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Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social well-being, culture and early infant attachments

Although social factors and culture are significant determinants of health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, little is known academically about key interpersonal and social experiences of this population during the perinatal period, or how early attachments are formed through culture. This study addressed this gap in the literature. 

Dietary patterns during pregnancy and maternal and birth outcomes in women with type 1 diabetes: the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study

Dietary patterns characterised by high intakes of vegetables may lower the risk of pre-eclampsia and premature birth in the general population. The effect of dietary patterns in women with type 1 diabetes, who have an increased risk of complications in pregnancy, is not known. 

Autism likelihood in infants born to mothers with asthma is associated with blood inflammatory gene biomarkers in pregnancy

Mothers with asthma or atopy have a higher likelihood of having autistic children, with maternal immune activation in pregnancy implicated as a mechanism. This study aimed to determine, in a prospective cohort of mothers with asthma and their infants, whether inflammatory gene expression in pregnancy is associated with likelihood of future autism. 

Higher maternal bread and thiamine intakes are associated with increased infant allergic disease

A mother's diet during pregnancy may influence her infant's immune development. However, as potential interactions between components of our dietary intakes can make any nutritional analysis complex, here we took a multi-component dietary analysis approach.

Pregnancy with multiple high-risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A wide spectrum of high-risk factors in pregnancy can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes or short- or long-term health effects. Despite this, there has been no synthesis of findings on the measurement, potential causes, and health outcomes of multiple high-risk factors in pregnancy. We aimed to address this gap by summarising the existing research on this topic.

Perinatal psychiatric emergencies in rural Australia: In urgent need of attention

The burden of perinatal mental illness is a significant global concern, affecting approximately 10–20% of women at this stage of life. It is well recognised that Rural Australia has far less health services and mental health specialists per capita than metropolitan regions. 

“Stop, pause and take a break”: a mixed methods study of the longer-term outcomes of digital emotional wellbeing training for perinatal women

Maternal psychological distress is related to poorer physical and mental health as well as child developmental problems. Interventions that optimise maternal mental health and wellbeing during the "first 1,000 days" of life should have wide-reaching benefits for the mother and her child.

Profiling epithelial viral receptor expression in amniotic membrane and nasal epithelial cells at birth

Children with wheeze and asthma present with airway epithelial vulnerabilities, such as impaired responses to viral infection. It is postulated that the in utero environment may contribute to the development of airway epithelial vulnerabilities.  

Body mass index, prebiotic supplementation during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus risk: an effect modification analysis from a randomised controlled trial

Prebiotic dietary supplementation has been shown to improve glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetes patients. The aim of this analysis was to determine whether pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) modifies the effect of prebiotic supplementation from mid-pregnancy on reducing the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus

Hot weather, maternal health, and pregnancy experiences, impacts and responses: A systematic review of global qualitative research

Extreme heat exposure is a major global public health threat that is affecting people across the life course, including the pregnancy period. Studies have linked extreme heat with adverse pregnancy and newborn health outcomes globally.