Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Fertility, Infant's Health
Published Discrimination during pregnancy can affect infant's brain circuitry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Experiences of discrimination and acculturation are known to have a detrimental effect on a person's health. For pregnant women, these painful experiences can also affect the brain circuitry of their children, a new study finds. These effects, the researchers say, are separate from those caused by general stress and depression. The study was published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Published Spike in premature births caused by COVID, halted by vaccines, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source COVID-19 caused an alarming surge in premature births, but vaccines were key to returning the early birth rate to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new analysis of California birth records.
Published Wearables capture body sounds to continuously monitor health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source From heart beats to stomach gurgles, sounds hold important health information. New wireless devices sit on skin to continuously capture these sounds, then stream data to smartphones or tablets in real time. In pilot studies, devices accurately tracked sounds associated with cardiorespiratory function, gastrointestinal activity, swallowing and respiration. The devices are particularly valuable for premature babies, who can experience apneas and gastrointestinal complications, which are accompanied by sounds.
Published Exposure to air pollution in utero may affect reproductive system development
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source From invisible wafts of diesel exhaust to sun-choking plumes of orange smoke, air pollution is known to damage respiratory well-being. Now, research suggests another reason to hold our breath: Polluted air also may hurt reproductive health. In a study of air pollution data in relation to markers of reproductive development in infancy, Rutgers researchers found certain pollutants may negatively alter anogenital distance, a measure of prenatal exposure to hormones.
Published New study finds association between insecticide exposure and lower sperm concentration in adult men
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found in a new systematic review that there is a strong association between insecticide exposure and lower sperm concentration in adult men globally.
Published Delaying cord clamping could halve risk of death in premature babies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Two new studies have given further weight to the benefits of delayed cord clamping, finding waiting for at least 2 minutes to clamp the umbilical cord of premature babies at birth could decrease the child's risk of death.
Published Umbilical cord milking appears to be safe in preterm infants born after 28 weeks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A treatment to move blood from the umbilical cord into an infant's body may provide a safe option for preterm infants born after 28 weeks who need rapid support, suggests a new study. The procedure, called umbilical cord milking, involves gently squeezing the cord between the thumb and forefinger and pushing the blood into the newborn's abdomen. The new findings suggest that concerns raised by a 2019 study of infants born before 28 weeks -- which concluded that umbilical cord milking might increase the risk of bleeding inside the brain -- do not apply to preterm infants born after 28 weeks.
Published Paid family leave boosted postpartum wellbeing, breastfeeding rates
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has found postpartum individuals living in states with generous mandated paid family and medical leave (PFML) are more likely to breastfeed and less likely to experience postpartum depression symptoms compared to those living in states with little or no mandated state-paid leave. The findings were even more pronounced among lower-income populations covered by Medicaid.
Published Mobile phone use may affect semen quality, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Does electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones affect semen quality? While various environmental and lifestyle factors have been proposed to explain the decline in semen quality observed over the last fifty years, the role of mobile phones has yet to be demonstrated. A team has now published a major cross-sectional study on the subject. It shows that frequent use of mobile phones is associated with a lower sperm concentration and total sperm count.
Published Sperm adjust their swimming style to adapt to fluctuating fluid conditions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sperm can modulate their energetics by regulating their flagellar waveform -- how the sperm oscillate their tails -- in order to adapt to varying fluid environments, potentially optimizing their motility and navigation within the reproductive tract, according to new research.
Published COVID vaccination in female, male partners does not increase risk of miscarriage, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides deeper insight into the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for people planning to become pregnant. The study found no increased risk of early or late miscarriage as a result of male or female partners getting a COVID-19 vaccine prior to conceiving.
Published Antibiotics for common childhood infections no longer effective
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Alarmingly high rates of bacterial resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics used to treat children and babies has been found in the Asia-Pacific.
Published Possible cause of male infertility
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mature spermatozoa are characterized by an head, midpiece and a long tail for locomotion. Now, researchers have found that a loss of the structural protein ACTL7B blocks spermatogenesis in male mice. The cells can no longer develop their characteristic shape and remain in a rather round form. The animals are infertile.
Published Membrane transporter ensures mobility of sperm cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Special proteins -- known as membrane transporters -- are key to the mobility of sperm cells. A research team has, with the aid of cryo-electron microscopy, succeeded in decoding the structure of such a transporter and its mechanism. These findings will enable a better understanding of the molecular foundations of reproductive capacity and could, in the long term, contribute to developing new approaches to treating fertility disorders and new methods of specific contraception.
Published Zika infection in pregnant macaques slows fetal growth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Zika virus infection in pregnant rhesus macaques slows fetal growth and affects how infants and mothers interact in the first month of life, according to a new study. The work has implications for both humans exposed to Zika virus and for other viruses that can cross the placenta, including SARS-CoV2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Published Study suggests that having common ancestors can jeopardize fertility for generations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research provides rare direct evidence showing that increased homozygosity -- meaning two identical alleles in a genome -- leads to negative effects on fertility in a human population.
Published Bacteria can enhance host insect's fertility with implications for disease control
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research reveals how the bacteria strain Wolbachia pipientis enhances the fertility of the insects it infects, an insight that could help scientists increase the populations of mosquitoes that do not carry human disease.
Published New technology 'game changing' for pregnant women with diabetes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that automated insulin delivery technology could be a game changer for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes. The technology -- known as 'hybrid closed-loop technology' -- gives insulin doses as informed by a smartphone algorithm. The new study shows that it could help pregnant women better manager their blood sugars compared to traditional insulin pumps or multiple daily injections. Lead researcher Prof Helen Murphy from UEA said: 'This technology is game changing, in that it will allow more women to have safer, healthier, more enjoyable pregnancies, with potential for lifelong benefits for their babies.'
Published Probiotics delivered in biofilm state protect the intestines and brain in NEC model
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have been working on a novel solution to prevent NEC. They have developed a novel probiotic system that harnesses the durability of biofilms to improve the administration of probiotics to patients. Their latest study describes the use of a biofilm formulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri (Lr) to prevent NEC in a piglet model.
Published Why do some men not produce sperm?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millions of couples worldwide experience infertility with half of the cases originating in men. For 10 percent of infertile males, little or no sperm are produced. Now, new research is shedding light on what may be going wrong in the process of sperm formation, leading to potential theories on possible treatments.