Maternal Health News and Research

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Pregnancy-related public health programs effective at reducing maternal mortality rates

Maternal mortality rates in the United States exceed those of other developed countries, with some considerable racial disparities.

5 Feb 2020

Sepsis killing more people than earlier thought

According to a new study published in the latest issue of The Lancet, this week, more people across the globe are dying of sepsis than earlier believed. A team from the University of Pittsburgh and University of Washington schools of medicine led the research along with their colleagues from different disciplines.

16 Jan 2020

Sepsis deaths found to be much higher than previously estimated

Twice as many people as previously believed are dying of sepsis worldwide, according to an analysis published today in The Lancet and announced at the Critical Care Reviews annual meeting in Belfast. Among them are a disproportionately high number of children in poor areas.

16 Jan 2020

Study examines within-hospital racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity rates

Mount Sinai researchers find black and Latina mothers experience higher rates of severe maternal morbidity as compared with white mothers within the same hospital, with insurance status not responsible for these disparities.

9 Jan 2020

Study reveals the staggering cost of childbirth

One of the most expensive parts of having a baby may involve the birth itself, a new Michigan Medicine study suggests.

6 Jan 2020

Study explores the impact of Medicaid managed care on obstetrical care and birth outcomes

A new study shows that among a set of disadvantaged women, Medicaid managed care reduces the women's access to high-quality hospital services during pregnancy and delivery and was associated with worse birth outcomes, worse prenatal care, and a higher risk of inappropriate gestational weight gain.

22 Dec 2019

Black mothers get less treatment for postpartum depression than other moms

Portia Smith’s most vivid memories of her daughter’s first year are of tears. Not the baby’s. Her own.

6 Dec 2019

Rural women experience higher rates pregnancy complications than urban peers

Women in rural communities experience higher rates of life-threatening complications during or after childbirth than mothers in urban cities, a new study finds.

4 Dec 2019

State-of-the-art expert reviews provide insights into vitamin D research

Vitamin D is essential for human health. Although much is known about its important role in bone metabolism and in certain areas of non-skeletal health, there are many open questions and topics of debate.

27 Nov 2019

UIC and IDPH receive $9.5 million grant to improve maternal outcomes in Illinois

A $9.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration will help the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Illinois Department of Public Health improve maternal outcomes in Illinois.

18 Nov 2019

Medicaid tweak might offer means to improve U.S. maternal health

When Madavia Johnson gave birth to Donald Ray Dowless III last year, she was hit by a case of severe postpartum anxiety.

13 Nov 2019

'Family Connects' program can reduce the rate of early child abuse investigations

Family Connects, a program where nurses conduct home visits for newborns and their families, is linked to substantial reductions in child maltreatment investigations in children's earliest years, according to new research from Duke University.

11 Nov 2019

Father’s nutritional pattern affects child’s cardiovascular health

While couples often change their lifestyle in order to conceive faster, including crash diets, a new study in mice throws up the possibility that this kind of extreme dietary modification by the father might result in adverse effects on the child conceived in this manner.

17 Oct 2019

Poor paternal diet may impact the heart health of offspring

When trying to get pregnant, couples often change their lifestyles, going on crash diets or taking up stricter exercise regimens. New research, done on mice, suggests that men might be best off avoiding crash diets, as it may affect the heart health of their offspring.

14 Oct 2019

Women being mistreated during childbirth in Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria

A new study led by the World Health Organization (WHO), published in The Lancet on October 9, 2019, reveals that women in four poorer countries are at risk of being ill-treated if they visit hospitals or other medical facilities for childbirth.

10 Oct 2019

Study finds upward trend in number of pregnant women with high blood pressure

The number of women with high blood pressure when they become pregnant or who have it diagnosed during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy has spiked in the United States over the last four decades, especially among black women, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

9 Sep 2019

Early planned delivery reduces impact of preterm pre-eclampsia

Doctors have long debated over the optimal time to deliver mothers with pre-eclampsia in late pregnancy (after 34 but before 37 completed weeks). This is because too early delivery compromises the baby’s health, while delayed action may endanger the mother’s health.

29 Aug 2019

Traumatic stress associated with depression risk among Central American immigrant mothers

Traumatic stress is a key factor associated with depression among immigrant mothers from Central America, reports a study in Family and Community Health: The Journal of Health Promotion & Maintenance – part of a special theme issue devoted to "Family Health in Hispanic Communities" that includes guest editors Paul Branscum, PhD, RD, and Daphne C. Hernandez, PhD, MSEd The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

21 Aug 2019

IIASA researchers examine the link between castes and under-five mortality in India

In India, children that belong to disadvantaged castes face a much higher likelihood of not living past their fifth birthday than their counterparts in non-deprived castes.

20 Aug 2019

Study shows how 'natural-killer' cells may help women avoid placental accreta

One of the most dangerous risks expectant mothers face as their delivery date approaches is a surprisingly common condition with a little-known name: placental accreta.

5 Aug 2019