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Human milk is rich in immuno-modulatory factors that have the potential to shape immune development and influence allergy risk in children. In this article, we describe how breast milk may contribute to making the infant less prone to developing allergies.
Maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes, although less is known for wildfire smoke. This systematic review evaluated the association between maternal exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy and the risk of perinatal, obstetric, and early childhood health outcomes.
Positive maternal mental health during the perinatal period contributes to general well-being and positive emotional bonds with the child, encouraging an optimal developmental trajectory. Online interventions to enhance maternal well-being and develop coping skills, such as meditation-based interventions, can be a low-cost way to improve mother and child outcomes.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) women have a high prevalence of diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), which includes pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We aimed to characterize the impact of DIP in babies born to Aboriginal mothers.
Maternal influenza and pertussis vaccination is an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants. Previous vaccine safety studies have mostly focused on the association between maternal vaccination and fetal death.
Jane Pillow BMedSci (Dist) MBBS, PhD (Dist) FRACP Head, Developmental Chronobiology jane.pillow@thekids.org.au Head, Developmental Chronobiology
Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy with major maternal and fetal consequences. While the molecular basis of early-onset preeclampsia is well studied, the mechanisms underlying late-onset disease-and how they differ by fetal sex-remain poorly understood. Placental transcriptomic profiling at term can reveal persistent molecular alterations reflecting cumulative disease processes.
The ORIGINS Project (“ORIGINS”) is a longitudinal, population-level birth cohort with data and biosample collections that aim to facilitate research to reduce non-communicable diseases and encourage ‘a healthy start to life’. ORIGINS has gathered millions of datapoints and over 400,000 biosamples over 15 timepoints, antenatally through to five years of age, from mothers, non-birthing partners and the child, across four health and wellness domains.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a lifelong disability of varying severity that occurs among individuals prenatally exposed to alcohol. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians, the effects of colonisation and ongoing racism could increase the risk of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Psychological distress in the early postpartum period can have long-lasting deleterious effects on a mother's well-being and negatively affect her infant's development. Intervention approaches based in contemplative practices such as mindfulness and loving-kindness and compassion are intended to alleviate distress and cultivate well-being and can be delivered effectively as digital mental health interventions.