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

Nov 30, 2015

Risk of Stillbirth Raised by Weight Gain Between Pregnancies

Weight gain between pregnancies may increase the risk of stillbirth or infant death, a new study from Sweden suggests. The researchers analyzed information from more than 450,000 women who had two pregnancies between 1992 and 2012. Women whose body mass index (BMI) increased by more than 4 points between pregnancies...

Oct 31, 2015

US Uterus Transplants: 6 Things to Know

Ten women in the United States will soon be chosen to undergo the nation's first uterus transplants, as part of a study at the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors at the hospital hope to perform the first uterus transplant in the next few months, according to the New York Times. The procedure...

Oct 31, 2015

Expectant Moms: Coffee Won't Harm Kids' IQ

Pregnant women, perk up! It's okay to indulge in your morning cup of coffee without worrying about it affecting your child's IQ, a new study finds. In the study, researchers found that children born to women who consumed caffeine while pregnant did not have lower IQs or more behavior problems...

Sep 30, 2015

Breast-Feeding Mothers Gain Support in Hospitals

Breast-feeding mothers are now getting more support from hospitals, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2013, over half of the hospitals in the United States were meeting at least five of 10 common recommendations for hospitals to support breast-feeding, up from...

Aug 31, 2015

Happy? Sad? Breastfeeding May Affect Babies' Awareness of Social Cues

Breastfeeding might affect the way babies with a certain genetic makeup perceive other people's emotions, according to a new study. In the study, researchers looked at the relationship between being breastfed and perceiving emotions in 49 female and 49 male 7-month-old infants. The babies were shown photos of faces whose...

Jul 31, 2015

Breast-Fed Babies Show Buildup of Potentially Harmful Chemical

Scientists have found that a widespread and potentially harmful class of industrial chemicals accumulates easily in human breast milk and can build up to worrying levels in infants who are breast-fed. The chemicals, called perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs), are largely unregulated and are used in stainproof textiles, waterproof clothing, paints...

Jun 30, 2015

Planned Parenthood: How Ethical Is Fetal Tissue Donation?

Planned Parenthood denies recent allegations that the organization profits from fetal tissue donation. But what exactly is fetal tissue used for in medical research, and what are the ethical issues surrounding its use? This week, an activist group called the Center for Medical Progress posted a video that shows a...

May 31, 2015

Frozen Ovarian Tissue Works a Decade Later: Woman Gives Birth

A 27-year-old woman in Belgium is now a mom after giving birth to a baby more than a decade after her ovarian tissue was removed and frozen, according to a new study. The woman had her ovarian tissue frozen in her early teens, before she underwent a bone marrow transplant...

Mar 31, 2015

Sofia Vergara Lawsuit: Who Owns Frozen Embryos?

The fight between actress Sofia Vergara and her ex-fiancé Nick Loeb over the fate of the couple's frozen embryos may hinge on one question: whether the contract the couple signed gives one party or both parties a say in what happens to the embryos, experts say. On Thursday, news outlets...

Nov 30, 2016

Baby's Feet Outside Mom's Uterus: Amazing Image Shows Rare Rupture

Just looking at this image might give the impression that this woman's baby literally kicked its feet right out of her uterus. But moms-to-be with kicky babies can rest easy — the MRI image showcases an extremely rare condition that was not caused by a baby's kick. The 33-year-old woman...

Aug 31, 2016

How a Hidden TB Infection Caused One Woman's Infertility

A woman living in New England who had trouble getting pregnant eventually discovered that her infertility was due to a cause not typically seen in this country: tuberculosis. The 31-year-old woman had been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half, but had not been able to conceive....

Aug 31, 2016

Rate of Opioid-Dependent Babies Doubles in US

There continues to be a rise in the number of U.S. babies born who are dependent on opioid drugs, according to a new study. Researchers looked at the rate of babies diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a condition in which newborns experience withdrawal symptoms as a result of being exposed...

Jun 30, 2016

Prenatal Multivitamins Don't Help Much, Study Says

For pregnant women, taking prenatal vitamins may be a waste of money, a new review of previous research suggests. Instead of taking multivitamin and mineral supplements, pregnant women should focus on improving the overall quality of their diets, and should take just two vitamins: folic acid and vitamin D, according...

May 31, 2016

How Accurate Are Fertility Tracking Apps?

Fertility-focused apps and websites that aim to figure out which days a woman is most likely to conceive may not be very accurate, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed more than 50 popular websites and smartphone apps that offer to predict a woman's fertility window, or the days during...

Jan 31, 2016

Checking Embryo Viability? Give It a Good Squeeze

Much like a piece of ripe fruit, a human embryo has a certain squishiness that could provide fertility clinic staff with clues about its viability, a new study finds. In fact, the technique of gently squeezing a series of embryos appears to be the most accurate way for researchers to...