Welcome back to Owning Space Women’s Health Weekly, your short-form catch-up on some of the latest research, news and developments shaping women’s health.
This week, I’m looking at new research into paracetamol use during pregnancy and reproductive development in daughters, what we’re learning about the female brain through menopause, the research gaps that still exist around women’s neurological health, and a new study exploring unmet breastfeeding goals and the support women receive after birth.
IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE
- Paracetamol use during pregnancy and reproductive development
- Brain changes across menopause
- Gaps in research around menopause and neurological health
- Unmet breastfeeding goals and support after birth
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As always, all research and sources referenced in the episode are linked below if you’d like to read more about any of these topics.
RESEARCH & FURTHER READING
Paracetamol in pregnancy & reproductive developmentHuman Reproduction Open – research examining prenatal paracetamol exposure and reproductive development in
infant girls
https://doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoag073
Female brain changes across puberty, pregnancy & menopauseNature Communications – research using MRI data to examine structural brain changes across major female hormonal
transitions.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-76755-2
Menopause & neurological healthNature Reviews Neurology – a research roadmap examining how menopause may affect brain health and neurological conditions, and highlighting major gaps in the evidence base. The review notes that around two-thirds of women report cognitive concerns during the menopausal transition.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-026-01244-5
Breastfeeding goals after full-term birthJAMA Network Open – Met and Unmet Breastfeeding Goals Following Full-Term Deliveries. In the study sample, 40.3% of participants who had stopped breastfeeding had not met the goal they set during pregnancy, and unmet goals were associated with breastfeeding difficulties and less helpful support.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2853807
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