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Analysis shows low pre-pregnancy glucose increases risk of preterm birth

An analysis of data from more than 4.7 million Chinese women showed that those who had low blood sugar levels prior to conception were more likely to have certain adverse pregnancy outcomes-such as their baby being born preterm or with low birth weight.

30 Jul 2025

A brain-dead pregnant woman was kept alive in Georgia. It’s unclear if state law required it.

A Georgia woman declared brain-dead and kept on life support for more than three months because she was pregnant was removed from a ventilator in June and died, days after doctors delivered her 1-pound, 13-ounce baby by emergency cesarean section.

29 Jul 2025

New study links surrogacy to higher risk of mental illness

People who are gestational carriers (or "surrogates") appear more likely to be diagnosed with a new mental illness during and after pregnancy, according to new research from ICES, McGill University, and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

28 Jul 2025

Study finds continued use of risky antiseizure drugs during pregnancy

Despite evidence of the risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects, use of some antiseizure drugs during pregnancy has persisted, according to a study published on July 23, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Jul 2025

Taking specific antiseizure drugs during pregnancy linked to increased risk of malformations at birth

A new study that examined older and newer medications to treat seizures has found that using some medications during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects.

16 Jul 2025

Heart healthy habits boost overall body health and longevity

People who had more heart-healthy habits and factors, as assessed by the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 metrics for ideal cardiovascular health, had more positive benefits for whole body health, according to a review of research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Jul 2025

Childhood heart health predicts lifelong well-being, study finds

Optimal heart health from birth through adolescence, as measured by a combination of metrics, leads to long-lasting cardiovascular and overall physical, cognitive and mental health, according to the systematic review published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

16 Jul 2025

Grandfather’s chemical exposure may influence granddaughter’s puberty timing

A grandfather's exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may impact the age when his granddaughter starts her first period, according to preliminary data being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

13 Jul 2025

Nearly one-third of UK maternal deaths tied to involvement of children's social care services

The involvement of children's social care services was a common factor in nearly a third of UK maternal deaths occurring during, or within a year of, pregnancy between 2014 and 2022, finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.

12 Jul 2025

Hollywood myths about heart attacks may be putting lives at risk

Hollywood has shaped how many people imagine a heart attack-someone clutching their chest and collapsing dramatically. But those portrayals are misleading and shouldn't be expected, says Ann Eckhardt, a nursing professor and researcher at The University of Texas at Arlington.

11 Jul 2025

New study finds UK mums-to-be miss out on key nutrients

A new British Nutrition Foundation review finds that most UK women of reproductive age fall short of key nutrients before and during pregnancy, with teens and low-income groups most affected. The paper urges targeted, consistent guidance and greater support for healthy weight, supplementation, and plant-based diets.

7 Jul 2025

Women with endometriosis-associated infertility are more likely to become pregnant, study reveals

A landmark 30-year study of over four million women in England has revealed that women with endometriosis-associated infertility are significantly more likely to become pregnant compared to those with infertility from other causes.

2 Jul 2025

Study finds widespread microplastics in reproductive fluids, what it means for fertility

Microplastics have been detected in human reproductive fluids, with researchers finding them in 69% of female and 55% of male samples, raising concerns about potential effects on fertility. Although causality remains unproven, the findings prompt calls for reducing plastic exposure.

1 Jul 2025

Prenatal exposure to nitrates associated with increased risk of preterm birth

Even low levels of nitrate-a common agricultural runoff and drinking water contaminant-are associated with increased risks of preterm birth and low birthweight babies, according to a new study published June 25 in PLOS Water by Jason Semprini of Des Moines University College of Health Sciences, US.

25 Jun 2025

New guidance helps GPs manage patients using weight loss drugs

Academics at King's College London and the University of East Anglia have released guidance for GPs on how to manage patients who may be privately accessing weight loss drugs.

25 Jun 2025

New technology unlocks cellular ancestry with DNA barcodes

A landmark study by WEHI scientists has shed new light on one of the most fundamental mysteries of biology: how cells divide and grow into the complex structures that make up our bodies.

24 Jun 2025

Newborns feel pain before fully understanding it

Brain networks responsible for sensing, understanding, and responding emotionally to pain develop at different rates in infants, with the conscious understanding of pain not fully developed until after birth, finds a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

19 Jun 2025