A strong immune response to the virus that causes COVID-19 by the placenta may help explain why infected pregnant women face a higher risk of complications, such as preterm birth and preeclampsia, researchers say. The Yale University team analyzed blood and placental tissue from 39 women at different stages of pregnancy. They detected evidence of… read on > read on >
The risk of mother-to-newborn transmission of COVID-19 is low, but the illness in pregnant women can trigger preterm birth, researchers say. The new study looked at 255 babies born in Massachusetts last year to mothers with a recent positive test for COVID-19. Only about 2% of the 88% of babies who were tested for COVID-19… read on > read on >
Not even your beloved feline is safe from COVID-19. Using in-depth genetic analyses, a new investigation in the United Kingdom suggests that people can pass COVID-19 on to their cats. “We identified two cats that tested positive,” said study lead author Margaret Hosie. “Both of them were from suspected COVID-19 households.” One case involved a… read on > read on >
Isolated NBA players who recovered from COVID-19 but still tested positive for the virus didn’t infect others after leaving isolation, a new study finds. That someone who has had COVID can infect others has been a persistent fear, but these findings from the professional basketball league suggest that many who recover can return to contact… read on > read on >
Overweight and underweight women have a higher risk of repeated miscarriages than those whose weight is average, a new study finds. Miscarriage is the most common complication of early pregnancy, occurring in 15% to 20% of all pregnancies. Recurrent miscarriage (two or more consecutive early miscarriages) is often attributed to numerous medical factors and lifestyle… read on > read on >
If you suffered migraine headaches before menopause, you’re at higher risk for high blood pressure once your periods stop, a new study warns. Migraines occur more often in women than men, and are most common in the years before menopause, according to study author Gianluca Severi of the French National Institute of Health and Medical… read on > read on >
There’s no evidence of genetic damage in the children of parents who were exposed to radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster in Ukraine, researchers say. Several previous studies have examined the risks across generations of radiation exposure from events such as this, but have yielded inconclusive results. In this study, the investigators… read on > read on >
Depression and other mental health problems have become much more common among pregnant women and new mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic, an international study finds. Researchers noted that mental health issues can harm not only a woman’s own health but also affect mother-infant bonding and children’s health over time. “We expected to see an increase… read on > read on >
For people who’ve suffered through a bout of COVID-19, their misery is too often not over. New research shows that a wide variety of “long-haul” symptoms are common, and the risk rises along with the severity of their case of COVID-19. In what may be the largest such study to date, “the findings show that… read on > read on >
There appears to be a silver lining to forced school and business closures during early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study: Fewer kids used e-cigarettes. Compared to the previous quarter, vaping rates fell among 15- to 20-year-olds while widespread stay-at-home orders were in place from March 14 to June 29, 2020,… read on > read on >
