Taking vitamin D supplements in pregnancy seems to make no difference to a child's bone health, in contrast to guidelines in some countries, research published in The Lancet on Tuesday says.

Despite some women's worry that seat belts or air bags could harm a baby in utero in the case of an accident, expectant mothers who are not wearing a seat belt during a car crash are more likely to lose the pregnancy than restrained mothers, according to a new study.

Banning smoking in enclosed public places can lead to lower rates of preterm birth, according to Belgian researchers who say the findings point to health benefits of smoke-free laws even in very early life.

Mothers who took folic acid supplements around the time they became pregnant were less likely to have children with an autism spectrum disorder, a new study has found.

Women who outnumber men in poor communities are likelier to have babies at a younger age as competition drives them to lower their expectations of the opposite sex, a study said on Wednesday.

The use of antidepressants during pregnancy is not linked to a higher overall risk of stillbirth and death in newborns, a study said Tuesday, confounding a long-held opposing view of such drugs.

Especially during the first days after a birth, the idyllic image of a contented baby and joyful mother is often far from reality. Many new mothers are irritable and prone to crying spells, a condition known colloquially as the “baby blues.”

Receiving hormone replacement therapy in the 10 years following menopause can reduce the risk of getting cardiovascular disease, Chen Fang-ping, president of the Taiwanese Menopause Society, said yesterday at a press conference.

Women who had the flu or ran a fever for more than a week during their pregnancy face a greater risk of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder, Danish researchers said Monday.

Some women who deliver their babies by caesarean section may be able to check out of the hospital the next day without raising their risk of problems, according to a Malaysian study.