Over 4,500 women register for Pap smear screening

JEDDAH — The head of Basalamah Chair at King Abdulaziz University said more than 4,500 women have registered for an early cancer detection program.

Maternal Deaths Falling Worldwide...

Maternal Deaths Falling Worldwide, Says WHO

Maternal deaths have fallen worldwide, dropping by 45% since 1990, according to new figures.

The statistics, released by the World Health Organization, also provide new evidence on the causes of women dying in pregnancy or childbirth.

Pregnant in spin class?

Pregnant in spin class? The benefits of cycling your way through pregnancy

Alison Mitchell loves spin class, and when she found out she was pregnant, she didn’t let it stop her from attending class during her first trimester, her second trimester – or even her third.

In fact, the 34-year-old attended class at indoor cycling studio Flywheel on the day she went into labor.  That day, she even claimed the No. 1 spot on the ‘TorqBoard,’ which measures each spinner’s resistance and speed on the bike, ranking class participants in order of how hard they are working.

“You have a nickname [for the TorqBoard], and I changed mine throughout my pregnancy: ‘One Month Preggers,’ ‘Two Months Preggers’…all the way to nine months,” Mitchell, of Seattle, Washington, told FoxNews.com. “There’d be jokes at the end of class, ‘Just have the baby already!’”

Compared to running, spinning may hold special advantages for pregnant women, partially because a spin bike’s handle bars can help stabilize a woman as her growing belly starts to throw off her sense of balance.

“I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to keep doing it…so that was one of the first things I talked to my doctor about: Could I run? Could I spin?,” Mitchell said. “…She said spinning is best because A) You’re in front of an instructor, and B) You have handlebars when you feel off balance, and C) You can stop whenever you want.”

According to Dr. Joanne Stone, director of maternal fetal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, exercises requiring a strong sense of balance may be difficult for pregnant women.  In the event of a fall, trauma to the mother’s belly could lead to complications. But overall, she noted that exercise is highly beneficial during pregnancy.  

“It can decrease the chance of gaining too much weight, which is beneficial to both mom and baby,” Stone told FoxNews.com in an email. “Also, studies have shown that women who exercise experience less of the annoying pregnancy symptoms, like back pain, etc.”

At the advice of her doctor, Mitchell said she wore a heart-rate monitor during class, but Stone said these devices are no longer necessary for pregnant exercisers.  

“She should just make sure that she stays well hydrated and eats enough,” Stone said. “There are no longer restrictions on how high a woman’s heart rate should go.”

Amanda Vortmann, an American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA) Pre and Post Natal certified instructor at FlyBarre, a sculpting class at Flywheel, said pregnant women should measure their levels of exertion by how well they are able to talk during class.

“During exercise you should be able to carry on a conversation. If you’re so winded you can’t speak, take a break,”said Vortmann, of New York City.

Vortmann has been putting this test to use; she’s currently eight months pregnant and still teaches ten classes a week. However, she’s had to adjust her routine in order to give her pregnant body more time to recover post work-out.

“If I taught two hours one day, then I’d make sure within that same 24-hour period to find two hours where I’m sitting, relaxing with a heating pad, doing administrative duties or watching TV,” Vortmann said. “You have to do complete rest to match the same time as exercise.”

In her sculpting classes, Vortmann advises pregnant women to avoid laying on their backs or bellies, and to steer clear of twisting motions in the second or third trimester. But at spin, the adjustments are even more minimal.

“There is no twisting and no lying flat on back on the bike, so two things you don’t have to worry about,” Vortmann said. “The biggest thing is that your handle bars will need to start moving up as your pregnancy increases.”

Mitchell attended spinning class five days a week while she was pregnant and said the side effects she suffered during pregnancy were minimal. Even better: She felt it made delivery easier.

“I pushed for three hours and during those three hours, it honestly felt like a really hard work out. I think being able to control your breathing when working out and being able to focus really helps during labor,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell’s son was born on November 8, 2013 – and she was back in the spin studio just two weeks later.

“Women who undergo a cesarean birth typically are told to refrain from exercise for six weeks so that enough time for internal healing can occur,” Stone said. “On the other hand, with a vaginal birth, a woman can start exercise as soon as she feels ready, barring any other complications.”

By the time her son was 2 1/2 months old, the 25 pounds of baby weight Mitchell had put on during pregnancy were gone.

“I think that whatever you can find that helps you feel good on a daily basis when your body is changing – whether spinning, running, yoga, whatever you enjoy – it’s your time to be on your own and focusing on you and your body. Because when you have the baby it’s not about you anymore,” Mitchell said.

Amanda Woerner - Fox News

Mouse Study Reveals New Secrets of Fertilization

British researchers discover receptors on egg cells that allow sperm to attach, fertilize egg

Scientists report they have demystified how a sperm and egg couple, with new research in mice indicating that egg cells carry a special receptor that allows sperm to attach to and fertilize eggs.

It's the correct weight gain that matters...

It's the correct weight gain that matters in pregnancy

Too much is just as unfavourable as too little - at least regarding weight gain during pregnancy. Both appear to increase the likelihood of having overweight children. This is the conclusion of a US study that was published in the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology".

Stress Doubles Risk of Infertility in Women

Women with the highest levels of stress hormone in their saliva were far more likely to fail to get pregnant within 12 months of trying

Stress doubles the risk of infertility in women, scientists have found, and have recommended yoga and mediation for those hoping to become pregnant.

2 Surgeries May Work Equally Well...

2 Surgeries May Work Equally Well for Incontinence

Doctors can choose the one they're more familiar with, expert says

Two surgeries are equally effective and safe for women who have pelvic problems that can cause pain and incontinence, say the authors of a new study.

Pelvic organ prolapse is a weakening of the pelvic organs often seen in older women and those who've given birth several times. Surgeons typically choose one of two procedures to repair the condition, but little hard data has been available to back up their choice.

This study of nearly 400 women at nine U.S. medical centers found comparable success rates for both vaginal procedures.

"The two surgeries to correct apical prolapse performed equally, and that will allow specialists in this area to tailor the individual operation to a patient's specific needs using either of the surgeries," said study author Dr. Matthew Barber, professor of surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

Barber said the second message that came out of the study was that Kegel-type pelvic muscle exercises seem to offer no extra benefits as an addition to surgery.

The study included 374 women who underwent procedures between 2008 and 2013. The participants were randomly assigned to one of two surgery groups -- either sacrospinous ligament fixation or uterosacral ligament suspension. Both involve stitching the top of the vagina to ligaments inside the pelvic cavity.

After surgery, half of the women also received either behavioral therapy that included exercises to help strengthen muscles that support the uterus, bladder and rectum, or typical post-surgery follow-up care.

Two years later, both procedures had about a 60 percent surgical success rate, according to the study, published in the March 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Barber, who is also vice-chair of clinical research in the Ob/Gyn and Women's Health Institute at Cleveland Clinic, said about 300,000 women undergo pelvic organ prolapse surgery every year in the United States.

Dr. Quoc-Dien Trinh, a urologic surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston who was not involved in the research, said the study was important because it compared the effectiveness of two of the most commonly performed procedures to correct apical vaginal prolapse.

"This finding is quite important as both procedures are safe and both had comparable success rates," he said. The study also showed that pelvic muscle training may only hold benefits for a small subset of patients undergoing surgery for apical vaginal prolapse, and that it's a question that needs further study, he noted.

If both surgeries work equally well, how do a surgeon and patient choose the best option? Trinh said based on the lack of evidence supporting one technique over the other, surgeons should offer their patients the technique they're most familiar with and comfortable performing.

From the patient's perspective, an important factor will be the consideration of side effects, he noted. "For example, the rate of neurologic pain requiring intervention was higher in the [sacrospinous ligament fixation] group," Trinh said. But ureteral obstruction -- a blockage in one or both tubes (ureters) that lead from the kidneys to the bladder -- was only seen in the [uterosacral ligament suspension] group.

"Patients should choose the approach they are most comfortable with, given the potential adverse outcomes of each," said Trinh.

Barber said in some cases a surgeon might make the call in the operating room, after starting surgery. Knowing both procedures are equally effective and safe is reassuring and allows the surgeon to provide the best option, he explained.

Barber said he hopes the study will also bring attention to an issue a lot of women live with but hesitate to seek treatment for because they believe there are no solutions.

"It's a condition that's very common. Studies like this not only provide us with useful information but they raise awareness, and patients may be more likely to bring it up with their doctors," Barber said.

Mary Brophy Marcus - WebMD

Home Births Four Times as Risky...

Home Births Four Times as Risky US Researchers Warn

Babies are four times more likely to die being delivered at home than they are in hospital, according to new research.

Pregnant Mother's Fatty Diet,,,

Pregnant Mother's Fatty Diet 'May Alter Baby's Brain'

A high-fat diet during pregnancy has the potential to alter a baby's developing brain and increase its chances of obesity later in life, animal studies suggest.

Importance of Mammograms

However, review didn't include women in their 40s, so debate may not end

Often-conflicting results from studies on the value of routine mammography have only fueled the debate about how often women should get a mammogram and at what age they should start.