The guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) displays many features of gestational physiology that
makes it the most translationally relevant rodent species. Progesterone production …

The high rate of preterm birth in the USA and many other countries is a potential target for
improving children's immediate health and reducing the medical problems they face as …

Preterm birth has usually been treated as a single entity, for epidemiological and statistical
purposes. This traditional empiric approach, however, presupposes a single pathologic …

Preterm birth remains the most serious complication of pregnancy and is associated with
increased rates of infant death or permanent neurodevelopmental disability. Our …

Considerable evidence suggests that the fetus in most viviparous animals is in control of its
own destiny with regard to the timing of labor and, thus, its birth. Exactly how the fetus …

Background: Maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy is associated with adverse
neonatal outcomes. These outcomes result from changes in fetal brain development and …

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and
mortality worldwide. The ability to examine the exact mechanisms underlying this syndrome …

The role of progesterone goes beyond the maintenance of pregnancy. The hormone,
indeed, protects the developing fetal brain and influences its maturation. Metabolomes …

In this review, our knowledge, gleaned from a range of species, of what determines
gestation length, how fetal maturation and birth are synchronized and how the uterotonic …

Recent experimental studies in a wide range of animal species have shown that the fetus
determines the duration of pregnancy. The mechanism by which the birth process is initiated …