Epidurals given during labour are associated with decreased rates of breastfeeding, a study involving a University of Sydney researcher has found.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most dangerous region in the world for a baby to be born - with 1.16 million babies dying each year in the first 28 days of life - but six low-income African countries, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, have made significant progress in reducing deaths among newborn babies, according to a new report published today.

Measuring the amount of oxygen in the blood of a fetus during labor has no bearing on whether a Caesarean section is performed and does not affect the health of the newborn baby, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a multicenter study.