Pregnancy News and Research

Latest Pregnancy News and Research

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The ax falls at HHS

As had been rumored for weeks, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a plan to reorganize the department. It involves the downsizing of its workforce, which formerly was roughly 80,000 people, by a quarter and consolidating dozens of agencies that were created and authorized by Congress.

27 Mar 2025

AI helps sonographers detect fetal abnormalities faster during 20-week pregnancy scan

Artificial intelligence (AI) could help sonographers identify any abnormalities at the 20-week pregnancy screening scan almost twice as quickly, without reducing the accuracy or reliability of diagnoses, a new study has shown.

27 Mar 2025

Scientists link emulsifiers in processed foods to allergy and immune disorders

Review identifies common food additives in ultra-processed foods—particularly emulsifiers like carrageenan and polysorbate 80—as key drivers of gut dysbiosis, inflammation, and allergic diseases by disrupting intestinal barriers and activating proinflammatory pathways.

26 Mar 2025

Addressing cardiovascular risk factors in emerging adulthood

Many teenagers enter adulthood with significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a key time to address these risk factors and reduce the risk of developing future cardiovascular disease, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Mar 2025

New guidelines recommend 2 hours of weekly exercise for postpartum women

New mums should be strongly encouraged to begin clocking up at least two hours of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity such as brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercises each week in the first three months after birth, when physically able, to improve health and well-being, say experts in a new guideline published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

26 Mar 2025

Postpartum females show shift in temperature preferences due to brain changes

Mothers experience major metabolic adaptations during pregnancy and lactation to support the development and growth of the new life.

25 Mar 2025

CDC study identifies leading culprits of foodborne illness

Researchers from the CDC and Colorado School of Public Health estimate that seven major pathogens caused 9.9 million foodborne illnesses in the US in 2019. Norovirus led illness and hospitalization counts, while Salmonella caused the most deaths.

25 Mar 2025

Drinking diet drinks in pregnancy raises overweight risk in children, study finds

Daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) during pregnancy was linked to a modest but consistent increase in overweight risk in offspring from age 7 to 18. Surprisingly, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) were associated with a lower risk, though lifestyle differences may explain this.

25 Mar 2025

Cardiovascular-related maternal mortality has more than doubled since 1999

The rate of maternal mortality related to cardiovascular causes more than doubled between 1999 and 2022 in the United States, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).

25 Mar 2025

Expectant and new fathers express the need for more support during pregnancy and childbirth

A new Penn Nursing study reveals that expectant and new fathers, particularly Black American fathers, express a significant need for more resources and support to better assist mothers during pregnancy and childbirth.

24 Mar 2025

Fish oil supplements beat oily fish at reducing harmful blood vesicles

Fish oil supplements, delivering higher EPA doses, significantly reduced the number and procoagulant activity of extracellular vesicles—unlike oily fish. This suggests EPA, not DHA, may drive cardiovascular benefits linked to EV function.

24 Mar 2025

How your diet and probiotics can improve vaccine effectiveness

Researchers uncover how probiotics and diet shape the gut microbiome to boost vaccine efficacy, offering new avenues for precision immunization.

23 Mar 2025

Preventive oral care during pregnancy can reduce risks of complications

For pregnant women in the U.S., the use of oral health services during pregnancy remains low, with fewer than 40% seeking preventive oral health care.

20 Mar 2025

Small intestine grows in response to pregnancy in mice

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that the small intestine grows in response to pregnancy in mice. This partially irreversible change may help mice support a pregnancy and prepare for a second.

19 Mar 2025

Oropouche virus: Emerging threats, symptoms, and prevention

Researchers provide an overview of the emerging Oropouche virus.

19 Mar 2025

Study explores the link between diet, blood glucose, and cancer risk

Researchers explore the relationship between diet, blood glucose levels, and cancer incidence across vertebrate species.

19 Mar 2025

Women with certain pregnancy blood pressure patterns face higher risk of hypertension

Women with blood pressure levels in a range considered clinically normal during pregnancy but no mid-pregnancy drop in blood pressure face an increased risk of developing hypertension in the five years after giving birth.

18 Mar 2025

Could tea during pregnancy give your baby a brain boost? Research says yes

Maternal tea consumption during pregnancy – particularly in the second and third trimesters – is associated with improved cognitive, fine motor, and gross motor skills in 3-year-olds, while coffee intake shows no significant impact, according to a Chinese cohort study of 1,423 mother-child pairs.

18 Mar 2025

Vegan diets aid weight loss, but cutting animal-based processed foods matters most

A vegan diet rich in low-fat plant-based foods can lead to significant weight loss, regardless of food processing levels, whereas reducing processed animal foods is strongly linked to lower body weight.

18 Mar 2025

Cyanotic congenital heart disease incidence increases in states with restrictive abortion laws

The incidence of babies born with serious heart defects, known as cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD), rose in states that enacted restrictive abortion laws following the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that put abortion laws in the hands of the states, according to a study being presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session.

18 Mar 2025