Pregnancy risk

Babies born to anxious depressed women sleep poorly

Babies born to women with anxiety or depression are more likely to sleep poorly – Babies are more likely to have night wakings at both 6 months and 12 months of age if they are born to women who suffered from anxiety or depression prior to the pregnancy.

Pregnant urged to give up smoking before 15 week

Pregnant women who smoke, urged to give up before 15-week ‘deadline’. Spontaneous preterm birth and small for gestational age infants in women who cease smoking in early pregnancy: A prospective cohort study. – Women who stop smoking before week 15 of pregnancy cut their risk of spontaneous premature birth and having small babies to the same as non-smokers, according to research published on bmj.com today.

Child marriage in India fuels fertility risks

High prevalence of child marriage in India fuels fertility risks. – Despite India’s economic and educational reform efforts in the last decade, the prevalence of child marriage remains high, fueling the risks of multiple unwanted pregnancies, pregnancy terminations and female sterilizations.

Wine -red or white- increases breast cancer risk

Red wine vs. white? It makes no difference when it comes to breast-cancer risk – The largest study of its kind to evaluate the effect of red versus white wine on breast-cancer risk concludes that both are equal offenders when it comes to increasing breast-cancer risk.

Low vitamin B12 in pregnancy raises neural tube defect risk in newborn

Low levels of vitamin B12 may increase risk for neural tube defects; Vegans, vegetarians may be at risk. – Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 shortly before and after conception may have an increased risk of a neural tube defect, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Research Board of Ireland.

Pollution related asthma starts in womb

Research suggests pollution-related asthma may start in the womb – Children born in areas with increased traffic-related pollution may be at greater risk of developing asthma due to genetic changes acquired in the womb, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Pregnancy test at home for better prenatal care

Home pregnancy tests can lead to better prenatal care, revealed by researchers. – The simple intervention of providing women who are having unprotected sex with a home pregnancy test could have a substantial impact on the health of potential newborns, according to a Michigan State University study.

Obesity during pregnancy increases birth defects risk

Maternal obesity is associated with an increased risk of a range of structural anomalies, although the absolute increase is likely to be small. – For women who are obese during pregnancy there is an associated increased risk of certain birth defects, such as spina bifida and neural tube defects, although the absolute increase in risk is likely to be small.

Fertility drugs do not increase ovarian cancer risk

No convincing association is found between use of fertility drugs and risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new study. – The use of fertility drugs does not increase a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer, finds a large study from Danish researchers published on bmj.com.