20+ hour, 35+ min ago   (721+ words) A typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but for about 1 in 10 pregnant women labor begins too soon. Premature or preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn deaths worldwide. Yet doctors have struggled to understand why preterm birth occurs - or how to…...

1+ day, 8+ hour ago   (625+ words) From coffee consumption to inherited genetic differences, researchers examined the biological and dietary factors behind hundreds of molecular variations in human milk. Study: Maternal diet and genetics shape the human milk metabolome. Image Credit: FaceStock / Shutterstock Human milk supplies nutrients…...

1+ day, 10+ hour ago   (787+ words) For generations, women have been told that the forgetfulness, emotional shifts, sensory changes, and altered sense of self that accompany pregnancy and new motherhood are simply "mommy brain." But a revolution in neuroscience is revealing something far more profound: pregnancy…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago   (268+ words) Center for BrainHealth investigator Francesca Filbey, PhD, and UTSW investigator Sherwood Brown, MD, PhD, have secured two awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund two major collaborative studies investigating whether the naturally occurring neurosteroid pregnenolone can help…...

3+ day, 11+ hour ago   (859+ words) Extreme heat has led to a marked increase in the risks faced by pregnant women and their babies, according to a survey of 1,000 healthcare professionals in countries including Brazil, India and Zimbabwe. The survey, commissioned by the medical research foundation…...

5+ day, 10+ hour ago   (308+ words) Researchers have shown that prenatal training may reduce the risk of postnatal depression in women, - but only if they have previously had a baby. This surprising finding is presented for the first time at the ECNP Congress in Munich. Postpartum…...

10+ mon, 2+ week ago   (1292+ words) Gestational diabetes mellitus is growing in prevalence worldwide. It is characterized by the body’s temporary inability to use insulin effectively because of insulin-blocking placenta hormones. Research has found that the prevalence of gestational diabetes has nearly doubled from 2006 to 2016, it…...

6+ mon, 4+ week ago   (476+ words) Scientists reveal how shifts in the vaginal microbiome during pregnancy may influence inflammation and preterm birth risk, pointing to new microbiome-based therapies that could improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Study: The vaginal microbiome in pregnancy and preterm birth: mechanisms,…...

1+ week, 7+ hour ago   (478+ words) Doctors in Edinburgh have performed a pioneering procedure to transplant a young man's testicular tissue that was frozen before he underwent chemotherapy, in a potential breakthrough for male fertility preservation. The trial procedure, carried out by NHS Lothian and underpinned…...

6+ mon, 3+ week ago   (433+ words) This article discusses the role of doulas, potential maternal and neonatal benefits, as well as the strengths and limitations of current evidence. Historically, childbirth support was provided by experienced women within communities. As births shifted from homes to hospitals in…...