Pregnancy health centre

News and features related to pregnancy

1. Babies born by C-section more likely to be overweight
   

   Babies who are born by caesarean section face risks of problems, both during birth and as they grow. Previous studies have shown that having been born by caesarean section means babies are more likely to have illnesses like asthma and allergic rhinitis. But there haven't been many studies that have

   Read Full Article
2. Pregnancy: Weight control with diet beneficial
   

   18th May 2012 -- For pregnant women, including those who are overweight and obese, new research has found that following a healthy calorie controlled diet is safe and can reduce the risk of serious complications. A team of researchers, led by Dr Shakila Thangaratinam from Queen Mary, University of L

   Read Full Article
3. Seven embarrassing pregnancy symptoms
   

   Pregnancy is not all about beautiful skin and looking blooming. There's definitely a less glamorous side. It changes your body in ways you may never have imagined. You knew your belly would grow and you expected to feel sick and tired but you may not have been so aware of the other awkward physical

   Read Full Article
4. Should labour be induced if a woman's waters break early?
   

   Between 5 and 10 in every 100 babies are born early, before the 37th week of prenancy, which can increase their risk of problems including breathing difficulties, less resistance to infection, and learning and developmental problems later on. Up to 40 in 100 premature births are caused by a woman's

   Read Full Article
5. Home births 'safe and cost effective'
   

   20th April 2012 - Most births take place in hospital but a major new study has found home births may be the safest option for women who've previously given birth and with a low risk of complications. It would also save the NHS money, according to University of Oxford researchers. The study covering

   Read Full Article
6. New device could reduce the risk of premature birth
   

   It can be hard to predict who will have a premature birth. But we know that there are factors that put some pregnant women at more risk of giving birth to babies prematurely than others. Women who have a short cervix (the neck of the womb), or a cervix that is weak or tends to open early (called cer

   Read Full Article
7. Improving the antenatal experience
   

   23rd March 2012 - New draft guidelines have been published for antenatal care with the aim of improving the effectiveness, safety and experience of care for pregnant women. Antenatal services are for all pregnant women (up to 41 weeks of pregnancy) across all settings that routinely provide NHS ante

   Read Full Article
8. Antidepressants linked to high blood pressure in pregnancy
   

   Antidepressants are among the most commonly used medicines during pregnancy. But they aren’t without risks for both the mother and baby, and these risks need to be weighed against the chance of the mother having her depression return or worsen if she stops treatment. Several studies have looked at t

   Read Full Article
9. What are the best treatments for relieving pain during labour?
   

   Most pregnant women require some help with pain during childbirth, and there are a number of ways this can be done. Generally, pain relief during labour takes one of two strategies: drugs, which aim to relieve the pain of labour, or non-medical strategies that aim to help women cope with pain in lab

   Read Full Article
10. Pregnant women who own dogs more likely to meet exercise targets
    

    16th February 2012 - Owning a dog could be an important ally for expectant mums in helping to stay healthy. A collaborative study has found that pregnant women who have dogs are approximately 50% more likely to hit exercise targets of 30 minutes activity each day than those without them. Previous st

    Read Full Article