Docs Should Screen for Depression During, After Pregnancy

MONDAY, Dec. 17, 2018 -- Doctors should screen women for depression during and after pregnancy, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says in an updated policy statement.

Undiagnosed and untreated depression among pregnant women and new mothers can put a baby's health at risk, and is one of the most common and costly pregnancy-related complications in the United States, according to the AAP.

Meth, Opioid Use in Pregnancy on the Rise

THURSDAY, Nov. 29, 2018 -- Methamphetamine and opioid use has soared among pregnant American women, putting the health of baby and mother at risk, a new study finds.

While addiction among pregnant women has dramatically increased across the country, it disproportionally affects women living in rural America, where access to addiction treatment and prenatal care is limited, the researchers added.

Some Types of Epilepsy Pose More Risks During Pregnancy

MONDAY, Dec. 3, 2018 -- Women with frontal lobe epilepsy are much more likely to have an increase in seizures during pregnancy than those with focal epilepsy or generalized epilepsy, researchers report.

"Physicians need to monitor women with focal epilepsy -- especially frontal lobe epilepsy -- more closely during pregnancy because maintaining seizure control is particularly challenging for them," said study lead author Dr. Paula Voinescu, a neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Preeclampsia Tied to Tripling of Dementia in Later Life

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17, 2018 -- High blood pressure during pregnancy can be a sign of preeclampsia -- a potentially life-threatening complication. Now, new research suggests preeclampsia might also make women more vulnerable to a specific type of dementia.

Women with a history of preeclampsia were 3.4 times more likely to suffer from vascular dementia later in life, the researchers found. This form of dementia is triggered by impaired blood flow in the brain.

Take at Least a Year Between Pregnancies: Study

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 31, 2018 -- Women should wait a year or more between having babies, to reduce health risks to themselves and their infants, researchers report.

"Our study found increased risks to both mother and infant when pregnancies are closely spaced, including for women older than 35," said lead author Laura Schummers, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of family practice at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Fewer Pregnant U.S. Women Smoke or Drink, But More Are Using Pot

MONDAY, Nov. 5, 2018 -- Over the past two decades, the percentage of U.S. women who say they've smoked or drank during a pregnancy has fallen, but the percentage who say they've used marijuana has nearly doubled, a new report finds.

Between 2002 and 2016, the percentage of pregnant women ages 18 to 44 who said they used pot rose from 2.85 percent to nearly 5 percent, according to data from the U.S. National Survey of Drug Use and Health.