Prenatal News and Research

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Review challenges common breastfeeding myths in early postnatal care

An evidence review of international research suggests widespread misconceptions within the medical community about early milk production, pacifiers and breast pumps may be undermining breastfeeding success in the critical first days after birth.

2 Aug 2026

Tea, tap water and child IQ: What a Canadian pregnancy study found

Researchers analyzed 485 mother-child pairs in Canada to examine whether estimated fluoride intake from tea during pregnancy was associated with IQ at ages 3 to 4. Each 0.5 mg/day increase was associated with a 2.24-point lower full-scale IQ score, although the observational design and estimated exposure prevent causal conclusions.

31 Jul 2026

NIH awards $2.4 million to study how maternal viral infections reprogram fetal immune development

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a new, five-year $2.4 million R01 grant to Dr. Jiahui Ding, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine's C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, to support research that aims to uncover how viral infections during pregnancy reprogram the developing immune system of the fetus, influencing susceptibility to infectious diseases throughout life.

29 Jul 2026

Alcohol use during pregnancy increased in the United States from 2011 through 2024

Prenatal alcohol exposure-a contributor to adverse pregnancy outcomes and the leading preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disability worldwide-has increased in the United States over the past decade.

27 Jul 2026

Individualized treatment speeds recovery for babies with opioid withdrawal

A major new study shows that individualized treatment for babies born with opioid withdrawal can speed recovery and reduce time spent in the hospital.

24 Jul 2026

Study uncovers biological differences behind co-occurring conditions of Down syndrome

In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) discovered unique biological processes altered among individuals with Down syndrome who have different sets of co-occurring conditions.

23 Jul 2026

Prenatal use of certain medications can harm developing fetal brain

A review article by a University of Nebraska Medical Center/Child Health Research Institute research team underscores and describes how altering fundamental brain development processes can be detrimental for the developing baby.

20 Jul 2026

Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy changes two childhood brain metabolic markers

Randomized maternal fish oil supplementation from pregnancy week 24 lowered offspring cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism at age 10 but did not alter precuneus lactate. The small differences resembled a more adult-like metabolic profile, although researchers found no associated cognitive or behavioral benefits.

19 Jul 2026

Prenatal acetaminophen use not linked to adverse birth outcomes

There is no statistically significant evidence that taking acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy has a negative impact on how early a child is born or a child's weight at birth, according to new research led by environmental scientists at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

17 Jul 2026

Early PFAS exposure linked to childhood intestinal inflammation

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," during pregnancy and early life is associated with increased intestinal inflammation during childhood.

16 Jul 2026

Lactoferrin yogurt helps preserve iron stores in women with gestational diabetes

In a double-blind pilot trial, lactoferrin-enriched yogurt added to routine iron supplementation helped prevent ferritin decline in pregnant women with gestational diabetes and reduced iron stores. The intervention was well tolerated and produced modest changes in selected gut bacteria, but did not significantly improve anemia or metabolic outcomes.

15 Jul 2026

Evidence does not support universal vitamin D supplementation to prevent preterm birth

Announcing a new article publication in BIO Integration. Preterm birth complications are among leading causes of mortality in neonates and children under 5 years of age worldwide.

15 Jul 2026

New accessible placental measurement method could help prevent stillbirths

When Ann O'Neill suffered a stillbirth in 2018, she was bewildered. She was already a mother to three healthy children and therefore had received no information on stillbirth prevention from her doctors.

14 Jul 2026

Cold-exposed mothers pass metabolic protection to male rat offspring through milk

Maternal cold exposure during early pregnancy improved glucose control and reduced liver fat in male rat offspring, with benefits persisting into late adulthood. The findings implicate a breast milk LCA, gut microbiota, and Th17 immune pathway, while human cohort data showed an observational link between winter conception and lower MASLD risk.

12 Jul 2026

Trial offers hope for babies with fetal kidney failure

Women diagnosed early in pregnancy with a fetus lacking adequate kidney function to make the urine that serves as vital amniotic fluid have long faced virtually no chance of their fetus's survival after birth.

8 Jul 2026

Early detection of congenital cerebral ventriculomegaly can help prevent developmental disabilities

Early detection and treatment of congenital cerebral ventriculomegaly (CCV)-when a fetus's fluid-filled brain ventricles swell due to a condition called hydrocephalus-can help clinicians prevent developmental or neurological disabilities in affected infants.

8 Jul 2026

Prenatal high fructose exposure impairs brain development and memory

Nutritional imbalance during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the health status and disease susceptibility of the offspring.

2 Jul 2026

Paracetamol during pregnancy does not raise autism or ADHD risk

A sibling-matched study finds no link between prenatal paracetamol use and autism or ADHD, reassuring its safety when clinically indicated during pregnancy.

2 Jul 2026

Prenatal paracetamol use does not increase child neurodevelopmental risks

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), along with Aston Pharmacy School's Professor Ian Chi-Kei Wong, have shown that using paracetamol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy does not increase a child's risk of developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention‑deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

1 Jul 2026

Experts urge neglected tropical disease status for ocular toxoplasmosis

One third of the world's population is infected with the Toxoplasma parasite, which can cause ocular toxoplasmosis, an eye infection that can damage the retina and result in permanent vision loss.

25 Jun 2026