Pregnancy and Childbirth News

September 23, 2023

Top Headlines

Exposure to Plasticizers in Pregnancy Associated With Smaller Volumetric Measures in the Brain and Lower IQ in Children

Sep. 20, 2023 — A study with 775 mother-child pairs in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) finds an association with maternal exposure to certain plasticizers (phthalates) and smaller volumetric measures in the brain of ...

Placenta Holds Answers to Many Unexplained Pregnancy Losses

Sep. 19, 2023 — Researchers have shown that placental examination resulted in the accurate pathologic determination of more than 90% of previously unexplained pregnancy losses, a discovery that they say may inform pregnancy care going ...

Mature Sperm Lack Intact Mitochondrial DNA

Sep. 18, 2023 — New research provides insight about the bedrock scientific principle that mitochondrial DNA -- the distinct genetic code embedded in the organelle that serves as the powerplant of every cell in the body -- is exclusively passed down by the ...

In Major Breakthrough, Researchers Close in on Potential Preeclampsia Cure

Sep. 15, 2023 — Researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough in identifying the primary cause and potential treatment for preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy complication. Experts pinpointed a toxic protein named cis P-tau in the blood and placenta of ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:00pm EDT

New Ways to Predict Outcomes of Pregnancies With Fetal Growth Problems

Sep. 15, 2023 — Scientists have developed new methods to predict outcomes for pregnancies where there are issues with poor growth of the baby inside the ...

When It Comes to Starting a Family, Timing Is Everything

Sep. 14, 2023 — A new review of methods to increase chances of successful conception suggests that timed intercourse using urine ovulation tests probably improves live birth and pregnancy rates in women under 40 who ...

Malnutrition Early in Life Sets Stage for Poor Growth and Early Death

Sep. 13, 2023 — Malnutrition affects babies much earlier than thought, and more nutritional support is needed for mothers-to-be and their newborns to prevent disease, impaired cognition and death, according to new ...

Exposure to Air Pollution While in the Womb Is Linked to Adverse Changes in Cell Processes in New-Born Babies

Sep. 12, 2023 — Exposure to air pollution while in the womb is linked to alterations in proteins that can be detected after a baby is born, and which affect cell ...

Mums Exposed to Air Pollution Give Birth to Smaller Babies, but Living in a Greener Area May Mitigate the Risks

Sep. 7, 2023 — Women exposed to air pollution give birth to smaller babies, according to new research. The research also shows that women living in greener areas ...

Intellectual Disability More Common in Families With Substance Use Disorder

Sep. 7, 2023 — Children of a parent with alcohol or drug use disorder have a greater risk of intellectual disability, even if the problem only lies with the father, researchers report. According to the study, ...

Di-Isononyl Phthalate Disrupts Pregnancy in Mice, Study Finds

Sep. 1, 2023 — In a new study, researchers used mice to understand how DiNP affects ...

Study Reveals Important Associations Between Gut Microbiome and Eczema in Infancy

Aug. 30, 2023 — A new study has revealed important associations between the gut microbiome and eczema in ...

With Advances in in Vitro Models, Group Proposes Refined Legal Definition of an Embryo

Aug. 17, 2023 — Thanks to continuous advances in human stem cell research, studies that make use of embryo models are progressing quickly. This research offers both ...

COVID-19 Vaccination and Boosting During Pregnancy Benefits Pregnant People and Newborns

Aug. 11, 2023 — Receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine or booster during pregnancy can benefit pregnant people and their newborn infants, according to new ...

Earlier Headlines

Summaries
Headlines

Sugars in Breastmilk Could Help Treat Infections, Prevent Preterm Births

Aug. 9, 2023 — Breastfeeding has long been used as a method to help keep newborns healthy and protected against a variety of diseases. But certain sugars naturally found in breastmilk could also help prevent ...

A Mother's Diet Can Protect Her Grandchildren's Brains: Genetic Model Study

Aug. 3, 2023 — Mothers who eat apples and herbs in early pregnancy could be protecting the brain health of their children and grandchildren, a study using genetic models has found. The discovery is part of a ...

Researchers Find Drugs That Reduce Infant Death May Lead to Long-Term Health Issues

Aug. 2, 2023 — Corticosteroids are used to increase very preterm infant survival rates and reduce health issues, however the effects on the infant's long-term health have not been well understood, particularly ...

Modifications to Amino Acids in Sperm Could Be Behind Infertility

July 31, 2023 — Researchers are delving into the molecular-level details of sperm formation, with a particular focus on how abnormalities in this process might lead to male-factor ...

Unlocking a Mystery of Fetal Development

July 28, 2023 — A new study of cadmium in pregnant women yields crucial insights into the placenta's role in regulating toxin ...

New Drug Delivery System Shows Promise in Treatment of Life-Threatening Pregnancy Condition

July 24, 2023 — Researchers have developed a drug delivery system that shows promise for greatly enhancing the efficacy of the medicine given to women with the life-threatening condition of ectopic ...

Hardship Affects the Gut Microbiome Across Generations

July 21, 2023 — A new study has shown that hardship experienced by mothers during their own childhood or during pregnancy is reflected in the composition of their 2-year-old children's gut microbiome. It was ...

Researchers Generate Human Embryo-Like Structures That Include Extraembryonic Tissue

July 20, 2023 — Gastrulation, the process where an embryo reorganizes itself from a hollow sphere into a multilayered structure, is considered a 'black box' of human development. This is because human ...

Exposure to Antiseizure Medications Does Not Harm Neurological Development in Young Children

July 19, 2023 — Young children who were exposed to commonly-prescribed anti-seizure medications in utero do not have worse neurodevelopmental outcomes than children of women who do not take anti-seizure ...

In Rats, Loss of Immune Cells Leads Non-Moms to Care for Newborns

July 19, 2023 — Immune system changes in the pregnant body that protect the fetus appear to extend to the brain, where a decrease in immune cells late in gestation may factor into the onset of maternal behavior, new ...

More Than Just Lifestyle and Genes: New Factor Influencing Excess Body Weight Discovered

July 19, 2023 — What determines whether we become overweight? Aside from lifestyle, predisposition plays a role, but genes cannot fully explain the inherited propensity to accumulate excess weight. A new study shows ...

Researchers Map Morphing Placenta

July 19, 2023 — Researchers lead a study showing the cellular detail of how the placenta changes during ...

Bacterial Protein Found in the Urogenital Tract May Contribute to Reduced Fertility, Birth Defects

July 17, 2023 — A team of researchers published new findings that emphasize the crucial role of the urinary and genital tract microbiota in adverse pregnancy outcomes and genomic instability that originate in the ...

Researchers develop AI Model to Better Predict Which Drugs May Cause Birth Defects

July 17, 2023 — Data scientists have created an artificial intelligence model that may more accurately predict which existing medicines, not currently classified as harmful, may in fact lead to congenital ...

Lipid Test Can Reveal Risk of Preeclampsia, a Potentially Deadly Pregnancy Complication

July 14, 2023 — Complications from preeclampsia are the second-leading cause of maternal death around the ...

Study Quantifies Long Term Trends in Childlessness and Infertility Treatment

July 12, 2023 — The incidence of primary involuntary childlessness, the rate of women seeking treatment for infertility, as well as the success rate of assisted reproductive technology all increased in birth cohorts ...

Caesarean Birth Injury Rates Have Risen for Mums and Babies but Training and a New Device Could Change That

July 11, 2023 — Medical researchers have reported a significant rise in cases of IFH injuries in recent years, with maternity staff implementing varied approaches and no consensus regarding the definition or ...

Maternal Dengue Fever: 'Compelling Evidence' That Even Mild Infections Impact Birth Outcomes

July 11, 2023 — Detrimental effects of all severities of maternal dengue infections on birth outcomes have been discovered in a new research ...

Unborn Babies Use 'Greedy' Gene from Dads to 'Remote-Control' Mums Into Feeding Them Extra Food

July 11, 2023 — Fetuses use a copy of a gene inherited from their dad to force their mum to release as much nutrients as possible during pregnancy, scientists have discovered. The unborn baby 'remote ...

THC Use During Pregnancy Linked to Changes in Fetal Development

July 6, 2023 — Researchers showed that consuming THC while pregnant could potentially affect development of the fetus and lead to life-long health impacts for ...

Wednesday, August 9, 2023