#Maternalhealth

The U.S. has witnessed a dramatic 27% rise in maternal mortality over the past five years, a development described as “an urgent public health priority” in a recent study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This troubling statistic emerges even as funding for maternal and child health research has faced severe cuts. The implications of these findings extend beyond the U.S., serving as a critical warning for countries like Thailand, where maternal health remains a top priority as part of national and global health initiatives.

In a groundbreaking study published in The Lancet, Chinese researchers have unveiled a significant association between maternal diabetes during pregnancy and an elevated risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD in children. This extensive meta-analysis evaluated 202 studies encompassing over 56 million pregnancies. It reveals that diligent monitoring of blood sugar levels throughout pregnancy could be crucial in mitigating these risks, underscoring a vital public health message for expecting mothers.

A comprehensive meta-analysis published in a leading medical journal reveals a notable association between maternal diabetes during pregnancy and a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, including autism and ADHD. The large study pooled data from hundreds of studies and millions of pregnancies, emphasizing the importance of diligent blood sugar monitoring for expectant mothers to improve outcomes for babies.

Researchers distinguished between gestational diabetes, which arises during pregnancy, and pre-gestational diabetes, in which the mother already has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The analysis found about a one-quarter to one-third increase in neurodevelopmental risks for children born to mothers with diabetes, even after adjusting for factors such as weight and socioeconomic status. The elevated risk was more pronounced for women with pre-existing diabetes than for those who develop gestational diabetes.

A new study from a leading medical research center explains why many new mothers may prefer cooler surroundings after childbirth. Although conducted in mice, the research offers insight into how pregnancy and birth can alter temperature regulation. The findings could deepen understanding of maternal physiology for Thai readers and beyond.

Published in Molecular Metabolism, the study shows postpartum female mice develop a clear preference for cooler settings for more than four weeks after weaning. The researchers pinpoint neural changes in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) neurons in the brain’s preoptic area as key drivers of this shift. In postpartum mice, these neurons become less responsive to warmth and more responsive to cold, reshaping environmental preferences.