Search for: "pregnancy" - 245 articles found

News • Assessing infection risk

Predicting neonatal sepsis with vaginal microbial swabs

A new study shows that analyzing bacteria from vaginal swab samples taken at delivery could help predict the risk of neonatal sepsis.

News • Advance in embryo selection

"Invisible" culture dishes improve the odds for IVF

Selecting the healthiest embryo is one of the most important steps in in‑vitro fertilization, yet it remains one of the most uncertain. A new type of hydrogel offers hope for more successful IVF.

News • Reserach on side effects

Covid vaccine and decrease in childbirth: study debunks fertility-related rumours

Can a Covid-19 vaccination reduce fertility? A new study from Linköping University finds no evidence to back up rumours naming vaccinations as a cause behind a decrease in childbirth.

News • Maternal health

Stroke symptoms often go unrecognized in pregnant women

Severe headache, neck pain or confusion: More than 25% of pregnant women suffering non-specific stroke symptoms sought care but were misdiagnosed, University of Pittsburgh research finds.

News • Maternal health

Pregnancy puts stroke survivors at increased risk of recurrence

Women who had a stroke caused by blocked blood vessels (ischemic stroke) are twice as likely to have another stroke during pregnancy and within six weeks of childbirth, according to a new study.

News • In utero monitoring during surgery

New probe tracks baby's health in the uterus

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first device that can continuously track a fetus’s vital signs while still in the uterus — a feat that previously has not been possible.

News • Amyloid-β-induced functional placental impairment

Researchers link Alzheimer’s disease protein to preeclampsia

Researchers have discovered that amyloid-β deposits - similar to those found in Alzheimer’s disease - may contribute to the development of preeclampsia during pregnancy.

News • Screening for specific pregnancy complications

AI model to advance maternal health in low-resource settings

Siemens Healthineers, with funding from the Gates Foundation, plans to develop artificial intelligence (AI) to enable earlier prediction of pre-eclampsia and anemia in low-resource settings.

News • iCTG for resource-constrained settings

Mobile fetal heart monitoring linked to fewer newborn deaths

Introducing mobile iCTG dramatically improves the detection of fetal heart rate abnormalities and strengthens perinatal outcomes - even in resource-constrained environments, a new study shows.

News • Precision medicine

Magnetic microcatheter to improve fertility treatment

Researchers have designed a tiny robotic catheter, steered from outside using magnetic fields. The device has the potential to improve infertility treatments, without damaging delicate tissue.

Sponsored • Immunochromatography

World’s First Dual IVDR-Certified One-Step Strep A Rapid Test by GenSure Biotech Sets New Benchmark for Rapid Respiratory Infection Diagnostics

An innovative Group A Streptococcus “One-Step Antigen Extraction + Detection” Kit (immunochromatography), developed by GenSure Biotech Inc., has successfully obtained both Class B and Class C EU IVDR certifications for in vitro diagnostic medical devices.

News • Polycystic ovary syndrome

PCOS: discovery of four subgroups enables personalized treatment

Not all PCOS is the same: Researchers identified four subgroups with distinct symptoms and different responses to treatment – opening the door to precision medicine for millions of women worldwide.

News • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Preterm babies put mothers' heart health at risk

The bigger the baby, the bigger the risk: A new study shows that the birthweight of a preterm infant is linked to its mother's risk of getting cardiovascular disease later in life.

News • Quantitative analysis of the mammary ductal tree

Calculating breast health with branching math

Researchers have developed a tool to quickly quantify changes in the branches of mouse mammary glands. This could one day be used to detect early warning signs of breast cancer.

Article • Hospitalists explore diagnostic and therapeutic adjustments

Dual challenge: Managing critical care of the pregnant inpatient

Hospitalists face a dual challenge when a critically ill pregnant patient is admitted to a hospital: providing safe and effective treatment for both mother and fetus. Pregnancy causes physiologic changes as well as anatomical ones, which complicates the assessment and medical management of pregnant women. At the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) in Las Vegas, an expert…

News • Vascular disease assessment

New ultrasound technique to predict aneurysm rupture

Using ultrasound imaging, researchers measure the wall thickness of the aorta from within a patient's body, to predict with higher accuracy whether an aneurysm will rupture or not.

News • Review explores bacterial impact

Vaginal microbiome holds untapped potential for women's health

The vaginal microbiome is a largely overlooked area of medicine that could dramatically improve outcomes for common infections, infertility and even cancer for millions of women, a new review finds.

Article • Respiratory health

Pulmonary embolism in pregnancy: diagnostic pathways under scrutiny

Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. At the French Thoracic Society Spring Days in May, Dr Aurélie Dehaene, radiologist at European Hospital in Marseille, France, reviewed diagnostic strategies for suspected PE during pregnancy, with a focus on clinical algorithms and optimized imaging protocols.

News • Auto-immune condition

Lupus: study explores causes and impact of diagnostic delays

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or ‘lupus’) may wait for up to 40 years to receive the correct diagnosis. New research highlights the causes and devastating impact of these delays.

News • Promising protein analysis tool

New blood test to enable rapid diagnosis of rare genetic diseases

An Australian research team has developed a blood-based method of analysing thousands of proteins in a single, untargeted test. This potentially enables rapid diagnosis of many rare genetic diseases.

News • Analysis of ultrasound scans

Using AI to better detect high-risk pregnancy

Using AI to analyse ultrasound scans can detect up to 35% more risk pregnancies than scans performed by healthcare professionals without AI decision support, according to new results.

Article • San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS)

Young women and breast cancer: research in focus

At the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), three experts presented new approaches and study results for the treatment of breast cancer in young women.

Prof. Dr. Agnes Kant

‘Side effects are not a side issue’

Discovering knowledge about side effects needs to be faster and better. In her oration, Prof. Dr. Agnes Kant, Professor by special appointment of Innovation of Pharmacovigilance, calls for more research on side effects. She also pleads for a fund for independent research on side effects.

Article • Insights and perspectives presented at ECR 2025

Nuclear medicine: Innovations, challenges, and new horizons

Nuclear medicine (NM), one of the more mature technologies of diagnostic imaging, has been experiencing a rebirth in innovation and interest. The increasing prevalence of cancer,, an aging global population, and greater longevity, has created a robust demand for nuclear medicine. At ECR in Vienna, presenters explored market perspectives, but also safety and sustainability challenges.

News • Underdiagnosis of gestational condition

Over half of pregnant women unaware of diabetes, study suggests

More than half of pregnant women in the UK with gestational diabetes are unaware of their condition due to insufficient diagnostics, a study suggests. This could lead to unneccessary complications.

News • Striking structural reorganisation

Pregnancy and nursing massively changes up mothers' intestines

When women are pregnant and nurse their babies, their bodies change to ensure the health of both mother and child. Researchers now surprisingly find that the intestine also changes completely.

News • Tradefair programme overview

Don't miss: Trends and innovations at the Medica 2024 Health IT Forum

How can innovations help to master challenges and demands in healthcare? This central question will be addressed at the Medica Health IT Forum, an established part of the programme at the trade fair.

Article • Automated glucose monitoring

Pregnancy and diabetes: reducing complications with technology

Women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes often have difficulty getting pregnant, due to complications from the disease, being obese or seriously underweight, or having conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome. Once pregnant, they face challenges of having a safe pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby. Recent advances in diabetes technology, including continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and most…

News • Research on BRCA recurrence

Breastfeeding after breast cancer treatment is safe, studies find

Two international studies presented at the ESMO Congress 2024 show no increase in recurrence or new breast cancers in women who breastfeed after being treated for breast cancer.

Article • Emergency Department

Taking extra care of pregnant women with severe hypertension

Emergency care specialists must be aware of critically-important factors when treating pregnant women with severe hypertension. At the EUSEM conference in Barcelona, Dr Timo Suonsyrjä, Chief Physician for the Emergency Department at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland, highlighted the key approaches and warning signs.

News • Under-diagnosed condition

AI-enabled stethoscope helps detect pregnancy-related heart failure

An AI-enabled digital stethoscope could help doctors identify twice as many cases of heart failure during pregnancy compared to regular obstetric care and screening, acording to a new study.

Article • Oxford debate at senology congress

DCIS: pros and cons of radiotherapy

Radiologists and gynaecologists entered a veritable bout during the Oxford debate at the 43rd annual congress of the German Senologic Society in Dresden. Controversy was sparked by the question of whether all patients with a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) should undergo radiotherapy.

News • Promising research on oral rinse-based test

Wash, rinse – detect head and neck cancer?

Can a mouthwash-based test help predict head and neck cancer recurrence? A new study suggests it might.

News • Alternative to blood transfusion

Rhesus pregnancy: immunotherapy to protect the foetus

In rhesus pregnancy, antibodies from the pregnant mother can lead to anaemia for the foetus in the uterus. A new study suggests that a drug could serve as a non-surgical alternative.

News • BRCA1 and BRCA2 malfunctions

Targeting 'exhausted' immune cells to prevent breast cancer

A study found immune cells in breast tissue of healthy women carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations show signs of ‘exhaustion’. This opens new possibilities for cancer prevention.

News • Mobile health technologies

Contraception counseling: Doctors shy away from digital methods

Pregnancy prevention apps, fertility-tracking wearables and more: Digital tools have expanded the range of contraceptive methods – but are rarely discussed at the GP's office, a new study shows.

News • From conception to childbirth

Study shows what women want (in pregnancy health apps)

A team comprising obstetricians, gynecologists, pediatricians, and biomedical engineers has found the key determinants for digital health solutions that support women from pre- to post-pregnancy.

News • Complication prevention

Placenta organoids help understand pre-eclampsia and pregnancy disorders

Using lab-grown ‘mini-placentas’, researchers from the UK and Switzerland hope to get new insights on dangerous pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia.

News • Contraception, wound healing, arthritis treatment

Three promising medical applications of nanoparticles

Contraception, wound healing, arthritis treatment: Here are three recent papers published in ACS journals that could expand the beneficial uses for nanoparticles, based on results in rats.

News • Noninvasive fetal screening

Blood test to identify genetic diseases in unborn babies

A research team from Denmark has developed an innovative screening test. With a blood sample from the expectant mother, they can scrutinize all the genes in the fetus.

News • Obstetric triage

Adapted emergency care for pregnant women shows success

Reseachers from the University of Gothenburg propose a new model for adapted triage in emergency care for pregnant women, which could become clinical routine throughout Sweden.

News • Postpartum hemorrhage

Two easy fixes to reduce bleeding after C-section

Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality at birth, especially after cesarean deliveries. Now, anesthesiologists propose two simple solutions to help prevent the severe bleeding.

News • Sars-CoV-2 response study

How young children’s immune systems 'tame' the coronavirus

A new study found that the antibody response of infants and young children against Sars-CoV-2 deviates from that of adults in a small, but very significant way.

News • New insights into genetic markers

Pregnancy can be a 'miracle cure' for rheumatoid arthritis – but why?

When a woman becomes pregnant, sometimes her pre-existing rheumatoid arthritis will 'magically' go away. In others, the condition becomes even worse. Now, US researchers may have found an explanation.

News • Maternal serum and ultrasound assessment

New method to predict outcomes of pregnancies with foetal growth problems

New methods to predict outcomes for pregnancies where there are issues with poor growth of the baby inside the womb have been developed by a team of scientists.

News • 3D placenta model

"iPlacenta" could transform healthcare in pregnancy

A placenta on a chip developed at the University of Dundee has the potential to transform research into life-threatening conditions in pregnancy.

News • Study on period shifts, regularity, pain

Can the Covid vaccine affect menstruation?

Do coronavirus vaccines skew the menstrual cycle, cause more bleeding or pain? Anecdotal reports hint at a connection. Now, a new study led by Boston University provides answers.

News • Weight gain risks during pregnancy

Eating for two? It's not that simple

The old adage that expectant mums are ‘eating for two’ and don’t need to worry about weight gain can lead to health consequences for mum and baby, maternal health experts warn.

News • Counteracting neuroinflammation

Multiple sclerosis: Why women get better when pregnant

Women suffering from multiple sclerosis temporarily get much better when pregnant. Researchers have now identified the beneficial changes naturally occurring during pregnancy.

News • Pregnancy complications

New model could predict preterm births from around week 31

Preterm birth affects nearly 10% of pregnancies worldwide, and rates are on the rise. A new approach that analyzes electrical activity during pregnancy, could improve predictions.

News • Pre-eclampsia

Detecting high-risk pregnancy with heart attack test

About 5% of all women develop pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, which in severe cases can become life-threatening for mother and child. Using commercially available troponin tests, high-risk patients could be identified much earlier and more accurately than before.

News • Waning workforce

Health worker shortages strongly linked to excess deaths

Shortages of health workers such as doctors, nurses and midwifery staff are strongly associated with higher death rates, finds a new analysis published by The BMJ.

News • Pregnancy & colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer in the mother linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes

In a nationwide Swedish study of 207 births to women with an earlier diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), researchers found an increased risk of both maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes.

News • Respiratory research

Preterm birth increases risk of asthma or COPD

A new study from Finland and Norway shows that babies born preterm are more likely to have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, in adulthood.

Article • Image augmentation, interpretation and evaluation

AI in multimodality hybrid imaging: a diamond in the rough

AI-based models for multimodality hybrid imaging have the potential to be a potent clinical tool but are currently held back by a lack of transparency and maturity, says Dr Irène Buvat, from the Laboratory of translational Imaging in Oncology, Institute Curie in Paris, France.

News • Pregnancy in pandemic times

Does the Covid-19 vaccine increase miscarriage risk? Study says no

There is no evidence of higher risk of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy following vaccination against Covid-19 or infection with the disease, according to a new study.

News • Presented at ISUOG 2022

New cloud-based image sharing and reporting software for OB/GYN

A new cloud-based ultrasound image sharing and reporting software will utilize image data to convey fetal growth projections and provide a platform for physician-to-physician and physician-to-patient communication.

Article • Women’s heart health

Exploring the cardiovascular impact of pregnancy and menopause

The critical times in a woman’s life of pregnancy and the menopause – and their relation to heart health – is explored at the ESC. The defined field of gender-specific cardiology is becoming an increasingly important area of focus, experts say.

Article • Preventing clinical errors

Supporting transgender health in the clinical laboratory

Clinical laboratories need to be proactive to attract transgender patients for testing and to ensure that they are comfortable with the services provided. This issue is of great importance to the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), which conducted a scientific session on transgender health at its recent annual meeting in Chicago.

News • Blood sample

Paper test may predict Covid-19 immunity

The new test measures the level of neutralizing antibodies in a blood sample and could help people decide what protections they should take against infection.

News • Low-cost

Paper-based microfluidics enables rapid prototyping

Researchers have developed a novel way to fabricate diagnostic devices using paper-based microfluidics that can be rapidly prototyped and scaled for manufacturing.

News • Ultrathin fuel cell

Using the body’s own sugar to power implants and sensors

Glucose is absorbed from the foods we eat and fuels every cell in our bodies. But could it also power tomorrow’s medical implants? According to a team of engineers, it might.

News • Sex and gender bias

Beyond "bikini medicine": Should we redefine women's health?

A new study has found that women’s health research remains disproportionately focused on the reproductive years, with few articles on the major causes of illness and death in women.

Article • Eco-friendly power source

‘Greener’ mini-batteries to power medical devices

More than 15 billion batteries are sent to landfill sites every year – technology that converts glucose and oxygen into electricity has the potential to reduce this waste and serve as a sustainable alternative power source for medical devices.

Article • Infant mortaility

Care of premature newborns: Unequal odds in Africa

Nowhere does the birthplace of a preterm baby determine life or death more than in Africa. A concerted effort is made to reduce the continent’s dramatically high neonatal mortality rates.

News • Cancer research

Transparent ultrasound chip improves imaging

A biocompatible ultrasound transducer chip could be a more effective way to harness the technology for biomedical applications.

News • Widespread effects

Tougher childbirth in pandemic Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to deficiencies and large inequalities in the care of mothers and newborns in Europe.

Article • Heard at JFR 2021

Women in interventional radiology take center stage

Gender-specific benefits of women should have a greater impact in interventional radiology (IR). But also, the field should see more women practicing the craft, two experts stressed at the most recent annual JFR meeting.

Article • Point-of-care testing

Emerging technologies in POCT

Considerable advances in point-of-care testing (POCT) devices are emerging from lab-on-a-chip platforms, innovations in smartphone-based technology and wearable technology. Cloud-based deep learning systems herald a future revolution.

Sponsored • Trade fair presence

A myriad of French innovations at Medica 2021

This year as every year, the very best in global HealthTech will be converging on Dusseldorf for the Medica trade fair. With more than 127 companies attending the event from November 15-18, France will have one of the largest contingents there. Grouped together under the brand umbrella of “French Healthcare”, the French MedTech companies will be presenting their many innovations to industry…

Article • Pregnancy imaging

Machine learning predicts placenta health from MRI scans

Machine learning methods are being used to predict the health of the placenta from a 30-second MRI scan. Researchers hope the approach will offer an insight into the health of expectant mothers and unborn babies by detecting the early signs of dangerous conditions such as pre-eclampsia. Researchers from the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London (KCL)…

News • Research

Covid-19 infection increases risk for preeclampsia

A study found that women who contract Covid-19 during pregnancy are at significantly higher risk of developing pre-eclampsia. In their study, researchers said their systematic review shows that women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy had 62% higher odds of developing preeclampsia than those without the infection during pregnancy.

News • Cardiology research

Strong connection between heart health and pregnancy complications

A study of more than 18 million pregnancies has shown a strong and graded relationship between women’s heart health and pregnancy outcomes. The research is published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The researchers examined the presence of four risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women prior to pregnancy: unhealthy…

Article • Gender issues

Promoting equity for women in cardiology in the UK

A national network of mentors and female role models, created by the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS), aims to encourage women to become cardiologists and end male dominance and negative and sexist comments.

Article • Gender bias

Sex-specific guidelines for cardiovascular diseases

Women are missing out on appropriate cardiac care because guidelines and medications often fail to take into account gender and conditions that specifically affect the female population. Women are also underrepresented in clinical trials for new cardiac therapies.

Article • Women in surgery

Skull & bones? Female specialists fear not

Currently, 25% of the junior physicians in Germany are female – which in international comparison puts the country in one of the top spots. However, only 5% of head of department positions in German university hospitals are held by women and not even 10% of orthopaedics professors are women.

News • Infertility

Beckman Coulter launches Access AMH Advanced

Beckman Coulter announced the launch of an AMH test that uses a validated cut-off to aid in the assessment of poor ovarian response. This new assay helps clinicians predict poor ovarian response in those who plan to undergo controlled ovarian stimulation as part of an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) protocol.

News • Inconceivable?

Many fertility apps not exactly fussy about data privacy, study shows

The majority of top-rated fertility apps collect and even share intimate information without the users’ knowledge or permission, a collaborative study by Newcastle and Umea Universities has found. Researchers are now calling for a tightening of the categorisation of these apps by platforms to protect women from intimate and deeply personal information being exploited and sold.

News • Immune response in pregnant and lactating women

Mothers pass on Covid-19 protection to their babies after vaccination

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have found the new mRNA Covid-19 vaccines to be highly effective in producing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in pregnant and lactating women. They also demonstrated the vaccines confer protective immunity to newborns…

News • Low cost

Rapid method to measure COVID-19 immunity

Researchers at University of Toronto have developed a new test to accurately detect coronavirus antibodies in a drop of blood in less than an hour.

News • Reproductive medicine study

Seeing double: Why there are more twins than ever

More human twins are being born than ever before, according to the first comprehensive, global overview published in Human Reproduction, one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. Since the 1980s the twinning rate has increased by a third from 9 to 12 per 1000 deliveries, meaning that about 1.6 million twins are born each year worldwide and one in every 42 children born is a…

News • Human cytomegalovirus in immunocompromised patients

Post-transplant HCMV infection: pre-emptive strike could save many lives

A potential new treatment to protect immunosuppressed patients from human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been discovered by scientists at the University of Cambridge. Their study shows that certain epigenetic inhibitors expose and help to destroy dormant HCMV infections, which often reactivate to cause serious illness and death in these vulnerable groups. Subject to clinical trials, their proposed…

News • Women's health

Hypertension symptoms in women often mistaken for menopause

Pregnancy complications and early menopause increase women’s future risk of heart disease. Cardiologists, gynaecologists and endocrinologists recommend how to help middle-aged women prevent later heart problems in a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) consensus document published in European Heart Journal, a journal of the ESC.

News • For use across the UK

Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca approved

The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University/AstraZeneca has been given regulatory approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after meeting required safety, quality and effectiveness standards. Following a rigorous, detailed scientific review by the MHRA’s expert scientists and clinicians and on the basis of the advice of its scientific, independent…

Article • Detecting coronavirus infections

Covid-19: CRISPR-based test gives GPs quick results

Recent research in Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) has identified two enzymes that can detect Covid-19 RNA as simply as a pregnancy test Jesús Pla, an eminent microbiologist at the Complutense University in Madrid, explained in our exclusive interview. CRISPR technology could help alleviate workloads in packed hospitals and expand testing to primary care and…

News • Zika and chikungunya

Mosquito-borne viruses could cause stroke

A deadly combination of two mosquito-borne viruses may be a trigger for stroke, new research published in the The Lancet Neurology has found. University of Liverpool researchers and Brazilian collaborators have been investigating the link between neurological disease and infection with the viruses Zika and chikungunya. These viruses, which mostly circulate in the tropics, cause large outbreaks of…

News • Promising approach for eye diseases

Functional human retinas created in a dish

Scientists have generated accurate replications of human retinas in culture that can be used to pinpoint the specific types of cells affected by genetic eye diseases. The culmination of a six-year effort, this achievement will accelerate progress in developing new therapies and was reported in Cell by a team led by Botond Roska at the Institute for Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB)…

News • Organoid

The first functioning mini human heart model

Michigan State University researchers have created for the first time a miniature human heart model in the laboratory, complete with all primary heart cell types and a functioning structure of chambers and vascular tissue.

News • Pregnancy risk

Coronavirus could infect embryos as early as the first trimester

Genes that are thought to play a role in how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects our cells have been found to be active in embryos as early as during the second week of pregnancy, say scientists at the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The researchers say this could mean embryos are susceptible to COVID-19 if the mother gets sick, potentially affecting the…

Article • Human-bacterial symbiosis

The value of the human microbiome

The human species maintains symbiotic relationships with a multitude of microbial organisms that colonise the inside as well as the surface of the body. Scientists, for a long time, underestimated the significance of these organisms for humans.

News • Preeclampsia

Novel biomarker discovery could help mother and baby

The discovery of two novel biomarkers, called FKBPL and CD44, has the potential to change the way preeclampsia is managed according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Preeclampsia can cause high blood pressure and organ failure in mothers and lead to preterm births and even stillbirth.

News • COVID-19

‘Mini-Brains’ suggest SARS-CoV-2 can infect brain cells

Scientists have found that organoids (tiny tissue cultures made from human cells that simulate whole organs) known as “mini-brains” can be infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Article • Wearables and apps in cardiology

Digital health: guardian angel or 'Big Brother'?

Cardiologist Professor Martin Cowie raised an important issue on the challenges of the digitisation of cardiovascular healthcare at the ESC Congress 2019 in Paris. In his presentation, he confirmed that, within digital health transformation, the role of physician and the patient-doctor relationship will continue. However, much of the preparation may be conducted remotely.

News • Coronavirus treatment

Can stem cells treat COVID-19?

Niels-Bjarne Woods, a researcher at Lund University in Sweden, has developed lung-specific mesenchymal stem cells to treat inflammation of the lungs and fibrosis. This research now may be the needed breakthrough for treatment of the severe respiratory issues related to COVID-19. A clinical study may soon be underway contingent on a successful application to the Swedish Medical Products Agency.…

News • Downloadable helper

World’s first artificial pancreas app licensed for type 1 diabetes

The world’s first licensed, downloadable artificial pancreas app for people with type 1 diabetes now launched, based on over a decade of research by Professor Roman Hovorka at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The CamAPS FX app works with an insulin pump and a glucose monitor to automatically deliver insulin to people living with the condition…

News • "SOLUS" imaging project

Breast screening breakthrough to end unnecessary biopsies

Scientists from the project SOLUS (Smart optical and ultrasound diagnostics of breast cancer) under the EU funding framework programme Horizon2020 have developed a non-invasive, multi-modal, imaging system that uses ultrasound and light technologies to easily differentiate between benign or malignant lesions – without having to perform a biopsy. Similar to a pregnancy ultrasound appointment, a…

News • Cesarean consequences

C-section increases obesity risk? False alarm, says new study

Women who have C-sections are no more likely to have children who develop obesity than women who give birth naturally, according to a large study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden published in the journal PLOS Medicine. The findings contradict several smaller studies that did find an association between C-section deliveries and offspring obesity but did not consider the numerous…

News • Difficult decisions

5 things women under 40 should know about breast cancer

Breast cancer is rare for women under 40. So, a breast cancer diagnosis can be shocking news for a young woman to hear. “Breast cancer in young women can have its own risk factors and traits, and young women have their own considerations when deciding on a treatment,” says Nadine Tung, MD, head of breast medical oncology and cancer genetics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).…

News • Mobile Health

Apple Watch: health studies to benefit from new smartwatch app

During its latest keynote presentation, tech giant Apple announced cooperations for health studies. The latest model of their smartwatches are to be key in their execution. Apple announced the three medical studies in partnership with leading US academic and research institutions.

News • Hypothyroidism

Underactive thyroid: Study validates treatment guidelines

A study led by the University of Birmingham provides strong support for current recommendations on treating patients with an underactive thyroid and validates latest UK and US guidelines, say researchers. The retrospective cohort study, published in The BMJ, analysed anonymous GP records of over 162,000 patients who have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism – a highly prevalent condition more…

News • End stage kidney disease

Pre-eclampsia increases ESKD risk

Women with pre-eclampsia during pregnancy have a five-fold increased risk of end stage kidney disease (ESKD) later in life compared to women who don’t develop pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, according to a new study. Professor Louise Kenny from the University of Liverpool is one of the co-authors of the study, which is published in PLOS Medicine and also involved researchers at University…

News • Clinical trials beginning

Possible preeclampsia treatment is on the way

For over 20 years, a team of researchers at Lund University has worked on developing a drug against preeclampsia – a serious disorder which annually affects around 9 million pregnant women worldwide and is one of the main causes of death in both mothers and unborn babies. Now the researchers have published a study in the journal Scientific Reports that opens up opportunities for further…

News • In future pregnancies

Identifying the risk of recurrence of developmental disorder

Having a child with a developmental disorder can cause parents to worry about the outcome of further pregnancies. In cases where the genetic mutation causing the disorder is not present in either parent it is assumed to be a one-off event with a very small chance of recurrence. But in some families, the risk of having another affected child is as high as 50%. Identifying such high-risk families…

News • Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy

New treatments for rare disease ATTR-CM approved

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Vyndaqel (tafamidis meglumine) and Vyndamax (tafamidis) capsules for the treatment of the heart disease (cardiomyopathy) caused by transthyretin mediated amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) in adults. These are the first FDA-approved treatments for ATTR-CM. Vyndaqel and Vyndamax have the same active moiety, tafamidis, but they are not substitutable on a…

News • Personalized medicine

FDA approves first targeted therapy for metastatic bladder cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to Balversa (erdafitinib), a treatment for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer that has a type of susceptible genetic alteration known as FGFR3 or FGFR2, and that has progressed during or following prior platinum-containing chemotherapy. Patients should be selected for therapy with Balversa…

News • Hormone administration

Contraceptive jewelry could be the future of family planning

Family planning for women might one day be as simple as putting on an earring. A report published recently in the Journal of Controlled Release describes a technique for administering contraceptive hormones through special backings on jewelry such as earrings, wristwatches, rings or necklaces. The contraceptive hormones are contained in patches applied to portions of the jewelry in contact with…

Article • Vive le algorithme

French government gets ready for AI in healthcare

The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has been touted as an important aid for healthcare for at least adecade. However, despite years of research and major technical and scientific advances we are only at the beginning of its use in a medical environment. For AI to function correctly huge amounts of relevant data need to be accessible to its algorithms. France is conscious of being behind…

News • Benefits of childbirth

Breast cancer: Pregnancy gives (delayed) protection

In general, women who have had children have a lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who have never given birth. However, new research has found that moms don’t experience this breast cancer protection until many years later and may face elevated risk for more than 20 years after their last pregnancy. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health, along with members of the…

News • Pregnancy

Giving birth raises risk of breast cancer in younger women

Younger women who have recently had a child may have a higher risk of breast cancer than their peers of the same age who do not have children, according to a large-scale analysis co-led by a University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher. The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, may seem contrary to conventional wisdom that childbirth is…

News • Birth outcome study

Obesity and pregnancy: A risky couple

New research from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute supports the need for dietary and lifestyle interventions before overweight and obese women become pregnant. The researchers have reported the results of a large study of birth outcomes in more than 500 overweight or obese women from three public maternity units in Adelaide, Australia.

Article • Long-term communication success in digitised healthcare

E-health in Denmark

The Danes have shown for some time how e-health can work successfully on a national level. The health portal sundhed.dk (= health), initiated in 2001 and launched in 2003, is part of the public healthcare system. As of January 2018, the Danish national strategy describes sundhed.dk as a national access point for personal health-related data for hospitals, general practitioners and communities,…

News • Fertilisation

IVF: Why a single embryo sometimes leads to twins or triplets

It has been known for some time that it is better to transfer a single embryo to a woman’s womb during assisted reproduction treatment (ART) to avoid a multiple pregnancy. However, even when single embryo transfer (SET) is performed, some women still become pregnant with twins or even triplets. Researchers have investigated one of the reasons why this happens.

News • Research

First evidence that soot from polluted air is reaching placenta

Evidence of tiny particles of carbon, typically created by burning fossil fuels, has been found in placentas for the first time, in new research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. Previous research has indicated links between pregnant mothers’ exposure to air pollution and premature birth, low birth weight, infant mortality and childhood respiratory problems.

News • Research

Zika virus proteins inhibit brain development

In healthy individuals, the Zika virus causes flu-like symptoms. If a pregnant woman becomes infected, the unborn child can suffer from severe brain abnormalities as a result of mechanisms that have not yet been explained. A study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPI-B) shows that Zika virus proteins bind to cellular proteins that are…

Article • Weak heart

The many causes of dilated cardiomyopathy

A major study has been launched to investigate the interaction between genes and lifestyle factors and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Led by Professor Stuart Cook, at the National Heart and Lung Institute, this, the largest ever DCM study, will investigate why people develop DCM, with a focus on who is most at risk of sudden death or heart failure (HF). Six hospital trusts across England –…

News • Infections

Reliable point-of-care blood test can help prevent toxoplasmosis

A recent study, performed in Chicago and Rabat, Morocco, found that a novel finger-prick test for infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy — and many other potential applications — is 100 percent sensitive and 100 percent specific for detecting the presence of this life-damaging microorganism.

Article • Hitachi’s Fusion imaging

Fusion imaging could improve detection

Hitachi’s Fusion imaging combining MRI and Real-time Virtual Sonography (RVS) showing a cervix lesion with color Doppler Fusion imaging techniques are being trialled to help advance the diagnosis of cervical cancer and endometrial cancer.

News • Pregnancy

Blood test can predict premature birth

Measuring RNA fragments in a pregnant woman’s blood gives a reliable estimate of the baby’s due date and can predict if the baby will arrive prematurely, a Stanford-led team has shown.

News • Harmful chemicals

Phthalates: increased exposure through dining out

Dining out more at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets may boost total levels of potentially health-harming chemicals called phthalates in the body, according to a new study. Phthalates, a group of chemicals used in food packaging and processing materials, are known to disrupt hormones in humans and are linked to a long list of health problems. The study is the first to compare…

Article • Women's health

Benign gynaecology specialist centres are needed

The recently opened Uterine Repair Center (URC) in VUmc (Amsterdam) serves women suffering non-cancerous gynaecological disorders, such as myomas, adenomyosis (endometriosis of the uterus), niches (caesarean scar defects) or congenital uterine abnormalities. Gynaecologist Professor Judith Huirne leads the clinic – but has greater aspirations.

Sponsored • Refining tissue removal and biopsies

Hologic surgical devices gain European CE Mark

Two new systems developed by Hologic Inc. recently received the European CE Mark: The MyoSure Manual and the Brevera Breast Biopsy System with CorLumina Imaging Technology.

News • Is the "American Dream" slipping away?

Drugs, alcohol and suicides contributing to alarming drop in US life expectancy

Drugs, alcohol and suicides are contributing to an alarming drop in US life expectancy, particularly among middle-aged white Americans and those living in rural communities, warn experts in The BMJ. They argue that the ideal of the “American Dream” is increasingly out of reach as social mobility declines, and fewer children face a better future than their parents.

Sponsored • international exhibition

High technologies that revolutionize medicine!

The International Forum Bulmedica /Buldental will be held from 16 to 18 May at Inter Expo Center - Sofia, Bulgaria

News • Melanoma therapy

Why pregnancy could literally save your skin

Researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a new therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma. For decades, research has associated female sex and a history of previous pregnancy with better outcomes after a melanoma diagnosis. Now, a research team from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania says it may have…

News • Risk for pregnancy

How Zika infection drives fetal demise

A powerful antiviral protein may act as a checkpoint for keeping or ending a pregnancy. When exposed to Zika virus before birth, mouse fetuses with the protein commit cell suicide, while fetuses without it continued to develop. The result, published in Science Immunology, suggests that the protein, a receptor involved in immune cell signaling, plays a role in spontaneous abortions and other human…

News • Study

Asthma and food allergies predictable at age one

Children at one year old who have eczema or atopic dermatitis (AD) and are sensitized to an allergen are seven times more likely than other infants to develop asthma, and significantly more likely to have a food allergy by age three. This new finding from the Canadian CHILD Study will help doctors better predict which children will develop asthma and allergies, according to a paper published by…

Article • prenatal diagnostics

Ultrasound is indispensable in prenatal exams

‘In prenatal diagnostics, particularly in the first trimester, ultrasound continues to be the modality of choice when looking for malformations,’ says Professor Markus Hoopmann, deputy director of prenatal medicine and gynaecological ultrasound at the Women’s Health Clinic in Tübingen University Hospital. This case for ultrasound is significant because today fetal DNA that circulates in…

News • Prenatal care

Fever itself in early pregnancy might cause birth defects

Duke researchers now have evidence to suggest the fever itself, not its root source, could interfere with the development of the heart and jaw during the first three to eight weeks of pregnancy. Researchers have known for decades that fevers in the first trimester of pregnancy increase risk for some heart defects and facial deformities such as cleft lip or palate. Exactly how this happens is…

News • Recommendations

First European advice on deep vein thrombosis

The first comprehensive European advice on deep vein thrombosis is published in the current issue of European Heart Journal. The recommendations were produced by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases and Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Right Ventricular Function.

Sponsored • TrueVue

Philips ultrasound innovations provide lifelike 3D images

Philips TrueVue, GlassVue, aReveal A.I. and TouchVue improve workflow and diagnostic confidence, enhancing the connection between clinicians and their patients.

Interview • Congenital heart defects

All unborn babies need foetal echocardiography

Acknowledging the need for faster ultrasound automation, Dr Alexander Weichert explained how automated procedures can assist in the early detection of cardiovascular disease and prenatal dia­gnostic testing, and why a detailed prenatal diagnosis can reduce mortality and morbidity.

Article • Perinatology

Diagnostics and treatment of congenital heart defects

Today, many congenital heart defects can be diagnosed in the unborn child – and even treated in utero. Monique Haak (46), gynaecologist-perinatologist and fetal surgeon at Leids University Medical Center (LUMC) in Leiden, The Netherlands, is an expert in the diagnosis and surgery of fetal heart defects.

Article • Prenatal cardiology

Ultra-early ultrasound can detect foetal cardiac defects

Study shows a simplified examination can be performed routinely on low-risk populations during the first trimester of pregnancy.

News • Circulation

Can height increase risk for blood clots in veins?

The taller you are, the more likely you may be to develop blood clots in the veins, according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.

Article • Transplantation

Organ donation in Germany - the gruelling fight for trust

Whilst Spain has announced a new record for organ donations the number in Germany is stabilising at a ‘low level’. The good news? The number did not fall any further following scandals surrounding the manipulation in the allocation of donor organs.

News • Pregnancy loss

Single cell RNA-sequencing to offer miscarriage hope

A new technique – single cell RNA-sequencing – may offer answers and hope to the 200,000 mothers and partners affected by pregnancy loss in the UK every year.

News • Fertility preservation

Is 'ovarian tissue freezing' superior to egg freezing?

Many women are turning to egg freezing to promote fertility, but what happens when it isn't an option because of special medical or other conditions? And, what option is there for women who want to preserve hormonal function, not just fertility?

News • Traditional medicine

100-year-old fertility technique reduces need for IVF

Infertile couples have a major opportunity to achieve a successful pregnancy without the need for IVF, thanks to new research into a 100-year-old medical technique.

News • POCT

FUJIFILM SonoSite donates ultrasound systems to refugee rescue services

FUJIFILM SonoSite has given two M-Turbo point-of-care ultrasound systems to the non-governmental sea rescue organisation Proactiva Open Arms, based in Badalona, near Barcelona, to support its efforts in rescuing refugees.

Article • Fertility

Social freezing on demand in the future

Since 2006 around 100 centres that offer fertility preservation for cancer and non-cancer patients in Austria, Germany and Switzerland have joined forces to form the FertiPROTEKT network.

Interview • Infection control

Virologists are today’s universal necessities

Globalisation has been a defining term in this 21st century: with almost anybody able to visit any place at any time, diseases, viruses and bacteria can be travel companions. Thus virology is gaining increased attention. Professor Barbara Gärtner, President of the German Association of Virology, talks about the issues and challenges arising from this development.

Mobile technology shakes up pregnancy research

Andrew Su, a professor at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), was sitting in an exam room with his newborn son when the idea for a new scientific study hit him.

Article • Imaging Infections

Zika birth defects decrease, but…

ECR 2017 Guest Lecturer Maria de Fatima Vasco Aragao, a radiologist from Pernambuco state, Brazil, has been tracking the Zika virus ever since it broke out in her country in 2015. She will highlight how CT and MRI can help reach diagnosis, especially in the absence of microcephaly. In an exclusive interview with European Hospital correspondent Mélisande Rouger, the radiologist warned there might…

Interview • Lifestyle tests

The dangers of commercial direct-to-consumer tests

Lifestyle tests that pretend to be medical procedures are inherently problematic in terms of clinical, medical and privacy issues.

Sponsored • compact & life saving

Point-of-care ultrasound helps enhance medical care in Africa

In Western society, access to high quality medical treatment is frequently taken for granted. Elsewhere, the reality is that many less developed countries struggle to provide healthcare services. Zanzibar has taken a unique approach to resolving this issue, working closely with the charity Health Improvement Project Zanzibar (HIPZ) to improve its hospital services. Dr Ru MacDonagh, founder of…

Interview • Zika infections subside

‘I would travel to South America any time,’ virologist confirms

In Europe, the first baby with Zika-related microcephaly was born in July. The mother had contracted the Zika virus while travelling in America. How dangerous is the virus for Europeans, particularly since many visited Brazil for the Olympic Games in Rio?

Article • Frontline medical advances

Virology is now a key discipline

Virology is fast emerging as a key discipline within modern healthcare against a backdrop of a shifting global demographic and the impact of climate change.

Article • Legislation

IVDs under the microscope

European regulators have turned the world of in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) upside down with new legislation that will come into effect at the end of this year. The new EU legislation gives manufacturers five years to meet strict standards. That may not be enough time.

News • Pediatrics

Technology reveals fetal brain activity

NIBIB-funded researchers at the University of Washington have pioneered an approach to image functional activity in the brains of individual fetuses, allowing a better look at how functional networks within the brain develop. The work addresses a common problem of functional MRI; if the subject moves during the scanning, the images get distorted.

Diabetic biomarker test successfully verified

EKF Diagnostics announces that its newly introduced Glycated Serum Protein (GSP) LiquiColor® diabetic biomarker test has been verified for use on the Siemens Vista chemistry analyzer. In a scientific poster published by scientists at the Memorial Healthcare System, Hollywood, USA [1], it was demonstrated that EKF’s GSP assay enhances the versatility of the Vista system for the specialized…

News • Related Fears

The impact of Ebola on facility-based child deliveries

The first known household survey examining the collateral harm to pregnancy services in areas affected by the West African Ebola epidemic suggests a significant slide backwards in child and maternal health. The study, conducted in Liberia, points to the deep disruptions caused by the Ebola epidemic — even in parts of the country with relatively limited transmission.

News • Study

Link between Zika virus and severe joint condition at birth?

A study published by The BMJ provides more details of an association between Zika virus infection in the womb and a condition known as arthrogryposis, which causes joint deformities at birth, particularly in the arms and legs.

News • Infection

Zika: 1.6 million childbearing women are at risk

Research by scientists in the US and UK has estimated that up to 1.65 million childbearing women in Central and South America could become infected by the Zika virus by the end of the first wave of the epidemic. Researchers from the WorldPop Project and Flowminder Foundation at the University of Southampton and colleagues from the University of Notre Dame and University of Oxford have also found…

News • Infection

Antibodies identified that thwart Zika virus

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified antibodies capable of protecting against Zika virus infection, a significant step toward developing a vaccine, better diagnostic tests and possibly new antibody-based therapies. The work, in mice, helps clarify recent research that also identified protective Zika antibodies but lacked important details on how the…

Article • Disaster areas

Winners on the firing line

Jens Hahn MD is an Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Specialist who works with the international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF in English: Doctors Without Borders). Here he describes his work in Afghanistan and South Sudan, and the use of rapid diagnostic tests in the field.

News • Mutation

Prevention of genetic breast cancer within reach

An international team led by researchers at the Austrian Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore discovered that genetically determined breast cancer can be largely prevented by blocking a bone gene. An already approved drug could be quickly available and would then be the first breast cancer prevention drug.

News • Experts

Europe needs to be prepared for Zika virus epidemic

The Zika epidemic has long assumed global proportions, experts told the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Copenhagen. Europe needs to get prepared to deal with the relentless spread of the health threat, in particular with a view to “imported” infection. Awareness for prevention and personal protection is important, in particular with thousands of athletes and fans soon…

News • Epidemic

Global spread of Zika "of utmost concern"

The President of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) Prof Raad Shakir (London), said today that following the first confirmed Zika-related case of microcephaly on US territory, in Puerto Rico, and the ever-growing number of sexually-transmitted Zika infections in Europe, “it is increasingly obvious that the Zika epidemic has long assumed global proportions.” As the opening of the Olympics…

‘Mini-Brains’: Evidence of Zika’s toll on fetal cortex

Studying a new type of pinhead-size, lab-grown brain made with technology first suggested by three high school students, Johns Hopkins researchers have confirmed a key way in which Zika virus causes microcephaly and other damage in fetal brains: by infecting specialized stem cells that build its outer layer, the cortex.

News • Rio de Janiero

First description of 2015 Zika virus outbreak

Since the recent link to severe neurological defects in infants born to mothers infected during pregnancy, Zika virus (ZIKV) has become a public health and research priority. A study reports details from the 2015 Zika outbreak in Rio de Janeiro - the first with a high proportion of cases confirmed by molecular diagnosis - and proposes changes to the current diagnostic criteria for ZIKV disease.

Article • Virus

The Zika mystery: scapegoat or villain?

From the beginning the accusation somehow beggared belief. A ‘mild’ virus was blamed for causing hideous malformations in babies’ heads. Brazil, a country suffering its worst recession since the 1930s, as well as political upheaval, became the focus of a worldwide healthcare scare.

3-D printed diagnostic device can detect anemia

Identifying a blood disorder may be as easy as running a blood sample from a finger prick under a smartphone. That is the concept behind a new biomedical device being developed by Kansas State University researchers.

News • Infections

Zika virus 'a game changer' for mosquito-borne diseases

The Zika virus, unlike other mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue, is relatively unknown and unstudied. That is set to change since Zika, now spreading through Latin America and the Caribbean, has been associated with an alarming rise in babies born in Brazil with abnormally small heads and brain defects – a condition called microcephaly.

News • Zika virus

ESCMID experts gather data to prepare for potential outbreaks

Experts at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) – an organization promoting research, risk assessment, knowledge sharing and best practices in the fight against infectious diseases – are developing tools to monitor the spread of the Zika virus and are conducting research to gather more solid data to better assess the risks associated with the…

Article • Refugees

The major healthcare challenge

The refugee wave rolls on with no ebb in sight. For many, Germany remains their travel destination. In August and September alone, tens of thousands refugees arrived in Munich, presenting the Bavarian capital with a major challenge: How could the city provide initial medical care for everyone? While the German Asylum Procedure Act governs the appropriate procedures, in this unprecedented…

News • Research

Solving the mystery of defective embryos

It’s the dream of many infertile couples: to have a baby. Tens of thousands of children are born by in vitro fertilization, or IVF, a technique commonly used when nature doesn’t take its course. However, embryos obtained when a sperm fertilizes an egg in a test tube often have defects. In a study, researchers at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) discovered an…

News • EKF Diagnostics guide

Anemia and Hemoglobin testing

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces the publication of its new guide, "Anemia and hemoglobin testing". Available to download for free, the in-depth hematology guide provides a review of the symptoms and causes of anemia, through to methods for testing hemoglobin and hematocrit, as well as factors that may influence these measurements.

Sponsored • Obstetrics

New atlas will redefine OB/GYN imaging

Using the Arietta V70 from Hitachi, a French diagnostic imaging team is rewriting the book on obstetrics and gynaecology. Entitled the ‘Atlas d’échographie de fusion en gynécologie obstétrique’, the new edition by Jean-Marc Levaillant MD, and colleagues from the diagnostic imaging centres at the Bicêtre and Créteil hospitals in Paris, will be published before the end of 2015.

News • Screening

Risk-free pre-natal examination

The newly founded Tübingen company CENATA GmbH has been offering the Harmony non-invasive pre-natal test since May 2015. CENATA has obtained a licence from the U.S. company Ariosa Diagnostics, and is now the only company in the world outside the United States that is permitted to conduct the analysis and evaluation. This examination enables pregnant mothers to test their unborn children for…

News • Study

Safety concerns over new female sterilization device

Women who undergo implant based female sterilization have a significantly heightened risk of reoperation following complications, suggests a large study published in The BMJ.

News • Parenteral nutrition

Blocking light improves premature babies' survival rates

The survival rate of premature babies born between 26 to 31 weeks of gestation is improved by blocking light from reaching the intravenously-fed infused nutritious mixture they depend on for survival, researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and the University of Montreal have revealed in a new study.

News • Surgery

Conjoined twins successfully separated

Twin girls born joined at the pelvic and hip region are recovering after separation surgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The girls are named Acen and Apio, but on Thursday they were carefully labeled “blue” and “red” to help surgeons know which monitoring equipment belonged to each sister as they carefully separated their spines, muscle and tissue.

Scan may identify best candidates for fetal spina bifida surgery

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles--the fluid-filled cavities inside the brain--may be less likely than their counterparts to benefit from surgery in the womb to treat spina bifida, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

News • Pediatrics

Spines of boys and girls differ at birth

Looking at measurements of the vertebrae – the series of small bones that make up the spinal column – in newborn children, investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles found that differences between the sexes are present at birth. Results of the study in the August issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, suggest that this difference is evolutionary, allowing the female spine to adapt to the…

News • AACC News

New tests to diagnose and monitor diabetes

Researchers have successfully tested two new potential methods for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes in its standard and gestational forms. These findings, presented at the 2015 AACC Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in Atlanta, may lead to easier, timelier, and more affordable ways of identifying and treating this chronic disease.

News • AACC News

Rapid Ebola test could help end lingering outbreak

Research presented at the 2015 AACC Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo will expand on the studies that led to a fingerprick Ebola test becoming the first and only rapid diagnostic for this disease to receive approval from the World Health Organization (WHO). This test could prove vital to breaking Ebola’s grip on West Africa by identifying suspected Ebola cases within minutes, and enabling…

Placenta-on-a-chip

National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers and their colleagues have developed a "placenta-on-a-chip" to study the inner workings of the human placenta and its role in pregnancy.

How to tame most aggressive breast cancers

Australian researchers have found that so-called 'triple-negative breast cancers' are two distinct diseases that likely originate from different cell types. This helps explain why survival prospects for women with the diagnosis tend to be either very good or very bad.

News • Organ Transplantation

First successful organ donation from newborn carried out in UK

The very first successful organ donation from a newborn to be carried out in the UK is reported in the Fetal & Neonatal Edition of Archives of Disease in Childhood. The donor was a girl born at term after an emergency caesarean section in the neonatal unit of Hammersmith Hospital, London. The donation involved the kidneys, which were transplanted into a patient with renal failure, and liver…

Interview • Diagnostics

Iron deficiency and anaemia

Iron deficiency and resulting anaemia cause fatal comorbidities worldwide. Despite this, they are generally underestimated. Professor Lothar Thomas, specialist in laboratory medicine at Central Laboratory of the University Hospital of Frankfurt/Main, is calling for more information about the new laboratory parameters for diagnosis and monitoring of iron deficiency and iron substitution therapy.

Seeking congenital cardiac defects

Congenital heart defects are the most common congenital disorders found in newborns – around one in a hundred babies are affected. This type of heart defect can be reliably diagnosed with ultrasound, usually during the detailed foetal scan carried out halfway through the pregnancy. Report: Brigitte Dinkloh

News • Event

Chicago’s AACC 2014 highlights

‘Never-before-seen breakthroughs in diagnostic research and technology’ were revealed during July’s American Association for Clinical Chemistry meeting in Chicago, where up to 20,000 people packed in for research updates.

Premature newborn survival 30% higher in high volume neonatal centres

The survival of premature newborns in England is 30% higher in specialist units treating large numbers of neonates, reveals an analysis of national data published in the online journal BMJ Open.

Article • Clinical chemistry

THE AACC FORUM 2014

This April, in San Jose, California, the portable lab took central stage at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry’s (AACC) annual forum for emerging clinical diagnostic technologies – a most appropriate topic for the Silicon Valley venue where so many world-changing computer and communications innovations have been born.

Small size in early pregnancy linked to poor heart health later in life

Poor growth in the first three months of pregnancy is associated with a range of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood, finds a study published on bmj.com.

Beckman Coulter’s new assay for safer pregnancies

New Assay Is First to Standardize to World Health Organization’s 5th International Standard for Chorionic Gonadotropin

Gender medicine

The insight that psychological, social and environmental conditions affect a person’s health is insufficiently considered in medical training and in the every-day diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Article • 123

Earlier detection of Down’s syndrome

Down’s syndrome (also referred to as trisomy 21) is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in a person’s DNA. Current screening for Down’s syndrome and other trisomy conditions includes a combined test done between the 11th and 13th weeks of pregnancy.

Article • Trisomy 21

Earlier detection of Down’s syndrome

Down’s syndrome (also referred to as trisomy 21) is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in a person’s DNA.

Chronic disease

There is a global shortage of doctors that is getting worse every year. With the demographic shift in many countries from a predominantly young to an increasing aging population, a steep increase in chronic disease is occurring.

Demand for Rapid Results, Non-invasive Methods and Automated Monitoring

Frost & Sullivan is carefully tracking the transforming global point-of-care testing (POCT) market, offering latest information on key opportunities and critical unmet needs by region

Article • Gynaecological radiology

MRI holds a key role in cervical cancer

Staging of cervical cancer is clinically based on a system developed by the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). The staging is clinical because the majority of cases occur in developing countries where access to MRI is limited, explains gynaecological radiologist Dr Evis Sala.

Under the microscope: Embryos are monitored minute by minute

Giving the tiniest patients a chance

The number of premature births increases continuously in all European countries – with the exception of Sweden. Every year around 500,000 children – every 10th baby – in Europe are premature, i.e. born before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy and with a birth weight below 2,500g.

Article • Ovarian viability

Checking the biological clock

‘The egg timer test’ is widely used to help determine how long a woman can expect to remain fertile. Lately it has shown even greater potential for clinical use as a biomarker for ovarian viability.

Dose reduction for pregnant patients with thromboembolic disease

Suspicion of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a pregnant patient will quickly bring a radiologist to a choice, where the next step holds potentially significant consequences for both the mother and unborn child.

Technology meets philosophy: dose optimisation

Imaging of the chest is the most common radiological examination worldwide. With the incidence of respiratory problems and lung cancer growing, all radiologists should be familiar with the appropriate imaging protocols. In a field dominated by chest x-ray (CXR) and CT, controlling radiation dose is mandatory.

Imaging pregnant women

Figures suggest that imaging of pregnant women increased by 121% between 1997 and 2008, even though radiologists face several critical challenges when imaging these patients.

Call for action to meet special health needs of migrants

For reasons important to both EU citizens and migrants, greater efforts needed to be made to address the gap in quality health care that exists between the two groups, experts told the European Health Forum Gastein. Improvements would not only benefit Europe's newer arrivals but the well-being of Europeans in general.

Three questions for WFUMB Honorary Lecturers …

World of Ultrasound met Prof. Ioan Sporea, Prof. Gebhard Mathis and Prof. Byung Ihn Choi to ask them three questions.

A time to tackle controversies face-to-face

A hefty debate on controversial issues in cardiology is the definite intent of Congress President Professor Michel Komajda and the ESC 2011 congress organisers. To that end, he plans to open the event with a focus on disagreements among cardiologists over treatment methods. This is not the only promise of a lively meeting for congress participants, as Prof Komajda explained in conversation with…

From pre-natal diagnostics to 3-D baby-facing

Prenatal ultrasound images are the first images we see of new humans. But the prenatal ultrasound first carried out by Professor Ian Donald in the late 50s has little to do with today’s potential with 3-D and 4-D imaging with Doppler and colour Doppler. The three tightly linked disciplines gynaecology, prenatal medicine and obstetrics would now be inconceivable without ultrasound

Siemens Fully Automated ADVIA Centaur Syphilis Assay Receives CE Marketing Approval

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics announced today that its ADVIA Centaur® Syphilis Assay1 for the detection of antibodies against Treponema pallidum, a bacterium known to cause the sexually-transmitted disease, syphilis, has been CE-marked. Now, laboratories outside the United States can equip themselves with a new testing tool for this serious condition and drive additional workflow and efficiency…

Healthy gut flora could prevent obesity

Poor gut flora is believed to trigger obesity. In the same way, healthy gut flora could reduce the risk. This has shown to be the case in tests on rats. Daily intake of a lactic acid bacteria, which has been given the name Lactobacillus plantarum HEAL19, appears to be able to prevent obesity and reduce the body’s low-level inflammation.

Teheran - Emerging as a regional centre for diagnostic and interventional expertise

It was difficult to sing along in Farsi with the Iranian musical group at the Austria Centre Vienna, a first-ever event for the European Congress of Radiology. European radiologists were far more familiar with the work of their colleagues from Teheran, who have increased their participation in the ECR yearly and who have published their works in English for seven years in the Iranian Journal of…

Article • Artificial insemination

France: The country’s first ‘saviour sibling’ is a ‘double-hope baby’

The birth, in France, of its first baby to be conceived by artificial insemination on top of the selection of an embryo based on its blood, has sent new flames into the hot parliamentary debate over the reform of bioethics law.

And then there was light!

Pin-sharp outlines instead of a flurry of speckles, three-dimensional bodies instead of two-dimensional cross sections: Modern ultrasound scanners now deliver images of a quality that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago. This new generation scanners have made ultrasound diagnostics more reliable, reproducible and much easier to use for doctors

Aloka’s new ProSound F75

Launching its new ProSound F75 at the 20th ISUOG World Congress in Prague this October, Aloka Holding AG explained that it was designed to meet the firm’s new ‘FIT’ ethos (Facilitated workflow; Investment return; True diagnostics). Each machine can be tailored to any physician’s needs (over 45 user presets), simplifying the process, vastly reducing patient dependency and time to conduct…

Does a foetus think - if so, how?

Ultrasound is the undisputed choice for foetal imaging. However, the lack of amniotic fluid, an unfavourable foetal position or maternal obesity could daunt even the best radiographer. In such circumstances prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – a non-invasive and non-irradiating procedure – is a helpful diagnostic tool.

Cardiac and sepsis markers

Prior to October’s 3rd Annual Congress of the Austrian Society for Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry in Salzburg, Austria, laboratory experts conveyed their opinions in an interview with Michael Krassnitzer from European Hospital.

Chequerboard of infertility treatment in Europe

European patients are in many countries, in fact, limited in their individual choice of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment, experts from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) stressed today at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG). The EHFG is the most important conference on health care policy in the EU. This year it has attracted about 600…

Epigenomics

The UK’s Babraham Institute, which conducts biomedical research, has established a ‘high throughput’ epigenomics sequencing facility to improve understanding of healthier ageing.

MRI helps detect life-threatening pregnancy complication

A study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) revealed that MRI is a highly accurate means of identifying placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening and increasingly common condition that is the leading cause of death for women just before and after giving birth.

As POC testing grows, so do risk of errors, quality

Today testing of patients at the point of care (POC) accounts for 25% of all testing, and these portable assays are increasing their penetration into medical practice at rapid rate of 12% each year. Yet along with the growth comes an increasing risk of errors that adversely affect quality of clinical decision-making and patient safety.

Draminski’s fully portable ultrasound scanner

Specially designed for mobile general practitioners and urologists, the Draminski Ultrasound Scanner is fully portable and comes in a solid and secure case that also includes all necessary accessories for diagnoses.

Russian endocrinology

The fact that child diabetics (type I) in Russia do not receive necessary and qualitative therapy was again highlighted during the 7th Russian conference 'The priority national project - Health - and the tasks of children's endocrinologists' held in Saint-Petersburg this June.

Success in using robot-assisted surgery

Robot-assisted surgery can be used to successfully repair abnormal openings between the uterus and the bladder, according to a report by Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center urologist who is the world's most experienced surgeon in the procedure.

Integrating lab diagnostics, imaging and IT

Working in partnership to integrate diagnostic imaging, laboratory diagnostics and IT, the Hospital Clinic Barcelona and Siemens Healthcare aim to develop innovative systems to prevent, treat and follow-up for various pathologies.

From Dusseldorf around the world

This was not a quick birth. The concept began back in 1963. After finishing each day's work at the Women's Hospital, Dusseldorf, obstetrician Konrad Hammacher spent his nights at the Medical Academy, toiling over an idea.

Foetal surgery

Almost 25 years ago Michael Harrison of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) operated on the bladder of an unborn child. Almost eight years later, surgery was carried out on the diaphragm of an unborn child. His approach was controversial: a paediatric surgeon opened the abdomen and uterus of the pregnant woman, lifted out the foetus, performed the surgery and returned the foetus to…

New treatment guidelines for HIV infection

An international panel of physicians has updated the guidelines and recommendations for antiretroviral treatment of adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection after evaluating recent data, according to an article in JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS.

Article • Varicose veins

Promising way of treating male infertility

Varicose veins in testicles are common and harmless in most of the cases. But they can be the reason for unwanted childlessness. Venous embolization, a minimally invasive treatment, offers the opportunity to improve male fertility, as a study from the University of Bonn, Germany, shows.

Article • MRgFUS

Successful therapy for uterine fibroids using MRgFUS

Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapy was introduced in June at the Amperklinikum in Dachau, near Munich, the third German site, after Berlin and Bochum for this new technology.

Pregnant Jessica

Wales - Jessica Tate is pregnant. Hers is a normal pregnancy. There is, however, some concern because she wants her baby to be born at home, but is often alone there because her partner must travel for his work. Mid-term, she is tired and has mild anaemia. At one stage in her pregnancy she also falsely believes labour has started and is worried. However, all should go well. She benefits from…

Fibroid Embolisation: So Promising for Women, So Unavailable in Europe

Uterine fibroids are the most common form of benign pelvic tumor, with about 30-50% of women between the ages of 35-45 years reporting them. Although many women are asymptomatic, those who experience the symptoms of bladder pressure, frequent and very heavy menstrual periods, and uterine pain, have a reduced quality of life.

HIV

By Tamar Jehuda-Cohen PhD, Biomedical Engineering Department, Technion Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

First Czech "test-tube" baby celebrated 25th birthday

The first Czech test-tube baby was born, woman in childbed delivered smoothly on 4th November 1982, and healthy baby-boy was 51 cm tall, and weighed 3.65 kg. A medical team from Moravian town of Brno led by embryologist Milan Dvorak and gynecologist Ladislav Pilka was behind all this happy-ended artificial fertilization quarter a century ago.

Cost efficiency and improved patient care with mobile ultrasound

SonoSite Inc., the world leader in hand-carried ultrasound is presenting its new innovations at this year's MEDICA in Düsseldorf from 14th to 17th November.

Fatty acids may shield young from type 1 diabetes

Omega-3 may protect children at high risk of developing type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

AACC emphasises preventive diagnostics

San Diego, California - 20,000 international physicians, scientists and other visitors travelled to the Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) in July, and 750 exhibitors emphasised the increasing importance of this gathering

Looking at a New Generation

Most babies are born healthy, but there is still a small risk for all women to give birth to a baby with some type of anomaly. Ultrasound has proven to be one of the most reliable procedures to prenatally diagnose some of these conditions. Ultrasound can be used during the entire pregnancy, but in the first trimester ultrasound examinations are, as a rule, used to exactly calculate the pregnancy,…

Screening for Chromosomal Defects

Chromosomal abnormalities are major causes of perinatal death and childhood handicap. Consequently, the detection of chromosomal disorders constitutes the most frequent indication for invasive prenatal diagnosis. However, invasive testing, by amniocentesis, chorionicvillus sampling (CVS) or cordocentesis, is associated with a risk of miscarriage of about 1% and therefore these tests are carried…

Acupuncture What others say…

During the last ten years or so, there has been a convergence of modern international science with traditional Chinese medicine, with research carried out in physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology.

Current aggressive IVF treatments put patients at risk

The Netherlands — In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is an overly aggressive treatment and needlessly exposes childless women to substantial risks of complications and serious discomfort, according to researchers at the University Medical Centre, in Utrecht.

The first pan-European VHD, CVD and diabetes guidelines

The first, pan-European guidelines to be published on the treatment of valvular heart disease (VHD), diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have made a series of new recommendations that experts hope will contribute to improving the outcome for patients.

Where abortion isn't illegal, it should be safe and accessible

Each year about 46 million women in the world decide to have an abortion because of unwanted pregnancy. Half of them have no other choice but to access unsafe abortions, leading to the death of worldwide 70,000 women every year - including Europe. At least in areas where abortion is not illegal, this disgrace can be abolished by the access to safe abortions.

New possibilities for the first trimester of pregnancy

New ultrasound technologies detect foetal heart defects earlier.

Ever expanding rapid diagnostic products

Inverness Medical Innovations develops and manufactures rapid diagnostic products for use in preventive as well as interventional therapies.

Laughing gas likely cause of babies' deformities

Inhalation of anaesthetic laughing gas was blamed for the deformation of six babies born in the Leyenburg Hospital, The Hague. Report: Michiel Bloemendaal

Fatal blood clots claim 500,000 EU lives annually

Experts call for screening of surgical and medical patients, and thromboprophylaxis for those at risk.

Perinatal medicine

Interview with Prof. Klaus Vetter MD, director of the Obestetrics Clinic at the Perinatal Centre, Vivantes Hospital Neukölln, Berlin, Germany.

The Wound Infection Institute

Wound Infection Institute is dedicated to improving infection control.

Measuring hospital performance

His professional experience and research cover clinical performance measurement, disease-specific and patient-level clinical performance indicators, performance improvement, statistical process control, international health systems.

Catholic medics and human rights

Poland - Many medical workers may soon be ethically challenged by a decision made in Europe's Court of Human Rights regarding a woman who had been refused an abortion there.

Fears over female HIV infections