemsReported February 10, 2006 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who undergo treatments aimed at removing abnormal cells that could lead to cervical cancer are at an increased risk for pregnancy complications, report British and Greek researchers. Investigators looked at research … [Read more...]

Protecting Babies from Infections Reported October 06, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In the United States, most emergency room (ER) pediatric cases involve infants suffering from fevers. Now, a simple blood test may help identify which babies are at risk of acquiring dangerous bacterial infections. The blood test works by identifying a new diagnostic marker called … [Read more...]

Many Russian Women Drink During Pregnancy Reported November 08, 2007 Russian women are aware that drinking can damage developing fetuses — but nearly two-thirds continue to drink after they become pregnant, according to new research. Before doing the study, researchers hadn't even been sure that it was possible to conduct accurate surveys in … [Read more...]

Spain's abortion rate soars July 10, 2007 The annual number of abortions in Spain has nearly doubled in the last decade, prompting calls for improved sex education in schools. About 85,000 Spanish women terminated their pregnancies in 2004, compared with 49,000 in 1995, according to the ministry of health. Some 15% were … [Read more...]

Study Questions SSRI use in Pregnancy Reported February 4, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Women who use antidepressants during pregnancy may run the risk their newborns will be born with neonatal withdrawal syndrome, a condition characterized by convulsions, irritability, abnormal … [Read more...]

Night shift linked to late pregnancy loss 2004-12-23 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who regularly work the night shift may have an increased risk of a miscarriage late in pregnancy or a stillbirth, a new study suggests. The study of more than 40,000 Danish women who worked during pregnancy found that those who … [Read more...]

Tips for Multiple Birth Pregnancy Reported January 10, 2005 OKLAHOMA CITY (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- If you think you're seeing double more often these days, you're probably right. More and more women are having twins, triplets and even quadruplets. Complications like pre-term delivery are common in these women, but simple … [Read more...]

Girls of 12 could be given contraceptive implants to curb pregnancies Reported January 12, 2009 Schoolgirls as young as 12 could be given contraceptive implants in an attempt to reduce under-age pregnancies. The move is being considered by a local authority at a time when England and Wales has one of the highest teenage birth rates in Western … [Read more...]

The truth about pregnancy Reported January 16, 2009 It’s time to give mums-to-be a break from pregnancy scare stories — having babies is actually getting safer In a week of gloom there was one cheerier piece of news: the risk of epidurals, anaesthetic injections into the area around the spine, is lower than that previously stated. In fact, … [Read more...]

Vitamin D Recommendations Doubled Reported October 14, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Vitamin D grows healthy bones and keeps them strong -- and new guidelines suggest your child may need double the amount he or she currently receives. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends double the currently recommended amount of vitamin D for kids. Authors detailed in a recent … [Read more...]

We can prevent tragedies from postpartum illnessReported August 12, 2009 Every new mother is expected to feel joyous at the birth of a new child. After all, the creation of life is supposed to be the height of a mother's life experience. But if you're a mother living with postpartum mental illness, that's not always the case. The recent reports of Otty Sanchez, the San … [Read more...]

Early C-section for full-term babies poses riskReported January 08, 2009 Toronto (ECN) - A scientific study was done on cesarean sections. United States researchers found that more than fifty percent of cesarean sections that doctors perform are done by the choice of doctors and their patients. Many celebrities have even had elective cesareans because they are worried … [Read more...]

You are What Your Mother Eats Reported April 23, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- What your mother ate during pregnancy may have helped determine your sex. Particularly, eating more during the time of conception is now linked to having a baby boy. A study by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford looked at 740 first-time pregnant mothers in the United Kingdom who did not know the … [Read more...]

Embryonic Hearts Heal Themselves Reported October 14, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Embryonic hearts appear to have a surprising ability to generate new, healthy tissue when faced with a significant amount of diseased tissue. In a new study conducted in mice, researchers found animals that were bred to have “mosaic hearts” featuring mixed cells -- about half normal and half … [Read more...]

FDA Approves Drug for Rare Blood DisorderMarch 19, 2007 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it's approved a first-of-its-kind drug to treat a rare blood disorder called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), which can cause disability and premature death. The newly approved drug, Soliris (eculizumab), is a … [Read more...]

Focusing on School Could Prevent Teen PregnanciesReported November 17, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Programs that help kids enjoy school are successful in reducing teen pregnancy rates, according to researchers. A recent evaluation of the Young People's Development Program (YPDP) in Britain found that it did not decrease the number of teenage pregnancies. Researchers … [Read more...]

Oral contraceptives don’t affect women's fertilityReported September 07, 2009 The study led by German researchers showed that neither the length of time the pill was taken nor the type of hormones used had an affect on pregnancy rates. In the European Active Surveillance Study on Oral Contraceptives, the … [Read more...]

Hepatitis E Vaccine Shows Promise Reported March 1, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A form of hepatitis common in developing nations of the world may have met its match. U.S. Army researchers who tested a vaccine against hepatitis E ( HEV) report the vaccine was about 95-percent … [Read more...]

Threat to morning-after-pill ads in IndiaReported September 09, 2009 NEW DELHI — Indian authorities have threatened to pull advertising for two brands of morning-after-pills off the air amid concern they promote the drugs as regular contraceptives and misrepresent abortion, an official said Wednesday. The manufacturers of "Unwanted 72" and "I-Pill" have launched an … [Read more...]

IVF and Acupuncture Reported November 17, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Reducing the stress and anxiety women feel when undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) is considered important in improving the pregnancy rate in these women. Acupuncture has shown promise in easing these symptoms, but a new investigation out of Hong Kong suggests a sham version of the treatment may … [Read more...]

Mom's Work Schedule Affects Child's Development Thursday, February 10, 2005 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children whose mothers work nights, evenings or rotating shifts are more likely to be behind the curve in mental development at age 2 and in language ability at age 3, new … [Read more...]

Premature Birth Risk Higher For Women Taking SSRIsReported March 20, 2009 Untreated major depression, as well as the use of antidepressant medications, may increase the risk for premature (preterm) birth, but the risk of other problems in fetuses such as breathing, gastrointestinal, or motor problems, may not be increased, according to a study of pregnant women published … [Read more...]