Ed Miliband accuses Tories of trying to ‘fund NHS on an IOU’
Labour leader promises to provide 3,000 extra midwives as he lambasts George Osborne’s pledge of an extra £8bn a year for health service
Caesarean sections should only be done out of medical necessity, WHO says
World Health Organisation says procedure carries health risks, but does not improve mortality rates in countries where high numbers are performed
My mother, the alcoholic: living with foetal alcohol syndrome
Should heavy drinking in pregnancy be a crime? A recent test case in the UK was thrown out, but in the US hundreds of women have been imprisoned. We meet women and children affected by foetal alcohol syndrome
A handy guide for pregnant women when dealing with idiots
Ever had a stranger manhandle your bump? Did a random person at a party decide to monitor your alcohol intake? Here’s how to cope with such behaviour
Female embryos more likely to die in pregnancy than males, study claims
Analysis of 140,000 embryos contradicts belief that male babies are more vulnerable and suggests mortality rate for females is higher overall
Pregnant migrants ‘deterred from seeking antenatal care by potential cost’
Report by Doctors of the World UK says deterrent can lead to complex problems in childbirth which may have been avoided if treatment had been sought earlier
Women have the right to prenatal genetic testing – and to choose abortion
Many chromosomal abnormalities can be detected early on in the gestation period. But women who test for them often face judgement
Antibiotic used in pregnancy linked to risk of epilepsy and cerebral palsy
Children of mothers prescribed macrolide antibiotics may be more likely to be affected by the conditions
The cult of natural childbirth has gone too far
A report condemning midwife ‘musketeers’ of Morecambe Bay brought back memories of my own emergency caesarean. Being bullied into a natural birth is not what I call feminism
Should I have more saunas?
Research in Finland shows that regular saunas considerably decrease the risk of heart disease in men. Yet saunas in this country often warn those with a heart condition not to use them