Pot Might Impair a Woman's Fertility: Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• January 13, 2021
• Full Page

Though using marijuana for medical or recreational reasons is legal in a growing number of U.S. states, it may come with some unexpected side effects.

A new study found that women who use cannabis may be reducing their fertility.

"Ca...

As Lockdowns Keep Pregnant Women From Exercise, Depression Rates Rise: Study

• Cara Murez
• January 4, 2021
• Full Page

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on the emotional health of pregnant women whose exercise routines have been disrupted because of the coronavirus, new research shows.

Those women had higher depression scores than their counterparts who were able to exercise as usua...

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

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• 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...

Toxic Metals Might Affect Pregnancy, Study Finds

• Robert Preidt
• December 28, 2020
• Full Page

Exposure to metals may disrupt pregnant women's hormones and boost the odds of complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth and low birth weight, according to a new study.

Metals such as nickel, arsenic, cobalt and lead have been associated with pregnancy complicati...

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

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• 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...

COVID Doesn't Pass From Mom to Fetus During Pregnancy: Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 22, 2020
• Full Page

A new study may prove reassuring for expectant moms: Pregnant women who are infected with COVID-19 during their third trimester appear unlikely to pass the infection to their fetuses.

This study was conducted between April and June 2020 among women who came to one of thr...

Most Pregnant Women With COVID Are Asymptomatic

• Robert Preidt
• December 17, 2020
• Full Page

Most pregnant women infected with the new coronavirus don't have symptoms, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed data from a coronavirus screening program in the labor and delivery unit of Elmhurst Hospital in New York City during March and April.

Of the 130 pr...

Black Women at Higher Heart Risk During Pregnancy

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• December 16, 2020
• Full Page

Although heart problems are rare complications of pregnancy, Black women face a heightened risk -- even if they have comfortable incomes and health insurance, a new study finds.

It's well established that the United States has a higher maternal mortality rate than other ...

Many Breast Cancer Survivors Have Healthy Babies: Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 9, 2020
• Full Page

When a young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, many questions go through her mind.

What treatments does she need? Will she survive? And will she still be able to have a baby?

In a review of recent research, an international team of investigators say the answe...

COVID Fuels Depression Among Pregnant Women, New Moms

• Cara Murez
• December 9, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 may be behind a concerning rise in the number of women suffering anxiety and depression before and soon after childbirth, a new study says.

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston surveyed more than 1,100 pregnant and postpartum women between Ma...

U.S. Moms-to-Be Are Much Less Healthy Now

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

In the past 30 years, U.S. women have been in progressively worse physical shape as they become pregnant, a new study finds.

A combination of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and having children later in life have led to potentially more complications, and even inf...

Frozen Eggs Help Breast Cancer Survivors Conceive

• November 27, 2020
• Full Page

Freezing their eggs or ovarian tissue before breast cancer treatment increases survivors' chances of having children after recovery, a new study finds.

Nearly 10% of breast cancer cases occur in women younger than 45 years of age, some of whom haven't yet had children, a...

More Childbearing Women Having Suicidal Thoughts: Study

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• November 20, 2020
• Full Page

The number of women who contemplate suicide or self-harm during or after pregnancy may be on the rise, a large, new study suggests.

Among nearly 600,000 U.S. childbearing women, researchers found that close to 2,700 were diagnosed with suicidality in the year before or a...

COVID in Pregnancy Won't Affect Obstetric Outcomes: Study

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• November 19, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnant women with COVID-19 have little risk of developing severe symptoms, as do their newborns, a new study finds.

In fact, 95% of these women have good outcomes, and just 3% of their babies test positive for COVID-19, researchers say.

"For 5% of COVID-19-positi...

U.S. Leads Wealthy Nations in Pregnancy-Related Deaths

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• November 18, 2020
• Full Page

American women are far more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than women in other wealthy countries -- and a national shortage of maternity care providers bodes ill for the future.

Those are some of the findings from a new report on maternal mortality by the no...

Are We Getting Closer to a Herpes Vaccine?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• November 16, 2020
• Full Page

Scientists are reporting early success with an experimental herpes vaccine that uses a genetically modified version of the virus.

The gene edit prevents the virus from performing its normal evasive maneuver: hiding out in nervous system cells in order to elude the i...

Pre-Pregnancy High Blood Pressure Rates Rising

• Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter
• November 11, 2020
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11, 2020 (HealthDay) -- The number of women entering pregnancy with high blood pressure has nearly doubled in a decade, new research finds.

The study found that 2% of women living in urban areas and 2.4% of women living in rural areas had high blood press...

Global Warming Could Bring Added Risks for Pregnant Women

• Robert Preidt
• November 5, 2020
• Full Page

Global warming could increase rates of serious pregnancy problems, researchers warn.

They analyzed 70 studies from 27 countries that reported associations between high temperatures and preterm birth, birth weight and stillbirths.

"Given increases in the freque...

For Some Women, Postpartum Depression Lingers for Years

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• October 29, 2020
• Full Page

Many women have depression symptoms after giving birth, but for some postpartum depression hangs on for years, a U.S. government study finds.

Of nearly 4,900 new mothers researchers followed, one-quarter had depression symptoms at some point in their child's first three...

Heart Conditions Could Raise Risk of Torn Aorta During Pregnancy

• Robert Preidt
• October 22, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnancy can increase the risk of a rare, dangerous heart condition called aortic dissection, researchers report.

This is especially true for women with underlying heart conditions that can go undetected.

Aortic dissections -- which affect 3 in 100,000 peo...

COVID-19 More Common in Pregnant Hispanics Than Other Moms-to-Be: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• October 22, 2020
• Full Page

Hispanic mothers-to-be in the southern United States are almost twice as likely to have COVID-19 as non-Hispanic women, a new study finds.

The researchers also found that those with government health insurance were more likely to test positive for the coronavirus th...

Could Mom's Thyroid Levels Influence ADHD in Kids?

• Serena Gordon
• October 21, 2020
• Full Page

Low levels of thyroid hormone during pregnancy may contribute to the development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the child, new research suggests.

The study found that children born to mothers with low thyroid hormone levels during the first trimester...

Severe Morning Sickness Linked to Depression Before and After Birth

• Robert Preidt
• October 16, 2020
• Full Page

Women who suffer severe morning sickness may have higher risk of depression during and after pregnancy, according to a new British study.

It enrolled 214 women in London during the first trimester of pregnancy. Half had severe morning sickness; half did not. None had...

FDA Warns of Dangers of Common Painkillers During Pregnancy

• Robert Preidt
• October 16, 2020
• Full Page

If you're pregnant and you think popping nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for your aches and pains is safe, think again.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Thursday that taking these widely used painkillers -- which include Advil, Motrin, Al...

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...

Epidurals During Childbirth Tied to Autism Risk

• Amy Norton
• October 13, 2020
• Full Page

Children whose mothers were given an epidural during labor may face a slightly heightened risk of autism, a large, new study suggests.

Researchers found that the rate of autism was a little higher among those kids, versus their peers whose mothers did not get epidura...

For Many Pregnant Women, COVID-19 Has Prolonged Effect

• Robert Preidt
• October 12, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 symptoms can last a long time in pregnant women, researchers say.

The new study included 594 pregnant women (average age 31) across the United States who tested positive for the new coronavirus but were not hospitalized. Nearly one-third were health care wor...

Air Pollutants, Metals Are Reaching The Placenta, Study Finds

• Robert Preidt
• September 29, 2020
• Full Page

Metals and other air pollutants have been found in the placentas of new mothers, which means such pollutants may be able to reach the fetus, researchers report.

"Our study for the first time shows that inhaled carbon particulate matter in air pollution travels in the...

Diabetes During Pregnancy Could Raise Lifelong Heart Risks for Children

• Cara Roberts Murez
• September 28, 2020
• Full Page

The foundation for early heart disease might begin not during childhood or in the years that follow, but in the womb.

Researchers studying nearly 30 years of data from families in Manitoba, Canada, found a strong connection between heart disease risk factors in teens...

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...

Mom-to-Be's Pot Use Linked With Higher Odds for Kids' Mental Woes

• Dennis Thompson
• September 23, 2020
• Full Page

Expectant mothers who smoke pot in pregnancy could increase their baby's risk for mental or emotional problems later in childhood, a new study finds.

Marijuana use during pregnancy was associated with a host of problems in the preteen years, researchers report.

Pregnant Women With COVID-19 at High Risk for Complications

• Steven Reinberg
• September 16, 2020
• Full Page

COVID-19 may hit pregnant women especially hard, U.S. health officials warned in two reports.

In one report, scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge pregnant women and health care providers to be aware of the risks for severe COVID-1...

Could Antibiotics Make Breast Milk Less Healthy for Babies?

• Steven Reinberg
• September 8, 2020
• Full Page

Mom's breast milk can be altered by antibiotics in ways that might harm an infant's health, according to a new study.

The Canadian researchers were particularly concerned with an increase in bacteria that can be harmful, namely a bacterium called Pseudomonas t...

Narcolepsy Drug Doesn't Raise Odds for Birth Defects: Study

• Robert Preidt
• September 4, 2020
• Full Page

The narcolepsy medicine modafinil doesn't appear to increase the risk of birth defects, according to a new study that contradicts earlier research.

"This study is based on twice as many pregnancies as earlier studies, and we find no increase in the risk of malformati...

COVID-19 in Pregnancy: Here's What's Known So Far

• Robert Preidt
• September 2, 2020
• Full Page

A new review may offer guidance on women who contract COVID-19 during pregnancy.

Pregnant women with COVID-19 are less likely to have symptoms than those who aren't expecting -- but they're more likely to require critical care, according to the study.

Havin...

Mom-to-Be's Flu Shot Doesn't Raise Autism Risk

• Serena Gordon
• September 1, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnant women are understandably worried about everything that goes into their bodies. But here's one worry they can cross off that list: flu shots.

A large, new study has confirmed that an expectant woman's flu shot doesn't increase the risk of autism in her child...

Study Zeroes in on How Zika Virus Is Passed From Mom to Fetus

• Robert Preidt
• September 1, 2020
• Full Page

New insight into how pregnant women can pass the Zika virus to their fetus could point to ways to prevent it, researchers say.

Babies infected with Zika in the womb can have abnormally small heads (microcephaly) and other birth defects.

In this study, resea...

Texas Mother Transmitted COVID-19 to Unborn Baby: Study

• Robert Preidt
• August 27, 2020
• Full Page

A new case study adds to growing evidence that the new coronavirus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus.

"It's very important to bring to the forefront this finding that mothers and infants can be affected by COVID-19, transmission can occur during p...

There's No Safe Amount of Caffeine in Pregnancy: Report

• E.J. Mundell
• August 25, 2020
• Full Page

Women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant may need to forgo coffee, tea, sodas and other sources of caffeine. A new data analysis finds no safe level of the drug during this time.

"The cumulative scientific evidence supports pregnant women and women contempla...

In-Person Pregnancy Checks Won't Raise COVID Risk

• Robert Preidt
• August 21, 2020
• Full Page

Here's some reassuring news for pregnant women: In-person doctor visits don't appear to make them vulnerable to COVID-19, a new study indicates.

It included thousands of Massachusetts women who had babies at four Boston-area hospitals between April 19 and June 27, 20...

'Morning Sickness' Doesn't Stick to the A.M., Study Confirms

• Robert Preidt
• August 19, 2020
• Full Page

As many expectant mothers can unhappily attest, the nausea and vomiting known as "morning sickness" can occur at any time of the day.

In a new study, British researchers analyzed diaries kept by 256 women from the day they learned they were expecting until the 60th d...

Gallbladder Surgery During Pregnancy May Be Safer Than Waiting

• Steven Reinberg
• August 18, 2020
• Full Page

For pregnant women experiencing painful gallstones, immediate surgery to remove the infected gallbladder may be better than postponing the operation until after childbirth, a new study suggests.

Acute gallbladder disease is called cholecystitis.

"Current g...

Moms' Obesity May Affect Fetal Brain Development

• Steven Reinberg
• August 12, 2020
• Full Page

Obesity during pregnancy may hinder fetal brain development, a new study suggests.

Development of brain areas involved in decision-making and behavior may be affected as early as the second trimester, New York University researchers said.

For the study, t...

Pot Use While Pregnant Tied to Higher Odds for Autism in Kids

• Serena McNiff
• August 11, 2020
• Full Page

Research has shown that pot use during pregnancy may increase the risk of stillborn birth, preterm birth and low birth weight.

Now, a new study adds another danger: children whose mothers used pot while pregnant could be at greater risk for autism.

And the ...

Placenta May Help Shield Fetus From COVID-19

• Robert Preidt
• July 17, 2020
• Full Page

Some key molecules used by the new coronavirus to cause infection aren't found in the placenta, which may explain why the virus is rarely detected in fetuses or newborns of women with COVID-19.

U.S. government researchers found that placental membranes lack the messe...

Pot Use in Pregnancy Could Mean Sleepless Kids

• Steven Reinberg
• July 13, 2020
• Full Page

Kids whose moms used pot while pregnant may end up with sleep problems years later, a new study suggests.

Looking at thousands of 9- and 10-year-olds, University of Colorado researchers found that children were more likely to have trouble falling asleep or staying a...

Zika May Have Damaged More Infants' Brains Than Expected

• Serena Gordon
• July 7, 2020
• Full Page

It's a virus some might not even remember, but babies born to mothers infected with Zika who appeared normal at birth still experienced neurological or developmental problems, new research suggests.

A hallmark of infection with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in pregna...

COVID Spreads Quickly in Crowded Homes, Poor Neighborhoods

• Steven Reinberg
• June 23, 2020
• Full Page

Poverty and crowded living conditions increase the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new study suggests.

Researchers reached that conclusion after testing nearly 400 women who gave birth at two hospitals in New York City during the peak of the COVID-...

Climate Change, Smog Could Mean More Preemie Babies: Study

• Amy Norton
• June 18, 2020
• Full Page

Here's more bad news associated with climate change: Pregnant women exposed to air pollution or heat waves face a greater risk of having a preterm or underweight baby, a new research review finds.

The review, of 68 studies from across the United States, found that th...