https://medicalxpress.com/obstetrics-gynaecology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Obstetrics and gynaecology Wildfires are well-known health risks. Now, in a new Frontiers in Environmental Health study, researchers in the U.S. have—for the first time—evaluated how prenatal PM2.5 exposure has changed over space and time on a national scale and what role wildfires play in shaping these trends. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-wildfires-dominant-contributor-unhealthy-air.html Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:01 EDT news705228629 After ovulation, an egg travels through the oviduct (Fallopian tube) toward the uterus (womb). This journey is essential for reproduction: Fertilization normally occurs in the oviduct, and the resulting zygote continues developing as it moves toward the uterus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-oviduct-egg-essential.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:40:03 EDT news705251762 Researchers at WashU Medicine have found a significant decline in mammography use among certain groups of women. A recent study, led by Adetunji Toriola, MD, Ph.D., a professor of surgery and a William H. Danforth Washington University Physician Scholar, analyzed 20 years of mammography data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-mammography-groups.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:40:06 EDT news705248768 Why do women, on average, live longer than men yet often face a greater burden of chronic disease later in life? Why do some of the most fertile animals in nature, including queen bees and naked mole-rat queens, also live exceptionally long lives? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-women-prioritized-longevity.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:06 EDT news705159421 As women get older, their uterine environment changes. This includes a decrease in a beneficial bacterium called Lactobacillus gasseri, which may make conception—whether natural or via in vitro fertilization—difficult. In a study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe on Aug. 6, researchers show that treating mice and humans with L. gasseri supplements or derived postbiotics may improve fertility among women older than 35. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bacterial-supplements-boost-female-fertility.html Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:03 EDT news705159601 Researchers have developed an implant that could deliver next-generation therapies for ovarian cancer precisely where they are needed while simultaneously monitoring how the disease responds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-implant-ovarian-cancer.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:40:03 EDT news705077042 Tiny, near-invisible fragments of plastic shed from the products we use every day through sunlight and mechanical wear have been quietly working their way deep into the human body. Microplastics have already been found in the human brain, semen and even the placenta. A recent study investigated how these micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) might move through the placenta and whether they affect a baby's development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-microplastics-placenta-barrier-disrupt-key.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:20:04 EDT news705055580 Discovered in 1955, the Oropouche virus has circulated mainly in the Amazon, causing a febrile illness virtually indistinguishable from those caused by dengue, Zika and chikungunya, viruses also transmitted by biting mosquitoes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-zika-oropouche-virus-affect-brains.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:20:12 EDT news705064563 A study of nearly 61,000 women in Denmark finds that women who had a body mass index (BMI) trajectory in the overweight or obesity range during childhood were less likely to have children than women with a normal (average) BMI trajectory. This effect on childlessness was already apparent in their mid-20s. The study is published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-overweight-obesity-childhood-childlessness-adulthood.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:10 EDT news705059609 A research team from the School of Nursing at the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has found that video-call support from trained peer mothers helped first-time mothers breastfeed more successfully. Among mothers who received this support, the study revealed a 42.6% relative increase in the number of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their babies at two months after birth, along with greater confidence in breastfeeding. This is the first-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial in Hong Kong to evaluate video-call-based peer support for breastfeeding and is also one of the first trials globally to rigorously examine the effectiveness of this digital approach in improving breastfeeding outcomes. The research findings were published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-video-based-peer-boost-breastfeeding.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news704980381 An evidence review of international research suggests widespread misconceptions within the medical community about early milk production, pacifiers and breast pumps may be undermining breastfeeding success in the critical first days after birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hours-hospital-routines-undermine-breastfeeding.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:10:01 EDT news704619421 Puberty is a process regulated by the endocrine system, and its timing can be altered by environmental factors. Several recent studies point to a trend toward earlier onset of puberty in girls, a phenomenon linked to a complex interplay among genetics, lifestyle and exposure to chemicals capable of interfering with hormones. Among these substances are certain pesticides, widely used in agriculture and present in some everyday foods. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-links-exposure-fungicides-insecticides-age.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 EDT news704720762 A new study from The Wistar Institute has uncovered an unexpected link between fructose—a common dietary sugar—and the spread of an aggressive form of ovarian cancer. Published in Nature Aging, the study found that cancer cells not killed by chemotherapy send signals to neighboring tumor cells, helping them become more capable of spreading. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scientists-fructose-driver-cancer.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:00:05 EDT news704645161 Women who test negative for BRCA gene mutations may still be at greater risk of developing breast cancer than the general population, according to a study led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-family-history-breast-cancer-brca.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:00:03 EDT news704535541 Researchers from the Wits Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics (Wits VIDA) Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) have played a leading role in an international phase 1/2 clinical trial demonstrating the safety and immunogenicity of an investigational maternal vaccine against Group B Streptococcus (GBS)—a major cause of life-threatening infections in newborns worldwide. The findings have been published in Nature Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-trial-maternal-vaccine-newborns-group.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news704540768 Pregnancy places extra strain on the kidneys, and for women with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), around half will experience a decline in kidney function during pregnancy. Despite these risks, outcomes for pregnant women with CKD have changed little over the past 30 years, and many of the treatments used to manage kidney disease are not safe during pregnancy, meaning women often need to stop their medication for at least nine months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-beetroot-juice-benefit-pregnant-women.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:20:04 EDT news704534282