Taking folic acid early in pregnancy was associated with better neuropsychological outcomes in the offspring at age 6 years, including improved verbal skills and behavior, new research suggests. The study, which included women with and without epilepsy, found no evidence of negative cognitive or behavioral outcomes, even with higher doses of folic acid. “The study … [Read more...]
Fertility & Pregnancy
New Guidelines on Fertility Preservation in Cancer Care Explained
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has released updated guidelines to guide fertility preservation for people with cancer, with the previous update published in 2018. The 2025 update reflects substantial growth in the evidence base, with 166 studies incorporated compared with just 61 studies in the 2018 guidelines. According to the authors, this expanded … [Read more...]
AI could Improve The Success of IVF Treatment
During IVF treatment, doctors use ultrasound scans to monitor the size of follicles - small sacs in the ovaries containing eggs - to decide when to give a hormone injection known as the ‘trigger’ to prepare the eggs for collection and ensure that they are ready to be fertilised with sperm to create embryos. The timing of the trigger is a key decision, as it works less … [Read more...]
Online Program Helps Women Improve Sexual Dysfunction
An online program called eSense appeared to be effective for the treatment of sexual interest/arousal disorder (SIAD) in women, according to new research. The program led to significant improvement in symptoms of sexual dysfunction, such as low sexual desire and sexual distress. These improvements were maintained for 6 months, the study authors wrote. “Low sexual desire … [Read more...]
Could the Contraceptive Pill Reduce Risk of Ovarian Cancer?
It's a little pill with big responsibilities. But despite its primary role to prevent pregnancy, the contraceptive pill (or 'the Pill') could also help reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, according to new research from the University of South Australia. Screening for risk factors of ovarian cancer using artificial intelligence, UniSA researchers found that the oral … [Read more...]
Mental Health Risks Higher for Pregnant People with MS
Pregnant people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a higher chance of experiencing mental illness both during their pregnancy and in the first years after they give birth than those without MS, according to a study published in the January 22, 2025 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 894,852 pregnant … [Read more...]
Exposure to Stress During Early Pregnancy Affects Offspring into Adulthood
Maternal stress hormone levels during early pregnancy can have a lasting effect on the stress system of the offspring. The results of a long-term study on wild Assamese macaques in Thailand indicate that maternal stress in the first half of pregnancy is particularly relevant. Elevated stress hormones later during pregnancy or after birth did not have the same effects. The … [Read more...]
Almost Three Quarters of Adolescents Experience Depression or Anxiety.
Almost three quarters of adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms, with most being chronic, according to a new study. And preventive strategies outside our clinics are urgently required to address this considerable public health problem facing the nation. The research, led by Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and … [Read more...]
Mothers Bear the Brunt of the Mental load, Managing 7 in 10 Household Tasks
From choosing gifts and sending cards to planning Christmas dinner, the holiday season can feel like an avalanche of mental to-do lists. New research from the University of Bath and the University of Melbourne, published in the Journal of Marriage & Family, reveals that mothers overwhelmingly carry this "mental load" while dads often take a back seat. And it's not just … [Read more...]
Newer Epilepsy Medications used during pregnancy do not affect neurological development in children
"Controlling seizures during pregnancy is an important part of prenatal care for women with epilepsy, but for years, the effects of newer anti-seizure medications on their children was unknown," said Adam Hartman, M.D., program director at NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). "One major component of this study was correlating the cognitive … [Read more...]
Bed-Sharing Has no Impact on Children’s Psychological Development
Parental bed-sharing is unlikely to impact children's psychological development, new research has found. The study from the University of Essex looked at nearly 17,000 British babies and tracked them for 11 years -- finding kids who shared beds were happy and healthy. Dr Ayten Bilgin, from the Department of Psychology, found no association between bed-sharing at 9 months … [Read more...]
Over 6,500 Adolescent Girls Die Giving Birth Every Year Across South Asia: Study
KATHMANDU, 12 July 2024: SAARC, UNICEF South Asia, UNFPA and WHO called for increased commitment for critical services for over 2.2 million adolescent girls that give birth yearly in South Asia. This call came at the Regional Dialogue on Adolescent Pregnancy in South Asia, which is being held in Kathmandu over 11-12 July 2024. Jointly organized by the agencies, the event was … [Read more...]
Younger Children in School Year are more Commonly Diagnosed with ADHD than their older classmates, says new study
New research, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that teachers may be attributing signs of age-related immaturity in children, to conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The results of the study, which are published in the journal European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, showed that the … [Read more...]
Father’s Diet Before Conception Influences Children’s Health
For their study, the researchers used data from the LIFE Child cohort, which includes information from over 3,000 families. The analyses showed that the father's body weight influences the weight of the children and their susceptibility to metabolic diseases. This influence exists independently from other factors such as the mother's weight, the parental genetics, or … [Read more...]
Survey Finds Loneliness Epidemic Runs Deep Among Parents
A new national survey conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds a broad majority of parents experience isolation, loneliness and burnout from the demands of parenthood, with many feeling a lack of support in fulfilling that role. The survey of parents conducted this month found: About two-thirds (66%) felt the demands of parenthood sometimes or … [Read more...]
New Study Reveals Black Pregnant Individuals’ Preference for Black Obstetric Care Providers
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrate that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than are white women. Health disparities among people of color are the result of broader social and economic inequities rooted in racism and discrimination. In a new study to be presented today at the … [Read more...]
Women Exposed to Toxic Metals may Experience Earlier Aging of Their Ovaries
Middle-aged women who are exposed to toxic metals may have fewer eggs in their ovaries as they approach menopause, according to new research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Diminished ovarian reserve is when women have fewer eggs compared to others their age. The condition may be linked to health problems such as hot flashes, weak … [Read more...]
How Pre- and Postnatal B-12 Vitamins Improve Breast Milk Which Supports Infant Brain Development
Babies and children need vitamins, including vitamin B-12, to help their brains and bodies develop and grow. Babies get B-12 from their mothers and can have low levels of B-12 if their mothers had low vitamin levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The vitamin B-12 levels of infants strongly depend on maternal levels. Adequacy of vitamin B-12 in breast milk is particularly … [Read more...]
Study Reveals Shyness Could Impact Young Children’s Performance on Language Tests
A recent study from SMU psychologist Sarah Kucker and a student she mentored at Oklahoma State University suggests shyness can influence a child's performance in language assessments, depending on the level of social interaction required to complete the test. Shy children tend to be reserved in everyday life, including communicating with others. The study concludes that the … [Read more...]
Maternal Obesity Predicts Heart Disease Risk Better Than Pregnancy Complications
Pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes have recently been associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease later in life. But a new Northwestern Medicine study has found obesity before or during pregnancy is the actual root cause of future cardiovascular disease. Prior to this study, scientists were unsure which factor -- obesity or … [Read more...]
Women with PCOS on Keto Diet may see Improvements in Fertility
The ketogenic (keto) diet may lower testosterone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a new paper published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. PCOS is the most common hormone disorder in women, affecting 7-10% of women of childbearing age. It can cause infertility and raises the risk of developing diabetes, obesity and other metabolic … [Read more...]
Eating for two? Leave weight advice to the experts during pregnancy
The meta-analysis of almost 35,000 participants across 99 studies published in JAMA Network Open found that interventions from allied health professionals such as dietitians were the most beneficial for controlling gestational weight gain (GWG). Spanning 30 years of international evidence, the research team including maternal health expert Professor Shakila Thangaratinam … [Read more...]
How Caregiver Speech Shapes Infant Brain
The researchers used MRI and audio recordings to demonstrate that caregiver speech is associated with infant brain development in ways that improve long-term language progress. Dr. Meghan Swanson, assistant professor of psychology in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is corresponding author of the study, which was published online April 11 and in the June print … [Read more...]
Married People Who Cheat don’t Often Regret it
Married people who have affairs find them highly satisfying, express little remorse and believe the cheating didn't hurt their otherwise healthy marriages, finds a new report on the psychology of infidelity. The extensive survey of people using Ashley Madison, a website for facilitating extramarital affairs, challenges widely held notions about infidelity, particularly about … [Read more...]
COVID-19 Vaccines Aren’t Strongly Linked to Menstrual Changes, Study Says
While the COVID-19 vaccines have made a dramatic difference in controlling the pandemic, researchers are still learning about the ways that the shots may affect people’s health. One of those questions centers around how the vaccines might impact menstrual cycles. Reports of women experiencing changes in their cycles—either in the intensity and frequency of bleeding, or the … [Read more...]
Preterm Birth Linked to Chemicals Found in the Vagina, Study Finds
The study of 232 pregnant women found that a handful of non-biological chemicals previously found in cosmetics and hygiene products are strongly associated with preterm birth. "Our findings suggest that we need to look more closely at whether common environmental exposures are in fact causing preterm births and, if so, where these exposures are coming from," says study … [Read more...]
Brain Organoids Reveal in Detail the Harms of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
The consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are reflected in the different diagnoses that emerge under the umbrella of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. At one end of the spectrum, growth deficits and physical differences define fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), but in most cases, irreversible brain damage leads to behavior and learning challenges even without a physical … [Read more...]
Prenatal Acetaminophen use Linked to Sleep, Attention Problems in Preschoolers
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with sleep and behavior problems consistent with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers. Acetaminophen is a common drug used to treat a variety of issues, including fever, infection, muscle pain, headache, migraine, colds and allergies. Traditionally, … [Read more...]
Antibiotics Given in Infancy May have Adverse Impact on Adult Gut Health.
Preterm and low birth weight babies are routinely given antibiotics to prevent, not just treat, infections, which they have a high risk of developing. A new study, published in The Journal of Physiology has found that early life exposure to antibiotics in neonatal mice has long-lasting effects on their microbiota, enteric nervous system, and gut function. This could mean that … [Read more...]
Problems Persist for Kids Exposed to Cannabis in the Womb
Children who were exposed to cannabis in the womb continue to show elevated rates of symptoms of psychopathology -- depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions -- even as, at ages 11 and 12, they head toward adolescence, according to research from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences' BRAIN Lab, led by Ryan Bogdan, associate professor in Arts & … [Read more...]
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