Inflammation and Ovarian Function in Reproductive-Aged Women.

Introduction: Inflammation is a marker of immune activation. Inflammation may have an effect on both ovarian function and luteal function, both essential to pregnancy. High inflammation may also signal dysregulated processes within the ovary, which could be in part measured through Anti-Müllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and inhibin B levels.

Seminar: Extracellular Vesicles as Mediators of Environmental Stress in Human Disease.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound particles containing a variety of RNA types, DNA, proteins, and other macromolecules, are now appreciated as an important means of communication between cells and tissues, both in normal cellular physiology and as a potential indicator of cellular stress, environmental exposures, and early disease pathogenesis. Extracellular signaling through EVs is a growing field of research for understanding fundamental mechanisms of health and disease and for the potential for biomarker discovery and therapy development. EVs are also known to play important roles in mediating the effects of exposure to environmental stress.

Toxic metal mixtures in private well water and increased risk for preterm birth in North Carolina.

Background: Prenatal exposure to metals in private well water may increase the risk of preterm birth (PTB) (delivery < 37 weeks' gestation). In this study, we estimated associations between arsenic, manganese, lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc concentrations in private well water and PTB incidence in North Carolina (NC).

Methods: Birth certificates from 2003-2015 (n = 1,329,071) were obtained and pregnancies were assigned exposure using the mean concentration and the percentage of tests above the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for the census tract of each individuals' residence at the time of delivery using the NCWELL database (117,960 well water tests from 1998-2019).

The association between preconception cannabis use and gestational diabetes mellitus: The Preconception Period Analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing health and Development (PrePARED) consortium.

Background: The metabolic changes that ultimately lead to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) likely begin before pregnancy. Cannabis use might increase the risk of GDM by increasing appetite or promoting fat deposition and adipogenesis.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the association between preconception cannabis use and GDM incidence.

Large-Scale Data Harmonization Across Prospective Studies.

The Preconception Period Analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing Health and Development (PrePARED) Consortium creates a novel resource for addressing preconception health by merging data from numerous cohort studies. In this paper, we describe our data harmonization methods and results. Individual-level data from 12 prospective studies were pooled.

Markers of ovarian reserve as predictors of future fertility.

Objective: To determine the association between ovarian reserve biomarkers and future fertility among late reproductive-age women.

Design: Cohort study of participants enrolled in Time to Conceive (TTC), a time-to-pregnancy cohort study of the ovarian reserve biomarkers.

Setting: Community.

Systemic inflammation and menstrual cycle length in a prospective cohort study.

Background: Local inflammation plays an important role in normal folliculogenesis and ovulation, and conditions of chronic systemic inflammation, such as obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome, can disrupt normal follicular dynamics.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between systemic inflammation, as measured by C-reactive protein levels, and menstrual cycle length.

Study Design: This study was a secondary analysis using data from Time to Conceive, a prospective time-to-pregnancy cohort study.

Ambient air pollution exposure assessments in fertility studies: A systematic review and guide for reproductive epidemiologists.

Purpose Of Review: We reviewed the exposure assessments of ambient air pollution used in studies of fertility, fecundability, and pregnancy loss.

Recent Findings: Comprehensive literature searches were performed in the PUBMED, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Of 168 total studies, 45 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review.

Attempts to conceive and the COVID-19 pandemic: data from the Apple Women's Health Study.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that emergent events may affect pregnancy planning decisions. However, few have investigated the effect of factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy planning, measured by attempting conception, and how attempting conception status may differ by individual-level factors, such as social status or educational level.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, until March 2021, on attempting conception status and to assess the effect measure modification by educational level and subjective social status.

The real-world applications of the symptom tracking functionality available to menstrual health tracking apps.

Purpose Of Review: The goal of this review was to evaluate whether the fields available in iOS mobile phone apps for recording menstrual cycle symptoms are able to be harmonized across platforms for potential use in research, such as aggregated data analysis.

Recent Findings: Symptom tracking capabilities are a common feature among menstrual health apps but have been the subject of limited investigations. Apps differ with respect to which symptoms are included and the rationale for these differences is unclear.

Time to Pregnancy for Women Using a Fertility Awareness Based Mobile Application to Plan a Pregnancy.

Time to pregnancy (TTP) is a biomarker of fecundability and has been associated with behavioral and environmental characteristics; however, these associations have not been examined in a large population-based sample of application (app) users. This observational study followed 5,376 women with an age range of 18 to 45 years who used an app to identify their fertile window. We included women who started trying to conceive between September 30, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

Menstrual Cycle Tracking Applications and the Potential for Epidemiological Research: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Purpose Of Review: We reviewed published studies on menstrual cycle tracking applications (MCTAs) in order to describe the potential of MCTAs for epidemiologic research.

Recent Findings: A search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for MCTA literature yielded 150 articles. After exclusions, there were 49 articles that addressed the primary interest areas: 1) characteristics of MCTA users in research, 2) reasons women use or continue using MCTAs, 3) accuracy of identifying ovulation and utility at promoting and preventing pregnancy, and 4) quality assessments of MCTAs across several domains.

Ovarian Reserve Biomarkers and Menstrual Cycle Length in a Prospective Cohort Study.

Context: While age-related changes in menstrual cycle length are well known, it is unclear whether anti-Müllerian (AMH) or other ovarian reserve biomarkers have a direct association with cycle length.

Objective: To determine the association between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and menstrual cycle length.

Methods: Secondary analysis using data from time to conceive (TTC), a prospective time to pregnancy cohort study.

The Preconception Period analysis of Risks and Exposures Influencing health and Development (PrePARED) consortium.

Background: Preconception health may have intergenerational influences. We have formed the PrePARED (Preconception Period Analysis of Risks and Exposures influencing health and Development) research consortium to address methodological, conceptual, and generalisability gaps in the literature.

Objectives: The consortium will investigate the effects of preconception exposures on four sets of outcomes: (1) fertility and miscarriage; (2) pregnancy-related conditions; (3) perinatal and child health; and (4) adult health outcomes.

Association of urinary concentrations of early pregnancy phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A with length of gestation.

Background: Environmental exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) may have endocrine disrupting effects that alter length of gestation. We assessed the association between the urinary concentrations of 11 phthalate metabolites and BPA with length of gestation in a cohort of women followed from before conception with daily 1st-morning urinary hormone measures that identified day of implantation.

Methods: Pre-implantation and post-implantation urinary phthalate metabolites and BPA concentrations were measured in pooled urine samples designed to limit single-measure variability due to the likely episodic nature of these exposures and the short half-life of these compounds.

Association of urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and bisphenol A with early pregnancy endpoints.

Background: Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are environmental contaminants that may affect early embryonic development.

Objective: To assess the association between phthalate metabolites and BPA with early pregnancy endpoints in a cohort of women followed from before conception.

Methods: We quantified 11 phthalate metabolites and BPA in 137 conception cycles from naturally conceived clinical pregnancies.

Placental weight and birthweight: the relations with number of daily cigarettes and smoking cessation in pregnancy. A population study.

Background: We studied associations of number of daily cigarettes in the first trimester with placental weight and birthweight in women who smoked throughout pregnancy, and in women who stopped smoking after the first trimester.

Methods: We included all women with delivery of a singleton in Norway (n = 698 891) during 1999-2014, by using data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We assessed dose-response associations by applying linear regression with restricted cubic splines.

Predictors of prenatal care satisfaction among pregnant women in American Samoa.

Background: Pregnant women in American Samoa have a high risk of complications due to overweight and obesity. Prenatal care can mitigate the risk, however many women do not seek adequate care during pregnancy. Low utilization of prenatal care may stem from low levels of satisfaction with services offered.

Long-term Recall of Pregnancy-related Events.

Background: Early-life factors can be associated with future health outcomes and are often measured by maternal recall.

Methods: We used data from the North Carolina Early Pregnancy Study and Follow-up to characterize long-term maternal recall. We used data from the Early Pregnancy Study as the gold standard to evaluate the accuracy of prepregnancy weight, early pregnancy behaviors, symptoms and duration of pregnancy, and child's birthweight reported at follow-up, for 109 women whose study pregnancies had resulted in a live birth.

Urinary Concentrations of Phthalate Metabolites and Bisphenol A and Associations with Follicular-Phase Length, Luteal-Phase Length, Fecundability, and Early Pregnancy Loss.

Background: Certain phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) show reproductive effects in animal studies and potentially affect human ovulation, conception, and pregnancy loss.

Objectives: We investigated these chemicals in relation to follicular- and luteal-phase lengths, time to pregnancy, and early pregnancy loss (within 6 weeks of the last menstrual period) among women attempting pregnancy.

Methods: Women discontinuing contraception provided daily first-morning urine specimens and recorded days with vaginal bleeding for up to 6 months.

Mammograms and healthcare access among US Hispanic and non-Hispanic women 40 years and older.

Compared to non-Hispanic women, Hispanic women have disproportional mortality rates due to breast cancer. Mammographic screening detects breast cancer in its early stages and reduces mortality. We examined data obtained from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questionnare using logistic regression analyses to study the relationships between demographic and healthcare factors and mammography use among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women 40 years and older.