Pregnancy Archive

Pregnancy and reproductive complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes, pre-eclampsia, infertility, and stillbirth, are linked with higher cardiovascular risks in affected women many years later. Such complications affect 5% to 10% of pregnancies and are rising as obesity rates increase and more women postpone pregnancy. Ongoing preventive care and screenings are crucial for women who experienced pregnancy complications to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels and treat any irregularities aggressively.

Your doctor may ask you to track your blood pressure at home to help decide if you need to start taking medication or to track your response to treatment. Here's how to get accurate readings.

A 2023 study suggests that women who have migraine headaches before pregnancy may have higher risks of pregnancy complications that could threaten their health or that of their babies.

Miscarriage describes a pregnancy loss before 20 weeks. It happens in as many as one in three pregnancies, although the risk gradually decreases as pregnancy progresses. What causes miscarriage? How is it treated? And why is appropriate health care for miscarriage under scrutiny?

A 2022 study found that women undergoing fertility treatment who drank seven or more alcoholic beverages weekly were 7% less likely to become pregnant. The chances of live birth dropped 9% in women whose male partners drank that amount.

Simply being pregnant poses significant short-term and long-term risks to health, particularly in the US. Since the Supreme Court overturned a national constitutional right to abortion last year, choices around pregnancy have gotten even more complicated — and more dangerous for some.

A 2022 study found that antidepressant use during pregnancy is not associated with problems in children's future brain health or behavior patterns. The medications were not linked to conditions such as autism, ADHD, or problems in speech, language, learning, and coordination.

Light therapy can help improve seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But many people don't realize that it can also be effective for major depression, and depression that occurs during or after pregnancy (known as perinatal depression).

Pregnancy and childbirth effects on the body can linger or develop years or decades after the birth. Muscles, ligaments, and nerves in the pelvis can be damaged, leading to urine or stool leakage or sagging pelvic organs. Treatment approaches include a pessary, various surgical procedures, or pelvic floor physical therapy. Women can protect their pelvic floor from weakening further by maintaining a healthy weight, preventing constipation, and managing conditions that contribute to chronic cough.