Palin’s memoir describes anguish about daughter’s pregnancy

November 16th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Most people in Australia think depression is a normal part and parcel of motherhood, researchers have pointed out. Experts at the country's depression initiative beyondblue quizzed 733 men and women and found that more than half believe it was usual for women to suffer depression during pregnancy.

November 15th, 2009 NEW YORK - Former US Vice President candidate Sarah Palin has said that she was not aware that her eldest daughter Bristol was sexually active before she learned the teenager, then 17, was pregnant. "Truthfully, we were devastated," The Washington Times quoted Palin, as saying.

November 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study carried out by Polytechnic University of Madrid has revealed that exercising up to the end of pregnancy has no harmful effect on the weight or size of the foetus. "An exercise regime carried out during the second and third trimester of pregnancy does not harm the health of the foetus", said Jonatan R.

November 13th, 2009 LONDON - Contrary to popular perception, exercising up to the end of pregnancy seems to be healthy for the baby and mother, says a new study. Research by Polytechnic University-Madrid (PU-M) shows there is a positive relationship between the weight of sedentary mothers before pregnancy and the body size of their babies.

November 5th, 2009 SYDNEY - Researchers have identified a link between folic acid supplements taken in late pregnancy and allergic asthma in children aged between 3 and 5, suggesting that the timing of supplementation in pregnancy is important. Michael Davies, a professor at the University of Adelaide says that folic acid supplements - recommended for pregnant women to prevent birth defects - appear to have "additional and unexpected" consequences in recent studies in mice and infants.

November 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Folic acid supplements taken by mothers in late pregnancy could lead to allergic asthma in their children at the age of 3 to 5 years, according to a study. The study by University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute suggests that the timing of supplementation in pregnancy is important.

October 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Professional singers find it difficult to strike the right note during pregnancy because of hormonal changes, says a new study. Until recently, researchers did not know if this effect is due to hormones or to some other cause, such as decreased lung capacity as the baby grows.

October 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that obese women who gain more than recommended during pregnancy are likely to retain a portion of that weight up to an year after giving birth. The researchers found that most of the obese women gained too much weight during pregnancy, then, on average, kept on 40 percent of the weight one year after they gave birth.

October 9th, 2009 LONDON - In a coincidence of sorts, triplets were born to a 30-year-old woman on her third wedding anniversary on September 30, when she was in her 33rd week of pregnancy. Amanda Faher's three baby boys, now named Matthew, Nathan and Michael, weighed over 5lbs when they were born at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

October 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Use of antidepressants during pregnancy might put the newborn child at increased health risk, according to researchers. The study led by Dr Najaaraq Lund showed that exposure to certain class of antidepressants can increase the risk of preterm birth, and can affect the overall health of the newborn.

October 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Women who shun asthma medications during pregnancy face increased risk of transmitting the condition to their offspring, reveals a new study. The research team from the Universite de Montreal, the Hopital du Sacre-Cœur de Montreal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre has revealed that 32.6 percent of children born to mothers who neglected to treat their asthma during pregnancy developed the respiratory illnessin later life.

October 6th, 2009 TORONTO - Women who avoid treating asthma during pregnancy are likely to transmit the condition to their offspring, say results from a study that examined more than 8,000 families in Canada. A team from the University of Montral (U-M), Hpital du Sacr-Cur de Montral (HdSE) and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre found that 32.6 percent of children born to mothers who ignored their asthma during pregnancy developed the respiratory illness themselves.

October 1st, 2009 LONDON - Mothers who smoke during pregnancy put their kids at greater risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teens. Researchers observed a 'dose-response effect', meaning that the risk of psychotic symptoms was highest in children whose mothers smoked the most heavily during pregnancy.

October 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Pregnant women who smoke put their children at increased risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teenage years, says a new study. The research published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry has shown a link between maternal tobacco use and psychotic symptoms.

September 3rd, 2009 LONDON - Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin planned to adopt her grandchild to hide the fact that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant, it has emerged. Levi Johnston, the father of the politician's grandchild, has alleged that the former Alaska governor wanted to keep the whole issue a secret.