UNASSIGNED: The current study investigated the impacts of different feeding regimes during early gestation on conception rate, litter traits, piglet birthweight, and litter uniformity in primiparous sows.
UNASSIGNED: In total, 108 primiparous sows were inseminated and assigned to either a standard (1.9±0.5 kg/day, S) or high (2.9±0.8 kg/day, H) feeding levels during the first 35 days of gestation. The feeding regimes were categorized based on periods of gestation: 1 to 3, 4 to 15, and 16 to 35 days, resulting in four groups: SSS (n=26), SSH (n=28), SHH (n=28), and HHH (n=26). Afterwards, sows were placed into a group-housed system equipped with electronic sow feeders. The sows were weighed and assessed for backfat thickness and loin muscle depth at 0 and 35 days of gestation. At farrowing, data were collected on the total number of piglets born per litter (TB), piglet birthweights, and the coefficient of variation of piglet birthweights.
UNASSIGNED: On average, sows gained 22.5±21.6 kg during the first 35 days of gestation, showing a positive correlation with backfat gain (r=0.954, p=0.006). The backfat gain in the HHH group was higher than in the SSS (p=0.016) and the SSH groups (p=0.023), but did not differ from the SHH group (p=0.684). Conception rates did not show differences among the feeding regimes (p>0.05). Individual piglet birthweights in the HHH group were higher than those in the SSH group (p<0.001). Likewise, the percentage of piglets with birthweights <1000 g in the HHH group was lower than that in the SSH group (p<0.001). However, the variation of piglet birthweight did not differ among the groups (p>0.05).
UNASSIGNED: Increasing feeding levels in primiparous sows in a group-housed system during early pregnancy can effectively restore their body condition without any detrimental effects on subsequent litters.

The prevalence of fibroids during reproductive age is 20-25%. The presence of fibroids during pregnancy can impact perinatal outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fibroids affect perinatal outcomes and whether women who undergo fibroid surgery before pregnancy have better perinatal outcomes than those who have fibroids during pregnancy. The study also analyzes the optimal time interval between myomectomy and pregnancy and the characteristics of fibroids during pregnancy that affect perinatal outcomes. In both groups, fibroids\' size, number, and location were analyzed to determine their influence on perinatal outcomes. The perinatal outcome is determined by gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, intrauterine growth retardation, placental complications, and delivery method.
METHODS: A study was conducted on the perinatal outcomes of 338 women who had uterine fibroids during pregnancy and those who had undergone fibroid surgery before pregnancy. The medical records of women who gave birth at a tertiary university hospital were analyzed in this retrospective study.
RESULTS: Women with submucosal fibroids have a lower gestational age of delivery (P = 0.0371), and those who operated on a higher number of fibroids before pregnancy had newborns with lower birth weights (P < 0.0001). Submucosal fibroids during pregnancy increase the chances of cesarean delivery (P = 0.0354). 14% of newborns have an Apgar score of less than seven within the first minute of birth in fibroids larger than 7 cm (P < 0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS: There is a statistically significant difference in the perinatal outcome of newborns depending on the number, size and placement of uterine fibroids in both observed groups.

OBJECTIVE: Wilson disease (WD) is a rare disorder of copper metabolism, leading to liver and neurological disease. Existing literature on WD in pregnancy is scarce, limiting preconception and obstetrical counselling. In this systematic review with meta-analysis, we determine the prevalence of various adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in WD, as well as evaluate the impact of WD treatment on these outcomes.
METHODS: Scopus, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched until 12 May 2023, for studies of pregnant individuals with WD and at least one pregnancy or neonatal outcome of interest. Meta-analysis of single proportions was conducted to pool prevalence data for each outcome. Outcome rates were compared between treated and untreated groups in a meta-analysis of dichotomous events.
RESULTS: Sixteen studies, published from 1975 to 2022, were included in the systematic review. Thirty-seven percent of pregnancies reported at least one adverse pregnancy outcome. Spontaneous abortions (20%), liver diseases of pregnancy (4.5%) and preterm births (2%) were the most frequent adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with WD. The prevalence of spontaneous abortions was significantly lower in pregnant individuals with WD who received treatment during pregnancy (OR: .47, 95% CI: 35%-63%). The prevalence of any adverse pregnancy outcome was also significantly lower with treatment (OR: .53, 95% CI: .37-.76), which appears to be mostly driven by the reduction of spontaneous abortions.
CONCLUSIONS: There is low to moderate quality evidence to suggest that preconception and obstetrical counselling for patients with WD should include a discussion on the potentially high frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes in this population, as well as the importance of continuing WD treatment during pregnancy to ensure satisfactory pregnancy course and potentially minimize the risk of spontaneous abortions.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have become so pervasive in our environment and daily lives that it is impossible to avoid contact with such compounds, including pregnant women seeking to minimize exposures to themselves and their unborn children. Developmental exposure of humans and rodent models to bisphenol A (BPA) and other EDCs is linked to increased anxiogenic behaviors, learning and memory deficits, and decreased socio-sexual behaviors. Prenatal exposure to BPA and other EDCs leads to longstanding and harmful effects on gut microbiota with reductions in beneficial bacteria, i.e., gut dysbiosis, and such microbial changes are linked to host changes in fecal metabolites, including those involved in carbohydrate metabolism and synthesis, and neurobehavioral alterations in adulthood, in particular, social and cognitive deficits. Gut dysbiosis is increasingly being recognized as a key driver of a myriad of diseases, ranging from metabolic, cardiovascular, reproductive, and neurobehavioral disorders via the gut-microbiome-brain axis. Thus, EDCs might induce indirect effects on physical and mental health by acting as microbiome-disrupting chemicals. Findings raise the important question as to whether pregnant women should consume a probiotic supplement to mitigate pernicious effects of EDCs, especially BPA, on themselves and their unborn offspring. Current studies investigating the effects of maternal probiotic supplementation on pregnant women\'s health and that of their unborn offspring will be reviewed. Data will inform on the potential application of probiotic supplementation to reverse harmful effects of EDCs, especially BPA, in pregnant women unwittingly exposed to these compounds and striving to give their offspring the best start in life.

Pregnancy is a complex and challenging process associated with physiological changes whose objective is to adapt the maternal organism to the increasing energetic requirements due to embryo and fetal development. A failed adaptation to these demands may lead to pregnancy complications that threaten the health of both mothers and their offspring. Since mitochondria are the main organelle responsible for energy generation in the form of ATP, the adequate state of these organelles seems crucial for proper pregnancy development and healthy pregnancy outcomes. The homeostasis of these organelles depends on several aspects, including their content, biogenesis, energy production, oxidative stress, dynamics, and signaling functions, such as apoptosis, which can be modified in relation to diseases during pregnancy. The etiology of pregnancy disorders like preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and gestational diabetes mellitus is not yet well understood. Nevertheless, insufficient placental perfusion and oxygen transfer are characteristic of many of them, being associated with alterations in the previously cited different aspects of mitochondrial homeostasis. Therefore, and due to the capacity of these multifactorial organelles to respond to physiological and pathophysiological stimuli, it is of great importance to gather the currently available scientific information regarding the relationship between main pregnancy complications and mitochondrial alterations. According to this, the present review is intended to show clear insight into the possible implications of mitochondria in these disorders, thus providing relevant information for further investigation in relation to the investigation and management of pregnancy diseases.

In studies investigating the etiology and pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), immune dysregulation is commonly observed, with elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines frequently found in gestational tissues. However, studies investigating the relationship between early immune dysregulation within the umbilical cord blood (CB) compartment and neurodevelopmental outcomes remains limited. In this exploratory study, we utilized data from the prospective Markers for Autism Risk in Babies - Learning Early Signs (MARBLES) study to examine cytokine levels in the plasma fraction of CB in infants later diagnosed with ASD (n = 38) compared to infants typically developing (TD) at age 3 years (n = 103), using multiplex cytokine assays. Our findings reveal altered levels of several inflammatory cytokines in children later diagnosed with ASD, including increased granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and decreased interleukin-1α (IL-1α), IL-1β, and IL-4 in CB. Furthermore, we identified several associations between behaviors and levels of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. IL-1α, IL-17A, interferon γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were associated with worse scores on Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) assessments. In summary, our study demonstrates dysregulated levels of inflammatory cytokine mediators in the CB of children later diagnosed with ASD and that inflammatory mediators were associated with ASD severity, comorbid behaviors, and neurodevelopmental measures. These findings have important implications for the possible predictive value of early cytokine measures in neurodevelopmental outcomes and subsequent behavioral manifestations.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal caffeine crosses the placenta and mammary barriers, reaching the baby and, because his/her caffeine metabolism is immature, our hypothesis is that even a low caffeine intake (250 mg/day), lower than the dose limit recommended by the World Health Organization, can promote caffeine overexposure in the offspring, leading to short- and long-term changes.
METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats received intragastric caffeine (CAF) (25 mg/Kg/day) or vehicle during the gestation and lactation periods. We evaluated morphometrical, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioral parameters of male and female offspring at different ages.
RESULTS: Even a low caffeine intake promoted lower maternal body mass and adiposity, higher plasma cholesterol and lower plasma T3, without changes in plasma corticosterone. Female CAF offspring exhibited lower birth weight, body mass gain and food intake throughout life, and hyperinsulinemia at weaning, while male CAF offspring showed reduced food intake and lower plasma T3 at weaning. At puberty and adulthood, male CAF showed higher preference for palatable food, aversion to caffeine intake and higher locomotor activity, while female CAF only showed lower preference for high fat diet (HFD) and lower anxiety-like behavior. At adulthood, both male and female offspring showed higher plasma T3. Male CAF showed hypertestosteronemia, while female CAF showed hypoinsulinemia without effect on glucose tolerance.
CONCLUSIONS: A low caffeine intake during the perinatal period affects rat\'s offspring development, promoting sex-dependent hormonal and behavior changes. Current data suggest the need to review caffeine recommendations during the perinatal period.

This review summarizes the diagnosis and management of thyrotoxicosis in pregnancy. The diagnostic clinical and biochemical considerations used to distinguish the various etiologies of hyperthyroidism from appropriate physiologic changes during pregnancy will be outlined. Finally, the review will discuss the risks and benefits of available options for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis during pregnancy, to mitigate the risks of fetal hyperthyroidism.

Given that the host-microbe interaction is shaped by the immune system response, it is important to understand the key immune system-microbiota relationship during the period from conception to the first years of life. The present work summarizes the available evidence concerning human reproductive microbiota, and also, the microbial colonization during early life, focusing on the potential impact on infant development and health outcomes. Furthermore, we conclude that some dietary strategies including specific probiotics and other-biotics could become potentially valuable tools to modulate the maternal-neonatal microbiota during this early critical window of opportunity for targeted health outcomes throughout the entire lifespan.

Disease treatment and prevention have improved the human lifespan. Current studies on aging, such as the biological clock and senolytic drugs have focused on the medical treatments of various disorders and health maintenance. However, to efficiently extend the human lifespan to its theoretical maximum, medicine can take a further proactive approach and identify the inapparent disorders that affect the gestation, body growth, and reproductive stages of the so-called \"healthy\" population. The goal is to upgrade the standard health status to a new level by targeting the inapparent disorders. Thus, future research can shift from reaction, response, and prevention to proactive, quality promotion and vigor prolonging; from single disease-oriented to multiple dimension protocol for a healthy body; from treatment of symptom onset to keep away from disorders; and from the healthy aging management to a healthy promotion design beginning at the birth.