https://medicalxpress.com/pregnancy-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Pregnancy 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 Millions of neurons branch throughout our bodies, keeping them in close communication with our brains. This peripheral network begins to take shape long before birth, as the cells of a growing embryo move into position and adopt their specialized roles. This crucial stage of human development can't be monitored directly, but by examining genetic clues that linger in adult cells, scientists have now gained surprising insights into the developmental origins of the peripheral nervous system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-secrets-human-early-nerve-cell.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news695404502 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 A new Yale study shows how the timing of depression in mothers and fathers affects mental health in their adult children. This includes influences on depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-parental-depression-adult-children-mental.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:40:01 EDT news695401980 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 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 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 The number of births and general fertility rate decreased 1% from 2024 to 2025 in the United States, according to an April Vital Statistics Rapid Release report, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cdc-decline-births-fertility.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:00:04 EDT news694958930 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 Fetal development is a critical stage with effects that can last throughout life. Yet, identifying the effects of maternal psychological stress on the fetus has been difficult, mainly because stressful events often produce psychological and physical consequences that directly affect mothers and their children. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-maternal-psychological-anxiety-fetus.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:00:01 EDT news694867213 A new study from the University of Toronto shows that where a mother lives in an Indian city—in a slum or a non-slum neighborhood—is linked to how she breastfeeds her baby. Breastfeeding within one hour of birth helps newborns fight infection and lowers the risk of death, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Giving babies only breastmilk (no water or other foods) for about the first six months protects them from diarrhea, pneumonia, and poor growth and supports their brain development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-breastfeeding-patterns-differ-india-slums.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:00:06 EDT news694863121 The biological connection between a pregnant woman and her developing baby has been mapped in unprecedented detail by UC San Francisco scientists, revealing new cell types and insights into conditions such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and miscarriage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-cell-analysis-clues-pregnancy.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:00:06 EDT news694775462 Children exposed to maternal smoking before birth are more likely to experience behavioral and mental health challenges, according to a large study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-prenatal-linked-emotional-behavioral-problems.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:20:01 EDT news694789472 Our hearts beat around 100,000 times a day—and do so throughout our entire lives. They draw the energy for this from the mitochondria. As the "powerhouses of the cells," mitochondria produce 95% of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the body's most important energy currency. If the mitochondria are impaired and cannot function properly, the heart muscle cells lack the strength to pump sufficient blood, oxygen, and nutrients into the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rhot-proteins-energy-heart-muscle.html Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news694408058 Researchers have long associated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," with certain severe birth defects, but exactly how these pollutants harm a developing fetus has remained mostly a mystery. New research now provides the first clear molecular explanation, showing how one PFAS, called perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), can trigger craniofacial abnormalities before birth. The research was published today in Chemical Research in Toxicology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-chemical-disrupt-baby-facial.html Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news694094725 Physicians are less likely to provide preventive care such as conception counseling and some cancer screenings to women with diabetes than they do for women without the disease, a UCLA-led study suggests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-women-diabetes-screenings.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:01 EDT news694337386 Exposure to extreme heat conditions is resulting in more babies being born with low birth weight, according to a new study involving Adelaide University researchers. The collaborative study, published in BMC Medicine, used health data from more than 85,000 mothers and babies in Pakistan to assess the impact of extreme heat on the size of infants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-extreme-climate-linked-smaller-babies.html Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:20:01 EDT news694337511 Perinatal depression, which occurs during pregnancy or in the period after childbirth, is one of the most common mental health conditions experienced by women. The condition affects the well-being of the mother during both pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as the development of the child. Multiple factors influence maternal mental health and recently, emerging evidence suggests an association between antibiotic use and maternal mental health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pregnancy-antibiotic-affect-mental.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694279741 Fewer people in the United States can reach hospital-based obstetric care within a reasonable drive than a decade ago, according to a new national study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. The study found that from 2010 to 2021, access to obstetric care declined across the country as hospitals closed labor and delivery units, forcing many pregnant people to travel farther for care. The study, "Obstetric Service Availability and Travel Time to Access Obstetric Services in the U.S., 2010–2021," is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-americans-maternity.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:30:07 EDT news694274714 Following The Planetary Health Diet in pregnancy can meet key nutrient requirements, suggesting that women who eat more sustainably in pregnancy may have higher intakes of several key pregnancy-related nutrients, including folate, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber. Due to the environmental impact of food production, there is an urgent need to rethink how and what we eat, and the researchers in this study wanted to explore whether sustainable dietary patterns are feasible in pregnancy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-planetary-health-diet-pregnancy.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:50:01 EDT news694174775 Living near trees and parks may help protect unborn babies from some of the harmful effects of outdoor air pollution during pregnancy, according to a new systematic review from Curtin University. The study, published in Environmental Research, is a critical systematic review to examine whether public health interventions modify how exposure to outdoor air pollution and extreme heat during pregnancy affects child health outcomes, including birth outcomes, respiratory conditions and neurodevelopment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-green-spaces-unborn-babies-effects.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:10:01 EDT news694169422 The authors of a recent study have recommended improvements to commonly used assessments of health care and social service providers' attitudes about prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The recommendations follow a thorough evaluation of assessments that had not previously been psychometrically validated and represent a first step toward establishing reliable and valid measures to assess attitudes toward these conditions. More accurately understanding providers' attitudes can help identify training needs and effectiveness in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of prenatal alcohol exposure and its consequences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-health-workers-attitudes-prenatal-alcohol.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:40:03 EDT news694079465 Preterm birth is a major cause of neonatal illness and death, especially among women with a history of premature delivery. Researchers in Japan explored whether taking probiotics early in pregnancy could help reduce the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-probiotic-tablets-weeks-linked-preterm.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:20:01 EDT news694084429 An Australian-first early pregnancy loss support program has been developed to better address the emotional care of bereaved parents. The program, M-HELP (Mental Health after Early Pregnancy Loss), was developed by University of Queensland senior lecturer and psychologist, Dr. Marjolein Kammers and her research team and implemented at various Ramsay Health Care maternity hospital sites in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. The work is described in the journal Midwifery. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-early-pregnancy-loss-isolating.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:30:03 EDT news694109701 Dr. Jacquelyn Means knew that being pregnant in her late 30s would be challenging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-women-babies-life-chance-healthy.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:20:02 EDT news694080864 From 2016 to 2024, there was an increase in labor induction rates across all maternal age groups and across all six race and Hispanic origin groups, according to a March data brief published by the National Center for Health Statistics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-labor-induction.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:10:02 EDT news693826202 Global maternal deaths have declined over the past three decades, yet progress has slowed in recent years and remains uneven across countries, according to new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 research published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women's Health . https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-global-maternal-deaths-fell-countries.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:30:03 EDT news693738541 When the "eco-friendly" bioplastic, polylactic acid (PLA), biodegrades, the resulting nanoplastics can accumulate in the fetuses of pregnant mice and interfere with fetal growth. Yichao Huang and De-Xiang Xu of Anhui Medical University, China, and Mingliang Fang of Fudan University, China, report these findings in a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-breakdown-products-eco-friendly-plastics.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:00:23 EDT news693666675