Maternal factors during pregnancy influencing maternal, fetal, and childhood outcomes

Abstract

Enhancing pregnancy health is known to improve the mother’s and offspring’s life-long well-being. The maternal environment, encompassing genetic factors, impacts of social determinants, the nutritional/metabolic milieu, and infections and inflammation, have immediate consequences for the in utero development of the fetus and long-term programming into childhood and adulthood. Moreover, adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth or preeclampsia, often attributed to the maternal environmental factors listed above, have been associated with poor maternal cardiometabolic health after pregnancy. In this BMC Medicine article collection, we explore a broad spectrum of maternal characteristics across pregnancy and postnatal phenotypes, anticipating substantial cross-fertilization of new understanding and shared mechanisms around diverse outcomes. Advances in the ability to leverage ‘omics across different platforms (genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, microbiome, lipidome), large high-dimensional population databases, and unique cohorts are generating exciting new insights: The first articles in this collection highlight the role of placental biomarkers of preterm birth, metabolic influences on fetal and childhood growth, and the impact of common pre-existing maternal disorders, obesity and smoking on pregnancy outcomes, and the child’s health. As the collection grows, we look forward to seeing the connections emerge across maternal, fetal, and childhood outcomes that will foster new insights and preventative strategies for women.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia during pregnancy and puerperium: an international multicenter experience

“…The rate of maternal events registered in our AIHA series was similar to the control group and the general population (0.07 to 37% depending on the severity and the presence of comorbidities) [5,6]. In contrast, fetal complications (22%) were more frequent than in the control group (5%) and in the general population, where preterm birth is the most common (8-10%) [7][8][9]. Particularly, stillbirth was observed in 4% of cases (11%, considering pregnancies with hemolytic events), similar to a recent meta-analysis [3], while no fetal deaths occurred in the control group.…”

Development and validation of a screening questionnaire for early identification of pregnant women at risk for excessive gestational weight gain

“…In terms of practical implications, our screening questionnaire might be an assistive tool for future digital intervention trials. Furthermore, it addresses the current call for translating research findings into clinical practice in the understudied group of pregnant women [ 60 ]. As resource and time saving tool it could be used to scale recommendations for appropriate GWG into routine gynaecological care.…”

Determinants of Adverse Birth Outcomes in Ambon, Indonesia: A Case-Control Study

“…These variation outcomes significantly impact pregnant women's and neonates' physiological and psychological wellbeing. 4,5 Also, those adverse pregnancy effects can cause long-term physical and neurological disorders in surviving babies, even death. 6 Previous studies have demonstrated that maternal age, multiparity, passive smoke, length of gestation, and gestational diabetes mellitus, are all associated with adverse birth outcomes.…”