Fertility, Pregnancy & Birth, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 2, 2024

Why is it called 'morning sickness' if it can happen any time of day?

Nausea and vomiting are extremely common in the early stages of pregnancy, and they've earned the widely used nickname morning sickness. But why exactly have we come to call these tummy-turning symptoms morning sickness? It turns out that, while pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting can happen at any time of day,...

Jan 26, 2024

'Mini placentas' may reveal roots of pregnancy disorders like preeclampsia

Miniature placentas grown in the lab may be helping reveal crucial steps in how the temporary organ successfully invades the uterus, according to a new study. This research could help improve scientists' understanding of pregnancy disorders, like preeclampsia. The scientists behind the new research previously showed that their mini placentas...

Feb 6, 2024

Chemicals in plastics and cosmetics tied to preterm birth risk

Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and cosmetics may have been linked to nearly 56,000 preterm births that took place in the U.S. in 2018, new research suggests. The researchers extrapolated that number from an analysis of data from more than 5,000 pregnant U.S. women. It suggests that exposure to phthalates...

Feb 15, 2024

Telehealth abortions are as safe and effective as in-person, large study shows

Using abortion pills that are prescribed via telehealth is just as safe and effective as having the medication prescribed in person, the largest study of its kind suggests. The scientists behind the study say the finding could reassure patients who are skeptical about the safety and legitimacy of telehealth abortions...

Feb 22, 2024

One-third of trans people taking testosterone may still ovulate, raising chance of pregnancy

Many transgender men and other gender-diverse people opt to take testosterone to bring about male secondary sex characteristics, such as a deeper voice and thicker body and facial hair, and to suppress female characteristics, such as menstruation. While taking this hormone therapy, a person may no longer get their period,...

Feb 26, 2024

Tiny lab-grown testicles look remarkably like the real thing under the microscope

For the first time, scientists have grown three-dimensional, miniature versions of testicles in the lab, using mouse cells. The lab-grown testicles survived in a dish for up to nine weeks and closely resembled natural mouse testicles, even developing tubelike structures equivalent to those that produce sperm in the testes of...