http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 07 Oct 2008 6:57:11 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/39305/new-prenatal-gene-test-proves-safer.html?refid=rss_all_defaultScientists have developed a prenatal test for genetic defects much safer than the ones currently in use, reports the San Jose Mercury News . Methods like amniocentesis can spot chromosomal disorders like Down Syndrome, but involve inserting a needle into the uterus, which carries close to a 1-in-200 risk of miscarriage. The new method uses advancements in DNA science and requires only a blood sample from the mother.http://www.newser.com/story/39305/new-prenatal-gene-test-proves-safer.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 07 Oct 2008 1:12:54 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38335/cloth-or-plastic-greenies-debate-the-diaper.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFor green parents, the choice between disposables or cloth diapers may seem like a catch-22. Silvia Spring weighs the issue in the Boston Globe , but finds no easy answer. While disposables produce up to 70 times more waste than cloth, the latest study concluded that disposable diapers have the same environmental impact as reusable diapers when the effect of laundering cloth diapers is taken into account.http://www.newser.com/story/38335/cloth-or-plastic-greenies-debate-the-diaper.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 27 Sep 2008 13:29:10 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38267/kidman-fertile-waters-got-me-preggers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultNicole Kidman thinks water in the Australian Outback may be the reason for her unexpected pregnancy last year, the AP reports. The 41-year-old Aussie, who gave birth to daughter Sunday Rose in July after adopting two children, said she and six other women who swam in a waterfall in Kununurra during the filming of Australia got pregnant.http://www.newser.com/story/38267/kidman-fertile-waters-got-me-preggers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 24 Sep 2008 8:48:26 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38288/mama-spears-complains-palin-celebrated-for-preggo-teen.html?refid=rss_all_defaultLynne Spears has gone on the offensive, telling Newsweek that a "hypocritical" press and public "crucified" her family when Jamie Lynn got pregnant at 16, but "celebrated" Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin for her daughter Bristol's teen pregnancy. "It's a totally different reaction."http://www.newser.com/story/38288/mama-spears-complains-palin-celebrated-for-preggo-teen.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 24 Sep 2008 10:04:49 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37853/cell-phones-linked-to-sluggish-sperm.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWould-be dads should think twice about keeping cell phones in pants pockets while using wireless headsets, CNN reports, with a small study suggesting that active phones can decrease sperm motility and viability. Semen samples exposed to a cell phone in talk mode contained higher levels of free radicals, which "have been linked to a variety of diseases in humans including cancer," a researcher said.http://www.newser.com/story/37853/cell-phones-linked-to-sluggish-sperm.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 19 Sep 2008 13:31:24 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/37074/would-be-dads-have-ticking-clock-too.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWhen a couple has trouble conceiving, don't necessarily blame the woman and her limited supply of eggs—men's fertility starts dropping even before women's, Time reports. In addition to fecundity issues, older men also risk siring children with higher rates of autism, schizophrenia, Down syndrome and bipolar disorder. Male fertility may peak as early as age 24, researchers say.http://www.newser.com/story/37074/would-be-dads-have-ticking-clock-too.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 10 Sep 2008 8:08:58 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34788/fda-rules-block-import-of-prized-danish-sperm.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFDA rules banning European sperm imports are driving some would-be American mothers to desperation, the Washington Post reports. Sperm from Danish donors used to be a popular import. But regulations to safeguard the US from a human form of Mad Cow disease have shut down the supply and sperm banks are running low. Critics say the policy is unreasonable.http://www.newser.com/story/34788/fda-rules-block-import-of-prized-danish-sperm.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 12 Aug 2008 23:57:17 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33939/15m-twins-debut-monday.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe world will see the first images of Knox and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt on Monday. People and  Hello! magazines teamed up to win the bidding war for exclusive rights to the photos by offering $11 million to $15 million, the New York Post reports. Though initial reports speculated the price could go as high as $20 million, that's a still a record.http://www.newser.com/story/33939/15m-twins-debut-monday.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 01 Aug 2008 8:33:18 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33238/soy-based-foods-might-be-reducing-sperm-count.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSoy-based foods could be the root of lower sperm counts in men, a new study finds. Men who consumed more than two portions of soy-based foods a week had, on average, 41 million fewer sperm per milliliter of semen than men who avoided such products. The cheap source of protein has become more prevalent in Western diets in recent years, the Guardian notes.http://www.newser.com/story/33238/soy-based-foods-might-be-reducing-sperm-count.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Jul 2008 11:50:39 CDT