Pregnant women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their babies face increased risks and complications compared to pregnant women without IBD. Those are the findings from a new study that examined outcomes of more than 8 million...
People who live in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods are about 20 percent less likely to conceive in any given menstrual cycle compared with people living in neighborhoods with more resources, a recent study found.
A diet high in sugar and fat such as burgers, fries and fizzy drinks can negatively affect a new mother's breast milk and baby's health even before the child is conceived, a new study has found.
Differences in the growth, weight, and body fat levels of children conceived through fertility treatment are small, and no longer apparent by late adolescence, finds new research. The study sought to address concerns around whether...
Vaccination against COVID-19 had no impact on the health of placentas in pregnant women, according to new research. The findings further emphasize the safety of vaccination during pregnancy for babies and pregnant women, the...
SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, but only for women infected in their final trimester, according to researchers. The study of over 5,000 pregnant women is one of the first to look at pregnancy...
Spontaneous errors in the earliest phase of cell division may be the reason why so many human embryos fail to develop normally, according to new research.
A new study provides robust evidence to support diversifying the healthcare workforce as a remedy for addressing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, and a call to action to improve maternal health. The researchers...
T-cells, immune cells that normally protect us, appear to play a key role in the development of preeclampsia, says a young scientist who wants to find a better way to intervene in the syndrome that can have lifelong consequences for...
A groundbreaking study has uncovered 14,000 unique sites in DNA that together form the most elementary blueprint for embryogenesis -- the creation of embryos.
The dissolution of Roe v. Wade is expected to lead to abortion bans or severe restrictions in as many as 28 states. These new restrictions may have life-changing and even life-threatening consequences in these states for women of...
Health economics researchers have confirmed a causal relationship between lead-in-water and adverse fetal health outcomes. Although many studies have found a correlation between lead exposure and health, a causal link had been lacking in...
During sperm production, an enormous amount of DNA has to be packed into a very small space without breaking anything. A central role is played by certain proteins around which the DNA thread is wrapped -- the protamines. A recent study...
Pregnant women who were exposed to multiple phthalates during pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth, according to new research. Phthalates are chemicals used in personal care products, such as cosmetics, as well as in...
Researchers found that high dose nitric oxide given to pregnant women with severe COVID-19 pneumonia resulted in reductions in the need for supplemental oxygen as well as in hospital and ICU lengths of stay, with no adverse events...
Researchers identified significant changes to the infant gut microbiome of mice associated with maternal exposure to oxycodone, a commonly used and abused opioid.
One often thinks that the early embryo is fragile and needs support. However, at the earliest stages of development, it has the power to feed the future placenta and instructs the uterus so that it can nest. Using 'blastoids', in vitro...
Screening sperm may help identify potentially harmful new genetic mutations and help fertility specialists prevent them from being passed on to offspring, shows a preliminary study.
Taking Vitamin D supplements during pregnancy could substantially reduce the chances of babies up to a year old suffering from atopic eczema, according to a new study.
Scientists have discovered a new way to interpret unsolved Mendelian diseases -- diseases inherited from either parent due to gene mutations in the developing egg or sperm -- through studying the inheritance of a protein known as...
Researchers compared maternal mortality data from 2018-March 2020, when the pandemic began, to April-December 2020. Overall, they found large increases in maternal death (33%) and late maternal deaths (41%) after March 2020 compared with...
A new study found that miscarriage risk in North America increased by 44 percent in late August, compared to late February, indicating the need to explore possible links between extreme heat and pregnancy loss.
The increased use of contraception in many countries is not because more women at any moment want to delay pregnancy or have no further children. Instead, it is because contraception is helping more women achieve their childbearing...
A new study provides additional evidence that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps protect babies younger than 6 months from being hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Scientists have found that a midgestation increase in the hormone leptin, which most of us associate with appetite suppression, produces problematic blood vessel dysfunction and restriction of the baby's growth in preeclampsia that put...
A political science professor argues that much of the official language around older motherhood is rooted in both ageism and ableism, as well as being out of step with current childbirth trends. The average age of childbirth has been...
Seven out of 10 pregnant women were cured of their multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and delivered healthy babies after taking a medication that had previously been considered unsafe in pregnancy, a new study has found.
There are 3,500 sleep-related infant deaths in the United States each year. Many of those deaths are preventable, and the authors of the new guidelines are urging parents to take simple steps to help keep their children safe.
Scientists say for non-pregnant, otherwise healthy Americans, vitamins are a waste of money because there isn't enough evidence they help prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer. They've written an editorial in support of new...
A common hormone disorder among women of reproductive age has been linked to an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events and pregnancy outcomes at the time of birth, according to a new study.
Scientists have identified the biochemical signals that control the emergence of the body pattern in the primate embryo. This will guide work to understand birth defects and pregnancy loss in humans.
During recent decades, the rate of infertility among women in the United States has remained largely the same, according to researchers. Their new analysis of data collected from 1995 and 2019 found that infertility is more common among...
Valproic acid -- a drug used to treat epilepsy, migraine, and bipolar disorder -- can cause birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Now, a study reveals one reason why: valproic acid (VPA) puts some cells of the developing nervous...
Researchers have used genetics to analyze coffee drinking behavior, and their findings show limited coffee consumption during pregnancy didn't increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.
Transplanting a uterus is an effective, safe method to remedy infertility when a functioning uterus is lacking. This is the conclusion from a thorough study of uterine transplantation.
A woman's risk of suffering one of the most common types of miscarriages can be predicted based on a specialized analysis of her genome, according to a new study.
New research offers evidence that getting a second or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the final stages of pregnancy offers protection for infants against SARS-CoV-2 infection (the virus that causes COVID-19 illness).
Pregnant women's use of alcohol correlates with that of their partner, a new study shows. Paying attention to both parents' use of alcohol may help to prevent drinking during pregnancy, as well as fetal exposure to the adverse effects of...
During pregnancy, a subtle molecular change allows immunoglobulin G -- the body's most common type of antibody -- to take on an expanded protective role. Now scientists say this natural process can be replicated to improve vaccines and...
The most effective intervention to prevent preterm birth is the administration of a natural hormone, progesterone, in patients at risk for premature delivery. Two categories of patients have been eligible for this treatment: those with a...
A new study in mice reveals how exposure to traffic-related air pollutants causes cellular changes in the placenta that can lead to pregnancy complications and affect the health of both mother and offspring.
A new study finds that asymptomatic COVID-19 infection during pregnancy could still have potential long-term consequences for a developing baby. The research shows that COVID-19 infection in pregnant mothers who were asymptomatic or had...
Researchers have taken the initial step in identifying what may be an effective way to detect gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) earlier in pregnancy, potentially improving diagnosis and treatment for what is the most common disorder of...
Breastfeeding duration is associated with improved cognitive scores at ages 5 through 14, even after controlling for socioeconomic position and maternal cognitive ability, according to a new study.