Migraine diagnosis in women prior to pregnancy was linked with an increased risk of complications during pregnancy including preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and an increased risk of pre-term birth.
Maternal exposure to air pollution during mid-to-late pregnancy was associated with lower scores on tests of cognition, language, and motor skills in children at the age of two.
Lower levels of vitamin D in-utero were associated with delays in fine motor skill development at age five. Exposure to thyroid hormones in-utero was associated with cognitive development during childhood.
Children born at or before 34 weeks of gestation tended to have lower scores in tests for mathematics, language, and IQ as teenagers compared to those born at full term.
Higher maternal body fat was associated with weaker cognitive, language, and motor skills in children at age two. The children of mothers who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes showed poorer language skills at age two compared to children of mothers without gestational diabetes.
A new model of vertical microbiome transmission between mother and child has been reported. Researchers say microbes in the maternal gut share genes with those in the infant's gut during the perinatal period directly following birth up to a few weeks postbirth.
A combination of antidepression use and infections that lead to inflammation during pregnancy increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism in children, a new study reports.
The common antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine) provokes an inflammatory response in the amniotic sac. The findings may reveal the underlying factor of why women who take SSRI antidepressants are at higher risk of preterm birth.
Excess fat from a mother's high-fat diet triggers immune cells to over-consume serotonin in the brains of developing males, leading to depression-like behaviors in the offspring.
A new study reveals a link between fetal exposure to flame retardants and an increased risk of anxiety during adolescence. Researchers found the higher the levels of PBDE, a class of chemicals used in flame retardants, in a pregnant woman's blood sample, the higher a child' scored for anxiety during their teenage years.
New insights into the maternal brain shed novel light on the neuroscience of parenting and have implications for developing treatments for treating postpartum depression.
Women who experience anxiety while pregnant are more likely to give birth earlier than women who don't.