Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

New strategy promotes healthy lifestyle behaviors in obese, overweight women

When researchers asked prospective study participants who they would like to see in videos promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, the answer was unequivocal: They wanted to see themselves - that is, other mothers living in low-income households who were overweight or obese.

21 May 2020

Researchers highlight the need to revise the protocol for detecting ZIKV infection in placenta

Shortly after the explosion in microcephaly cases caused by Zika virus in Brazil in 2015-16, several scientific studies were published with evidence that the pathogen is capable of crossing the human placenta, the organ that keeps the fetus connected to the mother's body during pregnancy.

20 May 2020

Main receptors used by SARS-CoV-2 for cell entry are absent in the human placenta

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unlikely to infect human placenta through the canonical cell entry mediators, Wayne State University researchers showed that other interacting proteins may still play an important role during the viral infection. The study is currently available on the preprint server bioRxiv.

20 May 2020

Children exposed to maternal antenatal corticosteroids have more behavioral disorders

Maternal antenatal corticosteroid treatment is standard care when there is a risk for preterm delivery. The treatment improves the prognosis of babies born preterm.

20 May 2020

MicroRNAs in maternal blood may predict development of preeclampsia

Small non-coding RNA molecules, called microRNAs (miRNAs), found and measured in the blood plasma of asymptomatic pregnant women may predict development of preeclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and abnormal kidney function that affects roughly 5 to 8 percent of all pregnancies.

20 May 2020

Researchers investigate the effect of Covid-19 on pregnant women and babies

Huddersfield researchers have co-published a report on the current knowledge of the effect of Covid-19 on pregnant women and babies.

19 May 2020

Mcmaster researchers develop new blood test to track individual fat intake

A team of researchers at McMaster University has developed a reliable and accurate blood test to track individual fat intake, a tool that could guide public health policy on healthy eating.

15 May 2020

MRI reveals signs of fetal alcohol syndrome in the womb

New images reveal the earliest impairments to nonhuman primate fetal brain development due to alcohol ingested by the mother, in a study led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University involving rhesus macaques.

13 May 2020

Placentas of pregnant women with COVID-19 showed abnormalities

A study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, Chicago, has found that the placentas of pregnant women who were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) showed abnormalities, compared with those of uninfected women.

13 May 2020

New rapid CRISPR-based test for sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection

A new study reports the approval of a new CRISPR-based coronavirus test that is both sensitive and rapid and intended to help reduce the time required to test symptomatic or potentially contagious cases.

13 May 2020

New study to explore long-term impacts of COVID-19 on mental health

A new study will assess the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health of thousands of people – from the womb to old age.

13 May 2020

Are pregnant women at higher risk from COVID-19? A Swedish study

A new study published by the Public Health Agency of Sweden in its Brief Report shows that compared to non-pregnant women, pregnant and postpartum women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of requiring intensive care.

12 May 2020

One-size-fits-all approach does not work for treating pregnant women with hypertension

Treatment guidelines for hypertension in pregnancy suggest that more women should be on medication to control their blood pressure.

11 May 2020

Prenatal stress experienced by mothers has a direct effect on child's mental health

An international consortium of researchers have identified particular sources of prenatal stress, as experienced by mothers, that have a direct effect on a child's subsequent mental health.

11 May 2020

Gum Health Day 2020 to be celebrated worldwide on 12 May

"Say NO to bleeding gums" is the slogan for Gum Health Day 2020, to be celebrated worldwide on 12 May. Its goal is to raise public awareness about bleeding gums, which are usually a sign of a gum disease that will require treatment at the dental practice.

11 May 2020