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More Evidence Folic Acid Prevents Birth Defects
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new study finds that South Carolina’s rate of spina bifida and similar birth defects fell substantially after more women began taking folic acid — adding to evidence of the B vitamin’s benefits during pregnancy. Since 1998, the U.S. has required manufacturers to add folic acid to enriched flours, breads,…
Read MoreOlder Women Also Need Pap Smears
Women aged 70 and over should continue to get regular Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer, a study suggests. The study was presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Researchers found that women aged 70 and over account for more than one in 10 cases of cervical cancer in…
Read MoreSmoking in Early Pregnancy Linked to Infant Heart Defects
Smoking in early pregnancy may raise the risk for certain congenital heart defects (CHD) in infants, according to the results of an analysis from the Baltimore-Washington Infant Study reported online February 28 and in the March print issue of Pediatrics. “Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been implicated as a possible risk factor for birth defects, but…
Read MoreCerclage Prevents Preterm Birth in At-Risk Pregnancies
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Among women with a singleton pregnancy, prior preterm birth, and a short cervix, cerclage significantly reduces the risk of another preterm delivery, as well as perinatal mortality and morbidity, a new meta-analysis shows. “The benefit of cerclage in this selected population is clear,” the research team says. “These results, consistent…
Read MoreACOG Encourages Ob-Gyns to Recommend Colorectal Screening
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a committee opinion encouraging obstetrician-gynecologists to recommend colorectal cancer screening for women, which is diagnosed in more women than all gynecologic cancers combined. The report points to colonoscopy as the recommended procedure but suggests other satisfactory alternatives. The committee opinion appears in the March issue…
Read MoreTiming of HRT Influences Breast Cancer Risk
Breast cancer risk associated with combination hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is greater if the therapy is started soon after menopause, according to the results of the observational Million Women Study conducted in the United Kingdom. Among current users of estrogen–progestin formulations, the relative risks for breast cancer were greater if use began less than 5…
Read MoreLong-Term Use of Bisphosphonates Increases Risk for Atypical Fractures
Long-term use of bisphosphonates increases the risk for atypical (subtrochanteric or femoral shaft) fractures in older women, according to the results of a population-based, nested case-control study reported in the February 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, the investigators are not recommending stopping use of bisphosphonates in appropriate patients. They note…
Read MoreAntioxidants May Help Some Couples Conceive
Oral antioxidants for men may help some couples who are experiencing difficulty conceiving to achieve pregnancy, according to a review published online January 19 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. One in 20 men is affected by subfertility. In many cases, the difficulty may be traced to sperm cells altered by reactive oxygen species. Antioxidants…
Read MoreShort Interval Between Pregnancies Linked to Increased Autism Risk
Children born at shorter intervals between pregnancies are at increased risk of developing autism, according to new research published online January 10 in Pediatrics. “Second-born children who were conceived less than 12 months after their sibling’s birth were at well over 3 times the odds of an autism diagnosis vs those who were conceived 3 or…
Read MorePolycystic Ovary Syndrome Ups Young Women’s Diabetes Risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Even when they are young, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at increased risk of diabetes and high cholesterol, new research shows. “Young women in their 20s, physicians usually don’t consider them to be a target group to be followed closely,” one of the study’s authors, Dr. Erica T….
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