Immune Response May Explain Flu Symptoms Among Pregnant Women

Are pregnant women who develop flu-like symptoms at higher risk of hospitalization and more likely to deliver a premature baby?

A recent Stanford study indicates the immune system works intensely in response to the pandemic "swine flu" virus, H1N1, and a seasonal H3N2 influenza virus. The results, published online Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may lead to further options to combat influenza infection among pregnant women.

Read More...  Immune Response May Explain Flu Symptoms Among Pregnant Women

Autism Risk Linked to Pesticide Exposure during Pregnancy

A new study from the MIND Institute at the University of California-Davis indicates that expectant mothers who live near fields and farms where chemical pesticides are used are at greater risk of having a child with autism or other forms of developmental concerns.

Autism, also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a group of disorders characterized by difficulties with brain development.

Read More...  Autism Risk Linked to Pesticide Exposure during Pregnancy

Doctors Share Biggest Misconceptions on Infertility

Nearly 40 percent of women in the study were concerned about their ability to get pregnant, one-third didn't comprehend the adverse effects of obesity on infertility and 40 percent weren't familiar with their ovulatory cycle.

To tackle this nationwide shortage of attentiveness of infertility, Fertility Centers of Illinois has shared some of the top misconceptions from patients in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week on April 20-26.

Read the Top 7 Misconceptions ...  Doctors Share Biggest Misconceptions on Infertility

Stress Can Double the Risk of Infertility

Stress can decrease a woman's chances of getting pregnant — according to a new study in the Journal Human Reproduction.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center revealed this week that preconception stress may not only delay pregnancy, but double the risk of infertility.

“This is now the second study in which we have demonstrated that women with high levels of the stress biomarker salivary alpha-amylase have a lower probability of becoming pregnant, compared to women with low levels of this biomarker,” stated Lynch, the author of the LIFE Study.

Read the Entire Article — Stress Can Double the Risk of Infertility

Egg Freezing Before Cancer Hits

Many women who are unable to conceive find options with reproductive medicine and IVF.

Now women who have been diagnosed with cancer are finding hope to still become pregnant if they opt for egg freezing and IVF.

A new fertility technology allows a ovarian cancer patient to still have the option to become pregnant after they receive ovarian transplantation.

Read the full story here: Ovarian Transplants Offer New Hope For Pregnancy

What Age is Too Young to Become a Mother?

According to the Wayuu tribe in Colombia, the minute a young girl starts her first period she is ready to become a mother.

This indigenous tribe in Colombia recently made headlines when a 10 year old girl and member of their tribe became the youngest to ever give birth at 10 years of age.

Curious about his story?


Read the full story here>  10 Year Old Gives Birth

Obesity During Pregnancy Increasing Risk of Autism

On average, women face a 1 in 88 chance of conceiving a child with autism; when obesity is presented during pregnancy this ratio increases to a 1 in 53 chance.

The latest study in Pediatrics found women who were obese throughout pregnancy were nearly 67 percent more probable than average weightiness women to have an autistic child.

Read the full story here:> Obesity Increases Risk of Having a Child with Autism

Having a Babies Helps MS Patients

Having a baby is certainly a wonderful gift and the rewards in the end are a precious child.

But what if being pregnant also meant that you could recover from Multiple Sclerosis?

A new study finds that being pregnant causes MS patients to go into remission.

Read the full story here:
Multiple Pregnancies May Help Prevent MS

Woman With 2 Vagina's

It's a disorder that nearly 100 million women worldwide suffer from - two vaginas, two cervixes and two uteruses.

This might seem way out there, but it's actually true and many women can go undiagnosed.

Read the full story here: Born with 2 Vaginas - How Common Is It?

Childbirth in Strange Locations

Many moms expect to have the perfectly normal birthing experience.  You're at home, your water breaks, you grab your hospital bag, and off you go to deliver at the hospital.

However, there are many moms out there who've experienced childbirth in some of the most interesting of locations.

Can you imagine giving birth in a stuck elevator, or on a moving train?

Here's a few life saving tips if you or someone you know were to find themselves undergoing a surprise labor in not so ideal location:



Read the full story here : Surprise Delivery: When Labor Happens in Strange Places

Some IVF Patients Don't Follow Doctor's Orders

Choosing to undergo infertility treatments to conceive is a big decision to make. Couples must consider all of the factors involved: risks to the mother and child, costs, and of course, chances of success.

Because in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can cost tens of thousands of dollars, this is a procedure not to be taken lightly.

However, a recent study out of Boston shows that IVF patients don't seem to follow doctor's orders, and it has the infertility community concerned.

Before embarking on an IVF cycle, infertility specialists recommend that women cut back or eliminate the following habits: smoking, drinking alcohol, caffeine, stress, exercise and herbal medications. These guidelines are in place to ensure the comfort and safety of the patient and her potential child, but the patients in this study didn't take this advice too seriously.

The researchers found that patients continued to drink alcohol and caffeine, take herbal remedies, and exercise, despite the risk that their chances for success could be lowered because of these behaviors.

Alice Domar, lead study author and executive director of the Domar Center for Mind and Body Health of Boston IVF in Waltham, Massachusetts told Reuters Health, “We said let’s look at what women are actually doing. Are they doing what we’ve been recommending? The answer is, no they are not.”

To learn more, read the full article: Follow Doctor's Orders for a Better Chance at IVF Success

How Much Do You Know About Birth Control?

Birth control, also known as contraception, has one main purpose: to prevent pregnancy.

The use of contraception today is especially important, as teens are becoming sexually active earlier, and choosing to marry much later than previous generations.

Preventing unintended pregnancies improves the health and lives of everyone, and there are many birth control methods available to do so safely and effectively.

To learn more, read the full article: The FAQs of Contraception

Too Skinny for Pregnancy? Why "Mommyrexia" Isn't Healthy

Although it might be a dream to have the ability to become pregnant, gain a cute "bump", and shed the weight just weeks after giving birth, experts say keep dreaming, because "mommyrexia" is terrible for your health.

While celebrities might make this trend look good, it's no good for mom or baby, and can lead to dangerous pregnancy complications and pre-term labor.

A recent study shows another good reason for the super-skinny to gain a little weight: being underweight may also contribute to infertility.

In the study, which examined about 2,500 IVF cycles, scientists found that underweight women had the worst chances for pregnancy.

Head researcher Richard Sherbahn of the Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago said to the Telegraph, “There has been the suggestion from other observations that being too thin is not good for fertility. Women that are too thin sometimes don’t always get periods or have irregular periods, and it alters their hormonal situation.”

To learn more, read the full article: The Skinny on Infertility - Why a Healthy Weight is Ideal for Pregnancy

SGK1 Protein Linked to Infertility and Miscarriage

According to scientists out of the United Kingdom, a protein found in the uterine lining might have the power to improve treatments for infertility, miscarriage, and may even become a new form of birth control.

Study leader Jan Brosens said in a press statement, “I can envisage that in the future, we might treat the womb lining by flushing it with drugs that block SGK1 before women undergo IVF (in-vitro fertilization).”

The connection seems to be related to the levels of SGK1; if too high, a woman is unable to conceive, and if too low, the risk of recurrent miscarriage seems to be quite high.

The researchers hope that this discovery might lead to the treatment of infertility, long before a women wants to get pregnant. This could potentially improve the chances of motherhood for millions of women.

"In the future, we might take biopsies of the womb lining to identify abnormalities that might give them a higher risk of pregnancy complications, so that we can start treating them before they get pregnant,” explained study researcher Madhuri Salker.

To learn more, read the full article: Faulty 'Fertility Switch' Predicts the Future of Infertility Treatments

Obese Women Banned from Infertility Treatments in Canada

Obesity comes with a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, orthopedic problems, and infertility.

Now, infertility specialists in Canada are refusing to treat women with a BMI over 35, in order to protect the health of mom and baby.

Doctors say it isn't safe for a woman to undergo IVF and to endure pregnancy is she is obese. There are too many risks and complications that can occur, putting the patient and her baby's life at risk.

Not only is it difficult for an obese patient, it is also hard for her physician; because no doctor wants to knowingly put their patient in danger.

Dr. Arthur Leader, co-founder of Ottawa Fertility Center has had this policy in effect at his practice for 6 years now.

He said, "“The doctor’s first responsibility is always to do no harm, and in this circumstance, what we’re discriminating is based on medical fact.”

To learn more, read the full article: Should Obese Women be Denied Infertility Treatments?

European Parents-to-Be May Not be Allowed to Learn Baby's Sex

During pregnancy, the ultrasound at the 20-week mark is one of the most exciting.

At this time, parents-to-be get the chance to learn if they are having a boy or a girl (if they choose). Once the sex is revealed, baby names, clothes and baby's nursery are able to be readied for the little one's arrival.

Europeans however, may not get the opportunity to experience this wonderful milestone anymore, because of a proposal made by the Council of Europe.

It stated: Doctors should be told to withhold information about the sex of the fetus, all in order to stop the practice of selective abortion based on gender.

While the nations involved aren't affected by sex selective abortion, it is still a fear amongst top officials.

Although gender selection done in this fashion is completely unacceptable and a major issue in some parts of the world, it doesn't mean other people's rights should be taken away.

To learn more, read the full article: Gender Wars-Europe Suggests Law to Prevent Selective Abortion

New Blood Test Shows Baby's Gender in Earliest Stage of Pregnancy

A new pregnancy test has sparked quite the controversy.

A recent study revealed the benefits of a new blood test that can predict the gender of a baby just 7 weeks into pregnancy.

The researchers focused on the positive side of things: the test has the potential to be hugely valuable for families that carry chromosomes connected to sex-related genetic disorders.

However, other experts fear the worst. They believe this test could be the start of a trend already seen in places like India, China and Armenia; aborting pregnancies solely based on gender.

To learn more about this new blood test, read the full article here: Blood Test Reveals Baby's Gender at 7 Weeks

The Mommy Makeover: Plastic Surgery's Latest Trend

Being a mother is one of the most rewarding things in life.

Unfortunately, being a mother also means a woman must sacrifice her body in order to go through pregnancy and childbirth.

Post-baby, a mother's body still goes through a lot of changes, and in today's world, many women aren't having it.

Hundreds of thousands of women in the United States undergo a Mommy Makeover each year, to get their bodies back post-pregnancy with a lot of help from plastic surgeons.

The Mommy Makeover consists of the tummy tuck, breast lift, liposuction and sometimes even vaginoplasty.

To learn more about this new trend, read the full article: Post-Pregnancy Plastic Surgery - The Mommy Makeover