Good Parental Leave Gives Big Boost to Moms' Mental Health

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• January 5, 2023
• Full Page

Generous parental leave policies at work can do wonders for a new mom's mental health.

This is among the key messages from a new review of 45 studies examining how parental leave policies affect mom and dad's mental health and well-being.

Mothers working for c...

Study Confirms It: Kids Keep Harried Moms From Exercise

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• November 18, 2022
• Full Page

Something — or rather, someone — may be standing between moms and a regular exercise routine: their children.

New research from the universities of Cambridge and Southampton in the United Kingdom suggests that fewer than half of mothers met recommended activity leve...

Half of Moms of Children With Autism Have Depression

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 1, 2022
• Full Page

While half of mothers of children with autism suffer symptoms of depression, a new study has di...

Family History of Mental Illness Ups Odds for Postpartum Depression

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• August 22, 2022
• Full Page

Pregnant women with a family history of any mental health condition may be at increased risk of depression after giving birth, a new research review finds.

In an analysis of 26 studies, researchers found that women with a family history of psychiatric diagnoses were at h...

Motherhood Doesn't Lower Survival for Women Who've Had Breast Cancer

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 7, 2022
• Full Page

Breast cancer survivors who would like to have a baby can take some reassurance from a new study that finds motherhood doesn't lower their future survival chances.

Moreover, survival rates were no worse in younger women, those who had not been pregnant before or those w...

Teen Brain Naturally Tunes Out Mom's Voice

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• April 29, 2022
• Full Page

Mom's voice may be music to a young child's brain, but the teen brain prefers to change the station, a new study finds.

Past research using brain imaging has revealed how important a mother's voice is to younger children: The sound stimulates not only hearing-related par...

Breastfeeding May Protect a Mom's Heart Years Later

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• January 12, 2022
• Full Page

Chloe Jo Davis is a vocal advocate for breastfeeding.

The Wilton, Conn.-based writer breastfed her three sons for years to make sure they reaped all of the benefits associated with the practice.

"Breastfeeding helps build up kids' immune system and keeps colds, vir...

T-Shirt Study Shows Importance of Mom's Smell to Bond With Baby

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 13, 2021
• Full Page

The sound of mom's voice can soothe a fussy baby like nothing else, but now new research suggests that an infant is also calmed by the scent of its mother.

Prior animal studies had already shown that olfaction -- smell -- "is very important, that mother's smell is very c...

Grandmother's Brain In Sync With Her Grandkids': Study

• Cara Murez
• November 17, 2021
• Full Page

Grandmothers can have a strong bond with the little children in their families -- and the connection even shows up on brain scans, researchers say.

The investigators embarked on a unique study, looking at the brains of older women -- not for signs of dysfunction, as with...

Breastfeeding by Moms Who've Had COVID May Help Protect Newborn

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• November 4, 2021
• Full Page

Moms who had COVID-19 when they gave birth may help stimulate their infant's burgeoning immunity against the virus by breastfeeding, a small study hints.

It's well known that breast milk contains certain maternal antibodies that can help protect infants from infections a...

Financial Stress Burdens More Than Half of New U.S. Moms: Study

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• November 1, 2021
• Full Page

The joys of motherhood may be overshadowed in the United States since as many as 50% of new or expectant moms can't pay their bills, including health care bills, new research suggests.

"Financial hardship is highly prevalent among pregnant and postpartum women," said stu...

Pandemic Grief Can Come Between Mothers and Their Newborns

• Cara Murez
• October 18, 2021
• Full Page

Among the many negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be damage to the bond between mothers and their infants, researchers say.

Women who experienced grief and depression due to pandemic-related losses may find it more difficult to form this all-important emotiona...

Pregnancy, Delivery Safe for Women Born With Heart Defects

• Robert Preidt
• October 18, 2021
• Full Page

Women who were born with heart defects may get some reassurance from a new study that finds they face no heightened risk to health during a pregnancy and delivery.

According to the researchers, doctors may often advise these women against getting pregnant due to the pote...

Pot Use by Pregnant Women Rose During Pandemic: Study

• Cara Murez
• September 29, 2021
• Full Page

Marijuana use by mothers-to-be may have increased by as much as one-quarter during the pandemic, a new study suggests.

Researchers found a substantial increase in the number of women in Northern California using pot early in their pregnancies after the pandemic emerged c...

Pandemic Has Many Women Holding Back on Motherhood, NYC Study Finds

• Cara Murez
• September 16, 2021
• Full Page

The COVID-19 pandemic has many women thinking twice about having more kids.

In a survey of close to 1,200 New York City women with young children, one-third of respondents who had been thinking about having another baby before the pandemic but hadn't started trying said ...

Breastfeeding May Strengthen a Baby's Heart

• September 6, 2021
• Full Page

Breast milk can give preemies' hearts a big boost, a groundbreaking study suggests.

"This study … adds to the already known benefits of breast milk for infants born prematurely," said study leader Dr. Afif El-Khuffash, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the Royal Co...

For Better Breastfeeding, 'Lactation Consultants' Can Help

• Cara Murez
• August 25, 2021
• Full Page

Breastfeeding provides a baby with many positive benefits, but it doesn't always happen easily.

When a new mom feels overwhelmed by the challenge, a lactation consultant can help, according to two breastfeeding experts from Penn State Health.

"We're here to make su...

Leading U.S. Ob-Gyn Groups Urge COVID Vaccines for All Pregnant Women

• Robert Preidt
• August 2, 2021
• Full Page

All pregnant women should be vaccinated "without delay" against COVID-19, two leading groups of U.S. obstetric specialists recommend.

That advice -- from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) -- ...

Pandemic Day Care Closures Forced 600,000 U.S. Working Moms to Leave Jobs

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• June 29, 2021
• Full Page

When child care centers were forced to close in the pandemic's early months, hundreds of thousands of American working mothers lost their jobs, new research shows.

The study is just the latest illustration of the toll the pandemic has taken on working women in the United...

C-Section Babies Miss Out on Mom's 'Microbiome,' But Treatment Can Change That

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 23, 2021
• Full Page

When a baby is born, the mother's body provides a pathway into the world, but the journey also exposes them to beneficial bacteria that live in and on their mom. But that critical exchange doesn't happen during a cesarean section delivery.

Now, researchers report that sw...

Mom's Blood Pressure in Pregnancy Could Affect Child's Stroke Risk Decades Later

• Robert Preidt
• June 1, 2021
• Full Page

Expectant mothers' high blood pressure heightens kids' risk of stroke later in life, a Swedish study finds.

"Our findings indicate that hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are associated with increased risks of stroke and potentially heart disease in offspring up to ...

Is Empathy Born in Mom's First Hugs?

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 5, 2021
• Full Page

Show your baby your love, and you'll get a kinder, gentler adult child as your reward, a new study suggests.

More than 20 years ago, researchers in Israel began studying the impact on newborns of time spent in physical contact with their mothers.

The investigators...

OCD May Be More Common in New Moms Than Thought

• Robert Preidt
• March 26, 2021
• Full Page

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is more common among new mothers than previously thought, and it's often driven by worries about things that may happen to their newborns, a new study finds.

Many new moms may keep the issue hidden, the Canadian researchers said.

Even a Little Coffee in Pregnancy Could Impact Newborn's Weight: Study

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 25, 2021
• Full Page

As little as half a cup of coffee each day might be enough to stunt the growth and birth weight of a baby in the womb, a new study claims.

Women who consumed an average 50 milligrams of caffeine per day -- equivalent to half a cup of coffee -- had infants that were 2.3 o...

THC From Pot Lingers in Breast Milk for Weeks: Study

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• March 11, 2021
• Full Page

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, remains in breast milk for up to six weeks and may be harmful to infants, a new study warns.

The researchers said the finding supports recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and others...

Mom's Heart Health While Pregnant Could Influence Her Child's Health for Years

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 17, 2021
• Full Page

In a finding that suggests heart health starts in the womb, a new study shows that the state of a woman's heart during pregnancy may predict her kids' health by the time they reach adolescence.

Researchers found that when mothers' weight, blood pressure and cholesterol l...

Antibiotics in Pregnancy Tied to Higher Odds for Asthma in Kids

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

Children whose mothers used antibiotics in pregnancy may have a slightly heightened risk of asthma, a new study suggests.

Experts were quick to point out the finding does not prove cause and effect, and the reasons for the antibiotic use -- rather than the drug -- might ...

Treating Mom's Postpartum Depression Could Help Baby's Brain, Too

• Robert Preidt
• January 26, 2021
• Full Page

Talk therapy for new mothers with postpartum depression may also benefit their babies' brains, Canadian researchers say.

"We found that after their moms were treated that their infant's brain activity normalized to the levels seen in our healthy infants," said study co-a...

Fewer Food Allergies in Kids If Mom Drinks Milk While Breastfeeding: Study

• Denise Mann
• January 4, 2021
• Full Page

Mothers who drink cow's milk while breastfeeding may reduce their child's risk of developing food allergies, a new Swedish study suggests.

"This is a compelling first step in defining a potential relationship between maternal diet and allergy risk," said Dr. Peter Lio, a...

Too Many, Too Few Babies May Speed Aging in Women

• Cara Murez
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

Pregnancy can be exhilarating or exhausting, and sometimes both at the same time. It may not come as a surprise to a woman who has experienced pregnancy once, twice or many times, that it can age her.

New research reveals that how many pregnancies a woman has may affect ...

Nurses Can Make the Difference for New Moms' Breastfeeding

• Cara Roberts Murez
• October 21, 2020
• Full Page

One key to breastfeeding success? Having enough hospital nurses to ensure that new moms get top-notch care.

Hospitals with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding had nurses who provided more consistent care, according to a new report.

That care included h...

Most Newborns of COVID-19-Infected Moms Fare Well

• Steven Reinberg
• September 28, 2020
• Full Page

Babies born to mothers with COVID-19 only rarely suffer from effects of the virus, a new study suggests.

These newborns generally do well in the six to eight weeks after birth, but more are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) if their mothers had COV...

Mom-to-Be's Pot Use Linked With Higher Odds for Kids' Mental Woes

• Dennis Thompson
• September 23, 2020
• Full Page

Expectant mothers who smoke pot in pregnancy could increase their baby's risk for mental or emotional problems later in childhood, a new study finds.

Marijuana use during pregnancy was associated with a host of problems in the preteen years, researchers report.

Baby's Heart Rate Reflects Mom's Mental Health

• Robert Preidt
• September 22, 2020
• Full Page

Babies of mothers with anxiety or depression can have significantly higher heart rates than normal, a new study finds.

And this might put them at risk for long-term problems, researchers say.

Mother-infant interaction plays a crucial role in children's heal...

Spanking on the Decline in American Homes

• Serena Gordon
• July 27, 2020
• Full Page

American kids have something to celebrate: Spanking has hit a new low.

About one in three parents said they spanked their kids in 2017 compared to 50% in 1993, new research shows.

"Fewer parents are spanking, and I think it's helpful for people to kno...

Mom's Depression Can Lead to Behavior Problems in Kids

• Robert Preidt
• June 17, 2020
• Full Page

Children of mothers with long-term depression have an increased risk of behavioral problems and poor development, researchers say.

The new study included nearly 900 Australian mothers and 978 of their children. Levels of depression were examined in the mothers before...

'Kangaroo Care' Has Big Health Benefits For Preemies

• Robert Preidt
• May 25, 2020
• Full Page

Skin-to-skin contact between parents and babies -- often called "kangaroo care" -- provides major benefits to preemies' hearts and brains, Australian researchers say.

They assessed 40 babies born about 10 weeks early with an average weight of 2.9 pounds. Normal birth...

Breastfeeding May Help Guard Against Diabetes

• Robert Preidt
• May 5, 2020
• Full Page

Breastfeeding is good for more than babies: New research suggests it may protect new mothers from developing diabetes for years after they give birth.

The study included 85 women who breastfed and 99 who did not. They were assessed two months after giving birth and e...

AHA News: Make Mother's Day Last All Year With Wellness and Appreciation

• April 29, 2020
• Full Page

It wouldn't be Mother's Day without flowers and a messy breakfast in bed. But is there more we can do for mom's long-term benefit, and perhaps even for motherhood in general?

There surely is, experts say, and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. As May 10 approaches...

Mental Health Problems After First Baby Reduce Likelihood of More Children: Study

• Robert Preidt
• April 3, 2020
• Full Page

Women who develop mental health problems after delivering their first child are much less likely to have more, a Danish study finds.

But this is not the case among women whose first child died.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 414,000 w...

Teen Moms at High Risk for Depression, Anxiety

• Kayla McKiski
• February 28, 2020
• Full Page

As if being a teen mom isn't hard enough, two-thirds of young mothers are grappling with at least one mental health issue, researchers say.

And close to 40% of mothers under 21 years of age have more than one issue, including depression, anxiety and hyperactivit...

Common Plastics Chemicals Linked to Autism Traits in Young Boys

• Alan Mozes
• February 19, 2020
• Full Page

Young boys whose mothers were exposed to chemicals known as phthalates while pregnant may face an increased risk for developing behaviors associated with autism, a new study warns.

Phthalates are chemicals found in many household products, including cosmetics and pla...

Employers Need to Do More to Help Breastfeeding Moms: Survey

• Kayla McKiski
• February 4, 2020
• Full Page

Protections may be in place for employees who breastfeed, but the onus is on working moms to seek out the resources they need, according to a University of Georgia survey.

"We know that there are benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the infant, and we kn...

Out-of-Pocket Medical Costs Average $4,500 for Many New U.S. Parents

• Serena Gordon
• January 6, 2020
• Full Page

If you're an expectant parent, you know you're in for some sleepless nights once the baby comes. What you might not expect is almost $5,000 in medical costs.

A new study warns parents-to-be that average out-of-pocket costs for health care during pregnancy, delivery ...

Many Moms-to-Be Turn to Their Moms First for Medical Advice

• Robert Preidt
• December 4, 2019
• Full Page

Moms trump doctors when it comes to pregnancy advice, a new study suggests.

More often than not, pregnant women rely on guidance from their mothers instead of medical experts, the researchers found.

Many believe their mom's advice is as good or even bette...

Give Newborn to Mom Right Away -- After Moving the Electrodes

• Robert Preidt
• November 8, 2019
• Full Page

Immediate skin-to-skin contact between newborns and their mothers is encouraged, but poses some potential risks in cases of cesarean birth, researchers say.

In a new report, the researchers described two cases where newly delivered babies came into contact with elect...

Moms' Weight-Loss Surgery Tied to Lower Risk of Birth Defects

• Robert Preidt
• October 16, 2019
• Full Page

Weight-loss surgery before pregnancy may lower obese women's odds of having a baby with major birth defects, new research suggests.

For the study, the researchers examined data on more than 33,000 births in Sweden between 2007 and 2014.

Of these, nearly 3,...

Depressed Moms, More Anxious, Troubled Kids?

• Steven Reinberg
• September 30, 2019
• Full Page

If a mother is depressed, her young children might be at risk for hyperactivity, aggressiveness and anxiety, a new study suggests.

Interestingly, a father's depression only affected kids if mom was also depressed, the researchers found.

"Depression among pa...

Why You Should Ask to Be Screened for Postpartum Depression

• Len Canter
• September 25, 2019
• Full Page

It's not uncommon for new moms to feel an emotional letdown shortly after baby is born. Though symptoms of these so-called "baby blues" can be wide-ranging, they last no more than two weeks and go away on their own.

Some Signs of the Baby Blues: