Pregnancy News and Research

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New insights into early embryo development and origin of disease

The biochemical signals that determine the formation of the body pattern in the primate embryo have been found by scientists. This will direct research into human birth abnormalities and pregnancy loss.

17 Jun 2022

Researchers conduct a comprehensive survey of the aging epigenome across the chromatin hierarchy

Highly structured chromatin encodes the program of life with only one set of genes in the core of every cell. Since various genes are stimulated at different periods of life while staying silent elsewhere, this is feasible. Some genes from a former life stage are hidden deep within the nuclear perimeter, while others manage to break out.

1 Jun 2022

Maternal rhythms help to develop the suprachiasmatic nuclei’s “master clock”

According to a new study published May 24th, 2022, in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Alena Sumová and coworkers of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, genes within the fetus’s developing clock respond to rhythmic behavior in the mother during fetal development, first before the biological clock starts ticking on its own.

25 May 2022

Researchers take a deep dive into the genetic origins of mustelid physiological and behavioral range

Within the order Carnivora, Mustelids are the most ecologically and taxonomically varied family. They inhabit a range of natural niches, from the tayra in the tropics to the wolverine in the subarctic, and have developed species-specific features relating to their feeding, reproductive strategy, and shape.

25 May 2022

Zbtb38 removal results in early embryonic death

DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic alteration for mammalian development.

20 Apr 2022

New research shows significant variations in B-cells in women with PPD

Jerry Guintivano, PhD, of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, led an exclusive transcriptome-wide association research that showed substantial changes in B-cells in women with postpartum depression, with pathway observations indicating modified B-cell activation and insulin resistance.

19 Apr 2022

Scientists recognize neuronal processes that regulate food cravings during pregnancy

Many people have experienced the sudden and unmanageable desire to eat a particular food. These desires, known as cravings, are very usual, especially during pregnancy.

7 Apr 2022

Placenta plays an active role in the delivery of maternal vitamin D to the fetus

Scientists have shed new light on the role of the placenta in managing the relationships between maternal vitamin D and fetal development, according to a study published today in eLife.

9 Mar 2022

New device to assess water quality uses powerful and programmable genetic networks

Northwestern University synthetic biologists have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use, hand-held device that can let users know -; within mere minutes -; if their water is safe to drink.

18 Feb 2022

Researchers make new advances in connecting the evolution of pregnancy and cancer metastasis

Researchers from UConn Heath and Yale University have made new advances connecting the evolution of pregnancy and cancer metastasis.

8 Feb 2022

Study discovers a novel role for hormone-sensitive neurons in maternal nesting behavior

Gestation leads to a modification of brain circuits and behaviors such as nesting within the animal kingdom. The underlying biological, neural and hormonal mechanisms have been unknown until now.

7 Feb 2022

Living human breast milk cells offer insight into pregnancy, lactation, and breast cancer

Researchers have explored the cellular changes that occur in human mammary tissue in lactating and non-lactating women, offering insight into the relationship between pregnancy, lactation, and breast cancer.

31 Jan 2022

Mother's unhealthy vaginal microbiome may contribute to mortality and altered development in babies

A new study in mice from University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers showed that an unhealthy vaginal microbiome in pregnant mothers in combination with an unhealthy diet contributed to increased pup deaths and altered development in the surviving babies.

28 Jan 2022

Exposure to phthalates may alter a hormone needed to sustain a healthy pregnancy

Exposure to phthalates-; a group of chemicals found in everything from plastics to personal care products to electronics-; may disrupt an important hormone needed to sustain a healthy pregnancy, according to a Rutgers study.

13 Jan 2022

Fingerprints are influenced by the limb development genes, says study

Researchers found that the shape of fingerprints is determined by limb development genes instead of skin patterning genes, in the most thorough analysis to date.

10 Jan 2022

Genetic material found in blood samples can detect women at risk of pre-eclampsia

A study of pregnant women's blood RNA has found specific molecular profiles that identify women at risk of pre-eclampsia. These insights can identify complications before a woman experiences symptoms.

6 Jan 2022

New high-quality assay can be used in at-home tests for rapid COVID-19 screening

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have designed a high-quality assay that can be used in at-home tests for rapid COVID-19 screening.

4 Jan 2022

Study reveals a tug-of-war between genes inherited from the father and the mother

Cambridge scientists have identified a key signal that the fetus uses to control its supply of nutrients from the placenta, revealing a tug-of-war between genes inherited from the father and from the mother. The study, carried out in mice, could help explain why some babies grow poorly in the womb.

28 Dec 2021

Multiple changes in brain cells during embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia

Multiple changes in brain cells during the first month of embryonic development may contribute to schizophrenia later in life, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

17 Dec 2021

Research team grows mini-stomach across varying stages of development

A group of researchers led from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) hinged on recent progress to culture “mini-organs” in a lab, called organoids.

7 Dec 2021