Children born to women who are obese have a higher risk of landing in a hospital with a severe infection, a new study says.

Infants under 1 year of age have a 41% increased risk of hospitalization for infection if their mom was severely obese during pregnancy, researchers reported June 3 in the journal

Federal health officials have pulled back a key recommendation that pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine — causing sharp criticism from doctors and other experts.

The ...

The top U.S. health agency will no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women.

Tuesday's announcement by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bypasses the typical vaccine recommendation process, which includes review by experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease...

Women are 10 times more likely to develop postpartum psychosis if they have a sister who experienced the condition after an earlier pregnancy, a new study says.

Postpartum psychosis is a rare but serious mental illness that causes severe mood swings, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and thoughts of self-harm among new mothers.

If left untreated, the condition increases risk of su...

There’s no link between the COVID-19 vaccine and miscarriage, a new study says.

COVID poses significant risks to pregnant women, including preterm birth, maternal death and need for ICU care for either mother or baby following delivery, researchers said.

But vaccination rates among pregna...

Significant weight gain paired with delayed or foregone motherhood nearly triples a young woman’s risk of later breast cancer, a new study says.

Women were 2.7 times more likely to develop breast cancer if they:

• Had a more than 30% increase in weight a...

Children have an increased risk of high blood pressure if their moms suffered from health problems during pregnancy, a new study says.

Children had higher blood pressure if their moms had obesity, gestational diabetes or high blood pressure while pregnant, researchers reported May 8 ...

Using marijuana while pregnant can harm a developing fetus in serious ways, new research shows.

A large review of 51 studies linked marijuana use during pregnancy to an increased risk of early delivery, low birth weight and even death. The review -- published May 5 in JAMA Pediatrics -- included mor...

THURSDAY, April 24, 2025 (Health Day News) -- Fewer babies are being born in the U.S., and experts are worried what that portends for the future.

The number of babies born in the U.S. rose slightly in 2024, the fertility rate remains below levels needed to sustain population growth, The New York Times said.

More than 3.6...

WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 -- Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortion, doctors who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology are still dealing with tough decisions about where to live and work.

A new study published in JAMA Network Open shows that most OB/GYNS didn...

Complications during pregnancy can mean a woman’s future heart health is at risk, particularly if she is overweight or obese, a new study says.

Women who are carrying excess weight prior to pregnancy are more likely to develop complications like gestational diabetes and high blood pr...

Fewer Americans traveled out of state for an abortion in 2024, according to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute, a group that supports abortion rights.

The report found that about 155,000 people crossed state lines for abortion care last year, down 9% from 2023. 

The total number of abortions stayed steady, however, with 1,038,10...

Pregnancy might offer women some protection from developing long COVID, a new study says.

Women infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy were 14% to 30% less likely to develop lasting symptoms from their illness, researchers reported recently in the journal