Particulate matter (PM10) exposure, birth and fetal-placental weight and umbilical arterial pH: results from a prospective study.

Objective: This prospective study aims to analyze the relation between particulate matter (PM) exposure during pregnancy and birth weight (BW), placental weight (PW) and umbilical artery PH (UAPH).

Study Design: Population included 3614 women born in Italy, living in Lombardia Region, consecutively admitted to the Clinica Mangiagalli for an elective cesarean section from January 2004 through December 2006. Outdoor air quality data were provided by the Department of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency and obtained by a network of fixed monitoring stations representatively distributed in eight geographical areas.

Factors associated with childbirth self-efficacy in Australian childbearing women.

Background: Childbirth confidence is an important marker of women's coping abilities during labour and birth. This study investigated socio-demographic, obstetric and psychological factors affecting self-efficacy in childbearing women.

Method: This paper presents a secondary analysis of data collected as part of the BELIEF study (Birth Emotions - Looking to Improve Expectant Fear).