Adding folic acid to tortillas and other products can reduce the risk for birth defects, says a new petition recently filed with a federal agency.  A petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argues that fortifying corn masa flour products with the B vitamin folic acid can help reduce serious birth defects of the brain and spine. The groups behind the petition believe that mandating folic acid fortification of the products will especially help prevent birth defects in one high-risk group: Hispanic babies. Since 1998, when the FDA started regulating folic a...

Every pregnant mom wants to receive quality care from doctors and nurses. According to a new study, delivering your baby at a hospital that’s recognized for nursing excellence can impact your baby’s health. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing studied more than 72,000 very low-birth-weight ( VLBW ) infants (less than 3.3 pounds at birth).   They found that that babies born at hospitals recognized for nursing excellence ( RNE ) were less likely to suffer certain complications, compared to babies at hospitals that haven’t been recognized for nursing...

You're nine months pregnant and ready to pop - but the due date is still a few weeks away. What do you do if your water breaks early?

It may not just be chicken nuggets and french fries adding too much weight to children's waistlines. The very air pregnant women breathe might play a small role too.

If you think being just a little overweight won't present problems for your pregnancy, think again. Addressing your weight could mean a safer delivery for you and your baby.

The insulin drug Levemir , whose generic name is detemir , has been moved from a riskier category of medications for pregnant women to a less risky category by the FDA.

At last, a response to elders who complain about walking barefoot in the snow uphill both ways to school: women giving birth today suffer through longer labors than women of yesteryear.

The doctor many women know best - and see most often is their OB/ GYN . So, your OB/ GYN may be the best person to screen you for cardiovascular risk factors along with your annual exam.

Much is still uncertain about what drugs are safe while pregnant, so deciding what to take or avoid may require a tradeoff. Such may be the case for a common group of antidepressants.