Australia's mothers and babies 2017—in brief [27 June 2019][1]
- In 2017, 301,095 women gave birth in Australia, an increase of 4.0% since 2007.
- 13% of women who gave birth in 2017 had gestational diabetes
- 1 in 3 mothers had a caesarean section in 2017
- 6.7% of liveborn babies were low birthweight in 2017
February
2018
November
News - French Ain babies missing limb births prompt national inquiry
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French regions - Ain, Brittany and Loire-Atlantique
France has launched a national investigation into the number of babies being born with limb agenesis (entire missing upper limbs, missing forearms and hands, or fingers) just weeks after an initial inquiry closed. The cases were clustered in the Ain, Brittany and Loire-Atlantique regions. The cause is still unknown, but may relate to local developmental environmental abnormalies.
More? BBC News | Environmental Abnormalies | Limb Abnormalities
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October
News - Australian Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
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NSW Newborn Screening Programme SMA added to newborn heel prick (Guthrie test) "In an Australian first, newborn babies are now being routinely screened for the genetic condition SMA, or spinal muscular atrophy". SMA leads to a loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting and has several different forms: Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3a SMA. ABC News
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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2018 was awarded jointly to James P. Allison and Tasuku Honjo "for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation."
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2018/summary
https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/10/press-medicine2018.pdf
June
News - Ronan O’Rahilly, Anatomist and Embryologist, Dies at 96
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Ronan O'Rahilly (1987 Carnegie Labs)
Ronan O'Rahilly (September 13, 1921 - June 24, 2018) Professor, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Obituary excerpt
- "Ronan O’Rahilly, MD, human anatomist and embryologist, scholar, scientist, and academic whose research produced insights into our understanding of the developing human at all stages, died on June 24, 2018 in Villars-sur-Glâne, Switzerland. He was 96 and had formerly lived in Ireland, England, the United States and most recently in Fribourg, Switzerland."
Search Pubmed - O'Rahilly R
Carnegie Collection
- Older News Articles - Spinal Muscular Atrophy Screening | Australian 2018 Pregnancy Care Guidelines | CRISPR | Gestational Diabetes | Kyoto eBook | Dolly's sisters live on! | Thalidomide in Zebrafish | Human pancreas stem cells | Oral contraceptive no risk of major birth defects | Maternal Malaria Neurovascular Development Effects | Oocyte/Spermatozoa fate decision Rubella eliminated in the Americas | Three-person embryos
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February
2017
November
September
News - Zika Virus
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A single mutation in the prM protein of Zika virus contributes to fetal microcephaly
- "Here, we show that a single serine to asparagine substitution (S139N) in the viral polyprotein substantially increased ZIKV infectivity in both human and mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs), led to more significant microcephaly in the mouse fetus, and higher mortality in neonatal mice. Evolutionary analysis indicates that the S139N substitution arose before the 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia and has been stably maintained during subsequent spread to the Americas. "
A single mutation in the prM protein of Zika virus contributes to fetal microcephaly Science 28 Sep 2017: eaam7120 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam7120
Links: Zika Virus
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Zika Virus Translation - 3,419 amino acids
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MKNPKEEIRRIRIVNMLKRGVARVNPLGGLKRLPAGLLLGHGPIRMVLAILAFLRFTAIKPSLGLINRWGSVGKKEAMEIIKKFKKDLAAMLRIINARKERKRRGADTSIGIIGLLLTTAM AAEITRRGSAYYMYLDR S DAGKAISFATTLGVNKCHVQIMDLGHMCDATMSYECPMLDEGVEPDDVDCWCNTTSTWVVYGTCHHKKGEARRSRRAVTLPSHSTRKLQTRSQTW LESREYTKHLIKVENWIFRNPGFALVAVAIAWLLGSSTSQKVIYLVMILLIAPAYSIRCIGVSNRDFVEGMSGGTWVDVVLEHGGCVTVMAQDKPTVDIELVTTTVSNMAEVRSYCYEA SISDMASDSRCPTQGEAYLDKQSDTQYVCKRTLVDRGWGNGCGLFGKGSLVTCAKFTCSKKMTGKSIQPENLEYRIMLSVHGSQHSGMIGYETDEDRAKVEVTPNSPRAEATLG GFGSLGLDCEPRTGLDFSDLYYLTMNNKHWLVHKEWFHDIPLPWHAGADTGTPHWNNKEALVEFKDAHAKRQTVVVLGSQEGAVHTALAGALEAEMDGAKGRLFSGHLKCRLK MDKLRLKGVSYSLCTAAFTFTKVPAETLHGTVTVEVQYAGTDGPCKIPVQMAVDMQTLTPVGRLITANPVITESTENSKMMLELDPPFGDSYIVIGVGDKKITHHWHRSGSTIGKAFE ATVRGAKRMAVLGDTAWDFGSVGGVFNSLGKGIHQIFGAAFKSLFGGMSWFSQILIGTLLVWLGLNTKNGSISLTCLALGGVMIFLSTAVSADVGCSVDFSKKETRCGTGVFIYNDV EAWRDRYKYHPDSPRRLAAAVKQAWEEGICGISSVSRMENIMWKSVEGELNAILEENGVQLTVVVGSVKNPMWRGPQRLPVPVNELPHGWKAWGKSYFVRAAKTNNSFVVDGD TLKECPLEHRAWNSFLVEDHGFGVFHTSVWLKVREDYSLECDPAVIGTAVKGREAAHSDLGYWIESEKNDTWRLKRAHLIEMKTCEWPKSHTLWTDGVEESDLIIPKSLAGPLSHH NTREGYRTQVKGPWHSEELEIRFEECPGTKVYVEETCGTRGPSLRSTTASGRVIEEWCCRECTMPPLSFRAKDGCWYGMEIRPRKEPESNLVRSMVTAGSTDHMDHFSLGVLVIL LMVQEGLKKRMTTKIIMSTSMAVLVVMILGGFSMSDLAKLVILMGATFAEMNTGGDVAHLALVAAFKVRPALLVSFIFRANWTPRESMLLALASCLLQTAISALEGDLMVLINGFALAW LAIRAMAVPRTDNIALPILAALTPLARGTLLVAWRAGLATCGGIMLLSLKGKGSVKKNLPFVMALGLTAVRVVDPINVVGLLLLTRSGKRSWPPSEVLTAVGLICALAGGFAKADIEMAG PMAAVGLLIVSYVVSGKSVDMYIERAGDITWEKDAEVTGNSPRLDVALDESGDFSLVEEDGPPMREIILKVVLMAICGMNPIAIPFAAGAWYVYVKTGKRSGALWDVPAPKEVKKGE TTDGVYRVMTRRLLGSTQVGVGVMQEGVFHTMWHVTKGAALRSGEGRLDPYWGDVKQDLVSYCGPWKLDAAWDGLSEVQLLAVPPGERARNIQTLPGIFKTKDGDIGAVALDY PAGTSGSPILDKCGRVIGLYGNGVVIKNGSYVSAITQGKREEETPVECFEPSMLKKKQLTVLDLHPGAGKTRRVLPEIVREAIKKRLRTVILAPTRVVAAEMEEALRGLPVRYMTTAVN VTHSGTEIVDLMCHATFTSRLLQPIRVPNYNLNIMDEAHFTDPSSIAARGYISTRVEMGEAAAIFMTATPPGTRDAFPDSNSPIMDTEVEVPERAWSSGFDWVTDHSGKTVWFVPSV RNGNEIAACLTKAGKRVIQLSRKTFETEFQKTKNQEWDFVITTDISEMGANFKADRVIDSRRCLKPVILDGERVILAGPMPVTHASAAQRRGRIGRNPNKPGDEYMYGGGCAETDE GHAHWLEARMLLDNIYLQDGLIASLYRPEADKVAAIEGEFKLRTEQRKTFVELMKRGDLPVWLAYQVASAGITYTDRRWCFDGTTNNTIMEDSVPAEVWTKYGEKRVLKPRWMDA RVCSDHAALKSFKEFAAGKRGAALGVMEALGTLPGHMTERFQEAIDNLAVLMRAETGSRPYKAAAAQLPETLETIMLLGLLGTVSLGIFFVLMRNKGIGKMGFGMVTLGASAWLM WLSEIEPARIACVLIVVFLLLVVLIPEPEKQRSPQDNQMAIIIMVAVGLLGLITANELGWLERTKNDIAHLMGRREEGATMGFSMDIDLRPASAWAIYAALTTLITPAVQHAVTTSYNNYSL MAMATQAGVLFGMGKGMPFMHGDLGVPLLMMGCYSQLTPLTLIVAIILLVAHYMYLIPGLQAAAARAAQKRTAAGIMKNPVVDGIVVTDIDTMTIDPQVEKKMGQVLLIAVAISSAVL LRTAWGWGEAGALITAATSTLWEGSPNKYWNSSTATSLCNIFRGSYLAGASLIYTVTRNAGLVKRRGGGTGETLGEKWKARLNQMSALEFYSYKKSGITEVCREEARRALKDGVAT GGHAVSRGSAKIRWLEERGYLQPYGKVVDLGCGRGGWSYYAATIRKVQEVRGYTKGGPGHEEPMLVQSYGWNIVRLKSGVDVFHMAAEPCDTLLCDIGESSSSPEVEETRTLRV LSMVGDWLEKRPGAFCIKVLCPYTSTMMETMERLQRRHGGGLVRVPLCRNSTHEMYWVSGAKSNIIKSVSTTSQLLLGRMDGPRRPVKYEEDVNLGSGTRAVASCAEAPNMKII GRRIERIRNEHAETWFLDENHPYRTWAYHGSYEAPTQGSASSLVNGVVRLLSKPWDVVTGVTGIAMTDTTPYGQQRVFKEKVDTRVPDPQEGTRQVMNIVSSWLWKELGKRKRP RVCTKEEFINKVRSNAALGAIFEEEKEWKTAVEAVNDPRFWALVDREREHHLRGECHSCVYNMMGKREKKQGEFGKAKGSRAIWYMWLGARFLEFEALGFLNEDHWMGRENSG GGVEGLGLQRLGYILEEMNRAPGGKMYADDTAGWDTRISKFDLENEALITNQMEEGHRTLALAVIKYTYQNKVVKVLRPAEGGKTVMDIISRQDQRGSGQVVTYALNTFTNLVVQLI RNMEAEEVLEMQDLWLLRKPEKVTRWLQSNGWDRLKRMAVSGDDCVVKPIDDRFAHALRFLNDMGKVRKDTQEWKPSTGWSNWEEVPFCSHHFNKLYLKDGRSIVVPCRHQ DELIGRARVSPGAGWSIRETACLAKSYAQMWQLLYFHRRDLRLMANAICSAVPVDWVPTGRTTWSIHGKGEWMTTEDMLMVWNRVWIEENDHMEDKTPVTKWTDIPYLGKRED LWCGSLIGHRPRTTWAENIKDTVNMVRRIIGDEEKYMDYLSTQVRYLGEEGSTPGVL
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July
February
2016
September
August
June
March
January
News - Oral Contraceptives and Abnormal Development
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Oral Contraceptives A recent 2016 Danish study births from Danish registries between 1997 and 2011 identified that:
"Oral contraceptive exposure just before or during pregnancy does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of major birth defects."
PMID 26738512 | BMJ
- Links: Menstrual Cycle | Abnormal Development
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2015
September
News - Maternal Malaria Neurovascular Development Effects
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Malaria (plasmodium falciparum) - 125 million pregnancies worldwide are at risk of malaria infection every year. A recent mouse model of maternal infection, without embryo infection, has shown effects on neurovasular development in the exposed offspring. (More? PMID 26402732 | Abnormal Development - Malaria | Neural | Cardiovascular)
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June
Oocyte/Spermatozoa fate decision by Primordial Germ Cells
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Medaka Sex determination is an essential step in the commitment of a germ cell to a spermatozoa or oocyte. The intrinsic factors that determine the sexual fate of vertebrate germ cells are unknown. "foxl3 is expressed in germ cells but not somatic cells in the gonad, and has been identified as involved in sperm-egg fate decision in medaka fish. Adult XX medaka with disrupted foxl3 developed functional sperm in the expanded germinal epithelium of a histologically functional ovary. In chimeric medaka, mutant germ cells initiated spermatogenesis in female wild-type gonad. These results indicate that a germ cell-intrinsic cue for the sperm-egg fate decision is present in medaka and that spermatogenesis can proceed in a female gonadal environment." (More? PMID 26067255 | Medaka Development | Oocyte Development | Spermatozoa Development)
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April
Americas region is declared the world’s first to eliminate endemic transmission of rubella
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Rubella is a contagious viral disease that can cause multiple birth defects as well as fetal death when contracted by women during pregnancy.
"This achievement culminates a 15-year effort that involved widespread administration of the vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) throughout the Western Hemisphere. The announcement comes as 45 countries and territories of the Americas are participating in the 13th annual Vaccination Week in the Americas (April 25 to May 2)." This follows the regional eradication of smallpox in 1971 and the elimination of polio in 1994.
- (More? Rubella Virus | WOO/PAHO Announcement)
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February
Three-person embryos
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UK government has voted to legalize a gene-therapy technique that could help women to avoid passing genetic defects onto their children.
The technique called either "mitochondrial replacement" or "three-person in vitro fertilization" intention is to prevent maternal mitochondrial mutations to be passed on to children. Its estimated that estimated 1 in 5,000 children are born with these type of diseases caused by such mutations.
- (More? Image - Swapping mitochondrial DNA mammalian oocytes | Assisted Reproductive Technology | Mitochondria | Nature comment
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2014
October
Hippocampus Development
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2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
John O´Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser - for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain
- (More? Hippocampus Development | Nobel Press Release)
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July
Embryo Epigenetics
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Embryos Reprogram their Epigenetics
Two recent studies show that after fertilisation human embryos loose DNA methylation from most of the genome. This implies that there is an early "reprogramming" or "resetting" of the embryo's epigenetic status.
- (More? Epigenetics | Nature. 2014 Jul PMID 25079558 PMID 25079557)
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June
Maternal Mortality
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WHO - Trends in Maternal Mortality 1990 to 2013
An estimated 289,000 women died in 2013 due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth, down from 523,000 in 1990.
- more than 1 in 4 maternal deaths are caused by pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, HIV, malaria and obesity, whose health impacts can all be aggravated by pregnancy. A related WHO study of causes of more than 60 000 maternal deaths in 115 countries caused 28% of the deaths.
- Similar to the proportion of deaths during pregnancy and childbirth from severe bleeding.
- (More? Statistics - Maternal Mortality | WHO Report Page)
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May
The World Health Organization says polio has re-emerged as a public health emergency.
- 1988 - virus was endemic in 125 countries, and 350,000 cases were recorded worldwide.
- 2014 - virus is considered endemic in only three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan (2013 only 417 cases detected). Currently affects 10 countries worldwide.
(More? Polio Virus | WHO - Polio)
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March
- "In high-risk pregnant women, noninvasive prenatal testing with the use of massively parallel sequencing of maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA testing) accurately detects fetal autosomal aneuploidy. Its performance in low-risk women is unclear. ...In a general obstetrical population, prenatal testing with the use of cfDNA had significantly lower false positive rates and higher positive predictive values for detection of trisomies 21 and 18 than standard screening. (Funded by Illumina; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01663350.)."
(More? Trisomy 21 | Trisomy 18 | Prenatal Diagnosis)
Reference: <pubmed>24571752</pubmed>| N Engl J Med.
Older News Articles
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January
News - Stimulus-triggered fate conversion of somatic cells into pluripotency
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- "Here we report a unique cellular reprogramming phenomenon, called stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP), which requires neither nuclear transfer nor the introduction of transcription factors. In STAP, strong external stimuli such as a transient low-pH stressor reprogrammed mammalian somatic cells, resulting in the generation of pluripotent cells." (More? Nature paper | Induced Stem Cells | Stem Cells)
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Is STAP Real?
- RIKEN Panel Finds Misconduct in Reprogrammed Stem Cell Papers Science April 2014
- Japanese research institute has opened an investigation into this groundbreaking stem cell study after concerns were raised about its credibility. The RIKEN investigation follows allegations on blog sites about the use of duplicated images in Obokata’s papers, and numerous failed attempts to replicate her results. Nature
2013
2012 Nobel Prize for Stem Cells
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Stem Cell Signaling
Nobel Prize | Stem Cells
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 was awarded jointly to Sir John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent"
- Yamanaka Factors Are a set of 4 transcription factors when introduced into cells induces stem cell formation. PMID 16904174 | PMID 18035408 | PMID 20535199
- John Gurdon used nuclear transplantation and cloning to show that the nucleus of a differentiated somatic cell retains the totipotency necessary to form a whole organism. 2003 Current Biology Interview PMID 14521852 2009 Interview - "The birth of cloning" PMID 19132124
(More? Yamanaka Factors | Induced Stem Cells | Stem Cells)
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