Preeclampsia Tied to Tripling of Dementia in Later Life

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018 -- High blood pressure during pregnancy can be a sign of preeclampsia -- a potentially life-threatening complication. Now, new research suggests preeclampsia might also make women more vulnerable to a specific type of dementia.

Women with a history of preeclampsia were 3.4 times more likely to suffer from vascular dementia later in life, the researchers found. This form of dementia is triggered by impaired blood flow in the brain.

Take at Least a Year Between Pregnancies: Study

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 -- Women should wait a year or more between having babies, to reduce health risks to themselves and their infants, researchers report.

"Our study found increased risks to both mother and infant when pregnancies are closely spaced, including for women older than 35," said lead author Laura Schummers, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of family practice at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Fewer Pregnant U.S. Women Smoke or Drink, But More Are Using Pot

MONDAY, Nov. 5, 2018 -- Over the past two decades, the percentage of U.S. women who say they've smoked or drank during a pregnancy has fallen, but the percentage who say they've used marijuana has nearly doubled, a new report finds.

Between 2002 and 2016, the percentage of pregnant women ages 18 to 44 who said they used pot rose from 2.85 percent to nearly 5 percent, according to data from the U.S. National Survey of Drug Use and Health.

Early Pushing in Childbirth Won't Hurt Mom or Baby, Study Finds

TUESDAY, Oct. 9, 2018 -- Expectant moms will want to read this.

Pushing sooner during childbirth is just as safe for most women and babies as pushing later, researchers report.

Flu Shot in Pregnancy Lowers Risk of Flu Hospitalization

THURSDAY, Oct. 11, 2018 -- The flu shot reduces a pregnant woman's risk of hospitalization for flu by 40 percent, new research shows.

"Expecting mothers face a number of threats to their health and the health of their baby during pregnancy, and getting the flu is one of them," said study co-author Allison Naleway, of Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, in Portland, Ore.