Tag: pregnancy
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Why we should be more concerned about maternal stress during pregnancy
Marie Poirot reports on a University of Edinburgh study which highlights the connection between stress during pregnancy and the development of the baby’s brain. Pregnancy is a time of immense change for the expecting mother. As we mostly see the positive aspects of this extraordinary event, many can be unaware that it can also bring…
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Advancing artificial womb technology
Over the last decade, reproductive assistance has taken a major leap forward, and one emerging new technology in this field is the artificial womb. When we think about the word ‘artificial’, it is not uncommon to associate words such as ‘fake’ and ‘unnatural’. Some have even compared this technology to the battery farms in The…
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Why do humans – and so few other animals – have periods?
Opposable thumbs, the power of speech, the capacity to think and reason: there are many reasons to relish being human. Regularly bleeding out of your vagina is not one of them. We are taught that menstruation is a normal part of the reproductive cycle, a necessary by-product of being a sexually reproducing species. Every cycle,…
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This contraception is just for women? Think again
The University of Edinburgh is part of a groundbreaking trial, alongside nine other global sites including the United States, Sweden, Kenya, and Chile, testing a male contraceptive gel. The enrolment target is 450 couples worldwide with a staggered start – the University of Edinburgh is hoping to have completed enrolment by the end of March.…