Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

Use of sleep heart rate patterns to forecast diabetes risk in pregnancy

This study highlights the potential of heart rate variability as an early indicator of gestational diabetes, facilitating proactive healthcare in pregnancy.

23 Jun 2025

Health risks for newborns rise with increasing maternal age

Giving birth to a child after 40 is becoming more and more common – but it can entail an increased risk to the child.

23 Jun 2025

Placenta and prenatal hormones may drive human brain evolution

The placenta and the hormones it produces may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the human brain, while also leading to the behavioral traits that have made human societies able to thrive and expand, according to a new hypothesis proposed by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

20 Jun 2025

Cognitive gains from multivitamins depend on pregnancy diet

High-quality maternal diets enhance child development, while multivitamins are beneficial for those with poor diets, emphasizing nutrition's role in pregnancy.

20 Jun 2025

Iodine fortification urged as plant-based milk rise in popularity

Iodine content in plant-based milks is often insufficient, risking deficiencies that affect metabolism and public health, especially in reproductive-age women.

20 Jun 2025

Research reveals how a microscopic parasite disrupts brain function

A team of scientists at the University of California, Riverside, explains in a paper published in PLOS Pathogens how a microscopic parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, can significantly disrupt brain function, even when it infects only a small number of neurons.

19 Jun 2025

Genes may determine how early life exposures shape the gut microbiome

Early nutritional and antibiotic exposures affect adult gut microbiota, with genetic background and parent-of-origin significantly influencing outcomes.

19 Jun 2025

Wildfire smoke and heat stress impact birth outcomes in vulnerable communities

Exposure to wildfire smoke and heat stress can negatively affect birth outcomes for women, especially in climate-vulnerable neighborhoods, according to a recent study led by USC postdoctoral researcher Roxana Khalili, PhD.

19 Jun 2025

Global guideline released by WHO on managing sickle cell disease in pregnancy

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its first-ever global guideline on the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) during pregnancy, addressing a critical and growing health challenge that can have life-threatening consequences for both women and babies.

19 Jun 2025

Smoking leaves lasting marks in teeth even after quitting

Evidence of the permanent impact of smoking on people's teeth has been uncovered by researchers for the first time.

18 Jun 2025

Kupffer cell reprogramming in embryos explains metabolic disorders in offspring

Children born to obese mothers are at higher risk of developing metabolic disorders, even if they follow a healthy diet themselves.

18 Jun 2025

Sensory sensitivity and partner support shape perinatal depression trajectories

Persistent sadness, fatigue, changes in sleep and appetite, or loss of interest are common symptoms in mothers suffering from perinatal depression.

18 Jun 2025

WHO releases new guidance to expand midwifery care worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released new guidance to help countries adopt and expand midwifery models of care - where midwives serve as the main care provider for women and babies throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.

18 Jun 2025

Disrupted biological rhythms in teens can produce unexpected brain effects

A new McGill University-led study suggests that disrupting the body's internal clock during adolescence can alter how the brain responds to an in-utero risk factor linked to certain brain disorders.

17 Jun 2025

Machine learning boosts accuracy of point-of-care disease detection

What if people could detect cancer and other diseases with the same speed and ease of a pregnancy test or blood glucose meter? Researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology are a step closer to realizing this goal by integrating machine learning-based analysis into point-of-care biosensing technologies.

17 Jun 2025

Estrogen-responsive cells found to heighten gut pain in females

Researchers uncovered how estrogen heightens gut sensitivity in females by activating PYY-secreting L-cells, which stimulate serotonin release from EC cells. This paracrine circuit intensifies pain signaling and may explain the sex bias in conditions like IBS.

16 Jun 2025

Mycotoxin exposure during pregnancy linked to lower birthweight

Exposure to mycotoxins – a broad group of harmful substances produced by mold – during pregnancy may impact placental function, which could result in lower birthweight in humans, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

16 Jun 2025

Study links gestational hypertension to increased seizure risk in offspring

A new study led by researchers at University of Iowa Health Care has revealed a significant association between high blood pressure during pregnancy (gestational hypertension) and an increased risk of seizures in children.

16 Jun 2025

Low levels of arsenic in public water linked to adverse birth outcomes

Babies born to mothers potentially exposed to low levels of arsenic in public drinking water-even at levels below the federal safety standard-were more likely to be born preterm, with lower birthweight, or be smaller than expected, according to a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and funded by the National Institutes of Health's Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

16 Jun 2025

Paternal mental health found to impact child development

Experts from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago affirm the need to screen new fathers for mental distress, recognizing the mounting research that underscores the importance of fathers in child development.

16 Jun 2025