News and Features Related to Health & Pregnancy

Breastfeeding Cuts Metabolic Syndrome

June 8, 2009 -- Women who breastfeed their babies may be less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that makes heart disease and diabetes more likely. So say researchers who studied data from a study of 1,390 women who were followed for 20 years, starting when they were 18-
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Pregnancy: No Weight Gain for Obese Women?

June 2, 2009 -- Women who are obese when they become pregnant may not need to gain weight during pregnancy, as long as they and their doctors focus on healthy eating, a new study shows. "The take-home message is that you can eat well during your pregnancy without overeating, and pregnancy should not
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Pregnancy Weight Gain: New Guidelines

May 28, 2009 -- Pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant? Then you need to know about new guidelines on how much weight to gain during pregnancy. Those new guidelines were issued today by an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee of doctors, nutrition experts, and public health researchers. It's t
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Belly Wraps: Post-Pregnancy Hit or Hype?

When Seattle mom Ashley Allman, 27, is invited to a baby shower, she doesn’t bring a cute onesie, a silver rattle, or any such traditional gift. Allman prefers to give new moms a gut-busting belly wrap. Allman, a public relations executive, along with many celebrity moms, including Jessica Alba, hav
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Unmarried Births Rise in U.S, Europe

May 13, 2009 -- Having a baby outside of marriage has become a lot more common in the U.S. in recent years, but it's even more common in other countries, according to the CDC. A new CDC report, released today, tracks out-of-wedlock births in the U.S., 12 European countries, and Japan. Here's how tho
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8 Ways to Boost Your Fertility

If you're like most couples who are trying to conceive, you want to get pregnant sooner rather than later. Having intercourse as close as possible to ovulation can definitely help. But fertility experts say there are other ways men and women can boost their fertility. These simple measures can incre
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Air Pollution May Lead to Smaller Babies

March 9, 2009 -- Exposure to air pollution both early and late in pregnancy may have a negative impact on fetal growth, a new study shows. Air pollution, especially pollution from car exhaust, was linked to smaller birth weight in the newly published study even after researchers controlled for known
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Separating Pregnancy Myths and Facts

If you're hoping to do everything right for your baby's health but confused by what seems like a growing list of pregnancy myths, you're not alone. Most mothers-to-be share similar concerns -- and equal amounts of confusion. "Some of that confusion is the result of new information that is continuall
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Do Pesticides Make Birth Defects Crop Up?

March 27, 2009 -- New research shows that babies conceived in the spring and early summer have a higher risk for a wide range of birth defects, including Down syndrome, cleft palate, and spina bifida. The reported increase in birth defects was modest, but it coincided with a similar spike in groundw
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Twins in Demand Through IVF?

Forget "Octo Mom." The hot debate among in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients and their doctors isn't about having lots of babies at once. It's about trying for twins. Patients who want twins point to the high costs of IVF, their ticking biological clocks, and their frustration and exhaustion from l
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