Women's Health:Pre-pregnancy potato consumption may be linked to gestational diabetes risk ♦ Concerns over prescribed opioid use among pregnant women

Breakthrough in early diagnosis of preeclampsia The ratio of certain messengers in the blood of pregnant women can be used to reliably rule out preeclampsia, and to predict the risk of complications.

Postnatal depression linked to challenges in parenting: Could oxytocin be helpful?Caring for an infant is challenging for any mother -- but especially so for women with postnatal depression, which may lead to adverse effects on child outcomes. Current evidence on postnatal depression and parenting -- including preliminary data on the role of the hormone oxytocin.

Pre-pregnancy potato consumption may be linked to gestational diabetes risk Women who eat more potatoes before pregnancy may have higher rates of gestational diabetes -- the form that occurs during pregnancy -- compared to women who consume fewer potatoes, suggests a new study. The researchers propose that substituting potatoes with other vegetables, legumes or whole grains may help lower gestational diabetes risk.

Concerns over prescribed opioid use among pregnant women The increase in use of prescribed opioids among women during pregnancy has probably contributed to the rise in neonatal abstinence syndrome, argues an expert. In the US, estimates suggest that 14-22% of pregnant women receive an opioid prescription during their pregnancy, and there has been an increase in the prevalence of opioid use disorders among pregnant women.

Women's Health: Mothers-to-be, babies benefit from group prenatal care, ♦ Low zinc levels may suggest potential breastfeeding problems

Low zinc levels may suggest potential breastfeeding problems Zinc levels in breast milk may be able to serve as an indicator of breast function during lactation, according to health researchers who suggest that by identifying women with abnormally low levels of zinc in breast milk, they may be able to more quickly recognize mothers who might have trouble breast-feeding

Metformin has the potential to prevent and treat preeclampsia A commonly used drug for the treatment of diabetes, metformin, may have the potential to prevent and treat preeclampsia. Metformin has long been used to treat diabetes in both nonpregnant and pregnant patients, and is considered safe during pregnancy.

Mothers-to-be, babies benefit from group prenatal care, Group prenatal care can substantially improve health outcomes for both mothers and their infants. Women who received group -- rather than individual -- prenatal care were 33% less likely to have infants who were small for gestational age, had reduced risk for preterm delivery and low birthweight, and babies born to these women also spent fewer days in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Long-term outcomes of preventing premature menopause during chemotherapy Compared with receiving chemotherapy alone, women with breast cancer who also received the hormonal drug triptorelin to achieve ovarian suppression had a higher long-term probability of ovarian function recovery, without a statistically significant difference in pregnancy rate or disease-free survival,

Women's Health: Timing of first childbirth influences women's health at age 40 ♦ Use aspirin to prevent preeclampsia ♦ Active and passive smoking linked to infertility

Timing of first childbirth influences women's health at age 40 A new study finds some surprising ways in which women's health at midlife is connected to when they had their first child and to their marital history.

Research offers recommendations for use of aspirin to prevent preeclampsia To prevent preeclampsia, new research suggests that low-dose aspirin should be given prophylactically to all women at high risk (those with diabetes or chronic hypertension) and any woman with two or more moderate risk factors (including obesity, multiple gestation and advanced maternal age).

Active and passive smoking linked to infertility and earlier menopause Active and passive smoking are linked to infertility problems and a hastening of the natural menopause before the age of 50.

Increased number of IVF cycles can be beneficial, findings suggest Although in vitro fertilization (IVF) is often limited to three or four treatment cycles, new research shows the effectiveness of extending the number of IVF cycles beyond this number.

Women's Health: Biomarker predicts preeclampsia at six weeks of pregnancy ♦ Solution for lowering cholesterol in pregnant wome ♦ Angelina Jolie effect

New biomarker predicts development of preeclampsia at six weeks of pregnancy Preeclampsia is generally diagnosed later in pregnancy, but new research reports that the protein copeptin can predict the development of preeclampsia as early as six weeks of gestation. The findings could lead to diagnosis of the disorder in the first trimester, improving care and potentially leading to the development of preventative measures.

Tattoos may be a coping mechanism for some college-age women Women with multiple tattoos report higher self-esteem than anyone else in a recent study, and escalating acquisition of body art does not correlate with increased depression or suicide ideation. However, the same multi-tattooed women also report a much higher frequency of past suicide attempts.

Mother nature may have solution for lowering cholesterol in pregnant women Researchers are studying whether plant sterols can be used as a natural alternative to drug therapy for pregnant women who have high cholesterol. While it’s normal for a woman’s cholesterol to spike during pregnancy, excessive lipid levels — whether from genetic or dietary reasons — can have negative health effects on the offspring, both early in life and later on as adults.

Breast cancer clinic attributes increased uptake of double mastectomies to Angelina Jolie effect An increased uptake of preventative double mastectomies has been seen since May 2013, when Angelina Jolie announced that she had undergone the procedure.

Children's Health: Does living in the United States promote teenage risk taking? ♦ Preeclampsia associated with increased risk of heart defects in infant

Invasive staphylococcus aureus infections in hospitalized infants Invasive methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection (MSSA) caused more infections and more deaths in hospitalized infants than invasive methicillin-resistant S. aureus infection (MRSA), which suggests measures to prevent S. aureus infections should include MSSA in addition to MRSA.

Test catches asthma in children before symptoms appear Nearly 7 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma and thousands more are living undiagnosed, struggling to breathe each day. Now, researchers have found that a commonly used pulmonary lung function test can provide early detection of asthma before a child shows any symptoms of breathing problems. This early diagnosis could reduce the number of people who have serious complications of the disease later in life

Does living in the United States promote teenage risk taking? Teenagers are known for taking unnecessary risks, from reckless driving to smoking marijuana, but some seek out risky experiences more than others. A new study of sensation-seeking behavior shows that children growing up in the United States versus Puerto Rico were more likely to seek out new and risky behaviors. Results of the study are the first to look at sensation-seeking patterns in young children and teenagers.

Preeclampsia associated with increased risk of heart defects in infants An analysis of more than 1.9 million mother and infant pairs finds that preeclampsia was significantly associated with noncritical heart defects in offspring, and preeclampsia with onset before 34 weeks was associated with critical heart defects; however, the absolute risk of congenital heart defects was low.