Fertility & Pregnancy News

Detecting Danger in NewbornsReported August 22, 2007 TORONTO, Canada (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Fetal anemia is a dangerous pregnancy complication that can wreak havoc on unborn babies. Detecting the condition in the womb is vital, but it takes an invasive procedure to do so. Now, there may be an easier way to spot the condition in moms and babies. Little Warren is … [Read more...]

Gender-bending chemical timebomb fear for boys' fertility Reported May 23, 2009 Chemicals in food, cosmetics and cleaning products are 'feminising' unborn boys and raising their risk of cancer and infertility later in life, an expert warns today. Professor Richard Sharpe, one of Britain's leading reproductive biologists, says everyday substances are … [Read more...]

Women who use prescription medication to terminate a pregnancy are unlikely to have problems caused by the abortion during future pregnancies. New research reveals medical abortions do not increase the risk of miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, premature birth or low birth weight. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, wanted to know if women who have had a … [Read more...]

Asthma Risk Begins in the Womb Reported May 19, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- During pregnancy, a new mom is conscious of her eating, drinking, exercise and exposure to cigarette smoke for the health of her unborn child. But a less obvious behavior can also have lifelong effects on children. Mom’s stress during pregnancy raises a child’s risk for asthma. A pregnant woman’s … [Read more...]

Hospitals breastfeeding 'key' for new mums   Reported November 14, 2009 A LEADING obstetrician has questioned the worth of the national breastfeeding strategy and instead called for more beds in public maternity hospitals. Gino Pecoraro, the Australian Medical Association Queensland's president-elect, said allowing new mothers to stay in hospital … [Read more...]

Breast Milk Builds Trust Reported July 22, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Results of a new study show how the "trust" hormone, oxytocin, is released in a mother's brain when she is breastfeeding her child. Oxytocin has long been known to be the hormone that, when released in the blood, causes milk to be let down from the mammary glad so a baby can breastfeed. More recent … [Read more...]

BPA may pose greater threat to newbornsReported February 24, 2009 Bisphenol A, the controversial chemical used to make plastic, lingers far longer in the bodies of babies who ingest it than in adults because they lack a crucial liver enzyme needed to break it down, according to researchers at the University of Guelph. The finding prompted one of the researchers to … [Read more...]

Call for Action on Premature Births Reported November 14, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In an evaluation of premature births in each state, the March of Dimes gave the nation a “D” on their first annual Premature Birth Report Card. Not a single state earned an “A.” Every year more than half a million babies are born prematurely in the United States, or before 37 weeks … [Read more...]

No Evidence Older Women Generate New Eggs July 11, 2007 Science Daily — It is highly unlikely that older women generate new eggs, report researchers at the University of South Florida in collaboration with a center in China. The USF study, published in the March 2007 issue of the journal Developmental Biology and highlighted April 26, 2007 in Nature, … [Read more...]

Detecting Fetal Infections SoonerReported February 02, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research may help doctors identify and treat a life-threatening infection that is linked to premature birth, illness and death in order to prevent its devastating effects. Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine identified proteins associated with the bacterial infection early onset … [Read more...]

Hypertension, Other Risk Factors Identified for Small-for-Gestational-Age Births Reported August 08, 2008 August 8, 2008 — In pregnant women, chronic hypertension, young or older maternal age, and recurrent early spontaneous abortions are associated with an increased risk for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births, according to the results of a … [Read more...]

Double Breakthrough may Combat MalariaReported December 09, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The discovery of new protein biomarkers in the blood may help doctors detect two dangerous forms of malaria earlier. Scientists recently found women with placental malaria -- a form of the disease that develops in the placenta of a pregnant woman and affects her unborn child -- carry a … [Read more...]

Pregnancy is no time to stop exercising. Doctors say an active mom-to-be can experience several health benefits, including an easier labor and faster weight loss after delivering. Physicians at Ohio State University Medical Center recommend women with uncomplicated pregnancies exercise for at least 30 minutes, five times a week. "More if someone is used to exercising more," … [Read more...]

Asthma Risk Increases with Fall BirthdayReported November 21, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A fall birthday might make kids oldest in their class at school, but it could also make them more likely to develop asthma. Children who are born four months before the height of cold and flu season have a greater risk of developing childhood asthma than children born at any other … [Read more...]

Iron harmful during pregnancy Reported November 14, 2007 Children, whose mothers take iron tablets during pregnancy, may develop abnormality in behaviour, says a new study. Researcher Maria Makrides, a nutritionist from South Australia's Child Health Research Institute and team studied 431 pregnant women. Half of them took a daily … [Read more...]

Brazil doles out 'morning after' pills Reported November 20, 2007 São Paulo, Brazil - As part of a new fight against Brazil's sky-high number of unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions, the country's most populous state is offering "morning after" contraceptive pills at metro stops and 90 percent off contraceptive pills at pharmacies. And … [Read more...]

Breast not Best for AsthmaReported September 14, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- There may be lots of good reasons to breastfeed your baby, but protecting him from asthma apparently isn't one of them. A large study conducted by European investigators reveals breastfeeding has no effect on the development of asthma and allergies in the children at the age of six and a half. The … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding has health benefit for moms: StudyReported July 21, 2009 Breast isn't just best for baby: mothers who don't breastfeed their babies may increase their risk of heart attacks and strokes decades later, new research suggests. The evidence comes from the massive Women's Health Initiative trial and involved nearly 140,000 women. Researchers found that women who … [Read more...]

Contraceptives Safe, But Questions RemainReported January 26, 2009 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Oral contraceptives are used by 80 percent of women at some point in their lives. The pills are generally safe, but experts warn some risks and benefits have yet to be examined. A recent journal article by experts at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute provides insight into hormonal … [Read more...]

A technique to detect genetic disorders in embryos before they're implanted seems to be relatively harmless for babies once they're born. The research was presented at the European Human Genetics Conference in Nice, France. Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a new technique that allows specialists to detect whether or not an embryo contains a gene that will lead … [Read more...]

Screening for Down's Syndrome Reported November 10, 2005  (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study takes a closer looks at screening methods used to identify Down's Syndrome in a developing fetus. Researchers explain first trimester screening for Down's Syndrome using ultrasonography has been widespread since its introduction in the 1990s. However, second trimester screening … [Read more...]

Affects of Nicotine and Drugs Start in the Womb Reported June 13, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A child who’s been exposed to drugs in the womb is starting off with two strikes when it comes to a lifetime of healthy sleep. According to a new study, children exposed to cocaine, nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, opiates or some combination of those are more likely to have sleep … [Read more...]

Attacking Autism: Earlier DiagnosisReported February 03, 2009 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Autism is a developmental disorder that impacts a child's ability to communicate and interact with others. A new case is diagnosed every 20 minutes in the United States, but getting to a diagnosis can be a frustrating battle. New breakthroughs may be the key to early … [Read more...]

IVF Use Rises in Australia as Older Women Seek Fertility Help Reported September 17, 2008 Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Fertility treatments rose 4.6 percent in Australia in 2006, spurred by women in their late 30s and 40s seeking help falling pregnant, a new report shows. Australian fertility clinics performed 48,706 treatment cycles in 2006, … [Read more...]

Birth Size Linked to Breast Cancer Risk Reported October 03, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Birth size -- particularly length -- may help predict a baby's risk of developing breast cancer when he or she reaches adulthood. The birth size and breast cancer association had been previously made, but researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine set out to … [Read more...]

Canada's fertility rate at 10-year high: StatsCan Reported September 26, 2008 Canada's fertility rate reached a 10-year high in 2006, when women aged 30 to 34 had more babies than women aged 25 to 29 for the first time, Statistics Canada said Friday. The total fertility rate — the average number of children per women — rose to 1.59 in 2006, up from 1.54 in 2005, the … [Read more...]

Cell Phone DangersReported March 12, 2009 CLEVELAND (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- More than 3 billion people have them worldwide. More than 90 percent of the Western world uses them. Americans average about 13 hours a month talking on them. However, there are some downsides to using that device we just can't seem to get enough of. Men: beware! A new study shows cell phone usage … [Read more...]

Predicting Premature Birth July 16, 2007 Science Daily — With pre-term births a major international health problem, scientists are reporting an advance toward developing a much-needed, noninvasive test for predicting when pregnant women are about to deliver early. Oregon Health Science University’s Srinivasa R. Nagalla and colleagues there and at the … [Read more...]

Controversial Chemical Fine for Pregnant WomenReported October 08, 2007 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Small amounts of ingested perchlorate -- a chemical widely found in foods and drinking water -- has no effect on the thyroid function of women in early pregnancy, including those with a low-iodine diet. These findings are contrary to those reported last year by the Centers for … [Read more...]

Diabetes Before Pregnancy Doubles in Women, Teens Reported April 28, 2008 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- More women and teens are developing diabetes before they become pregnant. A new study from Kaiser Permanente looked at 175,249 teenagers and adults who gave birth in Southern California between 1999 and 2005. It finds twice as many cases of pre-pregnancy diabetes during the six … [Read more...]