Many Babies Acquire Oral HPV, Probably From Mom

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

Cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered a sexually transmitted infection, but a new study shows that many babies are born carrying the virus in their mouths.

"In brief, HPV infection can be acquired at early age or even at birth," said lead researche...

Antibiotics in Pregnancy Tied to Higher Odds for Asthma in Kids

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

Children whose mothers used antibiotics in pregnancy may have a slightly heightened risk of asthma, a new study suggests.

Experts were quick to point out the finding does not prove cause and effect, and the reasons for the antibiotic use -- rather than the drug -- might ...

MS Doesn't Put Women at Higher Risk During Pregnancy

• Robert Preidt
• February 3, 2021
• Full Page

In a finding that should reassure women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who want to have a baby, new research suggests the disease doesn't raise the risk of pregnancy complications.

"Women with multiple sclerosis may be understandably concerned about the risks of pregnancy...

COVID-19 Ups Complication Risks During Childbirth

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• January 20, 2021
• Full Page

Women who have COVID-19 during childbirth are more likely to face complications than moms-to-be without the coronavirus, researchers say.

Fortunately, the absolute risk for complications for any one woman is very low (less than 1%). But the relative risks for problems --...

'Awareness' Under C-Section Anesthesia May Be Less Rare Than Thought

• Robert Preidt
• January 13, 2021
• Full Page

It's a woman's worst nightmare: You're having a C-section under anesthesia, but you suddenly become aware of what is happening during your surgery.

Now, a new study shows that phenomenon, known as "accidental awareness," is more common than believed. In fact, it may occ...

Women May Transmit Cancer to Infants in Childbirth, Reports Suggest

• January 6, 2021
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6, 2021 -- In extremely rare instances, newborns can contract cancer from their pregnant moms during delivery, a new case report suggests.

Two boys, a 23-month-old and a 6-year-old, developed lung cancers that proved an exact genetic match to cervical can...

Study Finds No Benefit From Supplemental Oxygen During Labor

• Amy Norton
• January 5, 2021
• Full Page

For decades, women have commonly been given oxygen during childbirth, but a new research review finds little evidence it benefits newborns.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women be given supplemental oxygen when fetal heart monitor...

Even Rich Americans Don't Get World-Class Health Care: Study

• Dennis Thompson
• December 31, 2020
• Full Page

THURSDAY, Dec. 31, 2020 -- Even the most privileged people in the United States with the best access to health care are sicker and more likely to die than average folks in other developed nations, a new study finds.

People living in the highest-income counties in the Uni...

Dads' Health Linked to Odds of Pregnancy Loss in Moms-to-Be

• Amy Norton
• December 23, 2020
• Full Page

A large new study suggests that men who plan to be fathers should try to get themselves in shape first.

Researchers found that when fathers-to-be had health conditions like high blood pressure or obesity, the odds that their partner might experience miscarriage or stillb...

Why a Newborn's First Breath Is So Important

• Cara Murez
• December 10, 2020
• Full Page

New research on what happens as a newborn is delivered and takes its first breath may shed light on a potential contributor to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

A team led by doctors from the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered a signaling syste...

Too Many, Too Few Babies May Speed Aging in Women

• Cara Murez
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnancy can be exhilarating or exhausting, and sometimes both at the same time. It may not come as a surprise to a woman who has experienced pregnancy once, twice or many times, that it can age her.

New research reveals that how many pregnancies a woman has may affect ...

Newborns Are at Low COVID Risk

• Robert Preidt
• November 11, 2020
• Full Page

Overall, babies have a low risk of severe COVID-19 infection, and transmission from mother to newborn is unlikely, new research suggests.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from all babies under 29 days old who had COVID-19 and had to be admitted to hospitals acros...

Pandemic Protocols Don't Stand in the Way of a Safe Delivery

• Steven Reinberg
• November 4, 2020
• Full Page

New infection prevention practices started during the coronavirus pandemic have actually shortened hospital stays for mothers and their babies, a new study finds.

The changes included screening the temperature of all patients and visitors, limiting the number of visitors...

Newborn Brain Bleeds Resolve by Age 2

• Robert Preidt
• November 3, 2020
• Full Page

Here's some good news for new moms: Babies born with asymptomatic brain bleeds have normal brain development by the time they reach the age of 2, researchers report.

MRIs were used to examine the brains of 311 newborns in the Early Brain Development Study at the Universi...

Big Babies May Face Higher Lifelong A-Fib Risk

• Robert Preidt
• October 19, 2020
• Full Page

Parents are usually pleased when their newborn seems big and strong, but new research suggests that large babies may be at higher risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation later in life.

Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) is the most common heart rhythm disorde...

Newborns of Moms With COVID-19 Face Little Infection Risk: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• October 14, 2020
• Full Page

In some reassuring news on the coronavirus front, a new study finds that pregnant women with COVID-19 rarely infect their newborn.

That finding suggests that it may not be necessary to separate infected mothers from their infants and that moms can continue to breastf...

Most Newborns of COVID-19-Infected Moms Fare Well

• Steven Reinberg
• September 28, 2020
• Full Page

Babies born to mothers with COVID-19 only rarely suffer from effects of the virus, a new study suggests.

These newborns generally do well in the six to eight weeks after birth, but more are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) if their mothers had COV...

Small Risk of Autism Seen in Babies Born Preterm and Post-Term

• Robert Preidt
• September 25, 2020
• Full Page

There may be a slightly increased risk of autism for each week a child is born before or after 40 weeks of gestation, according to a new study.

Researchers are still trying to pinpoint the causes of autism, but both genetic and environmental factors are believed to p...

Genetic Research May Help Identify Causes of Stillbirth

• Steven Reinberg
• August 12, 2020
• Full Page

Scientists are well on the way to understanding more about how genes can cause stillbirth, new research suggests.

In the study, researchers used genetic analyses to identify gene mutations that are linked to stillbirth, which is the in utero death of a fetus after ...

Gene Could Explain Why Some Women Don't Need Pain Relief in Childbirth

• Robert Preidt
• July 22, 2020
• Full Page

A genetic variant that acts as a natural pain reliever may explain why some women don't require pain relief during childbirth, researchers say.

The level of pain and discomfort experienced during childbirth varies widely, so researchers at the University of Cambridge...

Lupus Drug Prevents Low Heartbeat in High-Risk Newborns: Study

• Robert Preidt
• July 17, 2020
• Full Page

A drug used to treat lupus and malaria -- hydroxychloroquine -- reduced by half the risk of a potentially fatal heart condition in newborns who were at high risk for it.

The condition -- known as congenital heart block (CHB) -- results in a dangerously low heart rate...

Global Population Will Peak by Mid-Century, Shifting Economic Power

• Robert Preidt
• July 15, 2020
• Full Page

The world's population is shifting, with a new analysis predicting it will peak in 2064 at around 9.7 billion people and fall to 8.8 billion by the end of the century.

The United States will have population growth until just after mid-century (364 million in 2062). T...

When COVID-19 Strikes in Pregnancy, C-Section Tied to Worse Outcomes

• Steven Reinberg
• June 11, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnant women with COVID-19 who deliver by cesarean section may be at greater risk for complications that affect them and their babies, new research suggests.

The study focused on 82 women with COVID-19 -- four of them with severe symptoms -- who gave birth in hosp...

Are Painkillers After Childbirth a Prescription for Addiction?

• Amy Norton
• June 8, 2020
• Full Page

Many women are prescribed opioid painkillers after giving birth, and it may in some cases lead to addiction and overdose, a new study finds.

Looking at data on more than 200,000 births in Tennessee, researchers found that nearly all women who had a C-section were pre...

Pregnancy Complications Raise Future Odds of Preterm Birth: Study

• Robert Preidt
• May 1, 2020
• Full Page

Even if their first pregnancy results in a full-term baby, women who had complications may be at increased risk of a preterm delivery next time around, researchers say.

Women who deliver full-term babies are generally considered to have a low risk of delivering befor...

Menopause May Someday Disappear as Women Postpone Pregnancy: Study

• Robert Preidt
• April 24, 2020
• Full Page

As more women postpone childbirth, evolution may start to delay menopause or do away with it altogether, Canadian researchers predict.

"Menopause is not a disease. It's a medical condition that arises simply because of human behavior," and can end with a change in be...

Even During Pandemic, Childbirth Safest in Hospital, Doctors' Group Says

• Robert Preidt
• April 20, 2020
• Full Page

Having your baby in a hospital is the still the safest choice, even during the coronavirus pandemic, updated guidelines from a leading pediatricians' group say.

"We recognize that women have different reasons for planning a home delivery, such as cultural or religiou...

Do C-Section Babies Become Heavier Adults?

• Steven Reinberg
• April 14, 2020
• Full Page

Girls born by cesarean delivery may be more prone to obesity and type 2 diabetes as adults, a new study suggests.

Of more than 33,000 women born between 1946 and 1964, nearly 1,100 were delivered by C-section. Of those women, 37% were obese and 6% had been ...

Mental Health Problems After First Baby Reduce Likelihood of More Children: Study

• Robert Preidt
• April 3, 2020
• Full Page

Women who develop mental health problems after delivering their first child are much less likely to have more, a Danish study finds.

But this is not the case among women whose first child died.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 414,000 w...

Racial, Ethnic Gaps in Insurance Put Moms, Babies at Risk: Study

• Kayla McKiski
• March 20, 2020
• Full Page

Though they are at a higher risk of childbirth complications and pregnancy-related death, women who are black, Hispanic or indigenous are less likely than white women to be insured, new research shows.

The study revealed that almost half of black, Hispanic and indige...

New Moms Need to Watch Out for High Blood Pressure

• Robert Preidt
• February 25, 2020
• Full Page

All new mothers should know the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure, even if they don't have a history of the condition, researchers say.

It's not uncommon for high blood pressure to occur after childbirth. If the high blood pressure isn't treated, women can be...

Small Babies Have High Risk for Heart-Lung Weakness as Adults: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 18, 2020
• Full Page

Being small at birth after a full-term pregnancy could leave you gasping for breath later on in life.

Swedish researchers report that babies with low birth weights are more likely to have poor heart-lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness when they reach adulthood.

General Anesthesia Boosts Postpartum Depression Risk After C-Section: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 10, 2020
• Full Page

Women who receive general anesthesia during a cesarean section delivery are at higher risk of severe postpartum depression that requires hospitalization, as well as self-inflicted harm and suicidal thoughts, a new study finds.

Researchers from Columbia University ana...

Low-Dose Aspirin Might Help Prevent Preterm Births

• Amy Norton
• January 24, 2020
• Full Page

A daily baby aspirin helped first-time mothers lower their chances of delivering too soon in a new clinical trial, though it's not clear the practice should become routine everywhere.

The trial, which was run in six lower-income countries, found that giving first-ti...

Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs Average $4,500 for Many New U.S. Parents

• Serena Gordon
• January 6, 2020
• Full Page

If you're an expectant parent, you know you're in for some sleepless nights once the baby comes. What you might not expect is almost $5,000 in medical costs.

A new study warns parents-to-be that average out-of-pocket costs for health care during pregnancy, delivery ...

Opioid-Addicted Babies Cost U.S. More Than $500 Million Annually

• Dennis Thompson
• December 16, 2019
• Full Page

Babies born addicted to opioids cost the U.S. health care system more than half a billion dollars a year, a new study finds.

The rate of infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) was 6.7 per 1,000 hospital births in 2016, four times the rate of 1.5 per 1,0...

Is Childbirth More Dangerous in Rural Areas?

• Robert Preidt
• December 9, 2019
• Full Page

If you are pregnant and live in a rural area of the United States, new research shows that you're at higher risk of life-threatening complications or death during or after childbirth.

"Our study suggests that geographic disparities may put rural women at an increased...

Opioid Exposure in Womb Alters the Infant Brain

• Robert Preidt
• November 25, 2019
• Full Page

Exposure to opioids in the womb may affect an area of the newborn brain that regulates emotions, a new study shows.

Researchers used MRIs to assess brain activity in 16 full-term infants while they slept, specifically focusing on connectivity in a region called the...

Inducing Labor Safer Bet for Late-Term Pregnancies: Study

• Robert Preidt
• November 21, 2019
• Full Page

The risk of newborn death in late-term pregnancies may be lower if labor is induced rather than taking a wait-and-see approach, a new study suggests.

It's widely believed that mothers and babies have an increased risk of problems at or beyond 42 weeks of pregnancy. (...

Give Newborn to Mom Right Away -- After Moving the Electrodes

• Robert Preidt
• November 8, 2019
• Full Page

Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers is encouraged, but poses some potential risks in cases of cesarean birth, researchers say.

In a new report, the researchers described two cases where newly delivered babies came into contact with elect...

When Baby Makes Four

• Amy Norton
• October 15, 2019
• Full Page

When people in non-monogamous relationships decide to have a baby, they may find that hospitals are not ready to handle their childbirth needs, a new study suggests.

The study is among the first to look into the health care experiences of people in "polyamorous" rela...

How Safe is Vaginal Delivery After a Cesarean Birth?

• Steven Reinberg
• September 27, 2019
• Full Page

Once a woman gives birth by cesarean section, attempting a vaginal delivery is far riskier for mother and baby alike, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of Oxford collected data on more than 70,000 births in Scotland between 2002 and 2015. Among women w...

C-Section Delivery Might Alter Newborn's 'Microbiome'

• Alan Mozes
• September 18, 2019
• Full Page

New research reveals that the bacterial composition of a newborn's gut may be dependent on how the baby is delivered.

Gut bacteria found in children delivered by cesarean section largely reflected the bacterial surroundings of the hospital in which the baby was born,...

Stress Takes Toll in Very Complicated Births

• Robert Preidt
• July 29, 2019
• Full Page

A "dual burden" of serious maternal complications and premature birth occurs in about one in 270 births, a new study finds.

But hospital staff are often blind to the stress caused by this double whammy, researchers say.

"The situation of combined maternal...

Many U.S. Women Get Opioids After Giving Birth

• Robert Preidt
• July 26, 2019
• Full Page

Opioid painkillers were prescribed to nearly half of U.S. women who gave birth in recent years.

That's from a new study that found 1% to 2% of those women were still filling opioid prescriptions a year later. Those most likely to be doing so were women who we...

Smog Could Land Newborns in Intensive Care

• Robert Preidt
• July 25, 2019
• Full Page

The danger that air pollution poses to the hearts and lungs of adults is well-documented, but new research suggests that newborns are also at risk.

Infants of mothers who were exposed to high levels of air pollution in the week before giving birth were more likely to...

In a U.S. First, Baby Is Delivered From Womb Transplanted From Deceased Donor

• E.J. Mundell
• July 9, 2019
• Full Page

Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic announced that they've achieved a first in North America: delivering a baby from a uterus that had been transplanted from a deceased donor.

The healthy baby girl was delivered by C-section in June. This is only the second time such a d...

Drug Overdoses, Suicide Are Risk for New Mothers: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• June 18, 2019
• Full Page

Drug overdoses and suicide are common causes of death among women who die within a year of giving birth, a new study finds.

In fact, in the study based on data from California, these two causes accounted for nearly 20% of postpartum deaths from 2010 to 2012.

Infant Pain Heightened After Opioid Exposure in Womb

• Robert Preidt
• May 23, 2019
• Full Page

Newborns who were exposed to opioids in the womb have stronger-than-normal reactions to pain and may require special care sooner than previously thought, researchers report.

Opioids include prescription pain medications and illegal drugs such as heroin.

The...

Low Birth Weight Babies a Worldwide Problem

• Robert Preidt
• May 16, 2019
• Full Page

More than 20 million babies are born across the globe weighing far less than they should, and the problem isn't limited to low-income countries, new research shows.

In 2015, nearly three-quarters of infants with low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds) were born in ...