Gynecology Blog

They skulk at the entrances of maternity hospitals every day - pregnant women puffing on filthy gaspers. Some of them look guilty, averting their eyes when people stare. It's a pathetic and sad sight.

Others are more defiant, inhaling the toxic smoke as if their lives depend on it. But one thing's for sure. Pregnant women who smoke make me feel sick and mildly depressed.

Seeing an expectant woman in her dressing gown and slippers suck on a smoke is beyond pathetic when it's impossible to escape the gruesome images of the dangers of cigarettes. So, I'm all for the British plan to test every pregnant woman for smoking. More...

Researchers are reporting that they are now able to determine a foetus’ gender with 100% accuracy at five weeks using a maternal blood test. Previous tests had only been available for women several months into their pregnancies. The findings were reported this week in the publication Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The study was conducted from 2003 to 2009 and included 201 expectant mothers in the Netherlands who were referred by geneticists or gynaecologists advising them on possible genetic diseases. Although the researchers were not able to issue a conclusion in 12 of the cases, in the 189 cases on which they did make a determination, they were correct 189 times. More...