Women’s Health Archive

pregnant belly
April 10, 2026

Weekly buprenorphine injection proves more effective for pregnant women with opioid use disorder

Vanderbilt Health’s Firefly program continues to lead the way in caring for pregnant women with substance use disorder.

By Jessica Pasley
March 6, 2026

A Clarksville nurse’s delivery became a race against time, and two lives were saved

Ariel Chavis felt everything going wrong as she delivered her daughter. But attentive nurses and surgeons ensured she and her baby made it through. 

By Evan Dorian
October 24, 2025

VUMC, Tennessee Donor Services celebrate birth tissue donation partnership

Membranes and cellular components of the umbilical cord and placenta are used across many medical disciplines.

By Danny Bonvissuto
October 21, 2025

From steakhouse to sanctuary: Vanderbilt Birth Center celebrates 10 years

More than 2,792 babies have been born in the freestanding, midwifery-led facility dedicated to low-risk, unmedicated birth experiences.

By Danny Bonvissuto
Alexandra Sundermann, MD, PhD, poses for a photo with an ultrasound machine. (photo by Donn Jones)
August 29, 2025

Discrepancies in gestational dating can inform miscarriage risk: study

Investigators measured whether gestational dating determined by ultrasound lagged what the last menstrual period predicted. The bigger the lag, the higher risk of the pregnancy ending in a loss, they found.

By Bill Snyder
July 21, 2025

Jonesborough nurse’s heart attack-pregnancy journey leads to Vanderbilt Women’s Heart Center

Her care illustrates the multidisciplinary expertise of the Vanderbilt Women’s Heart Center, Cardiac OB/High-Risk Pregnancy Team and maternal-fetal medicine specialists.

By Matt Batcheldor
June 16, 2025

From stadium to stents, quick response saves soccer fan

When her evening pivoted from cheering for Nashville Soccer Club to suffering a heart attack, well-coordinated teams kept Leigh Anne Clark’s heart and life safe.
By Jill Clendening
April 10, 2025

Celebration of Motherhood was a life-changing experience for one expectant mother and her baby

The community event on Saturday, April 12, celebrates the courage and beauty of motherhood.
By Danny Bonvissuto
April 2, 2025

New gene discoveries target uterine fibroids

The research is another step toward development of targeted therapies aimed at reducing the incidence and medical burden of this common condition.
By Bill Snyder
March 4, 2025

‘That’s the most scared I’ve been:’ 23 weeks pregnant with a heart condition.

Heather Burich had just driven to Clarksville after an appointment on Vanderbilt Health's Nashville campus when she got a call from a doctor she was yet to meet. The news about her echocardiogram results was alarming.
By Matt Batcheldor
November 14, 2024

VUMC receives $3.3 million ARPA-H award to develop at-home therapy for preterm labor

This project will be the first to apply drug conjugates in the field of obstetrics.
By Danny Bonvissuto
October 22, 2024

VUMC, Nigeria teaching hospital to study genetic risk of fibroids based on regional African ancestry

The research team will analyze existing genome-wide association study data and RNA sequencing to compare fibroid development patterns in Nigerian women and U.S. Black women, which could point to targeted therapies and management strategies for affected women.
By Kristin Centers
October 18, 2024

Curbing late-stage breast cancer diagnosis: Innovative mobile diagnostic kit aims to improve early detection in Uganda

An international team of experts, including the Uganda Cancer Institute, is developing a groundbreaking mobile breast cancer diagnostic kit to enhance early detection in Uganda, where 70% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage.
By Kristin Centers