pregnancy

A multistate surrogacy controversy — involving Alaska, California and Texas — could have far-reaching implications. One medical ethics expert said the case highlights the flaws and weaknesses around surrogacy agreements that pose dozens of unanswered questions.

A surrogate who gave birth in Texas to a California couple's child is embroiled in a legal battle. She gave birth to a boy with a severe birth defect Wednesday and is attempting to gain custody of the child.

A surrogate who went to Texas after a dispute with a California couple over treating a severe birth defect has given birth a day after a judge in Texas ordered a hospital to provide life-sustaining care. The surrogate mother, McKenna West, alleges in legal filings that the California couple for whom she was carrying the child pressured her to get an abortion after learning the fetus had a severe heart defect.

An Alaskan surrogate has traveled to Texas for legal protection after a California couple has refused treatment for a severe heart condition.

State data shows more than 40,000 pregnant Texans waited more than a month for the state to process their Medicaid applications — with more than half waiting more than 60 days. An advocacy group said delays in applications getting processed can combine with issues getting appointments and can lead to delayed prenatal care.

Darisbell Paola Quintero Morillo has been detained at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado for the last three weeks. She found out she was pregnant during a medical exam while in custody and said she isn't receiving adequate care in detention.

A North Texas dental expert explains the importance of good oral health during pregnancy, and how it can matter during the life of the child.

Dallas Regional Medical Center confirms the staff member in the viral TikTok of a Black woman in labor is no longer employed, but doesn't specify how she left.

Dallas County has received more federal support to address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. Dallas County Health and Human Services will have more than $300,000 in additional funding for its Healthy Start program.

Abortion is legal in Texas only when the life of the mother or a “major bodily function” is at risk. Doctors, who could face prison time for performing an abortion, have been seeking clarification on the exception.

“Now that we have this coverage, what do we do to make sure women can get it?,” one health advocate said.

Mothers were reported after they were given medications used routinely for pain or in epidurals, to reduce anxiety or to manage blood pressure during cesarean sections.