Embedding the patient voice into research on spontaneous preterm birth-themes from a Preterm Birth Advisory Council.

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) has a deep immediate impact on patients but also alters their care and experience in subsequent pregnancies. There is an absence of the pregnant patient's voice in the research surrounding pregnancy at risk of sPTB.

Materials/methods: The Preterm Birth Advisory Council was established at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) in January 2023, to introduce and embed the patient voice in research into sPTB prevention.

Preterm-birth-prevention with Lactobacillus crispatus oral probiotics: Protocol for a double blinded randomised placebo-controlled trial (the PrePOP study).

Introduction: Effective spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) prevention is an urgent unmet clinical need. Vaginal depletion of Lactobacillus crispatus is linked to sPTB. This trial will investigate impact of an oral Lactobacillus spp.

A review of the effects of Valsalva manoeuvre in labour and birth.

The Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) is a normal physiological event that occurs during the second active phase of labour. In women with medical conditions that may be exacerbated by the Valsalva, caesarean birth may be recommended. This carries with it its own potential for maternal morbidity, and thus it is important that women are appropriately counselled about the mode of delivery most suited to their individual situation.

Evaluation of a complex intervention: the Latch On randomized controlled trial of multicomponent breastfeeding support for women with a raised body mass index.

Background: Latch On's objective was to achieve improved breastfeeding rates in women with raised body mass indices using a multicomponent breastfeeding support intervention.

Methods: A hybrid type 1 implementation-effectiveness trial with mixed-methods process and health economics analyses were conducted. Data collection included stakeholder questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, fidelity data, participant and health system costs.

Endometriosis specific vaginal microbiota links to urine and serum N-glycome.

Endometriosis is a chronic systemic disease, which results in endometrial-type tissue growing outside the uterus, and affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide. Its aetiology is poorly understood, and there is currently no long-term cure. Development and persistence of the disease depend on several coexisting factors including the vaginal microbiome.

Dietary amino acids, macronutrients, vaginal birth, and breastfeeding are associated with the vaginal microbiome in early pregnancy.

Unlabelled: The vaginal microbiome is a key player in the etiology of spontaneous preterm birth. This study aimed to illustrate maternal environmental factors associated with vaginal microbiota composition and function in pregnancy. Women in healthy pregnancy had vaginal microbial sampling from the posterior vaginal fornix performed at 16 weeks gestation.

Associations of childhood physical activity and screen time with cardiometabolic health in preteens who were born to mothers with previous macrosomic delivery: Findings from the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study.

Background: Macrosomia (birthweight ≥4 kg) may alter the associations of physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) throughout childhood with later cardiometabolic risk.

Objective: To investigate associations of PA and ST over a 4-6-year follow-up period with cardiometabolic outcomes in preteens (9-11-year-olds) who were born to mothers with previous macrosomic delivery.

Methods: This is an analysis of 402 preteens from the ROLO study, who were born to mothers that previously delivered an infant with macrosomia.

Genetic disorders in maternal medicine.

The role of genetic testing within maternal medicine is expanding. Advancing technology and the increasing availability of genetic testing have seen more patients receiving a genetic diagnosis than ever before. Improved healthcare and understanding of these rare diseases means that many patients are living well into their reproductive years and starting families.

An exploration of prenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy: a scoping review.

Background: Breastfeeding self-efficacy is a woman's self-belief and confidence in her perceived ability to breastfeed. This modifiable determinant is strongly associated with breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration. It is unclear how important the timing of breastfeeding self-efficacy measurement and interventions are.

Why do preconception and pregnancy lifestyle interventions demonstrate limited success in preventing overweight and obesity in children? A scoping review investigating intervention complexity, process evaluation components, and author interpretations.

Preventing childhood obesity from early life is considered essential. However, evidence from recent systematic reviews has highlighted inconsistent results and limited effectiveness of preconception and pregnancy lifestyle interventions regarding offspring weight outcomes and adiposity. Therefore, to improve our understanding regarding the mixed success of these early life interventions, we conducted a scoping review examining intervention complexity, process evaluation components, and authors' statements.

Development and validation of a prognostic model to predict birth weight: individual participant data meta-analysis.

Objective: To predict birth weight at various potential gestational ages of delivery based on data routinely available at the first antenatal visit.

Design: Individual participant data meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Individual participant data of four cohorts (237 228 pregnancies) from the International Prediction of Pregnancy Complications (IPPIC) network dataset.

Unveiling metabolic pathways of selected plant-derived glycans by .

Bifidobacteria are commonly encountered members of the human gut microbiota that possess the enzymatic machinery necessary for the metabolism of certain plant-derived, complex carbohydrates. In the current study we describe differential growth profiles elicited by a panel of 21 newly isolated strains on various plant-derived glycans. Using a combination of gene-trait matching and comparative genome analysis, we identified two distinct xylanases responsible for the degradation of xylan.

Childhood Nutritional Factors and Cardiometabolic Outcomes at 9-11 y of Age: Findings from the ROLO Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study.

Background: Childhood represents a critical period of nutritional risk in the programming of later chronic disease. Few longitudinal studies have explored repeated measures of nutrition throughout the first decade of life in relation to preteen cardiometabolic outcomes.

Objectives: This research aimed to explore associations of early feeding practices (human milk exposure and duration and timing of introduction to solids) and childhood dietary quality and inflammatory scores (at 5 and 9-11 y and change during childhood) on preteen cardiometabolic outcomes.

Impact of previous pregnancy and BMI on cellular and serum immune activity from early to late pregnancy.

Immunological adaptions during pregnancy play a crucial role in healthy fetal development. Aberrant immune modifications however contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, which may be driven by maternal factors such as previous pregnancies and BMI. This secondary analysis of the MicrobeMom2 RCT investigates the changes to maternal inflammatory biomarkers derived from serum and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during pregnancy, and the effects of previous pregnancies (parity) and BMI on maternal immune responses.

Two extracellular α-arabinofuranosidases are required for cereal-derived arabinoxylan metabolism by subsp. .

Members of the genus are commonly found in the human gut and are known to utilize complex carbohydrates that are indigestible by the human host. Members of the subsp. taxon can metabolize various plant-derived carbohydrates common to the human diet.

Elevated cord levels of ustekinumab following its use in the treatment of Crohn's disease in pregnancy.

Ustekinumab (USK) was used in the treatment of two pregnant patients with Crohn's disease. It was given in the third trimester and restarted postnatally for both women. One woman remained on USK and in remission throughout pregnancy.

Sociodemographic factor associations with maternal and placental outcomes: A cluster and partial least squares regression analysis.

Introduction: Maternal social disadvantage adversely affects maternal and offspring health, with limited research on placental outcomes. Therefore, we examined maternal sociodemographic factor associations with placental and birth outcomes in general (Lifeways Cross-Generation Cohort) and at-risk (PEARS Study of mothers with overweight or obesity) populations of pregnant women.

Methods: TwoStep cluster analysis profiled Lifeways mothers (n = 250) based on their age, parity, marital status, household income, private healthcare insurance, homeowner status, and education.

Stability of child appetitive traits and association with diet quality at 5 years and 9-11 years old: Findings from the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study.

Background: We explored change in child appetitive traits from 5 to 9-11 years old and examined associations between appetitive traits at both timepoints and child diet quality.

Methods: This is secondary analyses of the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study, including mother-child dyads from the 5 and 9-11-year old follow-up. The Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire measured child appetitive traits, with 167 children having matched data for both timepoints.