Louisiana reclassifies abortion pills as controlled, dangerous substances − here’s what that means

The new law makes it illegal to possess 2 types of abortion pills without a prescription.

Tami S. Rowen, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
May 24, 2024 ~9 min

Louisiana set to reclassify abortion pills as controlled, dangerous substances − here’s what that means

The legislation would make it illegal to possess 2 types of abortion pills without a prescription.

Tami S. Rowen, Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
May 24, 2024 ~9 min


Engineering mini human hearts to study pregnancy complications and birth defects

Human heart organoids allow researchers to study the developing heart while avoiding the ethical issues of using human embryos and the imperfections of animal models.

Aleksandra Kostina, Postdoctoral Researcher in Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University • conversation
May 10, 2024 ~8 min

Fetal personhood rulings could nullify a pregnant patient’s wishes for end-of-life care

Laws such as Alabama’s controversial ruling that gives personhood rights to frozen embryos will have ripple effects on how advance directives are interpreted by doctors and the courts.

Madelyn Adams, Master’s Student in Public Administration, American University • conversation
April 8, 2024 ~10 min

I’m a political scientist, and the Alabama Supreme Court’s IVF ruling turned me into a reproductive-rights refugee

I’m a scholar, not an activist or an advocate. But now one of the most intimate, personal events of our lives had been turned into a political event by the state’s highest court.

Spencer Goidel, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Auburn University • conversation
March 11, 2024 ~10 min

Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America

Many people wrongly assume that cannabis use during pregnancy is safe. Research is increasingly documenting a host of serious health harms from prenatal exposure to cannabis and other substances.

Amna Umer, Associate Professor of Pediatric Epidemiology, West Virginia University • conversation
Feb. 27, 2024 ~9 min

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, is showing up in pregnant women living near farm fields – that raises health concerns

New research provides evidence for the first time that the primary chemical in Roundup is reaching people in nearby homes, and it isn’t just from the food they eat.

Carly Hyland, Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
Dec. 6, 2023 ~6 min

For decades, mothers have borne the brunt of scrutiny for alcohol use during pregnancy − new research points to dad's drinking as a significant factor in fetal alcohol syndrome

Public health messaging has focused on the drinking habits of the mother during pregnancy. But a growing body of research shows that what dad is drinking before pregnancy matters too.

Michael Golding, Professor of Physiology, Texas A&M University • conversation
Nov. 15, 2023 ~10 min


New treatment for postpartum depression offers hope, but the stigma attached to the condition still lingers

Half a million new mothers in the US suffer from postpartum depression every year, yet a lack of awareness and stigma toward the condition keep many from getting the help they need.

Shannon Pickett, Professor of Psychology and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Purdue University • conversation
Oct. 19, 2023 ~11 min

Face pareidolia: how pregnant women could help us understand why we see faces in inanimate objects

It’s pretty common to see face-like patterns in objects – but this quirk can give us insights into human psychology and evolution.

Robin Kramer, Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology, University of Lincoln • conversation
Sept. 28, 2023 ~8 min

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