BACKGROUND Paternal perinatal depression (PPD) is closely associated with maternal mental health challenges, marital strain, and adverse child developmental outcomes. Despite its significant impact, PPD remains under-recognized in family-centered clinical practice. Concurrently, against the backdrop of rising rates of delayed marriage and China’s Maternity Incentive Policy, the proportion of women giving birth at an advanced maternal age is increasing. Nevertheless, research specifically examining PPD among spouses of older mothers remains critically scarce, both in China and globally. AIM To investigate PPD and its influencing factors in Chinese advanced maternal age families. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 358 participants; it was conducted among fathers of pregnant women of advanced maternal age at five hospitals in the Pearl River Delta region of China from September 2023 to June 2024. Data were collected via a general information questionnaire, the Social Support Rating Scale, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Latent profile analysis and regression mixture models (RMMs) were adopted to analyze the latent PPD types and factors that influenced PPD. RESULTS The incidence of PPD was 16.48%, and three profiles were identified: Low-symptomatic (175 cases, 48.89%), monophasic (140 cases, 39.10%), and high-symptomatic (43 cases, 12.01%). The RMM analysis revealed that first pregnancy, low income (< ¥3000/month), part-time work, and a history of abnormal pregnancy were positively associated with the high-symptomatic type (P < 0.05). Conversely, high subjective support and support utilization were negatively associated with the high-symptomatic type compared with the low-symptomatic type (P < 0.05). Good couple relationships, high objective and subjective support, and high support utilization were negatively associated with monophasic disorder (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION PPD incidence is high among Chinese fathers with advanced maternal age partners, and the characteristics of depression are varied. Healthcare practitioners should prioritize individuals with low levels of social support.

Background Adolescent pregnancy remains a significant public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, contributing substantially to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Understanding its burden and outcomes is crucial for improving care and guiding interventions.  Objective To determine the burden and delivery outcomes among adolescent mothers managed at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, over a 5-year period, and to compare these outcomes with those of older mothers.  Methods A retrospective review of delivery records at EKSUTH from 2020 to 2025 was conducted. Data were extracted from the labour ward register and analyzed with SPSS using descriptive and comparative statistics. Adolescent mothers were defined as those aged 10–19 years. Variables included sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric profile, mode of delivery, maternal complication, and perinatal outcomes such as birth weight, gestational age, APGAR scores, and stillbirths. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.  Results Of 5,731 deliveries during the study period, 5,613 (97.9%) had complete data for analysis out of which Eighty-five (1.5%) were adolescent mothers. Most adolescents were primigravidae (83.5%), nulliparous (91.8%), and unbooked (64.7%). Vaginal delivery was the predominant mode of delivery (65.9%). Primary postpartum hemorrhage occurred in 3.5% of cases, with one maternal death recorded accounting for 1.18%. The mean birth weight of babies of adolescent mothers was 2.69kg with stillbirths occurring in 8.2% of the deliveries. Although neonatal mortality was almost twice as high in adolescent mothers (4.2%), the difference did not reach statistical significance. The maternal outcomes were comparable. Twin gestations represented 3.5% of cases, and no triplets were recorded.  Conclusion Adolescent pregnancies at EKSUTH constitute a small but important proportion of deliveries, with generally favorable maternal but poorer perinatal outcomes. Strengthening adolescent reproductive health education, improving antenatal care access, and providing adolescent-friendly obstetric services are essential to mitigate these risks and enhance outcomes.

It is becoming increasingly evident that congenital abnormalities of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) represent significant public health concerns. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternal diseases and the occurrence of CAKUT in offspring. This retrospective study covered pregnant women in Hainan between 2021 and 2023. In newborns with and without CAKUT, medical data on maternal chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism, were gathered. Psychiatric illnesses, syphilis, cholestasis, and uterine fibroids were examined. Among the 11,572 pregnant women in the study group, 123 cases of CAKUT were discovered in their children. A strong association between maternal chronic illnesses, particularly gestational diabetes and chronic hypertension, and CAKUT in children was found by the data. Compared to the fetuses of young women, the fetuses of older mothers were more prone to prenatal CAKUT. Advanced maternal age and maternal chronic illnesses are associated with CAKUT in offspring and should be treated to improve outcomes.

Background:Residential mobility during pregnancy and between births is common and can introduce exposure misclassification. It may also reflect broader sociodemographic and environmental inequalities that influence maternal and child health. The objective of this study is to evaluate associations between maternal sociodemographic characteristics, PM2.5 exposure, and residential mobility. Among mothers who moved, additional analyses evaluated predictors of relocation to lower-income census tracts.Methods:Data were obtained from 155,270 mothers with matched sibling birth records from the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal data system (2001–2009). We define residential mobility as a change in geocoded birth addresses and identified relocation to a lower-income census tract among movers. PM2.5 exposure estimates at each birth address were assigned using annual averages from a previously validated spatiotemporal model. Logistic regression was used to examine associations between residential mobility and maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, parity, and residential PM2.5 exposure.Results:Among mothers with linked births, 49.3% moved between births, and 19.9% relocated to a census tract with a lower median income. Mothers that moved between births had significantly lower PM2.5 at the subsequent birth address compared with mothers that did not move. Compared with mothers living at low PM2.5 exposure levels (5th percentile, 1 µg/m3), mothers living at high PM2.5 exposure levels (95th percentile, 11 µg/m3) had a nearly three-fold higher odds of moving. Relocation to a lower-income tract was less likely among older mothers, non-Hispanic mothers, and those with more than a high school education.Conclusion:Environmental and sociodemographic factors shape residential mobility patterns between births. It is important to account for residential mobility to reduce exposure misclassification and improve accuracy in perinatal epidemiology.

The objective of this study is to investigate the distribution of increased nuchal translucency (NT) and its role in predicting fetal and neonatal losses in congenital heart disease (CHD). This retrospective study analyzed 18,050 CHDs with documented NT measurements. Maternal characteristics, CHD subtypes, prenatal diagnoses, and fetal and neonatal losses were compared across NT categories. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of adverse outcomes. Increased NT occurred in 424 (2%) CHDs, more frequently in older mothers, those with previous adverse perinatal outcomes and prior CHDs. NT>5.0mm was more prevalent in critical CHDs and CHDs with extracardiac anomalies. Prenatal diagnosis rates increased from 17% (NT<2.5mm) to 94% (NT>5.0mm), whereas CHD-involved mortality rose from 10% to 90% (both p<0.001). Cox regression analysis identified that severely increased NT increased at least a 3-fold higher risk of fetal and neonatal losses than the normal NT group. NT distribution varies by maternal sociodemographics. Increased NT is more common in critical CHD and CHD with extracardiac structural abnormalities. Increased NT also plays an important role in predicting fetal and neonatal losses in CHD.

The aim of this study was to evaluate sociodemographic factors associated with perinatal health outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among US maternal-infant dyads. Using the 2016-2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data, we evaluated maternal and infant characteristics during the pre-COVID and COVID periods (pre-COVID: 2016-2019; COVID: 2020-2022) for preterm birth, low birthweight, and cesarean delivery, and performed multivariable logistic regression models for each outcome. Compared with births in pre-COVID, births during COVID had a higher prevalence of older mothers with diabetes and hypertension. Overall, Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic mothers had less favorable perinatal health outcomes compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) mothers. In testing of time*race/ethnicity interaction, Hispanic infants had lower odds of low birthweight during COVID. While disparities were not exacerbated during COVID, they remained persistent, with NHB and Hispanic mothers having less favorable perinatal health outcomes. Further research is needed to investigate potential longer-term health implications for maternal and infant health.

Introduction In today’s digital age, social media platforms radically transform consumption practices and identity construction. This study examines the impact of influencers’ product recommendations on Instagram on mothers’ product preferences during the complementary feeding period. The research reveals that consumption practices shaped by influencer guidance are based on symbolic and social identity motivations and functional needs. Methods The study used a mixed-methods approach, surveying 711 mothers in Türkiye with children aged 6-48 months. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically, while open-ended responses were thematically analyzed to explore symbolic meanings and consumption patterns. Results Influencer-following mothers showed a stronger tendency to prioritize peer recommendations and branded BLW products. Items purchased based on influencer suggestions were often linked to social approval, visibility, and the construction of a modern parenting identity. However, over 80% of participants later expressed disappointment, citing issues of limited functionality or questionable necessity. Additionally, age-based differences emerged in both motivations for following influencer recommendations and post-purchase evaluations. Discussion The findings indicate that influencer-promoted products serve as symbols of modern, conscious motherhood but often fail to meet practical expectations. Influencer culture fosters FoMO, driving mothers toward social approval and intensifying emotional labor. While younger mothers engage with influencer content as part of a digital habitus, older mothers use it for symbolic inclusion. Notably, mothers aged 40+ and 18-29 reported similar levels of satisfaction, suggesting that their relationships with influencers were different yet equally impactful.

An analysis of scientific research shows that scientists have sought links between mothers' involvement in work, dependence on work, and children's strengths and difficulties, but this topic has been little studied scientifically. The aim of the study is to reveal the links between children's strengths and difficulties and the characteristics of their mothers' participation in work and dependence on work. The author's questionnaire on women's involvement in work was used to assess mothers' involvement in work. Work addiction was assessed using the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS-10) (Schaufeli &amp; Taris, 2004)), while mothers assessed their children's strengths and difficulties using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) developed by R. Goodman (Goodman, 1997) and adapted into Lithuanian (Gintilienė, Girdzijauskienė, Černiauskaitė, Lesinskienė, Povilaitis, and Pūras, 2004). The study involved 162 working mothers raising children aged five to eleven. The research data was collected via an online survey. To achieve the aim of the study, the author created a questionnaire on women's involvement in work, which met the criteria of reliability and allowed for the assessment of the participants' work ability, stress experienced at work, and attitudes towards the importance of work. The following characteristics of working mothers' involvement in work, dependence on work, and links with sociodemographic characteristics were revealed: the study participants were characterized by a high level of dependence on work; the older the women and their children, the less importance they attach to work; the importance of work is rated higher by women with secondary and vocational education who belong to the lowest staff level; stress at work is more common among women in the highest positions; the older women are, the less stress they feel at work; the tendency to work excessively is more common among women in middle management. As women's dependence on work increases, their work capacity and stress levels increase, but their assessment of the importance of work decreases. The quantitative expression of the abilities and difficulties of children as reflected by their mothers corresponds to the established norms for this age group. Older mothers are more lenient in their assessment of their children's difficulties; the older the children, the less pronounced their hyperactivity; mothers with higher education see a stronger expression of their children's abilities; emotional symptoms are more often reflected by mothers of boys, while behavioral problems are more often reflected by mothers of girls. The more mothers value the importance of work, the less inclined they are to value their children's abilities; the greater the mothers' dependence on work and the stress experienced at work, the more strongly the child's difficulties are reflected.

While pregnancy clearly reduces the risk for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) onset, we know less about the impact on AUD risk of having young children and how these effects vary across maternal age and level of maternal AUD genetic risk. Therefore, in 1.2 million parous Swedish women born 1960-1995, we examined those with a first registration for AUD between ages 15-40 while first pregnant, or while raising their first infant (aged 0-12 months), toddler (13-36 months) or preschooler (37-60 months). Genetic risk for AUD was assessed by their family genetic risk score. Pregnancy and having an infant consistently reduced AUD risk with the protective effect becoming stronger with increasing maternal genetic risk. Raising a toddler was modestly protective, but unrelated to genetic risk. Raising a preschooler, while unrelated to AUD risk in mothers with low genetic liability, in those at higher genetic liability increased AUD risk considerably. These effects varied substantially across maternal age. Being pregnant or having an infant were only marginally protective in teenage mothers. Compared to older mothers, younger mothers were considerably more sensitive to the predisposing effects on AUD risk of toddlers and preschoolers. The effects of pregnancy and rearing young children were muted at older maternal ages. We conclude that the risk for AUD mothers while pregnant or rearing small children varies substantially as a function of the age of the child, the genetic risk of the mother and the mother's age. These risk and protective factors can interact substantially with one another.

ABSTRACTBreastfeeding is essential for optimal infant growth and development which promotes health by preventing malnutrition and reducing the risk of infectious diseases. This study aimed to assess breastfeeding practices among mothers and identify factors influencing these practices among mothers of infants aged 12 months or younger in a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted from June to August 2023 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). A total of 250 mothers with infants aged ≤ 12 months were recruited using Cochran's formula. Data were collected through a structured, pre‐tested questionnaire via face‐to‐face interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, chi‐squared tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed (p < 0.05). The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was 80.4%. In adjusted models, mothers aged ≤ 26 years were less likely to exclusively breastfeed compared to older mothers (AOR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.44–0.78, p < 0.001). Mothers with primary education also showed reduced odds of EBF compared to those with no education (AOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48–0.94, p = 0.020). By contrast, higher breastfeeding practice scores were positively associated with EBF (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.16–1.45, p < 0.001). Other sociodemographic factors, including infant age, birth order, father's education, maternal occupation, place of delivery, and infant sex, were not significant in the multivariable analysis. Breastfeeding practices in this population were strongly influenced by maternal age, maternal education, and breastfeeding practice levels. Targeted interventions focusing on young and less‐educated mothers, alongside improved breastfeeding support, may further strengthen EBF practices and improve infant health outcomes in Bangladesh.

Evidence suggests that women who experience corporal punishment as a child are more likely to use it with their children, particularly in low-resource settings where higher exposure to additional adverse childhood experiences, such as food insecurity and a parent's premature death or abandonment, compounds damage from early exposure to corporal punishment. However, mothers who experienced corporal punishment as a child and simultaneously kind, compassionate, secure caregiving from the same or another caregiver, are less likely to expose their children to corporal punishment. Not enough research investigates how early maternal experiences with corporal punishment impact everyday parenting behaviors in contexts of poverty outside high-income countries. This investigation seeks to provide actionable information for researchers and practitioners to support families to heal from intergenerational trauma in settings of poverty. We used a convergent mixed methods design to understand how early experiences with corporal punishment shape parenting practices. We conducted a brief demographic and health questionnaire followed by in-depth semi-structured open-ended interviews with 25 mothers (19-42years old) of low socioeconomic position in the Dominican Republic, who had children 3-5years old at the time of the interview. Women offered reflections about how they believe their childhood experiences shaped their approach to parenting. We analyzed interview content using thematic analysis, comparing themes between women who use corporal punishment and those who do not. Fourteen women reported not using corporal punishment and 11 reported using it. A large majority of all participants described receiving corporal punishment as a child (79% of those who do not use corporal punishment and 82% of those who do). Participants often struggled to remember experiences from childhood and became emotionally disconnected or desensitized when discussing abusive events from their early life. Some participants expressed wanting to raise their children without corporal punishment, however they could not always control their impulses. A few mothers demonstrated resolution when discussing their early experiences with corporal punishment. Adolescent mothers reported using corporal punishment with their child much more frequently than older mothers, with only one mother over the age of 20 at the birth of her first child using corporal punishment. Those who used corporal punishment with their child also reported higher rates of characteristics suggesting lower socioeconomic position. We identified two main categories for participant explanations for the use of corporal punishment: (1) a disciplinary strategy used after escalated threats, or (2) a response to feeling overwhelmed. Whether mothers considered corporal punishment a violent parenting behavior depended on whether it led to injury, what part of the body was targeted, its regularity, and whether they perceived its use was warranted. For early child interventions to be effective at preventing use of corporal punishment among women of low socioeconomic position in the Dominican Republic, practitioners should consider low-cost, scalable community-based therapeutic programs that address the impact of traumatic early childhood experiences.

Abstract A growing number of studies have shown that caregiving is usually a “family affair” navigated among siblings. Most of this research has focused on the detrimental consequences of negative interactions with siblings. As a result, less is known about the potential benefits of sibling ties for caregivers. We extend previous research by considering the differential impact of sibling support and strain on psychological well-being in the context of maternal care provision. We use mixed-methods data collected from 307 adult children nested within 150 families collected as part of the Within-Family Differences Study-III. On average, these adult children were 59 years old, and their mothers were 89 years old. We considered whether the impact of sibling support (i.e. siblings create feelings of love and care) and strain (i.e. siblings create arguments and disagreements) on psychological well-being varied by whether older mothers had symptoms of cognitive impairment (CI). Findings indicated that when adult children provided care to mothers who did not have symptoms of CI, sibling support was associated with increased psychological well-being, whereas sibling strain had no effect. In contrast, when adult children provided care to mothers with symptoms of CI, sibling strain was associated with decreased psychological well-being, whereas sibling support had no impact. These findings suggest that when mothers do not have CI, sibling support is beneficial to caregivers’ psychological well-being; however, when CI is present, caregivers do not experience these benefits from sibling’s positive interactions, yet experience the detrimental effects of negative interactions.

Objective: To find the different causes of stillbirths at our institution, using the ReCoDe categorization system. Study Design: Prospective Observational study. Setting: Gynae A Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department MTI/Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Period: 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2023. Methods: Sampling method was consecutive non probability sampling. Patients diagnosed with stillbirth who were admitted to the hospital made up the study population. The patient's highrisk characteristics for pregnancy and delivery as well as the reason for the stillbirth were evaluated. Results: During the study period, 210 stillbirth cases in total met the inclusion criteria. There were 32416 live births in all during this time, or six stillbirths for every 1000 live births. The majority of women (80%) with in utero fetal demise fell within the age range of 20 to 35 years old, according to the age distribution of these cases. Thirteen percent of instances involved mothers above the age of twenty, and sixteen percent were older mothers. There were over 45.4% unbooked cases compared to 54.5% booked hospital cases. Fetal causes accounted for 34.6% of intrapartum deaths, with IUGR making up the largest group (23.5%). Maternal factors accounted for 30.4% of stillbirths; pre-eclampsia was the most often reported comorbidity. 18.8% of cases fell into the unclassified category when no other cause could be identified. Conclusion: Classification of stillbirths using ReCoDe classification is simple and practical to use, especially in low-resource settings, with the ability to identify underlying cause in the majority of cases.

Malnutrition among children under five remains a critical public health challenge in Ethiopia and Rwanda, with nearly half of the children in this study population affected by at least one form of undernutrition. This study provides a robust causal analysis of the heterogeneous effects of Antenatal Care (ANC) on child malnutrition, as measured by the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF). Leveraging data from 33,737 mother-child pairs from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Ethiopia (N = 22,668) and Rwanda (N = 11,069) across three waves (2005-2015), we employ a machine learning-based Causal Forest model. This approach was chosen specifically to overcome the limitations of traditional regression methods, allowing for the estimation of how the impact of different levels of ANC attendance varies across diverse sociodemographic and health-related subgroups. The results reveal a clear and powerful dose-response relationship. While a single ANC visit has a negligible effect, attending 2-3 visits is associated with a modest 3.5% point reduction in the risk of malnutrition. The strongest impact is seen with the completion of 4 or more visits, which is associated with an average reduction of 5.7% points (ATE: -0.057). Crucially, this average effect masks profound and policy-relevant heterogeneity. The benefits of ANC are massively amplified for the most vulnerable populations; for children in the poorer wealth quintile, 4 + ANC visits are associated with a massive 17.1% point reduction in malnutrition risk-an effect nearly three times the population average. The intervention is also particularly impactful for older mothers (aged 35-49), where it is associated with an 11.9% point risk reduction. Furthermore, the benefits of ANC are amplified by a healthier environment; for children in households with an improved water source, the associated risk reduction is a substantial 7.8% points, demonstrating a powerful synergistic effect between clinical care and public health infrastructure. The application of the Causal Forest model represents a significant advancement, moving beyond a single average effect to uncover this critical heterogeneity and identify for whom, and under what conditions, ANC is most effective. These findings provide robust causal evidence for a necessary shift away from a one-size-fits-all public health strategy. The results strongly advocate for stratified and multi-sectoral interventions. Policy and resources should be intensely focused on ensuring the most vulnerable populations-particularly the poorest households and older mothers-complete the full ANC schedule, as this is where the public health return on investment is highest. Additionally, the synergistic effect with WASH highlights the need to integrate clinical maternal health programs with investments in community-level water and sanitation infrastructure. By tailoring ANC programs and combining them with broader public health improvements, governments can develop more holistic and effective strategies to accelerate progress against child malnutrition in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and comparable high-burden contexts.

Objective:Advanced maternal age has become more common due to factors such as increased academic preparation for women, labor market participation, delayed family planning, and advances in reproductive medicine. This phenomenon raises questions about the risks and gestational outcomes associated with advanced maternal age (AMA). This study aims to explore the gestational and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with AMA (> 35 years), comparing them with those of women aged 20 to 34 years.Methods:The research was conducted as an observational and retrospective analysis, examining data from 2012 to 2022 from the Hospital Production System (SIH/SUS) available on the DATAsus platform, covering all regions of Brazil. Variables analyzed included gestational duration, type of pregnancy (single or multiple), mode of delivery, Robson group, APGAR score at five minutes, birth weight, and occurrence of congenital anomalies.Results:Pregnant women with AMA showed statistically significant differences in the higher percentage of cesarean sections (63.3% AMA vs 58% non-AMA, p<0.05), higher percentage of low birth weight newborns (12.5% AMA vs 6.7% non-AMA, p<0.05), lower APGAR scores at the fifth minute (OR = 1.08, p<0.001) and a higher prevalence of any congenital anomalies (1.23% AMA vs 0.77% non-AMA, OR =OR = 1.34, p < 0.001). In addition, this group had a higher incidence of premature births (12.99% AMA vs 8.78% non-AMA) and multiple pregnancies (1.39% AMA vs 0.83% non-AMA). Furthermore, in the Robson classification, there was a predominance of older mothers in Group 5 (previous cesarean section) and in the groups with nulliparity.Conclusion:Pregnant women with AMA face higher gestational and perinatal risks, such as preterm births and an increased need for cesarean sections. These findings underscore the importance of public policies and personalized management strategies to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes for older pregnant women.

Background: Cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) accounts for nearly one-third of infant mortality from congenital anomalies, yet the role of social determinants in its development remains poorly understood. This study examined how maternal factors - age, education, and race - are associated with CCHD prevalence across births in a large national cohort. Methods: We analyzed 718,920 birth records from the CDC’s 2022–2023 National Vital Statistics System. The outcome variable, identified using birth certificate documentation, was the presence or absence of CCHD and was coded as a binary variable (1 = present, 0 = not present). The maternal demographic and social factors collected were age (18–55 years), education (less than high school, high school, some college, college completion), and race (White [ref], Black, Latina, Asian, American Indian). Regression analyses were conducted to predict CCHD using these factors. Linear regression examined general associations between maternal characteristics and CCHD while logistic regression accounted for the non-linear nature of CCHD as a rare binary outcome. All analyses were performed in Stata with statistical significance set at p&lt;0.05. Results: CCHD was a rare outcome across the study period (0.06%), with a prevalence of 0.0677% in 2022 and 0.0523% in 2023, reflecting an approximate 22% relative decrease (p = 0.01). Each additional year of maternal age was associated with a 2.5% increase in odds of CCHD (OR=1.025, 95% CI: 1.0068–1.0434, p=0.007). Latina mothers had 36% lower odds of having a child with CCHD compared to White mothers (p&lt;0.01). The other racial categories showed no statistical significance. Education level had no statistically significant association with CCHD risk. Conclusions: The findings suggest that maternal age and Latina ethnicity are significantly associated with CCHD outcomes whereas maternal education shows an inconsistent relationship. This suggests that ascribed characteristics or factors that are beyond the control of the mother are larger predictors of CCHD than factors that are in the mother’s control. Focusing on economic factors (e.g., income level and housing security) may yield different results. The study underscores the complex role of social factors in pediatric cardiac outcomes, the need for targeted prenatal screening to detect CCHD early in older mothers, and the importance of further investigation into structural determinants not captured in standard birth records.

Abstract Accurate estimation of individual ages is crucial for studies in ecology, behaviour and conservation. However, when birth dates are unknown, estimating chronological ages often relies on post‐mortem morphological analyses or invasive and cumbersome techniques. Here we investigate the potential of deep learning applied to photographic portraits for non‐invasive chronological age prediction. Comparing the predictive capabilities of several recent deep learning models with 25,500 portraits of wild mandrills collected on 284 individuals of known ages in situ, we show that the foundational transformer models DINOv2 largely outperformed convolutional networks (notably ResNext, ConvNeXt, EfficientNetv2) and the other popular transformer model VOLO. To gain insight into the model's predictions, we first examine the influence of the background. Although the model relied on background information for its predictions, this did not lead to a significant improvement in overall accuracy: there was no meaningful difference between predictions when age estimates were from images with or without background. Second, we show that inter‐individual variation in prediction errors is partly explained by biological factors. At the individual scale, the prediction error was consistent through time: when individuals appeared older than their chronological age when young, they also consistently appeared older throughout their life. In addition, we found that offspring of older mothers appeared older compared to those of younger mothers, consistent with previous findings on the link between offspring development and maternal age in this species. Altogether, these results indicate that the most modern artificial intelligence methods offer a simple, low‐cost and non‐invasive approach for chronological age estimation and that the difference between chronological and estimated ages could be used by behavioural ecologists to study individual growth, pace of development and biological aging processes.

Apical stem cuttings are the primary method for propagation in medicinal cannabis, yet propagation has not been studied as extensively as the later stages of crop cultivation. This study examined how mother plant age and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) during mother plant cultivation and propagation affect rooting, growth, and development of apical stem cuttings. Mother plants ( Cannabis sativa ‘Original Blitz’ and ‘King Harmony’) were grown in climate-controlled chambers under two light intensities (400 and 800 μmol·m −2 ·s −1 ) for up to 6 months. Apical stem cuttings were excised every 3 weeks and subsequently propagated without externally applied auxin for 3 weeks under three light intensities (50, 150, and 250 μmol·m −2 ·s −1 ). Mother plant age did not affect rooting (root dry mass and fraction of rooted cuttings). However, older mother plants exhibited decreased cutting dry mass at severance, which coincided with a reduced leaf area. The light intensity during mother plant cultivation had genotype-specific effects, with rooting either reduced or unaffected for the higher light intensity. This reduction coincided with an accumulation of starch and soluble sugar at the stem base at severance, while auxin concentrations in the apex, leaf, and stem base were unaffected by light intensity during mother plant cultivation. In contrast, light intensity during propagation did not affect the fraction of rooted cuttings. However, higher light intensity increased root and cutting dry mass. These findings indicate that mother plant age, up to 6 months, does not impact rooting in stem cuttings. However, higher light intensity during mother plant cultivation reduced rooting genotype-dependently, whereas higher light intensity during propagation increased root dry mass without affecting fraction of rooted cuttings.

Background: The global trend toward delayed childbearing has raised concerns about its impact on pregnancy outcomes, particularly regarding the mode of delivery. Advanced maternal age is associated with an increased risk of obstetric complications, influencing a significant rise in cesarean section (CS) rates. This study investigates the relationship between maternal age and delivery outcomes, with a focus on CS and vaginal delivery rates across 16 countries with diverse healthcare systems. Methods and Materials:A retrospective analysis of public health data from 2.7 million women in 16 countries was conducted. Participants were stratified into three maternal age groups: &lt;20 years, 20–34 years, and ≥34 years. Variables analyzed included parity, smoking status, previous cesarean delivery, use of assisted reproductive technology (ART), and mode of delivery. Country-specific healthcare policies and cultural factors were also considered to contextualize differences in delivery practices. Results: The study revealed a clear increase in cesarean section rates with maternal age, particularly among women aged ≥34. Vaginal delivery remained the most common method overall but declined significantly in older age groups. Nordic countries maintained high vaginal delivery rates (80–90%) and low CS rates (&lt;25%) across all age groups. In contrast, countries like Ghana and China showed marked increases in CS rates among older mothers. Factors such as ART use, obstetric complications, and healthcare policy differences contributed to variations. Conclusion: Maternal age is a significant predictor of delivery mode, with advanced age correlating with higher CS rates due to physiological risks and systemic healthcare factors. However, variations across countries highlight the influence of healthcare models and cultural attitudes. Encouraging evidence-based practices, enhancing preconception care, and supporting patient-centered decision-making may help balance safety with reduced medicalization of childbirth for older mothers.

IntroductionTraditional herbal medicine remains a vital, though often overlooked, component of chronic wound management in rural and underserved areas of southern Italy. In Calabria, this enduring practice reflects both cultural continuity and systemic healthcare gaps.MethodsAn ethnographic study was conducted involving 120 patients attending a vascular surgery clinic in Catanzaro, Calabria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and field notes, focusing on the use and transmission of herbal remedies for chronic ulcers.ResultsThe findings reveal that older women, particularly grandmothers and mothers, are the primary custodians of local ethnomedical knowledge. Remedies such as Achillea millefolium poultices and Citrus bergamia decoctions are employed to treat various types of chronic wounds, including venous, arterial, and diabetic ulcers. These treatments are adapted to a vernacular taxonomy of wound severity and are often accompanied by symbolic or ritual meanings. Despite biomedical availability, patients—especially those from low-income or rural settings—continue to use plant-based therapies due to limited healthcare access, long waiting lists, and a perceived over-medicalization of care. Gender dynamics were evident, with women maintaining knowledge transmission within the household and men engaging more in self-treatment related to occupational injuries.DiscussionIn this Calabrian context, herbal medicine functions not as an alternative, but as a parallel and coexisting system of care. It offers cultural affirmation, therapeutic autonomy, and practical solutions amid healthcare challenges. Documenting such practices deepens our understanding of medical pluralism and highlights the need to integrate local voices into ethnobotanical research.