The primary causes of female mortality often involve diseases related to oxidative stress. Dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) evaluates its antioxidant content and potential health effects. This study, registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024427784), explores the association between dietary TAC and women’s health outcomes, including endocrine conditions with gynecological implications, obstetric outcomes, gynecological conditions, and oncological diseases related to the female reproductive system. We conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, LILACS, and CINAHL for observational studies published up to February 2024 that explored the relationship between dietary TAC and these health conditions. Data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria (sample sizes: 64 to 3,209 women) and examined various conditions, including neoplasms (breast, endometrial, and ovarian), bacterial vaginosis, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pre-eclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), miscarriage, infertility, and inflammation and oxidative stress markers. The meta-analysis identified a significant association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC), measured in vitamin C equivalents, and breast cancer, revealing that women with the disease had a lower dietary TAC due to reduced antioxidant intake. Mixed results were found for endometrial cancer, while higher TAC levels were associated with a lower risk of PCOS and infertility. Among postmenopausal women, higher TAC correlated with fewer symptoms such as sleep issues and anxiety. In gestational conditions, higher dietary TAC was linked to a lower risk of miscarriage, GDM, and PE. Twelve of the nineteen studies demonstrated significant associations between dietary TAC and the outcomes of interest.

The incidence of congenital malformations (CM) among non-Hispanic White American (NHWA) mothers was reviewed to identify and evaluate the geographic differences in the most frequent CM subtypes associated with smoking and other risk factors. Data on CM were obtained from 150,775 children (2000-2004) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk factors associated with CM development were the mother’s age < 21 and > 35 years, body weight gain during pregnancy, anemia, diabetes mellitus, eclampsia (cases of preeclampsia were omitted), smoking, and alcohol use during pregnancy. Among smoking mothers, the most common CM was omphalocele, club foot, cleft lip, and polydactyly. The highest incidences (CM/10,000 births/year) of observed CM in children of smoking mothers were clubfoot, 25.51 cases (Utah), cleft lip, 22.47 (South Dakota), polydactyly, 21.23 (North Dakota), and omphalocele, 13.14 (Montana). The presence of maternal comorbidities, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and their association with other environmental factors can affect the incidence of CM in NHWA mothers. Further comparisons among the American states regarding the overall changes in CM over the last two decades should uncover crucial outcomes in terms of CM and smoking.

Postpartum maternal diet quality has been linked with optimal infant feeding practices. However, whether maternal diet quality during pregnancy influences infant feeding practices remains unclear. The present study explored the relationship between maternal diet quality in pregnancy and infant feeding practices in Australian women. A brief 15-item food frequency questionnaire was used to collect maternal dietary data (n = 469). Diet quality was calculated using a modified 2013 Dietary Guideline Index (DGI). Multivariable linear and logistic regressions with adjustment for covariates were used to examine associations between maternal diet quality in pregnancy and infant feeding practices: infant feeding mode, breastfeeding duration and timing of solids introduction. Higher DGI score during pregnancy was associated with higher odds of breastfeeding than formula/mixed feeding (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00, 1.07), longer breastfeeding duration (adjusted β 0.09, 95% CI 0.03, 0.15) and higher odds of breastfeeding for ≥6 months (AOR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02, 1.07) than for <6 months. Associations between maternal DGI score and breastfeeding variables were moderated by maternal country of birth, with significant associations observed in Australian-born mothers only. No association was found between maternal DGI score and timing of solids introduction. Higher maternal diet quality was associated with better infant feeding practices, and the association was moderated by country of birth. Our findings provide evidence to support the initiation of dietary interventions to promote diet quality during pregnancy, particularly among Australian-born women. Further research could explore underlying mechanisms linking maternal diet quality and infant feeding practices.

Lifestyle has been associated with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) success rates, but studies on diet and IVF outcomes are inconclusive. We studied associations between adherence to the Dutch guidelines for a Healthy diet 2015 and pregnancy chances among women receiving modified natural cycle in vitro fertilisation (MNC-IVF). This prospective cohort study utilised data from 109 women undergoing MNC-IVF between 2014 and 2018 at University Medical Centre Groningen enrolled in a study examining associations between metabolic profile of follicular fluid and oocyte quality. Adherence to dietary guidelines was assessed by daily food records quantified based on the Dutch Healthy Diet (DHD) 2015 Index. IVF outcomes (i.e. positive pregnancy test, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth) were obtained from patient records. Statistical analyses involved Cox proportional hazard regression analyses while adjusting for maternal covariates age, smoking, and Body Mass Index (BMI), and stratified for treatment, age, BMI, and energy intake. Women were 31.5 ± 3.3 years old, and had a BMI of 23.5 ± 3.5 kg/m2. Higher DHD2015 adherence was linked to a reduced probability of achieving an ongoing pregnancy (HR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.62–0.96), live birth (HR = 0.78, 95%CI: 0.62–0.98), and showed a non-significant trend towards a lower probability of a positive pregnancy test (HR = 0.85, 95%CI: 0.71–1.01). Associations were particularly present among women undergoing MNC-ICSI (n = 87, p-for-interaction = 0.06), with shorter duration of infertility (n = 44, p-for-interaction=0.06), being overweight (n = 31, p-for interaction = 0.11), and having higher energy intakes (n = 55, p-for-interaction = 0.14). This explorative study suggests inverse trends between DHD2015 adherence and MNC-IVF outcomes, encouraging well-powered stratified analyses in larger studies to further explore these unexpected findings.

Infants of diabetic mothers are neonates born to a woman who had periodic hyperglycaemia during pregnancy. Consequently, infants of diabetic mothers are at higher risks of illness besides morbidity and mortality due to teratogenic effects on the fetal cardiovascular system, causing most frequent CHDs. The primary purpose of this review is to present, on this topic, a better-comprehended review covering pertinent material and data to be informed of severe risks to a newborn’s cardiac system and function. These conditions can affect maternal, fetal, neonatal, and future adult health. Further research should be addressed towards the early detection of diabetes, its magnitude, and management. Immediate interventions should be proposed to lessen the diabetes burden and its adversative effects during the prenatal period.

A history of psychologically traumatic experiences can impact health outcomes for pregnant people and their infants. The perception and prevalence of traumatic experiences during pregnancy may differ by geographical region. To better understand trends in how and what kinds of psychological trauma are assessed globally, we conducted a secondary analysis on a larger systematic review examining psychological trauma measurement in pregnancy. Through a systematic literature review conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, completed between July 2021 and September 2023 using Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Cochrane, we identified 576 research studies assessing psychological trauma during pregnancy that were conducted across nine geopolitical regions. Most of these studies took place in North America, followed by sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East or Northern Africa, Oceania, South America, and Central America. The fewest number of studies was conducted across multiple regions. We found that most studies measuring psychological trauma in pregnancy across the nine geopolitical regions assessed interpersonal trauma, and the fewest number of studies assessed healthcare trauma. Moreover, for each type of psychological trauma assessed, the greatest number of studies was conducted in North America. We also found that Central America, Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Middle East or Northern Africa, Europe, and studies conducted across multiple regions had one-third or more studies that only used in-house assessments, rather than previously validated assessments of psychological trauma. The results of this review emphasize the need for regionally specific and culturally appropriate measures of psychological trauma for pregnant people, which prioritize the types of psychological trauma that are most common in a given region. Newly developed measures can be used for screening and treatment of patients using trauma-informed obstetric care.

Low iron (Fe) stores at birth may adversely influence child cognitive and motor development. The aims of this study were to assess cord blood Fe levels and explore maternal and neonatal factors associated with Fe status. Cord blood specimens (n 46) were obtained from the BC Children’s Hospital BioBank in Vancouver, Canada. The primary outcome was cord plasma ferritin, measured using sandwich-ELISA. Predictors of interest included maternal age, gestational age, gravidity, infant sex, birth weight and delivery method. Median (interquartile range (IQR)) maternal age and gestational age at delivery was 33·5 (29·3–35·8) years and 36·5 (30·0–39·0) weeks, respectively, and 44 % of infants were female. Median (IQR) cord ferritin was 100·4 (75·7–128·9) µg/l, and 26 % had low Fe status (ferritin <76 µg/l). Among preterm deliveries, a 1-week increase in gestational age was associated with a 6·22 (95 % CI (1·10, 9·52)) µg/l increase in median cord ferritin. However, among term deliveries, a negative trend was observed (–2·38 µg/l per week of gestation (95 % CI (–34·8, 0·78))), indicating a potential non-linear relationship between gestational age and cord ferritin. Female term infants had higher cord ferritin compared with males (β (95 % CI): 30·3 (18·4, 57·9) µg/l), suggesting sex-specific differences in Fe transfer, acquisition and utilisation. Cord ferritin was higher with vaginal deliveries compared with caesarean sections (β (95 % CI): 39·1 (29·0, 51·5) µg/l). Low Fe status may be a concern among infants in Canada; however, further research is needed to inform appropriate thresholds to define optimal Fe status in cord blood.

This study investigated cases of pregnancy-related listeriosis in British Columbia (BC), Canada, from 2005 to 2014. We described all diagnosed cases in pregnant women (n = 15) and neonates (n = 7), estimated the excess healthcare costs associated with listeriosis, and calculated the fraction of stillbirths attributable to listeriosis, and mask cell sizes 1–5 due to data requirements. Pregnant women had a median gestational age of 31 weeks at listeriosis onset (range: 20–39) and on average delivered at a median of 37 weeks gestation (range: 20–40). Neonates experienced complications but no fatalities. Stillbirths occurred in 1–5 of 15 pregnant women with listeriosis, and very few (0.05–0.24%) of the 2,088 stillbirths in BC in the 10 years were attributed to listeriosis (exact numbers masked). Pregnant women and neonates with listeriosis had significantly more hospital visits, days in the hospital and physician visits than those without listeriosis. Pregnant women with listeriosis had 2.59 times higher mean total healthcare costs during their pregnancy, and neonates with listeriosis had 9.85 times higher mean total healthcare costs during their neonatal period, adjusting for various factors. Despite small case numbers and no reported deaths, these results highlight the substantial additional health service use and costs associated with individual cases of pregnancy-related listeriosis in BC.

This study explored the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy on neonatal outcomes among women from the general Dutch population. VASCO is an ongoing prospective cohort study aimed at assessing vaccine effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination. Pregnancy status was reported at baseline and through regular follow-up questionnaires. As an extension to the main study, all female participants who reported to have been pregnant between enrolment (May–December 2021) and January 2023 were requested to complete an additional questionnaire on neonatal outcomes. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the associations between self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, adjusted for age, educational level, and presence of a medical risk condition. Infection analyses were additionally adjusted for COVID-19 vaccination before and during pregnancy, and vaccination analyses for SARS-CoV-2 infection before and during pregnancy. Of 312 eligible participants, 232 (74%) completed the questionnaire. In total, 196 COVID-19 vaccinations and 115 SARS-CoV-2 infections during pregnancy were reported. Infections were mostly first infections (86; 75%), caused by the Omicron variant (95; 83%), in women who had received ≥1 vaccination prior to infection (101; 88%). SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was not significantly associated with gestational age (β = 1.7; 95%CI: −1.6–5.0), birth weight (β = 82; −59 to 223), Apgar score <9 (odds ratio (OR): 1.3; 0.6–2.9), postpartum hospital stay (OR: 1.0; 0.6–1.8), or neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR: 0.8; 0.2–3.2). COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy was not significantly associated with gestational age (β = −0.4; −4.0 to 3.2), birth weight (β = 88; −64 to 240), Apgar score <9 (OR: 0.9; 0.4–2.3), postpartum hospital stay (OR: 0.9; 0.5–1.7), or neonatal intensive care unit admission (OR: 1.6; 0.4–8.6). In conclusion, this study did not find an effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy on any of the studied neonatal outcomes among a general Dutch, largely vaccinated, population. Together with data from other studies, this supports the safety of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with cognitive, behavioural, and developmental impairments throughout the lifespan of affected individuals, but there is limited evidence on how early this impact can be identified through routinely collected childhood data. This paper explores the relationship between PAE and the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP), a statutory teacher-based summative assessment of early development in relation to learning goals. This analysis uses the Born in Bradford dataset, a UK based cohort (n = 13,959; full dataset), which collected self-reported PAE from 11,905 mothers, with 19.8% reporting drinking alcohol at some point during pregnancy. Coarsened exact matching was conducted to examine relationships between patterns of PAE and children achieving a ‘Good Level of Development’ on the EYFSP, a binary variable assessed at 4–5 years of age, controlling for known confounders, including deprivation, mother’s education, exposure to other teratogenic substances, and child’s age at assessment. Additionally, we examined EYFSP sub-scores to identify specific developmental deficits associated with PAE.

The key finding is a statistically significant association between PAE at a level of consuming 5 or more units of alcohol (equivalent to 50 ml or 40 g of pure alcohol) at least once per week from the 4th month of pregnancy onwards and lower EYFSP scores when accounting for established confounding variables. These findings highlight that the detrimental impact of alcohol during pregnancy can be identified using statutory educational assessments. This has implications internationally for prevention work, policy, and commissioning of support services for people impacted by PAE.