https://medicalxpress.com/obstetrics-gynaecology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Obstetrics and gynaecology While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise. Research co-led by UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, associates a greater number of live births with a reduced risk of stroke or brain damage for mothers. As more women than men have strokes, the finding is seen as significant in helping determine risk. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-kids-brain.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:40:06 EDT news695905381 A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-millions-birth-uncover-autism-surge.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news695894900 Women taking antiseizure medication for epilepsy have around a 45% reduced risk of major congenital anomalies in their children—if they initiate high-dose folic acid before pregnancy. This is the finding of a large Nordic register-based study (SCAN-AED) involving Aarhus University Hospital. The study also finds that starting folic acid supplementation after pregnancy onset is not associated with any protective effect. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-early-folic-acid-supplementation-halve.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:00:03 EDT news695647099 It is a process as old as humanity itself, yet there is still much we do not know about women's menstrual cycle and the impact it has on the entire body. Now, a team of researchers from the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University has, for the first time, demonstrated that the cycle affects a wide range of proteins in the female body, explains Associate Professor Jonas Ghouse, one of the researchers behind the study. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-menstrual-reshapes-blood-proteins-broader.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news695576281 Acetaminophen, which also goes by names like paracetamol or Tylenol, is a common over-the-counter pain reliever and fever reducer. It is often prescribed during pregnancy to help with mild to moderate pain. Recently, there has been a lot of discourse about its safety. Claims have been made suggesting that taking acetaminophen during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of autism in children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-major-pregnancy-collapses-tylenol-autism.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:04 EDT news695552971 Children born to mothers who used buprenorphine for opioid addiction during pregnancy do not have a greater risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, compared with children whose mothers took methadone, finds a large US study published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-buprenorphine-safe-treatment-opioid-addiction.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:30:07 EDT news695466902 Platinum-based chemotherapy is a standard treatment for ovarian cancer, but its effectiveness can be limited in some cases. In some patients, the disease returns or progresses within six months of the last platinum dose, a condition referred to as platinum-resistant cancer. This form of cancer is a leading cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-combining-drug-chemotherapy-survival-platinum.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:20:08 EDT news695378149 Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy complication that affects roughly 1 in 10 pregnancies worldwide and, in the United States alone, around 5%–8% of pregnancies. The condition can lead to severe, long-term health consequences for mothers and their babies. Despite its prevalence, though, the underlying cause has remained largely unknown. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-root-preeclampsia.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news695376782 The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified nine additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Six of these genes had not been previously linked to the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-largest-pregnancy-sickness-uncovers-genetic.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:00:03 EDT news695310421 A study published April 10 in The Lancet reports that the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) significantly improved overall survival in adults with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer when given as part of a chemotherapy/immunotherapy combination with or without a third drug, bevacizumab (brand names Avastin or Zirabev). The findings from an international clinical trial are reported in the new study led by co-first authors Emese Zsiros, MD, Ph.D., FACOG, Chair of Gynecologic Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Nicoletta Colombo, MD, Ph.D., of the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-survival-benefit-immunotherapy-resistant-ovarian.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:00:06 EDT news695304902 Just a fraction of prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone were filled at brick-and-mortar retail pharmacies after federal drug regulators lifted longstanding dispensing limits, according to a new USC study in JAMA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2023 permanently removed rules requiring patients to obtain mifepristone—the first of two drugs used in medication abortion—in person at a clinic or hospital. That change meant in-store and mail-order pharmacies could provide the drug when it was prescribed by a certified provider, a shift expected to broaden access nationwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fda-retail-pharmacies-mifepristone.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:17 EDT news695042382 Humans and most other organisms have internal biological clocks that track the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset. These clocks help time our sleep, metabolism and other essential body functions over the course of a day, creating daily patterns called circadian rhythms. Research shows that when these rhythms are disrupted—by jet lag, lack of sleep or irregular work schedules—people can suffer long-term negative health effects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-baby-body-clock-synchronize-local.html Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:40:01 EDT news695048979 Breastfeeding not only affects your weight while you are breastfeeding—women gain up to 6.5 kilos less on average later in life if they breastfeed for at least three months, according to a new study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-breastfeeding-months-weight-gain-decades.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news694946402