pregnancy and childbirth Archive

September 14, 2017

Teamwork key to saving heart patient and her baby

As people in Middle Tennessee were experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Harvey during the early hours of Sept. 1, Catherine Hurt was battling another storm of her own.

By Jessica Pasley
September 7, 2017

Labor and Delivery unit set for major renovation

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Center for Women’s Health recently announced plans for a $6 million renovation of its Labor and Delivery suites and postpartum rooms.

By Jessica Pasley
June 13, 2017

VUMC study shows cesarean patients sent home from hospital with more narcotic pain medications than needed

Most women who undergo a cesarean childbirth are prescribed more opioid (narcotic) pain medications than needed upon release from the hospital, a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study shows.

By Nancy Humphrey
pensive pregnant african american woman at home
June 7, 2017

Vanderbilt-led study disputes link between uterine fibroids and miscarriage risk

A 10-year study, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Katherine Hartmann, M.D., Ph.D., disrupts conventional wisdom that uterine fibroids cause miscarriages.

By Jessica Pasley
May 11, 2017

Hepatitis C infections among pregnant women increasing

Hepatitis C infections among pregnant women nearly doubled from 2009-2014, likely a consequence of the country’s increasing opioid epidemic that is disproportionately affecting rural areas of states including Tennessee and West Virginia.

By Craig Boerner
happy woman with pregnancy test stick
March 9, 2017

Study explores alcohol use patterns in early pregnancy

The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update recommending that women who are pregnant or could become pregnant abstain from alcohol use prompted a Vanderbilt professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and her team to explore the patterns of alcohol use in early pregnancy.

By Jessica Pasley
February 21, 2017

Laughing gas for labor

Although nitrous oxide was less effective than epidural anesthesia for pain management during labor, mothers who used nitrous oxide were equally satisfied with their childbirth experience.
By Sanjay Mishra
February 16, 2017

Protocol standardizes care for pregnant women on opiates

Complications related to opioid abuse occur in 54,000 pregnancies annually in the United States, and Tennessee ranks among the top 10 states in the number of opioid-dependent pregnant women.
By VUMC News and Communications
June 3, 2016

Pregnancy-related heart disorder clues

Vanderbilt researchers have identified biomarkers that could be useful for evaluating and treating pregnancy-related heart failure.
By Yan Su
May 24, 2016

Vanderbilt expert addresses Zika-related concerns for women who are, or want to become, pregnant

With summer time approaching and the topic of mosquitoes abuzz, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist Sarah Osmundson, M.D., has a few recommendations for women who are pregnant or want to become pregnant.
By Jessica Pasley
February 9, 2016

Therapies to prevent preterm birth

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a high-throughput assay that will aid in identifying new compounds to treat preterm labor or postpartum bleeding.
By Leigh MacMillan
October 30, 2015

Prenatal folic acid and asthma

The timing of folic acid-containing prescription filling during pregnancy was associated with childhood asthma, according to a new Vanderbilt study.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 20, 2015

Preventing early pregnancy complications

The enzyme alkaline phosphatase may provide a new therapeutic option for women at high risk of pregnancy complications due to bacterial toxin exposure.
By Leigh MacMillan