Hundreds of women have become pregnant after a long-term contraceptive implant failed to be properly inserted, the government’s drugs and medical devices watchdog said on Wednesday.

Since Implanon, a hormone-filled tube…

Clues about how the human gut helps regulate our appetite have come from a most unusual source – fruit fly faeces. Scientists at the University of Cambridge…

Overall, about one in four women who smoke while pregnant deny it, a new study hints. The numbers could be even higher in certain groups of women, like those in their early…

Just over two-thirds of pregnant women undergo screening tests for gestational diabetes, according to a new analysis of nearly one million patient records.

Among the five percent of women who tested…

Contrary to the expected benefits of routine treatment of worms (helminths) during pregnancy, a single-dose of this widely used intervention…

Oral contraceptives boast annual unintended pregnancy rates well below 1 percent - if used correctly and consistently, that is.

But in the not-so-perfect real world, longer lasting ingredients and shorter monthly breaks…

While it remains rare for a woman in the U.S. to die from pregnancy complications, the national rate of pregnancy-related deaths appears to be on the upswing, a new government study…

Women who use donated eggs to get pregnant by in vitro fertilization (IVF) might be more at risk for a common but potentially dangerous pregnancy complication than women using…

A nationwide study from Denmark finds pregnant women have little reason to be concerned about birth defects when taking omeprazole and similar heartburn drugs.

Researchers say there is little…

The nine-month pregnancy in humans is influenced by the structure of the placenta, according to new research into the evolution of reproduction in mammals which ends a 100-year mystery.

The…

For the few women who manage to get pregnant after age 45, both they and their babies have a higher risk of complications, Israeli researchers have found.

For instance, they are about…

A new study finds that young, low-income women often gain too much weight during pregnancy, raising concerns about the potential long-term impact on their obesity risk.

Nearly two-thirds of…

Drinking one or two units of alcohol a week during pregnancy does not raise the risk of developmental problems in the child, a study has suggested.

Official advice remains…

By now everyone knows that if pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, your blood pressure should be under control. The good news is that a lot of women have high blood pressure and go…

Researchers have found that allergic infants may be at increased risk of peanut allergy if their mothers ingested peanuts during pregnancy. The data…

Blood-thinning treatments for pregnant women with an inherited condition that makes them susceptible to blood clots may do more harm than good, Danish researchers report.

Their study was designed to…

A University of Adelaide study has found no evidence that taking fish oil capsules during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of post-natal depression, contrary to international recommendations.

Results from a clinical study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2010 suggest that a women’s labor experience is tied to her ethnicity as well as genetics.

Scientific data continue to indicate that higher intake of alcohol during pregnancy adversely affects the fetus, and could lead to very severe developmental or other problems…

Choosing induced labor is just as safe for first-time pregnant women as waiting for labor to start spontaneously, new research hints.

The number of women who have labor…

The complication rate during pregnancy with twins is about 40%. Women with multiple pregnancies often develop pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and hemorrhages during the term of their pregnancy. Joachim W Dudenhausen from the Charité…

Gum disease can be safely treated during pregnancy and appears to significantly reduce the risk of premature birth associated with periodontal disease, Pennsylvania researchers report.

“The present study has potential implications”…

Light drinking during pregnancy does not harm a young child’s behavioural or intellectual development, reveals research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community…

New mothers who smoke are less likely to breastfeed. But those who quit smoking during or just prior to becoming pregnant were significantly more likely to remain smoke free…

A study in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Sleep found that getting too little or too much sleep…