Obese mice that exercised while pregnant gave birth to pups that grew up free of the metabolic issues present in the adult young of sedentary obese mothers—possibly by staving off epigenetic changes to a key metabolic gene.

Soranus of Ephesus’s manual shaped the way midwifery was practiced for more than a millennium.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

Scientists are banking various samples from recipients of donated uteruses to learn all they can about the biology of the organ, and about transplantation more generally.

By measuring various pollutants in the immediate vicinity of pregnant women and tracking brain development of their children, researchers in Barcelona aim to untangle any influence the former has on the latter.

Genes associated with preterm birth and protecting the fetus from the mother’s immune system appear to be regulated by HAND2.

For too long, a physiological inability to conceive or carry a child through to birth has been seen as a minor medical issue.

In her current work, the University of Southern California psychologist is examining how the transition to fatherhood affects men’s brains.

Hearing others’ perspectives on infertility and pregnancy has me reconsidering my own reproductive journey.

High altitude is a natural laboratory for investigating pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and gestational hypertension that restrict a fetus’s oxygen supply.

Work in rodents shows that the bacteria living in a mother’s gut can produce immunomodulatory metabolites and influence the production of maternal antibodies—both of which can affect her offspring’s development.

Bacteria in the gut influence the production of antibodies and themselves secrete metabolites. In a pregnant woman, these compounds may influence immune development of her fetus.

Researchers propose a mechanism by which a protein produced in the placenta may trigger blood vessel growth and enlarge fat cells.

With human research trials resulting in dozens of successful deliveries in the US and abroad, doctors move toward offering the surgery clinically, while working to learn all they can about uterine and transplant biology from the still-rare procedure.

CRISPR and other innovations are likely to open up a wealth of new options for how people have children.

Meet some of the people featured in the August 2021 issue of The Scientist.

The organizers behind a Mothers in Science conference say that it’s time academia provide more support to researchers who are pregnant or looking after children.

Not only is the humble fluid a boon for keeping humans cool, it also contains a wealth of biological information.

A broad and nimble sequencing program is necessary to track, anticipate, and quash SARS-CoV-2 and other dangerous pathogens that threaten humanity.