Archive for the ‘Pregnancy / Obstetrics’ Category
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Pregnant women are skimping on fruit and vegetables and gaining too much weight, according to a new Australian study. The research, in the journal Nutrition & Dietetics published by Wiley-Blackwell, found that expectant mothers are eating less than half the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables. And at least one in three put on more than the recommended weight gain for pregnancy...
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Previous studies have explored the effect of periodontal treatment, irrespective of efficacy of treatment, in reducing infant prematurity. In a study titled "Risk of Preterm Birth Is Reduced with Successful Periodontal Treatment," lead researcher M. Jeffcott, and colleagues S. Parry and M. Sammel (all from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia) and G. Macones (Washington University, St...
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Reversing a 15-year trend, the percentage of infants born at home rose slightly in 2005 and remained stable in 2006, according to a report published Wednesday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics Reports, USA Today reports. Marian MacDorman, a demographer at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, said it is not clear what caused the slight increase...
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Two articles published Online First in The Lancet report that community support groups can reduce neonatal mortality. In addition, they can lower rates of maternal depression, provided that the population coverage is wide enough and the programs are suitably designed. In trials in Nepal, participatory women's groups have shown promise. Neonatal mortality was reduced by about one-third...
Friday, March 5th, 2010
PREGNANT SMOKERS WITH ASTHMA HAVE INCREASED HEALTH RISKS Pregnant women with asthma who smoke have an increased risk for asthma symptoms and fetal growth abnormalities. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina observed 2,210 pregnant women with asthma to determine the effect of active and passive household smoking on asthma severity and obstetric/neonatal outcomes...
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
This week, the Washington, D.C.-based NPR affiliate WAMU is featuring a three-part series on teenage pregnancy in the district. According to WAMU, the number of infants born to teens ages 15 through 19 in the district increased 20% from 2005 to 2007, the most recent year for which data are available. More than 1,050 teens gave birth in D.C. in 2007...
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R) said he opposes a bill (LB 1110) that would provide low-income women -- including undocumented immigrants -- with prenatal care through the state's version of the Children's Health Insurance Program because he believes undocumented immigrants should be barred from receiving public health benefits, the Omaha World-Herald reports (Hammel, Omaha World-Herald, 2/26)...
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R) said he opposes a bill (LB 1110) that would provide low-income women -- including undocumented immigrants -- with prenatal care through the state's version of the Children's Health Insurance Program because he believes undocumented immigrants should be barred from receiving public health benefits, the Omaha World-Herald reports (Hammel, Omaha World-Herald, 2/26)...
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
It has long been known that the choices you make during pregnancy can have a lasting impact, but new research shows that certain behaviors could influence whether your child will develop food allergies or asthma...
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
It has long been known that the choices you make during pregnancy can have a lasting impact, but new research shows that certain behaviors could influence whether your child will develop food allergies or asthma...
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Excessive weight gain during the first trimester of pregnancy appears to significantly increase the risk of gestational diabetes, according to a study published Monday in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Los Angeles Times reports...
Friday, February 26th, 2010
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) announced that it is launching a new system to provide information to pregnant women and their doctors about using medications and vaccines safely in pregnancy. The Vaccines and Medications in Pregnancy Surveillance System (VAMPSS) unites the resources of two leading research institutions and collaborates with five federal agencies...
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
The MTV reality show "16 and Pregnant" and its spin-off, "Teen Mom," both "are designed to deter adolescents from becoming mothers -- a relevant issue as teen pregnancy rates are up for the first time in more than a decade," Double X managing editor Jessica Grose writes in a Slate opinion piece...
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
New research to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that dizygotic1 (non-identical) twins conceived through IVF face an increased risk of neonatal complications, as compared to spontaneously conceived (non-IVF) dizygotic twins. One of the most recognized complications of IVF is the increased risk of multiple pregnancy...
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
A new US study suggests that acupuncture specifically designed for depression may reduce symptoms during pregnancy: although the study was small, the researchers say it is the first of its kind and hope that it raises awareness about depression in pregnancy and helps patients and doctors consider an alternative to antidepressants...
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
New research published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth notes some of the "serious short- and long-term health issues" associated with preterm births and identifies steps that can be taken to reduce the number of stillbirths and premature births worldwide, United Press International reports. Each year, 13 million babies are born preterm and there are 3...
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Scientists seeking answers to the complex problem of premature birth will explore whether stimulation of estrogen receptors triggers preterm labor, study how genetics and the environment interact to cause preterm birth, and investigate whether vitamin D can suppress factors that make some women more likely to give birth too soon, all with the financial support of the March of Dimes...
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
Scientists seeking answers to the complex problem of premature birth will explore whether stimulation of estrogen receptors triggers preterm labor, study how genetics and the environment interact to cause preterm birth, and investigate whether vitamin D can suppress factors that make some women more likely to give birth too soon, all with the financial support of the March of Dimes...
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, may increase their risk of developing diabetes later in their pregnancy, according to a study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research that appears online in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology...
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Relief organizations and medical workers in Haiti are increasingly struggling to find enough doctors and supplies to attend to women in labor in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake, the Miami Herald reports. Hospitals have become overcrowded and have been forced to turn away pregnant women, according to the Herald...
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Nebraska lawmakers voted 36-0 Wednesday to bypass a legislative rule preventing bills from being introduced more than 10 days into a new legislative session, thereby allowing consideration of a bill (LB 1110) that would continue public insurance coverage for pregnant undocumented immigrants, the Lincoln Journal Star reports (Hicks, Lincoln Journal Star, 2/17)...