Fertility and pregnancy

One in 10 births around world premature, WHO says

One in 10 of the some 130 million births around the world each year is premature, the vast majority in poorer countries where chances…    

Increased Stroke Risk from Birth Control Pills

She was only 30 years old, but she was experiencing the classic symptoms of a stroke. Her speech suddenly became slurred, and her left…    

Teenage birth rates higher in more religious states

Rates of births to teenage mothers are strongly predicted by conservative religious beliefs, even after controlling for differences in income and rates of abortion.…    

Fertility drug combo promising in older women

The combination of two drugs—Femara (letrozole) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)—could be of benefit in infertile women of advanced reproductive age undergoing intrauterine insemination, results…    

Ageing Japan’s fertility rate up but population falls

Japan’s fertility rate inched up for the third year in a row in 2008, but its ageing population still shrank, with 51,300 more deaths…    

Natural leaders may have more children: study

Born leaders may be more likely to have children than people who prefer to be led, a study suggests.

Researchers found that…    

California octuplets dismay fertility experts

The birth of octuplets in California, hailed as a medical triumph by doctors who delivered the tiny infants, has dismayed fertility experts who say…    

Effect of Acupuncture on IVF Remains Unclear

The use of acupuncture to increase fertility is far from new — dating back to Taoist tradition over 8,000 years ago — but its…    

Do chemicals in the environment affect fertility?

Our day-to-day exposure to chemicals is on the increase. From food packaging to the air we breathe, every day contact with potentially-toxic substances could…    

Disabling Mouse Enzyme Increases Fertility

Changing the sugars attached to a hormone produced in the pituitary gland increased fertility levels in mice nearly 50 percent, a research group…    

Gene linked to preterm birth among Hispanic women

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that the gene ENPP1 is linked to preterm birth and low birth weight among Hispanic women.…    

Thyroid trouble may be missed in pregnant women

Screening only pregnant women felt to be at high-risk for thyroid problems may mean that many women with thyroid dysfunction may escape detection, according…    

Newborn Brains Grow Vision and Movement Regions First

The regions of the brain that control vision and other sensory information grow dramatically in the first few months following birth, while the area…    

Calcium during breast-feeding may guard mom’s teeth

Women who breast-feed may need to be careful about getting enough calcium to keep their teeth and gums healthy, new animal research suggests.

…    

Environmental Toxin Causes Heritable Adult-Onset Diseases

A disease you are suffering today could be a result of your great-grandmother being exposed to an environmental toxin during pregnancy - and you…    

Pushing for babies: Singapore fights fertility decline

When Clara Chng graduated from university, the Singapore government’s matchmaking agency offered her a two-year free trial to find a husband.

Young,…    

Regulation needed for fertility industry: expert

Fertility treatment is a multibillion-dollar global industry that needs regulation to protect infertile couples and assure equal access to treatment, a leading American economist…    

Most would not select their child’s sex

Most individuals are not interested in choosing the sex of their child if given the opportunity, according to the results of a new nationwide…    

Most teenage boys with cancer can bank sperm

Sperm banking is possible for most teens with cancer who must undergo fertility-impairing treatment, British researchers report.

Several types of chemotherapy can…    

Fertile women most attractive to men

According to researchers at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, women with high levels of the sex hormone oestrogen have prettier…    

Emergency contraception via vagina may be feasible

The results of a preliminary study suggest that administration of emergency contraception through the vagina could be an effective alternative to oral administration—and may…    

Men’s stress also affects infertility therapy

Infertility-related stress in men as well as women may have an effect on treatment success, according to new study findings.…    

Plant chemical may harm male fertility

A plant chemical found in soya, tofu and legumes could potentially damage sperm and affect male fertility, a British researcher suggest.

Professor…    

Italian fertilty law hinders IVF success

Italy’s strict law on assisted reproduction has reduced some women’s chances of conceiving because doctors can no longer select the best embryos for    

Conception tourism spreads as infertility soars

Couples wanting babies are criss-crossing the globe in search of treatment as infertility in the developed world looks set to double within…