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U.S. Postpartum Depression Diagnoses Doubled in a Decade

Rates of postpartum depression have more than doubled in little over a decade among American women, a new analysis shows.

While about 1 in every 10 new moms (9.4%) suffered postpartum depression in 2010, that number rose to almost 1 in every 5 (19%) by 2021, report a team from Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Why the steep rise? Better detection and reporting could be playing...

Want to Lower Chemical Exposures in Pregnancy? Quit Nail Polish, Makeup and Hair Dye

Women who won't leave the house without makeup or a spritz of hairspray may want to think twice about those habits when they're pregnant or breastfeeding.

New research links these and other personal care products, including hair dyes, fragrances, lotions, moisturizers and nail polishes to higher levels of so-called PFAS "forever chemicals" that are harmful to health. 

Researche...

Big Post-Election Surge Seen in Online Sales of Morning-After Pills

In the wake of Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, retailers report that online sales of emergency contraceptives have soared.

The spike in purchases of what is also known as the morning-after pill or Plan B suggests women worry the incoming administration might soon limit their access to emergency contraception, Monica C...

Women Can Incur 'Catastrophic' Bills for Out-of-State Abortions, Study Finds

One piece left out of the abortion debate is the high transportation and medical bills facing women forced to leave their state to obtain the procedure.

A new study is the first to give hard numbers on those concerns.

It finds that, even before the fall of Roe v. Wade, 65% of women who traveled to another state to undergo abortion incurred "catastrophic" bills causing them...

1 in 5 People Could Have Long COVID

More than 1 in 5 Americans likely suffer from long COVID, a new AI-assisted review has found.

The analysis suggests that nearly 23% of U.S. adults experience the symptoms of long COVID, according to results published Nov. 8 in the journal Med.

That’s much higher than the 7% prevalence of long COVID that’s ...

Using Abortion Pills Very Early in Pregnancy Is Safe, Study Finds

Abortion pills are safe and effective even very early in a pregnancy, a new study finds.

Clinics and hospitals tend to defer medication abortions until a woman’s pregnancy is confirmed using ultrasound, researchers said.

But abortion pills can be safely taken prior to the sixth week of pregnancy, researchers reported Nov. 6 in the

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 7, 2024
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    • Vitamin D Supplements in Pregnancy Linked to Stronger Bones in Kids

    Women who take vitamin D supplements during a pregnancy may be giving their kids the legacy of stronger bones, new British research suggests.

    Children whose moms took vitamin D supplements when pregnant had stronger, denser bones at the age of 7 compared to the kids of women who didn't, a study from the University of Southampton shows.

    It's an head start on bone health that might l...

    PCOS Plus Obesity Can Be Hazardous in Pregnancy

    Women who are pregnant but who also have the ovarian cyst disorder polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are at higher odds of giving birth to an underweight baby, new Norwegian research shows.

    The risk rises even higher if the woman with PCOS is also obese, the study found.

    “In women of n...

    About 1 in 20 Women Use Marijuana During Pregnancy

    Although numerous studies have shown that marijuana use during pregnancy may harm both the fetus and a mom-to-be, almost 6% of women responding to a recent survey said they used weed while pregnant.

    That's more than one in every 20 pregnancies, noted a team from the University of Georgia (UGA). Many of the women interviewed viewed marijuana as harmless, and it's long been turned to as mea...

    Weed Use During Pregnancy May Harm Kids' Behavior, Thinking Skills

    Smoking marijuana during pregnancy may quell your morning sickness, but it could also harm your child’s development, a new study warns.

    Cannabis exposure in the womb is associated in early childhood with poorer thinking skills, researchers reported Oct. 28 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

    These kids also have behavioral problems like impulse control, poor attention an...

    COVID in Pregnancy Won't Lead to Neurodevelopmental Issues in Kids

    New research offers some comfort to pregnant women who become ill with COVID: Brain development doesn’t appear to be impaired in children exposed to the virus while in the womb.

    There’s no significant difference in development at one year, a year and a half and two years after birth betwe...

    Could Caffeine in Pregnancy Help Prevent Cerebral Palsy in Kids?

    Experiments in sheep are hinting that doses of caffeine given to women in pregnancy, as well as their newborns after birth, could prevent cerebral palsy.

    Cerebral palsy is a disabling condition often caused by asphyxia -- reductions in oxygen supply -- around the time of birth. Asphyxia can cause other neurodevelopmental disorders, as well.

    Researcher

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 22, 2024
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    • U.S. Infant Deaths Rose After Fall of Roe v. Wade

    The United States experienced a small but significant rise in infant deaths in the months following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturned Roe v. Wade, a new study shows.

    The Dobbs ruling, handed down in July of 2022, led to outright bans on abortion in 14 states and tighter restrictions in eight others.

    According to researchers, forcing women to carry "frail fetuses" to term ...

    Blood Test Might Spot Women in Labor at Risk for Preeclampsia

    A routine blood test can identify women in labor who are at risk for preeclampsia, a high-blood pressure condition that’s a leading cause of maternal death, a new study finds.

    Doctors can predict a woman’s risk of developing preeclampsia by looking at her levels of two blood proteins -- fi...

    Most Pregnant Women Exposed to 'Hormone-Disrupting' Chemical in Food

    Studies in mice have shown that the fungal toxin zearalenone can mimic estrogen, and it might hamper reproduction.

    It's not yet clear if the "mycoestrogen" compound can do the same in women. However, a new study finds that nearly all pregnant women ingest zearalenone as part of their daily die...

    Could Dad's Sperm Raise Odds for Common Complications of Pregnancy?

    Some men might have damaged sperm that will increase the risk of pregnancy complications and health problems in newborns, a new study finds.

    DNA defects in sperm can double the risk of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication involving high blood pressur...

    Exercise in Pregnancy Might Lower Baby's Odds for Asthma Later

    A child’s risk of asthma can be cut by nearly half if their mother regularly works out while expecting, a new study says.

    Exercising three or more times a week while pregnant reduces a child’s risk of asthma by about 46%, researchers reported Oct. 9 in the journal Med.

    This level of protection...

    Six-Week Abortion Bans: More Than a Third of Women Don't Know They Are Pregnant by 6 Weeks

    More than a third of women don’t know they are pregnant in time to meet the six-week abortion ban active in four U.S. states, a new study finds.

    About 37% of women who got an abortion in 2021 and 2022 discovered they were pregnant at six weeks or later, according to findings from the sexual and...

    Heat Stress in Pregnancy Might Affect a Babies' Development Later

    Hot weather can be more than just uncomfortable and annoying: New research finds it can impact an infant’s development both before and after birth.

    Babies are more likely to be delivered at low birth weight as an expecting mom’s average daily heat stress increases during the first trimester, researchers found.

    What’s more, growing infants regularly exposed to heat ...

    U.S. Preterm Births Are on the Rise

    Over the past decade, rates of preterm birth in the United States jumped more than 10%, a new study of more than 5 million births shows.

    The rise dovetailed with an increase in some factors that make an early delivery more likely, including rates of diabetes, sexually transmitted infections and mental health ...

    Most Pregnant Women Will Become Iron Deficient, Study Finds

    Four out of five pregnant women will become deficient in an essential nutrient, iron, by their third trimester, a new study finds.

    The researchers and other experts are now advocating that iron levels be routinely checked during a pregnancy for the safety of a mother and her baby.

    Right now, guidelines from the

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  • September 26, 2024
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    • Prediabetes in Teens Could Raise Odds for Complicated Pregnancies Later

    If a woman is already in a "prediabetic" state in her teen or college years, her odds for a serious complication of pregnancy later in life rises, new research shows.

    Ignoring prediabetes in teenagers "may represent a missed opportunity to avert pregnancy-related complications" later, said study lead author Katharine McCarthy

    Many Pregnant Medicaid Patients Miss Prenatal Ultrasounds, Upping Risks Around Birth Defects

    Pregnant women covered by Medicaid are less likely to get an ultrasound exam that can diagnose heart defects in a fetus, a new study finds.

    “The 20-week ultrasound is hugely important in detecting birth defects because it involves assessment of the baby’s major organs. All pregnant people must know that this test should not be missed,” said lead researcher

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 24, 2024
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    • Surrogate Moms Have Higher Rates of Pregnancy Complications

    Surrogate moms have a higher risk of pregnancy complications than other pregnant women, a new study finds.

    About 8% of surrogate mothers developed a severe complication like high blood pressure or serious bleeding during delivery, Canadian researchers ...

    No Higher Autism Risk Seen in Babies Born During Pandemic

    Kids born during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have no higher risk of autism, even if they were exposed to COVID in the womb, a new study finds.

    The study offers reassurance to doctors and parents who’ve been worried about the developmental health of children born during the...

    Pregnancy Changes the Brain, Study Finds

    With implications for research around postpartum depression and other health issues, scientists have tracked the changes pregnancy brings to the female brain.

    These changes weren't subtle: Big shifts in what's known as the brain's "white matter" versus "gray matter" were observed, according to a team from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

    “The maternal brain...

    Florida Abortion Rate Fell After 6-Week Ban Took Hold

    Florida’s six-week abortion ban caused the state’s abortion rate to drop dramatically, new research shows.

    Abortions in Florida dropped to an estimated 5,630 in May and 5,200 in June, a 30% and 35% decrease from the average between January and March, data released Thursday shows.

    “Our data pa...

    More Women Underwent Surgical Sterilization After Fall of Roe v. Wade

    As fears of the consequences of an unintended pregnancy rose after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, rates of surgical sterilization rose in those states most affected by the decision, new research shows.

    Rates of tubal sterilization -- tying, cutting or removing the fallopian tubes -- rose by an average 3% per month in states where abortion became illegal after the Supreme Court ruling...

    Good Maternity Care Increasingly Tough to Find in U.S.

    In the two years since the March of Dimes' last report on the state of U.S. maternity care, more than 100 hospitals nationwide have shuttered their obstetric units, leaving more new moms with literally "Nowhere to Go" for care.

    The March of Dimes' 2024 report, titled "Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S....

    Asthma Could Raise Miscarriage, Infertility Risks for Women: Study

    Having asthma appears linked to raised odds for miscarriage and troubles with fertility among women, new Danish research shows.

    “We found that women fulfilling the definition of asthma had a higher rate of fetal loss and an increased use of fertility treatment. The more severe the asthma and the more f...

    Exposure to PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' in Pregnancy Could Boost Long-Term Obesity Risk

    PFAS “forever chemicals” could cause pregnant women to experience long-term weight gain, increasing their risk of obesity in middle age, a new study warns.

    Women with higher levels of PFAS in their blood during early pregnancy weighed more at the age of 50 than those with low levels, resear...

    States With Strictest Abortion Laws Offer Least Family Support: Study

    States with the most severe abortion restrictions are the least likely to offer support to struggling families, a new study has found.

    Anti-abortion states tend to have assistance programs that exclude many families on the fringes, because participants are required to be poorer to qualify, researchers found.

    These states also are less likely to have family-friendly policies like pai...

    New 'AI Stethoscope' Can Spot Pregnancy-Linked Heart Failure

    An AI-enhanced digital stethoscope can help doctors detect a potentially deadly form of heart failure that can occur late in pregnancy, a new clinical trial reports.

    The AI-driven stethoscope was 12 times more likely than traditional methods to spot heart pump weakness tied to peripartum cardiomyopathy, an uncommon form of

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 5, 2024
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    • Ketamine Can Fight Depression, But Pregnant Women Face Risks

    Ketamine is becoming a popular depression drug, but doctors aren’t keeping in mind the danger it can pose to a pregnancy, a new study warns.

    Ketamine can be very harmful to a developing fetus and should not be used during pregnancy, researchers said.

    But only 20% of keta...

    Why Breast Feeding May Be Even Healthier for Heavier New Moms

    Breastfeeding helps women shed those extra pounds of "pregnancy weight," a new study finds, and the effect is even more pronounced for moms who were overweight before their pregnancy.

    Among women who exclusively breastfed their baby during its first year, women who were normal weight prior to pregnancy lost weight, but still retained about three extra pounds of their pregnancy weight, re...

    Pregnancy After 'Tubes Tied' Sterilization Is More Common Than Thought

    Women are becoming pregnant after having their tubes tied, even though the procedure is considered a “permanent” form of birth control, a new study warns.

    Between 3% and 5% of U.S. women who underwent tubal ligation later reported an unplanned pregnancy, according to findings published...

    Even 1 Cigarette a Day While Pregnant Can Harm Baby

    Just a daily cigarette or two before or during pregnancy endangers the health of newborns, a new study warns.

    Infants are 16% more likely to suffer major health issues following delivery if their mothers engaged in “light smoking” of one or two cigarettes a day prior to getting pregnant, researchers found.

    Those newborns also have a 13% higher risk of landing in neonatal...

    Uterus Transplants Are Leading to Healthy Pregnancies

    Uterine transplants are relatively rare and recent -- the first was performed in 2011, and to date a little more than 100 transplants have been conducted worldwide.

    However, a new study finds that these procedures are often successful, leading to pregnancies and live births in 14 out of the 20 patients assessed.

    "A successfully transplanted uterus is capable of functioning at least ...

    Chemicals in Makeup, Sunscreen May Raise Odds for Dangerous Pregnancy Complication

    Chemicals commonly found in sunscreen, makeup and other personal care products could be putting pregnancies at risk, a new study warns.

    Phenols and parabens in these products increase a pregnant woman's risk of high blood pressure by 57%, particularly at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, researchers reported Aug. 14 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

    "We found che...

    CDC Warns of Resurgence of Common Respiratory Virus, With Risks for Particular Groups

    Parvovirus B19, a seasonal respiratory virus that subsided during the pandemic, is making a comeback, U.S. health officials warned Tuesday.

    In a health alert issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency said it has received reports of higher test positivity rates in recent months: The proportion o...

    Not Born Equal: Preemie Babies Fall Into 3 Risk Categories

    Not all babies born prematurely will suffer long-term developmental problems, a new study finds.

    Preemies tend to fall into three risk categories, with about one in five (20%) scoring above average on standard cognitive tests, researchers reported Aug. 13 in the journal Child Development...

    Obamacare Boosted New Moms' Access to Mental Health Care

    Pregnant women and new moms have better access to treatment for mood disorders, thanks to Obamacare, a new study finds.

    More women received treatment for their pregnancy-related depression or anxiety after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect in 2014, research...

    EPA Bans Vegetable Pesticide That Can Harm Fetuses

    In an historic move, the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday banned the use of a pesticide that can harm fetuses.

    Known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), the weedkiller is used on a variety of crops, including broccoli, onions, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

    However, when a pregnant woman is exposed to the chemical, it can alter fetal thyroid hormon...

    Miscarriages in Horses Offer Insights to Help Prevent Human Miscarriages

    WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- Researchers are gleaning important insights into miscarriages in women from an longtime four-legged friend: horses.

    It shouldn't come as a surprise, since female horses have long pregnancies (11 months) and embryos of both species grow at similar rates, said a team overseen by

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 7, 2024
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    • Hidden Thyroid Issues in Pregnancy Could Mean Thyroid Trouble Later

    Women who develop subclinical thyroid issues during pregnancy, meaning symptoms haven't surfaced, could face real thyroid trouble within five years, a new study finds.

    Pregnant women who were diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism, pointing to an under-active gland, before 21 weeks of gestation had four times the odds of developing symptomatic hypothyroidism later, a team at University...

    Drinking During a Pregnancy: An Expert Offers Guidance

    It's a question many women may ask themselves during pregnancy: Will an occasional glass of wine harm the baby?

    While the latest research shows the answer is definitely yes for large quantities of alcohol or binge drinking, the answer is less clear for small amounts, although any alcohol consumption carries some risk, said Vidya...

    Mom's Type 1 Diabetes Might Shield Her Children From the Disease

    Having a mom with type 1 diabetes might provide long-term protection against the condition in children, a new review finds.

    This protective effect is suggested by that fact that a child is almost twice as likely to develop type 1 diabetes if their father has the condition th...

    U.S. Infant Deaths Rise for First Time in Decades

    For the first time in two decades, the infant mortality rate in the United States has risen, new government data shows.

    In a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found that more than 20,500 babies died in 2022 before the age of 1. Overall, there were 5.6 ...

    Marijuana Use While Pregnant Could Raise Odds for Complications

    There's a slight but significant rise in dangerous obstetric complications for pregnant women who use marijuana, new research shows.

    Data from almost 317,000 pregnancies in women in California found those who used the drug had higher odds for gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, weight gain that goes beyond recommended levels and a condition known as placental abruption (when the plac...

    Prenatal Exposure to Zika Virus Might Affect Child's Immune System

    Children exposed to Zika virus in the womb might suffer long-term damage to their immune system, a new study warns.

    Zika virus is known to cause microcephaly, brain disabilities and other birth defects in about 5% of children whose mothers contract Zika virus while pregnant, researchers said.

    But this study suggests that the 95% of children born of women infected with Zika during pr...