At the start of the pandemic, very little was known about how coronavirus might affect pregnancies. As more data came to light, though, it became clear that even if a woman caught COVID-19 while pregnant, the risk of stillbirth or low-weight baby was extremely low. But that’s not to say there are no risks. Indeed, a new study from Sweden found that a mother passed coronavirus to her baby in the womb and the virus seriously damaged the placenta. Thankfully, both mother and baby made a full recovery.

COVID has also changed how women give birth, where they give birth and who is present at the birth. All of these things have been extremely challenging, but midwife Alison Edwards argues that positive outcomes may emerge from this disruption, including pregnant women spending less time in hospital.

And still on the theme of giving birth, researchers may have solved the mystery of why the immune systems of breastfed babies are more robust than the immune systems of bottle-fed babies. It’s all down to special immune cells called regulatory T cells.

Meanwhile, if you’ve been feeling guilty about watching too much television during lockdown, don’t. It turns out that it can be good for you. But if you’re a keen social media user, spare a thought for what might happen to all the data you’ve created after you die, now that the technology exists to create a chatbot that could bring your digital persona back to life.

Contact us here to have your event listed.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here