Babies born vaginally have different gut bacteria — their microbiome — than those delivered by Caesarean, research has shown. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UCL, the University of Birmingham and their collaborators discovered that whereas vaginally born babies got most of their gut bacteria from their mother, babies born…
Access to contraception not ‘silver bullet’ to stem population growth in Africa
Greater economic development across Africa in the years ahead could cause its population to grow at an even quicker rate than current projections, according to an important new demographic study released today. According to UN estimates, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is set to double by 2050, which could add…
‘Safety bubble’ expands during third trimester: Pregnant women increase peripersonal space to ‘keep dangers at arm’s length’
New research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that women undergo a significant mental as well as physical change during the late stages of pregnancy. The study, carried out in Cambridge by scientists from Anglia Ruskin University and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Addenbooke’s Hospital, investigated peripersonal…
People born very preterm or with very low birthweight have high risk of lung disease
A global study shows people born very preterm or with very low birthweight have a high risk of lung disease and are not reaching their full airway capacity by early adulthood. The research found those born before 32 weeks of pregnancy or with a birthweight of less than 1501g are…
In vitro fertilization linked to deadly heart disease in pregnancy
Women undergoing fertility treatment should urgently see their doctor if they have heart failure symptoms, according to a study presented today at Heart Failure 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Shortness of breath, swollen legs and waking up in the night to urinate could be…
Molecular basis of brain dysfunction and embryo malformation associated with thalidomide
In the late 1950s, thalidomide was prescribed as a treatment for afflictions ranging from anxiety to morning sickness. In the early 1960s, research indicated that the drug was the primary cause of numerous in utero birth defects, ranging from limb malformation to deafness and/or blindness. Handa’s group (Tokyo Medical University)…
Maternal microbes mediate diet-derived damage
New research in The Journal of Physiology has found, using a mouse model, that microbes in the maternal intestine may contribute to impairment of the gut barrier during pregnancy. Scientists previously thought the changes in maternal metabolism that happen during pregnancy were due entirely to pregnancy hormones. We now believe…
First birth after robot-assisted uterus transplant
A boy 48 centimeters long, weighing 2900 grams, is the first baby born after the technological shift in Gothenburg’s world-leading research on uterine transplantation. The birth, with the planned cesarean delivery (C-section), took place on Monday April 8th and the whole family is doing fine. “It’s a fantastic feeling to…
Prenatal testosterone linked to long-term effects in females who share womb with male twin
Women who shared their mother’s womb with a male twin are less likely to graduate from high school or college, have earned less by their early 30s, and have lower fertility and marriage rates when compared with twins who are both female, according to new Northwestern University research. In the…
Fertility app ‘Dot’ found to be as effective as other family planning methods
Results of a first-of-its-kind prospective study with a family planning app find it to be as effective as other modern methods for avoiding an unplanned pregnancy. Researchers from the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) at Georgetown University Medical Center studied women’s use of the Dot app over 13 menstrual cycles,…
Refugee women have healthier pregnancies than US women — why? An unhealthy US culture: For African refugee women, acculturation may negatively impact health
African refugee women experience healthier pregnancies than women born in the United States, despite receiving less prenatal care, found a recent University at Buffalo study. Compared to U.S.-born black and white women, African refugee women had fewer pre-pregnancy health risks, fewer preterm births and higher rates of vaginal deliveries. Surprisingly,…