FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Couples made up of one Asian and one white partner may face an increased risk of gestational diabetes and a higher risk of Caesarean delivery, say researchers at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

(HealthDay News) -- Having asthma doesn't necessarily mean an unhealthy pregnancy. The key is to control symptoms and prevent attacks.

The University of Virginia Medical Center offers these suggestions for asthmatic women who are pregnant:

* Avoid anything that triggers asthma symptoms, such as tobacco smoke or pet dander.
* As prescribed by your doctor, keep taking your asthma medications throughout your pregnancy.
* Keep exercise moderate. If you have exercise-induced asthma, use your asthma medication. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Women with a history of dieting or other practices that restrict their eating habits may be more vulnerable to gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy, a new study finds.

MONDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Greater maternal consumption of fish and longer periods of breast-feeding are tied to better physical and cognitive development in infants, according to a new study.

The report, which looked at mothers and infants from Denmark, provides further evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and compounds in breast milk aid infant development.

TUESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Abortions in the United States fell 33 percent between 1974 and 2004, but sizeable differences among racial and economic groups continue to exist as to who gets an abortion, a new report says.

While the number of abortions among teens has also dropped dramatically, down 50 percent, abortion rates are still high among older women with children and poor women, according to the report from the Guttmacher Institute.

Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- High daily doses of calcium supplements may reduce lead levels in the blood of pregnant women and cut down on fetal and infant exposure, a new report suggests.

The study, published online in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that women who take 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily have up to a 31 percent reduction in lead levels.

Women who used lead-glazed ceramics or with high bone lead levels showed the largest reductions, while the average reduction was about 11 percent.

Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Not only do antibiotics not help pregnant women experiencing premature labor without ruptured membranes and no sign of infection, they may increase the risk of cerebral palsy in some children.

Two new studies followed children whose mothers had taken antibiotics at the end of their pregnancies. The children were followed up to the age of 7.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- A flu shot provided to a woman during her pregnancy can help shield her newborn against the potentially deadly infection, researchers report.

The study, conducted in Bangladesh, bolsters longstanding U.S. recommendations that pregnant women get vaccinated against influenza -- especially since it is also recommended that infants under 6 months of age not receive the shot.

Legislation implemented by Congress last year has unintentionally beefed up the cost of birth control at colleges and universities throughout the country.

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 was a legislation intended to affect Medicaid alone. However, the passing of this act prevented schools from purchasing birth control from pharmaceutical companies at a reduced price.

Now Congress has a new legislation on the table aimed at reversing the increased prescriptions costs for students – Prevention Through Affordable Access.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Bacterial infections may be an overlooked cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), an Australian study suggests.

The research examined post-mortem reports on 130 babies who died of SIDS, 32 who died suddenly as a result of infection, and 33 who died of non-infectious causes.