America, get ready for a baby boom.

That's the likelihood anyway, according to a new forecast that suggests a drop in pregnancy and birth rates seen during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic is about to be reversed.

"We expect a dramatic rebound soon," said study lead author Dr. Molly Stout. She is maternal fetal medicine director at Michigan Medicine Von Voigtlander Women's Ho...

In a finding that demonstrates the power of a mother's touch, new research shows that immediate and continuous skin-to-skin contact with mom reduces the risk of death for low-weight newborns in poorer nations.

"The idea of giving skin-to-skin contact immediately after delivery to very small, unstable babies has encountered quite strong resistance, but about 75% of deaths occur before the ...

Bacteria don't set up house in the human gut until after birth, a new study finds.

Gut bacteria are vital for digestion and overall health, but when researchers examined the stool (meconium) from 20 infants collected during breech cesarean deliveries, they found these critical germs show up in the gut after birth, not before.

"The key takeaway from our study is we are not colonized...

Contrary to misleading reports spread on social media, a new study finds the COVID-19 vaccine does no damage to the placenta in pregnancy.

In a study of placentas from patients who were vaccinated for COVID-19 during pregnancy, researchers found no evidence of any harm.

"The placenta is like the black box in an airplane. If something goes wrong with a pregnancy, we usually see chan...

The baby "boom" that some expected during last year's pandemic lockdowns has turned into a baby "bust."

The U.S. birth rate continued to drop in 2020, marking the sixth consecutive year with fewer babies born in America and raising concerns about the economic effects of declining population levels.

There were about 3.6 million babies born in the United States last year, down 4% from...

Giving birth during the coronavirus pandemic presents its own challenges, but the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) wants to reassure pregnant women that they need not panic.

Instead, they "should be comforted to know that the hospital is a very safe place to have a baby now," said Dr. Beverly Philip, president of the ASA.

"The obstetricians, midwives, physician anesthesio...

An infant will generate a lot of poop during the first year of life, but the very first one may offer key clues about the risk of developing allergies.

Researchers analyzed samples of meconium from 100 babies enrolled in the CHILD Cohort Study, a long-term health study of children in Canada. Meconium is a dark green substance composed of what the fetus ingests and excretes while in the wo...

Being born even slightly premature might still raise a child's risk of developmental problems, a new study finds.

Preemies often have developmental issues, but previous research has tended to focus on those born extremely preterm (22-26 weeks' gestation), so less is known about children born moderately and very preterm (27-34 weeks' gestation). Average full-term gestation time is 39-40 we...

The risk of mother-to-newborn transmission of COVID-19 is low, but the illness in pregnant women can trigger preterm birth, researchers say.

The new study looked at 255 babies born in Massachusetts last year to mothers with a recent positive test for COVID-19.

Only about 2% of the 88% of babies who were tested for COVID-19 had a positive result.

But worsening COVID-19 illness ...

In news that should reassure many pregnant women, having an epidural during childbirth won't increase the child's risk of autism, researchers report.

The new findings refute a widely criticized 2020 study that said epidurals were associated with a 37% higher risk of autism.

Experts said that study didn't account for numerous socioeconomic, genetic and medical risk factors for autism...

Infants born by cesarean section initially have less diverse gut bacteria than those delivered vaginally, but they catch up within a few years, new research reveals.

The researchers also found that it takes a long time for these bacteria colonies -- known as the gut microbiome -- to mature.

"Our findings show that the gut microbiota is a dynamic organ, and future studies will have t...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is more common among new mothers than previously thought, and it's often driven by worries about things that may happen to their newborns, a new study finds.

Many new moms may keep the issue hidden, the Canadian researchers said.

"When mothers have these kinds of thoughts they might think, 'There's something wrong with me and I can't tell anyone b...

Heavy bleeding following birth can threaten the life of the mother, and doctors at times turn to a hysterectomy to end the bleeding. But a new study suggests a less invasive, underused procedure might be a better, less drastic option.

Investigators determined that when postpartum bleeding occurs, hysterectomies -- the removal of the uterus -- are 60% more common than uterine artery emboli...

The pandemic is turning what should be a joyful time for pregnant women into a stress-filled experience.

Why? Fears that their infants might catch COVID-19 is one of the main reasons anxiety levels are soaring, a new survey finds.

Researchers from Washington State University analyzed responses from more than 160 pregnant and postpartum women (those who'd recently delivered) from Apr...

Most women can have a natural childbirth even if labor doesn't begin soon after their water breaks, according to a new study.

This situation occurs in about 11% of pregnant women who carry to term. Labor is typically induced in such cases.

But University of Michigan researchers found there is no significant increased risk to mother or infant in waiting awhile for labor to begin on i...

Even when women do their best to have a safe pregnancy, chemicals commonly found in the home could still raise their risk for premature delivery, a new study shows.

The chemicals -- called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- are used as flame retardants in items like furniture and carpets.

For the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from over 3,500 pregnant women, includ...

In medieval Europe, when childbirth was highly perilous for both mother and child, women and those caring for them used various talismans to try to influence a safe delivery.

Not many of those relics have survived, but scientists have been studying one -- a parchment "birthing girdle" -- using non-invasive sampling and protein analysis.

"Although these birth girdles are thought to h...

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 researcher Dr. Stina Syrjanen, head of oral pathology and oral radiology with the University of Turku's Institute of Dentistry in...

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 explain the link, said lead researcher Cecilie Skaarup Uldbjerg, of Aarhus University in Denmark.

"Previous studie...

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," said study author Dr. Melinda Magyari, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

"While previous research h...

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 -- such as clotting and early labor -- are significant, the new study found.

Still, "the findings here, truly, are t...

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 occur in 1 in 256 women who have obstetric surgery and some may suffer long-term psychological harm.

Accidental a...

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 cancers within their mothers at the time of birth, Japanese researchers report.

It appears that the boys breathed in ...

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 monitoring shows an abnormal heart rate. That's based on the possibility that oxygen deprivation is causing the problem.

...

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 United States are, on average, more likely to die from a heart attack or cancer, during childbirth, or to lose an infant th...

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 stillbirth increased.

The findings do not prove that a father's health directly affects his partner's pregnancy, experts...

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 system within the brainstem that activates almost immediately at birth to support early breathing.

The findings help re...

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 just how much her body ages. And, as it turns out, women who have no babies -- or many -- seem to age faster than others...

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 across the United Kingdom between the beginning of March and the end of April, at the peak of the first pandemic wave in the ...

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, providing staff with personal protective equipment, and new protocols for delivery management and newborn care.

...

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 University of North Carolina between 2003 and 2016.

Of those newborns, 26% were found to have asymptomatic subdural hemorr...

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 disorder, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide. People with a-fib have a five times increased risk of stroke.

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 breastfeed, the researchers added.

"Our findings should reassure expectant mothers with COVID-19 that basic infectio...

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 COVID-19 in the two weeks before delivery.

Of more than 200 babies studied, complications including preterm birt...

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 play a role.

Some previous studies have suggested that being born before or after full term (40 weeks) may be a...

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 20 weeks' gestation. The findings might help doctors counsel parents who have experienced a stillbirth.

The ...

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 in England decided to investigate why some women have less pain during labor and delivery.

"It is unusual for...

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.

"Our study shows hydroxychloroquine as the first, safe, and highly effective drug for preventing pregnant wom...

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). That will be followed by a moderate decline to 336 million by 2100. At that point it would be the fourth most populous co...

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 hospitals in Spain. Thirty-seven women delivered by cesarean section (C-section), including eight as a direct result of COVI...

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 prescribed an opioid like oxycodone (OxyContin). The drugs were also prescribed in 59% of vaginal births.

Exp...

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 before 37 weeks in later pregnancies. But it wasn't clear how pregnancy complications or poor outcomes at birth might affect ...

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 behavior, said evolutionary biologist Rama Singh, co-author of a paper published April 19 in the journal BMC Women's He...