Aurora magazine

A team of researchers in the United Kingdom has studied the efficacy of genetic tests combined with normal ultrasounds. The team included scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge, the University of Birmingham, the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

According to the study, fetal DNA sequencing makes it possible to identify about 10% more anomalies. Many of these would have been impossible to identify even after birth, making it more difficult to intervene in time. As a result, adding genome sequencing to traditional screening could provide a large number of benefits.

The team sequenced fetal DNA in 610 pregnancies; in all these, the fetuses had at least one anomaly evident already from the ultrasound. Thanks to the genetic test, scientists have diagnosed the presence of a genetic disease in 52 cases. Most of these fetuses had heart problems, skeletal abnormalities, multiple organ problems.

Identifying the possible presence of a genetic disease can help parents in more than one way. It allows them to investigate whether or not they are healthy carriers of the disease, so as to take the appropriate precautions in the case of a second pregnancy. It allows them to speak with specialists before the child is born, to identify the best therapies. All this is impossible without a prenatal diagnosis.

According to the authors of the study, genetic tests should become routine. At the very least, you should apply them in case of anomalies evident from the ultrasound.

Source: medicaldevice-network.com

There could be a link between positive thinking in pregnancy and mathematical abilities of the unborn child. This is reported by a study by the University of Bristol, part of a larger series examining the link between "locus of control" in parents and traits of children.

The locus of control is a psychological measure that indicates the perceived degree of control over the world. Those with an external locus believe that striving is useless, that everything depends only on the outside world. Those who have an internal locus are more inclined to action, because they believe that everything depends on themselves. In the 1990s, researchers evaluated this measurement in over 1,600 pregnant women. Years later, they evaluated the mathematical skills of their children aged 8, 11 and 13.

According to the study, women with an internal locus during pregnancy had more skillful children in mathematics. Much of the credit is likely to be linked to the way these women have raised children. Many of them gave small foods designed for brain development, read their stories, helped them with their homework. All behaviors that help to develop their skills and to better face the world. Yet there is more.

Women with internal locus were much more aware of the consequences of their lifestyle on the fetus. As a result they ate well, slept the necessary, tried to avoid sources of stress. All behaviors with a positive impact on fetal development, which could partially explain the long-term benefits on children.

Source: bristol.ac.uk

A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Open aims to improve the diagnosis of anxiety in pregnancy. The authors have in fact developed a type of specific screening for future mothers. In this way we will identify more cases of prenatal anxiety, which today tend to remain undiagnosed and therefore not treated.

For now, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommends traditional diagnostic tools. According to the study, however, these may not be sufficient for pregnant women. In fact, traditional screenings aim at symptoms such as palpitation and difficulty in getting to sleep, but they are also common in non-problematic pregnancies. As a result, researchers at Nursing, the Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit (NMAHP-RU) have developed a more specific screening.

Researchers have identified a number of specific symptoms for prenatal anxiety. To this end, they have evaluated all the studies conducted on the topic in recent years. To get more accurate results, they used anxiety scales even on pregnant and healthy women. In this way they identified symptoms much more relevant to this precise area, which could become reliable indicators of prenatal anxiety.

Prenatal anxiety symptoms identified include: excessive concerns about one's health and that of the child; panic; fear of childbirth. If left untreated, all these symptoms can result in a real depression, with negative consequences for the mother and the child. Thanks to the study, however, will fall into a new scale to be used for screening in pregnant women.

Source: stir.ac.uk

Smoking could reduce the chances of successful assisted fertilization. Not only smoking during the cycles, but even having it done up to three months before could prevent its success. This was revealed by a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), led by Dr. Karilynn Rockhill of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education in Tennessee.

Dr. Rockhill's team conducted a retrospective study of data collected between 2009 and 2013 in the United States. The researchers found that more than 12,000 cycles could have been influenced by smoking. The defect seems to be linked to several causes of cancellation, including the lack of fertilized oocytes and embryos suitable for implantation. In fact, smoking reduces the effectiveness of assisted fertilization and could also affect fertility.

According to doctors, it is important that doctors discuss this with patients looking for a child. In fact, the negative effects of cigarettes are known during pregnancy, but less attention is paid to what happens before. Instead, cigarettes could have an extremely negative influence on the results of assisted reproduction cycles. It is therefore important that the expectant mothers stop as soon as possible, thanks to the psychological support of their doctor.

Source: home.liebertpub.com