https://medicalxpress.com/obstetrics-gynaecology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Obstetrics and gynaecology Why do food cravings become so strong during pregnancy? Researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in collaboration with colleagues, have identified a brain mechanism that may help explain how pregnancy changes motivation to seek certain highly palatable foods. This collaborative study was led by Dr. Yanlin He of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, together with Dr. Pingwen Xu of the University of Illinois Chicago and Dr. Chunmei Wang of Baylor College of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-brain-circuit-linked-food-cravings.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:40:06 EDT news708953132 Millions of people around the globe might never know the taste of a PB&J sandwich or crème brûlée because of severe peanut and egg allergies. For a long time, avoiding exposure to allergy-causing foods early in life was considered the best way to prevent this, but now this notion has been turned on its head. Scientists believe exposure as early as during breastfeeding might help children build tolerance to these foods. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-eggs-peanuts-pregnant-infant-allergies.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 08:49:39 EDT news708940145 Infants born to mothers with depressive symptoms immediately after delivery had a substantially higher risk of dying before their first birthday, according to researchers involved in a Rutgers-led study of more than 414,000 births in New Jersey. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-maternal-postpartum-depressive-symptoms-linked.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:40:13 EDT news708871314 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects about 1 in 10 women worldwide, yet diagnosis is often delayed and women are less likely to receive critical treatments like dialysis or a kidney transplant compared with men, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the journal Circulation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-women-kidney-health-overlooked-delaying.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:20:36 EDT news708862981 Women with a higher body mass index (BMI) in early adulthood may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer after menopause because of lasting changes in the structure of their breast tissue, according to researchers at The University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-early-adult-bmi-postmenopausal-breast.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:20:12 EDT news708859861 A simple method involving local anesthesia in the uterus can reduce pain during IUD insertion, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal JAMA. The method also increased the proportion of women who found the procedure tolerable. The results may encourage more women to choose an IUD as a contraceptive method. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-women-pain-iud-insertion-method.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:00:21 EDT news708794642 Sexual well-being can often be overlooked during women's recovery from breast cancer, with many continuing to experience significant sexual and intimacy challenges long after treatment ends. Griffith University researchers interviewed 31 breast cancer survivors ages 32–72 and developed a three-layer model of post-treatment sexual adjustment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-sexual-recovery-breast-cancer-overlooked.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:00:16 EDT news708848024 The foundations of brain development are laid during a crucial period of pregnancy, and a common household plasticizer called DEHP may be quietly interfering with this process. Scientists have now found that prenatal exposure to DEHP is linked to higher autism spectrum disorder (ASD)- and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms at ages 2 and 4. The effects could be traced back to changes in gene networks that play a key role in brain development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-plasticizer-exposure-pregnancy-linked-autism.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:00:02 EDT news708856331 In Switzerland, around 2,400 children are born as twins every year. When the fetuses share a placenta, they are connected to one another via blood vessels. If the blood circulation becomes unbalanced, this can be life-threatening for both, as too much blood flows from one fetus to the other. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-robotic-high-twin-pregnancies-panoramic.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:00:15 EDT news708853261 Medical assistance can help women suffering from severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, but insufficient recognition of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) means many are not getting the help they need to overcome this severe and debilitating form of morning sickness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-greater-access-women-nausea-pregnancy.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:00:04 EDT news708840661 As world leaders gather at the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA 81), experts in a special collection of articles published by The BMJ warn that the proposed merger of U.N. Women and the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA)—two vital institutions for protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)—will weaken global commitments to gender equality. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-global-sexual-reproductive-health-rights.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:40:04 EDT news708786111 A common and often overlooked nutrient deficiency may play a bigger role in pregnancy outcomes than previously recognized. In a recent analysis published in the Journal of Perinatology, neonatologist and pediatrician Carol L. Wagner, M.D., and Anjali G. Borsum, an M.D. candidate at MUSC's College of Medicine, found that among more than 15,000 pregnancies studied at MUSC, women with the lowest vitamin D levels faced the highest risk of preterm birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-decade-case-vitamin-d-pregnancy.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:00:01 EDT news708796261 Many women say the same thing during pregnancy: They walk into a room and forget why, misplace their keys or struggle to follow a conversation. This phenomenon, often called "pregnancy brain" or "momnesia," has long lacked a clear biological explanation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-momnesia-real-scientists-biological-explanation.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 18:00:01 EDT news708795421 Hot flashes and night sweats—collectively called vasomotor symptoms—are among the most common and disruptive symptoms of menopause. They affect almost 40% of women in the lead-up to menopause, known as perimenopause. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-menopause-drug-veoza-hormone-therapy.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:40:09 EDT news708785874 New UNSW research published in Translational Psychiatry shows a gut supplement can repair opioid-related damage in rat pups, raising hopes for a future treatment for babies exposed to opioids in the womb. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-gut-supplement-opioid-rat-pups.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:20:04 EDT news708770701 A nutrition program for pregnant women inspired by ancestral dietary patterns and adapted to locally available foods in Ecuador increased growth in a key fetal brain region, according to a study led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. The study is published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-ancestral-diet-pregnancy-trial-boosts.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:40:12 EDT news708769382 New sexual health data released by the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney show a mixed picture for Australia, with rates of syphilis and gonorrhea remaining high after significant increases since 2016—and chlamydia stable but still the most commonly notified sexually transmitted infection (STI). First Nations peoples continue to experience higher rates of all STIs, highlighting the need for sustained investment in culturally safe sexual health services. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-sti-high-australia-latest-sexual.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 22:40:01 EDT news708698601 Infection can develop in up to 10–20% of patients after a cesarean delivery, and the risk nearly doubles for those who have an unplanned cesarean delivery, such as those performed during labor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-emergency-section-infections-decline-azithromycin.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:20:03 EDT news708690181 Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related death. Even after a healthy delivery, mother and baby can go home only to show signs of a postpartum hypertensive disorder days or weeks later. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-ai-pathologists-preeclampsia-advancing-diagnosis.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:40:04 EDT news708688741 Maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists (MFMs) should use their expertise to improve maternal safety by maximizing patient access to the full range of reproductive health care under current state abortion restrictions, according to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). Providing abortion care and counseling is central to MFM clinical practice and cannot be separated from high-risk pregnancy care, according to SMFM. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-abortion-core-maternal-fetal-medicine.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 03:00:02 EDT news708600995 A new tool has been developed by scientists at the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian to help couples experiencing fertility problems predict their chances of conceiving a baby naturally before embarking on IVF treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-chances-naturally-couples-fertility-problems.html Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:40:05 EDT news708611634 When women take part in breast cancer screening, they are informed that screening may detect cancers that would never have caused symptoms or problems during their lifetime. This is known as overdiagnosis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-analysis-overdiagnosis-breast-cancer-screening.html Sun, 13 Sep 2026 20:00:01 EDT news708348944 Pelvic organ prolapse is a common but often overlooked condition that affects millions of women. It occurs when the tissues that support the pelvic organs weaken, allowing organs such as the bladder, uterus or rectum to shift from their normal position. Doctors can assess how severe the prolapse is, but existing tools do not provide much information about what's happening inside the tissue itself. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-based-scans-uncover-hidden-tissue.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 13:40:07 EDT news708345061 As the largest insurance program for maternity care, Medicaid is uniquely positioned to shape maternal health in the United States, where maternal mortality rates far outweigh those of other wealthy nations and continue to disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic populations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-medicaid-acos-maternal-health-equity.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:00:01 EDT news708321661 Health care costs for women reporting childbirth-related PTSD were more than twice as high as those for women without symptoms during the period from six to 12 months after birth, according to a new report from City St George's, University of London, on the economic impact of postnatal PTSD on the NHS. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-outline-economic-impact-childbirth-ptsd.html Fri, 11 Sep 2026 07:20:02 EDT news708320521 As a pediatrician at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Flint, Michigan, I perform well-child checks, treat asthma and discuss nutrition with families. I prescribe medicine and arrange follow-up visits. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-medical-schools-community-health.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 23:20:01 EDT news708262403 Mood disturbances—depressed mood, irritability, anxiety and mental exhaustion—are common during the menopause transition, affecting up to 68% of women. Although hormone therapy (HT) is FDA-approved for hot flashes and genitourinary symptoms, its role in managing mood symptoms is less understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-hormone-therapy-mood-disturbances-menopause.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:40:01 EDT news708248401 Increasing numbers of Australian women are using a blood test to assess their fertility, but new research suggests it may not provide the answers many are looking for. A study led by Flinders University and published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found requests by GPs for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) tests increased more than 13-fold between 2011 and 2021, despite growing evidence that the test cannot predict whether a woman will become pregnant naturally—not now or in the future. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-amh-fertility-surge-natural-pregnancy.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:40:02 EDT news708236162 Pregnancy is often one of the biggest emotional and physical transitions in a woman's life. Alongside the well-known physical changes, many women also experience shifts in mood and mental health during pregnancy and after giving birth, with anxiety and depression being quite common. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-social-developmental-delay-pregnancy.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:00:01 EDT news708178142 A Greek woman has given birth from an embryo frozen more than 22 years ago, months after her son, born from the same treatment in 2004, died in an accident, her doctor said Wednesday. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-greek-woman-ivf-birth-year.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 15:37:53 EDT news708187052