Birth Weight News and Research

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NICU babies have higher risk of mental health problems in later life

Children who spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit at birth have a higher risk of mental health issues later, regardless of their birth weight, say McMaster University researchers.

28 Jan 2020

Antenatal depression on the rise in low and middle-income countries, study shows

Women in low and medium-income countries struggle with many health issues in pregnancy and childbirth, but little attention is given to antenatal depression - which is on the rise in many developing countries, new PLOS ONE paper shows.

21 Jan 2020

Cannabis exposure during pregnancy has measurable impact on placental and fetal growth

A new study from researchers at Western University and Queen's University definitively shows that regular exposure to THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, during pregnancy has significant impact on placental and fetal development.

17 Jan 2020

Kangaroo mother care increases survival of low birth weight babies

Researchers at Centre for Intervention Science in Maternal and Child Health at the University of Bergen followed 8400 low birth weight infants, from 2015 to 2018.

9 Jan 2020

Maternal pre-pregnancy weight and early childhood weight associated with obesity in adolescence

Excess weight at age 3 years was associated with a higher risk of being overweight or obese at age 15 years in a study of adolescents in Japan.

8 Jan 2020

Exposure of pregnant women to persistent organic pollutants linked to smaller fetuses

Pregnant women exposed to persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, had slightly smaller fetuses than women who haven't been exposed to these chemicals, according to an analysis of ultrasound scans by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

30 Dec 2019

Traffic-related pollution increases a pregnant woman’s risk for hypertension

A new report published by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) indicates that air pollution derived from traffic could make a pregnant woman more likely to develop hypertension than otherwise. The study is based on an analysis of the association between traffic-related air pollution, or TRAP, with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

18 Dec 2019

Pregnant teens have higher rates of depression and substance use

Researchers from Lawson Health Research Institute and Brescia University College found that teenage pregnant women are more likely to live in poverty, have poorer mental health and have higher rates of substance use.

18 Dec 2019

Professional emotional support needed for women during high-risk pregnancies

Little is known about how women manage emotional distress during high-risk pregnancies, but Rutgers researchers learned that without psychosocial support, women struggle with fears and tears while feeling isolated and worried.

16 Dec 2019

Boys born small at higher risk of infertility

A new study published in the journal Human Reproduction on December 13, 2019, shows that baby boys who don’t grow as well as expected in the womb may grow up to be infertile as adults. The study showed a 55% or 85% higher risk of infertility among this group of men compared to those born with appropriate weights.

15 Dec 2019

Study reports case-specific monetary estimates for childhood illness linked to air pollution

A new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is the first to compile the estimated per-case costs of six childhood health conditions linked to air pollution--estimates that can be incorporated into benefits assessments of air pollution regulations and climate change mitigation policies.

12 Dec 2019

Smoking during pregnancy may increase woman's risk of developing gestational diabetes

Smoking during pregnancy is one of the most significant risk factors for poor pregnancy outcomes. In the United States, 10.7% of all women smoke during their pregnancy or are exposed to second-hand smoke.

9 Dec 2019

Study estimates health effects of breathing airborne PCBs around New Bedford Harbor

The levels of PCBs in the air are high enough to affect thyroid hormones in people who reside close to the harbor, raising the risk of diabetes, low birth weight, and impaired neurodevelopment.

3 Dec 2019

Daily cannabis use during pregnancy associated with delayed fetal growth

Daily marijuana use during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of low birth weight, low resistance to infection, decreased oxygen levels and other negative fetal health outcomes, according to a new study from a team of UNLV Medicine doctors.

2 Dec 2019

Study reveals exposure of new-born babies in NICU environment to harmful chemicals

A multidisciplinary team of scientists from Granada has warned for the first time of the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) and parabens (PBs) in a wide range of plastic medical devices, fabrics, personal care products (including topical creams), and nutritional supplements in hospital neonatal intensive care units, coming into direct contact with new-born babies.

29 Nov 2019

Researchers study the effects of hyperoxia on the lung development of germ-free newborn mice

Charitharth Vivek Lal, M.D., and University of Alabama at Birmingham colleagues have used a novel and first-of-its-kind newborn mouse model to study the effect of high oxygen concentrations, or hyperoxia, on lung development of newborn mice that are germ-free -- meaning no microbes colonizing their lungs.

21 Nov 2019

Eating disorder can affect pregnancy outcome and offspring’s health

A pregnant woman with an eating disorder needs to be screened for complications more carefully because she is high-risk.

21 Nov 2019

New findings could help clinicians to improve care for pregnant women and new mums with depression

Professor Sue Jordan from the University's College of Human and Health Science, who led the study, says the findings could be used to help clinicians improve care for women during pregnancy and after they have given birth.

20 Nov 2019

Study investigates health, well-being of adults who were born preterm at very low birth weight

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare is investigating the health and well-being of adults who were born preterm at very low birth weight in a series of studies that are unique worldwide.

18 Nov 2019

Improved method for predicting retinopathy of prematurity could reduce unnecessary tests

A multicenter group of 41 hospitals led by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has confirmed that an improved method for predicting retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of blindness in children, was able to reduce the number of babies having invasive diagnostic examinations by nearly a third, while raising disease detection up to 100 percent.

14 Nov 2019