Here's something expectant parents won't be thrilled to hear: Women now spend significantly longer in labor than they did 50 years ago. That's according to a new study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health of nearly 140,000 deliveries.

A major manufacturer of the transvaginal mesh implants that we warned about in our recent report on unsafe medical devices is voluntarily halting marketing of four of the products. In a letter to judges overseeing multiple patient lawsuits in West Virginia and New Jersey, Johnson & Johnson said its Ethicon division will "cease commercialization" of the implants within 120 days. The devices are implanted to correct pelvic organ prolapse, a condition affecting women in which the bladder and uterus drop from their normal positions.

Sandoz has recalled 10 lots of its generic oral contraceptive Introvale after package flaws were reported that could leave women at risk for unintended pregnancy. Within the blister packaging, the placebo tablets are potentially in the wrong order.

Each year, 12 percent of American babies, or nearly half a million infants, enter the world too soon. That gives us a premature birth rate on par with that of Somalia, Thailand, and Turkey, and behind 130 other countries.

The rates of both cesarean sections and childhood obesity have risen steadily in the U.S. over the last couple of decades. Now, a surprising new study suggests the two trends may be linked.

Any bike helmet is better than riding with no helmet. But when you're paying $50 or $60 for one, you'd like to think that it's going to protect your head if you crash into a curb, a rock, or the ground, right?

Coming soon to a store near you: sunscreens with labels that are easier to understand. The Food and Drug Administration plans to give manufacturers until mid-December to make all the changes, but many products already have the new labeling. Here are some of the biggest changes, which will also apply to moisturizers and cosmetic products that contain a sun-protection factor (SPF):

Q. I thought I had completed my family, and was confident of never getting pregnant again because I had an IUD. So we bought an individual family plan from Blue Shield of California that excludes pregnancy. But I got pregnant anyway. I asked to be moved to a plan that covers pregnancy, and was denied because of my "pre-existing condition." Is this legit?

Many women with incontinence are likely better off trying lifestyle changes first--such as cutting back on caffeinated beverages, along with bladder-training exercises--before turning to a drug, according to an analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine released today.

About 10 percent of the U.S. population has nutritional deficiencies--mostly for vitamins B6, D, and iron--according to a report released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even as the rates of some cancers are falling, the Mayo Clinic is seeing a dramatic rise in skin cancer among people under age 40.

Death rates from all cancers combined decreased from 1999 to 2008 among men and women in most racial and ethnic groups, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, from the nation's leading cancer organizations.

The Food and Drug Administration this week approved three generic formulations of the osteoporosis drug, Boniva (ibandronate). Although these generic versions will eventually be less expensive than the brand-name medication, we recommend caution with this class of drugs, known as bisphosphonates. They offer only modest benefits at best, and come with a risk of serious side effects.

Today marks Barbie’s 53rd birthday. While women all across the country would like to think that we’ve evolved from the standards of the 1950s, in many ways we’re still striving to achieve the unrealistic hourglass proportions symbolized by this tiny iconic figure.

Glenmark Generics has recalled seven lots of its generic birth control pills Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol, because in some blister packs the weekly tablet orientation is reversed, putting the pills in the wrong order.