Accumulating research shows that prenatal exposure to maternal stress increases the risk
for behavioral and mental health problems later in life. This review systematically analyzes …

The quality of fetal growth and development predicts the risk for a range of
noncommunicable, chronic illnesses. These observations form the basis of the …

Fetal development is a critical period for shaping the lifelong health of an individual.
However, the fetus is susceptible to internal and external stimuli that can lead to adverse …

Background Perinatal depression has a significant impact on both mother and child.
However, the influence of hormonal changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period …

Despite long-standing interest in the role of sex on human development, the functional
consequences of fetal sex on early development are not well-understood. Here we explore …

Overexposure of the developing fetus to glucocorticoids is hypothesised to be one of the key
mechanisms linking early life development with later life disease. The maternal …

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and risk of antenatal and postpartum mental
disorders among obese and overweight women. DATA SOURCES: Seven databases …

A frequently proposed mechanism underlying the link between maternal prenatal
stress/anxiety and child outcomes is heightened concentrations of maternal cortisol. In this …

Background Stress before conception and during pregnancy is associated with less
favorable maternal and child health. Alterations in prenatal cortisol levels may serve as a …

Cortisol obtained from hair samples represents a retrospective biomarker of chronic stress
experienced by the subject in previous months. Although hair cortisol levels have been used …