https://medicalxpress.com/obstetrics-gynaecology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Obstetrics and gynaecology Opioid use disorder during pregnancy remains a critical yet under-addressed public health issue in the U.S., according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Although effective, evidence-based treatments exist, many pregnant individuals face barriers to accessing timely and appropriate care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-standard-treatment-falls-short-privately.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news695977400 Some of the earliest warning signs of breast cancer risk may be hidden deep within the molecular makeup of breast tissue—long before anything appears on a scan. To uncover those signals, researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions mapped the architecture of healthy breast tissue to uncover early biological changes linked to cancer risk in the first-ever spatial mapping of the normal breast proteome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hidden-breast-cancer.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:01 EDT news696051182 Physical activity during pregnancy enhances the metabolic health of offspring, but new research in mice indicates that prenatal stress blunts these benefits, at least in male offspring. The findings are published in The FASEB Journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-stress-pregnancy-affect-offspring-metabolic.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 03:00:07 EDT news695977496 Hospitals that score poorly on feedback from female patients could soon see their budget cut under a plan unveiled in April by Wes Streeting, the UK's health secretary. Branded "patient power payments," the scheme would tie a slice of hospital income to women's experiences of care, a measure designed to end what Streeting himself has called an "appalling culture of medical misogyny" in England's National Health Service. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fining-hospitals-medical-misogyny-wont.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:20:05 EDT news695998381 A hormone procedure commonly offered to IVF patients globally as an "add-on" does not improve chances of falling pregnant, according to an international analysis led by the University of Sydney. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ivf-hormone-success.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:20:02 EDT news695969101 A phase 1 study aiming to test tolerability of combination therapy with trastuzumab deruxtecan and olaparib in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing malignancies—including ovarian and uterine cancers—found a tolerable dosing schedule with promising activity, according to results reported by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute medical oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Lee at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17–22, in San Diego, Calif. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-explores-toxicity-reduction-combination-trastuzumab.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:20:02 EDT news695911042 Women have described being dismissed, disbelieved, and left in serious pain during a routine womb examination that affects tens of thousands every year. Users of parenting forum Mumsnet who underwent hysteroscopy procedures also shared concerns about receiving unclear information before treatment and being given little or no pain relief afterward. Some women, who described feeling physically and emotionally vulnerable, compared the experience to sexual assault. Now, research led by the University of Reading, published in the journal Women's Health, has analyzed 4,644 posts from Mumsnet users posted between 2018 and 2024. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-social-media-reveal-women-uk.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:10:01 EDT news695916301 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 Patients with advanced platinum-resistant ovarian cancer whose disease had progressed on standard therapy experienced clinical benefit when treated with the investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) QLS5132, according to results from a phase I clinical trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17–22. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-antibody-drug-conjugate-clinical-benefit.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:03 EDT news695897942 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 Hot flashes, night sweats or swinging mood changes are some of the most common symptoms of menopause—the stage of a woman's life when menstrual periods stop permanently, and she is no longer fertile. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-acupuncture-herbs-menopause.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news695565092 A new commentary in Reproductive Health calls for fetal condition care to be reframed through a reproductive justice (RJ) lens, arguing that systemic inequities, not just medical factors, shape the options available to families. A team of researchers, led by Penn Nursing and SisterSong the Women of Color Reproductive Justice Network, authored the editorial, which highlights how structural power—rather than just medical necessity—shapes the experiences of families navigating complex fetal diagnoses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-reproductive-justice-framework-essential-inequities.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:00:06 EDT news695572657 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common virus that can cause severe respiratory illness in infants and young children, including lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. It is a leading cause of infant hospitalization worldwide, with early-life infection linked to potential longer-term effects including recurrent wheeze or asthma, repeat hospital admissions and impaired lung health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-maternal-rsv-vaccination-infant-hospitalization.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:00:04 EDT news695625391 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 The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, especially visceral fat (fat that accumulates between organs), significantly increases the risk of stress urinary incontinence in women. A study conducted at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, identified this region as the one most strongly associated with involuntary urine leakage, surpassing total body fat. The results are published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and indicate that body fat distribution may be a more decisive factor than weight itself in explaining the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-abdominal-fat-linked-higher-urinary.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:40:03 EDT news695647861 New guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) says all average-risk females ages 50 to 74 should receive biennial screening mammography for breast cancer. Females between the ages of 40 and 49 should discuss with their doctor their risk for breast cancer and the benefits and harms of screening. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-guidance-average-females-aged-biennial.html Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:02 EDT news695543521 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 High blood pressure during pregnancy is a serious concern for any woman. In addition to posing a threat to the health of the mother and baby, disorders such as preeclampsia are early warning signs that a woman could develop heart disease later in life. But Black women need to pay extra attention to those disorders, said Dr. Rachel M. Bond, a cardiologist who is system director of women's heart health at Dignity Health in Chandler, Arizona. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-blood-pressure-pregnancy-black-women.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:20:03 EDT news695556841 Egg freezing is becoming increasingly popular, yet most people who freeze their eggs never return to use them. When imposed storage limits are reached, individuals must choose whether to discard unused eggs, donate them to others for reproductive use, or donate them to research; although many say their preference is to donate to research, actual donations remain rare, leaving a valuable resource largely unused for scientific progress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-overhaul-consent-donating-frozen-eggs.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news695552102 Repeated menstrual cycles may do more than trigger endometriosis. They may rewire the brain. That is the key finding from a new Washington State University study showing that recurring inflammation linked to the disease can sensitize the nervous system, driving lasting pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-endometriosis-chronic-debilitating-pain.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:20:01 EDT news695549521 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 Cognitive decline not only affects a woman's quality of life but also her ability to lead an independent lifestyle later in life. A new large-scale study suggests that a longer reproductive lifespan, resulting in greater exposure to endogenous estrogen, is associated with better cognitive health. Results of the study are published in Menopause. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-longer-reproductive-span-linked-slower.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news695482382 Most oncologists say they would prescribe hormone therapy to cervical cancer patients who experience early menopause from radiation treatment, but barriers are keeping many from doing so in practice, according to a new University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center study published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hormone-therapy-underused-cervical-cancer.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:20:07 EDT news695482082 Menopause has long been treated as something private, but the silence surrounding it is increasingly at odds with demographic reality. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing group in the workforce in many countries, and most will experience menopause during their working lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-menopause-symptoms-workplaces.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:40:02 EDT news695472241 Pregnancy-related deaths in the United States increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the greatest impact seen among Black women, a new study suggests. While rates have since returned to pre-pandemic levels for most groups, they remain significantly higher for Black mothers, according to the Michigan Medicine research in Obstetrics & Gynecology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pregnancy-deaths-rose-pandemic-elevated.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:20:07 EDT news695400362 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 Aggressive policing tactics like stop-and-frisk are linked to worse newborn health outcomes in neighborhoods where such tactics are most pervasive, University of Oregon research finds. Babies of non-Hispanic Black mothers had lower birth weights in New York City neighborhoods where police made more on-the-street stops, even when controlling for variables like income and education, according to the research, which analyzed data from 2006 to 2013. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-racial-profiling-aggressive-policing-affect.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:20:03 EDT news695376721 The federal policy requiring states to keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic extended postpartum Medicaid coverage nationwide and sharply increased the number of individuals remaining insured after childbirth, according to a Rutgers Health researcher. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-postpartum-medicaid-coverage-pandemic-gains.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:01 EDT news695360821