Innocent Faces of Fentanyl: Opioid Use Linked to Distinct Birth Anomalies

Summary: Researchers have identified a potential new syndrome in babies born to mothers who used fentanyl during pregnancy. The infants displayed distinctive facial features, small heads, short stature, and various…

New treatment for postpartum depression offers hope, but the stigma attached to the condition still lingers

Postpartum depression can affect anyone, and it often sneaks in quietly, like a shadow in the corners of a new mother’s life. It presents significant challenges for around 1 in…

Pregnancy and Body Image Perception

Summary: A novel meta-analysis, encapsulating insights from 5,200 pregnant and 4,172 non-pregnant women, uncovers the multifaceted impacts of pregnancy on body image, revealing nuanced individual variations that range from heightened…

FDA’s greenlighting of maternal RSV vaccine represents a major step forward in protecting young babies against the virus

With the Food and Drug Administration’s Aug. 21, 2023, approval of the first vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for use during late pregnancy, the U.S. will soon have…

Mental Health and Cannabis Use in Pregnant Women

Summary: A recent study reveals a potential vulnerability of pregnant and postpartum women with mental health disorders towards self-medicating with cannabis. Prior research had been vague, generalizing mental health issues…

Prenatal THC Exposure May Risk Lifelong Health

Summary: A recent study shows that exposure to THC during pregnancy could significantly affect fetal development, leading to life-long health impacts on offspring. The research discovered that THC exposure altered…

One year after the fall of Roe v. Wade, abortion care has become a patchwork of confusing state laws that deepen existing inequalities

In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling struck down the constitutional right to abortion, society has been seeing the results of a post-Roe world. While…

Cytomegalovirus lies dormant in most US adults and is the leading infectious cause of birth defects, but few have heard of it

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about this virus?” is a frequent response I hear from parents upon learning their newborn is infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV. Although more than half…

Key Influencers in Cannabis Use Disorder Treatment Success Among Pregnant Women

Summary: Pregnant women are more likely to complete cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment if referred by the justice system, community partners, or health care providers. The research provides novel insights…

Mifepristone is under scrutiny in the courts, but it has been used safely and effectively around the world for decades

A flurry of court rulings in April 2023 has left the future of the abortion pill mifepristone in question. For now, a U.S. Supreme Court decision on April 21 allows…