Wellness

China's birth rate has hit a record low in 2025, deepening a demographic crisis. Births dropped to 5.6 per 1,000 people in 2025, down from 6.4 in 2023, the lowest on record, according to Wind Information data dating to the 1950s. About 7.9 million babies were born last year, sharply fewer than 9.5 million a [...]

Women in the UK are being failed by a "dangerously underfunded and understaffed" postnatal care system, a new report has warned. Thousands of new mothers feel unsafe, unsupported and overwhelmed in the weeks and months after birth, according to the National Childbirth Trust (NCT). The report included a survey of 2,000 new and expectant parents [...]

Two designer perfumes have been recalled over a banned chemical linked to fertility risk and harm to unborn children. Hello by Lionel Richie and Hot by United Colours of Benetton, both sold by discount chain Savers Health and Beauty, have been recalled in a notice from the Office for Product Safety and Standards. The products [...]

Pregnant women exposed to 'forever chemicals' could be at greater risk of developing gestational diabetes, a recent study suggests. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are toxic chemicals that do not break down in the body, leaching from non-stick cookware, waterproof textiles and takeaway containers into food or via skin contact and building up in vital [...]

Clue, the women-led period and cycle tracker health and wellness app, has announced a significant and strategic investment from Verdane - the European specialist growth equity firm focused on technology-enabled businesses. The investment - which is a substantial contribution from Verdane's €2 billion growth fund - is the single largest investment in Clue to date [...]

The war in Gaza has undermined maternal health and caused a surge in preventable deaths among pregnant women and newborns, a report finds. The research documents widespread malnutrition, destroyed services and restrictions on food and medical supplies that clinicians say have devastated women’s ability to conceive, carry and give birth safely. The report was produced [...]

Higher maternal blood pressure is linked to more pregnancy complications, a large genetic study of over 700,000 pregnant women has found. Helping women to keep their blood pressure at normal levels could reduce their risk of experiencing pregnancy complications, the researchers concluded. Fernanda Morales-Berstein is research associate and lead author. Morales-Berstein said: "Our [...]

Researchers have identified a potential treatment target for triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of breast cancer. The study found that PUF60 helps cancer cells grow and survive by controlling how key genes are spliced (the editing of genetic instructions before proteins are made). In models of triple-negative breast cancer, disrupting PUF60 caused widespread [...]

Police-related stress is linked to markers of cardiovascular risk in Black women in the US, a study suggests. The research found the association was most pronounced for Black women concerned about potential interactions between their children and police. The study recruited 422 Black women aged 30 to 46 in the US and measured [...]

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has proposed age-based thresholds for ovarian cancer screening to help identify women at higher risk earlier. Previously, testing has used a blood test for cancer antigen 125 (CA125), a protein marker linked to ovarian cancer, with women showing 35 IU/mL or above referred for checks regardless [...]