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Background: the objective of this longitudinal study (from pregnancy to the end of the sixth month postpartum) is to elucidate the association between maternal self-efficacy, defined as a mother’s confidence in her ability to breastfeed, and breastfeeding outcomes. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted among high-risk pregnant women (including those with conditions such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and other pathological medical conditions) and normal-risk pregnant women in Greece. The high-risk group included 164 women, while the normal-risk group comprised 154 women. Data were collected using validated psychometric scales, including the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, and Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale. Results: Higher maternal self-efficacy was significantly associated with a longer duration and greater exclusivity of breastfeeding. A statistically significant relationship between the type of breastfeeding and the degree of breastfeeding self-efficacy was observed at multiple postpartum milestones: in the first and third 24 h postpartum, and at the end of the sixth week, third month, and sixth month postpartum. Conclusion: The findings underscore the critical role of maternal self-efficacy in breastfeeding success, influenced by individual psychological factors and broader socio-cultural contexts. Strengthening maternal self-efficacy is essential for improving breastfeeding outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant risks to pregnant women and those recently pregnant, leading to heightened mortality and morbidity rates. Vaccination has emerged as a pivotal strategy in reducing COVID-19-related deaths and illnesses worldwide. However, the initial exclusion of pregnant individuals from most clinical trials raised concerns about vaccine safety in this population, contributing to vaccine hesitancy. This review aims to consolidate the existing literature to assess the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant populations and neonatal outcomes. Diverse studies were included evaluating various aspects of safety for women and their newborns, encompassing mild to severe symptoms across different vaccines. The findings indicate the overall safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination, with minimal adverse outcomes observed, including mild side effects like pain and fever. Although most studies reported the absence of severe adverse outcomes, isolated case reports have raised concerns about potential associations between maternal COVID-19 vaccination and conditions such as fetal supraventricular tachycardia and immune-mediated diseases. Our review underscores the importance of ongoing surveillance and monitoring to ensure vaccine safety in pregnant women. Overall, COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy remains a safe and effective strategy, emphasizing the need for continued research and vigilance to safeguard maternal and fetal health.

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a distinct clinical entity characterized by inflammation and abnormal vaginal microflora. Often mistaken for bacterial vaginosis, AV remains relatively unknown and underdiagnosed. AV’s understanding is evolving, with some experts suggesting it may primarily be an immunological disorder, the prevalence of which has a range of 7–13% in non-pregnant women and 4.1–8.3% during pregnancy. Pregnancy can affect susceptibility to vaginal infections, leading to adverse outcomes for the woman and the newborn. This review summarizes the correlation between AV and adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly preterm birth, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates. An improved understanding of AV’s impact on pregnancy outcomes can lead to early recognition, proper management, and effective interventions. While some studies support an association between AV and preterm labor, the existing knowledge of this relationship remains limited. The evidence suggests that AV may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, mainly preterm birth, but further research is needed to establish a definitive link. Further studies are needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and clarify AV’s role in premature labor. A comprehensive understanding of AV’s impact on pregnancy outcomes is crucial for early recognition, appropriate management, and effective interventions.

Background: Despite the considerable progress made in recent years in fetal assessment, the etiology of fetal growth disturbances is not as yet well understood. In an effort to enhance our knowledge in this area, we investigated the associations of the amniotic fluid angiotensinogen of the renin–angiotensin system with fetal growth abnormalities. Methods: We collected amniotic fluid samples from 70 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis during their early second trimester. Birth weight was documented upon delivery, after which the embryos corresponding to the respective amniotic fluid samples were categorized into three groups as follows: small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). Amniotic fluid angiotensinogen levels were determined by using ELISA kits. Results: Mean angiotensinogen values were 3885 ng/mL (range: 1625–5375 ng/mL), 4885 ng/mL (range: 1580–8460 ng/mL), and 4670 ng/mL (range: 1995–7250 ng/mL) in the SGA, LGA, and AGA fetuses, respectively. The concentrations in the three groups were not statistically significantly different. Although there were wide discrepancies between the mean values of the subgroups, the large confidence intervals in the three groups negatively affected the statistical analysis. However, multiple regression analysis revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between the angiotensinogen levels and gestational age and a statistically significant positive correlation between the birth weight and angiotensinogen levels. Discussion: Our findings suggest that fetal growth abnormalities did not correlate with differences in the amniotic fluid levels of angiotensinogen in early second trimester pregnancies. However, increased angiotensinogen levels were found to be consistent with a smaller gestational age at birth and increased BMI of neonates.

The presence of stem cells has been previously described in human precancerous and malignant cervical cultures. Previous studies have shown a direct interplay of the stem cell niche, which is present in practically every tissue with the extracellular matrix. In the present study, we sought to determine the expression of stemness markers in cytological specimens collected from the ectocervix among women with cervical insufficiency during the second trimester of pregnancy and women with normal cervical length. A prospective cohort of 59 women was enrolled of whom 41 were diagnosed with cervical insufficiency. The expression of OCT-4 and NANOG was higher in the cervical insufficiency group compared to the control group (−5.03 (−6.27, −3.72) vs. −5.81 (−7.67, −5.02) p = 0.040 for OCT4) and (−7.47 (−8.78, −6.27) vs. −8.5 (−10.75, −7.14), p = 0.035 for NANOG. Differences in the DAZL gene were not significantly different (5.94 (4.82, 7.14) vs. 6.98 (5.87, 7.43) p = 0.097). Pearson correlation analysis indicated the existence of a moderate correlation of OCT-4 and Nanog with cervical length. Considering this information, the enhanced activity of stemness biomarkers among pregnant women diagnosed with cervical insufficiency may be predisposed to cervical insufficiency, and its predictive accuracy remains to be noted in larger population sizes.

The term infertility is defined as the lack of conception within 1 year of unprotected intercourse. It affects more than 80 million individuals worldwide. It is estimated that 10-15% of couples of reproductive age are challenged by reproductive issues. Assisted reproduction techniques (ART) are responsible for more than 4% of live births. Our aim is to review the research on neurodevelopmental outcomes of newborns born after the implementation of assisted reproduction methods compared to those conceived naturally. We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Crossref and Google Scholar electronic databases for related articles up to June 2022 using the PRISMA guidelines. Our research revealed a large number of long term follow-up studies between 2 and 18 years of age, with comparable developmental outcomes. Many studies compared the effects of different infertility treatments against natural conception. The review of the literature revealed that ART is safe, as the majority of studies showed no effect on the neurodevelopmental outcomes of the offspring. In most cases when such an effect was observed, it could be attributed to confounding factors such as subfertility, multiple pregnancies and gestational age at delivery. Finally, the increase in the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders after ART, as described in studies with statistically significant results, is predominantly marginal, and given the low incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders in the general population, its clinical significance is debatable.