https://medicalxpress.com/pregnancy-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Pregnancy Pregnant women who live in greener neighborhoods may have lower levels of long-term stress, according to a new study led by researchers from Bar-Ilan University. The study found that greater exposure to residential greenery during pregnancy was associated with lower levels of cortisol and cortisone—two key stress hormones that can affect both maternal and fetal health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-green-neighborhoods-term-stress-pregnancy.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:20:05 EDT news703766101 A review article by a University of Nebraska Medical Center/Child Health Research Institute research team underscores how altering fundamental brain development processes can harm the developing fetus. The publication suggests that curtailing the use of certain medications could reduce the risk of neurodevelopmental pathology in the developing fetal brain. The medications studied include some statins, antidepressants, anxiety medications and cardiovascular drugs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-attention-brain-medications-pregnancy.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:40:03 EDT news703769821 Using advanced electron microscopy, researchers in Leiden have captured detailed images showing how, in the rare pregnancy disorder FNAIT, antibodies produced by the mother can cause bleeding in fetuses. The findings, published in Science Advances, could help pave the way for a test that identifies, during pregnancy, which babies are at greatest risk. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-crystal-images-reveal-pregnancy-antibodies.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 09:40:10 EDT news703757641 There is no statistically significant evidence that taking acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, during pregnancy negatively affects how early a child is born or a child's birth weight, according to new research led by environmental scientists at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-link-acetaminophen-pregnancy-adverse-birth.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:40:06 EDT news703747982 Nearly half of pregnant women in the United States report poor sleep quality, which has been associated with gestational diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy. A new study led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis' Bursky School of Public Health found that depressive symptoms, prenatal distress and anxiety are the strongest predictors of poor sleep during late pregnancy, with environmental exposures such as air pollution and noise also playing significant roles. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mental-health-environment-pregnancy.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:20:07 EDT news703747621 New research has found that eating habits that align most closely with a woman's existing routine show promise for losing postpartum baby weight, especially for mothers earlier in the postpartum period. The study identified key factors affecting eating timing and perceived barriers to various chrononutrition approaches, with the ability to share a family evening meal emerging as particularly important. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-chrononutrition-viable-approach-postpartum-weight.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:04 EDT news703491577 A study of more than 1 million women has found that excessive weight gain during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of potentially life-threatening complications, regardless of whether starting weights were considered underweight, normal, overweight or obese. The study found that the increased risk was between 16% and 33%, and the highest risk was among those considered underweight at the start of their pregnancy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-excessive-weight-gain-pregnancy-complications.html Sun, 19 Jul 2026 15:00:05 EDT news703497038 Exposure to wildfires during pregnancy has negative effects on infant health, according to a study recently published by the Centre for Demographic Studies (CED) at the UAB in the journal Perspectives Demogràfiques. Based on 3.4 million births in Spain between 2008 and 2021, the research identifies two mechanisms: stress and air pollution caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) carried by smoke. One effect is a 10% increase in the likelihood of low birth weight. Another effect is an increase in preterm births. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-wildfires-stress-birth-weight-premature.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 19:40:04 EDT news703500462 Pregnancy puts higher oxygen demand on the body, so expectant mothers breathe significantly more air over the course of a day. When air quality is bad, they're also breathing in more harmful pollutants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-air-pollution-mixtures-pose-hidden.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:20:02 EDT news703497102 For women who underwent spinal surgery during adolescence, approaching pregnancy often brings unique questions about labor and delivery. A common concern is whether a spinal fusion affects the ability to have a vaginal birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scoliosis-history-birthing.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:20:01 EDT news703410703 New research from The Kids Research Institute Australia suggests a simple dietary intervention during pregnancy could help protect against the increased risk of food allergies associated with antibiotics taken before birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-prebiotics-pregnancy-babies-antibiotic-linked.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news703410578 Having an epidural during labor is not associated with clinically significant increased risks of harm to newborn babies, including brain injury, severe breathing problems, sepsis and death, or cerebral palsy later in childhood, according to a study published in The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-epidurals-linked-newborns-children.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:30:06 EDT news703314795 A new national study provides the first comprehensive look at prenatal care services offered by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), revealing that while these safety-net providers play a critical role in caring for low-income and racially diverse pregnant populations, significant gaps in access remain. The work is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-community-health-centers-prenatal-lack.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:00:11 EDT news703257841 When Ann O'Neill suffered a stillbirth in 2018, she was bewildered. She was already a mother to three healthy children and therefore had received no information on stillbirth prevention from her doctors. But when she brought the placental pathology results from the son she lost to Harvey Kliman, a physician-scientist specializing in pregnancy complications at the Yale School of Medicine, he found one critical abnormality that had been overlooked: a very small placenta. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-2d-ultrasound-equipment-accessible-accurate.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:00:05 EDT news703246861 Nearly nine in 10 pregnant participants in a study led by biomedical engineers at UBC did not achieve recommended seat belt placement, even after instruction and hands-on guidance. Among 333 participants, only 11.4% were able to place the seat belt as recommended, suggesting current seat belt guidance may be difficult for many pregnant people to achieve in practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-seatbelts-essential-pregnant-people-didnt.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:26:30 EDT news703257956 A U.S. appeals court on Monday vacated the dismissal of hundreds of private lawsuits against Tylenol maker Kenvue that allege scientifically unproven ties between the painkiller and autism. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-appeals-court-revives-private-cases.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:20:03 EDT news703167392 Soccer players who are pregnant or have recently given birth can kick off the season with more confidence, using a new FIFA tool developed in collaboration with a University of Alberta researcher. Two decision aids, one for playing during pregnancy and one for returning to the game postpartum, have been launched by FIFA, an international governing body for the sport. Both are published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-moms-game-fifa-pregnant-partum.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:20:01 EDT news703156107 Exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy and early infancy is associated with slower growth of the thalamus later in childhood, according to a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation. The findings, published in Environment International, suggest that heat exposure during the earliest stages of life may have lasting effects on brain development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-exposure-pregnancy-infancy-children-brain.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:13:20 EDT news703159963 An innovative experimental procedure that uses high-energy sound waves to treat a rare and serious pregnancy condition called twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is safe, according to an early-stage research trial involving U.K. and European patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-invasive-treatment-twin-pregnancy-complications.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:40:05 EDT news702894062 Following dietary guidelines during pregnancy may reduce exposure to many—but not all—environmental chemicals from food and everyday products, according to a new study of nearly 1,500 pregnant participants. The study, "Dietary guidelines adherence and pregnancy exposure to 10 classes of priority chemicals: An observational study in the ECHO Cohort," was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-healthy-diet-pregnancy-exposure-chemicals.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:00:09 EDT news702809261 The Baggarrook Yurrongi or "Women's Journey" model ensures women having a First Nations baby are cared for by a known midwife throughout pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-culturally-tailored-maternity-healthy-birth.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 10:20:05 EDT news702802107 A new study from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that a structured, midwife-led birth debrief can significantly strengthen women's emotional well-being after childbirth and can be built into routine maternity care. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-power-conversation-childbirth-midwife-birth.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:40:01 EDT news702793501 Women diagnosed early in pregnancy with a fetus lacking adequate kidney function to make the urine that serves as vital amniotic fluid have long faced virtually no chance of the fetus's survival after birth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-womb-fluid-infusions-fetuses-kidney.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:40:04 EDT news702747239 A study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that an intestinal disorder linked to malnutrition and stunted growth may be transmitted from one generation to the next via the small intestinal microbiome. Analyzing mouse models of the disorder using bacteria cultured from children who themselves suffer from stunting and its detrimental effects, the researchers identified specific bacteria responsible for the inflammatory chemical signals that are characteristic of the disease, which damages the lining of the intestine and impairs nutrient absorption. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-gut-bacteria-linked-malnutrition-younger.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:00:01 EDT news702746022 One-size-fits-all fetal growth charts used in the NHS to monitor babies' growth before birth often misclassify babies as being either too small or too large, which can lead to missed cases at risk of stillbirth or unnecessary interventions, finds a study of more than 3 million NHS births across England published by The BMJ. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-size-fetal-growth-babies-large.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:30:06 EDT news702704509 Public health relies on data—whether it is tracking the effectiveness of a given year's flu vaccine, monitoring blood lead levels around the country or estimating the prevalence of diabetes. These data form the basis for decisions such as whether a community should expand screening for diabetes and which communities are at greatest risk of severe flu-related illnesses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-maternal-health-influenza-gaps-cdc.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:40:08 EDT news702734462 Breast cancers diagnosed during the first three years after childbirth, particularly within the first year, may be biologically more aggressive than similar cancers in women who have never given birth, according to a new study led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-young-women-breast-cancer-years.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:40:04 EDT news702737916 A recent review of published research provides some evidence that a small but noteworthy minority of transmasculine people (trans, nonbinary, and other gender-expansive people who were assigned female at birth) have pregnancies (6%–9%) and children (4%–9%), including after transition. The systematic review published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica also found possibly higher miscarriage rates and very little evidence on postnatal depression rates in transmasculine people who became pregnant. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-reveals-transmasculine-pregnancy.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 03:00:02 EDT news702571196 Hospital admissions for miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy have increased in England in recent years, according to research presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE). The study abstract was published in Human Reproduction. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-miscarriage-ectopic-pregnancy-admissions-years.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 19:00:03 EDT news702638655 About 1 in 5 women will experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy or in the year after giving birth. If untreated, a mother who has these conditions has a higher risk of birth complications, poorer overall health, impaired bonding and nurturing of her infant, and a higher risk of death by suicide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-moms-anxiety-depression-psychedelic-treatment.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:20:03 EDT news702650282