Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Many Americans unaware of heart disease risks during pregnancy

Pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. have risen 140% over the past three decades with heart disease a major cause, according to the American Heart Association.

6 Feb 2025

Urgent action needed to end female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights that inflicts deep and lifelong physical, emotional and psychological scars on girls and women.

6 Feb 2025

Cannabis use during pregnancy linked to impaired fetal growth

Cannabidiol (CBD), the component in cannabis often used for therapeutic treatments, is increasingly being used during pregnancy as a means of managing symptoms such as nausea, anxiety and sleep.

6 Feb 2025

New drug delivery system shows promise for treating choriocarcinoma

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.

6 Feb 2025

Study explores how nanoplastics could affect child's immune system during pregnancy

Allergies and asthma are widespread diseases that could arise during embryonal development in the womb.

6 Feb 2025

Cervical cancer during pregnancy linked to higher maternal health risks

A new research paper was published in Oncoscience's Volume 12 on January 20, 2025, titled "Maternal, delivery and neonatal outcomes in women with cervical cancer. A study of a population database."

6 Feb 2025

Autism risk genes linked to white matter changes at birth, shaping early brain development

Genetic variants linked to autism are associated with structural differences in neonatal white matter, particularly increased fiber-bundle cross-section in the left superior corona radiata, highlighting early neurodevelopmental influences.

5 Feb 2025

Trump’s already gone back on his promise to leave abortion to states

Abortion foes worried before his election that President Donald Trump had moved on, now that Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion policy, as he said on the campaign trail, "has been returned to the states."

5 Feb 2025

Existing preeclampsia risk models show deteriorating performance over time

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 published February 4th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Henk Groen of University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and colleagues.

4 Feb 2025

Maternal stress may leave epigenetic marks on certain placental genes

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, as stated in a paper published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology.

4 Feb 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to increased obesity risk in preschoolers

Ultraprocessed food consumption in preschoolers is associated with increased body fat, particularly in boys, underscoring the importance of nutrition education.

4 Feb 2025

New research sheds light on brain damage caused by fetal alcohol exposure

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), characterized by symptoms of cognitive decline, such as worsened memory and impaired decision-making, are alarmingly prevalent globally.

3 Feb 2025

Early pregnancy vitamin D deficiency increases risk of preterm birth

Low vitamin D levels in the first trimester of pregnancy are associated with higher rates of preterm birth and decreased fetal length, according to a new study led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences.

3 Feb 2025

Study finds increased risk of cardiovascular disease for mothers of twins

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 research published in the European Heart Journal today (Monday).

3 Feb 2025

Biomarker test can improve neonatal outcomes for preterm births

Preterm birth - defined as delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy - is one of the leading causes of infant deaths in the United States. Babies born prematurely are also at an increased risk of having serious health problems.

3 Feb 2025

Could the contraceptive pill reduce risk of ovarian cancer?

It’s a little pill with big responsibilities. But despite its primary role to prevent pregnancy, the contraceptive pill (or ‘the Pill’) could also help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, according to new research from the University of South Australia.

From University of South Australia 3 Feb 2025