‘Red balloon’ sprouts from baby’s back due to birth defect
A common birth defect caused a newborn baby to develop a giant, red, balloon-like sac that protruded from the lower back, a striking new image shows.The image was taken by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The sac was around 3 inches (7.7 centimeters) long, 2.8 inches (7.1 cm) wide and 2.1 inches (5.3…
The gut ‘remodels’ itself during pregnancy, study finds
During pregnancy, the breasts expand, resting heart rate speeds up, and organs shift to accommodate the growing fetus. And now, scientists have added one more item to this list: the gut grows dramatically.According to new research conducted in mice and 3D models of human tissue, the lining of the inside of the small intestine —…
New mRNA injection is step forward in ‘quest’ to find preeclampsia...
An mRNA therapy could treat the potentially deadly pregnancy disorder preeclampsia, which currently has no cure, a new study in rodents finds.In preeclampsia, pregnant people develop persistently high blood pressure that can lead to organ damage, causing protein to appear in the urine and sometimes organ failure. The condition affects between 3% and 5% of…
Florence Pugh says she was diagnosed with PCOS — then another...
Florence Pugh, 28, was diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis at 27.She froze her eggs at 27 because both conditions can impact fertility.Pugh said a different doctor dismissed the diagnoses because of her age.Florence Pugh has opened up about two recent diagnoses that prompted her to freeze her eggs at 27 years old.Speaking on Dear Media's…
Migraine molecules may drive endometriosis pain. Existing drugs might help.
Scientists have pinpointed the cells that likely drive the debilitating pain associated with endometriosis.In endometriosis, tissues that normally line the uterus grow in other parts of the body, such as the fallopian tubes or the ovaries, and this often causes intense, chronic pelvic pain. It turns out that this pain may be sparked by crosstalk…
Scientists are working on a poop test for endometriosis
Endometriosis is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Now, scientists have devised a new way to spot the condition — by looking for a unique collection of metabolites in poop that could potentially be detected with a simple test.These metabolites are made by microbes in the gut as by-products of their metabolism when the bacteria digest the…
Early development is inherently ‘chaotic,’ new atlas of mammal embryos reveals
Scientists have created a comprehensive "atlas" of what early embryonic development looks like in mammals, showcasing how a fertilized egg transforms into a complex organism with a distinctive shape and structure.The new research shows that the initial stages of development — in which the fertilized egg divides a number of times, going from one cell…
Breast cancer is on the rise in women under 50. It...
More women under 50 are getting breast cancer, an American Cancer Society report found.The reasons are complex, but breastfeeding and fertility may play a small role on a population-wide level.Deaths caused by breast cancer have fallen, the report found, and if caught early, the disease is often treatable. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite…
My dad was my unlikely partner in my fertility journey. It...
In the beginning of 2020, I had moved back to LA and was living with my dad. At only 30 years old, I decided to freeze my eggs. After my mother's early menopause and the subsequent very challenging adoption of my brother and sister, I knew it was the right choice for me. Single and…
Scientists ‘rejuvenate’ the aged eggs of mice — is it possible...
Aging egg cells can be rejuvenated when placed inside young follicles, a new study of mouse cells suggests.The study could serve as proof-of-concept for future fertility treatments aimed at reversing aging in human egg cells — but much more research is needed to translate these findings to people.As immature egg cells, called oocytes get older,…