Youngest Preterm Babies Get More Care, Not Likelier to Live
About 69 percent of the infants died after being born at 22 weeks to 24 weeks of a mothers pregnancy during the period 2001 to 2003, compared with 72 percent who died from 1993 to 1995, research in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine showed. More than twice as many babies from 2001 to 2003 received interventions such as specialized ventilation than those in the early 1990s, the study found.
Medical treatment for preterm babies in the U.S. costs $26 billion each year, [...]
Glaxosmithkline to Defend Paxil In Birth Defect Test-case Trial
Patients and their parents claim internal company documents produced for trial show Glaxo failed to warn about the risks of Paxil until forced to do so in 2005 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In a trial set for Sept. 14, Michelle David blames the drug for causing life-threatening heart defects in her son Lyam Kilker, 3.
The London-based company faces two more such trials a month from October through January in state court in Philadelphia. The first group will show both sides how the rest [...]
Births to Unwed Moms Rising, N. Europe Beats Us
Iceland is the leader with 6 in 10 births occurring among unmarried women. About half of all births in Sweden and Norway are to unwed moms, while in the U.S., its about 40 percent.
France, Denmark and the United Kingdom also have higher percentages than the United States, according to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The U.S. and at least 13 other industrialized nations have seen significant jumps in the proportion of unmarried births since 1980, said Stephanie Ventura of the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics.
Rates have doubled and even tripled in these countries, according [...]
Us Births Break Record; 40 Pct Out-of-wedlock
Behind the number is both good and bad news. While it shows the U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend, the teen birth rate was up for a second year in a row.
The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40 percent, continuing a trend that started years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older.
For a variety of reasons, its become more acceptable for women to have babies without a husband, said Duke Universitys S. Philip Morgan, a leading fertility [...]
Call For Autopsy to Unravel Tragedy Of Stillbirth
More than 25,000 U.S. babies a year are stillborn, and in more than a third of the cases doctors cant find an explanation. New guidelines for obstetricians aim to help change that with a too often taboo recommendation: Gently urge more parents to accept an autopsy to help unravel this mystery killer, so that maybe doctors can start preventing it.
Even an autopsy doesnt always give an answer. It didnt explain why Clare Owen died.
The hope is that if more are performed - and done better, to the same set of standards - scientists might finally have enough tests to compare [...]
Home-birth Advocates Press Pro-midwife Campaign
Nationally, a group called the Big Push for Midwives marked President Barack Obamas inauguration with an e-mail campaign urging him to ensure that midwives who specialize in home births are included in deliberations on federal health care reform.
“Were at a tipping point now,” said Katherine Prown, the Big Push campaign manager. “Home births are still only a small part of the total, but its poised for growth.”
The campaign seeks to emphasize that in this time of economic crisis, home births can be a safe, satisfying and moneysaving option for many women. But it runs into adamant opposition from the American [...]
8 Is Plenty: Mother Gives Birth to Octuplets
“We were fortunate that this patient was extremely strong, very courageous and able to handle these births,” said Dr. Karen E. Maples, who is chief of service for obstetrics and gynecology at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center and delivered Baby No. 8.
No pictures of the children were released, and at the mothers request doctors declined to reveal her name, any information about her family or whether she took fertility drugs before becoming pregnant, though outside experts said it is almost certain she did.
The chances of delivering eight babies naturally are “unbelievably rare,” said Dr. Richard Paulson, director of the fertility [...]
Woman Gives Birth to Octuplets In Socal Hospital
“My eyes were wide,” Dr. Karen Maples said, explaining her reaction to the last birth.
Doctors said the babies were born nine weeks premature but are in stable condition. Two newborns were placed on ventilators and a third needs oxygen.
Hospital officials would not release any information about the mother, including her name, condition or whether she used fertility drugs. They did, however, say she planned to breast feed all of them.
“Shes a very strong woman, so she probably will be able to handle all eight babies,” said Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neo-natologist who cared for the infants.
The mother checked into the [...]
Surgeon General: United States Preterm Birth Issues
Theres not much chance of meeting that goal by the original 2010 deadline, if the “D” grade bestowed on the nation is any indication.
More than half a million U.S. babies - one in every eight - are born premature each year, a toll thats risen steadily for two decades. The governments goal: No more than 7.6 percent of babies born before completion of the 37th week of pregnancy.
Preterm birth can affect any mother-to-be, stressed a recent U.S. Surgeon Generals meeting on the problem. Scientists dont understand all the complex causes.
But Wednesdays report highlights big geographic differences that March of Dimes [...]
Grandma Carries Her Daughter’s Babies, Implanted Embryos
Her ovaries could produce eggs, so she and Joe Coseno, her husband of three years, tried in vitro fertilization. The embryos were implanted in Dalenbergs uterus.
Dalenberg said she wasnt frightened to be pregnant at her age.
“Ive always been really healthy. I did get medical clearance, including psychological testing,” Dalenberg told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
“When we found out it was triplets, I did get really nervous for about four days, but that passed real soon.”
The girls were born Oct. 11 - more than two months premature and each weighing less than three pounds. Gabriella Claire and Carmina Ann are identical [...]