Pregnancy and Childbirth News

March 23, 2025

Top Headlines

Scientists Use Cellular Programming to Mimic First Days of Embryonic Development

Mar. 20, 2025 — 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 ...

Pregnancy Irreversibly Remodels the Mouse Intestine

Mar. 19, 2025 — 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 ...

Blood Pressure Patterns During Pregnancy Predict Later Hypertension Risk, Study Finds

Mar. 18, 2025 — 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 ...

Oxytocin System of Breastfeeding Affected in Mothers With Postnatal Depression

Mar. 14, 2025 — 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 ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:51pm EDT

Embryo Development Holds Key to Healthy Lifestyles

Mar. 18, 2025 — Researchers have discovered that the earliest days of embryo development have a measurable impact on a person's future health and ...

Mother's High-Fat Diet Can Cause Liver Stress in Fetus

Mar. 13, 2025 — 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 ...

Study Pinpoints the Impact of Prenatal Stress Across 27 Weeks of Pregnancy

Mar. 10, 2025 — Researchers found new insights on the timing of prenatal stress and its effect on infant stress reactivity and temperament -- including differences between ...

Levels of Select Vitamins and Minerals in Pregnancy May Be Linked to Lower Midlife BP Risk

Mar. 9, 2025 — Higher levels of the minerals copper and manganese in pregnant women were associated with lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of developing high ...

Uncovering the Protein Complex Critical to Male Fertility

Mar. 3, 2025 — 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 ...

Findings May Advance Understanding of Infertility in Mothers

Mar. 5, 2025 — 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 ...

Naturally Occurring Mechanism Hampers Fertility

Mar. 3, 2025 — 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, ...

Prenatal Maternal Stressors Linked to Higher Blood Pressure During First Year After Birth, Study Shows

Mar. 4, 2025 — Psychosocial stress during pregnancy could lead to higher blood pressure during the first year postpartum according to new ...

Strong Link Between Western Diet During Pregnancy and ADHD

Mar. 3, 2025 — 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 ...

Lifestyle Choices During Pregnancy Can Impact Child's Motor Development Up to the Age of 5-6 Years

Feb. 25, 2025 — 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, ...

Tunnel-Building Virus: How Zika Transmits from Mother to Fetus

Mar. 17, 2025 — 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 ...

How Parenthood May Help Keep Your Brain Young

Feb. 26, 2025 — Researchers find that parents show patterns of brain connectivity that oppose age-related ...

Screening and Treating Maternal Psychological Health Key to Improving Cardiovascular Health

Feb. 25, 2025 — 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 ...

Child ADHD Risk Linked to Mother's Use of Acetaminophen

Feb. 20, 2025 — Fetal acetaminophen exposure increases the likelihood that a child will develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new ...

Promising Results from First Prenatal Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Feb. 19, 2025 — Scientists report results from a promising new approach to treat the rare neurodegenerative ...

Air Pollution Exposure Late in Pregnancy Increases NICU Admission Risk

Feb. 14, 2025 — 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 ...

Postpartum Depression Discovery Opens Door to Blood Test, Earlier Treatment

Feb. 13, 2025 — New postpartum depression findings could lead to a blood test to identify women at risk and possibly even to a preventive ...

More Sunshine as a Baby Linked to Less Disease Activity for Children With MS

Feb. 12, 2025 — 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. ...

New Blood Test Accurately Predicts Preeclampsia

Feb. 12, 2025 — 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 ...

Second-Hand Smoke Exposure During Childhood Leaves Its Mark on Children's DNA

Feb. 11, 2025 — 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 ...

Born Too Late? Climate Change May Be Delaying Births

Feb. 10, 2025 — 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 ...

Pregnancy Complications Linked to Cardiovascular Disease in the Family

Feb. 7, 2025 — 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, ...

Researchers Find Improved Method for Treating Rare, Aggressive, Pregnancy-Related Cancer

Feb. 5, 2025 — 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 ...

Is CBD Use During Pregnancy as Safe as People Think? New Study Uncovers Potential Risks to Babies

Feb. 5, 2025 — 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, ...

Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Could Leave Traces in the Placenta That Could Affect the Baby's Development

Feb. 4, 2025 — 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 ...

A Familiar Face at Childbirth Makes a Difference

Feb. 3, 2025 — 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 ...

Vitamin D Matters During First Trimester

Feb. 3, 2025 — 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 ...

Mothers of Twins Face a Higher Risk of Heart Disease in the Year After Birth

Feb. 3, 2025 — 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 ...

No Evidence That Maternal Sickness During Pregnancy Causes Autism, Study Finds

Jan. 31, 2025 — 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 ...

Researchers Identify Protective Properties of Amniotic Fluid

Jan. 31, 2025 — 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 ...