Monthly Archives: October 2014
A closer look at endometriosis
Endometriosis affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide during their reproductive years. Many of these women struggle daily with symptoms such as pain, fatigue, heavy bleeding—and impaired fertility. Treatments, including painkillers, birth control pills, hormonal suppression and surgery, have challenging … Continue reading
Halloween, mommy-style!
If you’re pregnant or a new parent at this time of year, Halloween can be especially fun. And not just because of the candy. You can use your “baby bump” in your costume, dress your child in wonderfully whimsical ways, … Continue reading
If it’s good enough for Facebook and Apple …
Two of the world’s biggest technology companies made news recently. Facebook and Apple both announced a worker benefit program to cover the cost of egg-freezing treatments for women and their male partners who want to delay having children in order … Continue reading
Pregnant women actually get sicker from the flu
Expectant mothers have an unusually strong immune response to influenza, new research from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has found. The unexpected finding may explain why pregnant women get sicker from the flu than other healthy … Continue reading
A call to avoid artificial sweeteners
Turning to artificial sweeteners to soothe a sweet tooth may not be the most healthful move, a new Israeli study suggests. Artificial sweeteners can potentially make blood sugar levels rise despite containing no calories, researchers found in human and mouse … Continue reading
The wide-ranging effects of endometriosis
Endometriosis, a chronic, recurring disease that affects approximately 10 per cent of women worldwide, causes such common physical symptoms as painful menstruation, heavy menstrual bleeding, pain during intercourse and infertility. But it also affects women in other profound ways. Research published … Continue reading
Is surrogacy right for you?
In September, the New York Times ran an interesting article on surrogacy—also known as gestational carriers—and the confusing laws and regulations surrounding it. In “Surrogates and Couples Face a Maze of Laws, State by State,” reporter Tamar Lewin writes: “While … Continue reading
Antidepressants not linked to autism—but depression is
There’s been controversy for years over whether the use of common antidepressants by women during their pregnancies might raise the odds of mental health issues in their children. Now, a study involving more than 13,000 children finds no rise in … Continue reading
Are chemicals in cleaning products reducing fertility?
Yes—at least in mice. A new study finds that two active ingredients commonly found in household detergents caused reproductive decline in mice. Environmental chemicals are increasingly being linked to many health problems, including infertility. Earlier this year, bisphenol A (BPA), … Continue reading
Stem cells may restore male fertility
Infertility, which affects as many as 4.7 million men in the United States, is a key complication of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. New research out of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has found rare stem … Continue reading
