Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2019 Feb 13. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Gene-environment-development interactions are suggested to play a crucial role in psychiatric disorders. However, it is not clear if there are specific risk gene interactions with particular pre-, peri-, and postnatal risk factors for distinct disorders, such as adult attention-deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (aADHD) and bipolar disorder (BD). In this pilot study, the first aim was to investigate retrospective self-reports of pre-, peri-, and postnatal complications and risk factors from 126 participants (aADHD, BD, and healthy controls) and their mothers. Read More

Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2019 Jan 19:1-8. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

b Centre de recherche de Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS) and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, QC J1H 5N4, Canada.

Childhood obesity is a predictor of adult obesity and has its roots in the pre-pregnancy or pregnancy period. This review presents an overview of the prenatal risk factors for childhood obesity, which were categorized into 2 groups: biological risk factors (maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, diabetes in pregnancy, and caesarean section), and environmental and behavioural risk factors (maternal smoking and exposure to obesogens, maternal dietary patterns, maternal intestinal microbiome and antibiotics exposure, and maternal psychosocial stress). Identifying modifiable predisposing prenatal factors for obesity will inform further development of inventions to prevent obesity over the life course, and future directions for research and intervention are discussed. Read More

Probl Sotsialnoi Gig Zdravookhranenniiai Istor Med 2018 Jul;26(4):217-220

The Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education "The St. Petersburg State University", St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia,

The tobacco smoking of women during pregnancy and breast feeding represents a significant danger to public health. During pregnancy, the WHO recommends to abstain from cigarettes smoking. In spite of extensive information concerning related to smoking dangers to health of women and fetus, certain females continue to smoke during all pregnancy. Read More

Soc Sci Med 2018 Nov 2;217:65-72. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan.

There are many psychosocial and biomedical risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD). However, associations between co-resident family members and PPD risk have not been examined. This study investigated whether co-resident family members were associated with risk for PPD during 1 month postpartum among Japanese women, and if these associations were modified by household income and their perceived partner's involvement in childcare. Read More

J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs 2018 Oct 5;31(2-3):61-69. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.

Problem: Perinatal depression is a public health concern as it is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Previous studies have recommended further examination of perinatal depression among Mexican-American adolescents. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand pregnant and postpartum Mexican-American adolescents' knowledge and beliefs concerning perinatal depression. Read More

PLoS One 2018 19;13(9):e0201842. Epub 2018 Sep 19.

National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background: Previous studies have investigated physical and psychosocial job exposures separately in relation to foetal growth. We therefore investigated if occupational lifting and psychosocial job strain interact to affect foetal growth and gestational length. We hypothesised that heavy lifting and high job strain would increase the risk of impacted foetal growth (small or large for gestational age) and preterm birth. Read More

J Addict Nurs 2018 Jul/Sep;29(3):205-210

Gina Dobbs, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, CRNP, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Susanne A. Fogger, DNP, CRNP, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, FAANP, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The worsening opioid epidemic ignites infectious disease development and transmission as opioids abused by insufflation and/or injection establish a pathway for infection to the user and propagate vulnerability to diseases. The phenomenon of the synergistic collision of epidemics intensifying the load of disease constitutes a syndemic. Merrill Signer (1994) voiced the term "syndemic" to characterize the complex nexus of politics, economics, psychosocial/environmental factors, and health disparities resulting in the inner-city AIDS crisis of the 1990s. Read More

Sci Rep 2018 Aug 24;8(1):12799. Epub 2018 Aug 24.

Translational Medicine, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK.

Perinatal depression involves interplay between individual chronic and acute disease burdens, biological and psychosocial environmental and behavioural factors. Here we explored the predictive potential of specific psycho-socio-demographic characteristics for antenatal and postpartum depression symptoms and contribution to severity scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening tool. We determined depression risk trajectories in 480 women that prospectively completed the EPDS during pregnancy (TP1) and postpartum (TP2). Read More

J Psychosom Res 2018 Sep 22;112:53-58. Epub 2018 Jun 22.

Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms, identify relevant risk factors, and assess comorbid mental health problems, among pregnant women enrolled in a population based study.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data collected from 1916 pregnant women who participated in the TRansgenerational Assessment of Children's Environmental Risk (TRACER) study in Kuwait, and had answered the Baseline Questionnaire and completed the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS). Logistic regression models were used to examine the association of depressive symptoms with baseline socio-demographic characteristics and psychosocial indicators. Read More

Dev Psychopathol 2018 08;30(3):773-785

New York State Psychiatric Institute.

Psychotropic medication use and psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy each are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Commonly, studies considering medication effects do not adequately assess symptoms, nor evaluate children when the effects are believed to occur, the fetal period. This study examined maternal serotonin reuptake inhibitor and polypharmacy use in relation to serial assessments of five indices of fetal neurobehavior and Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 12 months in N = 161 socioeconomically advantaged, non-Hispanic White women with a shared risk phenotype, diagnosed major depressive disorder. Read More

Dev Psychopathol 2018 08;30(3):843-854

Monash University.

There is clear evidence that the mother's stress, anxiety, or depression during pregnancy can alter the development of her fetus and her child, with an increased risk for later psychopathology. We are starting to understand some of the underlying mechanisms including the role of the placenta, gene-environment interactions, epigenetics, and specific systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and cytokines. In this review we also consider how these effects may be different, and potentially exacerbated, in different parts of the world. Read More

Dev Psychopathol 2018 08;30(3):1009-1021

DePaul University.

The ability to regulate stress is a critical developmental milestone of early childhood that involves a set of interconnected behavioral and physiological processes and is influenced by genetic and environmental stimuli. Prenatal exposure to traumatic stress and trauma, including intimate partner violence (IPV), increases risk for offspring biobehavioral regulation problems during childhood and adolescence. Although individual differences in susceptibility to prenatal stress have been largely unexplored, a handful of studies suggest children with specific genetic characteristics are most vulnerable to prenatal stress. Read More

Can J Psychiatry 2018 Aug 1:706743718792190. Epub 2018 Aug 1.

3 Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto & Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.

Objective: Past cross-sectional studies have reported that mothers from ethnic minorities experience higher levels of prenatal and post-partum psychosocial distress compared with mothers from ethnic majorities. However, no studies have examined how the pattern varies longitudinally in a Canadian population of heterogeneous ethnicity.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3,138 mothers participating in the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study, a longitudinal multi-center study incorporating 10 distinct waves of psychosocial data collection from pregnancy until the index child was aged 5 y. Read More

Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2018 Jul;67(5):442-461

Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen Lützerodestraße 9 30161 Hannover Deutschland Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen.

Factors Influencing Theory of Mind Development in Preschoolers within the Context of Early Interventions The Theory of Mind (ToM) competency is closely related to the child's cognitive, language, and socio-emotional development. In early interventions, skills and developmental processes associated with ToM development are often primary intervention targets, but empirical support for direct or indirect influences of early interventions on ToM development is missing so far. Within the home visiting program "Pro Kind" N = 755 families were accompanied by professionals from the last trimester of pregnancy until the child's second birthday. Read More

Arch Womens Ment Health 2019 Feb 4;22(1):93-103. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, Cyprus University of Technology, 95 Eirinis Street, 3041, Limassol, Cyprus.

Evidence exists that the risk factors for depression in the antenatal and postnatal period may differ, but only a handful of studies looked at depression longitudinally. The aims of this study were (1) to estimate the prevalence of postnatal depressive symptoms in Kuwait where data about postnatal depression are scarce and identify its determinants and (2) to compare these risk factors between women who had experienced antenatal depressive symptoms and those that did not. Data collected in the TRansgenerational Assessment of Children's Environmental Risk (TRACER) Study in Kuwait were used in this analysis. Read More

MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs 2018 Sep/Oct;43(5):245-251

Carmen Giurgescu is an Associate Professor, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. The author can be reached via e-mail at Dawn P. Misra is a Professor, Department of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.

Objective: Black women are more likely to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods and experience racial discrimination and psychological stress compared with White women. These factors have been related to preterm birth (PTB). However, research is limited on the associations of disadvantaged neighborhoods, racial discrimination, and psychological stress among expectant Black fathers and PTB. Read More

Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med 2018 Jun 19;10(1):e1-e10. Epub 2018 Jun 19.

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, South Africa, Discipline of Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Background: Adolescent repeat pregnancy is of importance in public health because the birth of a second child to an adolescent mother compounds the adverse medical, educational, socioeconomic and parenting outcomes. Repeat pregnancy in adolescence is not only an international phenomenon but also a local concern as it also occurs in South Africa. The prevalence of adolescent repeat pregnancy in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, was reported as 17. Read More

J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2018 May 23:1-9. Epub 2018 May 23.

a Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health , Baltimore , MD , USA.

Objective: Examine the association of mothers' psychosocial stressors before and during pregnancy with their children's diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: This study included 2140 mother-child pairs who had at least one postnatal pediatric visit at the Boston Medical Center between 2003 and 2015. Child ADHD was determined via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes documented in electronic medical records. Read More

BMJ Open 2018 05 3;8(5):e018317. Epub 2018 May 3.

Unité de Neurophysiologie du Stress, Département Neurosciences et Contraintes Opérationnelles, Institute de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny Sur Orge, France.

Introduction: The prevalence of postnatal depression (PND) is significant: reaching up to 20% in the general population. In mechanistic terms, the risk of PND lies in an interaction between a maternal psychophysiological vulnerability and a chronic environmental context of stress. On the one hand, repetition of stressor during pregnancy mimics a chronic stress model that is relevant to the study of the allostatic load and the adaptive mechanisms. Read More

Ann Hum Biol 2018 May;45(3):220-228

f Départment des sciences de l'activité physique , Université du Québec à Montréal , Montréal , QC , Canada.

Background: Maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with birth outcomes, including birthweight. Exposure to natural disasters during pregnancy provides a model to study these relationships. However, few studies assess both stress and diet, which might have interactive effects. Read More

Matern Child Health J 2018 Oct;22(10):1430-1435

Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, DUMC Box 3967, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.

Objectives Studies examining risk factors for preterm birth (PTB) such as psychosocial stress are often focused on women with a history of PTB; however, most preterm babies are born to women with no history of preterm birth. Our objective was to determine if the relationship between psychosocial stress and PTB is altered by parity. Non-Hispanic black (NHB) women have increased psychosocial stress and PTB; therefore, we further aimed to determine if race alters the relationship between psychosocial stress, parity, and PTB. Read More

J Perinat Neonatal Nurs 2018 Jan/Mar;32(1):43-52

St. Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colorado.

Although still illegal at the federal level, marijuana has been legalized for medical and/or recreational use in 29 states, causing a dynamically changing legal and social landscape. While the legalization of marijuana at the state level provides criminal protection for use by adults, there remain civil legal implications for families brought about by mandated reporting laws. Mandated reporting requirements have not been updated to account for the movement toward legalization, risking overload of community child protection resources. Read More

Vulnerable Child Youth Stud 2017 8;12(4):328-333. Epub 2017 Mar 8.

Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.

Access to education has been shown to strongly influence adolescent health across the world, and strong relationships with teachers has been found to lead to better academic and psychosocial outcomes for students. In many low-income countries where adolescents have less access to education and are more likely to experience poor health outcomes, risky sexual behaviors can exacerbate these challenges by increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. This study sought to examine risky behaviors, such as substance use and risky sexual practices, of in-school youth in Liberia, a country in West Africa. Read More

Clin Obstet Gynecol 2018 03;61(1):62-71

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.

Preconception counseling is an important aspect of the care of reproductive-aged women. Asking each woman with each interaction her wishes regarding pregnancy allows the health care provider to investigate her history. The areas to review include environmental toxins, nutrition, genetics, substance abuse, medical conditions, infectious diseases, and psychosocial issues. Read More

Am J Epidemiol 2018 Jun;187(6):1199-1209

Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.

Prenatal maternal psychosocial stress might influence the development of childhood asthma. Evaluating paternal psychosocial stress and conducting a sibling comparison could provide further insight into the role of unmeasured confounding. We examined the associations of parental psychosocial stress during and after pregnancy with asthma at age 7 years in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (n = 63,626; children born in 2000-2007). Read More

Environ Health Prev Med 2017 Apr 4;22(1):26. Epub 2017 Apr 4.

Mental Health Research Group, Health Metrics Research Center, Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Pregnant women and their fetus belong to a sensitive group in response to air pollution hazards. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a theory-based educational program to change pollution exposure behavior in pregnant women.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, pregnant women attending a prenatal clinic in Tehran, Iran were selected and randomized into the experimental and control groups. Read More

J Midwifery Womens Health 2017 Nov 14;62(6):696-705. Epub 2017 Nov 14.

Preterm birth continues to be a problem affecting low-, middle-, and high-income countries, with rates increasing in some areas despite ongoing efforts to reduce the incidence. This emphasizes the need for more effective interventions, particularly if we aim to achieve the broad health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The current focus on medically-oriented interventions such as reducing nonmedically-indicated induction of labor, cesarean birth, and multiple embryo transfers associated with assisted reproductive technologies, as well as the application of cervical cerclage and use of progesterone therapy, though important, are likely only partial solutions to the complex phenomenon of preterm birth. Read More

Breast Cancer Res 2017 Nov 7;19(1):119. Epub 2017 Nov 7.

Department of Oncology, Leuven Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer, University Hospital Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Background: Previous studies have shown that reproductive factors are differentially associated with breast cancer (BC) risk by subtypes. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between reproductive factors and BC subtypes, and whether these vary by age at diagnosis.

Methods: We used pooled data on tumor markers (estrogen and progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)) and reproductive risk factors (parity, age at first full-time pregnancy (FFTP) and age at menarche) from 28,095 patients with invasive BC from 34 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). Read More

Infant Behav Dev 2017 11 2;49:322-329. Epub 2017 Nov 2.

Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy.

Maternal mind-mindedness has been shown to be a powerful predictor of many developmental outcomes and to buffer the impact of psychosocial risk conditions, but no study has investigated whether this parental feature might support child development in the presence of biological risk, such as preterm birth. The present study addresses this gap, by investigating whether early maternal mind-mindedness contributes to the growth of a child's linguistic abilities in the following two years of life, and if the contribution of this maternal feature might be stronger in the presence of preterm birth. Forty mother-child dyads (twenty with a preterm infant) were followed longitudinally, with maternal mind-mindedness assessed at 14 months of age and child's expressive linguistic abilities at 24 and 36 months through observational measures. Read More

Int J Ment Health Syst 2017 18;11:64. Epub 2017 Oct 18.

Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, 14 Story Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.

Background: Sexual violence is prevalent in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has potentially devastating psychosocial consequences. Previous studies have reported on sexual violence and its impact on the mental health of survivors, but there are few studies conducted among women with sexual violence-related pregnancies (SVRPs). Women with SVRPs may be at greater risk of complex psychosocial outcomes, including social stigmatization. Read More

Women Birth 2018 Aug 12;31(4):292-298. Epub 2017 Oct 12.

Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.

Problem: The evidence of benefit for antenatal psychosocial assessment and depression screening has been sufficient to lead the implementation of screening in public hospitals in all states of Australia. Details of the implementation of perinatal screening in private obstetric settings is less well known.

Aim: As any successful implementation relies on the identification of local barriers, we aimed to determine what perceived or actual barriers may exist for the implementation of evidence-based perinatal screening interventions in private obstetric care, and specifically within small private hospitals. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017 09 6;14(9). Epub 2017 Sep 6.

INSERM, University Hospital of Poitiers, University of Poitiers, Clinical Investigation Center 1402, 2 rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers CEDEX, France.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) are environmental exposure factors that are rarely reported in clinical practice, particularly during pregnancy. This study aimed to describe women's knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards EDC exposure. A study was conducted in the French Department of Vienne between 2014 and 2016 and comprised semi-structured interviews with pregnant women, a focus group of professionals in perinatology and environmental health, and the administration of a psychosocial questionnaire comprising scores in 300 pregnant or in postpartum period women. Read More

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2017 09 27;119(3):232-237.e1. Epub 2017 Jul 27.

Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York. Electronic address:

Background: Air pollution exposure in childhood is associated with greater incidence and exacerbation of asthma, particularly in children whose parents report high levels of psychological stress. However, this interaction has not been completely elucidated in pregnancy.

Objective: To examine whether the association between prenatal exposure to particulate matter no larger than 2. Read More

J Am Assoc Nurse Pract 2017 Oct 21;29(10):571-580. Epub 2017 Jul 21.

Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia.

Purpose: Women are the fastest growing Veteran population in the United States and many receive all or part of their health care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The purpose of this article is to review the healthcare issues of women Veterans and discuss implications for care.

Data Sources: Review of selected literature, VA resources and guidelines, and expert opinion. Read More

PLoS One 2017 12;12(7):e0176331. Epub 2017 Jul 12.

Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California, San Francisco, United States of America.

Background: Adverse effects of prenatal stress or environmental chemical exposures on fetal growth are well described, yet their combined effect remains unclear.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review on the combined impact and interaction of prenatal exposure to stress and chemicals on developmental outcomes.

Methods: We used the first three steps of the Navigation Guide systematic review. Read More

Int J Cancer 2017 11 11;141(9):1830-1840. Epub 2017 Aug 11.

Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.

Investigating the most likely causal variants identified by fine-mapping analyses may improve the power to detect gene-environment interactions. We assessed the interplay between 70 single nucleotide polymorphisms identified by genetic fine-scale mapping of susceptibility loci and 11 epidemiological breast cancer risk factors in relation to breast cancer. Analyses were conducted on up to 58,573 subjects (26,968 cases and 31,605 controls) from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium, in one of the largest studies of its kind. Read More

Am J Epidemiol 2017 Dec;186(11):1227-1236

Department of Pediatrics, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.

Psychosocial stress contributes to placental oxidative stress. Mitochondria are vulnerable to oxidative stress, which can lead to changes in mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn). We examined associations of maternal lifetime stress, current negative life events, and depressive and posttraumatic-stress-disorder symptom scores with placental mtDNAcn in a racially/ethnically diverse sample (n = 147) from the Programming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms (PRISM) study (Massachusetts, March 2011 to August 2012). Read More

Obesity (Silver Spring) 2017 07 2;25(7):1217-1227. Epub 2017 Jun 2.

Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.

Objective: The effective components of interventions for reducing excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) remain to be identified. This study investigated the sociodemographic, physical, psychosocial, and environmental correlates of online GWG tracking and its independent association with GWG outcomes.

Methods: Eight hundred ninety-eight women in the intervention arms of a randomized trial assessing the effectiveness of an integrated online and mobile phone behavioral intervention to decrease the prevalence of excessive GWG were included in this secondary analysis. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2017 Jun 1;17(1):161. Epub 2017 Jun 1.

Emory University School of Nursing and School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Background: Adverse birth and neonatal outcomes disproportionately affect African American women and infants compared to those of other races/ethnicities. While significant research has sought to identify underlying factors contributing to these disparities, current understanding remains limited, constraining prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. With the development of next generation sequencing techniques, the contribution of the vaginal microbiome to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes has come under consideration. Read More

Environ Health 2017 05 19;16(1):48. Epub 2017 May 19.

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.

Background: Environmental justice research shows how socially disadvantaged groups are more exposed and more vulnerable to environmental pollution. At the same time, these groups are less represented and, thus, less visible in biomedical studies. This socioeconomic participation bias is a form of environmental injustice within research practice itself. Read More

PLoS One 2017 1;12(5):e0176256. Epub 2017 May 1.

Behavioral Medicine Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston, United States of America.

The complexities of navigating pregnancy while living with HIV predispose women to additional stress. Finding ways to minimize psychosocial challenges during the perinatal period may maximize the well-being of mothers living with HIV and their children. The goal of this study was to explore psychosocial challenges experienced by women living with HIV (WLWH) during pregnancy and the postpartum. Read More

Neuropsychology 2017 Jul 6;31(5):475-485. Epub 2017 Apr 6.

Department of Child Psychiatry, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea.

Objective: This study tested the role of temporary memory, measured by phonological short-term memory (pSTM) and verbal working memory (vWM), as a mediator of the effect of 3 putative risk factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, home literacy environment, birth gestational age) upon expressive and receptive language. Read More

J Affect Disord 2017 08 30;217:34-41. Epub 2017 Mar 30.

Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan. Electronic address:

Background: Postpartum depression is one of the major causes of disability among women who are on their childbearing years. Identifying people at risk of postpartum depression may improve its management. The objective of this study was to determine the probable association between postpartum depression and some preconception gynecological morbidities. Read More

BMC Psychiatry 2017 03 21;17(1):104. Epub 2017 Mar 21.

Department of Psychiatry, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Background: In the postpartum period, certain groups of women are at a higher risk for developing depressive episodes. Several studies have described risk factors for developing postpartum depression (PPD). However, these studies have used limited numbers of participants, and therefore the estimated prevalence of PPD varies greatly. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2017 Feb;96(5):e5899

aDivision of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan bDepartment of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. cDepartment of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL dDepartment of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health eCenter on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore fGlobal Health and Education Projects, Inc., Riverdale, MD gAnn & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Chicago, IL hDepartment of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA iDivision of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Preterm birth (PTB, <37 weeks of gestation) is influenced by a wide range of environmental, genetic and psychosocial factors, and their interactions. However, the individual and joint effects of genetic factors and psychosocial stress on PTB have remained largely unexplored among U.S. Read More

Occup Environ Med 2017 03 6;74(3):192-199. Epub 2016 Oct 6.

Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, Texas, USA.

Objectives: We examined the association of an array of estimated maternal occupational physical activities and psychosocial stressors during pregnancy with odds for preterm birth (PTB) and small-for-gestational age (SGA).

Methods: Data for infants born without major birth defects delivered from 1997 to 2009 whose mothers reported working at least 1 month during pregnancy were obtained from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. We linked occupational codes to the US Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network, which provides estimates of exposure for multiple domains of physical activity and psychosocial stressors by occupational categories. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2016 10 14;16(1):311. Epub 2016 Oct 14.

Reader in Clinical Epidemiology & Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Obesity - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine & University College London Hospital, London, UK.

Background: India is experiencing an epidemic of obesity-hyperglycaemia, which coincides with child bearing age for women. The epidemic can be sustained and augmented through transgenerational transmission of adiposity and glucose intolerance in women. This presents an opportunity for exploring a clear strategy for the control of this epidemic in India. Read More

J Urban Health 2016 12;93(6):984-996

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

Preterm delivery (PTD), or birth before 37 completed weeks of gestation, is a serious public health issue, and racial disparities persist. In a recently published study, perceptions of the residential environment (or neighborhood context) were associated with PTD rates among urban African American women with low educational attainment (≤12 years); however, the mechanisms of these associations are unknown. Given this gap in the literature, we used data from the Life Influences on Fetal Environments Study of postpartum African American women from Metropolitan Detroit, Michigan (2009-2011; n = 399), to examine whether psychosocial factors (depressive symptomology, psychological distress, and perceived stress) mediate associations between perceptions of the neighborhood context and PTD. Read More

Schizophr Res 2017 01 24;179:17-22. Epub 2016 Sep 24.

Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Background: Despite the prevalence of mental health problems during the perinatal period, little research has examined psychotic symptoms in a community sample across pregnancy and the postpartum. Exposure to environmental risk factors, and immigration in particular, are associated with increased risk for psychotic disorders. The current investigation examined whether psychosocial risk and immigrant status would predict levels of delusional ideation across the perinatal period when controlling for depression, anxiety, and demographic factors. Read More

Paediatr Respir Rev 2017 Jan 19;21:47-53. Epub 2016 Aug 19.

Division Pulmonology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Klipfontein Road, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa. Electronic address:

With improved prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, paediatric HIV disease is less common. However, the number of HIV exposed but uninfected infants is growing. Exposure to maternal HIV impacts infant respiratory health through an increase in known risk factors such as increased preterm birth and low birth weight, suboptimal breastfeeding, increased psychosocial stressors and increased exposure to infective pathogens. Read More