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Routine midwife debriefing provides critical mental health support for mothers

A new study from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that a structured, midwife‑led birth debrief can significantly strengthen women's emotional wellbeing after childbirth and can be built into routine maternity care.

9 Jul 2026

Active birth control pills may increase emotional eating

Combined oral contraceptives are associated with increased emotional eating, suggesting hormonal effects on eating behaviors and potential binge eating risks.

9 Jul 2026

Maternal diet may subtly shape breast milk immune signals

Research indicates that maternal dietary patterns can subtly affect the immune composition of breast milk, with implications for infant immune development.

9 Jul 2026

Gut-friendly diet linked to lower mortality risk in coronary heart disease

Using NHANES 2005-2018 data, researchers found that adults with coronary heart disease who had higher Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota scores had lower all-cause mortality risk. The association was nonlinear, strongest when scores reached 5 or higher, and remained observational rather than causal.

9 Jul 2026

New Italian data show extreme longevity is spreading beyond the blue zones

A nationwide ecological analysis of Italian regions found that aging and extreme longevity indicators rose steadily from 1982 to 2025, with northern and central regions generally leading. Regional patterns linked higher longevity indices to lower diabetes and cerebrovascular mortality and healthier contemporary nutrition profiles, while Cilento emerged as a notable southern hotspot.

9 Jul 2026

Smoking shows no major impact on the eye microbiome in small study

A small study found no evidence that smoking causes large or consistent shifts in the ocular surface microbiome or tear proteome. The authors caution that subtle smoking-related effects cannot be ruled out, given the small cohort and the ocular surface's low-biomass, contamination-sensitive microbial niche.

8 Jul 2026

Study links gut bacteria diversity to frailty in seniors

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified clear links between the composition of gut bacteria and frailty in older women.

8 Jul 2026

Toronto researchers uncover genetic drivers of triple negative breast cancer

Researchers have solved a long-standing mystery of how abnormal chromosomes drive cancer, identifying 81 new genes involved in aggressive breast cancer.

8 Jul 2026

Review highlights pregnancy and miscarriage rates among transmasculine people

A recent review of published research provides some evidence that a small but noteworthy minority of transmasculine people (trans, nonbinary, and other gender expansive people who were assigned female at birth) have pregnancies (6%–9%) and children (4%–9%), including after transition.

8 Jul 2026

New study identifies shared risk factors for breast cancer and atrial fibrillation

Alcohol use and smoking were linked to breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter in women ages 55 years and older in multiple regions of the world, according to new, independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

8 Jul 2026

Yogurt, prebiotics, and probiotics link to lower colorectal cancer odds in U.S. adults

A national NHANES analysis of 9,405 U.S. adults aged 50 and older found that any yogurt, prebiotic, or probiotic consumption was associated with about 50% lower odds of self-reported colorectal cancer. Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot prove causation but supports further research into microbiota-targeted dietary strategies.

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

Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy rise in England

Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy have increased in England in recent years, according to research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

7 Jul 2026

Emergency admissions associated with advanced ovarian cancer at diagnosis

Two in five women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed only after an emergency hospital admission, when they are 3 times less likely to have early stage and potentially curable disease, finds a data analysis published in the open access journal BMJ Oncology.

7 Jul 2026

Early menopause remains common among women in low and middle income countries

Early menopause affects 1 in 14 women aged 30 to 49 living in low and middle income countries, finds a pooled data analysis of its prevalence in 44 nations published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

7 Jul 2026

New review shows why antidepressants often fail in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s depression

A Molecular Psychiatry review shows that depression in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease may reflect disease-specific molecular, neurotransmitter, inflammatory, and circuit-level disruptions rather than standard depression biology alone. It argues that broad antidepressants often show limited efficacy in these patients and that future trials should use biomarkers, neuroimaging, and symptom profiling to guide targeted treatments.

7 Jul 2026

Updated ABCs framework gives clinicians a clearer path to prevent heart disease

A 2026 State-of-the-Art review updates the ABCs of cardiovascular disease prevention to help clinicians apply contemporary risk assessment, lifestyle, pharmacologic, and cardiometabolic strategies in routine care. The framework emphasizes PREVENT™ risk equations, Life’s Essential 8, CKM syndrome, obesity care, lipid lowering, blood pressure control, healthy aging, heart failure prevention, and atrial fibrillation management.

7 Jul 2026

New nonhormonal therapy shows promise for treating Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have developed a promising nonhormonal therapy for women experiencing Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM).

7 Jul 2026

Phenolic compounds linked to precocious puberty or early breast development in girls

Research from the University of Granada, recently published in the European Journal of Pediatrics, has revealed that girls with higher levels of bisphenol A (a component of plastics and epoxy-phenolic resins) and benzophenones (ultraviolet filters) in their urine are more likely to experience precocious puberty or early breast development.

7 Jul 2026

Could IVF affect heart health after pregnancy?

Women with IVF-conceived pregnancies exhibit higher large artery stiffness, indicating potential cardiovascular risks that warrant further investigation.

7 Jul 2026