The period from conception to birth. After the egg is fertilized by a sperm and then implanted in the lining of the uterus, it develops into the placenta and embryo, and later into a fetus. Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks, beginning from the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period, and is divided into three trimesters, each lasting three months.
Babies delivered by C-section before 39 weeks more likely to have serious health problems – A new study has found that babies delivered by elective Caesarean section before 39 weeks of pregnancy, to mothers who previously had an elective C-section, are much more likely to have serious health problems than newborns delivered under the same circumstances at 39 weeks.
Building work starts on the largest IVF facility in the NHS, UK with ?3.3m. – A ?3.3m plan to reorganise Reproductive Medicine services in Leeds, bringing them together for the first time in a single purpose-designed facility which will improve care for fertility patients, is getting underway.
If you need another reason to quit smoking, consider that it may diminish your chances of being a parent or grandparent. Women exposed to second hand smoke were more likely to face fertility problems. – Women exposed to second hand smoke, either as adults or children, were significantly more likely to face fertility problems and suffer miscarriages, revealed by researchers from University of Rochester Medical Center.
Pregnant women who do aquarobics have easier deliveries, revealed by researchers. – A course of water aerobics classes has been shown to reduce the amount of pain-killing medication women request during labor.
Weight loss surgery – bariatric surgery – may help obese women avoid pregnancy related health complications. – Obese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
National Birth Defects Prevention Study Shows Assisted Reproductive Technology is Associated with an Increased Risk of Certain Birth Defects – Infants conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are two to four times more likely to have certain types of birth defects than children conceived naturally, according to a study by the CDC.
Everyone wants the best for their baby. Limiting daily caffeine intake is one way which you can ensure your baby has the best start in life. – The Food Standards Agency of UK has issued new advice on caffeine consumption during pregnancy. This follows the results of new FSA-funded research carried out by the Universities of Leeds and Leicester.
Depression during pregnancy can double risk of preterm delivery. Study of 791 women finds preterm delivery risk grows with severity of depression. – Depressed pregnant women have twice the risk of preterm delivery than pregnant women with no symptoms of depression, according to a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.
MSU researcher helps government adopt first-ever exercise guidelines. Guidelines urge physical activity during pregnancy. – Moderate physical activity during pregnancy does not contribute to low birth weight, premature birth or miscarriage and may actually reduce the risk of complications, according to a Michigan State University professor who contributed to the U.S. government’s first-ever guidelines on physical activity.
Use of nicotine gum increased birth weight and gestational age, two key parameters in predicting neonatal wellbeing. – Nicotine gum might help pregnant women to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke, which could reduce their risk of having premature or low-birthweight infants.
Asian-white couples face distinct pregnancy risks, revealed by researchers at Stanford University Medical Center. – Pregnant 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.
A new study has corroborated the popular theory that breastfeeding significantly reduces a mother’s risk of breast cancer — in fact, researchers have found women who breastfeed for a year are five per cent less likely to have the disease. – Mothers who breastfeed their babies for a total of a year, are almost five per cent less likely to develop breast cancer than women who do not breastfeed at all, a scientist has advised.
