Maternal influences on fetal brain development: The role of nutrition, infection and stress, and the potential for intergenerational consequences.

An optimal early life environment is crucial for ensuring ideal neurodevelopmental outcomes. Brain development consists of a finely tuned series of spatially and temporally constrained events, which may be affected by exposure to a sub-optimal intra-uterine environment. Evidence suggests brain development may be particularly vulnerable to factors such as maternal nutrition, infection and stress during pregnancy.

Web-based interventions for prevention and treatment of perinatal mood disorders: a systematic review.

Background: Perinatal depression is strikingly common with a prevalence of 10-15%. The adverse effects of perinatal depression on maternal and child health are profound with considerable costs. Despite this, few women seek medical attention.

Home cervical ripening with dinoprostone gel in nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies.

Objective: To evaluate whether home cervical ripening is safe and results in shorter hospital stay.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of women with singleton pregnancies having induction of labor for postmaturity at a single center between January 2007 and June 2010. Women were offered home cervical ripening with 1 mg dinoprostone gel if they were nulliparous, had uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, and the indication for induction was postmaturity.

Twelve tips for teachers to encourage student engagement in academic medicine.

Background: Recruitment of trainees into clinical academic medicine remains an area of concern across the globe, with clinical academics making up a dwindling proportion of the medical workforce. To date, few approaches have emphasised early medical student research involvement as a solution to the decline of the clinician-scientist.

Aim And Method: We identify 12 tips that all medical teachers can adopt to foster medical student participation in research and encourage student engagement with academic aspects of medicine throughout their time as an undergraduate.