ACR Releases First Guideline to Address Reproductive Health for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

This is the first, evidence-based guideline related to the management of reproductive health issues for all patients with rheumatic diseases. With 131 recommendations, the guideline offers general precepts that provide a foundation for its recommendations and good practice statements.

Understanding How Laws Affect Public Health: An Update on Legal Epidemiology

Laws can have important effects on public health risks and outcomes, while research can provide key evidence to inform effective health-related laws and policies. An introduction to the increasingly influential field of legal epidemiology is presented in a special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (JPHMP). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Drug to Improve Fetal Growth May Impair Baby’s Postnatal Blood Pressure, Sugar Levels

Research suggests that a drug recently assessed as a potential treatment for fetal growth restriction may cause high blood pressure and raise blood sugar levels in offspring. The study urges practitioners to consider both short- and long-term effects when treating people with this pregnancy complication.

Weizmann Scientists Devise New Algorithm that Predicts Gestational Diabetes

Using machine learning to analyze data on nearly 600,000 pregnancies, researchers devised an algorithm that identified nine parameters – out of more than 2,000 analyzed – that can predict which women are at risk of gestational diabetes. The parameters can identify risk early in – even before – pregnancy, enabling early intervention.

Ultrasound Techniques Give Warning Signs of Preterm Births

Ultrasound can be used to examine cervix tissue and improve diagnostics, which is essential for predicting preterm births, and ultrasound data is used to compare two techniques for evaluating changes in cervical tissue throughout pregnancy. Researchers are looking at ultrasonic attenuation coefficients that can help scientists characterize cervical changes throughout pregnancy and in preparation for birth before other symptoms, such as contractions or dilation, occur. They will discuss their work at the 178th ASA Meeting.

Fertilization discovery reveals new role for the egg, could lead to new male contraceptive

An unexpected discovery about fertilization reveals new insights on how sperm and egg fuse and could have major implications for couples battling infertility – and may lead to a future male contraceptive.

Researchers Discover Potential Therapy to Treat Detrimental Effects of Marijuana in Pre-Adolescent Individuals Exposed to THC in Womb

A University of Maryland School of Medicine study using a preclinical animal model suggests that prenatal exposure to THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, makes the brain’s dopamine neurons (an integral component of the reward system) hyperactive and increases sensitivity to the behavioral effects of THC during pre-adolescence.

Moderate to Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy Alters Genes in Newborns, Mothers

Mothers who drink moderate to high levels of alcohol during pregnancy may be changing their babies’ DNA, according to a Rutgers-led study.

Pregnant Transgender Men at Risk for Depression and Lack of Care, Rutgers Study Finds

Transgender men who become pregnant are at increased risk for depression and difficulty getting medical care due to a lack of knowledge among health care providers, a Rutgers study reports.

The study, published in the journal Maturitas, examined health care research on transgender men who become pregnant at or after age 35 to determine their medical and mental health needs.