https://medicalxpress.com/obstetrics-gynaecology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Obstetrics and gynaecology Moving more and sitting less could lower the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-movement-pregnancy-linked-complications.html Fri, 29 May 2026 12:20:03 EDT news699274223 Many cancers can be treated by administering DNA-damaging agents, such as platinum-based chemotherapy, because the resulting DNA damage causes the cancer cells to die. A subset of cancers, however, including ovarian cancers, can repair their own DNA. Because such cancers survive despite chemotherapy, ovarian cancer patients whose tumors are DNA repair proficient have historically faced a poor prognosis and commonly recur within six months. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-scientists-metabolic-chemotherapy-resistance-ovarian.html Thu, 28 May 2026 14:20:03 EDT news699191699 A new study led by Prof. Michael Klutstein at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Prof. Asaf Wilensky at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical Center and spearheaded by the students Dr. Paz Kles and Stephen Ameho has uncovered a striking biological link between chronic oral inflammation and female fertility, suggesting that conditions in the mouth may have far-reaching effects on reproductive health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-oral-inflammation-ovaries-fertility-decline.html Thu, 28 May 2026 10:20:01 EDT news699179549 A largely overlooked space between cells in women's brains may hold the key to understanding memory loss tied to estrogen decline after menopause, reports a new preclinical Northwestern Medicine study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-memory-decline-menopause-linked-loss.html Tue, 26 May 2026 05:30:01 EDT news698919841 Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created a soft, wearable ultrasound patch that can continuously monitor a fetus for hours at a time—and it can do so consistently even as the fetus and umbilical cord constantly move during pregnancy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-wearable-ultrasound-patch-high-pregnancies.html Tue, 26 May 2026 05:00:01 EDT news698917441 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that can cause severe breathing complications in babies, especially those younger than 6 months old. While many adults recover quickly from RSV with mild symptoms similar to a cold, infants often face a much greater risk of hospitalization due to their developing immune systems and smaller airways. One hundred to 300 children aged less than 5 years die of RSV each year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-maternal-rsv-vaccine-lowers-infant.html Mon, 25 May 2026 18:00:04 EDT news698933920 Substantial and sustained weight loss has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and cancer-related death, mainly in women. Two new studies now provide clues to why the risk is reduced—and suggest that gender, metabolism and genetics may play a crucial role. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bariatric-surgery-cancer-insulin-sex.html Mon, 25 May 2026 11:40:06 EDT news698926141 It is known that the antiepileptic drug valproate increases the risk of developmental disorders in unborn children. A study conducted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the University of Tübingen, and the University Heidelberg using lab-grown tissue models of the human brain gives new insights into the effects this drug has on early brain development. They open new avenues for research to mitigate the risk during pregnancy. The study has been published in Molecular Psychiatry. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-common-epilepsy-drug-disrupts-early.html Fri, 22 May 2026 12:40:03 EDT news698668621 Gestational diabetes is a special type of diabetes that can affect pregnant women. The condition is defined as elevated blood sugar levels, without previously known diabetes. Treatment involves self-monitoring of blood sugar, advice on lifestyle habits and, if necessary, medication. Identifying gestational diabetes is important because the disease increases the risk of complications such as preeclampsia, the need for a cesarean section and high birth weight for the baby. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gestational-diabetes-weight.html Thu, 21 May 2026 12:40:03 EDT news698578381 Planned early birth for pregnant women with high blood pressure cuts maternal complications by nearly half and reduces the risk of stillbirth, without increasing the likelihood of cesarean section, according to data published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-early-birth-safer-mother-baby.html Wed, 20 May 2026 20:00:06 EDT news698493901 A Kaiser Permanente study published by NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery provides real-world data on a new approach to cervical cancer screening: giving patients the option to skip the traditional pelvic exam and collect their own vaginal samples to test for the human papillomavirus (HPV)—the cause of nearly all cervical cancers. The study is the first within a U.S. health care organization to demonstrate the potential of large-scale, population-based HPV self-collection—both via mail and in clinics—to improve access to preventive care and overcome barriers to traditional screenings. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hpv-boosts-screening-pelvic-exams.html Wed, 20 May 2026 15:00:13 EDT news698504622 A national study analyzing U.S. breast cancer data spanning nearly 50 years has uncovered a major shift in outcomes and risk of developing the disease, highlighting urgent gaps in prevention and treatment for specific groups of women. Analyzing Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data from 1975—2022, researchers from Houston Methodist found that breast cancer deaths, once concentrated mostly among older women, are increasingly affecting younger women, signaling a major change in the nation's breast cancer risk landscape. While the data showed that survival improved substantially among older women over time, younger women did not experience the same improvement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-breast-cancer-deaths-shift-younger.html Tue, 19 May 2026 14:42:11 EDT news698420359 The causes of male infertility can be hard to diagnose, with many tests failing to detect genetic defects. Sometimes, infertility doesn't even involve the genes themselves. It can arise from improper folding of the father's DNA in the sperm. If a couple conceives, this mispackaged DNA can damage the lifelong health of the child. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-dna-protein-insight-infertility-ivf.html Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:03 EDT news698409961