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A study in mice has found that the bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in the mother’s gut during pregnancy supports healthy brain development in the fetus.

Dr Carmel McEniery is a Senior Research Associate in the Division of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics at the ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ and principal investigator on the ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ POPPY study into pre-eclampsia. She will be taking part in an event which will explore the puzzling relationship between pregnancy, pre-eclampsia and women’s long-term cardiovascular health.

A ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ-led study has shown why many women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy – and why some women, including the Duchess of ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ, become so sick they need to be admitted to hospital.

One in 200 newborns is admitted to a neonatal unit with sepsis caused by a bacteria commonly carried by their mothers – much greater than the previous estimate, say ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ researchers. The team has developed an ultra-sensitive test capable of better detecting the bacteria, as it is missed in the vast majority of cases.

¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ researchers have found that women who smoke during pregnancy are 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely compared to non-smokers – more than double the previous estimate.

Up to 3,500 first time mums are due to take part in a study led by ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ researchers to understand why some will develop pre-eclampsia and placental complications during pregnancy and whether it effects their long-term health.

A study in mice has found that fetuses use a copy of a gene inherited from their dad to force their mum to release as much nutrition as possible during pregnancy.

Autistic people are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety during pregnancy, according to new research from the ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ. The results are published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and have important implications for supporting autistic people during pregnancy.

Women who experience racial discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity, race or nationality are at increased risk of giving birth prematurely, according to a team led by researchers at the ¹ú¼ÊÃ×À¼¶ÔÕó¿ÆĪ.

Young people behaving responsibly in the 1960s helped to defeat fierce opposition to the UK’s first sexual health clinics, the Brook Advisory Centres, a new study argues.