Pregnancy and Birth

Maegan Ashworth Dirac, MD, PhD, explains how COVID-19 infection risk and low vaccine uptake among pregnant women contributed to a rise in indirect maternal deaths worldwide.

A qualitative sub-study of the COMPASS+ Trial published in Pregnancy found that the Collaborative Care Model is well suited to obstetric settings but requires context-specific adaptation to overcome multilevel barriers.

A new meta-analysis found that third trimester TVCL surveillance in asymptomatic women was predictive of spontaneous preterm birth.

In a phase 4 real-world study of 191 participants, zuranolone reduced EPDS scores across all baseline PPD severities by day 15, with improvements sustained through day 45.

A recap of the top-performing, most-viewed Contemporary OB/GYN stories from June 2026, including new SMFM guidance on acetaminophen in pregnancy, ACOG's break from federal vaccine recommendations, and our coverage of SLEEP 2026 in Baltimore.

A single-center retrospective cohort study published in Pregnancy found that antibiotic administration after previable PPROM was associated with a 14.7-day increase in latency, along with higher rates of delivery beyond 22 0/7 weeks, lower intrauterine fetal demise, and improved neonatal survival to discharge.

"Given the high morbidity associated with CSEP and the increasing incidence of CSEP and PAS, patients with prior cesarean delivery should have imaging (either by a specialist familiar with the diagnosis of CSEP or a formal radiology ultrasound) as early as possible in pregnancy, when treatment is safest with the lowest risk of complications," write the authors.

Nishita Pondugula, MD, MS, explains her session surrounding associations of gestational weight gain and hypertensive pregnancy disorders with prepregnancy GLP-1 exposure.

For the first time, ACOG has released its own version of vaccine recommendations, ones that differ from CDC recommendations.

Published in Pregnancy, a single-center 20-year study of gastroschisis deliveries found that ultrasound-based bowel concern as a sole indication for delivery did not improve neonatal outcomes.

Bladder symptoms in patients seeing ob-gyns require a multifactorial evaluation framework that builds patient timelines across medications, hormonal changes, pelvic floor function, and environmental exposures, whereas counseling on microplastic exposure during pregnancy should emphasize practical, evidence-based reduction strategies rather than fear, according to Aleece Fosnight, MSPAS, PA-C.

Aiming to address high maternal mortality rates and close the drug development gap for the 90% of pregnant patients using medications, SMFM's ongoing campaign highlights the vital role of perinatologists in managing high-risk pregnancies.

An updated consensus statement from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine confirms that acetaminophen remains the safest first-line treatment for pain and fever during pregnancy.

For patients who express hesitancy about receiving multiple vaccines at once, Sonneveld pointed to the layered reassurance the evidence base now provides.

States with abortion restrictions saw increased expectant management and reliance on less effective treatment regimens for spontaneous abortion.

Early postpartum visits were associated with a 44% reduction in acute care use among patients with SUD, regardless of care model.

A secondary analysis found that reduced time in target glucose range during labor was associated with increased adverse neonatal outcomes in gestational diabetes.

After adjusting for the mother's mental health, a new meta-analysis found no significant association between common antidepressant use in pregnancy and autism or ADHD in chidlren.

Mifepristone via mail order and telehealth may continue after a Supreme Court ruling kept access in place while a lawsuit progresses.

A randomized clinical trial of 143 childbearing physicians found that a package including smart technology and mentorship significantly limited the rise of postpartum burnout.

“For families facing the fear of preterm birth, the absence of effective treatments for microbiome imbalance in the reproductive tract is devastating,” said Lynne Sykes, MD.

“The data show that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is an effective way to protect infants from a serious disease at a time when they are most at risk," said Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH.

Members of the BillionToOne team joined us at ACOG to discuss the launch of the new Unity Confirm fetal cell-based test for confirmation of high-risk prenatal screening results.

The FDA released final guidance on post-approval pregnancy safety studies to improve how clinicians evaluate the risks of drugs and biologics during pregnancy.

According to Erick Holder, MD, AI tools can help combat medical misinformation by directing patients toward scientific research and board-certified specialists.