Maternal Health News and Research

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Psychosocial stress during pregnancy may raise blood pressure after birth

Psychosocial stress during pregnancy could lead to higher blood pressure during the first year postpartum according to research from Keck School of Medicine of USC.

5 Mar 2025

Maternity care costs significantly higher for racial and ethnic groups

A new study out today in JAMA Health Forum is the first to show that Black, Hispanic and Asian people with private insurance tend to pay more out-of-pocket for maternity care than white people.

28 Feb 2025

Routine psychological screening can improve maternal cardiovascular health

Integrating routine psychological health screening and treatment during and after pregnancy may reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and improve maternal cardiovascular health, according to a new scientific statement published today in a Go Red for Women spotlight issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

25 Feb 2025

Trump froze out project 2025 in his campaign. Now its blueprint is his health care playbook.

Few voters likely expected President Donald Trump in the first weeks of his administration to slash billions of dollars from the nation's premier federal cancer research agency.

24 Feb 2025

Boston University professor receives grant for preeclampsia drug discovery research

Wendy Kuohung, MD, associate professor of obstetrics & gynecology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has been awarded a two-year, Discovery Research Grant from March of Dimes.

21 Feb 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Medicaid in the crosshairs, maybe

The future of the Medicaid health insurance program for those with low incomes is in doubt, as Congress works on a budget plan calling for major cuts while President Donald Trump both promises to support that plan as well as to protect the program.

20 Feb 2025

Fewer than 20% of women screened for cardiovascular risk after pregnancy complications

Less than one in five patients are tested for cardiovascular risk factors following pregnancy-related hypertension or diabetes, according to a new study published in the "Go Red for Women" issue of Circulation.

17 Feb 2025

Republican states claim zero abortions. A red-state doctor calls that ‘ludicrous.’

In Arkansas, state health officials announced a stunning statistic for 2023: The total number of abortions in the state, where some 1.5 million women live, was zero.

13 Feb 2025

Climate change may increase the risk of prolonged pregnancy

New Curtin University research has found exposure to outdoor air pollution and extreme temperatures during pregnancy may increase the risk of prolonged pregnancy, offering new insights into the impact of climate change on maternal health.

11 Feb 2025

Urgent action needed to end female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights that inflicts deep and lifelong physical, emotional and psychological scars on girls and women.

6 Feb 2025

Cervical cancer during pregnancy linked to higher maternal health risks

A new research paper was published in Oncoscience's Volume 12 on January 20, 2025, titled "Maternal, delivery and neonatal outcomes in women with cervical cancer. A study of a population database."

6 Feb 2025

AI-based model detects unseen risk combinations in pregnancies

A new AI-based analysis of almost 10,000 pregnancies has discovered previously unidentified combinations of risk factors linked to serious negative pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirth.

31 Jan 2025

New study challenges link between mother's health during pregnancy and autism risk

While many studies have reported a link between a mother's health condition during pregnancy and her child's risk of autism, a new study shows that nearly all of these "associations" can otherwise be explained by factors such as genetics, exposure to pollution, and access to healthcare.

31 Jan 2025

How gut microbiota impacts childhood obesity

Gut microbiota plays a critical role in childhood obesity by influencing energy metabolism, inflammation, and appetite regulation, with emerging therapeutic strategies like probiotics, dietary interventions, and fecal microbiota transplantation showing promise.

21 Jan 2025

Racism in obstetric care linked to higher blood pressure in mothers

Mothers of color who faced racism or microaggressions during obstetric care had higher blood pressure after delivering their babies compared to people of color who did not report racism during their care, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

15 Jan 2025

Midwives blame California rules for hampering birth centers amid maternity care crisis

Jessie Mazar squeezed the grab handle in her husband's pickup and groaned as contractions struck her during the 90-minute drive from her home in rural northeastern California to the closest hospital with a maternity unit.

15 Jan 2025

Gendered racial microaggressions found to raise blood pressure after childbirth

Gender-based racism through microaggressions may be linked to higher blood pressure postpartum and beyond, according to new research published today in Hypertension, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

9 Jan 2025

Maternal medications linked to changes in protein and fat levels in human milk

The impact of maternal antidepressant and anti-inflammatory use on breast milk composition shows reduced protein and fat levels, affecting infant nutrition.

9 Jan 2025

$12.5 million study aims to improve postpartum blood pressure management

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are launching a $12.5 million study to improve postpartum blood pressure management and long-term cardiovascular health for patients with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

16 Dec 2024

WHO reports major decline in global drowning deaths since 2000

The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes its first-ever report on drowning prevention, which reveals a 38% drop in the global drowning death rate since 2000 - a major global health achievement.

14 Dec 2024