Researchers have found a new role for the transcription factor (proteins that regulate the transcription, or copying, of genes). In the fruit fly, this transcription factor, named Traffic Jam, activates a non-coding piRNA gene named...
Researchers have identified nearly 300 genetic disorders that can be treated before or immediately after a baby is born. This 'treatable fetal findings list' could improve the diagnosis of genetic conditions in pregnancy and enhance the...
Organoids have revolutionized science and medicine, providing platforms for disease modeling, drug testing, and understanding developmental processes. While not exact replicas of human organs, they offer significant insights. Scientists...
A newly published study found that a mother's exposure to phthalates during pregnancy can affect their newborn's metabolism and brain development. These widely used plasticizers are commonly found in a variety of cosmetics and personal...
A research group has uncovered a potential mechanism linking maternal inflammation to delayed neurodevelopment in infants. The research suggests the role of CD11c-positive microglia -- immune cells in the brain crucial for myelination --...
In 2010, a researcher was pouring over research data when he discovered something he thought was odd: His data showed that at 6 months of age, formula-fed babies born of mothers who were categorized as medically obese weighed about 5%...
Mothers experience major metabolic adaptations during pregnancy and lactation to support the development and growth of the new life. Although many metabolic changes have been studied, body temperature regulation and environmental...
The success of in vitro fertilization depends on many factors, one of which is sperm viability. A recent study documents a new way to select viable sperm and prolong their viability in the laboratory, reducing one source of variability...
Using CRISPR-based engineering methods to prompt stem cells to organize into embryo-like structures, scientists were able to create 'programmable' cellular models of embryos without ever experimenting with any actual embryos.
Researchers have found that the small intestine grows in response to pregnancy in mice. This partially irreversible change may help mice support a pregnancy and prepare for a second.
Women with blood pressure levels in a range considered clinically normal during pregnancy but no mid-pregnancy drop in blood pressure face an increased risk of developing hypertension in the five years after giving birth. These women --...
The Zika virus builds tiny tunnels, called tunneling nanotubes, to stealthily transport material needed to infect nearby cells, including in placental cells, according to a team of researchers from Penn State and Baylor College of...
The oxytocin system -- which helps release breast milk and strengthens the bond between mother and baby -- may be affected during breastfeeding in mothers experiencing postnatal depression.
When mothers eat a diet high in fat and sugars, their unborn babies can develop liver stress that continues into early life. A new study sheds light on changes to the fetus's bile acid, which affects how liver disease develops and...
Researchers found new insights on the timing of prenatal stress and its effect on infant stress reactivity and temperament -- including differences between genders.
Higher levels of the minerals copper and manganese in pregnant women were associated with lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure decades later, according to a long-term study.
Oxytocin, a hormone already known for its role in childbirth, milk release, and mother-infant bonding, may have a newfound purpose in mammalian reproduction. In times of maternal stress, the hormone can delay an embryo's development for...
Researchers found that TEX38 and ZDHHC19 co-localize on the plasma membrane of spermatids and mediate S-palmitoylation of ARRDC5, a crucial protein for spermatogenesis. Disrupting either TEX38 or ZDHHC19 inhibited cytoplasm removal from...
A research team has uncovered how a naturally occurring biological mechanism found in mammals is able to prevent sperm cells from interacting with an egg, preventing fertilization. The discovery, identified in rodent models, offers a new...
New research reveals that a mother's diet during pregnancy -- characterized by a Western dietary pattern high in fat and sugar and low in fresh ingredients -- may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and autism...
Identifying and treating risk factors for depression, anxiety and other psychological health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum may improve short- and long-term health outcomes for both mother and child, according to a new...
A healthy diet in early pregnancy supports the child's motor development at the age of 5-6 years. Higher maternal body fat mass, on the other hand, has an adverse effect on the child's motor development.
Fetal acetaminophen exposure increases the likelihood that a child will develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study.
In a study measuring neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions and satellite-based air pollution data, newborns exposed to higher levels of NO2 have a 30-35% higher risk of NICU admission and an 11-22% increased risk associated with...
Getting at least 30 minutes of daily summer sun in the first year of life may mean a lower relapse risk for children who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) later, according to a new study. The study also found if a child's...
A new blood test has an 80% accuracy in predicting preterm preeclampsia, according to a new study. The condition, which results in over 70,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal deaths each year worldwide, has long been hard to predict.
Children exposed to second-hand smoke at home are more likely to show certain changes in the epigenome, which can alter the way genes are expressed. These epigenetic changes could influence the development of diseases in the future.
New research has found exposure to outdoor air pollution and extreme temperatures during pregnancy may increase the risk of prolonged pregnancy, offering new insights into the impact of climate change on maternal health.
Women who have experienced pregnancy complications have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study shows that sisters of women with complicated pregnancies are also at higher risk, even if they had uncomplicated...
A new drug delivery system shows promise for treating a rare, aggressive form of cancer affecting pregnant women and new mothers, and it has potential with other cancers as well.
A new study has uncovered potential risks, including impaired fetal growth, associated with the use of both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, as well as CBD, during pregnancy.
The existing prediction models for severe complications of preeclampsia are most accurate only in the two days after hospital admission, with deteriorating performance over time, according to a new study.
Maternal stress could leave epigenetic imprints on genes in the placenta associated with cortisol -- a necessary hormone for fetal development -- and this would affect the baby's development from very early stages. The study suggests...
A new study finds that pregnant individuals who were unable to have their desired emotional support persons present during childbirth were more likely to have higher levels of perceived childbirth stress than those who were not missing...
The risk of being admitted to the hospital with heart disease is twice as high the year after birth for mothers of twins compared to singleton births, according to new research. The risk is even higher in mothers of twins who had a high...
Maternal vitamin D levels in the first trimester were related to both prenatal growth and pregnancy outcomes, according to a new study. Low vitamin D levels during the first trimester of pregnancy were associated with higher rates of...
Researchers have made new discoveries about amniotic fluid, a substance historically not well understood in medical research due to the difficulty in obtaining it during pregnancy, especially across gestation. The multidisciplinary...
While many studies have reported a link between a mother's health condition during pregnancy and her child's risk of autism, a new study shows that nearly all of these 'associations' can otherwise be explained by factors such as...
By analyzing almost 10,000 pregnancies, researchers discovered previously unidentified combinations of risk factors linked to serious negative pregnancy outcomes, finding that there may be up to a tenfold difference in risk for infants...
Cancer symptoms can sometimes be misdiagnosed as normal pregnancy-related changes for women who are expecting, in some cases leading to a delay in treatment, according to a new study.
Women who go on to develop postpartum depression (PPD) may have characteristic levels of neuroactive steroids, molecules derived from the hormone progesterone, in their blood during the third trimester of pregnancy, according to a new...
A new study has highlighted the potential of resveratrol, a natural compound found in grapes, blueberries, and raspberries, to enhance female fertility. The systematic review found that resveratrol can improve the quantity and quality of...
Labor and delivery units that are adequately staffed by nurses have lower cesarean birth rates, according to new research published in the journal Nursing Outlook.