Top in women's health: New HIPAA rule; pollution tied to cerebral palsy in offspring

Law enforcement is prevented from obtaining reproductive care medical records of patients in states where abortion is restricted, according to a new HIPAA privacy rule.

The HHS rule is receiving attention because it depends on clinicians to determine whether an abortion was done lawfully, potentially closing a privacy loophole for patients who travel to other states for an abortion and shielding their records from the eyes of law enforcement. However, the rule may be challenging to implement.

Healio spoke with Carmel Shachar, JD, MPH, assistant clinical professor of law and faculty director of the Health Law and Policy Clinic at the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation at Harvard Law School, about how the new privacy rule affects pregnant patients, clinicians and health care organizations, which patients remain unprotected and why, and what legal challenges to the rule may lie ahead.

It was the top story in women’s health last week.

Another top story was about the ties between prenatal air pollution exposure and the increased risk for cerebral palsy in children, particularly among male infants.

Read these and more top stories in women’s health below:

New reproductive privacy rule could bring challenges for clinicians

In June, HHS finalized a HIPAA privacy rule to prevent law enforcement in abortion-restrictive states from obtaining reproductive care medical records to prosecute patients and physicians. Read more.

Prenatal air pollution exposure tied to increased risk for cerebral palsy

Prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with increased risk for children developing cerebral palsy, according to cohort study results published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.

More than heavy weights: Resistance training may hold big benefits for pregnant women

Pregnant women seeking an exercise routine that can potentially alleviate some pregnancy symptoms and improve delivery outcomes might be surprised to learn that resistance training, performed with guidance, could be an easy option. Healio spoke with Rachel Tinius, PhD, ACSM-CEP, associate professor of exercise science at Western Kentucky University and the CEO of BumptUp Labs Inc., about the lack of guidance available for resistance training during pregnancy, the potential health benefits for both the pregnant person and fetus and simple exercises for anyone who wants to get started. Read more.

Brigham and Women’s ranked No. 1 in US for OB/GYN care

Brigham and Women’s Hospital was named the top hospital in the United States for OB/GYN care, according to the 2024-2025 Best Hospitals rankings by U.S. News & World Report. This is the third straight year that Brigham and Women’s Hospital has been ranked No. 1 in OB/GYN care. Read more.

Longer interpregnancy intervals tied to gestational diabetes risk in later pregnancy

Interpregnancy intervals of 24 months or longer were associated with higher risk for gestational diabetes in later pregnancies, independent of maternal age, researchers reported in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. Read more.