ABSTRACT Aims Maternal attachment mental state is critical in stress regulation and caregiving behaviours. However, most existing research relies on cross-sectional designs and self-reported attachment measures, which capture distinct but complementary aspects of attachment relative to interview measures. This longitudinal study examines the associations between maternal attachment mental states during pregnancy, postpartum stress and mother–infant bonding at 6-months postpartum. Methods The study followed 98 White expectant mothers in Italy, assessing attachment mental states during the third trimester of pregnancy (M = 35.20 gestational weeks, SD = 2.20; Time 1, T1) using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). At 2-months postpartum (T2), maternal stress was measured via the Perceived Stress Scale, and at 6-months postpartum (T3), mother–infant bonding was evaluated using the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale. Of the initial sample, 91 mothers continued to T2, and 90 to T3. Mediation analyses examined whether postpartum stress mediated the relationship between maternal attachment coherence of mind and bonding. Results Mothers with lower coherence of mind during pregnancy─which is considered the single best indicator of attachment security in the AAI─reported higher postpartum stress at T2, which, in turn, was associated with lower-quality mother–infant bonding at T3. Conclusion Postpartum stress mediates the relationship between maternal attachment mental states and bonding quality. These findings suggest that addressing attachment-related vulnerabilities and stress during the perinatal period may help support positive mother–infant relationships and developmental outcomes, although future research is needed to directly evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions.

Prevalence and risk factors of perinatal depression among women in South Asian countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT We will see that providing care with empathy and centered on the patient and the patient’s family in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is very difficult for professionals. The healthcare team needs to balance the clinical needs of the newborn with the demands of parents and family. We know that parents are deeply influenced by the compassion and treatment they receive from health professionals during the terminal process of their beloved children’s lives. Although the death of a newborn is a devastating event, the knowledge and skills of the multidisciplinary team can substantially influence the parents’ ability to effectively cope with the loss. Despite advances in neonatal care in recent years, more children die in the perinatal and neonatal periods than in any other period of childhood. In the USA, the majority of newborn deaths are due to congenital malformations and disorders related to shortened gestation and low birth weight. Keywords: Terminality of neonatal life, monitoring of neonatal grief, end of neonatal life.

Maternal Smoking, Lactation and Risk of Incident Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Offspring: A Large-scale Prospective Cohort Study.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common complication among extremely low birth weight Infants. Evidence suggest that the incidence of BPD is increasing. This review examines current evidence-based strategies initiated early in life for prevention of BPD. In this review of early life approaches for prevention of BPD, perinatal interventions, respiratory support strategies, surfactant therapy, pharmacological therapies, fluid management, patent ductus arteriosus management, nutrition, and dietary supplements are discussed. There is no single effective strategy to prevent BPD in all at risk infants. Therefore, clinicians must use multifaceted evidence-based strategies, beginning during the perinatal period, to reduce the risk of developing BPD in preterm infants.

Factor structure, measurement invariance, and clinical change benchmarks of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in pregnancy and postpartum.

To assess whether administering hydrocortisone in the perinatal period is associated with subsequent adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The children/adolescents enrolled in the PREMILOC trial underwent resting blood pressure (BP) measurement, tonometry evaluation (pulse wave velocity (PWV), aortic systolic BP), continuous BP and ECG measurements (supine and standing), and ambulatory BP monitoring. Heart rate variability (HRV) indices, baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and orthostatic systolic BP (SBP) response were calculated. Fifty-two subjects (median [25th; 75th percentile] birth weight: 892 g [750; 982]; gestational age: 26+3 [25+1; 27+4]; age at assessment: 11.7 years [10.5; 12.7]; z-score of body mass index: 0.23 [-0.65; 1.27]; 27 girls) who received hydrocortisone (n = 28) or placebo (n = 24) were enrolled. The PWV was not different (hydrocortisone: 4.84 m/s [4.40; 5.48] vs. placebo: 5.00 m/s [4.48; 5.34], p = 0.969), and similar results were observed for HRV and BP measurements. Overweight/obese children (n = 17) vs. other children (n = 35) were characterized by higher office SBP, lower supine descending BRS, and higher orthostatic SBP response. Early hydrocortisone administration after extremely preterm birth in a randomized trial is not associated with detrimental cardiovascular indices in children/adolescents, while overweight/obesity is already associated with cardiovascular morbidity. The study has been registered, ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT05451264: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05451264?cond=NCT05451264&rank=1 . A meta-analysis on the effects of early postnatal administration of corticosteroids concluded that the hypertensive risk was increased in infants, but that long-term studies should be carried out. We show that early hydrocortisone administration after extremely preterm birth in a randomized trial is not associated with detrimental cardiovascular indices in children/adolescents, at least in one center of the trial Thus, our study suggests that early markers of the risk of hypertension are not altered by hydrocortisone.

White matter undergoes rapid changes during the fetal period that are foundational for future cognitive functions. However, how these changes contribute to the brain's capacity to support its dynamic activities-its controllability -remains largely unknown. Here, we apply network control theory (NCT) to investigate the developmental trajectory of controllability from the second trimester through the first postnatal month. We analyzed structural connectivity data from fetuses and infants as part of the developing Human Connectome Project. We identified a robust, nonlinear U-shaped developmental curve of whole-brain controllability across the perinatal period, with a minimum at approximately 35 weeks of gestation. Preterm birth disrupted these trajectories, leading to greater controllability and earlier minimums compared to age-matched fetuses. Using gene expression microarray data from 18 fetal post-mortem brains, we identified genes implicated in synaptic functions that co-develop with changes in controllability during the fetal period. We then used positron emission tomography in seven pregnant rhesus macaques to quantify changes in fetal synaptic density. Increased synaptic density in non-human primates (NHPs) co-occurred with periods of reduced controllability in humans. Finally, using longitudinal scans of a pregnant woman, we mapped the trajectory of changes in maternal controllability during pregnancy. This trajectory exhibited a U-shaped pattern that inversely correlated with the fetal trajectory, reaching a maximum around 36 weeks. Together, fetal controllability follows a nonlinear trajectory that co-develops with synaptic functions and synchronizes with maternal changes in controllability during pregnancy.

Professor Maria Margarita Behrens is a faculty member in the Computational Neurobiology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. Born in Uruguay and raised in Chile, she trained in biochemistry and molecular biology in Brazil and Spain before transitioning into neuroscience in the United States. She joined the Salk Institute in 2009 after positions at Washington University School of Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, and the Department of Medicine at UCSD. Her laboratory investigates the epigenomic basis of brain development and maturation, with particular emphasis on understanding how neural circuits form in the prefrontal cortex during the perinatal period. As a principal investigator in the NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), she has contributed to generating comprehensive single-cell epigenomic atlases of the mouse and human brain and to identifying cell types through their DNA methylation signatures. Her work aims to elucidate how disruptions during critical developmental windows may lead to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this Genomic Press Interview, Professor Behrens reflects on her unconventional path to neuroscience, her passion for collaborative research, and the questions that continue to drive her scientific curiosity.

Introduction Environmental estrogenic chemicals can cross the maternal–fetal barrier and disrupt endocrine and metabolic regulation in the developing embryo/fetus. Bisphenol A (BPA) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) are widely present in the environment and have been linked to increased cardio-metabolic disease risk. Purpose This study investigated the effects of maternal BPA and EE2 exposure on metabolic function and circadian energy regulation in male offspring. Methods Pregnant and lactating dams were chronically administered BPA (20 µg/kg bw/day) or EE2 (0.01 µg/kg bw/day) via osmotic minipumps from gestational day 9 to postnatal day 21 to mimic environmental exposure. Adult male offspring (60–80 days old) were assessed for body composition, fasting glucose, and metabolic and activity parameters using the TSE Phenomaster system. Results BPA-exposed offspring exhibited reduced lean body mass, fat mass, fat ratio, and 24-hour fasting glucose levels compared to controls and EE2-exposed offspring. Both BPA- and EE2-exposed groups showed altered circadian patterns of locomotor activity, food intake, energy expenditure, and respiratory exchange ratio, with effects predominantly occurring during the night phase. Conclusions Maternal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of BPA or EE2 can alter the development and function of metabolic regulatory systems, producing distinct disruptions in circadian energy homeostasis in adult offspring. These differential effects likely reflect the partially overlapping yet distinct organizational and activational pathways through which these endocrine-disrupting chemicals act during the perinatal period.

Background/Aims Those with a history of adverse childhood experiences are known to experience worse mental health and poorer obstetric and neonatal outcomes. This scoping review explored the perinatal experiences of women with a history of adverse childhood experiences. Methods Qualitative studies that explored lived experiences of the perinatal period for women with a history of adverse childhood experiences were included in this scoping review. Three databases, CINAHL, Medline and PsychInfo, were systematically searched for qualitative papers in June 2024 and eight papers were reviewed. Results Three themes emerged: pregnancy as a turning point, with the sub-theme of the pregnancy identity; interpersonal connections; and experiences of maternity care, with the sub-themes trust and judgement and control and triggers. Conclusions For women with a background of adverse childhood experiences, the perinatal period may be experienced uniquely, with notions around their sense of identity and relationships shaped by their past. Implications for practice Caregivers should actively deliver and promote trauma-informed care to account for potential vulnerabilities and enable a positive perinatal experience.

Postpartum obsessive compulsive symptom onset: Modeling a pathway of risk.

Unravelling symptom-specific polygenic effects on maternal mental health during the perinatal period and postpartum.

The representation of females in sport and exercise-science literature remains limited, prompting focused efforts to expand the breadth of research in the field, particularly surrounding training and competition during and following pregnancy in elite athletes. Much of the existing literature on this topic provides little to no guidance for females, coaches, health-care personnel, and high-performance staff on how to most appropriately develop effective and healthy training programs during the perinatal period. Purpose: This brief review provides insight into the current literature surrounding exercise-related factors and navigating perinatal lifespan stages in elite athletes, as well as offering a call to action for scientists and clinicians to develop and explore impactful research questions on these topics. Conclusions: In order to deliver evidence-informed care to perinatal athletes, it is vital to take an interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach that focuses on the physiological changes occurring during and following pregnancy, exercise training, nutrition, environmental stressors, and injury prevention and care. Furthermore, concerted efforts to expand the breadth and depth of health- and performance-related research for perinatal athletes are needed to ensure that these athletes receive proper evidence-informed guidance.

Trichotillomania, skin picking disorder, and pregnancy.

Diurnal cortisol trajectories from mid-pregnancy to one year after birth.

Emergence of functional topography in the neonatal white matter.

Gold nanorod-mediated multicolor biosensor for visual detection of Streptococcus agalactiae during pregnancy in actual clinical samples.

Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression following cesarean delivery.

Psychological intervention for postpartum depression: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.