Womb News and Research

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The womb is the small, hollow, pear-shaped organ in a woman's pelvis. This is the organ in which a baby grows. Also called uterus.

Lab-grown embryo models mimic natural formation of blood and heart cells

University of Cambridge scientists have used human stem cells to create three-dimensional embryo-like structures that replicate certain aspects of very early human development - including the production of blood stem cells.

13 Oct 2025

Ketogenic diet protects young rats from effects of prenatal stress

Researchers have shown that young rats fed a ketogenic diet – a diet with high fat and low carbohydrates – are protected from the lasting experience of pre-natal stress.

12 Oct 2025

Cesarean births in advanced labor linked to higher risk of womb scarring

Women who have Cesarean births at an advanced stage of labor are about eight times more likely to develop scars in the womb which are known to increase the likelihood of premature births in future pregnancies, UCL researchers have found.

7 Oct 2025

'Good' gut microbe found to support fetal growth and reduce pregnancy risks

Research led by the University of Cambridge has found the first clear evidence that the 'good' gut bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in pregnant mothers regulates the placenta's production of hormones critical for a healthy pregnancy.

6 Oct 2025

Zika virus exposure during pregnancy permanently shapes offspring's frontline immune cells

A Wayne State University study published in the Oct. 3, 2025, issue of Nature Communications revealed that Zika virus exposure during pregnancy causes long-term, sex-specific changes to a baby's immune system, particularly affecting the frontline immune cells that fight infection.

6 Oct 2025

New ultrasound technique used to stimulate multiple locations in the brain simultaneously

For the first time, a new ultrasound technique allows researchers to stimulate multiple locations in the brain simultaneously.

3 Oct 2025

AI tool detects tiny brain lesions to improve epilepsy treatment in children

An advanced AI tool can detect tiny brain lesions that cause severe epilepsy in children, allowing faster diagnosis, more precise treatment and a potential cure, according to a new study.

30 Sep 2025

Researchers uncover how chromosome crossovers protect fertility

When a woman becomes pregnant, the outcome of that pregnancy depends on many things - including a crucial event that happened while she was still growing inside her own mother's womb.

24 Sep 2025

Common bladder infection may signal urogenital cancer risk

A bout of the common bladder infection, cystitis, may signal the presence of urogenital cancers-which affect parts of the body involved in reproduction and excretion-in middle aged adults, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

17 Sep 2025

Prenatal exposure to opioid analgesics not linked to increased risk of autism or ADHD

Previous studies have suggested that children exposed to opioid pain medications while in the womb have higher rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but a new study finds that any increased risk could be explained by other factors.

16 Sep 2025

Gestational diabetes poses substantial cognitive dysfunction risks for both mothers and offspring

A new synthesis of global evidence finds that experiencing gestational diabetes during pregnancy is linked with a decline in intellectual function among mothers, and may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

15 Sep 2025

Infection or stressful events during pregnancy may increase anxiety risk in offspring

Increased risk for anxiety may begin before birth, shaped by infection or stressful events during pregnancy, according to a new preclinical study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine.

11 Sep 2025

Study maps gene activity across pregnancy breastfeeding and post-weaning stages

In a study in mice, researchers have identified genes associated with the dramatic transformation of the mammary gland in pregnancy, breastfeeding, and after breastfeeding as it returns to its resting state.

9 Sep 2025

Research on marmosets sheds light on how babies learn to talk

When a baby babbles and their parents respond, these back-and-forth exchanges are more than adorable-if-incoherent chatter - they help to build a baby's emerging language skills.

4 Sep 2025

Study finds minimal risk of second cancer in breast cancer survivors

For women diagnosed with early breast cancer, the long-term risk of developing a second primary cancer is low (around 2-3% greater than women in the general population), finds a study published by The BMJ today.

28 Aug 2025

Experts warn against unnecessary menopause testing and treatments

Many direct to consumer menopause services are unnecessary and do not improve care, warn experts in The BMJ today.

20 Aug 2025

Microbes found to play a key role in shaping early brain development

New research from Michigan State University finds that microbes play an important role in shaping early brain development, specifically in a key brain region that controls stress, social behavior, and vital body functions.

13 Aug 2025

Mother’s genetics may play an important role in influencing her child's weight

A mother's genetics may play a bigger role in determining whether a child becomes overweight than a father's, as a result of a concept known as genetic nurture, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

5 Aug 2025

Children’s obesity often traced back to parental genes

A new study finds that kids with obesity are more likely to have obese parents because they inherit obesity-related genes, and to a smaller extent, are impacted indirectly by genes carried by the mother – even when those genes aren't passed down.

5 Aug 2025

Experts call for stricter rules on plastic to protect human health

With the latest round of negotiations to finalize a United Nations global plastics treaty set to begin, a group of international researchers, writing in the most recent edition of The Lancet, have called for greater vigilance and regulation to curb the health impacts of plastic pollution and have announced a new project to track these impacts.

4 Aug 2025