While maternal deaths in the U.S. declined in 2023, Black women still died at more than three times the rate of white women during pregnancy or childbirth, highlighting widening racial disparities in maternal health. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s just-released annual report showed that 669 women died in 2023 of pregnancy-related causes,… read on > read on >
Trauma experienced by the oldest child in a family does not bode well for their younger siblings, new British data suggest. A child’s odds for developing mental health issues rose significantly if their oldest sibling experienced maltreatment, homelessness, injury or other forms of adversity in their first 1,000 days of life, the study found. It… read on > read on >
Many women may opt for a breast reduction if they encounter issues such as recurrent neck, back and shoulder pain. However, a new study suggests a link between these procedures in teens and young adult women and later weight gain. “These patients should be targeted for healthy lifestyle changes to prevent weight gain,” said… read on > read on >
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 >
A mom’s health during pregnancy is not likely to influence her child’s risk of autism, a new study argues. Many previous studies have reported such a link, but researchers say nearly all these associations can be explained by other autism risk factors — genetics, pollution exposure, access to health care and the like. “Our study… 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 >
