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Fetal anomalies among young women and adolescents pose major public health concerns. This systematic review aims to elucidate the relationship between young maternal age and the incidence of fetal abnormalities. According to the systematic review and meta-analysis PRISMA protocol, cohort, cross-sectional and case–control studies were scrutinized to include 80,393,450 participants across diverse regions. The meta-analysis utilized Odds Ratios (OR) as the effect measure, adopting a random-effects model. The screening process involved 157 selected and verified manuscripts, which ultimately resulted in the final inclusion of 20 studied in the meta-analysis. The criterion for young maternal age was the age of ≤ 20 years. The meta-analysis revealed a pooled OR of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.82–1.05, p = 0.252), indicating no statistically significant association between young maternal age (≤ 20 years) and fetal anomalies. However, considerable heterogeneity (I² = 96.21%) was noted, prompting the use of a random-effects model to derive the reported results. The meta-analysis did not find statistically significant differences in the occurrence of congenital anomalies in fetuses of younger women than in overall population. Although due to significant heterogeneity of the analyzed studies, and a risk of bias, caution should be exercised when interpreting the results, further investigation may be warranted to understand the relationship between maternal age and risk of fetal anomalies. Nevertheless, the study shows significant differences, which diminish in collective analysis, suggests that factors beyond age may be influential. Specifically, the limited access to or quality of healthcare in certain regions could be a more critical factor than maternal age itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is an enigmatic disease, with no specific cause or trigger yet discovered. Major factors that may contribute to endometriosis in the pelvic region include environmental, epigenetic, and inflammatory factors. Most experts believe that the primary mechanism behind the formation of endometrial lesions is associated with Sampson's theory of "retrograde menstruation". This theory suggests that endometrial cells flow backward into the peritoneal cavity, leading to the development of endometrial lesions. Since this specific mechanism is also observed in healthy women, additional factors may be associated with the formation of endometrial lesions. Current treatment options primarily consist of medical or surgical therapies. To date, none of the available medical therapies have proven effective in curing the disorder, and symptoms tend to recur once medications are discontinued. Therefore, there is a need to explore and develop novel biomedical targets aimed at the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for endometriosis growth. This article discusses a recent molecular pathophysiology associated with the formation and progression of endometriosis. Furthermore, the article summarizes the most current medications and surgical strategies currently under investigation for the treatment of endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]