Pregnancy and Childbirth News

February 13, 2025

Top Headlines

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 worldwide, has long been hard to ...

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 change on maternal ...

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, even if they had uncomplicated pregnancies. The ...

Latest Headlines

updated 6:21pm EST

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

AI-Based Pregnancy Analysis Discovers Previously Unknown Warning Signs for Stillbirth and Newborn Complications

Jan. 30, 2025 — By analyzing almost 10,000 pregnancies, researchers discovered previously unidentified combinations of risk factors linked to serious negative ...

Delays in Cancer Diagnosis for Pregnant Women

Jan. 30, 2025 — 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 ...

Findings May Lead to Blood Test to Predict Risk of Postpartum Depression

Jan. 30, 2025 — 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 ...

Study Shows Potential of Resveratrol to Aid Fertility

Jan. 30, 2025 — 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 ...

Beneficial Prenatal Vitamins to Reduce Risk of Infant Death

Jan. 29, 2025 — Researchers publish landmark analysis on the impacts of prenatal vitamins on mothers and ...

Better Nurse Staffing Linked to Fewer C-Sections

Jan. 29, 2025 — Labor and delivery units that are adequately staffed by nurses have lower cesarean birth rates, according to new research published in the journal Nursing ...

First Mouse With Two Male Parents to Reach Adulthood

Jan. 28, 2025 — A team of stem cell scientists have successfully used embryonic stem cell engineering to create a bi-paternal mouse -- a mouse with two male parents -- that lived until adulthood. Their results ...

Uncovering the Role of Y Chromosome Genes in Male Fertility in Mice

Jan. 23, 2025 — Researchers have uncovered which genes on the Y chromosome regulate the development of sperm and impact fertility in male mice. This research could help us understand why some men don't produce ...

Exposure to Stress During Early Pregnancy Affects Offspring Into Adulthood

Jan. 22, 2025 — Maternal stress hormone levels during early pregnancy can have a lasting effect on the stress system of the offspring. The results of a long-term study on wild Assamese macaques in Thailand indicate ...

Fewer Than 1% of U.S. Clinical Drug Trials Enroll Pregnant Participants, Study Finds

Jan. 21, 2025 — A new study found that pregnant women are regularly excluded from clinical drug trials that test for safety, raising concerns for the efficacy of these medications for maternal and child ...

Excess Weight Gain in First Trimester Associated With Fetal Fat Accumulation

Jan. 17, 2025 — Fetuses of pregnant people who gained excess weight in the first trimester of pregnancy show signs of excess fat distribution in the upper arm and in the abdomen, according to a new study. These ...

How Improving Education Could Close Maternal Heart Health Gaps

Jan. 15, 2025 — Research has established a clear link between racial and ethnic disparities in maternal heart health and higher risks of preterm birth, preeclampsia and cardiovascular issues for Black and Hispanic ...

New Insights Into the Biology and Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity

Jan. 15, 2025 — A cutting-edge molecular approach provides a detailed picture of the biological pathways associated with childhood obesity and metabolic dysfunction, and identifies environmental risk factors during ...

IVF Pregnancies at Greater Risk of Exposure to Medicines That Can Harm the Fetus

Jan. 15, 2025 — A new study has revealed a potential reason why some pregnancies achieved through assisted reproductive technology (ART) may result in birth defects in comparison to naturally conceived ...

AI Could Improve the Success of IVF Treatment

Jan. 8, 2025 — Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help doctors identify follicles that are most likely to lead to the birth of a baby during IVF treatment more precisely than current ...

Ultrasound Enhances Early Pregnancy Care, Cuts Emergency Visits by 81%

Jan. 6, 2025 — A research team found that implementing point-of-care ultrasounds (POCUS) to assess the viability and gestational age of pregnancies in the first trimester enhanced care for pregnant patients and cut ...

Healthier Mothers, Healthier Babies: Iron Infusion Trial Could Transform Pregnancy Care Worldwide

Jan. 6, 2025 — A major trial has found a single iron infusion in the third trimester can significantly reduce anaemia in pregnant women and outperform the efficacy of iron tablets -- the current recommended ...

How Do MS Drugs Affect Pregnancy?

Dec. 24, 2024 — Many women are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at an age when they are considering starting a family. What does the disease and its medication mean for the child? To answer this question, a ...

A Tropical Disease in Switzerland: Call for Coordinated Action on Chagas Disease

Dec. 20, 2024 — Researchers conducted a comprehensive review of Chagas disease in Switzerland. Although typically found in Latin America, Chagas disease affects between 2,000 and 4,000 people in Switzerland. The ...

Breakthrough Study Reveals How Assisted Reproduction Affects Placenta and Child's Growth

Dec. 20, 2024 — Researchers have studied placental genes to explore how Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) affects a child's development. Differences showed up between pregnancies from frozen and fresh ...

Delivery Timing in Mothers With Chronic Hypertension

Dec. 19, 2024 — Physician researchers found 39 weeks of gestation is optimal for delivery in mothers with chronic ...

Most Women Get Low Grades in Healthy Eating During and After Pregnancy

Dec. 19, 2024 — New research finds a pervasive low-quality diet among pregnant and postpartum individuals, reflecting 'an urgent need for widespread ...