The abortion rate has dropped for the second year running in England and Wales, statistics show. But experts said it was still too early to say whether there was a downward trend. The total number of abortions was 189,100 in 2009 – a rate of 17.5 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44,...

Mothers-to-be think their own mothers know better than the medical profession when it comes to health advice, researchers say. A University of London team talked to women who gave birth in the 1970s, 1980s and the 2000s. Modern women were more likely to take a mixture of advice – but...

People in the UK have a higher risk of early death than those in many other wealthy countries, a study shows. While deaths before the age of 60 in the UK have nearly halved in the past 40 years, the rate for women is still similar to Slovenia and Albania. Experts said the large inequality...

Babies born before 24 weeks are spending longer periods in intensive care but their overall survival rates have not improved, a study has found. Newcastle doctors say while more babies over 24 weeks do now live, the longer-term rates for infants just a week younger are static. About 20% of...

Schools Secretary Ed Balls has defended the government’s record on teenage pregnancies, as new data is likely to show a key target will be missed. Mr Balls said he expected statistics to show that the rate of teenage pregnancies is now the lowest it has been for well over a decade. But...