The Pill prevents pregnancy — and maybe ovarian cancer, too, a new study suggests. Women who’ve ever used the contraceptive pill have a 26% lower risk of ovarian cancer, researchers say. Women who used the pill after age 45 benefit even more, with a 43% lower risk of ovarian cancer, according to findings published in…  read on >  read on >

New moms who’ve just had twins run a high risk of heart disease in the coming weeks and months, a new study suggests. Women have a doubled risk of hospitalization for heart problems within a year of delivering twins, researchers reported Feb. 3 in the European Heart Journal. Their risk is even higher — more…  read on >  read on >

Is fresh better than frozen? Yes, when it comes to in vitro fertilization (IVF), a new clinical trial says. Fresh embryo transfer appears to be a better option than using frozen embryos for women struggling to conceive via IVF, researchers reported Jan. 29 in The BMJ. About 32% of women had a live birth following…  read on >  read on >

FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2025 — Artificial intelligence (AI) can help doctors detect fetal heart defects, improving newborns’ chances of survival, a new study says. AI-aided analysis of prenatal ultrasounds detected heart defects more quickly and accurately than doctors evaluating the tests on their own, according to findings reported Thursday at a meeting of the Society…  read on >  read on >

Food stamps and food banks can be key to healthy pregnancies. Food assistance programs are effective in helping hungry women avoid pregnancy complications, researchers say in a new study published Jan. 23 in JAMA Network Open. Food insecurity in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth and newborn admission…  read on >  read on >

When one abortion pill faces lawsuits, another may be waiting in the wings, a new study suggests. The study, published Jan. 23 in the journal NEJM Evidence, has found a potential alternative to the abortion pill mifepristone, offering yet another option at a time when access to reproductive health care faces increasing legal and political…  read on >  read on >

Pregnancy increases the risk of mental illness among women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Pregnant MS patients have a higher risk of mental illness both during gestation and in the first years after they give birth, researchers reported in a new study published Jan. 22 in the journal Neurology. Overall, women with MS have a 26%…  read on >  read on >

Want your kid to do well in school? Get them involved in an organized sport, a new study urges. Boys and girls are both more likely to earn a high school diploma if they take part in team sports like soccer or artistic sports like dance or gymnastics, researchers reported in a study published recently…  read on >  read on >