Maternal Health News and Research

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Fact check: Biden sets high bar in 1st State of the Union speech

President Joe Biden argued forcefully for the power of democracy while calling out Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a March 1 State of the Union address that soon turned to the domestic concerns of the economy, inflation, and covid-19.

2 Mar 2022

Labor neuraxial analgesia associated with reduced risk of severe maternal morbidity

In a study of vaginal births in New York State hospitals, labor neuraxial analgesia – having an epidural or combined spinal and epidural - was associated with a decreased risk of severe maternal morbidity.

22 Feb 2022

Common infertility treatment linked to increased risk for vascular and pregnancy-related complications

Women who conceive with assisted reproductive technology (infertility treatment) may be at increased risk for vascular and pregnancy-related complications, according to new research published today in a special Go Red for Women issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

22 Feb 2022

Penn State researchers receive $3.9 million to study the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has awarded Penn State College of Medicine $3.9 million through May 2025 to study the impact COVID-19 has on pregnancy.

17 Feb 2022

Poor pre-pregnancy heart health puts expectant mothers and their babies at risk

This Valentine's Day, a new Northwestern Medicine study published in Circulation shines a spotlight on an important but often overlooked matter of the heart — optimizing one's cardiovascular health before getting pregnant.

14 Feb 2022

More than half of women in the U.S. have poor pre-pregnancy cardiometabolic health

Only about 40% of women in the U.S. who gave birth in 2019 had good heart health prior to their pregnancy with excess weight being the major driver of poor pre-pregnancy health, followed by hypertension and diabetes, according to new research published today in a Go Red For Women spotlight issue of the American Heart Association's peer-reviewed, flagship journal Circulation.

14 Feb 2022

Sleep apnea during pregnancy linked to the development of hypertension and metabolic syndrome

In a new study published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers examined whether sleep disordered breathing (primarily obstructive sleep apnea) during pregnancy and in the years after delivery is associated with an increased risk for hypertension and metabolic syndrome.

12 Feb 2022

New approach accelerates the detection of cancer biomarkers for point-of-care diagnostics

The detection and quantification of cancer-associated molecular biomarkers in body fluids, or liquid biopsies, prove minimally invasive in early cancer diagnostics.

29 Jan 2022

Predicting pregnancy health and preeclampsia risk with blood RNA sequencing

In this interview, News-Medical speaks to Dr. Thomas McElrath about his latest research into a maternal-fetal medicine technique for predicting pregnancy health.

27 Jan 2022

Pilot survey provides data on the unique needs of new fathers

While federal legislation requires tracking and reporting data on maternal health behaviors around childbirth, fathers have been overlooked in these public health efforts to improve maternal and infant outcomes.

24 Jan 2022

Feeling low in social status linked to worse health outcomes for new mothers

When it comes to the link between socioeconomic status and health, perception can be as important as reality. A study published by the American Psychological Association finds that new mothers who see themselves as lower on the socioeconomic ladder have worse health outcomes one year after their child's birth than new mothers who see themselves as higher status.

13 Jan 2022

Breastfeeding linked to reduced cardiovascular disease risk in mothers

Women who breastfed were less likely to develop heart disease or a stroke, or die from cardiovascular disease than women who did not breastfeed, according to a meta-analysis published today in a pregnancy spotlight issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

11 Jan 2022

Exploring neurodevelopmental effects on infants from in-utero exposure to COVID-19

A new study aimed to determine the associations between fetal exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, in-utero, and child neurodevelopmental status.

7 Jan 2022

Study reports a higher rate of burnout among midwives in the United States

A new study indicates 40% of midwives in the United States are burned out or stressed and exhausted, putting them at risk for making medical errors and missing necessary patient care. Burnout also leads to less professional engagement, reduced productivity, absenteeism and resignations, according to new research published in the leading journal, Health Services Research.

22 Dec 2021

Treatment for high blood pressure during pregnancy appears safe and reduces maternal risk

Treatment for high blood pressure during pregnancy appears safe for many women and may reduce maternal risk for severe hypertension without increasing fetal and neonatal risks, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association's journal Hypertension.

16 Dec 2021

Winners of NIH's Decoding Maternal Morbidity Data Challenge announced

The winners of the National Institutes of Health's Decoding Maternal Morbidity Data Challenge were announced today in conjunction with the White House "day of action" on maternal health.

7 Dec 2021

NIH offers $1 million in cash prizes for innovative diagnostics to help improve maternal health

The National Institutes of Health is offering up to $1 million in cash prizes for innovative diagnostic technologies to help improve maternal health around the world in conjunction with the White House "day of action" on maternal health.

7 Dec 2021

Disparities in maternal mental health during COVID-19

In new research, scientists studied individuals who gave birth during COVID-19. Using propensity score matching (PSM), they matched those identified as either Black or Latinx with those identified as non-Hispanic white on sociodemographic. This recent study published as a preprint on the medRxiv* server attempts to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childbirth-related health outcomes in individuals belonging to Black or Latinx minority groups.

6 Dec 2021

Study: Midwife-led births equally safe as doctor-led maternity care in low-risk pregnancies

If you or your partner were scheduled to give birth soon, would you have a preference for who delivered your baby: a midwife or a doctor? A new study of maternity care facilities in Lithuania suggests that for births with a low risk of complications, there is no difference in terms of safety.

20 Nov 2021

Maternal depression affects women's economic welfare and financial stability years later

Maternal depression after childbirth affects a mothers' economic welfare and financial stability up to 15 years later, according to a Rutgers study.

17 Nov 2021