Exciting new research findings about reproduction, pregnancy and birth
...are also disheartening. Great news, great studies...a terrific beginning that may also be an end.
We’ve written before about why we know so little about women’s bodies and health; the short version is that until a few years ago, most research studies were done on men, with findings then generalized to women—the “women are just smaller men” research theory. Never mind that uterus and those bothersome ovaries and female hormones.1
That’s why the explosion of great research reports this year on reproduction and pregnancy is both exciting and devastating. Exciting because we’re just starting to really understand what goes on in a woman’s body, with pregnancy arguably the most understudied women’s health issue of all. And devastating because most of the research here was funded in some way by Health and Human Services (HHS), which is being ripped apart right now in a way America and the world never imagined. [Click to read more about the unravelling at HHS.)
It’s possible private investment will fill the gap; we’ve posted on that. And this McKinsey Health Institute policy piece has spurred subnificant interest in the opportunities. But it’s doubtful there is an organization in the world that isn’t aware of US political winds and the likelihood of retribution for bucking them.
Below are recent reports of studies that would have been funded and completed during the last administration. Some below are lay articles, intended for normal human reading. Others are scientific studies, for which we’ve provided brief comments.
If you or someone you love is pregnant or considering it, feel free to share this puiblic post.
Pregnancy and birth
Mother Jones: Spicing up your pregnancy: How chili may lower the risk of gestational diabetes [Click here for original research study]
Nature: Pregnancy’s true toll on the body: huge (300,000) birth study paints most detailed picture yet. Well. One advantage of not studying pregnancy and birth—you know—it’s just “something women do”—is you’d never have to realize just what an assault on the body it is, or how long the effects last. Want support for parental leave? Here it is.2
Wieill Cornell Medicine: Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk. This isn’t a recommendation to get COVID during pregnancy; doing so carries an increased risk of severe illness, especially for those with pre-existing conditions. But ironically, pregnancy may also protect against long COVID.
West Virginia University: Babies born to teen mothers are smaller, weigh less—the financial, physical and emotional stress begins, but doesn’t end, here. One of the best (and least-known) effects of the ACA (Obamacare) was reducing teen pregnancies. In addition to a high rate of complications, teen pregnancy is also a key factor leading to a lifetime of poverty.
UCSF: What’s behind preterm birth? Scientists just found a big clue. Society’s cost for preterm births is huge—at least $16B/year, or just under $300,000/birth. 10% of US births are preterm, and the causes have largely not been identified. This study identifies a “molecular timer” in mice that plays a role in timing of birth, and the timer is activated in the very first days of pregnancy and operates within the uterus. “If the same set of molecules is found to be important in human pregnancies, it could lead to new tests to identify women who are at risk of preterm labor, as well as interventions to delay it.”
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research: Food insecurity linked to increased compications of pregnancy. Complications of pregnancy cost all of us in tax dollars and increased insurance rates, not to mention paying for the complications, like preterm birth (see above). Note 92% of the women with food insecurity were not on food assistance from the FDA (WIC). Among those who were on WIC, food insecurity was not linked to increased risk of any of the pregnancy complications studied, Keep that in mind; we’re willing to bet we’ll hear about cutbacks to WIC this year.
As expected, after abortion bans, infant mortality and births increased. (GIFTED article) The findings showed the highest mortality occurred among infants who were Black, lived in Southern states or had fetal birth defects. [Click here for the actual study in JAMA.]
Avocados in pregnancy linked to lower infant allergy risk. Well. This is a Finnish study (where you’d have to expect there aren’t many avocado trees, but it did involve big numbers. Researchers say the results may be linked to “various mechanisms at the nutrient level (eg, antioxidants, fiber, and monounsaturated fat). [Click here for the actual study in Pediatric Research.]
Reproduction
University of Minnesota: The first hormone-free male birth control pill clears another milestone. Many of us have pondered the societal default to women doing all the work around birth control. A male oral contraceptive is in clinical trials. Next up: will men actually use it? Bets, anyone?
American Psychological Association: How birth control pills affect the brain. We know next to nothing about how the brain actually functions, which hasn’t stopped us from aiming anesthesia and drugs at it and rooting around there during surgery. OCPs were invented at a time when we knew even less about the brain. Skipping politics (and it’s guaranteed this research will be used politically), the more we know about the effect of OCPs on our bodies, the better.
Nature: Using genetics as a tool to understand female reproductive health better. And you may have contributed to this and multiple other studies that are answering genetics mysteries we’ve never been able to address in the past. There’s an explosion of GWAS (genome-wide association studies). In plain language: if you’ve ever submitted your DNA to 23andme or Ancestry or other studies, GWAS are likely using it3 and you—and the world—are reaping the results.
Lancet: Effect of preconception antibiotic exposure. Short version: there are indications the use of commonly-prescribed antibiotics in the year before pregnancy—particularly macrolides, sulfonamides and trimethoprim—increase the risk of infertility, spontaneous miscarriage. Others may reduce risk.
Here’s what the FDA had to say (last year) on talking to physicians about medications and pregnancy; the same rules apply if planning a pregnancy.
University of Oxford: The genetic basis of fertility, family and longevity. Yet another study that shows nurture can’t ever completely overcome nature, demonstrating traits that are passed down through families that influence fertility and aging—another GWAS study.
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If you’re concerned about the 23andme bankruptcy, here is the best article we’ve seen so far on the dangers—and the myths of danger.