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Obstetrics & gynecology news
Nearly half of maternal deaths in Pennsylvania occur more than 6 weeks after giving birth
For too many women, the journey to motherhood ends in death. Maternal mortality—the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of giving birth—is not a rare tragedy. Globally, the maternal mortality rate is unacceptably ...
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How moves to call abortion drugs 'controlled substances' can make childbirth more dangerous
The number of abortions in the U.S. rose by 21% between 2020 and 2025—despite the fact that 20 states have passed laws banning or severely restricting abortion care, overturning the constitutional right to abortion.
May 26, 2026
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Regular guava juice consumption may help lower women's anemia risk, evidence suggests
Regular guava juice consumption may prove a readily accessible and affordable addition to helping lower the risk of anemia in women in low and middle income countries, suggests a synthesis of the available evidence, published ...
21 hours ago
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Wearable ultrasound patch for high-risk pregnancies could improve care
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created a soft, wearable ultrasound patch that can continuously monitor a fetus for hours at a time—and it can do so consistently even as the fetus and umbilical cord ...
May 26, 2026
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Memory decline after menopause linked to loss of estrogen production in brain tissue
A largely overlooked space between cells in women's brains may hold the key to understanding memory loss tied to estrogen decline after menopause, reports a new preclinical Northwestern Medicine study.
May 26, 2026
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Climate change‑related heat increases the risk of premature birth in 13 countries: New study
Picture a sweltering summer's day. Now imagine enduring the heat while eight months pregnant. Uncomfortable, to say the absolute least.
May 26, 2026
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Prenatal alcohol exposure linked to 45% higher hazardous drinking risk at 16
Teens who were exposed to alcohol in utero are more likely than their peers to engage in risky behaviors—most notably, hazardous drinking and underage sex, a combination that could perpetuate the intergenerational transmission ...
May 26, 2026
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Report shows polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome needs more than just a name change
Earlier this month, endocrinology specialists at the European Congress of Endocrinology announced that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is being renamed Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) to better reflect the ...
May 26, 2026
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Beyond hot flashes: What menopause can do to your heart—and why it matters
As women navigate hot flashes, sleep issues and changing waistlines, there's another quieter change that can often occur during perimenopause and post-menopause that deserves just as much attention: heart health.
May 26, 2026
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New maternal RSV vaccine lowers infant hospitalization rates, but accessibility may be limited, study finds
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that can cause severe breathing complications in babies, especially those younger than 6 months old. While many adults recover quickly from RSV with mild symptoms ...
When bariatric surgery may lower cancer risk: Insulin, sex and genes offer new clues
Substantial and sustained weight loss has been linked to a reduced risk of cancer and cancer-related death, mainly in women. Two new studies now provide clues to why the risk is reduced—and suggest that gender, metabolism ...
May 25, 2026
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Study examines factors that influenced changes in US sterilization policy
For decades, female sterilization has been one of the most common forms of birth control in the U.S.: 11.5% of U.S. women, ages 15–49, use female sterilization as their primary contraceptive method—nearly identical to the ...
May 25, 2026
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Common epilepsy drug disrupts early brain growth in human organoids after 30-day exposure
It is known that the antiepileptic drug valproate increases the risk of developmental disorders in unborn children. A study conducted by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and ...
May 22, 2026
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ACC issues decision pathway for postpartum cardiovascular care
A new Expert Consensus Decision Pathway by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) provides recommended strategies for improving postpartum care for individuals with and at risk for short- and long-term cardiovascular disease ...
May 22, 2026
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Gestational diabetes increases risk of type 2 diabetes—even at normal weight
Gestational diabetes is a special type of diabetes that can affect pregnant women. The condition is defined as elevated blood sugar levels, without previously known diabetes. Treatment involves self-monitoring of blood sugar, ...
May 21, 2026
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Bacterial STIs reach record highs in Europe, and congenital syphilis cases nearly double
The latest Annual Epidemiological Reports from ECDC indicate a surge in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. In 2024, notifications of gonorrhea and syphilis, alongside congenital syphilis, reached ...
May 21, 2026
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Breast cancer drug is effective for treatment-resistant uterine cancer
Uterine cancer is the deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system. Currently, clinicians treat the disease by using a mix of surgery and chemotherapy. But not everyone responds to this line of treatment, and those ...
May 21, 2026
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Early birth safer for mother and baby in high blood pressure pregnancies, researchers find
Planned early birth for pregnant women with high blood pressure cuts maternal complications by nearly half and reduces the risk of stillbirth, without increasing the likelihood of cesarean section, according to data published ...
May 20, 2026
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HPV self-collection boosts screening completion and cuts pelvic exams by one-third
A Kaiser Permanente study published by NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery provides real-world data on a new approach to cervical cancer screening: giving patients the option to skip the traditional pelvic exam and ...
May 20, 2026
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Aerobic exercise may lessen the health effects of exposure to nanoplastics
Using female zebrafish as a model, researchers have found that aerobic exercise may influence various connections in the body to lessen the damaging health impacts of environmental nanoplastics. In the study, published in ...
May 20, 2026
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A DNA-organizing protein offers new insight into infertility, IVF and generational health
The causes of male infertility can be hard to diagnose, with many tests failing to detect genetic defects. Sometimes, infertility doesn't even involve the genes themselves. It can arise from improper folding of the father's ...
May 19, 2026
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Breast cancer deaths shift toward younger women as older patients see better survival
A national study analyzing U.S. breast cancer data spanning nearly 50 years has uncovered a major shift in outcomes and risk of developing the disease, highlighting urgent gaps in prevention and treatment for specific groups ...
May 19, 2026
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Q&A: One in five moms face untreated perinatal mental illness
Twenty percent of women experience mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety during pregnancy and the first year of parenthood. Kara Zivin, a professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at the University ...
May 19, 2026
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