Complications early in pregnancy or in previous pregnancies adversely affect existing or subsequent pregnancies – Complications in early pregnancy or in previous pregnancies can predict the likelihood of further problems in current or subsequent pregnancies, revealed by researchers.
World now at the start of 2009 influenza pandemic, says WHO. – On the basis of available evidence and expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. The Director-General of WHO has therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6.
Snoring pregnant women at higher risk for gestational diabetes – If you are pregnant and your mate complains your frequent snoring is rattling the bedroom windows, you may have bigger problems than an annoyed, sleep-deprived partner.
Multivitamins in pregnancy reduce risk of low birth weights – Prenatal multivitamin supplements are associated with a significantly reduced risk of babies with a low birth weight (underweight babies) compared with prenatal iron-folic acid supplementation, found a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).
New system monitors fetal heartbeat — Noninvasive technique could prevent complications. – Tiny fluctuations in a fetus’s heartbeat can indicate distress, but currently there is no way to detect such subtle variations except during labor, when it could be too late to prevent serious or even fatal complications.
Developing a genetic test for pregnancy risks – analysis of mum’s and dad’s DNA can predict and enhance pregnancy success. – University of Adelaide researchers are developing a world-first genetic test that can predict which pregnancies are at risk of complications long before symptoms arise.
Taking folic acid for a year before pregnancy may reduce risk of preterm birth. Findings reinforce March of Dimes message: Start taking a vitamin with folic acid before pregnancy. – Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLoS Medicine.
Study suggests transfer of poor health from mother to child in India. Maternal height associatied with child mortality, growth failure. – Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found a link between a mother’s height and the health of her children in a study using national data from India.
Pollution is another risk factor for impaired fetal growth – Exposure to traffic pollution could affect fetal development during pregnancy and lead to an increased chance of having a small baby.
Smoking during pregnancy increases a child?s likelihood of developing cancer. – New research by the Cancer Institute NSW has provided the strongest indication yet that smoking during pregnancy increases a child’s likelihood of developing cancer.
