Smartphone app reads blood oxygen levels to hospital standards, advances to global obstetrics tests
(Terry Collins Assoc) A $40 smartphone app with simple-to-use software and plug-in hardware delivers hospital-standard measurements of blood oxygen -- a Canadian invention that can forewarn of life-threatening pre-eclampsia with 80 percent accuracy, offering an important tool to help prevent countless developing world maternal and child deaths. The Canadian government, through Grand Challenges Canada, and private investors announce funding to advance the innovation to studies this year involving 80,000 women in Asia and Africa. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - March 9, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
Adverse Effects of Antenatal Magnesium Sulphate RegimensAdverse Effects of Antenatal Magnesium Sulphate Regimens
Magnesium sulphate is often used in obstetrics as a first-line treatment for women with eclampsia, but is it safe? This new study takes a look. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - March 3, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Ob/Gyn & Women ' s Health Journal Article Source Type: news
Women with schizophrenia at higher risk of pregnancy and delivery complications: Study
(Women's College Hospital) Women with schizophrenia are nearly twice as likely to experience pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth and other serious pregnancy and delivery complications as women without the condition, a landmark study by researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Women's College Hospital has found. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - February 3, 2014 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Vitamin D Blog: Does It Mark Pre-eclampsia Risk?
(MedPage Today) -- Vitamin D status during pregnancy may tell of a woman's risk of severe pre-eclampsia, according to a new study. (Source: MedPage Today Endocrinology)
Source: MedPage Today Endocrinology - January 27, 2014 Category: Endocrinology Source Type: news
Mobile Clinics in Haiti Help Pregnant Women Stay Healthy
Editor’s note: This post was written by Patrick Robin, a Senior Program Officer for the American Red Cross team carrying out projects in Haiti. Patrick previously lived in Haiti for two years and feels a special commitment to helping people recover and thrive from the January 2010 earthquake.
On a recent trip to the north of Haiti, I began to really admire the work of the local community organization, Haiti Outreach Pwojè Espwa (HOPE)—an American Red Cross partner. HOPE’s medical professionals trek over five miles,on foot, to run mobile medical clinics in hard-to-reach rural communities.
The Red Cross is provid...
Source: Red Cross Chat - January 14, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Jenelle Eli Tags: Health & Safety International haiti mobile clinics pregnancy women's health Source Type: news
Steroid use in premature babies linked to ADHD
Conclusion
This research is exploratory and on its own does not prove that pregnancy exposure to corticosteroids causes ADHD.
The research does have strengths in that it matched exposed and non-exposed children on the basis of sex and gestational age. Matching for gestational age and prematurity in particular is important – prematurity is associated with pre-birth corticosteroid use, as well as an increased risk of adverse effects upon brain development and mental health. This could therefore confound the relationship.
The researchers further adjusted for various possible socioeconomic, medical and pregnancy-related...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 25, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Pregnancy/child Mental health Neurology Source Type: news
The 15-minute test for pre-eclampsia: Hundreds of babies' lives could be saved a year
Researchers have found that testing protein levels in pregnant women before 35 weeks is highly accurate in identifying those at risk. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - November 5, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
New pre-eclampsia test 'shows promise'
Conclusion
The researchers say this is the largest and first prospective study to look at PIGF levels in women with suspected pre-eclampsia.
Overall, this study provides early positive findings of a diagnostic test for use in pregnant women with suspected pre-eclampsia. The researchers point out that it is known that plasma PIGF levels normally decline in the latter part of the third trimester (weeks 29 to 40), which reduces the PIGF test performance after 35 weeks gestation.
All new screening and diagnostic tests need to weigh up the benefits against the risks. The benefits of the test could include earlier detection ...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 5, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
New test may prevent baby deaths
A new blood test for pre-eclampsia could save hundreds of babies’ lives a year in the UK, say researchers. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)
Source: Nursing Times Breaking News - November 5, 2013 Category: Nursing Source Type: news
New blood test to identify those at high risk of pre-eclampsia
(Source: The Irish Times - Health)
Source: The Irish Times - Health - November 5, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Hopes of first test for pre-eclampsia
Hundreds of babies' lives could be saved each year using new test for pre-eclampsia, new study suggests (Source: Telegraph Health)
Source: Telegraph Health - November 4, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Snoring when pregnant linked to low birth weight
Conclusion
This large cohort study has found that self-reported snoring during the last trimester of pregnancy - and in particular chronic snoring - is associated with having a small for gestational age baby as well as a caesarean delivery.
A cohort study is the ideal study design to investigate this question, and the researchers have attempted to adjust for a number of important potential confounding factors that could be responsible for any association seen, such as maternal age, BMI and smoking status.
However, this study cannot show that snoring directly caused the poorer delivery outcomes, as there could be other hea...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 1, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
Snoring mothers-to-be linked to low birth weight babies
Experts say snoring may be a sign of breathing problems that could deprive an unborn baby of oxygenMothers-to-be who snore are more likely to give birth to smaller babies, a study has found. Snoring during pregnancy was also linked to higher rates of Caesarean delivery.Experts said snoring may be a sign of breathing problems that could deprive an unborn baby of oxygen.Previous research has shown women who start to snore during pregnancy are at risk from high blood pressure and the potentially dangerous pregnancy condition pre-eclampsia.More than a third of the 1,673 pregnant women recruited for the US study reported habitu...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 31, 2013 Category: Science Tags: The Guardian Family News Health Medical research Pregnancy & wellbeing Parents and parenting Society UK news Life and style Source Type: news
Biomarker Predicts Poor Pregnancy Outcomes in Lupus, APLBiomarker Predicts Poor Pregnancy Outcomes in Lupus, APL
Angiogenic factor dysregulation early in pregnancy can predict pre-eclampsia and poor fetal and maternal outcomes, enabling early intervention in women with lupus or antiphospholipid syndrome (APL). Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
Source: Medscape Today Headlines - October 29, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Rheumatology News Source Type: news
