PubMed

• Questioning the fetal microbiome illustrates pitfalls of low-biomass microbial studies January 25, 2023
  Whether the human fetus and the prenatal intrauterine environment (amniotic fluid and placenta) are stably colonized by microbial communities in a healthy pregnancy remains a subject of debate. Here we evaluate recent studies that characterized microbial populations in human fetuses from the perspectives of reproductive biology, microbial ecology, bioinformatics, immunology, clinical microbiology and gnotobiology, and […]
  Katherine M Kennedy
• Intrauterine Inflammation Leads to Select Sex- and Age-Specific Behavior and Molecular Differences in Mice January 8, 2023
  Sex-specific differences in behavior have been observed in anxiety and learning in children exposed to prenatal inflammation; however, whether these behaviors manifest differently by age is unknown. This study assesses possible behavioral changes due to in utero inflammation as a function of age in neonatal, juvenile, and adult animals and presents potential molecular targets for […]
  Ana G Cristancho
• Clinician-reported childbirth outcomes, patient-reported childbirth trauma, and risk for postpartum depression August 28, 2022
  Childbirth trauma is common and increases risk for postpartum depression (PPD). However, we lack brief measures to reliably identify individuals who experience childbirth trauma and who may be at greater prospective risk for PPD. To address this gap, we used data from a racially diverse prospective cohort (n=1082). We collected survey data during pregnancy and […]
  Rebecca Waller
• Changes in preterm birth during the COVID-19 pandemic by duration of exposure and race and ethnicity August 16, 2022
  CONCLUSION: We detected no overall pandemic effects on PTB, but potential indirect benefits for some patients which could widen disparities remains possible.
  Anne M Mullin
• Gardnerella vaginalis alters cervicovaginal epithelial cell function through microbe-specific immune responses August 3, 2022
  CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show microbe-specific effects on CV epithelial function. Altered epithelial barrier function through cell death and immune-mediated mechanisms by G. vaginalis, but not L. crispatus, indicates that host epithelial cells respond to bacteria-associated signals, resulting in altered epithelial function and ultimately CV disease. Additionally, distinct immune signatures associated with Gardnerella […]
  Lauren Anton
• Maternal immune response and placental antibody transfer after COVID-19 vaccination across trimester and platforms June 28, 2022
  The availability of three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine how vaccine platforms and timing of vaccination in pregnancy impact maternal and neonatal immunity. Here, we characterize the antibody profile after Ad26.COV2.S, mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccination in 158 pregnant individuals and evaluate transplacental antibody transfer by profiling maternal and […]
  Caroline G Atyeo
• Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Nondiabetic Patients with an Elevated Early Pregnancy HbA1c June 16, 2022
  CONCLUSION: In our urban population, an elevated early HbA1c was associated with spontaneous preterm birth in nondiabetic patients KEY POINTS: · In nondiabetic patients, early pregnancy HbA1c was associated with selected adverse outcomes.. · Rates of preterm birth, pregnancy-induced hypertension, cesarean section, and macrosomia were higher in patients with an elevated HbA1c.. · The relationship […]
  Whitney R Bender
• Prospective Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk 10 Years After a Hypertensive Disorder of Pregnancy June 16, 2022
  CONCLUSIONS: We found a 2.4-fold increased risk of hypertension 10 years after HDP. Differences in noninvasive measures of CV risk were driven mostly by the hypertension diagnosis, regardless of HDP history, suggesting that the known long-term risk of CVD after HDP may primarily be a consequence of hypertension development.
  Lisa D Levine
• Gardnerella vaginalis induces matrix metalloproteinases in the cervicovaginal epithelium through TLR-2 activation June 9, 2022
  Lactobacillus-deficient cervicovaginal microbiota, including Gardnerella vaginalis, are implicated in cervical remodeling and preterm birth. Mechanisms by which microbes drives outcomes are not fully elucidated. We hypothesize that Gardnerella vaginalis induces matrix metalloproteinases through TLR-2, leading to epithelial barrier dysfunction and premature cervical remodeling. Cervicovaginal cells were treated with live Gardnerella vaginalis or Lactobacillus crispatus or […]
  Kristin D Gerson
• Lipid metabolism in the cervicovaginal space during pregnancy June 9, 2022
  No abstract
  Kristin D Gerson
• Linking Water Quality to Drinking Water Treatment Costs Using Time Series Analysis: Examining the Effect of a Treatment Plant Upgrade in Ohio May 27, 2022
  We estimate a cost function for a water treatment plant in Ohio to assess the avoided-treatment costs resulting from improved source water quality. Regulations and source water concerns motivated the treatment plant to upgrade its treatment process by adding a granular activated carbon building in 2012. The cost function uses daily observations from 2013 to […]
  Matthew T Heberling
• Racism and perinatal health inequities research: where we have been and where we should go May 21, 2022
  For more than a century, substantial racial and ethnic inequities in perinatal health outcomes have persisted despite technical clinical advances and changes in public health practice that lowered the overall incidence of morbidity. Race is a social construct and not an inherent biologic or genetic reality; therefore, racial differences in health outcomes represent the consequences […]
  Irene E Headen
• Second trimester short cervix is associated with decreased abundance of cervicovaginal lipid metabolites April 26, 2022
  CONCLUSION: A short cervix is associated with decreased cervicovaginal lipid metabolites, particularly sphingolipids. This class of lipids stabilizes cell membranes and protects against environmental exposures. Increased diethanolamine-an immunostimulatory xenobiotic-is associated with a short cervix. These observations begin to identify the potential mechanisms by which modifiable environmental factors may invoke cell damage in the setting of […]
  Kristin D Gerson
• Effectiveness of a Text-Based Gamification Intervention to Improve Physical Activity Among Postpartum Individuals With Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Randomized Clinical Trial April 20, 2022
  CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this study, a digital health intervention using remote monitoring, gamification, and social incentives among postpartum individuals at elevated cardiovascular risk significantly increased physical activity throughout 12 weeks.
  Jennifer Lewey
• Association of COVID-19 and Endemic Systemic Racism With Postpartum Anxiety and Depression Among Black Birthing Individuals April 13, 2022
  CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this longitudinal cohort study of Black birthing individuals, the experience of the syndemic was associated with negative postpartum mental health. Associations between interpersonal racism, structural racism, and negative COVID-19 pandemic experiences were associated with greater risk for postpartum depression and anxiety. Research is needed to address how systemic racism perturbs biobehavioral […]
  Wanjiku F M Njoroge