April 9, 2020

AHA News: What Pregnant Women With High Blood Pressure Need to Know About COVID-19

TUESDAY, April 7, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- High blood pressure during pregnancy can put mother and baby at risk during normal circumstances. But with the novel coronavirus spreading rapidly, many are wondering how this highly contagious threat may affect them.

The good news is, thus far, nothing researchers have learned about COVID-19 raises additional concerns for pregnant women – even if their blood pressure runs high, or if they have been diagnosed with problems such as gestational diabetes. The bad news is, because the virus is new and relatively unstudied, there's still a great deal researchers don't know.

April 9, 2020

Pregnant Women Need to Guard Against Coronavirus

MONDAY, April 6, 2020 -- Pregnant women with COVID-19 may be susceptible to pregnancy complications, an obstetrician-gynecologist says.

Pregnant women have physiologic changes in their chests that may make them more susceptible to viral respiratory infections, according to Justin Brandt. He's assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the division of maternal-fetal medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey.

March 30, 2020

Eating Fish in Moderation During Pregnancy Benefits Fetus: Study

FRIDAY, March 20, 2020 -- Advice on eating fish while pregnant has flip-flopped over the years. Now, a new study suggests that the benefit of eating fish in moderation during pregnancy outweighs the risk.

Fish is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for a developing fetus. But some fish -- such as swordfish, shark and mackerel -- can contain high levels of mercury, which can cause neurological damage.

March 21, 2020

Depressed Pregnant Women 3 Times More Likely to Turn to Pot

THURSDAY, March 12, 2020 -- Could depression prompt a pregnant woman to use marijuana?

New research suggests it could: Pregnant women with depression are more than three times more likely to use pot than those without depression, a new study finds.

March 18, 2020

Expectant Moms: Take Care and Don't Panic About Coronavirus

FRIDAY, March 13, 2020 -- As coronavirus continues to spread, pregnant women may be especially anxious.

But a University of California, Los Angeles expert says there's no reason to panic.

March 9, 2020

Pregnant Moms Who Smoke, Drink Put Babies at Risk of SIDS: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 4, 2020 -- Pregnant women who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol may put their babies at higher odds for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a new government study finds.

After the first trimester of pregnancy, women who both smoked and drank increased the risk for SIDS nearly 12 times. For those who continued to smoke, SIDS risk rose fivefold, and for those who continued to drink, the risk was four times higher, researchers found.