Childbirth News and Research

Latest Childbirth News and Research

Antenatal depression on the rise in low and middle-income countries, study shows

Women in low and medium-income countries struggle with many health issues in pregnancy and childbirth, but little attention is given to antenatal depression - which is on the rise in many developing countries, new PLOS ONE paper shows.

21 Jan 2020

Superdrug launches new initiative to encourage expectant parents to quit smoking

Superdrug is the first high street retailer to support the NHS drive to encourage expectant parents to quit smoking by increasing accessibility to smoking cessation products and advice.

10 Jan 2020

Timing is key: preventing infant SHIV infection by PEP

Researchers tested methods to prevent development of SHIV, an infection similar to HIV, in infant macaque monkeys.

9 Jan 2020

Childbirth education classes may help pregnant women have successful vaginal deliveries

Participating in childbirth classes may help women have normal vaginal deliveries, according to a study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics.

8 Jan 2020

Medicaid expansion improves postpartum coverage and use of outpatient care

Study comparing Utah and Colorado finds Medicaid expansion helped prevent new mothers from losing coverage to the "postpartum coverage cliff," with implications for reducing maternal mortality.

7 Jan 2020

Study reveals the staggering cost of childbirth

One of the most expensive parts of having a baby may involve the birth itself, a new Michigan Medicine study suggests.

6 Jan 2020

Uterine balloon tamponade is almost 86% effective in preventing maternal mortality from hemorrhaging

According to the World Health Organization's latest statistics, from 2017, more than 800 women around the world die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth -- the vast majority of them in resource-poor areas.

6 Jan 2020

Coping with loss of hospital, rural town realizes: We don’t need a hospital

Dr. Max Self grabbed a sanitary wipe and cleaned off the small flashlight in his hands. More than 20 years as a family doctor in rural Fort Scott, Kan., has taught him a few tricks: "I've got my flashlight. See? Look, you want to hold it?"

26 Dec 2019

Pilot study to explore vaginal birth-induced pelvic floor injury and recovery

If a new mother sustains an injury to her levator ani muscle--the main muscle supporting the pelvic floor--during vaginal childbirth, that woman is at risk of developing a pelvic floor disorder. Such an injury can have a substantial impact on a woman's quality of life.

22 Dec 2019

Yang and Sanders use maternal mortality stats to talk about race

In an exchange about racial inequality at December's Democratic presidential primary debate, businessman Andrew Yang highlighted jaw-droppingly different health outcomes between black and white women, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders picked up that thread.

20 Dec 2019

Almost one in two Americans will be obese by 2030

A shocking new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health reveals that by 2030, just a decade away, almost half of all Americans will be suffering from obesity – making this the biggest epidemic ever in history. And that’s not all – half of these obese individuals will be severely obese, or, to put it in simple terms, they will be over their expected weight by more than 100 pounds.

19 Dec 2019

Pregnant women living with HIV may not receive the recommended treatment

Pregnant women with HIV may not receive medications that are in line with current recommendations, according to a recent study.

18 Dec 2019

Minority stress adds an extra layer to fear of childbirth

In order to help people with fear of childbirth, there must be trust between the patient and the healthcare staff. But for many lesbian and bisexual women and transgender people, this trust never develops. These are the results of a study in the journal Midwifery from researchers at Linköping University.

16 Dec 2019

It’s not just you: Picking health insurance is hard. Here’s how to be smart about it.

Science has proved, no kidding around: Picking health insurance is extremely hard.

9 Dec 2019

Black mothers get less treatment for postpartum depression than other moms

Portia Smith’s most vivid memories of her daughter’s first year are of tears. Not the baby’s. Her own.

6 Dec 2019

Preterm birth could be spotted early by ultrasound

A new presentation at the 178th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in San Diego will report on ultrasound as used in pregnancy, especially with respect to the comparison of two sets of data derived from two separate ultrasound techniques to evaluate cervical changes. The researchers claim that both ultrasound techniques help to estimate the attenuation coefficient of human cervical tissue, and to thus assess changes in it, providing a better picture of the true risk for preterm birth thereby.

4 Dec 2019