Balancing Hormones May Help Prevent Preterm Births

“The relationship between two different types of estrogen and a hormone produced in the placenta may serve as the mechanism for signaling labor, according to a new study. This finding may help doctors intervene and prevent preterm birth much more effectively.” read more…

Childbirth Painful for Neanderthal Women, Too

“Neanderthal women had different birth canals than humans today. But childbirth was probably just as difficult, a new study finds.” read more…

Cannibalistic Rattlesnakes Eat Dead Offspring

“Every mom knows that pregnancy and birth really sap your energy. To get some back, many rattlesnake mothers will eat some of their non-surviving offspring, a new study finds.” read more…

Aquarobics May Help Ease Labor

“Doing aquarobics during pregnancy reduces the amount of pain-killing medication requested by women during labor, according to a Brazilian study that included 71 expectant mothers.” read more…

Risks: High PCB Levels, Fewer Births of Boys

“Women exposed to high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are significantly less likely to give birth to boys, according to a new study.” read more…

Childbirth: Highway Proximity Linked to Birth Weight

“A Canadian study suggests that mothers living near highways are more likely to give birth to preterm or low-birth-weight babies, but contrary to previous studies it found the association only in wealthy neighborhoods.” read more…

Natural Childbirth Linked To Stronger Baby Bonding Than C-Sections

“The bonds that tie a mother to her newborn may be stronger in women who deliver naturally than in those who deliver by cesarean section, according to a study published by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the October issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.” read more…