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1. Pregnant women’s daily patterns of well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland: Longitudinal monitoring through smartwatch technology

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246494  

   Niela-Vilén, Hannakaisa ; Auxier, Jennifer ; Ekholm, Eeva ; Sarhaddi, Fatemeh ; Asgari Mehrabadi, Milad ; Mahmoudzadeh, Aysan ; Azimi, Iman ; Liljeberg, Pasi ; Rahmani, Amir M. ; Axelin, Anna ( February 2021 , PLOS ONE)

   Ryckman, Kelli K (Ed.)

   Background Technology enables the continuous monitoring of personal health parameter data during pregnancy regardless of the disruption of normal daily life patterns. Our research group has established a project investigating the usefulness of an Internet of Things–based system and smartwatch technology for monitoring women during pregnancy to explore variations in stress, physical activity and sleep. The aim of this study was to examine daily patterns of well-being in pregnant women before and during the national stay-at-home restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. Methods A longitudinal cohort study design was used to monitor pregnant women in their everyday settings. Two cohorts of pregnant women were recruited. In the first wave in January-December 2019, pregnant women with histories of preterm births (gestational weeks 22–36) or late miscarriages (gestational weeks 12–21); and in the second wave between October 2019 and March 2020, pregnant women with histories of full-term births (gestational weeks 37–42) and no pregnancy losses were recruited. The final sample size for this study was 38 pregnant women. The participants continuously used the Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch and their heart rate variability, and physical activity and sleep data were collected. Subjective stress, activity and sleep reports were collected using a smartphone application developed for this study. Data between February 12 to April 8, 2020 were included to cover four-week periods before and during the national stay-at-home restrictions. Hierarchical linear mixed models were exploited to analyze the trends in the outcome variables. Results The pandemic-related restrictions were associated with changes in heart rate variability: the standard deviation of all normal inter-beat intervals (p = 0.034), low-frequency power (p = 0.040) and the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio (p = 0.013) increased compared with the weeks before the restrictions. Women’s subjectively evaluated stress levels also increased significantly. Physical activity decreased when the restrictions were set and as pregnancy proceeded. The total sleep time also decreased as pregnancy proceeded, but pandemic-related restrictions were not associated with sleep. Daily rhythms changed in that the participants overall started to sleep later and woke up later. Conclusions The findings showed that Finnish pregnant women coped well with the pandemic-related restrictions and lockdown environment in terms of stress, physical activity and sleep. 

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2. Mental Health and Prenatal Bonding in Pregnant Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence for Heightened Risk Compared With a Prepandemic Sample

   https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026211049430  

   Morris, Alyssa R. ; Saxbe, Darby E. ( November 2021 , Clinical Psychological Science)

   We compared 572 pregnant women (319 first-time mothers) surveyed in spring 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns in the United States, with 99 pregnant women (all first-time mothers) surveyed before the pandemic (2014–2020). Compared with the prepandemic sample, women assessed during the pandemic showed elevated depression, anxiety, and stress and weaker prenatal bonding to their infants. These findings remained significant when restricting the pandemic sample to first-time mothers only and held after controlling for race/ethnicity, education, and pregnancy stage. Average levels of depression and anxiety within the pandemic group exceeded clinically significant thresholds, and women who estimated that the pandemic had more negatively affected their social relationships reported higher distress. However, pandemic-related changes to social contact outside the household were inconsistently associated with mental health and with some positive outcomes (fewer depressive symptoms, stronger prenatal bonding). Given that prenatal stress may compromise maternal and child well-being, the pandemic may have long-term implications for population health.

    

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3. Pregnant in a Pandemic: Connecting Perceptions of Uplifts and Hassles to Mental Health

   https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053221120115  

   Reich, Stephanie M. ; Tulagan, Nestor ; Dahlin, Melissa ; Labaff, Sina ; Dutt, Nikil ; Rahmani, Amir ( August 2022 , Journal of Health Psychology)

   How women experience pregnancy as uplifting or a hassle is related to their mental and physical health and birth outcomes. Pregnancy during a pandemic introduces new hassles, but may offer benefits that could affect how women perceive their pregnancy. Surveying 118 ethnically and racially diverse pregnant women, we explore (1) women’s traditional and pandemic-related pregnancy uplifts and hassles and (2) how these experiences of pregnancy relate to their feelings of loneliness, positivity, depression, and anxiety. Regressions show that women who experience more intense feelings of uplifts than hassles also feel more positive, less lonely, and have better mental health. Findings suggest that focusing on positive aspects of being pregnant, in general and during a pandemic, might be beneficial for pregnant women’s mental health.

    

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4. Vascular Remodeling During Late-Gestation Pregnancy: An In-Vitro Assessment of the Murine Ascending Thoracic Aorta

   https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4064744  

   Vargas, Ana I. ; Tarraf, Samar A. ; Jennings, Turner ; Bellini, Chiara ; Amini, Rouzbeh ( July 2024 , Journal of Biomechanical Engineering)

   Maternal mortality due to cardiovascular disease is a rising concern in the U.S. Pregnancy triggers changes in the circulatory system, potentially influencing the structure of the central vasculature. Evidence suggests a link between a woman's pregnancy history and future cardiovascular health, but our understanding remains limited. To fill this gap, we examined the passive mechanics of the murine ascending thoracic aorta during late gestation. By performing biaxial mechanical testing on the ascending aorta, we were able to characterize the mechanical properties of both control and late-gestation tissues. By examining mechanical, structural, and geometric properties, we confirmed that remodeling of the aortic wall occurred. Morphological and mechanical properties of the tissue indicated an outward expansion of the tissue, as reflected in changes in wall thickness (∼12% increase) and luminal diameter (∼6% increase) at its physiologically loaded state in the pregnant group. With these geometric adaptations and despite increased hemodynamic loads, pregnancy did not induce significant changes in the tensile wall stress at the similar physiological pressure levels of the pregnant and control tissues. The alterations also included reduced intrinsic stiffness in the circumferential direction (∼18%) and reduced structural stiffness (∼26%) in the pregnant group. The observed vascular remodeling maintained the elastic stored energy of the aortic wall under systolic loads, indicating preservation of vascular function. Data from our study of pregnancy-related vascular remodeling will provide valuable insights for future investigations of maternal cardiovascular health.

    

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5. Disparities exist between the dietary intake of Indigenous Australian women during pregnancy and the Australian dietary guidelines: the Gomeroi gaaynggal study

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12550  

   Lee, Y. Q. ; Collins, C. E. ; Schumacher, T. L. ; Weatherall, L. J. ; Keogh, L. ; Sutherland, K. ; Gordon, A. ; Rae, K. M. ; Pringle, K. G. ( March 2018 , Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics)

   Little is known about the adequacy of nutrient intakes and the overall diet quality of Indigenous Australian pregnant women. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to assess nutrient sufficiency and diet quality, as measured using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS), in pregnant women from theGomeroi gaaynggalcohort (n= 58).

   Maternal dietary intake during pregnancy was assessed using the Australian Eating Survey Food Frequency Questionnaire, which was self‐administered in the third trimester. Diet quality was determined using theARFS. Food group servings and nutrient intakes were compared to the Australian Guide to Health Eating (AGHE) and Australian Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs). The current analysis examined the adequacy of usual intakes from food sources only, excluding supplements.

   None of the women met allAGHEdaily food group serving recommendations. The highest alignment rates were for dairy (33%), meat/alternatives (31%) and vegetables (29.3%). Almost 93% of participants exceeded the recommended intake of energy‐dense, nutrient‐poor foods and percentage energy from saturated fat was high (15%). Of the five key nutrients for optimal reproductive health (folate, iron, calcium, zinc and fibre), the nutrients with the highest percentage of pregnant women achieving theNRVs were zinc (77.6%) and folate (68.9%), whereas iron was the lowest. Only one person achieved allNRVs (folate, iron, calcium, zinc and fibre) important in pregnancy. The medianARFSwas 28 points (maximum of 73).

   Although the small cohort limits the generalisability of the findings of the present study, the data obtained indicate that the diets of these Indigenous pregnant women are inadequate. Therefore, strategies aiming to optimise nutrient intakes of Indigenous pregnant women are needed urgently.

    

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