DNA profiling for healthy pregnancies

Advances in genetic research are providing pregnant women with new ways of ensuring they have the nutritional balance they need for the development of their unborn child. "By knowing their own unique DNA profile, women who are pregnant or who are planning to fall pregnant are able to find out if they need to adjust their nutrient intake to improve their own health and the development of the foetus," says Helen de Beer, a dietician with DNAlysis Biotechnology, a South African-based molecular biotechnology company. 9 May 2013 16:01

GSK, GAVI Alliance to supply HPV vaccine to poor countries

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced a new commitment to the GAVI Alliance to supply its cervical cancer vaccine as part of a new long term programme to help protect girls against cervical cancer in the world's poorest countries. To start the program and over the next two years, GSK will supply doses of Cervarix (Human Papillomavirus vaccine [Types 16, 18] (Recombinant, adjuvanted, adsorbed)) to four new GAVI demonstration projects at US$4.60 per dose. 9 May 2013 10:23

Autism risk spotted at birth in abnormal placentas

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have figured out how to measure an infant's risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder. The findings are reported in the 25 April 2013 online issue of Biological Psychiatry. 26 Apr 2013 15:44

Bizcommunity.com

Bizcommunity April 1 price freeze is no joke

[Issued by Bizcommunity.com] Believe it or not, we've made the decision to freeze most of our rates for 2013! This is not an April Fool's prank but a strategic decision in line with our core objectives to assist businesses to grow and thrive via our portfolio of publishing platforms. 26 Mar 2013 10:37

Bizcommunity.com

If you're content, we're content

[Issued by Bizcommunity.com] "Content" is currently on everybody's lips, with everyone from the existing media to brand owners and individuals being encouraged to become content providers. Bizcommunity has been ahead of the content curve for over a decade. 18 Mar 2013 09:03

Fertility clinics are for both parties

Speaking during Reproductive Health Month in February, gynaecologist, obstetrician and fertility specialist, Dr Herman Netshidzivhani, said the perception that infertility mainly affects women is incorrect. It has been shown that fertility complications are found equally in men and women. 26 Feb 2013 10:33

Pre-pregnancy folic acid linked to lower autism risk

WASHINGTON, USA: Children born to women who started taking folic acid supplements four to eight weeks before pregnancy appear to be at a lower risk of autism, a study showed on Tuesday, 12 February 2013. 14 Feb 2013 11:18

Genes link growth in the womb with adult metabolism and disease

Researchers have identified four new genetic regions that influence birth weight, providing further evidence that genes as well as maternal nutrition are important for growth in the womb. Three of the regions are also linked to adult metabolism, helping to explain why smaller babies have higher rates of chronic diseases later in life. 4 Dec 2012 13:51

Smoking in pregnancy tied to lower reading scores

[Karen N. Peart] Yale School of Medicine researchers have found that children born to mothers who smoked more than one pack per day during pregnancy struggled on tests designed to measure how accurately a child reads aloud and comprehends what they read. 19 Nov 2012 15:06

Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQ

Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child's IQ, according to a new study, published today in PLOS ONE, by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Oxford using Children of the 90s study (ALSPAC) data from over 4,000 mothers and their offspring. 15 Nov 2012 14:38

A ladies guide to 'accessorising' for a financial future

[Robin Farrell] Putting on a pair of designer sunglasses and belt can make an ordinary outfit look extraordinary. However, you still need to have at least a decent selection of clothes to go with those accessories. So too can this analogy be applied to your finances. In fact you could say the following article is a ladies guide to the must-have 'life' accessories that make for a solid financial future. 21 Aug 2012 09:49

Natural birth - but not C-section - triggers brain boosting proteins

[Karen N. Peart] Vaginal birth triggers the expression of a protein in the brains of newborns that improves brain development and function in adulthood, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers, who also found that this protein expression is impaired in the brains of offspring delivered by caesarean section (C-sections). 8 Aug 2012 16:49

Controversial Down's syndrome test gets Swiss go-ahead

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: Switzerland has given the green light for prenatal testing for Down's syndrome, Swiss media reported Sunday, 29 July 2012. 31 Jul 2012 15:25

Education key to improving breastfeeding rates

Despite the implementation of a number of initiatives to improve breastfeeding rates to reduce child mortality, South Africa has made little progress over the past 11 years. Current statistics show that only 8% of babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. 12 Jul 2012 11:42