Aurora magazine

Folic acid is essential for the proper development of the fetus. According to a study by the University of Adelaide, however, taking too much in the last stages of gestation would increase the risk of allergies. This effect would be particularly marked in the smaller fetuses.

Folic acid in pregnancy serves to prevent malformations of the neural tube. The Australian guidelines recommend taking supplements a month before conception and three months after conception. After this period, it would be good to stop taking supplements, unless the doctor gives different indications. According to Dr. Gatford, in fact, too much folic acid in the last stages of gestation increases the risk of allergies to the fetus.

Other research had shown that intrauterine growth restriction decreases the risk of allergies. The team of Dr. Gatford then analyzed the effects of supplements in normal pregnancies and those subject to this complication. The sheep tests showed that too much folic acid in the last quarter increases the risk of allergies in both groups.

According to the study, too much folic acid at the end of pregnancy cancels the protective effect given by intrauterine growth restriction. To test whether this is true for humans, further studies will be needed. In general, the recommendation remains the same: follow the instructions of the doctor and avoid self-medication.

Source: eurekalert.org

Better medical care could have saved about 2 English women out of 5, who died during delivery or soon after. This is what the report Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity reveals.

The researchers analyzed 124 cases of women who died in childbirth in the United Kingdom. They found that 41% of them would be saved if they received better medical assistance. The study invites doctors to follow more patients, also warning them not to take drugs without a prescription.

According to data, almost 9 women died in the UK between 2013 and 2015 in the course of childbirth or soon after. Of these, two thirds died due to pre-existing physical or mental illness. Only 35% of these had received adequate medical care, while in 41% of cases there were deficiencies. Out of 9 deaths from epilepsy, 7 could have been avoided with more careful care.

Scholars found that a good number of women who died from epilepsy had stopped treatment. According to research, neither they nor the doctors who were treating them had considered the possible effects of the choice. This reveals the need to address not only a gynecologist, but also a specialist in the case of such diseases. It is also important to warn the specialist if you are planning to become pregnant.

Source: theguardian.com

A company could revolutionize the world of pregnancy tests. In fact, Lia is coming, the eco-sustainable test that can be folded and thrown into the toilet.

Pregnancy tests developed over the past 30 years have become increasingly technological. Some of these even mark the weeks of gestation and the false positives are very few. Nevertheless, they all have a problem: where to throw them once you've seen the result? The answer comes from a start-up, which has developed the first eco-sustainable pregnancy test.

Like other home pregnancy tests, Lia also reacts to hormones in the urine. If the test is positive, two lines appear; if the test is negative, only one is shown. The difference is that Lia is composed of the same vegetable fibers used for normal toilet paper. This means that you can throw it in the toilet, as it is completely biodegradable.

The new eco-sustainable pregnancy test is precise just like the traditional, much more polluting ones. It has a reliability that is around 99% and, in addition, it helps to leave a better world to the new life on the way.

Source: independent.co.uk

In recent years, scientists are developing increasingly advanced techniques for PMA (Medically Assisted Reproduction). Unless you have recourse to a donor, today it is still necessary for those concerned to be able to produce sperm and ova. In the future, this could change, thanks to the creation of sperm and oocytes in the laboratory.

Last year the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Zoology announced a first step in this direction. Researchers used embryonic stem cells to produce healthy spermatozoa. The result was a litter of healthy, lively babies, conceived through in vitro fertilization.

The experiment showed how to obtain germ cells from embryonic stem cells, thanks to a cocktail of drugs and hormones. A process also applicable to adult pluripotent stem cells, which mimic embryonic stem cells. The experiments conducted on mice have given excellent results. The next step will be the monkeys, before moving on to humans.

A result of this kind was also obtained from Kyushu University researchers, on oocytes however. Scientists have in fact transformed pluripotent stem cells induced into healthy oocytes. Some of these turned out to be fertile, allowing us to conceive a new healthy litter.

Finally, US researchers have developed an artificial uterus, designed especially for premature babies. It is in fact a plastic bag full of a fluid that mimics the amniotic fluid. The fetus is attached to an artificial placenta, which supplies it with oxygen and nutrients. The method would facilitate the development of premature babies and would be much more effective than normal incubators

Perhaps in the future technology will open the doors of motherhood even to women with malformations of this organ. Before seeing such a thing, however, much research will still be needed.

Source: ft.com