Depression during or after a pregnancy could be tied to a heightened risk for heart trouble in women decades later, new research warns. This so-called “perinatal” depression was linked to a 36% higher odds of developing heart disease within the next 20 years, reported a Swedish team led by Dr. Emma Bränn, of the Karolinska… read on > read on >
All Mommy:
Using Diabetes Drug Metformin Around Pregnancy Won’t Raise Birth Defect Risk
Two new studies offer reassurance that using the diabetes drug metformin before and during pregnancy is not linked to birth defects. The latest findings, which apply to men planning to conceive with their partners or women in early pregnancy, contradict a 2022 study that found metformin use by men in the three months before they… read on > read on >
Is Mom’s Fish Intake During Pregnancy Linked to Juvenile Arthritis?
Eating fish while pregnant doesn’t appear to increase a child’s later risk of juvenile arthritis, particularly if the fish is oily like salmon, trout or sardines, new research shows. “We cannot caution pregnant women against consuming fish solely based on this study in regards to [juvenile arthritis] risk, especially considering other research highlighting the positive… read on > read on >
Trouble Getting Your Kids to Sleep? You’re Not Alone, Poll Finds
Nearly 1 in 4 parents struggle to get their child to sleep, a new poll reports. Some of this is related to poor sleep hygiene, but some also is due to dark worries harbored by the kids, researchers report. Parents of sleepless children are less likely to have a bedtime routine, more likely to leave… read on > read on >
Rate of Chronic High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Doubled in U.S. Since 2008
The number of pregnant women with chronic high blood pressure doubled during the past decade and a half, but treatment remains low among them, a new study found. About 3.7% of pregnant women were diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2021, up from 1.8% in 2008, researchers said. However, prescriptions handed out to pregnant women… read on > read on >
Loaded, Unlocked Guns Common in American Homes, Study Finds
In half of American homes containing a loaded gun, that gun is kept unsecured and ready for potential use, often with children in the home, new research shows. The finding is especially troubling given the link between gun accessibility and accidental child deaths, as well as rising rates of gun-related suicides in the United States,… read on > read on >
Supreme Court Rejects Case That Would Have Curbed Access to Abortion Drug
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday threw out a case that aimed to curb access to the controversial abortion drug mifepristone, saying the plaintiffs who brought the case to the court had no legal standing to do so. In a unanimous vote, the nine judges ruled that a group of doctors and other medical professionals… read on > read on >
Could Moms of Low-Birth-Weight Babies Face Higher Dementia Risk Later?
Women who deliver low-birth-weight babies could be more likely to have memory and thinking problems later in life, a new study warns. As seniors, these women had brain test scores that indicated one to two years of additional aging in their memory and thinking skills, compared with women who delivered normal-weight babies, according to results… read on > read on >
Dad Plays Role in His Infant’s Microbiome
Dads appear to make a small but important contribution to a newborn baby’s gut health, a new study discovers. Many microbes found in babies throughout their first year of life originate in the father rather than the mother, researchers report June 12 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe. Most importantly, these include Bifidobacterium longum… read on > read on >
FDA Rescinds Ban on Juul E-Cigarettes
A ban on Juul e-cigarettes has been reversed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday. Why? The agency said it needs to review both new court decisions and updated data from the vape maker. While the company’s e-cigarettes are back under review, they have not been fully cleared for sale in this country, the… read on > read on >