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.

Developing brains may have a way to remove genetically abnormal neurons

A significant reduction in genetic abnormalities in cortical neurons occurs after birth, suggesting a selective elimination mechanism in brain development.

6 Nov 2026

Premature infants show altered cerebellum growth and developmental trajectories

A new study reveals that when a baby is born prematurely, their cerebellum, the part of the brain with a critical role in motor function, language and cognition, grows and develops in a different way than it would if the baby remains in utero full term.

29 Oct 2026

Babies born small may face lasting differences in school performance

The study highlights that fetal size, not just gestational age, plays a crucial role in long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes for term-born children.

23 Oct 2026

Replacement chemical for harmful phthalates may restrict fetal growth

A chemical used to make plastic more flexible, once introduced as a safer substitute for older additives now known to be harmful, may itself also be harmful, slowing babies' growth in the womb, a new study shows.

13 Oct 2026

Hydroxyurea does not increase infection risk in children with sickle cell anemia

Children living with sickle cell anemia have no higher incidence of clinically diagnosed infections when treated with hydroxyurea.

8 Oct 2026

Study links pregnancy complications to future heart and kidney disease

Women with a complication in the latest pregnancy, or in a previous pregnancy, face an elevated risk of developing cardiometabolic-renal conditions in subsequent years, suggests a UK study published online in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.

6 Oct 2026

Maternal depression linked to neurodevelopmental disorders in children

Children of mothers with depression had higher rates of certain neurodevelopmental disorders regardless of whether they were exposed to antidepressants in the womb, reports a new study led by Saraid McIlvride of the University of Glasgow, UK, published September 29th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

29 Sep 2026

Simple test could take the pain out of womb cancer check

A new test to identify cells collected from urine and vaginal fluid could help rule out womb and other cancers in most women who experience bleeding after the menopause, find University of Manchester researchers.

22 Sep 2026

Liberian women face long waits for urgent fistula surgery

For more than three years, Lorpu has lived with the constant leakage of urine and faeces caused by obstetric fistula, a debilitating childbirth injury.

11 Sep 2026

Prenatal paracetamol exposure linked to smaller ovaries in daughters

Researchers in Denmark have found that girls whose mothers took paracetamol during pregnancy had smaller ovaries, fewer ovarian follicles (the structures that contain immature eggs), smaller uteruses and lower levels of reproductive hormones at three months old.

8 Sep 2026

Ancient proteins revived to inspire new antimicrobial treatments

University of Oregon biologists have resurrected prehistoric proteins up to 160 million years old that carry natural antimicrobial properties.

25 Aug 2026

Multiple long-term conditions raise pregnancy risks, study finds

Women who begin pregnancy with two or more pre-existing, long-term physical or mental health conditions have 20% higher risk of miscarriage, 69% higher risk of severe nausea and vomiting, and around four times the risk of anxiety and depression, compared with those with no long-term conditions.

18 Aug 2026

Study shows how the immune system behaves throughout pregnancy

New research shows how the immune system actually behaves throughout pregnancy – cell by cell. In women with lupus, the immunological differences also persist after birth.

14 Aug 2026

England sees rising hospital admissions for ectopic pregnancy since 2021

University of Liverpool researchers have identified that hospital admissions in England for ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants outside the womb) have been increasing since 2021, with more than twice as many admissions of women from most deprived areas than the least deprived areas.

29 Jul 2026

Trial offers hope for babies with fetal kidney failure

Women diagnosed early in pregnancy with a fetus lacking adequate kidney function to make the urine that serves as vital amniotic fluid have long faced virtually no chance of their fetus's survival after birth.

8 Jul 2026

Dominant hand excels through practice rather than brain advantage

Why is a person's dominant hand so much better at writing, throwing or using tools? A new study from UCLA Health researchers suggests the answer isn't a hardwired brain advantage - the dominant hand has simply had more practice.

8 Jul 2026

Customized fetal growth charts could reduce avoidable stillbirths across the NHS

One-size-fits-all fetal growth charts used in the NHS to monitor babies' growth before birth often misclassify babies as being either too small or too large, which can lead to missed cases at risk of stillbirth or unnecessary interventions, finds a study of over 3 million NHS births across England published by The BMJ today.

8 Jul 2026

Early skin-to-skin contact helps calm newborns but does not lower bilirubin

Early skin-to-skin contact after vaginal birth reduced newborn stress during routine vitamin K injection and improved exclusive breastfeeding rates by day 5. However, it did not significantly lower day-5 bilirubin levels, leaving its effect on neonatal jaundice uncertain.

7 Jul 2026

Blood hormone signature could transform endometriosis diagnosis

People with endometriosis have a distinct pattern of hormones which could be identified by a blood test, with the potential to revolutionise diagnosis of the condition, research suggests.

6 Jul 2026

Maternal weight shifts microbiota signaling in the fetal environment

A study conducted at the University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital suggests that factors related to maternal weight are reflected in signaling particles produced by the maternal microbiota not only in the gut but also in amniotic fluid.

15 Jun 2026