Birth rate panic is fueling a dangerous federal gamble with women’s reproductive health
Birth rates in the United States declined again in 2025, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 3.6 million births, a one percent drop from the previous year. The fertility rate now stands at 53.1 births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44, down 23 percent since 2007. The Trump […]
The Maternal Health Crisis Among Black Women deepens concern
The maternal health crisis among Black women in the United States remains one of the most persistent and troubling public health gaps in modern medicine. Despite advances in obstetric care and wider access to insurance coverage, outcomes have not improved evenly. Black women continue to face significantly higher risks during pregnancy and childbirth, revealing deep […]
Wild pregnancy is gaining ground and doctors are deeply concerned
A growing number of women across the United States are choosing to go through pregnancy and childbirth without any medical care, no prenatal visits, no ultrasounds, no screenings and no midwife support. Known as a wild pregnancy or unassisted pregnancy, the trend has moved from niche online communities into mainstream conversation, fueled in part by […]
Alysia Montaño’s powerful fight for pregnant athletes
When Alysia Montaño crossed the finish line at the 2014 USA Track and Field Championships with a flower tucked behind her ear and a baby bump that was impossible to miss, she wasn’t just racing. She was making a statement. The decorated 800 meter runner, who has won seven USA outdoor championships and broken the […]
The deadly truth about Black maternal health in the U.S.
In the wealthiest country in the world, dying from childbirth should be rare. Yet for Black women in the United States, pregnancy remains one of the most dangerous experiences of their lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 700 women die each year in the U.S. from pregnancy related complications and […]
Sunlight exposure via windows risks infant dehydration and puts newborns in unexpected danger
It is one of the most common pieces of informal advice new parents receive: if your baby has jaundice, put them near a sunny window. It sounds gentle, natural, and harmless. But a new study is pushing back on that practice firmly, finding that sunlight passing through home windows exposes newborns to radiation levels that […]
Loose skin after pregnancy is more common than you think
Nobody hands you a complete roadmap when dealing with pregnancy for the first time. The changes that follow childbirth, including what happens to your skin, are often discovered in real time and processed privately. Loose skin around the midsection is one of the most common postpartum experiences, and yet it remains one of the least […]
Medications during pregnancy: what’s safe and what to skip
No medication is entirely without risk during pregnancy, but that does not mean all treatment is off the table. Many common symptoms require management, and some medications are well-studied enough that clinicians regularly recommend them. The trimester matters, the dosage matters, and for anything beyond the most basic over-the-counter options, a conversation with an OB-GYN […]