Prenatal News and Research

RSS

Pregnant and addicted: Homeless women see hope in street medicine

Five days after giving birth, Melissa Crespo was already back on the streets, recovering in a damp, litter-strewn water tunnel, when she got the call from the hospital.

18 Oct 2023

Medicaid plays critical role in the health and well-being of adults with Down syndrome

Life expectancy has increased substantially for people in the United States with Down syndrome, from a median age of 4 years old in the 1950s to 57 years old in 2019.

16 Oct 2023

Gestational dexamethasone exposure impairs learning and memory function across generations

This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, discusses how gestational dexamethasone exposure impacts hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission and learning and memory function with transgenerational effects.

15 Oct 2023

Maternal pertussis vaccination boosts infant protection up to eight months

In a large-scale Australian study, maternal vaccination during pregnancy significantly increased pertussis resistance in infants up to eight months. While it slightly reduced the effectiveness of infants' routine vaccinations, it did not increase infection risk.

11 Oct 2023

Fragile X syndrome may be unfolding in brain cells even before birth

Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, may be unfolding in brain cells even before birth, despite typically going undiagnosed until age 3 or later.

10 Oct 2023

Obesity before or during pregnancy can be the root cause of future cardiovascular disease

Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes have recently been associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life.

10 Oct 2023

Emotional training for mothers may lead to better bonding with babies

Up to a third of mothers don't bond well with their babies after birth, causing intense emotional distress to both mother and baby.

9 Oct 2023

Study finds increased risk of birth defects for offspring of young women with cancer

The offspring of adolescent and young adult women with a history of cancer face a higher risk of birth defects, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.

6 Oct 2023

How vitamin D and genetics shape early brain development

The study examined how vitamin D levels and vitamin D binding protein genotypes in both pregnant mothers and their children aged 3-5, impact early childhood neurodevelopment. Findings suggest that higher vitamin D concentrations in children were associated with better neurodevelopmental scores, with additional influences from sociodemographic factors and certain genetic variations.

4 Oct 2023

Postpartum individuals more likely to have medical debt, study finds

For some families, the year after childbirth may not only mean loads of diapers but stacks of unpaid medical bills as well.

29 Sep 2023

Mothers' psychosocial stress during pregnancy has negative associations with children's sleep

Study shows that mothers' psychosocial stress during pregnancy has negative associations with their children's sleep that persist across childhood.

28 Sep 2023

Study finds increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth following a job loss

Researchers have found a link between a pregnant woman or her partner losing their job and an increased risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.

27 Sep 2023

Study highlights healthy, low-calorie foods to help meet nutritional requirements of pregnant people

Most pregnant people in the U.S. are at risk of not getting enough of six nutrients important to a healthy pregnancy-;vitamin A, vitamin D, folate, calcium, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids-;from foods alone.

27 Sep 2023

A decades-long drop in teen births is slowing, and advocates worry a reversal is coming

Cicely Wilson's work doesn't end when she leaves her day job as a lactation consultant, doula, and child care expert.

26 Sep 2023

Social adversity and stress leave distinct signatures on mom and baby gut health

Researchers evaluate the effect of social disadvantages and psychological stressors on the gut microbiome of mothers and their infants.

24 Sep 2023

Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine publishes supplement on spina bifida research and care

A supplement to the Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (JPRM) published by IOS Press, presents a compendium of abstracts from the 2023 World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care.

20 Sep 2023

Study explores the efficacy of smoking interventions in new and expectant fathers

Researchers performed a review to evaluate the efficacy of behavior change interventions for smoking cessation in pregnant couples and new parents using a gendered lens.

20 Sep 2023

Researchers show how malnutrition affects growth in the first two years of life

In a trio of papers appearing in Nature on Sept. 13, 2023, the researchers offer the most comprehensive look yet at how malnutrition affects growth in the first two years of life, underscoring a devastating reality for millions of children in the Global South, particularly Asia.

13 Sep 2023

Innovative technique provides unparalleled insight into autism pathology

Does the human brain have an Achilles heel that ultimately leads to Autism? With a revolutionizing novel system that combines brain organoid technology and intricate genetics, researchers can now comprehensively test the effect of multiple mutations in parallel and at a single-cell level within human brain organoids.