Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Elevated pregnancy blood pressure may leave lasting marks on the heart

New research from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai found that women who developed signs of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy were more likely to have residual evidence of abnormal heart structure and function up to a decade after the pregnancy.

26 Dec 2023

Sales of emergency contraception estimated to rise after the New Year holiday

Sales of emergency contraception are estimated to rise by around 10% in the US in the week after the New Year holiday, suggesting that this period is associated with increased risks of unprotected sex compared with other holidays, finds a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.

22 Dec 2023

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': 2023 is a wrap

Even without covid dominating the headlines, 2023 was a busy year for health policy.

21 Dec 2023

Shedding light on heat stress during pregnancy with £1.4 million Wellcome Trust grant

Researchers from the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia (MRCG) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) will continue to evaluate the mechanisms behind the acute and chronic effects of extreme heat on expectant mothers and their unborn children, as part of a £1.4m grant from the Wellcome Trust.

20 Dec 2023

New models identify pregnant women at risk of missing crucial prenatal care

Socioeconomic factors, like education and location, can affect access to life-saving prenatal care services.

20 Dec 2023

How a malaria drug may hold the key to ending malnutrition's cycle of devastation

Wars, drought, displacement, and instability are causing a dramatic increase in the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women around the world who suffer from malnutrition.

20 Dec 2023

UW-Madison technology unveils autism gene's impact on early brain structure

Technology developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison to grow "rosettes" of brain and spinal tissue gives scientists new ways to study the growing human brain, including a recent study of how genetic mutations linked to autism affect early stages of human brain development.

20 Dec 2023

Mediterranean diet boosts IVF success

Adjuvant therapies to help infertile women conceive by IVF - especially those whose treatments have been unsuccessful in the past - are now a common feature both before and during the treatment cycle.

20 Dec 2023

New doula benefit ‘life-changing’ for California mom

When Mia Bloomer found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, she wanted a different birth experience. She wanted to feel empowered, informed, and heard — elements she found lacking during her earlier births.

19 Dec 2023

Study suggests alcohol impairs face asymmetry detection, but perceptual distortion does not contribute to the ‘beer goggles'

Researchers examined the impact of real-world alcoholism on judgments of facial attractivity and symmetry across a single set of face stimuli.

19 Dec 2023

Maternal microbiome's pivotal role in shaping fetal and neonatal immune systems during pregnancy

Review in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology explores how the maternal microbiome during pregnancy influences the immune systems of the mother, fetus, and neonate, highlighting its impact on long-term health outcomes and the development of pregnancy complications.

18 Dec 2023

Spinal cord treatment offers relief and sensation to lower limb amputees

Researchers from the USA used commercially available electrodes for closed-loop spinal cord stimulation in three individuals with transtibial amputation.

18 Dec 2023

UVA biomedical engineer unveils hidden immune symphony during pregnancy

Sepideh Dolatshahi, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia, is spearheading an exploration of systems immunology in its crucial development phase -; during pregnancy.

15 Dec 2023

Exposure to phthalates linked to lower probability of getting pregnant

Exposure to phthalates, a group of plasticizing and solvent chemicals found in many household products, was linked to a lower probability of getting pregnant, but not to pregnancy loss, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst environmental and reproductive epidemiologist.

15 Dec 2023

Fetal macrosomia may be linked to overweight and obesity in early childhood

A new study published in the Journal Reproductive and Developmental Medicine (RDM) has found a strong association between fetal macrosomia (high birth weight) and overweight and obesity in early childhood among the U.S.-born children aged 2-6 years.

15 Dec 2023

Fetal hormone GDF15 linked to nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

Study finds that high levels of the fetal hormone GDF15 in mothers are linked to an increased risk of nausea, vomiting, and hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnancy, offering new insights into the condition's etiology.

14 Dec 2023

How safe are GLP-1R agonists in early pregnancy?

JAMA Internal Medicine study examines the safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists and other second-line antidiabetic medications during early pregnancy, finding no significant increase in congenital anomalies compared to insulin use.

14 Dec 2023

High insulin response can be your health ally, study says

Researchers at Sinai Health have unearthed vital information about the relationship between insulin levels after eating and long-term heart and metabolic health.

13 Dec 2023

Paternal alcohol consumption prior to conception can have a negative effect on fetal development

Researchers at Texas A&M University have already shown that paternal drinking habits prior to conception can have a negative effect on fetal development -; with semen from men who regularly consume alcohol impacting placenta development, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)-associated brain and facial defects, and even IVF outcomes.

13 Dec 2023

Advancements in food allergy research promise improved diagnosis and treatment options

A review in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology discusses the global trends in food allergy prevalence, with stabilization in developed regions and an increase in developing countries, alongside advancements in understanding the mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of food allergies.

13 Dec 2023