https://medicalxpress.com/pregnancy-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Pregnancy 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 A new Expert Consensus Decision Pathway by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides recommended strategies for improving postpartum care for individuals with and at risk for short- and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-acc-issues-decision-pathway-postpartum.html Fri, 22 May 2026 11:00:08 EDT news698662922 The latest Annual Epidemiological Reports from ECDC indicate a surge in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. In 2024, notifications of gonorrhea and syphilis, alongside congenital syphilis, reached their highest levels in over a decade, reflecting sustained transmission across multiple countries. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bacterial-stis-highs-europe-congenital.html Thu, 21 May 2026 21:00:02 EDT news698572664 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 Twenty percent of women experience mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety during pregnancy and the first year of parenthood. Kara Zivin, a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, is part of this statistic. She studies health policy and maternal outcomes, having chronicled her own experience with depression during pregnancy in a memoir. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-qa-moms-untreated-perinatal-mental.html Tue, 19 May 2026 17:40:05 EDT news698427841 A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that different SSRI medications affect metabolic processes in developing nerve cells in distinct ways. Alterations in energy metabolism, oxidative stress and lipid profiles suggest that these drugs are not biologically equivalent. The findings provide new insights into biological mechanisms but do not show that SSRIs cause autism, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-ssris-affect-metabolism-early-brain.html Tue, 19 May 2026 16:20:03 EDT news698423041 A study by Kuopio University Hospital and the University of Eastern Finland shows that sleep disturbances during pregnancy may be a significant risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-disturbances-pregnancy-gestational-diabetes.html Tue, 19 May 2026 16:00:06 EDT news698420085 According to new research in CMAJ, one in five pregnant women in Ontario did not receive timely syphilis screening, which is critical for preventing syphilis infection in newborns (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-pregnancies-critical-congenital-syphilis-surged.html Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:09 EDT news698309888 It's widely known that low-income Black women suffer far higher maternal health risks than low- income white mothers, often because they lack access to quality health care. But in a new book, UC Berkeley law professor Khiara M. Bridges makes a forceful argument that maternal health disparities affect Black women at every rung of the socioeconomic ladder. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-qa-wealth-shield-black-americans.html Mon, 18 May 2026 17:20:06 EDT news698335261 Research from Oregon Health & Science University sheds new light on the unintended consequences of the overturn of Roe v. Wade: worse medical care for miscarriages. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-abortion-worse-outcomes-miscarriages.html Mon, 18 May 2026 16:40:06 EDT news698334602 In parts of the world where daily nutrition is unstable, pregnancy and newborn health are more precarious. A recent study led by epidemiologist Dongqing Wang of the George Mason University College of Public Health adds to the evidence that improving maternal nutrition during pregnancy may be a key intervention to improve birth outcomes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-nutrition-pregnancy-birth-outcomes-global.html Mon, 18 May 2026 15:40:03 EDT news698335411 Underlying cardiovascular risk, rather than older age, drives complications such as venous thromboembolism, cardiomyopathy and heart failure during pregnancy, according to new Weill Cornell Medicine research. The findings may encourage doctors to more actively address cardiovascular health in patients before they become pregnant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-age-cardiovascular-pregnancy.html Mon, 18 May 2026 12:20:08 EDT news698323441 Pregnancy is often regarded as a time to prepare the nursery, but it is also a useful moment to get the kitchen ready. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-pregnancy-chance-reshape-family-habits.html Sun, 17 May 2026 09:00:01 EDT news697984371 A study conducted by the University of Oulu found that partners of women with gestational diabetes more often had chronic diseases or injuries that complicate daily life compared with partners of women without gestational diabetes. In addition, mental health disorders were more common among them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gestational-diabetes-wider-family-health.html Sat, 16 May 2026 17:00:02 EDT news697729383 Low-risk patients at predominantly Black-serving hospitals (BSH) who previously gave birth through Cesareans are likelier to attempt and successfully deliver vaginally in a subsequent pregnancy than they are at hospitals treating few Black patients, new UCLA-led research finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-prior-sections-vaginal-birth-black.html Sat, 16 May 2026 05:05:35 EDT news698126660 In a midwife's suburban Atlanta home with a playground and chicken coop outside, Madie Collins lay on an examination table while the midwife measured her pregnant belly. Unlike at many a doctor's office, no crinkly paper sheet covered the table and no antiseptic chill lingered in the air. The room next door, where Collins' appointment began, was filled with children's toys and scented candles and warmed by a wood-burning stove. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-midwives-law-home-births.html Fri, 15 May 2026 22:20:01 EDT news698046017 Azithromycin exposure in pregnancy was not associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, according to a retrospective cohort study, and use in late pregnancy was linked with some lower risks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-azithromycin-exposure-pregnancy-neurodevelopmental-disorders.html Fri, 15 May 2026 12:40:04 EDT news698064301 Australia's new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunization program cut hospital admissions for Australia's youngest babies by almost half in its first year, a new major national study has shown. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-australia-rsv-immunization-newborn-hospitalizations.html Fri, 15 May 2026 11:40:02 EDT news698062861 Current evidence does not support a causal link between the use of almost all antidepressants during pregnancy and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in children, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-antidepressant-pregnancy-autism-adhd-link.html Thu, 14 May 2026 18:30:02 EDT news697975365 Common environmental chemicals could affect birthweight and placental function, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology and led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal). Conducted within the Barcelona Life Study Cohort (BiSC), the research underscores the importance of considering real-life exposure to complex chemical mixtures and highlights the role of angiogenic biomarkers in linking these exposures to fetal development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-prenatal-exposure-chemical-mixtures-fetal.html Thu, 14 May 2026 16:53:06 EDT news697996321 In most people, influenza stays in the upper respiratory tract—mainly the nose—and clears without spreading further. But during pregnancy, the virus can extend beyond the lungs into the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of severe complications for mothers and babies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-immune-overreaction-linked-deadly-flu.html Thu, 14 May 2026 15:12:11 EDT news697990261 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, taken during the first trimester of pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects, according to a new study published in PLOS Medicine by Sharon Daniel of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Clalit Health Services, Beer-Sheva, Israel, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-common-nsaids-trimester-birth-defect.html Thu, 14 May 2026 14:00:03 EDT news697975419 In the field of reproductive medicine, there is high awareness of the quality of breast milk, neonatal indicators and risk profiles. But 20% of women in the province of Québec describe coercive pressure, non-consensual acts or pain ignored while breastfeeding or childbirth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-women-forgotten-childbirth-breastfeeding.html Thu, 14 May 2026 12:29:47 EDT news697980541 A child's future heart health may be partially shaped before they are born, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study that found pregnancy complications are linked to poorer cardiovascular health in offspring more than 20 years later. The study has been published in JAMA Network Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-heart-disease-womb.html Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:08 EDT news697967718 Giving tranexamic acid to women with placenta previa (when the placenta covers the cervical opening) undergoing cesarean birth leads to a significant yet modest reduction in severe bleeding after delivery with no evidence of an increase in serious adverse events, finds a trial from China published by The BMJ . https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-drug-dangerous-high-cesarean-births.html Wed, 13 May 2026 18:30:02 EDT news697886227 For females with myasthenia gravis, pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of serious flare-ups of the disease, or new or worsening symptoms, according to a study published in Neurology. For a small percentage of people, the postpartum period of up to a year after birth is associated with an increased risk of serious flare-ups. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-pregnancy-myasthenia-gravis-flare-ups.html Wed, 13 May 2026 16:00:01 EDT news697887481 Experiencing bitter or non-bitter flavors before birth can shape taste likes or dislikes after being born, according to new research led by the Durham University Department of Psychology. Researchers found that young children are less likely to react negatively to the smell of vegetables they were repeatedly exposed to in the womb. They say their findings could have implications for establishing healthy eating habits in children. The findings are published in the journal Developmental Psychobiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-kids-veggie-scents-womb.html Wed, 13 May 2026 15:32:36 EDT news697904610 Occupational burnout is a growing threat to care quality, workforce retention and physician well-being. Pregnant and postpartum physicians-in-training are especially at risk, facing stigma, limited support, and physical demands, alongside major role transitions and increased responsibilities at home. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-parental-package-burnout-physician-trainees.html Wed, 13 May 2026 11:00:03 EDT news697797181 Warning: this article is about stillbirth and its investigations, including autopsies and related procedures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-baby-die-im-pathologist.html Mon, 11 May 2026 20:00:04 EDT news697718067