Exposure to green space linked to reduced risk of postpartum depression

In an analysis of more than 415,00 electronic health records of healthy, full-term births in Southern California, a team of researchers led by the University of California, Irvine determined that exposure to green space and tree coverage was associated with a decreased risk of postpartum depression among mothers.

Mothers’ Obesity Damages Blood-brain Barrier in Offspring, Lean Foster Mothers’ Milk May Be Preventive Tool

Article title: Maternal obesity damages the median eminence blood-brain barrier structure and function in the progeny: the beneficial impact of cross-fostering by lean mothers Authors: Roberta Haddad-Tóvolli, Joseane Morari, Roberta Barbizan, Vanessa C. Bóbbo, Rodrigo S. Carraro, Carina Solon, Nathalia…

No safety concerns seen with use of dapivirine vaginal ring during third trimester of pregnancy, according to interim results of DELIVER study

A vaginal ring containing the antiretroviral drug dapivirine posed no safety concerns when used in the third trimester of pregnancy, according to results to date from the first study of the dapivirine ring during pregnancy and one of only a few studies of an HIV prevention product in pregnant cisgender women.

Vaccination Provides Effective Protection Against Increased Risk of Pregnancy Complications due to COVID-19 Omicron Variant

The global network led by the Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute (OMPHI) at the University of Oxford has published in the journal Lancet the results of the ‘2022 INTERCOVID Study’ conducted in 41 hospitals across 18 countries, including Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Study Shows Paxlovid Can Safely Be Used to Reduce Risk of Severe COVID in People Who Are Pregnant

Findings from a Johns Hopkins Medicine research study published today in JAMA Network Open provide strong evidence that people who are pregnant and have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can safely take the antiviral drug Paxlovid to reduce the possibility of severe disease.

CHOP Researchers Find COVID-19 Vaccination Leads to Higher Antibody Levels than Natural Infection in Both Pregnant People and their Babies

Pregnant people who received one of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines had 10-fold higher antibody concentrations than those who were naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2, a finding that was also observed in their babies, according to a new study by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania. The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, also found that vaccine timing played an important role in maximizing the transfer of antibodies, with antibodies detected as early as 15 days after the first vaccine dose and increasing for several weeks after.

Youngest Girls Who Get Pregnant Have Highest Risk of Poor Outcomes, Study Finds

Pregnant teens in the U.S. have long been known to face increased health risks and pregnancy complications, but a new study for the first time finds that girls ages 13 or younger who get pregnant face even greater risks. These very young girls are significantly more likely to experience preterm birth, cesarean delivery, and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) compared to older pregnant teens.

Study Finds Persistent Disparities in Access to Prenatal Care Among Pregnant People Based on Citizenship Status and Education Level

Findings suggest exclusions to Medicaid because of immigration status may increase risk for maternal health care disparities in some immigrant populations

Becoming Sober – A ‘Voice’ for Mothers Navigating the Child Welfare System

Stigmatized and ignored, pregnant women and mothers with substance use disorders often are voiceless. Researchers used documentary photography as platform to enable mothers in recovery to be heard. Results reveal a shared perception. For mothers with a substance use disorder involved with the child welfare system it is easy to fail and hard to succeed. The emotional jeopardy of child welfare system interactions was described by the mothers to result in feelings of defeat and an increased vulnerability to reoccurrence of substance use.

Mayo Clinic study shows successful labor outcomes in expectant mothers using AI

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to analyze patterns of changes in women who are in labor can help identify whether a successful vaginal delivery will occur with good outcomes for mom and baby. The findings were published in PLOS ONE.

Pregnant Women with Epilepsy Have More Depression, Anxiety Symptoms

Pregnant women with epilepsy have more symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum than pregnant women who do not have epilepsy or women with epilepsy who are not pregnant, according to a study published in the August 17, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.