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.

Superdrug launches new initiative to encourage expectant parents to quit smoking

Superdrug is the first high street retailer to support the NHS drive to encourage expectant parents to quit smoking by increasing accessibility to smoking cessation products and advice.

10 Jan 2020

Being around dogs from early age may lessen chance of developing schizophrenia as adult

Ever since humans domesticated the dog, the faithful, obedient and protective animal has provided its owner with companionship and emotional well-being. Now, a study from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that being around "man's best friend" from an early age may have a health benefit as well -- lessening the chance of developing schizophrenia as an adult.

18 Dec 2019

Daily cannabis use during pregnancy associated with delayed fetal growth

Daily marijuana use during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of low birth weight, low resistance to infection, decreased oxygen levels and other negative fetal health outcomes, according to a new study from a team of UNLV Medicine doctors.

2 Dec 2019

Changes in placenta could mean males born to older mothers more prone to heart problems

A new study in rats shows that older mother rats develop poorer placentas which are in turn related to later risk of heart problems in their male offspring. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, shows that both male and female offspring are smaller in size when the mother is older. However, the placental development in older mothers with male fetuses is especially impaired, leading to worse placental function. As a result, heart problems are more common in later life in these offspring, as is high blood pressure.

28 Nov 2019

Placenta changes in older mothers linked to greater odds of heart problems in male offspring

Placenta changes could mean male offspring of older mums more likely to develop heart problems in later life, rat study finds.

28 Nov 2019

Novel solution could produce accurate, automated placental diagnostic reports

Placentas can provide critical information about the health of the mother and baby, but only 20 percent of placentas are assessed by pathology exams after delivery in the U.S. The cost, time and expertise required to analyze them are prohibitive.

25 Nov 2019

Impaired liver function during pregnancy can lead to impaired metabolism and weight gain

Impaired liver function during pregnancy may alter gut bacteria composition and increase the risk of obesity in children, according to results presented at The Society for Endocrinology Annual Conference.

11 Nov 2019

Providers take many approaches to help support women and families after infant loss

For women who suffer the devastation of an infant loss during pregnancy, emotions can run the gamut. They may feel guilty, angry or even relieved. No matter the feeling, expressing those emotions plays a big role in adapting to life after such a tragic event.

17 Oct 2019

Researchers discover most virulent representatives of listeriosis pathogen

The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a life-threatening infection in animals and humans. Contaminated food is a frequent source of infection. Elderly people, people with a weakened immune system and pregnant women are particularly at risk with a mortality rate of up to 30 per cent.

9 Oct 2019

Complications during first pregnancy linked to increased risk of high blood pressure later in life

Women who experience complications such as preterm births and preeclampsia during their first pregnancy are nearly twice more likely than women without complications to develop high blood pressure later in life--some as quickly as three years later, according to a new study of more than 4,000 women.

30 Sep 2019

Study looks at outcomes of birth options after a previous cesarean section

A large cohort study of women who have had one or more previous cesarean sections suggests that attempting a vaginal birth in a subsequent pregnancy is associated with higher health risks to both the mother and the infant than electing for another cesarean.

From PLOS ONE 18 Sep 2019

New model for vaginal microbiome transplantation

Bacterial vaginosis is a condition affecting thousands of women worldwide, and is associated not only with vaginal symptoms but with pregnancy-related complications including preterm labor and stillbirth. Now researchers have come up with an effective way to replace the unhealthy vaginal microflora with a ready-to-use microbiome – called a vaginal microbiome transplantation (VMT).

11 Sep 2019

Study finds upward trend in number of pregnant women with high blood pressure

The number of women with high blood pressure when they become pregnant or who have it diagnosed during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy has spiked in the United States over the last four decades, especially among black women, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

9 Sep 2019

Early planned delivery reduces impact of preterm pre-eclampsia

Doctors have long debated over the optimal time to deliver mothers with pre-eclampsia in late pregnancy (after 34 but before 37 completed weeks). This is because too early delivery compromises the baby’s health, while delayed action may endanger the mother’s health.

29 Aug 2019

New gene-editing study finds protective genes against Zika virus

Tel Aviv scientists have discovered certain genes that protect the host organism against attack by Zika virus, raising hopes of an eventual vaccine or cure for this dreaded viral disease.

28 Jul 2019

Mediterranean-style diet in pregnancy has potential to reduce weight gain, gestational diabetes

A simple Mediterranean-style diet in pregnancy does not reduce the overall risk of adverse maternal and offspring complications, but has the potential to reduce weight gain in pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes, according to a clinical trial led by Queen Mary University of London and the University of Warwick.

23 Jul 2019

Longer pregnancies increase risk of stillbirths, study reveals

Of the 3000 babies stillborn every year in the UK, a third appeared healthy at 37 weeks. In the new work, researchers searched major electronic databases for studies on term pregnancies that included weekly numbers of stillbirths or neonatal deaths.

From PLOS ONE 3 Jul 2019

Risk of stillbirth increases by continuing pregnancy to 41 weeks' gestation

With every week that a pregnancy continues past term, the risk of stillbirth increases, according to an analysis of more than 15 million pregnancies led by Queen Mary University of London.

3 Jul 2019

Study finds no link between infant deaths and exposure to waste incinerators

Researchers have found no link between exposure to emissions from municipal waste incinerators and infant deaths or reduced foetal growth.

21 Jun 2019

Dangerous brain parasite invades host cell, maintains steady nutrient supply

A team of researchers has found that a dangerous type of parasite that affects the brain, maintains a stable supply of essential nutrients as it replicates in the host cell. In an unexpected turn of events, the body itself delivers food to the harmful predator.

20 Jun 2019