Human milk is a dynamic, bioactive fluid that supports infant growth, development, and immune protection. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), characterised by glucose intolerance with onset during pregnancy, is associated with altered maternal metabolism that may persist postpartum and affect lactation and milk composition. To systematically evaluate and meta-analyse evidence on associations between maternal GDM and human milk composition across lactation, five electronic databases were searched for studies comparing human milk composition between mothers with and without GDM. Data were extracted for milk macronutrients, lipids, oligosaccharides, hormones and metabolic regulatory factors, immune and inflammatory factors, micronutrients and antioxidants, and multiomics across colostrum, transitional, and mature milk. Meta-analyses were conducted where possible. Fifty-two studies with 3233 mothers were included. Macronutrient content, total fat, and fatty acids were found to be similar between GDM and non-GDM milk. However, lactose concentrations were lower in GDM colostrum. In addition, mothers with GDM who were not taking docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements had lower DHA concentrations than mothers without GDM. Appetite- and metabolism-related peptides were lower in colostrum, whereas other regulatory peptides were higher. Mothers with GDM had lower colostrum concentrations of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), including 2′-fucosyllactose and 6′-sialyllactose, with partial normalisation in mature milk. Immune, metabolomic, and proteomic findings were heterogeneous but indicated stage-dependent remodelling. GDM is associated with selective, lactation-stage-specific alterations in the bioactive and functional components of human milk rather than the disruption of core nutritional composition. The stage-specific nature of these alterations suggests that human milk composition may adapt to maternal physiological changes during lactation.

Temporary Childbirth Migration (TCM), where women return to their natal homes during or after pregnancy, is a common but understudied practice in India and South Asia. This study examines the influence of social support systems on TCM decisions among Indian women, focusing on the roles of husbands, in-laws, and parents. The study was conducted in the Vadu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Western Maharashtra, India, and involved 41 in-depth interviews with triads comprising women, their husbands, and mothers-in-law. Participants varied in age, education, occupation, marriage, migration type, and delivery method and included women with infants up to two years old. Data were analysed using rapid and traditional coding approaches with predefined and emergent codes. Findings were categorised under four key domains of social support: emotional, financial, instrumental, and informational. Emotional support from mothers fosters a stress-free environment; financial support from family influences location; instrumental support for household tasks differs across settings; and informational guidance from experienced family members guides expectant mothers. Healthcare access, household status, and the husband’s role also shape migration choices. Women prioritise proximity to medical facilities, comfort, and freedom in their natal homes. Decisions are typically inclusive, involving multiple family members. The study shows that social support, cultural norms, and practical needs influence TCM decisions, and further research is needed to support women’s choices during the perinatal period. In conclusion, recognising emotional, financial, informational, and instrumental support can help providers and policymakers improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The United States faces a critical maternal health crisis, characterized by the highest mortality rates among high-income nations and profound racial disparities. The University of Illinois Chicago established the Luma Center, a Maternal Health Research Center of Excellence funded by the National Institutes of Health IMPROVE initiative. This article details the center’s development, implementation, and theoretical foundation. Central to the Luma Center’s mission is the Biopsychosocial Ecosystem Framework, which shifts the research focus from individual-level factors to the multilevel systemic drivers of maternal morbidity and mortality. Utilizing a transdisciplinary approach involving 18 academic disciplines, the Center operates through five core areas: Leadership, Community Partnership, Research, Training, and Data. The primary objectives are to conduct robust multilevel research, cultivate a diverse research workforce, and strengthen community partnerships to ensure the translation of findings into effective postpartum interventions. By integrating community expertise with academic innovation, the Luma Center seeks to systematically address the fundamental causes of poor maternal health outcomes and advance science to promote perinatal health and wellness.

This review aimed to summarise the nutrition education programmes and interventions that have sought to improve maternal health outcomes. Pregnancy is often considered a ‘teachable moment’ when mothers may be motivated to adopt positive behavioural changes, including improving their nutrition habits. Pregnancy nutrition education is the provision of information and guidance on optimal nutritional practices that aim to support a healthy pregnancy. This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight electronic databases were searched (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Scopus, PsycARTICLES, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete) for studies reporting on nutrition education programmes and interventions with pregnant women. Studies were included based on PICOS criteria, with no limitations on time and study design. Data were extracted and thematically analysed to identify the scope of diet, nutrition knowledge, and maternal outcomes included. This review includes 169 studies, which included various maternal outcomes (gestational weight gain, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and anaemia); dietary outcomes; nutritional status; and nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviours. Significant positive results were observed for many health and dietary outcomes, with the exception of prevention of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. A range of strategies has been used to deliver nutrition education. This inconsistency makes it challenging to summarise the key components of effective nutrition education and highlights the need for targeted approaches tailored to specific maternal outcomes.

Optimising nutrition during lactation is critical for the mother and infant. The relationship between fermented food consumption and the mother’s gut microbiota and nutritional and inflammation status is unknown. Mageu is a fermented grain commonly consumed in Southern Africa. We randomised South African mothers to consume a live-culture mageu, pasteurised store-bought mageu or no mageu from 4 to 10 weeks postpartum. Clinical and dietary data, stool microbiota and nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers were assessed until week 15. Plant protein intake was higher among mageu users than non-users. Live-culture mageu increased gut α-diversity from weeks 4 to 10. Circulating ferritin was lower among live-culture mageu users at week 10 compared with non-users. In systems analyses, mageu intake was associated with distinct bacterial, inflammatory and nutritional signatures, primarily driven by interleukin (IL)-6, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor and Eubacterium hallii. These results suggest that mageu has benefits for lactating mothers’ gut health and, therefore, possibly their infants.

The influence of the maternal antenatal environment on infant growth and development beyond the neonatal period is not well understood. This study investigated associations between maternal cardiometabolic health and lifestyle on infant growth during the first year of life. This sub-study of the longitudinal Microbiome Understanding in Maternity Study included 87 mother-infant dyads. Maternal anthropometrics were collected at each trimester. Lifestyle was assessed through the Australian Eating Survey (Trimester T1 and T3) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (T1, T2 and T3). Infant anthropometrics were measured at birth, 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months. Changes in weight, weight-for-age z-score, length-for-age z-score, rapid weight gain and conditional weight gain (CWG) were determined. Multiple linear regression was used to assess associations between maternal parameters and infant growth, adjusting for common confounders. Maternal T1 weight (CWG: p = 0.03), T3 weight (CWG: p = 0.03) and GWG (weight z-score change: p = 0.031) were positively associated with increased infant growth from 0 to 6 months. Greater maternal fat mass was associated with increased CWG (p = 0.042) from 6 weeks to 6 months. Higher quality maternal T1 diet was associated with increased infant growth (weight z-score change: p = 0.022, CWG: p = 0.013) from 0 to 12 months. Increased maternal physical activity was associated with increased CWG (p = 0.022) and length z-score change (p = 0.024) from 0 to 12 months in T1, and increased CWG from 6 to 12 months in T2 (p = 0.014) and T3 (p = 0.047). Markers of maternal cardiometabolic health risk and healthier lifestyle were associated with increased infant growth. Further investigation is required to confirm findings and investigate links with future health sequelae.

This historical study examines the evolving landscape of gender equality within the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT), with a focus on health-related developments in the post-colonial period. Tracing the trajectory from entrenched gender-based limitations to broader inclusivity, the article highlights how women, once marginalized in Church health initiatives, have gained visibility and agency, particularly since the 1980s. The period marks a turning point in which women began to access education, participate in leadership and contribute to health programmes that had long been male-dominated. Traditional gender roles have gradually shifted, reflecting a redefinition of responsibility within the Church and a growing embrace of shared leadership rooted in Christian values of love, cooperation and mutual respect. However, despite institutional advancements and theological support for equality, enduring gender disparities, especially in rural health services, continue to pose serious challenges. This study underscores the dual narrative of progress and persistent inequality, offering an important account of the Anglican Church’s ongoing journey towards holistic gender inclusion in health and ministry.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are key regulators of vascular homeostasis in both health and disease, playing a crucial role in regenerating the human vascular lining throughout life. These circulating cells can differentiate into mature endothelial cells and are increasingly recognized as important biological markers of vascular function and cumulative risk for various diseases, including cardiovascular conditions. In recent decades, the role of EPCs, particularly the endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) subtype, in pregnancy-related disorders and maternal and neonatal endothelial health has garnered significant attention. Evidence suggests that ECFCs may serve as predictor of future endothelial health in women and their offspring following pregnancy complications, making them particular relevant for research and therapeutic applications in adulthood, as well as potential indicators of vascular health. This review summarizes the evidence on EPCs, specifically ECFCs, as biomarkers of endothelial health in pregnancy, pregnancy-related diseases and ageing, with a focus on maternal and foetal endothelial abnormalities that may serve as prognostic factors for the development of future diseases.

Mothers of Sierra Leone leverages the power of filmic storytelling to improve maternal health outcomes in Sierra Leone, a country with one of the planet’s highest maternal mortality rates. Since 2019, we have operated as part of Lehigh University’s Global Social Impact program, working with a team of interdisciplinary students to amplify the voices of Sierra Leonean women rather than transmit Western medical expertise. Our project is based on two premises: (1) we will not solve the healthcare crisis in Sierra Leone through technology and (2) women experience better healthcare outcomes when they are confident and comfortable to advocate for themselves. Our focus group and survey data indicate that our filmic storytelling improves women’s confidence to advocate for themselves and increases their knowledge of available health services. Maternal mortality may be one of the most expansive health challenges facing our planet today because we struggle to comprehend or delimit its parameters, including structural and systemic racism, networks of capitalism, insufficient infrastructure, disparate access to medicine, and patriarchal violence. Our failures to tell public, accessible, and equitable stories about maternal mortality exacerbates and often exoticizes this crisis.

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in pregnancy is a significant public health problem worldwide, but little is known about factors associated with dietary iron intake among pregnant women especially from low- and middle-income countries(3). This study assessed factors associated with dietary iron intake among pregnant women attending primary health centres in Ifako-Ijaiye Lagos, Nigeria. Sociodemographic information and dietary intakes were elicited from 432 apparently healthy singleton pregnant women using a pre-tested questionnaire and 24 hour- dietary recall, respectively. Dietary iron intakes was estimated from foods and drinks reported using the West African Food Composition Table and adjusted for energy intakes using the residual method(1). Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA was used to compare categorical and continuous variables respectively by tertiles of energy-adjusted dietary iron intakes at a two-sided P<0.05(2).Mean age and dietary iron intake was 28.5 ± 4.6years and 20.3 ± 3.3mg/day, respectively for all respondents. Energy-adjusted iron intakes by tertiles of energy-adjusted dietary intakes were; 16.6 ± 1.4mg/day for the first tertile, 19.7± 1.0mg/day for the second tertile and 23.7 ± 2.0mg/day for the third tertile. Age, gestational age, parity, education, marital status, and income differed insignificantly by tertiles of energy-adjusted dietary iron intakes. Current evidence suggests a statistically insignificant association between sociodemographic factors and dietary iron intakes in this sample, but further studies are vital for designing culturally relevant interventions to promote the consumption of iron-rich foods among women in this population.