Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Peacemaker immune cells offer new hope for restoring immune tolerance

'Peacemaker' immune cells could help treat diseases ranging from type 1 diabetes to neurodegeneration by restoring immune tolerance, according to a new paper in Frontiers in Science.

25 Jun 2026

Three courageous heart transplant survivors are celebrated by the British Heart Foundation for giving their old hearts for research

The British Heart Foundation is celebrating three incredible young women who donated their old hearts to science after having heart transplant surgery.

25 Jun 2026

Recognizing perinatal heart failure early reduces life-threatening risks

Early detection and timely treatment of heart failure in pregnant or postpartum women are crucial to prevent serious complications, such as irregular heartbeat, stroke and death, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement, "Heart Failure Occurring in the Perinatal Period."

25 Jun 2026

Maternal blood test reveals prenatal methylation clues linked to autism risk

Researchers found that maternal plasma cell-free DNA methylation patterns in late pregnancy were associated with later autism diagnosis and maternal obesity in a high-likelihood ASD cohort. The findings suggest cfDNA may offer a minimally invasive way to study prenatal epigenetic changes linked to neurodevelopmental risk, but larger validation studies are needed.

25 Jun 2026

England faces widening obesity inequalities across regions and communities

This study is the first to analyse obesity trends from 2019 to 2025, using NHS England electronic health records covering nearly 55 million adults.

24 Jun 2026

Most IVF add-ons lack evidence of fertility benefits

There is a lack of evidence to suggest the majority of in vitro fertilization (IVF) add-ons improve fertility in patients undergoing IVF, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health journal.

24 Jun 2026

Parental genes rather than pregnancy weight influence childhood body mass index

The link between parents' body mass index (BMI) and their children's BMI in childhood is driven largely by genetic inheritance, rather than by any direct biological effects of parental weight during pregnancy, a new study suggests.

23 Jun 2026

NIH funds University of Minnesota research on congenital cytomegalovirus infection

A University of Minnesota Medical School research team has received a new 5-year, $3.87 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate how the immune system protects against congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.

23 Jun 2026

Hyperemesis gravidarum increases risks for pregnancy and birth complications

Pregnant women with a severe form of nausea face increased risks for several pregnancy and birth complications, according to a new Stanford Medicine study of 2.5 million California births.

22 Jun 2026

Primary teeth serve as biological archives of early life

Using data and biological samples from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and the world`s larges biobank of primary teeth, MoBaTooth biobank, Stokke Jensen`s doctorial research shows that primary teeth can serve as a detailed biological archive of exposures occurring during critical stages of human development.

22 Jun 2026

Nursery videos effectively educate first-time fathers on infant care

Brief videos shown in the hospital newborn nursery may be an effective way to educate first-time fathers on infant care topics, such as safe sleep, infant crying and car safety, according to a pilot study published in the journal Pediatrics Open Science.

19 Jun 2026

Paid paternity leave supports new fathers' mental health, study finds

A new study from Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago highlights the critical role paid paternal leave plays in supporting new dads' mental health following the birth of their baby.

18 Jun 2026

Forward bending at work may raise miscarriage risk during pregnancy

Bending forwards, and to a lesser extent, walking a lot at work in early pregnancy, may raise the risk of miscarriage, finds a large study of more than 470,000 Danish women, published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

18 Jun 2026

Breast milk nutrient boosts long-term immune system development

Trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid found in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development and has long-lasting effects on immune system health in mice, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Chicago.

18 Jun 2026

Computer models could design more effective probiotic supplements

Probiotic supplements found in drugstores nationwide contain an assortment of microbes sold for specific health purposes despite limited understanding of the microbes' connections to their marketed use, new University of Virginia School of Medicine research reveals.

18 Jun 2026

PMOS rethink reframes a common hormone disorder as a whole-body disease

A new review reframes PCOS, now proposed as PMOS, as a systemic endocrine and metabolic disorder shaped by genetic, epigenetic, ovarian, metabolic, and neuroendocrine pathways. It highlights why inconsistent diagnosis and symptom-focused care have limited progress, while targeted therapies, biomarkers, machine learning, and organ-on-chip models may support more personalized treatment.

18 Jun 2026

Men's fertility-friendly underwear may be briefs without benefits

A narrative review found that tight-fitting underwear may modestly raise scrotal temperature and is inconsistently linked to lower sperm production measures. However, current evidence does not show that switching to looser underwear improves real-world fertility outcomes.

17 Jun 2026

Researchers uncover genetic cause of spontaneous spinal CSF leaks

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University and Johns Hopkins University have identified genetic mutations that may explain why some people develop a spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak in the spine.

17 Jun 2026

Maternal RSV vaccine shows 68% protection against infant RSV hospitalization

In a test-negative case-control study of 274 hospitalized infants aged 90 days or younger, maternal RSVpreF vaccination was associated with 67.6% effectiveness against RSV-associated acute respiratory illness hospitalization. Protection was similar against RSV-linked lower respiratory tract disease, with the highest point estimate in the first month of life, although confidence intervals were wide.

16 Jun 2026

Study maps biological pathways of weed killer during pregnancy

Exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weed killers, was linked to changes in several hormones that support pregnancy and fetal development-in one of the few studies to examine how a widely used herbicide may affect the body during pregnancy. The results come from a new study led by University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers.

16 Jun 2026