All articles tagged with #maternal health
Pregnancy prompts the gut to elongate and expand its lining to boost nutrient uptake, and new work discussed in Nature’s News & Views suggests these gut changes are coordinated with fetal wellbeing through maternal immune remodeling, revealing a protective link between the mother’s intestinal adaptation and the developing baby.
A large population-based study found no definitive link between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism in offspring after adjusting for maternal mental health, genetics, and other factors, suggesting antidepressants in pregnancy are not clearly associated with autism risk, though further research is warranted.
U.S. maternal syphilis rose 28% from 2022–2024, helping drive a 700% increase in congenital syphilis since 2015. Experts say stagnant STI funding, COVID-19–related service disruptions, and barriers to prenatal care and testing (like Medicaid enrollment delays and stigma) are key factors. The piece emphasizes universal syphilis screening in the first and third trimesters and at delivery to prevent congenital syphilis, while noting ongoing gaps in access and funding that hinder effective prevention and treatment.
Some researchers argue that health and environmental factors during a 1,300-day window—from before conception through a child’s second year—could influence autism risk by subtly shaping eggs or sperm, prompting efforts to reduce toxins, stress, and infections and educate prospective parents.
In a South African hospital, researchers testing the experimental drug DM199 saw blood-pressure stabilization in pregnant women with preeclampsia after escalating doses, with the treatment not appearing to cross the placenta or breast milk and possibly improving placental blood flow. While early and based on small groups, the results offer cautious optimism for a first pharmaceutical therapy that could help mothers stay pregnant longer and protect babies, pending larger studies.
The article highlights the alarming increase in attacks on maternity hospitals and healthcare facilities in conflict zones like Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar, and the DRC, where women and babies are increasingly targeted, with devastating consequences for reproductive health and safety, despite international protections under the Geneva conventions.
The US stillbirth rate decreased by 2% in 2024, reaching its lowest in decades but still remaining high, especially among Black and Native Hawaiian mothers. Significant improvements were seen in some states, but experts emphasize the need for continued efforts to reduce stillbirths, which are often linked to medical, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. The NIH has launched a research consortium to better understand and prevent these deaths.
The article discusses the rising incidence of placenta accreta, a life-threatening condition linked to previous C-sections, highlighting its increased prevalence and the tragic case of Holly Baumstark who died due to complications during childbirth. It emphasizes the growing risks associated with cesarean surgeries and their impact on maternal health.
A young mother nearly lost her life due to a stroke caused by undiagnosed preeclampsia, highlighting the importance of recognizing maternal health issues; her journey of recovery and advocacy raises awareness about stroke and maternal health among young women.
A healthy pregnancy turned life-threatening for Jennifer Choate when she experienced a rare amniotic fluid embolism that caused her heart to stop, but she survived after emergency treatment, highlighting the severity and unpredictability of this rare obstetric complication.
The rise in home births in the U.S. reflects growing distrust in hospitals, especially among Black women due to high maternal mortality rates and historical discrimination, with limited safety data but potential for comparable outcomes in low-risk cases; ongoing hospital closures in underserved areas may further influence this trend.
Global health agencies have released new guidelines emphasizing earlier detection and rapid intervention for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), a leading cause of maternal death worldwide, including new diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols to save lives and improve outcomes.
Mississippi has declared a public health emergency due to a rise in infant mortality rates, reaching the highest in over a decade, with disparities especially affecting Black infants. The crisis is linked to factors like prematurity, low birth weight, and systemic inequities, compounded by federal funding cuts and Medicaid policy challenges. State officials aim to address these issues through expanded prenatal services and improved care systems, emphasizing that broader social determinants and healthcare access are critical to reducing infant deaths.
The ERASE MM program, which has significantly contributed to reducing maternal mortality through state review committees, is at risk of losing funding as its expiration date approaches and efforts to renew it face political hurdles, potentially impacting ongoing improvements in maternal health outcomes in the U.S.
Katie Chubb has been trying to open a birth center in Augusta, Georgia, to provide a safer, more home-like birth option in a maternal health care desert, but faces obstacles from local hospitals and systemic issues, highlighting the need for alternative birth options especially for Black women who face higher maternal mortality rates.