July 15, 2020

Clotting Tied to COVID-19 May Harm the Placenta

WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2020 -- Women who had COVID-19 while pregnant showed evidence of placental injury, suggesting a new complication of the illness, researchers say.

The good news from the small study of 16 women is that "most of these babies were delivered full-term after otherwise normal pregnancies," said study senior author Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein. He's assistant professor of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

June 21, 2020

Pandemic Affecting Mental Health of Pregnant Women, New Moms

FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic is adding to the mood issues that many pregnant women and new moms experience, according to a new study.

One in 7 women experience anxiety or depression immediately before or after giving birth -- and researchers say the pandemic has made it even worse.

June 15, 2020

Meds Like Valium, Xanax Linked to Higher Risk of Ectopic Pregnancy

WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 -- Taking benzodiazepines -- drugs such as Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Halcion or Ativan -- to treat anxiety or insomnia before pregnancy boosts the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, new research suggests.

Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside the uterus, typically in a fallopian tube. The risk of ectopic pregnancy was nearly 50% higher for women who had filled a prescription for a benzodiazepine within three months of becoming pregnant.

June 15, 2020

Living Near Oil, Gas Wells Tied to Low Birth Weight Infants

WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2020 -- Pregnant women who live near active oil and gas wells may be at risk for having low birth weight infants, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed nearly 3 million births to Californians living within six miles of an oil or gas well between 2006 and 2015.