birth

Health news

This ‘artificial womb’ could save the lives of very premature babies

By mimicking the maternal womb, doctors hope to extend the fetal stage of development, improving health outcomes later in life.

22/12/2025

Health news

China's new 'condom tax' prompts scepticism, fear over health risks

Experts are concerned over potential increases in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases due to higher costs for contraceptives.

12/12/2025

Health news

Deaths in pregnancy and childbirth have plummeted. Here’s why

There were about 260,000 maternal deaths in 2023, down 41 per cent from the turn of the century.

04/11/2025

Health news

Risk of psychosis is higher in the weeks after childbirth, study finds

Poor mental health linked to pregnancy and childbirth can affect women’s health in the long term.

26/09/2025

Health news

How women's gut health could affect their risk of preterm birth

The study was based on data from more than 5,000 pregnant women in China.

11/09/2025

Healthcare

CT scans may raise pregnancy risks, study finds

More studies are needed to confirm whether the higher risks are due to the scans or to the suspected health issues that prompt people to get them.

09/09/2025

Health news

Healthy babies born in UK using DNA from three people

The births mark a milestone in reproductive science - and a potential lifeline for families with a history of mitochondrial disorders.

17/07/2025

Europe News

Belgian donor scandal sees man with cancer gene conceive 52 children

The Belgian government is pushing forward with efforts to get rid of the anonymity of sperm donors after it transpired that a Danish sperm donor with an inherited cancer mutation had conceived 52 children in the western European country.

03/06/2025

Health news

Woman gives birth after UK’s first womb transplant

The woman received a womb transplant from her sister in 2023, becoming the first in the UK to undergo the procedure.

08/04/2025

Europe in Motion

EU records lowest births in 2023 in over a decade

Experts believe the decline in birth rate may be driven by factors such as concerns over climate change, the pandemic, and the highest inflation surge in a generation.

05/12/2024

Europe News

Extended parental leave in Portugal faces delays until at least 2025

Under the new proposal, the current four-month fully paid leave could be extended to six months, and five-month leave at 80% pay could increase to seven months.

11/11/2024

Health news

How do European countries compare on same-sex family planning rules?

The new Italian law restricting overseas travel for surrogacy services goes further than other countries, but same-sex couples face family planning hurdles across Europe.

17/10/2024

Europe News

Greece confronts disastrously low birth rate in Aegean Islands

At 1.3 babies per woman, Greece's fertility rate is among Europe's lowest — and well below the threshold for population growth.

09/10/2024

Health news

Any smoking before or during pregnancy is unsafe, study shows

Light smoking is also tied to poor birth outcomes, even if the mother quits during pregnancy.

21/08/2024

Health news

Study finds air pollution reduces IVF success

Being exposed to air pollution around the time of egg retrieval can significantly curb the odds of a successful transfer through in vitro fertilisation (IVF), a new study has found.

08/07/2024

Health news

Pope tells Italians they need to have more babies

Italy’s birth rate, already one of the lowest in the world, has been falling steadily for about 15 years and reached a record low last year.

10/05/2024