Childbirth News and Research

Latest Childbirth News and Research

Voters fret high medical bills are being ignored by presidential rivals

Tom Zawierucha, 58, a building services worker in New Jersey, wishes candidates would talk more about protecting older Americans from big medical bills.

24 Oct 2024

Exploring the role of gut microbes in the aging process

Aging is a universal and complex process affecting all organisms, characterized by several genetic hallmarks such as telomere attrition, genomic instability, and epigenetic changes.

9 Oct 2024

Fear of childbirth may affect duration of breastfeeding

The duration of breastfeeding is shorter than average among mothers with a fear of childbirth - regardless of the mode of delivery, a new study from Finland shows.

7 Oct 2024

Research highlights impact of body weight on pregnancy outcomes

Overweight is a major contributor to complications during pregnancy and childbirth – this applies to both women born in Sweden and women who have moved here, something that has not been well researched so far. Interventions that promote a healthy weight have the potential to prevent complications for all women, the researchers conclude.

3 Oct 2024

Vance-Walz debate highlighted clear health policy differences

Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz met in an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News that was cordial and heavy on policy discussion — a striking change from the Sept. 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

2 Oct 2024

Discovery of cyclotide from violets enhances glioblastoma chemotherapy

Glioblastoma is one of the most serious brain diseases known. More than 45% of brain cancers are gliomas.

30 Sep 2024

Family physicians in rural hospitals and their impact on cesarean delivery rates

The U.S. is experiencing a maternal health crisis, particularly in rural areas. This issue is compounded by rising rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality.

24 Sep 2024

Simple intervention can prevent lifelong disability in premature babies

Giving women at risk of premature birth a simple magnesium sulphate infusion (or 'drip') can prevent their babies from developing cerebral palsy, a recent Cochrane review has confirmed. The drug itself costs approximately £5 (~$6.50) per dose in England, and requires hospital admission with experienced staff to administer the drug safely to the mother.

24 Sep 2024

Investigating risks of postpartum hemorrhage treatment on future pregnancies

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a serious condition where a woman experiences significant blood loss after giving birth.

20 Sep 2024

Casual blood glucose test misses majority of gestational diabetes cases

When screening pregnant women for gestational diabetes, casual blood glucose testing misses 70% of the cases.

18 Sep 2024

Newly discovered mechanism could revolutionize infertility care by promoting embryo implantation

A team from Kumamoto University has uncovered a new mechanism that could revolutionize infertility care by promoting embryo implantation.

18 Sep 2024

Research reveals only a few brain regions remain untouched by transition to motherhood

Research shows pregnancy triggers neuroanatomical changes in the brain, with decreased cortical volume and increased white matter integrity over gestation.

17 Sep 2024

Study reveals key bacteria for developing personalized probiotics for newborns

Newborn babies have one of three pioneer bacteria in their gut shortly after birth, one of which could be used to develop new personalized infant therapeutic probiotics, researchers show.

6 Sep 2024

Errors in Deloitte-run Medicaid systems can cost millions and take years to fix

The computer systems run by the consulting giant Deloitte that millions of Americans rely on for Medicaid and other government benefits are prone to errors that can take years and hundreds of millions of dollars to update.

5 Sep 2024

Breast cancer rises among Asian American and Pacific Islander women

Christina Kashiwada was traveling for work during the summer of 2018 when she noticed a small, itchy lump in her left breast.

4 Sep 2024

Research reveals impact of heatwaves on perinatal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa

Heatwaves in sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to become more common due to climate change. A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and others, published in Nature Medicine, reveals a worrying correlation between high temperatures in the final week of pregnancy and an increased risk of stillbirth and early neonatal mortality.

3 Sep 2024

UCSF favors pricey doctoral program for nurse-midwives amid maternal care crisis

One of California's two programs for training nurse-midwives has stopped admitting students while it revamps its curriculum to offer only doctoral degrees, a move that's drawn howls of protest from alumni, health policy experts, and faculty who accuse the University of California of putting profits above public health needs.

3 Sep 2024

Exclusive breastfeeding aids postpartum weight loss

A KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) study[1] on breastfeeding practices revealed that among the women who exclusively breastfed, those with high body mass index[2] (BMI) before pregnancy lost more weight than women with a healthy BMI pre-pregnancy.

27 Aug 2024

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

In this interview, we explore global and local efforts to combat viral hepatitis with Lindsey Hiebert, Deputy Director of the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination (CGHE), and James Amugsi, a Mandela Washington Fellow and Physician Assistant at Sandema Hospital in Ghana. Together, they provide valuable insights into the challenges, successes, and the importance of partnerships in the fight against hepatitis.

20 Aug 2024

Study suggests maternal adverse childhood experiences may become biologically embedded

Researchers investigated the transfer of biological embedding of life experience across generations by evaluating traumatic childhood experiences of mothers and epigenetic clocks in pregnant mothers and their newborn offspring.

13 Aug 2024