Maternal
Hairspray use during pregnancy may cause birth defect in newbornWomen who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
New prenatal test for Down syndrome less risky than amniocentesisPregnant women worried about their babies' genetic health face a tough decision: get prenatal gene testing and risk miscarriage, or skip the tests and miss the chance to learn of genetic defects before birth.
Increased risk of pregnancy problems in Asian-whitePregnant women who are part of an Asian-white couple face an increased risk of gestational diabetes as compared with couples in which both partners are white, according to a new study from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Poor coordination in childhood linked to obesity in later lifePoor physical control and coordination in childhood are linked to an increased risk of obesity in later life, suggests a study published on BMJ.com today.
Nut products during pregnancy increases asthma risk in childrenExpectant mothers who eat nuts or nut products like peanut butter daily during pregnancy increase their children's risk of developing asthma by more than 50 percent over women who rarely or never consume nut products during pregnancy, according to new research from the Netherlands.
Miscarriage risk in pregnant rises when man is over 35Pregnancy rates decrease and miscarriages increase when a father is over 35 years of age, a scientist will tell the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology on Monday 7 July.
Low vitamin D level during pregnancy affects baby's dental healthLow maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early-childhood tooth decay.
Parents use cough medicines on under 2s despite the warningsMore than 40% of parents have used cough medicine for children younger than two – even though it is not recommended, nor proven effective for children in this age group, an Australia-first study has found.
Preterm babies could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddlingPreterm babies, born between 28 and 31 weeks, could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddling with their mother before and during painful procedures such as a heel lance, reported in a recent study.
Heart disease predetermined by oxygen levels in the wombThe amount of oxygen available to a baby in the womb can affect their susceptibility to developing particular diseases later in life. Research presented at the annual Society for Endocrinology BES meeting in Harrogate shows that your risk of developing cardiovascular disease can be predetermined before birth, not only by your genes, but also by their interaction with the quality of the environment you experience in the womb.
Genotyping DNA may reduce unnecessary treatment for blood disorder in pregnancyA new test for identifying a mismatch between the blood of a pregnant woman and her baby is accurate, feasible, and could substantially reduce unnecessary treatment, finds a study published on bmj.com.
Pregnant women should use seatbeltProper seatbelt use by pregnant women would save 200 fetuses a year, University of Michigan study finds. This new study could have a profound effect on fetal deaths and injuries caused by car crashes.
Less folate in diet cause abnormal spermHealthy men who report lower levels of the nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Quit smoking in pregnancy to have easy going childGiving up smoking during pregnancy may boost the chances of giving birth to an easy going child, indicates research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Tobacco use, secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy, may threaten healthRates of tobacco use during pregnancy, as well as exposure of pregnant women and their young children to secondhand smoke, are significant threats to health in several low and middle-income countries, reveals a study from National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Many maternal deaths worldwide are preventableWomen who die during pregnancy and childbirth in sub-Saharan Africa, more may die from treatable infectious diseases than from conditions directly linked to pregnancy, revealed by researchers.
Herpes virus link to complications in pregnancyViral infection with high blood pressure during pregnancy may lead to pre-term birth, revealed by researchers at Adelaide's Women's & Children's Hospital and the University of Adelaide.
Teenage fathers have babies with birth problemsTeenage fathers carry an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, whereas advanced paternal age is not an independent risk factor for adverse birth outcomes, revealed by researchers in a study published in Human Reproduction.
Stress in pregnancy may lead to schizophrenia in offspringMost societies believe that a mother's psychological state can influence her unborn baby. Children of women who undergo an extremely stressful event-such as the death of a close relative-during the first trimester of pregnancy appear more likely to develop schizophrenia, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Genetic mutation increases risk of preterm birthGenetic mutations in the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene appear to have significant association with inflammatory injury to the placenta and developing baby, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh's department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences report at the 28th annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Scientific sessions continue through Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Dallas Hyatt Regency at Reunion.
Better nutrition in childhood increases productivity in adulthoodFeeding very young children a high-energy, high-protein supplement leads to increased economic productivity in adulthood, especially for men, according to a study published in the current issue of The Lancet, a leading medical journal.
Overweight pregnant women may have fatter childrenMothers-to-be beware. Women who are overweight during pregnancy may be more likely to have fatter children susceptible to chronic health problems, University of New South Wales (UNSW) research shows.
Prenatal starvation may lead to addiction later in lifeBabies conceived during a period of famine are at risk of developing addictions later in life, and a range of chronic disorders including physical conditions such as coronary heart disease, and psychiatric ones such as schizophrenia and clinical depression.
Integrated health strategies can save children's lives, says UNICEFStrategies that can help reduce the number of children who die before their fifth birthday were highlighted today, at the launch of UNICEF's flagship report - The State of the World's Children 2008: Child Survival – in Geneva.
Caffeine during pregnancy increases miscarriage riskHigh doses of daily caffeine during pregnancy – whether from coffee, tea, caffeinated soda or hot chocolate – cause an increased risk of miscarriage, according a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. The study controlled, for the first time, pregnancy-related symptoms of nausea, vomiting and caffeine aversion that tended to interfere with the determination of caffeine's true effect on miscarriage risk.
Childhood asthma from mothers stressEvidence is emerging that exposure to maternal distress in early life plays a causal role in the development of childhood asthma. Children whose mothers are chronically stressed during their early years have a higher asthma rate than their peers, regardless of their income, gender or other known asthma risk factors.
Obese pregnant women give birth to heavier babiesThe number of overweight and obese Americans continues to grow rapidly. Today, 50 percent of adults are overweight and up to 20 percent are obese. While the number of overweight/obese children is at an all time high, the steady increase of overweight infants – individuals under 11 months old – is alarming.
Study of environmental chemicals in pregnant women and their babiesThe Government of Canada announced a $3.9 million investment in Canada's largest study of environmental chemicals in pregnant women and their babies. To mark National Child Day and the one-year anniversary of the Chemicals Management Plan on December 8, the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, Canada announced this important step.