Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

WHO congratulates The Bahamas for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV

In a landmark achievement for Caribbean public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates The Bahamas for becoming the latest Caribbean nation to be certified as having eliminated the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

23 Apr 2026

Cancer during pregnancy causes lasting emotional and financial challenges

Women diagnosed with cancer in pregnancy face profound, long-term emotional and financial challenges, a new study from the University of Surrey finds.

22 Apr 2026

COVID-19 virus not retained in placenta after maternal recovery

A new Yale study published in JAMA Network Open finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.

22 Apr 2026

Prenatal stress may blunt metabolic benefits of exercise for offspring

Physical activity during pregnancy enhances the metabolic health of offspring, but new research in mice indicates that prenatal stress blunts these benefits, at least in male offspring.

22 Apr 2026

Autism risk rises with multiple medications taken during pregnancy

A study links maternal use of cholesterol-inhibiting medications during pregnancy to increased autism risk in children, urging caution in prescribing practices.

22 Apr 2026

Stem cell model recreates early human embryo with yolk sac

For the first time, a stem cell model has produced a structure resembling an early human embryo with a yolk-sac-like structure, from a single starting stem cell population and without direct genetic manipulation.

21 Apr 2026

Study reveals the physics behind neural tube closure in embryos

In about one out of every 1,000 pregnancies, the neural tube, a key nervous system structure, fails to close properly.

21 Apr 2026

Why Japan saw a major pertussis surge in 2025 while other countries peaked earlier

This study found that pertussis cases fell across Japan, Australia, New Zealand, China, and the USA during COVID-19 restrictions, then resurged afterward, with most countries peaking in 2024 but Japan showing a delayed major outbreak in 2025. In Japan, the surge was concentrated in school-aged children and adolescents, highlighting possible gaps in booster protection and the need to reassess immunization strategies.

20 Apr 2026

Certain prenatal medications linked to increased risk of autism

A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.

20 Apr 2026

Newborns carry antibiotic resistance genes within first hours of life

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) – segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics – can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.

20 Apr 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News: A new CDC nominee, again

President Donald Trump this week nominated a former deputy surgeon general who has expressed support for vaccines to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

17 Apr 2026

Visceral fat strongly linked to urinary incontinence in women

The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, especially visceral fat (fat that accumulates between organs), significantly increases the risk of stress urinary incontinence in women.

17 Apr 2026

As US birth rate falls, feds’ response may make pregnancy more dangerous

The number of babies born in the United States fell again last year.

17 Apr 2026

US Medicaid data finds buprenorphine safe for long-term child development

Children born to mothers who used buprenorphine for opioid addiction during pregnancy do not have a greater risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, compared with children whose mothers took methadone, finds a large US study published by The BMJ today.

17 Apr 2026

Scientists discover a biological "memory" of breastfeeding in child blood samples

Babies who are exclusively breastfed for at least three months carry markers in their blood that differ from babies who are not breastfed.

16 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genes linked to severe pregnancy sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

14 Apr 2026

SARS-CoV-2 rarely reaches first-trimester placentas but still disrupts early pregnancy immunity

Researchers analyzing 761 first-trimester pregnancies found that SARS-CoV-2 was rarely detected in placental tissues, suggesting in utero transmission early in pregnancy is uncommon. However, maternal infection was linked to immune dysregulation at the maternal-fetal interface, altered trophoblast signaling, and inflammatory changes that could affect placental development.

14 Apr 2026

Study finds when parents are depressed may shape children’s mental health for decades

A long-running UK cohort study found that exposure to parental depression from pregnancy through young adulthood was linked to higher odds of depression and anxiety in adult offspring. Maternal depression in late pregnancy was uniquely associated with later psychotic symptoms, while paternal associations emerged more clearly from mid-childhood onward.

14 Apr 2026

Postpartum Medicaid expansion improved coverage but showed limited care changes

The federal policy requiring states to keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic extended postpartum Medicaid coverage nationwide and sharply increased the number of individuals remaining insured after childbirth, according to a Rutgers Health researcher.

13 Apr 2026

Steroid hormones, BMI and stress influence puberty timing in girls

Higher levels of key steroid hormones-combined with elevated stress and body mass index (BMI)-are associated with earlier onset of puberty in girls, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

13 Apr 2026