| 60 Health - Fertility Resources |
| About vasectomy reversal, infertility, IVF, ICSI |
| Vasectomy reversal, infertility, IVF, male infertility and in vitro fertilization. |
| Provides a Service |
| Aria's non-invasive test more effective in detecting Trisomy 18 & 21 |
| Aria Diagnostics, a molecular diagnostics company, today announced publication of data supporting a directed, non-invasive approach to cell-free DNA analysis in maternal blood for evaluation of two common fetal trisomies linked to genetic disorders. The results, assessing the detection of Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18. |
| January 10, 2012 |
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| Breakthrough in genetics of fibroids |
| Uterine leiomyomas, also called fibroids, cause a very significant burden to women's health. They are benign tumors that occur in 60% of women by the age of 45 years and cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and discomfort, and abnormal bleeding, in about half of the cases. Fibroids are also an important cause of infertility. These tumors are the most common medical reason for hysterectomy. |
| August 25, 2011 |
| Breastfeeding benefits mothers with reduced blood pressure risk |
| While the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby are well established and some studies have shown that mothers who breastfeed have lower risks of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease, a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows that breastfeeding may also have another benefit for the mother. |
| November 2, 2011 |
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| Calls for Strep B tests for pregnant women |
| A woman who lost her unborn baby as a result of the Strep B infection has called for routine testing to detect the presence of the bacteria. |
| June 1, 2011 |
| Can lifestyle counselling prevent adverse outcomes in pregnant women at high risk? |
| In this week's PLoS Medicine, Riitta Luoto and colleagues from the UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, and University of Tampere, Finland, evaluate whether lifestyle interventions can reduce the risk of high birthweight babies and gestational diabetes amongst pregnant women at high risk for these outcomes. |
| May 17, 2011 |
| Cancer charity halts grants to Planned Parenthood |
| The nation's leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its financial partnerships with numerous Planned Parenthood affiliates. |
| January 31, 2012 |
| Children born after unplanned pregnancy are slower to develop |
| Children born after unplanned pregnancies tend to have a more limited vocabulary and poorer non-verbal and spatial abilities; however this is almost entirely explained by their disadvantaged circumstances, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal today. The same study reported no adverse effects of infertility treatment on the children. |
| July 26, 2011 |
| Children of depressed mothers have a different brain |
| Researchers think that brains are sensitive to the quality of child care, according to a study that was directed by Dr. Sonia Lupien and her colleagues from the University of Montreal published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The scientists worked with ten year old children whose mothers exhibited symptoms of depression throughout their lives, and discovered that the children's amygdala, a part of the brain linked to emotional responses, was enlarged. |
| August 15, 2011 |
| Could using WiFi laptops kill male sperm counts? |
| Could the act of using a laptop with WiFi enabled cause a man to lose his sperm count? That's the hypothesis that's suggested in study that's been posted in the new issue of the medical journal Fertility and Sterility. Reuters reports that the study, conducted by Argentinean scientists, claims that the electromagnetic radiation generated by a WiFi signal could kill off sperm in male semen. |
| November 29, 2011 |
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| Daughter Could Get Mom's Uterus In World's First Womb Transplant |
| A mom and daughter are poised to make medical history — the daughter, born without a uterus, could receive her mother's as a transplant. |
| June 13, 2011 |
| During pregnancy, minority women have higher depression risk |
| A new study finds that African-American and Asian/Pacific Islander women have double the risk that others do of becoming depressed before giving birth, after adjusting for socioeconomic risk factors. |
| March 23, 2011 |
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| Endometriosis.org |
| is the global platform for the latest news on endometriosis. |
| Provides Information |
| Exercise interventions during, after pregnancy offer health benefits |
| Exercise interventions during and after pregnancy offer numerous health benefits to both mothers and their babies, particularly among women who are at high risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Danielle Downs, an associate professor of kinesiology and obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State, was one of four speakers invited to discuss their studies related to pregnancy and postpartum interventions at a symposium during the 2011 Annual Meeting and Scientific Session of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), held in April in Washington, D.C. |
| June 23, 2011 |
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| 'Fertility chip' determines concentration and mobility of semen |
| Loes Segerink, a researcher at University of Twente's MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, has developed a "fertility chip" that can accurately count sperm and measure their motility. The chip can be inserted into a compact device for one-off use. A future home test kit will make it possible for men to test their sperm in a familiar environment. As a result, there is a greater chance of obtaining a correct diagnosis, also the method is simple and inexpensive. |
| October 31, 2011 |
| Factors affecting obstetric outcomes of IVF singletons |
| Further evidence of how maternal characteristics can influence the development of children born after in vitro fertilization was presented to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Fertilization and Embryology today. A study of all 8941 IVF children born in Sweden between 2002 and 2006 where only one baby was born as a result of a single pregnancy showed that maternal age, primiparity, smoking, maternal infertility and body mass index, both over and underweight, were associated with an adverse perinatal outcome. |
| July 5, 2011 |
| FDA Investigates Newer Birth Control Pills |
| FDA Issues Safety Alert for Birth Control Pills Containing Hormone Drospirenone |
| June 2, 2011 |
| Fertility options move way beyond traditional sperm and embryo banks |
| The joy of motherhood - to twin boys, no less - more than overshadows Ewelina Saputo's diagnosis of leukemia seven years ago . |
| April 18, 2011 |
| Fertility rates affected by global economic crisis |
| The global economic recession of 2008-09 has been followed by a decline in fertility rates in Europe and the United States, bringing to an end the first concerted rise in fertility rates in the developed world since the 1960s, according to research published today. |
| June 28, 2011 |
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| Greater Impact of Chemotherapy On Fertility |
| Current estimates of the impact of chemotherapy on women's reproductive health are too low, according to a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study. The researchers say their analysis of the age-specific, long-term effects of chemotherapy provides new insights that will help patients and clinicians make more informed decisions about future reproductive options, such as egg harvesting. |
| August 25, 2011 |
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| Home births up, driven by natural birth trend |
| 20 percent increase over four years driven by white women, government figures show |
| May 20, 2011 |
| Hysterectomy Can Elevate Risk of Stroke and Coronary Heart Disease, Study Suggests |
| Hysterectomy elevates the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease in young women when combined with the removal of both ovaries in the same operation. This fact provides the background for the epidemiological report by Andreas Stang and colleagues on hysterectomy rates in Germany, which appears in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. |
| August 11, 2011 |
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| In pregnancy, diabetes-obesity combo a major red flag |
| Type 2 diabetes and obesity in pregnancy is a daunting duo, according to new research published this month in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. The study shows that both conditions independently contribute to higher risks, opening the door to a wide range of pregnancy, delivery and newborn complications. |
| July 25, 2011 |
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| Link Between Influenza Vaccination in Pregnancy and Reduced Risk of Premature Birth |
| A new study published in PLoS Medicine suggests that there might be an association between maternal immunization with inactivated influenza vaccine during pregnancy and reduced likelihood of prematurity and the baby being small for gestational age. |
| May 31, 2011 |
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| Making Sperm from Stem Cells in a Dish |
| Researchers have found a way to turn mouse embryonic stem cells into sperm. This finding, reported in the journal Cell in a special online release on August 4th, opens up new avenues for infertility research and treatment. A Kyoto University team has coaxed mouse embryonic stem cells into sperm precursors, called primordial germ cells (PGCs), and shown that these cells can give rise to healthy sperm. |
| August 4, 2011 |
| Maternal smoking causes changes in fetal DNA |
| Children whose mothers or grandmothers smoked during pregnancy are at increased risk of asthma in childhood, but the underlying causes of this are not well understood. Now a new study indicates changes in a process called DNA methylation that occurs before birth may be a root cause. |
| May 18, 2011 |
| Merck, PATH form partnership to fight causes of maternal mortality |
| Pharmaceutical company Merck (MSD) announced Monday it has "awarded a grant to PATH, a global health nonprofit, to identify game-changing technologies with the potential to save the lives of women during pregnancy and childbirth in low-resource settings". |
| December 7, 2011 |
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| NanoLogix Announces European Clinical Trial of Its Rapid Detection Kits |
| NanoLogix, a biotechnology innovator in the rapid detection and identification of live-cell bacteria and microorganisms, announced today its BioNanoFilter (BNF) technology will undergo a clinical trial, led by Dr. Gian Carlo Di Renzo of the University of Perugia in Italy. The 300 patient trial will study the speed and accuracy of NanoLogix technology compared to current methods in the detection and identification of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnant women. Initial BNF results on GBS from the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston show detection and identification within two to six hours. This is eight to twenty-four times faster than conventional methods. The trial will be the second clinical trial conducted on the NanoLogix BNF technology for Group B Strep. Results from this clinical trial will accelerate the approval of the BNF kits for use in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. |
| June 7, 2011 |
| NanoLogix' Test Kits Detect Group B Strep in Pregnant Women |
| NanoLogix, a biotechnology company focusing on quick identification and detection of living microorganisms, has declared that a peer-reviewed paper from the University of Texas Health Science Center has been published by the American Journal of Perinatology certifying that BioNanoFilter (BNF) and NanoLogix BioNanoPore (BNP) Quick Test technology can identify and detect Group B Strep (GBS) within 4 to 6 hours of time. |
| August 10, 2011 |
| Nanoparticle-based contraceptive makes sperm impotent |
| It's found only in the tails of sperm. It takes seven genes to build it. It gets activated as the sperm gets closer to the egg, giving it that extra whip and thrust to make it across the finish line. |
| April 7, 2011 |
| NanoSight Develops Nanoparticle Characterization System to Detect Pre-Eclampsia |
| NanoSight nanoparticle characterization solutions are being utilized for detecting and treating a condition called pre-eclampsia that occurs during pregnancy. The only distributor of this characterization system across New Zealand and Australia is Particle & Surface Sciences. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| New prenatal blood tests can check fetal DNA, raising ethical questions |
| Soon a simple blood test will be able to tell newly pregnant women if they are carrying a child with Down syndrome - raising the prospect, and perhaps peril, of a world with fewer imperfections. |
| September 16, 2011 |
| New study to assess safety of meningitis vaccine during pregnancy |
| The Connecticut Pregnancy Exposure Information Service (CPEIS), a statewide nonprofit organization based at the Health Center with affiliates across North America, is taking part in a new study that will assess the safety of the meningitis vaccine in pregnancy. The launch coincided with World Meningitis Day on April 24. |
| April 27, 2011 |
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| Oxytocin connected to postpartum depression |
| According to a new study published in Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers, led by Gunther Meinlschmidt, PhD, may have found a connection between the brain chemical oxytocin and postpartum depression. |
| May 16, 2011 |
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| Panel members at reproductive health forum discuss issue in development context |
| GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog summarizes a recent forum on reproductive health issues during which panel members of the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health of Aspen Global Health and Development discussed how "reproductive health was intimately connected to the world's population boom, climate change, water and sanitation crises, economic downturns, educational rates, and development overall." The article continues, "And yet, reproductive health and family planning is generally not a focus on the world stage. In fact, the topic is often avoided." |
| September 23, 2011 |
| PGD can permit the birth of healthy children to women carrying mitochondrial DNA disease |
| Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can give women at risk of passing on a mitochondrial DNA disorder to their offspring a good chance of being able to give birth to an unaffected child, a researcher told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Monday). Dr. Debby Hellebrekers, from Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands, said that the scientists' findings could have a considerable effect on preventing the transmission of mitochondrial diseases. |
| May 30, 2011 |
| Planning for Life Beyond a Cancer Diagnosis: Clinicians Offer Options to Protect Fertility Prior to Cancer Treatment |
| Five years ago, Sheri Scott was beginning a new chapter in her life. The recently engaged 31-year-old was eagerly browsing bridal magazines and busy planning for her big day. Unfortunately, just weeks following her engagement, Scott was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, she was juggling medical appointments and planning a double mastectomy instead of a wedding. Soon after her diagnosis, Scott was approached by her doctor at Northwestern Memorial Hospital about preserving her fertility. He explained that cancer treatment could compromise her fertility and stated there were options available if she wanted to preserve her chances of having children. In that moment, having a family was the farthest thing from her mind, but the conversation sparked a decision that would change her life forever. |
| October 24, 2011 |
| Poorly contracting uterus in diabetic women increases risk of caesarean birth |
| Researchers at the University of Liverpool have found that the strength of uterine contractions in diabetic pregnant women is significantly weaker than in non-diabetic women, increasing the risk of emergency caesarean birth. |
| December 5, 2011 |
| Pregnancy Week by Week |
| Pregnancy week by week presents you brief information on physiological changes in your body during the nine months of pregnancy, types of clinical examinations modes of assessments of fetal wellbeing, safe motherhood and diagnosis of pregnancy etc. |
| Provides Information |
| Pregnant mums taking miscarriage prevention drug decades ago may have put their girls at risk of infertility and cancers |
| A new study reveals that a drug that was taken by millions of pregnant women decades ago to prevent miscarriage and complications has put their daughters at higher risk for breast cancer and other health problems. The study shows that many of these daughters are now over 40 and may not even know of their risk if their mothers never realized or told them they had used the drug, a synthetic estrogen called DES or Diethyl stilbesterol. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| Pregnant women at risk of Vitamin D deficiency |
| Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to develop gestational diabetes, and, their babies are more prone to bone weakness, according to a study and editorial published in the latest issue of the Medical Journal of Australia. |
| April 5, 2011 |
| Premature babies harbor fewer, but more dangerous microbe types |
| One of the most comprehensive studies to date of the microbes that are found in extremely low-birthweight infants found that hard-to-treat Candida fungus is often present, as well as some harmful bacteria and parasites. |
| December 8, 2011 |
| Prenatal use of newer antiepileptic drugs not associated with increased risk of major birth defects |
| Use of newer-generation antiepileptic drugs, which are also prescribed for bipolar mood disorders and migraine headaches, during the first trimester of pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects in the first year of life among infants in Denmark, according to a study in the May 18 issue of JAMA. Older-generation antiepileptic drugs are associated with an increased risk of birth defects. |
| May 17, 2011 |
| Primiparity, maternal smoking and BMI linked to risk of pre-term birth |
| In Sweden almost 40 000 children have now been born after IVF, around 3 500 each year, and IVF children constitute 3% of all newborns. "This represents a large number of children and any adverse outcomes related to IVF are therefore a major public health issue," said Dr. Antonina Sazonova, from Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, who carried out the research with colleagues from the hospital and from Lund University. |
| July 4, 2011 |
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| Research demonstrates link between H1N1 and low birth weight |
| In 2009, the United States was gripped by concern for a new winter threat: the H1N1 strain of influenza. According to research conducted through that winter, pregnant women were right to be concerned. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| Risk of disease partially set in womb, scientists say |
| Pregnant women sacrifice many of life's simple pleasures - caffeine, sushi, a glass of wine - in the hope that their baby will be born healthy. But according to a provocative new field of research, what happens during pregnancy can have lasting consequences that emerge decades after the child leaves the hospital. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| Risks of pregnancy via egg donation similar for women over age 50 as for younger women |
| Although women over age 50 who become pregnant via egg donation are at an elevated risk for developing obstetrical complications, their complication rates are similar to those of younger recipients. |
| January 31, 2012 |
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| Scientists discover important step in sperm reprogramming |
| When sperm meets egg, the chemical instructions that tag sperm cells must be erased so that human life can start anew. One way these instructions are erased is through demethylation, the removal of specific chemical tags or methyl groups that dot the underlying DNA of cells. Though scientists have known about this phenomenon for a decade, exactly how such "reprogramming" occurs has proved elusive. |
| September 22, 2011 |
| SENP1 prevents STAT5 from becoming trapped in nucleus |
| SENP1 prevents crucial gene-activator STAT5 from becoming trapped in nucleus |
| January 30, 2012 |
| Significant inverse association between public spending on health and pandemic influenza mortality |
| Pandemic A (H1N1) 2009 mortality rates exhibited wide diversion between countries. Based on data from a total of 30 European countries, a study published in the journal PLoS ONE (May 11, 2011) found that the greater the state financial "generosity" to health sector the lower the pandemic influenza mortality. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| Sleep Apnea May Increase the Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes |
| Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, suggests a research abstract presented on June 13, in Minneapolis, Minn., at Sleep 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS). |
| June 13, 2011 |
| Sperm Grown in a Dish |
| Researchers make sperm that successfully produces offspring in mice—a development that could one day help infertile men. |
| March 23, 2011 |
| Study evaluates tools to encourage a healthy pregnancy |
| The University of Rochester Medical Center and Cornell University have teamed up to launch a major study that will assess electronic and web-based strategies designed to promote healthy behavior in women both during and immediately following their pregnancy. The innovative study is the first of its kind and part of a broader federal initiative to evaluate how technologies such as cell phones can be employed to improve health. |
| August 8, 2011 |
| Study shows that new DNA test to identify Down syndrome in pregnancy is ready for clinical use |
| A new DNA-based prenatal blood test that can strikingly reduce the number of risky diagnostic procedures needed to identify a pregnancy with Down syndrome is ready to be introduced into clinical practice. The test can be offered as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy to women who have been identified as being at high risk for Down syndrome. These are the results of an international, multicenter study published online today in the journal Genetics in Medicine. The study, the largest and most comprehensive done to date, examined almost 1,700 pregnancies at high risk of chromosomal abnormalities, 212 of which were affected by Down syndrome. |
| October 17, 2011 |
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| The first three-parent babies could soon be born |
| The technology is now in place for three different parents to contribute DNA to an embryo - two of them providing the 98% of DNA in the cell nucleus, while another provides the crucial 2% that is mitochondrial DNA. |
| April 21, 2011 |
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| Urinary incontinence after child birth increases risk of postpartum depression |
| Women with urinary incontinence after giving birth are almost twice as likely to develop postpartum depression as those without incontinence, according to a new study led by Wendy Sword, a professor in McMaster University's School of Nursing. |
| June 20, 2011 |
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| Watson launches Generess Fe low-dose oral contraceptives in the U.S. |
| Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced the U.S. commercial launch of Generess™ Fe (norethindrone and ethinyl estradiol chewable tablets and ferrous fumarate chewable tablets) 0.8 mg/25 mcg, a new low-dose oral contraceptive option that's highly effective at preventing pregnancy and proven to provide users with short, lighter, predictable periods. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| What's So Special About Prenatal Vitamins? |
| They’re often called “prenatal vitamins,” but these supplements supply much more. In addition to serving as a back-up for any nutritional gaps in your diet, a prenatal supplement approved by your doctor can help reduce risk for some birth defects, preterm birth and low birth weight baby, while helping you to maintain your own health during pregnancy. |
| November 18, 2011 |
| Working out during pregnancy could boost your baby's brain defenses |
| Buff moms make for healthy babies. Exercise during pregnancy has been shown to have numerous benefits for mother and child alike, and now new research suggests that exercising during pregnancy could even protect your child from developing neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, later in life. |
| September 27, 2011 |
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| Young female cancer survivors concerned about their future fertility |
| Young female cancer survivors are concerned about their future fertility and parenthood options and want better information and guidance early on, according to a new study by Jessica Gorman and her team from the University of California in the US. Their paper, which presents in-depth information on young survivors' experiences navigating decisions about fertility and parenthood. |
| January 10, 2012 |