Consultant

Maternity wards in England are shutting their doors more than 1,000 times a year due to a lack of capacity and staff shortages, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Units in some NHS trusts are closing every other day.

Shortages of midwifes, consultants and anaesthetists as well as a lack of beds were cited as the main reasons for the closures.

The data suggests that at least 2,370 closures took place during the last two years.

Mothers who undergo weight-loss surgery are less likely to have obese children because it affects the baby's genes in the womb, according to new research.

It has been known for some time that obese mothers tend to have overweight children, but until now it was thought to be solely linked to lifestyle factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise.

But the new study discovered that children born to mothers who underwent weight-loss surgery possessed genes that worked differently to their older siblings who were born before the mother underwent the procedure.

Tests suggest that hydrogen-sulfide can help prevent women at risk of pre-eclampsia from developing the condition.

Scientists found that the gas can help block the release of two chemicals that increase blood pressure in mothers, which can play a role in the development of the condition.

Aston University researchers believe that if used safely in the form of a drug, the gas could make up for its shortfall in some women and help them maintain a healthy blood flow to the placenta.