Publications by authors named "W P Fifer"
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects around 10% of pregnancies in the United States and has been linked to neurodevelopmental sequelae in children. However, there is a paucity of studies investigating early-life neural markers in GDM-exposed infants. This study examined the association of GDM with relative EEG power among healthy term-age neonates collected during natural sleep.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Establish whether pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are associated with a fetal cardiac phenotype that predisposes to arrhythmia; utilising measurements derived from non-invasive abdominal fetal ECG.
Design: Prospective observational study.
Setting: Three tertiary obstetric units, United Kingdom.
Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, birthing parents were identified as a high-risk group with greater vulnerability to the harms associated with SARS-CoV-2. This led to necessary changes in perinatal health policies but also to experiences of maternal isolation and loneliness, both in hospital settings, due to infection mitigation procedures, and once home, due to social distancing.
Methods: In this study, we qualitatively explored birthing and postpartum experiences in New York City during the early days of the pandemic when lockdowns were in effect and policies and practices were rapidly changing.
Prenatal risk factors for child executive function at 3-5 years of age: the roles of maternal mood, substance use, and socioeconomic adversity in a prospective cohort study.
BMC Pediatr
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study explores how maternal mood disorders (anxiety and depression) and substance use (alcohol and tobacco) during pregnancy affect children's executive function (EF), particularly inhibitory control and working memory, amidst socioeconomic challenges.
- Researchers analyzed data from 334 mother-child pairs, measuring prenatal mental health, substance use, and assessing children's EF using standardized tests at ages 3-5.
- Results indicated that higher maternal anxiety and moderate to high tobacco use were linked to poorer inhibitory control in children, highlighting the importance of addressing maternal mental health and substance use during pregnancy for child development.
Importance: Stress and viral illness during pregnancy are associated with neurodevelopmental conditions in offspring. Autism screening positivity for children born during the pandemic remains unknown.
Objective: To examine associations between prenatal exposure to the pandemic milieu and maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection with rates of positive Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) screenings.