Many IVF optional extras – or ‘add-ons’ – are not supported by good-quality evidence that shows they are effective or safe, report Dr Sarah Lensen and Sara Attinger. A new website now helps patients navigate these options For many patients, IVF is a stressful and overwhelming...
Can what you eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding affect whether your child develops food allergies? Researchers Jennifer Koplin, Debbie Palmer and Desalegn Markos Shifti find some answers. Many questions pop up when you’re growing or raising a new baby. Among them, women often wonder if what they eat...
What Every Hopeful Parent Needs to Know With the rise of egg freezing, more people are preserving their fertility for future parenthood. But what happens when those eggs remain unused? A new study from Monash University and Monash IVF highlights a growing issue: thousands of frozen...
To what extent are they preventable? asks Karin Hammarberg The news of a woman unknowingly giving birth to another patient’s baby after an embryo mix-up at a Brisbane IVF lab recently has made headlines in Australia and around the world. The distress this incident will have...
Even low levels of alcohol use during pregnancy are linked to changes in unborn babies report Evelyne Muggli and Professor Alicia Spittle Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes a range of severe neurodevelopmental impairments caused by alcohol exposure before birth. People with FASD can experience a wide...
Why do women get ‘reassurance scans’ ? asks Christopher Rudge. And how can you spot a dodgy provider? Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents. The service has resulted in serious harms, such as...
A younger colleague of mine went live on Facebook saying they were three months pregnant, writes Fiona Jordan. I did the obligatory 'congratulations, you must be so happy response’. But later that day, they tagged me along with everyone who had congratulated them and said, “Ha ha,...
Here’s what researchers Sarah Sasson and Sean Seeho, think is behind the rise Former winner of TV show Alone Australia Gina Chick was diagnosed with breast cancer just days after finding out she was pregnant. She describes in her recent book her experience with chemotherapy and...
Health insurers are now proposing a new way to make private hospital births more affordable and accessible, giving families more choices when it comes to pregnancy care. The Cost of Private Maternity Care Is Rising – Here’s How It Could Change If you’re expecting a baby and...
Mothers need proper screening after birth, writes Phyllis Ohene-Agyei A growing number of women experience high blood sugar levels during pregnancy which typically resolve after birth. Known as gestational diabetes, this is the most common metabolic disorder in pregnancy and affects one in seven women worldwide and...
