The period from conception to birth. After the egg is fertilized by a sperm and then implanted in the lining of the uterus, it develops into the placenta and embryo, and later into a fetus. Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks, beginning from the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period, and is divided into three trimesters, each lasting three months.
Antidepressants in pregnancy increase risk of miscarriage – There is a 68% increase in the overall risk of miscarriage in pregnant women using antidepressants, found a new study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
Study Finds H1N1 Associated With Serious Health Risks for Pregnant Women – Pregnant women who contract the H1N1 flu strain are at risk for obstetrical complications including fetal distress, premature delivery, emergency cesarean delivery and fetal death, according to a report in the May 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Food insecurity increases risk of weight gain and complications during pregnancy – A recent research study has shown that food insecurity, a person’s inability to obtain adequate amounts of food due to resource constraints, can lead to greater weight gain and increased complications during a woman’s pregnancy.
Obese women who have bariatric surgery before getting pregnant are at significantly lower risk for developing dangerous hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. – Obese women who undergo bariatric surgery before having a baby have a much lower risk of developing serious health problems during pregnancy, finds a study published on bmj.com today.
Emergency contraception: Advance provision does not reduce pregnancy rates – Providing emergency contraception to women in advance of need does not reduce pregnancy rates, despite increased use and faster use after unprotected se_xual inte_rcourse.
Panel questions ‘VBAC bans,’ advocates expanded delivery options for women — Parents’ preferences and risk factors should be weighed when choosing whether to pursue a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) or plan a repeat cesarean delivery – An independent panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health confronted a troubling fact that pregnant women currently have limited access to clinicians and facilities able and willing to offer a trial of labor after previous cesarean delivery because of so-called VBAC bans.
Drinking milk during pregnancy may lower baby’s risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) – Drinking milk during pregnancy may help reduce your baby’s chances of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult, revealed by researchers.
Study links reduced fertility to flame retardant exposure – Women with higher blood levels of PBDEs, a type of flame retardant commonly found in household consumer products, took longer to become pregnant compared with women who have lower PBDE levels.
Breastfeeding a child may protect women from metabolic syndrome, a condition linked to diabetes and heart disease in women – Breastfeeding a child may lower a woman’s risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome, a condition linked to heart disease and diabetes in women, according to a Kaiser Permanente study.
Glucose intolerance in pregnancy associated with postpartum cardiovascular risk – Women who have gestational glucose intolerance (a condition less severe than gestational diabetes) exhibit multiple cardiovascular risk factors as early as three months after birth.
New study links alcohol in pregnancy to child behavior problems – Amount and timing of alcohol consumption in pregnancy affects child behaviour in different ways, revealed by Australian researchers.
Women in long term relationships tend to give birth to healthier babies. – Short duration of sexual relationship is more common in women who develop preeclampsia and women with abnormal uterine artery Doppler waveforms who deliver an SGA (small for gestational age) baby, revealed by researchers.
