Birth Weight News and Research

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Immediate skin-to-skin contact offers significant health advantages for infants

Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers offers a better start in life, improving a number of key health metrics, according to a newly updated Cochrane review.

22 Oct 2025

Tracking daily blood pressure in pregnancy could predict low birth weight sooner

Early-pregnancy home blood pressure patterns reveal that even small cumulative elevations, not just high averages, raise the risk of low birth weight. Tracking daily readings above thresholds may improve early warning and maternal–fetal outcomes.

21 Oct 2025

Understanding the impact of chikungunya on children

Chikungunya is a vector-borne disease that affects both adults and children. While global efforts are ongoing to tackle chikungunya in adults, progress in addressing pediatric chikungunya remains inadequate.

10 Oct 2025

How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy? New review finds no clear threshold

Caffeine's impact on pregnancy is nuanced; moderate consumption may not lead to major complications, but risks to fetal growth persist without a safe threshold.

10 Oct 2025

Thousands of ‘healthy’ Brits are unknowingly low on iron

A study reveals 6% of health-conscious UK adults have anemia, primarily due to iron deficiency, often without noticeable symptoms, especially in women.

9 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

Study examines unplanned out-of-hospital deliveries in Styria, Austria

The first detailed analysis of unplanned births that occurred outside the hospital setting in Austria has shown that, although such deliveries are rare, they pose challenges for emergency teams that attend, especially if babies are born prematurely.

29 Sep 2025

Fresh donor milk linked to reduced gastrointestinal complicatoins in premature infants

A study from the Medical University of South Carolina, published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, reveals that shorter storage durations of donor human milk are linked to reduced gastrointestinal complicatoins in premature infants, including necrotizing enterocolitis.

24 Sep 2025

New guideline improves nutritional care for neonates with enterostomy

Enterostomy is a vital intervention for many congenital developmental abnormalities and acquired gastrointestinal conditions in neonates.

19 Sep 2025

Climate change is already driving heat mortality and massive economic losses

Researchers systematically identified just 20 studies directly linking human-driven climate change to specific health impacts and deaths worldwide. They estimate tens of billions in annual economic losses and warn of inequities in research leadership and data coverage.

18 Sep 2025

Mediterranean diet during pregnancy cuts babies’ food allergy risk

Researchers found that mothers who closely followed a Mediterranean diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding had infants with lower odds of developing food allergies. High fruit, vegetable, and full-fat dairy intake appeared protective, while higher poultry, red meat, and fish intake during pregnancy increased risk.

15 Sep 2025

Buprenorphine treatment produces greatest health gains and cost savings for mothers and infants

Over the last 20 years, substance use-related deaths have more than doubled for women of reproductive age. Overdose deaths are now a leading cause of maternal mortality in the U.S., and in some states, the leading cause.

11 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

Estrogen supports kidney regeneration and protects women from chronic disease

A new study in mice provides insights into why females in their reproductive years appear to be relatively protected from chronic kidney disease, a leading public health concern.

4 Sep 2025

New global consensus offers hope for women with inflammatory bowel disease during pregnancy

For women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), pregnancy can be an uncertain time due to limited clinical data about how IBD medications impact pregnancy outcomes and infants who have been exposed to IBD medications in utero.

28 Aug 2025

Probiotics limit the spread of drug-resistant genes in preemies

Study reveals probiotics help preterm infants develop healthier gut microbiomes, reducing multidrug-resistant bacteria and enhancing neonatal care outcomes.

26 Aug 2025

Why a common pesticide may alter brain growth in school-age children

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25 Aug 2025

New SCAI statement provides guidance for transcatheter PDA closure in premature infants

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) has published a new position statement that provides best-practice guidance for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using transcatheter occlusion (tcPDA) in premature infants.

18 Aug 2025

Study shows probiotics help preterm babies fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Researchers found that probiotics help reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the guts of very-low-birth-weight preterm infants, but cannot fully prevent resistance genes from spreading. Antibiotic use still promotes gene swapping, highlighting the limits of probiotics alone in neonatal care.

17 Aug 2025

High-dose vitamin D strengthens bones in very low birth weight infants

Research indicates that high-dose vitamin D improves bone health in very low birth weight preterm infants, highlighting its role in early development.

8 Aug 2025