Rising temperatures may trigger more premature births
The analysis revealed that on days when temperatures reached or exceeded 90 degrees, birth rates were 5 percent higher than on days when temps were between 60 and 70 degrees.
pregnancy
Alcohol industry often omits and misrepresents risks of alcohol during pregnancy, study finds
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website: “Any amount of alcohol during pregnancy is harmful. … There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or when trying to get pregnant.”
Air pollution particles can cross to fetal side of the placenta, study finds
“We need to develop air pollution standards which protect the most vulnerable of the population,” said researcher Tim Nawrot.
Delaying fatherhood raises health risks for both partner and child
Aging not only affects a man’s fertility, the study found, but becoming a father late in life also increases the risk that the mother of the child will have complications during pregnancy and that the child will have health problems.
Long work commutes of pregnant women linked to low birth weights
The researchers believe the higher risk of adverse birth outcomes is most likely the result of the chronic stress induced by the long, daily commutes to work.
Serious childbirth complications have risen dramatically in U.S., study finds
The highest rates of complications were among mothers who were poor, uninsured or on Medicaid, living in large urban areas, or over the age of 40.
Erica Garner and Serena Williams’ stories underscore health inequalities facing black women
To find out more about this racial divide, MinnPost talked with Rachel Hardeman, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
CDC: More and more women are entering pregnancy at unhealthy weights
In 2015, 43.8 percent of Minnesota women who became pregnant were at a healthy weight, compared to 45.5 percent in 2012.
More than half of U.S. rural counties have no hospital where women can give birth, U of M study finds
This means that reproductive-age women living in rural areas — and their babies — are at greater risk of pregnancy- and birth-related complications than previously reported.
Surge in new hepatitis C cases is driven by opioid epidemic, CDC reports
Hepatitis C infections among pregnant women almost doubled between 2009 and 2014. Hepatitis C kills at least 20,000 Americans each year.
FISH project that reduced mercury levels in North Shore women is expanding statewide
Walleye, northern pike, lake trout, bass and catfish, for example, should be eaten no more than once a month, according to the MDH.
Experts urge women to exercise during pregnancy
It is now widely acknowledged that the “misguided recommendations” of the past have been “a major contributor to the worldwide obesity epidemic,” three authors in JAMA say.
U.S. infant mortality rate falls to historic low; Minnesota’s already low rate is unchanged
The drop in infant mortality was broad. It occurred across most racial and ethnic groups, as well as in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
U of M study: opioid epidemic poses specific dangers for reproductive-age women
The consequences for babies born to women who use opioids during pregnancy can be devastating.
Morning sickness linked to lower risk of pregnancy loss
The findings “may provide reassurance to women experiencing these difficult symptoms in pregnancy,” the study’s authors write.
Infant simulator dolls linked to more, not fewer, teen pregnancies
Australian adolescent girls enrolled in a school-based program that used the dolls were about a third more likely to give birth or have an abortion before they reached the age of 20 than their peers.
Teen pregnancies and births reach historic lows in Minnesota, but disparities persist
The rates are down a stunning 66 percent for pregnancies and 58 percent for births since the early 1990s. The 10 counties with the highest teen birthrates are all in Greater Minnesota.
MDH epidemiologist: likelihood of Zika virus showing up in Minnesota is low
To get answers to questions about the Zika virus, MinnPost spoke with epidemiologist Dave Neitzel.
Doula support is associated with lower rates of premature birth, say U of M researchers
The study estimates that in just the 12 states used in its analysis, doula support could prevent 3,200 premature births each year, saving Medicaid $58 million annually.
Age of first-time moms in U.S. reaches four-decade high
The mean age of first-time mothers in 2014 was 26.3 years — the highest it’s been since 1970.
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