BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

ObjectiveStudies on psychosocial interventions for perinatal mental health and wellbeing are mostly limited to the postpartum period. However, the physiological changes associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy predisposes women to severe psychological distress and adverse birth outcomes. This review investigated the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. MethodsCochrane CENTRAL, Embase, MEDLINE, MIDIRS, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycArticles,...

ObjectivesPre-eclampsia (PE) is an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite an elusive pathophysiology, PE has been associated with changes in maternal serum concentrations of adipokines in early pregnancy. We hypothesized, that symbolic regression might identify interactions between adipokines and PE, which may have eluded regression and Bayesian models. MethodsIn this nested case-control sub-study, of the Copenhagen First Trimester Screening Study, data regarding maternal...

IntroductionAntepartum fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns are routinely assessed to evaluate fetal wellbeing. Despite their clinical use, the relationship between specific FHR patterns and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between antepartum FHR patterns and APOs to improve fetal risk assessment. MethodsIn this retrospective case-control study, we extracted raw antepartum FHR traces from singleton pregnancies between 27+0 and 41+6 wee...

IntroductionCesarean delivery is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States. Despite their frequency and medical necessity, the acute psychological impact of unscheduled cesarean delivery is unknown. This study aimed to assess the rates and nature of peritraumatic stress response during and shortly after unscheduled cesarean delivery, and whether acute stress predicts later mental health symptoms. Methods1,146 patients receiving routine perinatal care at a tertiary, urban h...

BackgroundAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events and family challenges that occur during childhood (0-17 years). Extensive research has linked ACEs to adverse effects throughout life. However, recent studies suggest that ACEs may also have intergenerational consequences, influencing pregnancy complications and perinatal outcomes. ObjectiveIn this study, we aim to explore the association between maternal ACEs and perinatal outcomes in the Dutch context. Participan...

BackgroundFetal birth weight and placental weight have been extensively studied and used for clinical assessment of fetal development and maternal health. The ratio of fetal and placental weight as a tool for clinical use in human pregnancy is less studied. We compared the fetal birth weight, placental weight and fetal placental ratio in term pregnancy to see if fetal and placental ratio is useful in assessment of maternal health and pregnancy complication as well as fetal growth and development...

The goal of this study was to examine correlates of maternal-fetal attachment in a diverse sample of young pregnant mothers. Although studies have looked at social determinants of health and maternal-fetal attachment, none have examined correlates that may be more prevalent in younger populations including prenatal drug use or fear of childbirth. We analyzed data from a prospective cohort of 154 pregnant adolescents and young adults (75.5% Black/African American, 15.6% white, 7.5% biracial, 1.4%...

BackgroundPreeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading factors in maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide with no known cure. Delivery timing is key to balancing maternal and fetal risk in pregnancies complicated by PE. Delivery timing of PE patients is traditionally determined by closely monitoring over a prolonged time. We developed and externally validated a deep learning models that can predict the time to delivery of PE patients, based on electronic health records (EHR) data by ...

ObjectiveTo evaluate the accuracy of Cervical Stiffness Index (CSI) in predicting preterm birth (PTB) in women with threatened preterm labor (PTL). Study designThis was a single-center, prospective, observational study of women with singleton pregnancies presenting to obstetrics triage for threatened PTL between 240/7 and 336/7 weeks. Women included in the study received a physical examination, ultrasound examination, transvaginal ultrasound cervical length measurement, and cervical stiffness a...

ImportancePrognostic predictions of prelabor rupture of membranes lack proper sample sizes and external validation. ObjectiveTo develop, validate, and deploy statistical and/or machine learning prediction models using medical histories for prelabor rupture of membranes and the time of delivery. DesignA retrospective cohort design within 2-year period (2015 to 2016) of a single-payer, government-owned health insurance database covering 75.8% individuals in a country SettingNationwide healthcar...

BackgroundPreterm birth (PTB), defined as the birth of infants before 37 weeks of gestation, poses significant health risks, including increased mortality and long-term disabilities. India stands as a major contributor to global PTB-related mortality, primarily due to its substantial prevalence. The complex temporal relationship among multiple etiological factors makes predicting PTB occurrence challenging. This is further complicated by the diverse PTB phenotypic categories, namely maternal, fo...

ObjectiveThe majority of breech fetuses are delivered by Cesarean birth as few physicians are trained in vaginal breech birth. An external cephalic version (ECV) can prevent Cesarean delivery and the associated morbidity in these patients. Current guidelines recommend all patients with breech presentation be offered an ECV attempt. Not all attempts are successful, and an attempt does carry some risks so shared decision-making is necessary. To aid in patient counseling, over a dozen prediction mo...

IntroductionFetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring is one of the commonest and most affordable tests performed during pregnancy worldwide. It is critical for evaluating the health status of the baby, providing real-time insights into the physiology of the fetus. While the relationship between patterns in these signals and adverse pregnancy outcomes is well-established, human identification of these complex patterns remains sub-optimal, with experts often failing to recognise babies at high-risk of ou...

BackgroundPregnancy preparation, to establish a healthy lifestyle within the preconception period, has been shown to reduce adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite its importance, we know very little about if and how people prepare for pregnancy in the UK. MethodsAs part of the P3 study, women in the UK were invited to complete an online survey about pregnancy preferences, including the Desire to Avoid Pregnancy (DAP) Scale. 274 participants were currently trying, thinking, or maybe thi...

IntroductionQuickening, the first sensation of fetal movements, is an important milestone for pregnant women. Information on the expected gestational age at quickening may reduce anxiety and prevent delayed detection of intrauterine demise but the available data are from the 1980s before the emergence of modern ultrasound techniques. Materials and methodsProspective observational study on nulliparous women blinded for placental location in two hospitals in Denmark. The pregnant women were enrol...

ObjectiveTo evaluate modifiable antepartum and intrapartum factors associated with nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) cesarean delivery and to model risk stratified induction timing strategies that minimize cesarean risk across maternal risk profiles. Study DesignThis retrospective cohort study included all NTSV deliveries at a tertiary care center from January 2015 through August 2025 (overall cohort n=10,525; limited risk cohort n=5,663). Machine learning identified key predictors o...

BackgroundPreterm birth, defined as birth occurring before 37 weeks of gestation, poses a significant and enduring public health challenge, with substantial emotional and financial burdens on families and society. To identify preterm births early in pregnancy, we investigated the predictive ability of machine learning models in a nulliparous (first-time pregnancy) study cohort. Preterm births are categorized into two major types: indicated preterm birth, which occurs due to medical conditions su...

BackgroundAdvanced maternal age (AMA, [≥]35 years) has become increasingly common, with corresponding rises in obstetric complications. Abnormal placental cord insertion (PCI), including marginal (MCI) and velamentous cord insertion (VCI), has been linked to adverse perinatal outcomes, yet its relationship with AMA remains poorly defined. This study examined whether AMA is associated with abnormal PCI morphology in singleton pregnancies. MethodsA secondary analysis was conducted using 564 pr...

BackgroundFew large, cohort studies report data on individuals maternal, fetal, perinatal, and neonatal outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy. We report outcomes from a collaboration formed early during the pandemic between the investigators of two registries, the UK and global Pregnancy and Neonatal outcomes in COVID-19 (PAN-COVID) study and the US American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal Perinatal Medicine (AAP SONPM) National Perinatal COVID-19 Registry. Method...

Accurate estimates of gestational age at birth are important for preterm birth surveillance but can be challenging to reliably acquire in low and middle income countries. Our objective was to develop machine learning models to accurately estimate gestational age shortly after birth using clinical and metabolic data. We derived and internally validated three models using ELASTIC NET multivariable linear regression in heel prick blood samples and clinical data from a retrospective cohort of newbor...