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University of Southern California scientists determined the virus uses certain types of protein to interrupt the brain development of fetuses. The finding is a step toward the possible development of an intervention that could prevent the infection from leading to microcephaly.
Legislation that would allow nurse-midwives to practice independently is mired in a dispute about whether hospitals should be allowed to hire them.
For doctors in obstetrics and gynecology, discussions with pregnant patients now include mosquito protection, testing options and the risks of microcephaly and other long-term effects in babies.
Researchers say their study suggests solitary households may be markers for older adults in better health and with more functional independence.
Hepatitis C can be passed from mothers to babies, but it often is not diagnosed until much later in a person's life. Specialists are debating new screening practices to catch the disease earlier.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also directs that all pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories should be “assessed for possible Zika virus exposure” whenever they get a prenatal care visit.
The setback prompts some to change direction, others to stay the course.
Overall rates are falling in California and nationally but data point to certain hospitals with extremely high percentages.
Public health officials are wrestling with how to safeguard and maintain blood bank reserves in the face of concerns that the Zika virus can be spread through transfusions.
A new study shows that Sacramento and San Francisco are the two most expensive places to give birth among the nation’s 30 largest metropolitan areas. One possible reason: consolidation of hospitals and doctors.
It was a big win for pro-abortion rights advocates, but abortion opponents are not daunted. Stay tuned for how it will affect presidential politics and the next generation of women voters.
Almost two-thirds say federal funds should help women in Zika-affected areas get access to abortion, family planning and contraception services, a new Kaiser Family Foundation survey finds.
The 5-to-3 decision could impact similar laws in about two dozen other states.
Accredited medical residency programs have to teach doctors how to perform abortions. But interpretation of the requirement varies, especially in a state like Texas where training options are scarce.
The hostile climate surrounding abortion in Texas has made it hard for doctors-in-training to learn to do abortions. Professors feel intimidated, and there are fewer clinics where residents can train.
Fertility specialists say that egg donation is safe and involves the same process as in vitro fertilization, but there are sporadic reports of cancers, some fatal, and subsequent fertility problems among egg donors. Because of a lack of research, it isn't known whether these problems are linked to the process or are the result of chance.
Local mosquito control authorities prepare spray-and-trap offensive to halt Zika-carrying mosquitos in damp breeding grounds.
Medicaid spends billions on unintended pregnancies, and federal officials say better use of long-acting contraceptives, such as IUDs, offer advantages for women and are cost-effective.
In these two high-risk states, public health workers face challenges in educating women about the virus and minimizing its impact.
Women seeking an abortion in restrictive Texas now often pick the medical version, thanks to FDA rules making it easier. Others seek cheaper pills in Mexico, and aren't getting guidance from a doctor.
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