Monthly Archives: March 2014
The latest on uterine transplants
Researchers in Europe are conducting a remarkable study investigating the possibility of transplanting a uterus. They performed the last of nine planned uterus transplants in the spring of 2013, and the six-month follow-up found that live-donor uterus transplantation has a … Continue reading
Marijuana linked to stillbirth
Marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized in many areas of the nation, and the overall attitude to the drug is becoming more relaxed. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe for everyone. Women who are pregnant, or hope to become pregnant, … Continue reading
Guarding against gestational diabetes
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released new recommendations, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, that call for universal screening of expectant mothers for gestational diabetes once they are 24 weeks into their pregnancy. “The number of women who … Continue reading
Preventing inherited diseases
For women and men who carry rare, inherited genetic disease, the decision to have children comes with a heavy burden: will they pass that disease on to their offspring? But research out of the Reproductive Genetics Institute in Chicago offers … Continue reading
Watching sperm in 3D
Picture this: fertility doctors taking 3-D movies of living sperm to determine which ones are more likely to successfully fertilize an egg. European researchers have developed just such a system, which shows the sperm’s movement and behavior in real time … Continue reading
Women’s special stroke risks
“If you are a woman, you share many of the same risk factors for stroke with men, but your risk is also influenced by hormones, reproductive health, pregnancy, childbirth and other sex-related factors,” said Cheryl Bushnell, M.D., M.H.S., author of a new … Continue reading
Good news for older moms
The risks of a having a child with birth defects goes up as women reach their late 30s and 40s—but not all birth defects. In fact, a new study found that women aged 35 and older actually face a lower risk of having children with birth defects…
Fertility care NOT just for rich folk
According to recently released U.S. government statistics, poor, nonwhite and less educated women are the least likely to seek services to get pregnant. There’s no denying that fertility treatments are expensive, and that insurance doesn’t always cover those costs adequately. … Continue reading
Understanding fetal development
In the roughly two days after a fertilized egg implants in the uterus, enormous changes occur. The blastocyst—a relatively simple ball of cells—changes into a more complex, cup-shaped structure. How that occurs has been largely unknown, until recently. Scientists from … Continue reading
A breakthrough in endometriosis care
Some fertility problems can be caused by endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissue, which normally lines the inside of the uterus, is found in the pelvic area or lower abdomen. More than 176 million women and girls worldwide suffer … Continue reading
