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News: February 14, 2012
Mom's Vitamin D Levels Linked to Language Problems in Kids
MONDAY, Feb. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D may be putting their children at risk for language difficulties, Australian researchers report. Taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy may relieve the problem, ...
Chemo During Pregnancy Doesn't Seem to Harm Baby
THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A new study finds that the babies of women who had chemotherapy while pregnant aren't at higher risk for a variety of medical disorders, a sign that the treatment should be safe for the fetus in most instances....
When Mom Has Pregnancy Diabetes, Breast-Feeding Curbs Child Obesity
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding reduces the risk of obesity in children born to mothers with diabetes during their pregnancy, a new study indicates. Researchers followed 94 children of diabetic mothers and 399 children of non-di...
Pfizer Recalls 1 Million Packets of Birth Control Pills
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- About one million packets of birth control pills are being recalled in the United States by Pfizer Inc. because of a packaging error that could reduce the effectiveness of the pills and cause unintended pregna...
Acupuncture May Boost Pregnancy Success Rates
FRIDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- When a couple is trying to have a baby and can't, it can be emotionally and financially draining. But help may be available in an unexpected form: acupuncture. Medical experts believe that this ancient therapy f...
Asthma Meds Likely Safe During Pregnancy: Study
FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A new study found no statistically significant link between asthma medication use during pregnancy and common birth defects. However, the study did find a positive association between some rare birth defects and...
Smoking During Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism
FRIDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Children born to women who smoke during pregnancy are not at increased risk for autism, according to a new study. Smoking during pregnancy has been considered a possible cause of autism in children due to known ...
More Than Half of Teens Who Gave Birth Weren't Using Contraception: CDC
THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Slightly more than half of U.S. teenaged girls who had a child between 2004 and 2008 did not use birth control, and a third didn't think they could get pregnant at the time, a new government study finds. Altho...
Antidepressants While Pregnant Linked to Slight Risk of Lung Problem in Babies
THURSDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Women who use antidepressants called selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and Celexa during pregnancy run a slight risk of having an infant with high blood pressure in the lungs, a new Swedis...
Normal Pregnancies May Be Misdiagnosed as Ectopic
FRIDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Women with normal pregnancies that were misdiagnosed as ectopic who were treated with methotrexate in the first trimester either miscarried or gave birth to a severely deformed baby, the results of a small study...
Antibiotics in Pregnancy May Shield Newborns From Strep B
THURSDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Giving antibiotics to pregnant women at risk of streptococcus B infection greatly reduces infection rates in newborns, according to a new study. Use of antibiotics to prevent group B strep is common in high-inc...
Mom's Poverty, Diabetes Might Raise ADHD Risk in Kids
MONDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that the combination of poverty and having diabetes during pregnancy significantly raises the risk of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a woman's offspring. Children born to...
Limit Cold Medications During Pregnancy, Experts Advise
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- It's prudent to limit the use of over-the-counter cold and flu medications during pregnancy, experts say. This is because some medications may contain substances that are potentially harmful to developing fet...
Asthma Drugs in Pregnancy Might Pose Risk for Kids
FRIDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Infants born to mothers who use inhaled glucocorticoids -- a class of steroids -- to treat asthma during pregnancy may be at risk for endocrine and metabolic disorders, a new study indicates. Researchers looked ...
Stress Early in Pregnancy Linked to Fewer Baby Boys
THURSDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A stressful early pregnancy could lower a woman's odds for delivering a boy and raise her risk for premature delivery, a new study suggests. The findings from an investigation of how the stress of a major 2005 ...
New Guidelines for Treating Psoriasis When Pregnant or Nursing
FRIDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Topical treatment with moisturizers and emollients such as petroleum jelly should be the first line of therapy for treating psoriasis in pregnant and breast-feeding women, according to new recommendations from th...
Depression, Partner Conflict Raise Suicide Risk for Pregnant Women, New Moms
FRIDAY, Dec. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Major depression and conflicts with intimate partners increase the risk of suicide among pregnant women and new mothers, a new study indicates. "We have a more complete picture now of who these women are and what...
Drinking Late in First Trimester May Be Most Hazardous
TUESDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- It's known that drinking during pregnancy leaves babies vulnerable to a spectrum of abnormalities called fetal alcohol syndrome. Now, a new study pinpoints the latter half of the first trimester as a critical t...
Repeat C-Section Best Scheduled at 39 Weeks, Study Says
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- A new childbirth study says 39 weeks' gestation is the best time for elective Cesarean delivery for women who have previously delivered via C-section. The research was slated for presentation Friday at a meeting...
Pregnancy Safe for Most Women With Lupus: Study
SATURDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnancy is safe for most women with stable lupus, a new study indicates. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect many organs of the body and cause arthritis, fatigue and rashes. Lupus has been...
U.S. Preterm Birth Rate Down Slightly
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of preterm births in the United States dropped slightly, to 12.2 percent in 2009, from its high three years earlier, according to a new analysis by the March of Dimes. But those numbers fall far short o...
BPA Exposure in Womb Linked to Behavioral Woes in Girls
MONDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Girls who are exposed to high levels of bisphenol A (BPA) while in their mother's womb may be more likely to show signs of behavioral and emotional problems as toddlers, new research finds. BPA is a chemical wid...
Flu Shots for Pregnant Women Also Protect Newborns
THURSDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Getting a seasonal flu vaccination while pregnant protects newborns from the flu for months after birth and won't cause a miscarriage. So say studies scheduled to be presented Thursday at the annual meeting of...
Katrina's Aftermath: Failed Pregnancies for IVF Moms Nationwide
TUESDAY, Oct. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Hurricane Katrina's devastating effects six years ago appear to have extended beyond the Gulf Coast, with miscarriages and premature births among fertility patients rising markedly across the United States in t...
Hormonal Disorder Linked to Pregnancy Complications: Study
FRIDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A common hormonal disorder among women known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) seems to be associated with an increased risk for pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, diabetes and premature birth, a n...
Study Suggests Origins of Pregnancy-Linked High Blood Pressure
TUESDAY, Oct. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous spike in blood pressure during pregnancy, may be due to a microscopic battle going on within the placenta between cells directed by the father's genes and those directed by...
CDC Urges Americans: Get Your Flu Shot
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- With plenty of influenza vaccine available, U.S. health officials urged Americans Wednesday to get a flu shot. Last year, some 130.9 million Americans -- about 43 percent of the population -- got a shot, whi...
Pregnant Women Reminded to Get Flu Vaccine
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women should get a flu shot to protect themselves and even their newborn from the flu, experts say. Pregnancy increases the risk of serious complications of flu, such as bacterial pneumonia and dehy...
New Approach to Treating Asthma in Pregnancy
FRIDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a new treatment plan to reduce asthma flare-ups in pregnancy while minimizing drug exposure to developing fetuses. This therapy tracks airway inflammation directly by meas...
NSAIDs May Raise Miscarriage Risk: Study
TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen during the first stage of their pregnancy may be upping their risk of miscarriage, new research suggests. "We're seeing a 2.4-fold ...
C-Sections Linked to Doubled Risk for Blood Clots
FRIDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of thromboembolism -- a potentially fatal condition in which blood clots block blood flow causing damage to the organs -- is higher during pregnancy, experts warn. And having a Caesarean section nearly ...
Unintended Pregnancies Rising Among Poorer U.S. Women: Study
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The overall rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States is holding steady but has risen dramatically among poor women -- even as it declines among their more affluent peers, a new study finds. After a...
Flu Shot Rates Low for Health Workers, Moms-to-Be: CDC
THURSDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Flu vaccination levels among U.S. health care workers have risen in recent years but are still below the 2020 national health objectives, a new study says. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control...
Obesity Before Pregnancy May Raise Child's Asthma Risk
MONDAY, Aug. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Teens of mothers who were overweight or obese when they became pregnant may be at increased risk for asthma symptoms, according to a new study. It included nearly 7,000 teens aged 15 and 16 who were born in nort...
Eating Disorders Can Harm Women's Fertility
THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women with the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia may take a bit longer to get pregnant than other women, a new study has found. U.K. researchers asked 11,088 pregnant women to complete questionnaires at 12 ...
High Dose of Yeast Infection Drug Linked to Birth Defects, FDA Says
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women who take ongoing, high doses of the drug fluconazole (brand name Diflucan) may be at increased risk of having babies with birth defects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Wednesday. T...
HHS: Insurers Must Pay for Birth Control for Women
MONDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, women in the United States will have their birth control covered by insurance companies, free of co-pays, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday. "Most private h...
Prenatal Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements May Cut Babies' Colds
MONDAY, Aug. 1 (HealthDay News) -- When women take a supplement of the omega 3 fatty acid DHA during pregnancy, their babies have fewer cold symptoms and shorter illnesses, new research indicates. At 1 month and 3 months of age, about 38 percent o...
Kids From Unplanned Pregnancies Tend to Lag Behind Intellectually
WEDNESDAY, July 27 (HealthDay News) -- Young children born after unplanned pregnancies tend to have a smaller vocabulary and poorer non-verbal and spatial abilities than other children, but these problems are actually due to socioeconomic factors,...
Study Hints at How Stress of Domestic Violence Might Be Passed to Unborn Child
TUESDAY, July 19 (HealthDay News) -- A new study provides evidence that stress from domestic violence during pregnancy may make offspring more prone to stress as an adult. However, the research doesn't directly prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
Anxiety, Depression in Pregnancy May Raise Kids' Asthma Risk
FRIDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Children of women who experience anxiety and depression during pregnancy may be at greater risk for asthma, according to new research. The study of 279 inner-city black and Hispanic women adds weight to research ...
Fewer U.S. Teens Having Babies, Binge Drinking: Report
WEDNESDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) -- A new government report on the health and well-being of America's children brings forth some good news: Fewer teens are having babies or engaging in binge drinking, preterm birth rates are dropping and deaths ...
Environment May Be Especially Key to Autism: Study
MONDAY, July 4 (HealthDay News) Contrary to current thinking, environmental factors may play a larger role than shared genes in the development of autism, a new study in twins suggests. A second study in the same journal finds that anti-depressant...
Flu Shots for Pregnant Women Also Protect Newborns, Study Finds
WEDNESDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Giving flu shots to pregnant women also protects their newborns, researchers say. Flu vaccination is recommended for anyone older than 6 months of age. But it is not approved for children younger than 6 month...
Pregnancy Safe for Most Women With MS: Study
MONDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnancy is generally safe for women with multiple sclerosis, a new study says. Canadian researchers analyzed 432 births to women with MS and almost 3,000 births to women without MS in the province of British C...
Study Finds 'Inconsistent' Care for Pregnant Women With Depression
FRIDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women with depression receive inconsistent treatment and, as a result, may spend more time in the hospital before their babies are born, a new study finds. Researchers followed 20 health care providers ...
Eating Disorders May Raise Risk of Depression in Pregnancy
WEDNESDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Although depression strikes one in 10 women during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, those who have had an eating disorder or suffered physical or sexual abuse are more likely to develop the condition,...
Smoking During Pregnancy May Predispose Kids to Heart Trouble
WEDNESDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have lower levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, which may increase their risk of heart attack and stroke later in life, a new study suggests. Australian resea...
Could Sleeping on Left Side Help Prevent Stillbirth?
TUESDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- For pregnant women, reducing the risk for stillbirth may be as simple as sleeping on their left side, New Zealand researchers suggest. In fact, women in the study who didn't sleep on their left side had twice t...
Too Much Weight Gain in Pregnancy Linked to Chubby Babies
TUESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Women who gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy tend to have chubbier babies, a possible risk factor for childhood obesity, new research suggests. The Institute of Medicine recommends that normal w...
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