Good cardiovascular health in early pregnancy was linked to lower risk of hypertension even in women at genetic risk of the condition, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2024, September 5–8.  In a study of over 5,000 pregnant women, they found that, compared…

Women who experience any of five adverse pregnancy outcomes are at increased risk for dying for many years after giving birth, according to new research. “Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm delivery, delivery of a small for gestational age infant, preeclampsia, other hypertensive disorders, and gestational diabetes, have been associated with…

Pregnancy complications put women at significantly higher risk of developing heart disease, but this risk can be reduced, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Scientific Sessions in Chicago this week.  “Previous studies have shown that women with a history of adverse…

Reporting in Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz Medical Campus have unveiled the direct impact of antidepressant use during pregnancy on fetal brain development. Led by assistant professor in the department of pharmacology at CU Anschutz Won Chan Oh, PhD, the study sheds light on the…

Common cardiovascular-related pregnancy complications may result in worse future heart health for the child as well as the mother, a new study suggests. This large, collaborative study found signs of higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke in about half of children born after a pregnancy that featured hypertension or…

A large-scale genome-wide association (GWAS) scan has found that a low-frequency missense variant in the synaptonemal complex central element protein 2 (SYCE2) gene increases the risk of pregnancy loss by 22%. Notably, this variant is transmitted by the mother. “These results support the hypothesis that some pregnancy losses are due…

Babies of mothers infected by COVID-19 during pregnancy had three times the risk of respiratory distress compared with unexposed infants, even though the infants themselves were not infected with the virus, in a recent study. The risk of respiratory distress was significantly lower when the mothers were previously vaccinated. According…

Results from a study led by the National Taiwan University show that taking benzodiazepines during pregnancy for anxiety or insomnia can increase a woman’s chance of miscarriage. “Psychiatric and sleep disorders are common during pregnancy. Benzodiazepines, possessing anxiolytic and hypnotic properties, are thus widely prescribed to pregnant women for the…

Tall, slender, and seemingly extremely fit, she was at one time the fastest woman in the world and an Olympic champion. But she died at home, alone, during labor, in the world’s richest country. Credit: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images How could this happen? “Tragic,” “heartbreaking,” and “totally preventable,” is…

Microbiome-related biomarkers that could predict three common and dangerous pregnancy complications have been identified by researchers at Ningbo University, China. They studied these markers in pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and a liver condition called intrahepatic cholestasis. All three conditions are dangerous. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing poor outcomes…

Amniotic fluid cells could potentially be used for RNA-sequencing (seq) to help tailor clinical management of pregnancies, according to a new study. The authors say this is the first published proof-of-concept work to demonstrate the potential clinical application of this approach. Amniotic cell RNA-seq for genetic testing during pregnancy could…

Antidepressant use during pregnancy combined with inflammation may heighten the risk of lifelong neurodevelopmental changes in babies’ brains, such as those linked to autism, new research from the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine suggests. The study appears in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. “Our results might help to explain…

Combining standard ultrasound monitoring with non-invasive assessment of blood oxygenation levels in the placenta can help improve pregnancy health and pick up early signs of adverse event onset. Abnormalities in the placenta are a common cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth. Ultrasound is commonly used to monitor pregnancies and…

A large Canadian prospective study involving nearly 200,000 women has provided reassuring evidence as to the safety of COVID-19 messenger mRNA vaccination in pregnancy. Indeed, pregnant women in the study experienced lower rates of health events overall after vaccination than similarly aged, non-pregnant vaccinated women, researchers report in The Lancet…

A new genotype has been found that increases the recurrence of extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG can cause serious illness, including starvation, which affects both the mother and fetus. Some mothers with this condition even terminate wanted pregnancies and many decide not…