Gynecology Blog

It's easy to stay fit during your pregnancy with four simple strengthening exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere, no equipment required. These functional "4 for Life" exercises comprise a mini full-body conditioning routine that will help you maintain strength, prevent some of the aches and pains of pregnancy and prepare for delivery of your baby.

The four exercises are: squats to work the lower body, push-ups for the upper body, pelvic tilts for the abdominals, and back extensions for the muscles of the spine. By learning to handle your own body weight, you develop fundamental muscle strength and become more efficient in the way you move throughout the day. More...

According to a group of scientists, premature birth tends to run in families. In the University of Aberdeen study, which was published in Obstetrics and Gynecology journal, researchers discovered that early births risk is linked to the science of genetics.

The research was based on maternity records of 22,343 Scottish moms and their daughters. Boffins found that females born ahead of time or who have brothers or sisters who were born prematurely are 50-60% more likely to have a premature baby themselves. More...

Many young women are reporting that they have a low sexual desire, with a new research blaming antidepressants and birth control pills for the problem. Many young women have distress piled on top of the guilt about their lagging sex lives, according to a study by the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health.

And a 2008 research in Obstetrics and Gynecology magazine of 31,000 women age 18 and above found that in the 18 to 44 age group, one in 10 reported low libido, or hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). More...

The good news is that stretch marks can be prevent during pregnancy but the bad news is that if the problem is an inheritance passed on to you by your family, then the prevention of stretch marks is a bit doubtful.

The stretch marks generally appear in the ninth month of pregnancy because it is the time your skin is stretched to the maximum extent. Weight gain, weight loss, sudden growth are some of the major changes which cause these stretch marks. Whatever the reason be, these look ugly and specially for a today women, stretch marks seems to a curse. It not only looks ugly but also speaks of your age. More...

Weight gain during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, could increase women’s risk of developing diabetes later in their pregnancy, according to a new study. The study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research appears online in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The three-year study of 1,145 pregnant women from an ethnically diverse population found that women who gained more weight than is recommended by the Institute of Medicine had a 50 per cent increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, also known as GDM. More...

Health experts recommended obese women gain at least 15 pounds during pregnancy. The 2009 IOM guidelines now recommend a weight gain of 11 to 20 pounds. However, some health experts say the new recommendations may still allow for too much extra weight for obese pregnant women. Research shows obese women are more likely than normal-weight women to have pregnancy-related complications, like gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, preeclampsia, higher rates of C-section delivery and infant death. Research also shows babies born to obese moms are more likely to have excess body fat and insulin resistance. Thus, the cycle of obesity and health problems may be perpetuated into the next generation. Raul Artal, M.D., Obstetrician/Gynecologist with Saint Louis University says obese women who gain less than 10 pounds while pregnant are much less likely to develop pregnancy-related complications.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is one of 10 programs in the country to receive a $2.4 million grant to establish a scholars program.

The five-year grant, from the federal National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), establishes the medical school as a Women's Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Career Development Center. The initiative promotes research that will benefit the health of women. Scholars will expand research on subjects ranging from women's infectious diseases to maternal fetal physiology to endometrial cancer. More...