It is already known that drinking during pregnancy can affect the growing baby's brain and development. But different amounts of alcohol drunk at different times in a pregnancy may have different effects.

Medicine has advanced considerably in the care of babies born extremely early. However, these babies are still at high risk for long-term problems, and every extra week counts.

Autism runs in families, past research has shown. But even when a family risk is known, children are not usually diagnosed with autism until they are toddlers.

Deciding whether to take medication while pregnant can be a tough decision. It becomes tougher when the risks and benefits are not always clear, such as with mental health medications.

There is no known single cause for autism. However, certain diseases or medications during pregnancy have been linked to autism. One culprit may be a medication used to treat epilepsy.

Some mental disorders are linked to specific genes. But that does not mean a person with a certain gene is destined to develop that disorder. Healthy practices may decrease the risk.

Mental illness often runs in families. Children are generally at a higher risk for a mental disorder if a parent has one. These patterns can show up very early in children's lives.

Pregnant women with depression have tough choices to make. Do they treat the depression with medication or skip the meds? How might either choice affect their baby?

So it's pretty clear that smoking while pregnant is a bad idea. But what if it's just those around you who are smoking? Does that affect unborn babies too? Possibly.

With the increase in cases of autism, researchers are constantly looking for possible causes of the condition. A new study looks at whether air pollution from traffic might play a role.