Stillbirth News and Research

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Stillbirth refers to the death of a baby before or during delivery and after 24 weeks of pregnancy. If a baby dies before 24 weeks of completed pregnancy, the term “miscarriage” or fetal loss applies instead.

Coffee consumption during pregnancy not linked to children's neurodevelopmental difficulties

A University of Queensland-led study has failed to find any strong links between drinking coffee during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental difficulties in children, but researchers are advising expectant mothers to continue following medical guidelines on caffeine consumption.

9 Oct 2024

Maternal obesity doubles the risk of developing autism in children

Researchers investigate the potential relationship between maternal fat mass and long-term mental health issues in children born to these mothers.

26 Sep 2024

Study highlights the importance of placental evaluation in pregnancy outcomes

In an opinion article publishing September 18 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Molecular Medicine, physician-scientists argue that with most placentas discarded after birth, placental pathology is underutilized clinically, should be a routine part of obstetric and neonatal care, and also deserves more research attention.

19 Sep 2024

Research reveals impact of heatwaves on perinatal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa

Heatwaves in sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to become more common due to climate change. A new study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and others, published in Nature Medicine, reveals a worrying correlation between high temperatures in the final week of pregnancy and an increased risk of stillbirth and early neonatal mortality.

3 Sep 2024

Smoking during pregnancy affects children’s academic achievement

Smoking harms almost every part of your body. But if you smoke when pregnant, the toxic chemicals in tobacco will also harm your unborn baby, with new research showing that it could lead to reduced academic outcomes at school.

30 Aug 2024

Maternal prenatal smoking linked to poor academic outcomes in children

27 Aug 2024

Inflammation during pregnancy impacts child neurodevelopment

When a person experiences an injury or infection, the body's immune system responds with inflammation to start the healing process. However, inflammation can occur in much less helpful circumstances – for example, when a person experiences psychological stress or consistently eats a poor diet high in sugars, fats, and processed foods.

9 Aug 2024

Study finds association between pesticide exposure and stillbirth risk

Living less than about one-third of a mile from pesticide use prior to conception and during early pregnancy could increase the risk of stillbirths, according to new research led by researchers at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center.

7 Aug 2024

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Abortion heats up presidential race

The change at the top of the likely Democratic presidential ticket is prompting both abortion rights and anti-abortion organizations to recalibrate their campaigns, even as they fight over finalizing fall ballot proposals in many states.

1 Aug 2024

Air pollution: a pressing global health crisis demanding urgent interdisciplinary action

The research highlights the severe health impacts of air pollution and underscores the urgent need for interdisciplinary research and evidence-based interventions to mitigate these effects, particularly in vulnerable populations and low- and middle-income countries.

28 Jul 2024

Long-acting injectable CAB-LA safe for HIV PrEP during pregnancy, study finds

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) was safe and well tolerated as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) before and during pregnancy in the follow-up phase of a global study among cisgender women.

23 Jul 2024

First trimester COVID-19 exposure and vaccination not tied to major birth defects

Neither covid-19 infection nor vaccination during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with increased risk of major birth defects, finds a study from Scandinavia published by The BMJ today.

18 Jul 2024

Study uncovers long COVID risks for pregnant individuals

Nearly one in 10 people who get COVID while pregnant will go on to develop long COVID, a report publishing July 11th in Obstetrics & Gynecology has found.

11 Jul 2024

Adverse public health effects of air pollution on global population

Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause various health outcomes.

25 Jun 2024

Eating cheese during pregnancy linked to better neurodevelopmental outcomes in children

Researchers found that higher maternal intake of yogurt and cheese during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of neurodevelopmental delays in children at age 3.

24 Jun 2024

Perinatal depression may increase cardiovascular disease risk

Women with perinatal depression have a 36% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertensive disease, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure, as shown in a Swedish nationwide study.

23 Jun 2024

Adopting fully effective fortification with folic acid can help prevent birth defects

The UK government's failure to fortify all flour and rice with the vitamin folic acid "will result in more deaths and birth defects every year that could have been prevented," argues Professor Sir Nicholas Wald in The BMJ today.

20 Jun 2024

COVID-19 vaccines reduce infection and complications in pregnant women

The reactogenicity and impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines on pregnancy outcomes.

18 Jun 2024

Study: No association found between COVID-19 vaccination and stillbirth

In a new study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers from Yale and 11 other institutions found "no association between COVID-19 vaccination and stillbirth."

6 Jun 2024

Study reveals alarming rates of postpartum depression among mothers in six countries

Study published in BMC Public Health identified the prevalence, predictors, and coping strategies for postpartum depression (PPD) among mothers in six countries, highlighting significant variation across different cultural and demographic contexts.

19 May 2024