Pregnancy | MedNews

Opioids in Early Pregnancy Doubles Risk of Birth Defects, Says Study

March 2, 2011 By MedNews Leave a Comment

Babies born to women who take opioid pain killers such as codeine, oxycodone or hydrocodone just before or in early pregnancy are at increased but modest risk of birth defects, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found 2-3 percent of mothers interviewed were treated with prescription opioid pain killers, or analgesics, just before or during early pregnancy. The study did not examine illicit use of these medications. [Read more…]

U.S. Teen Pregnancy at Record Low

January 31, 2011 By MedNews Leave a Comment

The birth rate for U.S. teens aged 15-19 years fell to a record low, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 2009 birth rate of 39.1 births per 1,000 teens is down 6 percent from the 2008 rate of 41.5 births per 1,000. This is the lowest ever recorded in seven decades of tracking teenage childbearing. Birth rates for younger and older teens and for all race/ethnic groups reached historic lows in 2009.

The data are based on nearly 100 percent of birth records collected in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. The report from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics also notes declines in the overall fertility rate—the average number of births that a group of women would have over their lifetimes—and the total number of U.S. births. [Read more…]

Some Alternative Therapies May Hurt Pregnancy Chance

July 4, 2007 By MedNews Leave a Comment

Alternative therapies such as reflexology and herbal supplements may reduce a woman’s chance of getting pregnant, experts say.

Pesticides Linked to Diabetes in Pregnancy

March 21, 2007 By MedNews Leave a Comment

A pregnant mother’s exposure to pesticides may affect the risk of her developing diabetes during pregnancy, new research suggests.

Dr. Tina M. Saldana and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in North Carolina assessed the risk of gestational diabetes amongst wives of farmers.

Source: Diabetes Care