From Birth On, One Sex Is Hardier
Women are known to outlive men. And that advantage may start early, according to researchers who've found baby girls more likely to survive famines, epidemics and other misfortunes. The fact that females have this advantage in infancy -- when there are few behavioral differences between the sexes -- suggests biology may be at least partly responsible, the researchers said. "Our results add another piece to the puzzle of gender differences in survival," said study leaders Virg
Having Too Little of This Nutrient Could Harm a Womans Fertility
Nearly half of U.S. women have at least a mild deficiency in the nutrient iodine, and new research suggests it could impair their fertility. Iodine -- a mineral that helps regulate metabolism -- is found in seafood, iodized salt, dairy products, and some fruits and vegetables. But in a new study of 467 American women who were trying to get pregnant, those with moderate-to-severe iodine deficiency were 46 percent less likely to get pregnant during each menstrual cycle than tho
Frozen Embryos Aren’t Always Necessary for IVF, New Studies Show
Women have more options than previously thought for how to undergo in-vitro fertilization, according to two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Frozen embryos are not more effective than fresh embryos for all women, according to researchers from China and Vietnam who published their findings in the the New England Journal of Medicine. This could challenge the long-held belief of fertility specialists that freezing and thawing embryos before implantin
Ibuprofen linked to male infertility, study says
Ibuprofen has a negative impact on the testicles of young men, a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. When taking ibuprofen in doses commonly used by athletes, a small sample of young men developed a hormonal condition that typically begins, if at all, during middle age. This condition is linked to reduced fertility. Advil and Motrin are two brand names for ibuprofen, an over-the-counter pain reliever. The Consumer Healt
Air pollution around conception tied to birth defects
Women who breathe polluted air during the month right before or after they get pregnant may be more likely to have babies with birth defects, a U.S. recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on birth defects for almost 290,000 infants born in Ohio from 2006 to 2010, matching these records with air pollution measurements near mothers’ homes. They focused on what’s known as fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets smaller than
Pregnant women who take folic acid and multivitamins have babies with lower autism risk
If you're pregnant, a new study released today may give you one more reason to listen to your doctor if he or she prescribes a folic acid or multivitamin supplement. Researchers in Israel studied 45,300 children born between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2007, also looking at survey data that indicated whether their mothers were prescribed multivitamin and folic acid supplements. The children were followed from birth to Jan. 26, 2015. "Maternal vitamin deficiency during pregnancy
