Several birth control pills have been linked to blood clots in women who use them, but sufficient evidence about similar risks from hormone contraceptive besides the Pill is lacking.

Most women want a shapely, muscular body to enhance their looks. A new study reports that those firm, hard-won muscles also improve placental health in pregnant women.

No parents want to see their children grow up too fast or have sexual experiences before they're ready. Whatever parents concerns are, a new study shows that teen girls are having less sex and waiting longer before their first experience.

Advances in fertility medicine have been a blessing for parents who struggled to have children on their own. But one hitch has been a higher rate of birth defects among test tube babies. A large recent study has found an increased rate of birth defects among babies born through assisted reproduction, though different types of assisted reproduction had different higher rates of congenital problems. Discuss the risks of any fertility treatment with your doctor. Michael Davies, PhD, an associate professor at the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute and School of Paediatrics ...

Adding folic acid to tortillas and other products can reduce the risk for birth defects, says a new petition recently filed with a federal agency.  A petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argues that fortifying corn masa flour products with the B vitamin folic acid can help reduce serious birth defects of the brain and spine. The groups behind the petition believe that mandating folic acid fortification of the products will especially help prevent birth defects in one high-risk group: Hispanic babies. Since 1998, when the FDA started regulating folic a...

Every pregnant mom wants to receive quality care from doctors and nurses. According to a new study, delivering your baby at a hospital that’s recognized for nursing excellence can impact your baby’s health. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing studied more than 72,000 very low-birth-weight ( VLBW ) infants (less than 3.3 pounds at birth).   They found that that babies born at hospitals recognized for nursing excellence ( RNE ) were less likely to suffer certain complications, compared to babies at hospitals that haven’t been recognized for nursing...

If you're planning to get pregnant, don't let a prior breast cancer diagnosis stop you. Pregnancy following breast cancer remission appears to be safe.

Nursing moms who avoid milk in hopes of reducing their babies’ risk for food allergies should think twice: A new study finds that it may increase your baby’s risk for food allergies.

Miscarrying a child is a difficult, emotional experience for a woman. Some women who experience first-trimester loss choose to lose the baby naturally, without immediate medical intervention.

Pregnant moms know that nutrition during pregnancy can impact a baby’s growth. But did you know that what you take into your body before you’re pregnant may be able to help your baby fight off disease?