How maternal Zika virus infection results in newborn microcephaly

A new study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine revealed how in utero Zika virus infection can lead to microcephaly in newborns. The team discovered that the Zika virus protein NS4A disrupts brain growth by hijacking a pathway that regulates the generation of new neurons. The findings point at the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies to prevent microcephaly […]

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Maternal comorbidity higher for women with congenital heart defects

(HealthDay)—Pregnant women with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are more likely to have comorbidities and experience adverse events during delivery, according to a study published in the May 7 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Using multivariable logistic regression, Lauren E. Schlichting, Ph.D., of the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, […]

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Study confirms association between breastfeeding and lower risk of maternal hypertension

A new systematic review of the literature not only confirmed that breastfeeding for as short as 1-4 months can have a protective affect against high blood pressure in women, but that lactation also can protect women across an extended follow-up of years to decades. Among 15 studies reviewed that had longer-term follow-up, 67% of those evaluated for elevated blood pressure—and […]

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Maternal depression may alter stress and immune markers in children

New research suggests that depression in women may affect their children’s stress and physical well-being throughout life. For the Depression & Anxiety study, researchers followed 125 children from birth to 10 years. At 10 years, mothers’ and children’s cortisol (CT) and secretory immunoglobulin (s-IgA)—markers of stress and the immune system—were measured, mother-child interaction were observed, mothers and children underwent psychiatric […]

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