Prenatal News and Research

RSS

AHA calls for lifelong brain health strategy to prevent cognitive decline

The AHA scientific statement calls for a life-course approach to brain health that integrates cognitive, emotional, behavioral, vascular, environmental, inflammatory, sleep, microbiome, and social factors. It highlights how early-life exposures, mental health, pollution, chronic inflammation, poor sleep, gut dysbiosis, and socioeconomic adversity may shape brain resilience and later-life cognitive decline.

29 Apr 2026

Maternal antibodies provide lifelong protection against adult gum disease

Mothers provide a hidden immune legacy that protects their children's teeth long after weaning is over. A new study reveals how maternal antibodies act as early life architects, programming the mouth to resist aggressive bacteria and prevent the bone loss associated with adult gum disease.

29 Apr 2026

Rising bowel and ovarian cancer rates in younger adults raise new concerns

Cases of several cancers are rising in England among both younger and older adults, but rates of bowel and ovarian cancer are rising only among younger adults (under 50s), finds research published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

28 Apr 2026

Modeling the synergy of maternal screening and newborn HBV vaccination

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection acquired at birth or during early infancy can lead to lifelong health complications, including chronic liver disease. Despite longstanding recommendations for prenatal screening, an estimated 12% to 16% of pregnant individuals in the US are not screened for hepatitis B. This gap leaves a portion of newborns at risk for undetected exposure.

28 Apr 2026

Can doula care improve pregnancy outcomes?

The role of doulas in maternal care is evolving, with studies suggesting improved health outcomes, yet further research is needed for comprehensive insights.

27 Apr 2026

Molecular map reveals how Down syndrome alters brain development

Scientists at UCLA have created one of the first cellular-resolution molecular maps detailing how Down syndrome alters human brain development before birth - a resource that resolves longstanding contradictions in the field and could lay the groundwork for future therapeutic strategies.

25 Apr 2026

Early childhood interventions may safeguard brain health after maternal stress

Researchers from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center and Queens College suggest that building strong adaptive skills in early childhood may serve as a buffer against the detrimental effects of prenatal stress on a child's developing brain.

24 Apr 2026

Study highlights gaps in opioid use disorder care during pregnancy

Opioid use disorder during pregnancy remains a critical yet under-addressed public health issue in the U.S., according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

23 Apr 2026

Cancer during pregnancy causes lasting emotional and financial challenges

Women diagnosed with cancer in pregnancy face profound, long-term emotional and financial challenges, a new study from the University of Surrey finds.

22 Apr 2026

Prenatal stress may blunt metabolic benefits of exercise for offspring

Physical activity during pregnancy enhances the metabolic health of offspring, but new research in mice indicates that prenatal stress blunts these benefits, at least in male offspring.

22 Apr 2026

Autism risk rises with multiple medications taken during pregnancy

A study links maternal use of cholesterol-inhibiting medications during pregnancy to increased autism risk in children, urging caution in prescribing practices.

22 Apr 2026

Certain prenatal medications linked to increased risk of autism

A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

20 Apr 2026

US Medicaid data finds buprenorphine safe for long-term child development

Children born to mothers who used buprenorphine for opioid addiction during pregnancy do not have a greater risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, compared with children whose mothers took methadone, finds a large US study published by The BMJ today.

17 Apr 2026

Study explains the link between NDMA-contaminated water and childhood cancer

A new study from MIT suggests that a carcinogen that has been found in medications and in drinking water contaminated by chemical plants may have a much more severe impact on children than adults.

17 Apr 2026

Very high prenatal PFAS exposure increases childhood asthma risk

High prenatal exposure to PFAS linked to increased childhood asthma risk, highlighting concerns over 'forever chemicals' and early-life environmental impacts.

14 Apr 2026

Prenatal opioid exposure shows minimal effect on later academic performance

Every 25 minutes in the United States, a baby is diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition that occurs in newborns who have been exposed to opioids in the womb and develop withdrawal after birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

13 Apr 2026

High prenatal PFAS exposure linked to increased childhood asthma risk

PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of synthetic substances that can be found in many products and foods, including firefighting foam.

9 Apr 2026

Smoking during pregnancy raises children’s mental health risk

Smoking during pregnancy may increase children's mental health issues, with implications for internalizing and externalizing symptoms throughout development.

9 Apr 2026

Study reveals how hyperdiploidy creates rare pre-leukemic clones in children

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer. In this type of cancer, which affects blood cells, one of the most common abnormalities is the presence of cells with an excess of chromosomes (hyperdiploidy), a condition that leads to chromosomal instability.

8 Apr 2026

Crisis-driven maternal psychological stress can affect fetal development and birth outcomes

Fetal development is a critical stage with effects that can last throughout life. Yet, identifying the effects of maternal psychological stress on the fetus has been difficult, mainly because stressful events often produce psychological and physical consequences that directly affect mothers and their children.

8 Apr 2026