Impact of physical activity on preeclampsia and angiogenic markers in the Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) cohort.

Introduction: Effect of physical activity in pregnancy on preeclampsia (PE) and angiogenic markers is not well understood. We studied the association of physical activity and PE in a case-control setting and assessed whether exercise in PE and non-PE women associate with maternal serum concentrations of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (s-Flt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble endoglin (sEng) and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in the Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) cohort.

Materials And Methods: Participants completed a questionnaire on their background information and serum samples were collected from a subset.

Associations between the aetiology of preterm birth and mortality and neurodevelopment up to 11 years.

Aim: To investigate how the aetiology of very preterm birth/very low birth weight is associated with mortality and later neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Methods: Very preterm/very low-birth weight singletons were categorised based on the aetiology of preterm birth: spontaneous preterm birth (n = 47, 28.1%), preterm premature rupture of membranes (n = 56, 33.

Childhood trauma and fear of childbirth: findings from a birth cohort study.

The aim of this study is to investigate if experiencing childhood trauma (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, or sexual abuse) or a greater total burden of childhood trauma increase the risk of fear of childbirth (FOC). This study included 2556 women living in Southwest Finland. Women were recruited during routine ultrasound visits at gestational week (gwk) 12.

Comparing prenatal and postpartum stress among women with previous adverse pregnancy outcomes and normal obstetric histories: A longitudinal cohort study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare subjectively and objectively measured stress during pregnancy and the three months postpartum in women with previous adverse pregnancy outcomes and women with normal obstetric histories.

Methods: We recruited two cohorts in southwestern Finland for this longitudinal study: (1) pregnant women (n = 32) with histories of preterm births or late miscarriages January-December 2019 and (2) pregnant women (n = 30) with histories of full-term births October 2019-March 2020. We continuously measured heart rate variability (HRV) using a smartwatch from 12 to 15 weeks of pregnancy until three months postpartum, and subjective stress was assessed with a smartphone application.

Virtual Reality Childbirth Education With 360° Videos.

During the pandemic in Finland, most childbirth education (CBE) programs were canceled or transferred online. We aimed to improve the situation by developing a virtual reality (VR) CBE. This article describes the process of developing a VR CBE pilot program and the results from the preliminary user test.

Gestational anemia and maternal antenatal and postpartum psychological distress in a prospective FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

Background: Gestational anemia, most commonly caused by iron deficiency, may increase the risk of maternal anxiety and depression and have a potentially far-reaching impact on mother's and newborn's health. Several mechanisms, such as effects of iron deficiency on cerebral neurotransmitter metabolism, have been suggested. None of the earlier studies have assessed the association between gestational anemia and depression, anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety simultaneously.

Does interactive ultrasound intervention relieve minor depressive symptoms and increase maternal attachment in pregnancy? A protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Perinatal depression, especially minor depression, is common during pregnancy and is likely to continue into the postpartum period. It may impair the mother's health, the infant's neurodevelopment, and the mother-infant relationship. Screening for perinatal depression is recommended; however, there is no consensus on how to treat depressive symptoms while simultaneously supporting the mother-infant relationship.

The influence of maternal psychological distress on the mode of birth and duration of labor: findings from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

Antepartum depression, general anxiety symptoms, and pregnancy-related anxiety have been recognized to affect pregnancy outcomes. Systematic reviews on these associations lack consistent findings, which is why further research is required. We examined the associations between psychological distress, mode of birth, epidural analgesia, and duration of labor.

Placental DNA methylation marks are associated with maternal depressive symptoms during early pregnancy.

Maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy are a significant risk factor for adverse developmental and health outcomes of the offspring. The molecular mechanisms mediating the long-term effects of this exposure are not well understood. Previous studies have found association between prenatal exposure to maternal psychological distress and placental DNA methylation of candidate genes, which can influence placental barrier function and development of the fetus.

Prenatal Glucocorticoid-Exposed Infants Do Not Show an Age-Typical Fear Bias at 8 Months of Age - Preliminary Findings From the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

Synthetic glucocorticoids (sGC) are frequently administered to pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery to promote fetal lung maturation. Despite their undeniable beneficial effects in lung maturation, the impact of these hormones on developing brain is less clear. Recent human studies suggest that emotional and behavioral disorders are more common among sGC-exposed vs.

Gestational iron deficiency anemia is associated with preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and postpartum infections.

Objectives: Gestational IDA has been linked to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, but the impact of iron supplementation on outcome measures remains unclear. Our objective was to assess the effects of gestational IDA on pregnancy outcomes and compare outcomes in pregnancies treated with either oral or intravenous iron supplementation.

Methods: We evaluated maternal and neonatal outcomes in 215 pregnancies complicated with gestational IDA (Hb<100 g/L) and delivered in our tertiary unit between January 2016 and October 2018.

Pregnant women's daily patterns of well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland: Longitudinal monitoring through smartwatch technology.

Background: Technology enables the continuous monitoring of personal health parameter data during pregnancy regardless of the disruption of normal daily life patterns. Our research group has established a project investigating the usefulness of an Internet of Things-based system and smartwatch technology for monitoring women during pregnancy to explore variations in stress, physical activity and sleep. The aim of this study was to examine daily patterns of well-being in pregnant women before and during the national stay-at-home restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland.

The association of maternal-fetal attachment with smoking and smoking cessation during pregnancy in The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

Background: Smoking in pregnancy constitutes a preventable risk factor for fetal/child development and maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) seems to contain a momentum that can break the chain of adverse outcomes by promoting maternal prenatal health practices. This study aimed to explore the association of MFA with smoking at any time during pregnancy and smoking cessation in early pregnancy, and the modifying role of MFA on the expected effects of education and prenatal psychological distress (PPD) on prenatal smoking behavior.

Methods: The pregnant women (n = 3766) participated in the The FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study in Finland between December 2011 and April 2015.

The non-traditional and familial risk factors for preeclampsia in the FINNPEC cohort.

Objectives: Considering the burden of preeclampsia (PE), it is important to understand better the underlying risk factors involved in its etiology. We studied the association of background factors with PE with an emphasis on socioeconomic factors, reproductive factors and health history enclosing the parents of pregnant women.

Study Design: The Finnish Genetics of Pre-eclampsia Consortium (FINNPEC) cohort participants filled in a questionnaire on background information.

Parental divorce in childhood does not independently predict maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy.

Background: This study sought to investigate if parental divorce in childhood increases the risk for depressive symptoms in pregnancy.

Methods: Women were recruited during their ultrasound screening in gestational week (gwk) 12. The final study sample consisted of 2,899 pregnant women.

Fetal cardiovascular hemodynamics in type 1 diabetic pregnancies at near-term gestation.

Introduction: Poor glycemic control in maternal type 1 diabetes mellitus during pregnancy can affect fetal cardiac and placental function. However, studies concerning fetal central hemodynamics have revealed conflicting results. We hypothesized that in pregnancies complicated by maternal type 1 diabetes, fetal cardiovascular and placental hemodynamics are comparable to the control fetuses at near-term gestation.

Continuous 7-Month Internet of Things-Based Monitoring of Health Parameters of Pregnant and Postpartum Women: Prospective Observational Feasibility Study.

Background: Monitoring during pregnancy is vital to ensure the mother's and infant's health. Remote continuous monitoring provides health care professionals with significant opportunities to observe health-related parameters in their patients and to detect any pathological signs at an early stage of pregnancy, and may thus partially replace traditional appointments.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of continuously monitoring the health parameters (physical activity, sleep, and heart rate) of nulliparous women throughout pregnancy and until 1 month postpartum, with a smart wristband and an Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring system.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm twins at 5 years of age.

Background: Twins are considered to be at an increased risk for perinatal mortality and morbidities, but it is unclear whether preterm twins are at an increased risk for poor developmental outcomes when compared to preterm singletons. Our aim was to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm twins vs singletons at 5 years of age.

Methods: Very low birth weight and very low gestational age infants (twins n = 66, singletons n = 157) were recruited as a part of the PIPARI project in the Turku University Hospital, covering a regional population.

Experiences of interactive ultrasound examination among women at risk of preterm birth: a qualitative study.

Background: Pregnant women who are at risk of preterm birth are often stressed, anxious and depressed because of worries and fears related to the health of the unborn baby, their own health and uncertainty about the future. Only a few studies have assessed the types of psychological support that would relieve these stress symptoms among women with high-risk pregnancies. The aim of this study was to describe 1) how women at risk of preterm birth experienced an interactive 3/4-dimensional (3/4D) ultrasound examination, and 2) their need for psychological support during the antenatal period.

A Novel 4D Ultrasound Parenting Intervention for Substance Using Pregnant Women in Finland: Participation in Obstetric Care, Fetal Drug Exposure, and Perinatal Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the effect of a new prenatal intervention on participation in obstetric care, fetal drug exposure, and perinatal outcomes among substance using pregnant women in Finland.

Methods: The participants were 90 women referred to a hospital obstetric outpatient clinic due to current or recent substance use. The intervention group (n = 46) was offered three interactive ultrasounds at 24, 30 and 34 gestational weeks and a pregnancy diary accompanied by three prenatal infant mental health consultations.

Prenatal Risk Factors for Adverse Developmental Outcome in Preterm Infants-Systematic Review.

Preterm infants are still at an increased risk for suboptimal neurodevelopmental outcomes when compared with term born infants. The development of a child born preterm can be jeopardized by suboptimal conditions during pregnancy, in addition to the suboptimal growth environment postnatally compared to the normal environment. This review summarizes the literature on the role of chorioamnionitis, placental insufficiency, and maternal smoking on the developmental outcomes of preterm infants.

Feasibility of smart wristbands for continuous monitoring during pregnancy and one month after birth.

Background: Smart wristbands enable the continuous monitoring of health parameters, for example, in maternity care. Understanding the feasibility and acceptability of these devices in an authentic context is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a smart wristband to collect continuous activity, sleep and heart rate data from the beginning of the second trimester until one month postpartum.

Gestational hyperglycemia reprograms cardiac gene expression in rat offspring.

BackgroundRat fetuses with maternal pregestational hyperglycemia develop cardiac dysfunction, and their cardiac gene expression differs from that of healthy control fetuses near term. We hypothesized that cardiac gene expression and morphologic abnormalities of rat fetuses with maternal pregestational hyperglycemia become normal after birth.MethodsNine rats were preconceptually injected with streptozotocin to induce maternal hyperglycemia and nine rats served as controls.