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Study finds increase in cannabis use by pregnant women during the pandemic

A Kaiser Permanente analysis of more than 100,000 pregnancies in Northern California finds a 25% increase in the rate of cannabis use early in pregnancy after the pandemic began in spring 2020.

27 Sep 2021

Consumption of common antibiotic during pregnancy can reduce low birth weight and premature births

A common antibiotic has been found to reduce low birth weight and premature births, if taken during pregnancy, in countries where malaria is endemic, according to a research review.

22 Sep 2021

Smoking during pregnancy increases risk of birth defects and neurological disorders

Mothers who smoke are more likely to deliver smaller babies even after a full-term pregnancy, increasing the risks of birth defects and neurological disorders later in life, say researchers from McGill University.

21 Sep 2021

Prenatal ultrafine PM exposure has adverse effects on children’s health, development

Particulate matter (PM) is a major component of air pollution that is increasingly associated with long-term consequences for the health and development of children.

14 Sep 2021

Behavioral change strategies could help curb short birth spacing in Africa

Chichi Okafor, a 30-year-old Nigerian woman, unexpectedly became pregnant again before her daughter turned six months old.

9 Sep 2021

Maternal obesity during pregnancy may heighten the risk of colorectal cancer in adult offspring

Infants whose mothers were obese during pregnancy may have a heightened risk of developing colorectal cancer later in life, according to new research led by public health experts at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

27 Aug 2021

Study examines impact of COVID pandemic on birth outcomes in Wales

Researchers in the UK have looked at the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic on the population birth outcomes in 2020, detailing the experiences of the expectant mothers from immunization rates for babies to self-reported levels of stress and anxiety in the mothers, compared to pre-COVID years.

25 Aug 2021

Maternal obesity may raise the risk of bowel cancer in adult offspring

An obese mum-to-be may be raising the risk of bowel cancer in her adult children, suggests research of more than 18,000 mother and child pairs, published online in the journal Gut.

24 Aug 2021

Exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy raises risk for preterm birth

Exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy increases the risk that a baby will be born too early, a new Stanford University study suggests.

23 Aug 2021

Frequent adolescent cannabis use may carry intergenerational risks, study finds

Teenagers who use cannabis frequently may be more likely to have children born preterm, when they become parents up to twenty years later, finds a new University of Bristol-led study.

19 Aug 2021

Metabolism peaks much earlier and starts to decline later than you might think

Most of us remember a time when we could eat anything we wanted and not gain weight. But a new study suggests your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories, actually peaks much earlier and starts its inevitable decline later than you might think.

12 Aug 2021

Three-dimensional analyses of ultrasound images can accurately predict fetal weight during pregnancy

A potential predictor of complications during pregnancy and birth is fetal birth weight. For example, macrosomia (which is defined as a birth weight greater than 4,000 grams) makes it more difficult for the baby's shoulders to pass through the mother's vagina, and this effect can increase the mother's risk of experiencing vaginal tearing and postpartum bleeding and her likelihood of needing to undergo a caesarian section.

3 Aug 2021

Healthy eating during pregnancy is fundamental for mother and child

Healthy and balanced nutrition during pregnancy and early infancy is important for mother and child. However, despite some recent progress in Europe, there is still a long way to achieve the nutrition targets set by the WHO to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition.

29 Jul 2021

Pregnant women in South-East Asia more likely to use smokeless tobacco

Pregnant women in South-East Asia are more likely to use chewing or other kinds of smokeless tobacco than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, according to a study.

27 Jul 2021

UMD receives funding to enhance quality of pork production through improved muscle growth in pigs

The University of Maryland received funding from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to enhance the overall quality and efficiency of pork production through improved muscle growth in pigs.

20 Jul 2021

Exploring links between stress, choline deficiency, preterm births, and mental illness

In two recent articles published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, Sharon Hunter, PhD, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and M. Camille Hoffman, MD, MSc, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, along with their research group, have uncovered a potential link between choline deficiency in Black pregnant women in the United States and increased risk of developmental and behavioral issues that can evolve into mental illness later in their children's lives.

7 Jul 2021

Plastic drapes lower the incidence of hypothermia in very low birth-weight neonates

Most babies born prematurely or with health problems are quickly whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where they might require assisted heating devices to regulate their temperature.

1 Jul 2021

Six antibody features could be used to identify women at risk of placental malaria

Six antibody characteristics could help scientists identify which pregnant women are at risk of placental malaria infections, finds a study published today in eLife.

29 Jun 2021

Researchers find several persistent industrial chemicals in fetal organs

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found industrial chemicals in the organs of fetuses conceived decades after many countries had banned the substances.

16 Jun 2021

WHO: Effective action needed to protect the health of children from toxic e-waste

Effective and binding action is urgently required to protect the millions of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide whose health is jeopardized by the informal processing of discarded electrical or electronic devices according to a new ground-breaking report from the World Health Organization: Children and Digital Dumpsites.

15 Jun 2021