Obstetrics

News • Bone health

Pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis: New statement provides practical guidance

Severe back pain and fractures may hint at pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis (PLO). A new publication aims to help healthcare professionals identify and treat women with PLO.

News • Diaphragmatic defect in unborn babies

Smart balloon technique advances fetal surgery

Researchers have found a way to avoid second surgery for unborn babies with a severe diaphragmatic defect. To complete the procedure, the mother now only has to take a short stroll.

Article • Experts call for joined-up NHS services

Reshaping women’s healthcare – from postcode lottery to personalised pathways

Fragmented care pathways, persistent data gaps and a ‘postcode lottery’ of services continue to undermine the quality of healthcare for women across the United Kingdom. At the HETT25 conference…

News • Fetal monitoring

Wearable ultrasound patch to improve care for high-risk pregnancies

Engineers have created a soft, wearable ultrasound patch that can continuously monitor a fetus for hours at a time — and do so even as the fetus and umbilical cord constantly move during pregnancy.

News • Critical role of NFAT

Preventing pregnancy complications with new immune insights

A hidden immune circuit in the uterus revealed: Researchers have discovered a crucial immune switch that sheds light on preeclampsia and early pregnancy failure.

News • Effects on brain structure and function

Study: Second pregnancy uniquely alters a mother's brain – again

“Each pregnancy leaves a unique mark on the female brain”: Research shows that mothers' brains distinctly change, not just during the first pregnancy, to better care for multiple children.

News • Assessing infection risk

Predicting neonatal sepsis with vaginal microbial swabs

A new study shows that analyzing bacteria from vaginal swab samples taken at delivery could help predict the risk of neonatal sepsis.

News • Maternal health

Stroke symptoms often go unrecognized in pregnant women

Severe headache, neck pain or confusion: More than 25% of pregnant women suffering non-specific stroke symptoms sought care but were misdiagnosed, University of Pittsburgh research finds.

News • Maternal health

Pregnancy puts stroke survivors at increased risk of recurrence

Women who had a stroke caused by blocked blood vessels (ischemic stroke) are twice as likely to have another stroke during pregnancy and within six weeks of childbirth, according to a new study.

News • In utero monitoring during surgery

New probe tracks baby's health in the uterus

Northwestern University researchers have developed the first device that can continuously track a fetus’s vital signs while still in the uterus — a feat that previously has not been possible.

News • Amyloid-β-induced functional placental impairment

Researchers link Alzheimer’s disease protein to preeclampsia

Researchers have discovered that amyloid-β deposits - similar to those found in Alzheimer’s disease - may contribute to the development of preeclampsia during pregnancy.

News • Screening for specific pregnancy complications

AI model to advance maternal health in low-resource settings

Siemens Healthineers, with funding from the Gates Foundation, plans to develop artificial intelligence (AI) to enable earlier prediction of pre-eclampsia and anemia in low-resource settings.

News • Clinical phase entered

'Final push' for new device to prevent birth trauma

A first-time mother has about a 30% chance of complication in the second stage of labour, requiring assisted delivery or emergency C-section. A new device could help reduce birth trauma.

News • iCTG for resource-constrained settings

Mobile fetal heart monitoring linked to fewer newborn deaths

Introducing mobile iCTG dramatically improves the detection of fetal heart rate abnormalities and strengthens perinatal outcomes - even in resource-constrained environments, a new study shows.

News • Polycystic ovary syndrome

PCOS: discovery of four subgroups enables personalized treatment

Not all PCOS is the same: Researchers identified four subgroups with distinct symptoms and different responses to treatment – opening the door to precision medicine for millions of women worldwide.

Article • Hospitalists explore diagnostic and therapeutic adjustments

Dual challenge: Managing critical care of the pregnant inpatient

Hospitalists face a dual challenge when a critically ill pregnant patient is admitted to a hospital: providing safe and effective treatment for both mother and fetus. At the annual meeting of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) in Las Vegas, an expert discussed why hospitalists must draw on a variety of skills when treating pregnant inpatients.

News • Preventing maternal death

CT-based indicator helps predict life-threatening postpartum bleeding

Postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal death. A new method could help predict which women experiencing severe bleeding after giving birth most likely need life-saving interventions.

Article • Respiratory health

Pulmonary embolism in pregnancy: diagnostic pathways under scrutiny

Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. At the French Thoracic Society Spring Days in May, Dr Aurélie Dehaene, radiologist at European Hospital in Marseille, France, reviewed diagnostic strategies for suspected PE during pregnancy, with a focus on clinical algorithms and optimized imaging protocols.

News • Foetal cardiac function assessment

Ultrasound scan of baby's heart to increase childbirth safety

Maternal contractions during childbirth put considerable stress on a baby's heart. Using a new ultrasound technique, researchers were able to predict complications necessitating C-section.

News • Predicting obstetric complications

New method to reduce risk of severe birth injury

A new method for predicting the risks of severe injuries during childbirth could improve care and reduce long-term complications for women.

News • Analysis of ultrasound scans

Using AI to better detect high-risk pregnancy

Using AI to analyse ultrasound scans can detect up to 35% more risk pregnancies than scans performed by healthcare professionals without AI decision support, according to new results.

News • HBV point-of-care identification

Hepatitis B: rapid diagnostic test to halt mother-to-child transmission

A new rapid diagnostic test can identify pregnant women at elevated risk of transmitting hepatitis B to their babies. This could help prevent mother-to-child transmission during childbirth.

News • Underdiagnosis of gestational condition

Over half of pregnant women unaware of diabetes, study suggests

More than half of pregnant women in the UK with gestational diabetes are unaware of their condition due to insufficient diagnostics, a study suggests. This could lead to unneccessary complications.

News • Striking structural reorganisation

Pregnancy and nursing massively changes up mothers' intestines

When women are pregnant and nurse their babies, their bodies change to ensure the health of both mother and child. Researchers now surprisingly find that the intestine also changes completely.

News • Ultrasound tool

AI 'guides' childbirth by tracking a baby's position

The journey of a baby through the birth canal can be fraught with obstacles and risks. A new AI-based tool to evaluate the head position of the baby could lead to fewer childbirth complications.

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