maternal health

Black and Native American women die of pregnancy-related causes at a higher rate than white women. Researchers say the gaps are driven by unequal access to health care and the experience of racism.

Pregnant women in prison face difficult circumstances, and data on their pregnancies has been scarce. New research lays the groundwork for addressing this neglected public health issue.

Postpartum depression hits low-income women especially hard. Will a promising new drug, Zulresso, become affordable and accessible enough to help them?

A tiny fraction of American women choose home birth, but that number is inching up. And in some social circles it's downright trendy. One pregnant woman investigates the pros and cons.

American women are more likely to die from preventable childbirth complications than women in other developed countries. A group of obstetricians says hospitals can do a lot to change this.

As a woman ages, choosing when to try for a second or third child means weighing fertility odds against the risks of getting pregnant again too soon. A new study provides more data to help decide.

A report in The Lancet says the rate of cesarean sections has tripled globally since 1990. In some hospitals, more than 70 percent of births occur by C-section, putting moms and babies at risk.

There's no benefit to delaying pushing after receiving epidural anesthesia and reaching full dilation. A delay increases the risk of complications, particularly for the mother, a large study finds.

Preterm birth, a leading cause of death in infants, remains stubbornly hard to prevent. Researchers are on the hunt for a better understanding of what causes it and better ways to diagnose risk.

Doctors want to remind moms to get certain vaccines while pregnant. Whooping cough in particular can be deadly for newborns, but only about 50 percent of pregnant women get the vaccine.

Josephine Majani passed out searching for help as she delivered her baby on a the floor of a hospital in Kenya. She hopes her case will push for reforms in treatment of women during childbirth.