Fertility & Pregnancy News

Low Birth Weight Rates Vary Regionally Reported November 8, 2005  (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The first study of its kind has shown low birth weight varies more than threefold across the United States. The new research offers promise to health care officials on this significant risk factor of infant mortality. A baby born with low birth weight weighs less than 5.5 pounds. … [Read more...]

New Insight into Postnatal DepressionReported January 20, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Roughly 13 percent of women suffer from postnatal depression in the year after they give birth, but new information shows women can be effectively identified and treated. Postnatal depression frequently goes undetected and untreated, often because the symptoms are not recognized or because … [Read more...]

Half of new mums shun breastfeeding Reported October 12, 2008 ONLY half of Irish women are breastfeeding on leaving maternity hospital compared to 99pc in Norway, research shows. Launching National Breastfeeding Week, Minister for Children Barry Andrews said breastfeeding levels are also over 90pc in Denmark and Italy. Catherine Murphy, assistant … [Read more...]

Obesity in Babies?Reported March 31, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The current epidemic of childhood obesity could start when some babies are just six months old. Boston investigators analyzed data on 559 pregnant women and their children. They found babies who gained the most weight during infancy were significantly more likely to be obese at age three. Just a 1.5 pound … [Read more...]

Pregnant women advised to keep weight in check20-3-07 Hadi DP Mahmud BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN MORE than one (12.8 per cent) in 10 females aged 20 and above in Brunei were classified as obese in 1997, a health specialist said, stressing the need for women to be more conscious about their weight … [Read more...]

Prevent Preeclampsia with Vitamin D?Reported September 10, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Preeclampsia is a dangerous condition for pregnant women, often forcing women to deliver prematurely to protect her health and the baby's. Now, new research reveals women who don't get enough vitamin D early in their pregnancy may be at a higher risk of developing preeclampsia. … [Read more...]

Software Makes Childbirth SaferReported April 20, 2009 BOSTON (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Giving birth is supposed to be one of the happiest times in your life, but when things go wrong in the delivery room, it can change your life for the worse. New software is helping cut down on a condition that could leave a baby permanently injured. A strong heartbeat is music to expectant … [Read more...]

Stopping Breast Milk Transmission of HIV Reported July 11, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Breastfeeding is an important source of nutrients for babies, but it can also spread the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Now a drug may offer protection. In sub-Saharan Africa, breastfeeding is critical for infant survival. However, 16 percent of untreated infants breast-fed … [Read more...]

Breast Feeding Beneficial for Mom’s Health, Too   Reported May 15, 2008 More and more research is being done to explore a child’s lifelong benefit from breastfeeding but new research has identified a link between breast feeding and a mother’s reduced risk of developing crippling rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a … [Read more...]

TV and Teen Pregnancy Link Reported November 01, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The type of TV shows a teen watches may increase the likelihood that he or she will subsequently be involved in a pregnancy. According to a new RAND corporation study, adolescents who were exposed to a lot of television shows that contained sexual content were twice as likely to be involved in a … [Read more...]

A baby's umbilical cord isn't just waste anymore. In fact, research shows cord blood could be life-saving! Today, many parents are faced with a tough decision. Today, many parents must decide whether to donate their baby's umbilical cord blood or keep it. When little Jubin was born 10 days ago, first-time parents Sonaz and Daria Hamrah were overjoyed, but they had a tough … [Read more...]

Coffee in pregnancy may up cleft lip risk slightlyReported May 06, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has linked coffee consumption in early pregnancy to a slightly increased risk of having a baby with cleft lip -- but the findings shouldn't be cause for alarm, according to one of the scientists who did the research. "Clefts are a very rare outcome," Dr. Allen J. … [Read more...]

No Link Seen Between Acetaminophen, Birth Defects Reported December 21, 2009 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New study findings offer reassurance to pregnant women that acetaminophen does not appear to raise the risk of birth defects. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol and certain other painkillers, and is often found in over-the-counter cold … [Read more...]

Explaining why SIDS RecursReported December 16, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study out of Great Britain explains why mothers who have had one baby die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are more likely to have another infant suffer the same fate. Researchers analyzed data from more than 258,000 women who gave birth to … [Read more...]

Exercise is OK for Breastfeeding Mom Reported July 4, 2005 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A mother's diet and the amount she exercises affect her milk while breastfeeding. One component found in breast milk is long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. PUFAs are essential for infant growth and development. Some have questioned whether exercise affects the level of PUFAs in breast … [Read more...]

Fertility Treatment Shows No Benefit Reported July 14, 2006 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Roughly 10 percent of couples are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected sex. Couples in this situation may use a commonly recommended treatment, intrauterine insemination with … [Read more...]

Later Term Abortion on the Rise in France Reported August 21, 2008 PARIS, August 21, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Post 12-week abortions performed in France, which are only permitted for specific “medical reasons”, increased by 10% in 2006 with a reported 6,787 compared to 6,093 in 2005. France’s Biomedical Agency (Agence Biomedicin), which released its 2006 figures on … [Read more...]

Giving birth? Check the Price Tag!Reported October 30, 2007 ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The cost of living has taken on a whole new meaning. New research reveals the price of having a baby from the first prenatal exam to delivery, and everything in between, averages about $7,600 for an uncomplicated birth. The total includes charges for hospital delivery, prenatal … [Read more...]

Gum disease ups risk of premature birthMarch 6, 2007 Pregnant women with periodontal (gum) disease are at increased risk for delivering their infants prematurely, according to a French study. Drs Jean-Noel Vergnes and Michel Sixou of the Dental School in Toulouse, France found that a mother's gum disease increased the risk of … [Read more...]

Increasing Number Of Women In India Serving As Surrogate Mothers, Reuters ReportsJuly 14, 2007 Reuters on Monday examined the practice of surrogate motherhood in India, where surrogacy services are "far cheaper than in the West." There are no official figures on the number of surrogate births in India, but it estimated that about 100 to 150 … [Read more...]

Mothers Pass Dangerous Toxins To Babies Through Breast Milk Reported May 07, 2008 A landmark study shows dangerous dioxins are passed directly from mother to baby via breast milk, but can be significantly reduced by Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, analyzed dioxin … [Read more...]

Lifelong Health Issues for Preterm Birth Reported March 26, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Premature birth is the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States; but for babies who do survive, health implications may last further into adulthood than previously thought. Researchers at Duke University in Durham, N.C., and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, … [Read more...]

Is It Safe To Get Pregnant After Breast Cancer? Reported August 25, 2007 A recent study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at the survival rates of women between 15 and 44 years old who were diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently got pregnant. It included 2,539 women, and of these women five percent had at least one pregnancy after being diagnosed. In the … [Read more...]

Depression, anorexia, childbirth affect sex lifeReported November 05, 2007 NEW YORK - Childbirth and the psychiatric disorders anorexia and depression can affect a woman's sex life, but in different ways, a small study suggests. Research has shown that women with mental health conditions, including major depression and eating disorders, tend to report more problems with … [Read more...]

Low Birth Weight Linked to Phthalates Reported June 29, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Exposure to phthalates, chemical compounds used as plasticizers in personal care products, children's toys, and some medical devices, may put infants at risk of low birth weight, a new study shows. Phthalate exposure can begin in the womb and has been associated with negative changes in … [Read more...]

Abortion No Longer a Crime in Capital July 17, 2007 MEXICO CITY - The Mexico City legislature voted Tuesday to legalise abortion, after several weeks of heated debate in which conservative groups and the Catholic Church traded insults with pro-choice activists and threatened them with … [Read more...]

New Predictors of IVF success Reported July 02, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In-vitro fertilization treatments (IVF) yield unpredictable results; the national success rate is between 30 and 40 percent for women under 38 years. New research may identify genetic predictors for the potential outcome for IVF patients. Dr. Cathy Allan from the Retunda Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, … [Read more...]

Herbal remedies risk to pregnant women Reported October 04, 2008 Two in three women could be risking their unborn child's health by taking herbal remedies, a major study in Norwich has revealed. Many pregnant women take alternative medicine on recommendations of friends or family despite the fact there is little evidence that they are safe. The … [Read more...]

Oh Baby! Interventional Radiology Makes Childbirth SaferReported March 13, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- C-sections and 'invasive' placenta conditions can result in excessive bleeding and be life threatening for mothers. At a recent Interventional Radiology Conference doctors released the findings of two new studies about procedures that are making childbirth safer. The first … [Read more...]

Pregnant Women and Clinical Trials Reported September 30, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For years, being pregnant meant you probably would not be enrolled in a clinical trial. Now, bioethicists at Duke University Medical Center, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities, say it’s time to change that because pregnant women are being excluded not just from the risks of … [Read more...]