A woman who is both over weight and pregnant faces double challenges, not least because many women who are not overweight struggle not to gain weight over the course of the nine month gestation period. Pregnant women who are overweight or obese can ha…
A review and meta-analysis of studies published in the May 16 theme issue of Global Health in JAMA reveals a significant burden of malaria and STIs/RTIs amongst pregnant women who attend antenatal facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings were dis…
Tenofovir, the anti-HIV drug, is safe to use during pregnancy according to a new study published in PloS Medicine. The researchers, led by Diana Gibb from the MRC Clinical Trials Unit in London, UK, found that the drug does not increase the risk of kid…
Researchers have found that inducing labor after 37 weeks of pregnancy can lower the risk of perinatal mortality without increasing caesarean section rates. However, babies born to mothers who are induced are more likely to be admitted to a special car…
According to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 21.8% of pregnant white women between the ages of 15 to 44 years smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days, which is considerably higher compared with the s…
Pregnant women may have added incentive to bulk up on broccoli and eggs now that a Cornell University study has found increased maternal intake of the nutrient choline could decrease their children’s chances of developing hypertension and diabetes late…
Preterm babies are born at a higher rate in the United States than in 130 other countries of the world, including many poorer nations, according to the just-released report ‘Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth.’ The report, contain…
A study published in this week’s PLoS Medicine, reveals that maternal, newborn and child health has improved in Nigeria as a result of the Midwife Service Scheme. According to the team of Nigerian researchers from the National Primary Health Care Devel…
Prescription drug use during pregnancy is prevalent, however, not enough is known about the adverse effects they may have on the developing fetus, concludes a new review published in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. The majority of women take prescrip…
A study published by BMJ (British Medical Journal) reports that a single ultrasound scan, i.e. compression ultrasonography, could safely rule out a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in pregnant women, or in those within the first few weeks after …
