Pseudocyesis, also known as false pregnancy, is defined as the belief of being pregnant with physical signs and symptoms in the absence of a confirmed pregnancy. Notable cases include Queen Mary, who suffered from phantom pregnancies under societal pressure to conceive in the 16th century. Although now extremely rare, at its peak it accounted for 1 in 250 pregnancies following the Second World War, and was thought to be linked to heightened gender norms and sociocultural expectations around motherhood during this time. Pseudocyesis presents with complex and unique diagnostic challenges in clinical practice. It differs from delusional pregnancy, which is a fixed belief of pregnancy without physical signs or symptoms. The condition is often associated with infertility, psychological distress and neuro-endocrine conditions affecting the reproductive system. Management requires a multidisciplinary approach, integrating psychological support and addressing underlying reproductive health issues.

Reproductive health indicators in many developing countries including Nigeria are poor, and this is due to the less-than-optimum utilization of reproductive healthcare that has been linked to numerous factors including the educational attainment of women and their partners. In societies like Nigeria, marriage is nearly universal and upheld by patriarchal practices, while education is one of the determining factors for the choice of partner in the marriage market, as it also influences household power dynamics. Despite the plethora of studies investigating the link between education and utilization of these services, there is a paucity of research examining educational assortative mating (EAM) and its link to reproductive healthcare utilization. Hence, this study investigated EAM and explored its association with reproductive healthcare utilization from the perspective of family systems theory. Data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (n = 19,950) was analysed with frequencies presented and binary logistic regression models fitted. The result showed that high-education (34%) and low-education (46%) homogamy are the most prevalent types of EAM, while 40% of the partnered women reported facility delivery, 11% used modern contraceptives and 20% reported 8+ antenatal care visits. The multivariate analysis showed that compared to women in hypergamy, women in both high-education homogamy and hypogamy are more likely to deliver at a health facility but women in low-education are less likely. Women in both high-education homogamy and hypogamy are more likely, but those in low-education homogamy are less likely to use modern contraceptives. For antenatal care, only women in high-education homogamy are more likely to have 8 or more visits during pregnancy compared to women in hypergamy, while women in low-education homogamy and hypogamy are less likely. These findings provide evidence of the importance of an indicator of social stratification for important family decisions like healthcare utilization.

Lifestyle and diet may affect the reproductive cycle. A dietary index called Diet Diversity Score (DDS) may be related to various reproductive outcomes. The present review aims to look over and conclude the prior studies on the relationship between the diversity of food ingredients and issues related to reproductive health and pregnancy. In the case of this relationship, our findings can increase clinical knowledge and help recommend a well-balanced diet for the target group. A comprehensive search was performed in major databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scientific Information Database until March 2024. This research was combined with a search of Elsevier and SpringerLink databases, which led to the inclusion of relevant articles in this review. Our study was conducted based on 27 articles from 2012 to 2023, all containing a possible link between dietary diversity and reproductive complications. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Due to our results, a higher score in DDS, which led to an increased intake of major nutrients and a greater variety of foods, was correlated with a lower risk of reproductive health disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome, maternal anaemia, and maternal bone status, as well as a reduced likelihood of certain birth outcomes, including low-birth weight infants, Apgar score and congenital heart defect. These findings highlight the importance of improving the DDS for maternal and infant health.

Two articles by Garenne (2023a,b) argue that voluntary medical male circumcision does not reduce human immunodeficiency virus transmission in Africa. Here we point out key evidence and analytical flaws that call into question this conclusion.

This study analyses the arrival-cohort effects on the newborn birthweight of Latina women residing in Spain. First, it has been tested whether women of Latin American origin in Spain have an advantage in terms of birth outcomes, a pattern previously documented in the United States and referred to as the ‘Latin American paradox’. Second, it has been examined whether this health advantage of Latina mothers varies by arrival cohort.

A novel database provided by the Spanish National Statistics Office that links the 2011 Census with Natural Movement of the Population records from January 2011 to December 2015 has been used. Poisson regression models were applied to test for differences in the incidence rates of low birthweight (LBW) and high birthweight (HBW) among children of Latina and native mothers, controlling for various demographic, socio-economic, and birth characteristics.

Two distinct arrival-cohort effects on perinatal health were observed. On one hand, first-generation Latina women were found to be at a lower risk of giving birth to LBW infants; however, they experienced a higher incidence of HBW during the study period. Second, Latina women of 1.5 generation, likely stressed by increased exposure to the receiving country, exhibited adverse birthweight results.

Reproductive health in state socialism is usually viewed as an area in which the broader contexts of women’s lives were disregarded. Focusing on expert efforts to reduce premature births, we show that the social aspects of women’s lives received the most attention. In contrast to typical descriptions emphasising technological medicalisation and pharmaceuticalisation, we show that expertise in early socialism was concerned with socio-medical causes of prematurity, particularly work and marriage. The interest in physical work in the 1950s evolved towards a focus on psychological factors in the 1960s and on broader socio-economic conditions in the 1970s. Experts highlighted marital happiness as conducive to healthy birth and considered unwed women more prone to prematurity. By the 1980s, social factors had faded from interest in favour of a bio-medicalised view. Our findings are based on a rigorous comparative analysis of medical journals from Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.

Low-income women and, disproportionately low-income women of color seeking reproductive and pregnancy care are increasingly subject to what this article terms carceral care – care compromised by its’ proximity to punishment systems. This article identifies the legal and health care practice mechanisms leading to carceral care and proposes solutions designed to stop criminalization at the bedside.

In the U.S., approximately 11% of infants are born small for gestational age (SGA). While there are many known behavioral risk factors for SGA births, there are still many factors yet to be explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the maternal early menarche (< 12 years old)- SGA birth association. Data were retrieved from the 2011-2017 National Survey of Family Growth, and multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association. Approximately 4% of mothers reported having an SGA infant and 24% of mothers reported early age at menarche. After controlling for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and annual household income, early menarche was associated with 3% increased odds of SGA, although this finding was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratio: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.53). Additional research is needed on the long-term birth outcomes and health consequences of early menarche.

Across several African countries, birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) among pregnant women is poor. The practice of BPACR, though improving in recent years, is not commensurate with the knowledge available to pregnant women. Maternal health indices remain sub-optimal. This study evaluates the determinants of this “know-do’ gap among women receiving antenatal care at a secondary health facility in Benin City, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study involving 427 pregnant women was conducted between October and December 2020 using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of knowledge and practice were described, and the determinants of BPACR practice evaluated using bivariable (chi-square) analysis and multivariable ordinal logistic regression with post-estimation predictive margins analysis. About 77% of respondents had good birth preparedness practice. Multivariable regression revealed that respondents with poor knowledge and moderate knowledge of components of BPACR had statistically significant lower odds (OR:0.05 (95% CI: 0.02-0.13) and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.03-0.30) times, respectively) for greater practice of BPACR when compared to those with good knowledge. Respondents with poor knowledge of danger signs had statistically significant lower odds (OR: 0.08 (95% CI: 0.03-0.26) for greater practice of BPACR when compared to those with good knowledge. But predictive margins analyses demonstrates that knowledge, though critical to practice, is insufficient to optimize practice. The optimum number of danger signs women need to know to improve practice may be between eight to ten. Beyond this number, practice may not change significantly. Other predictors of BPACR practice include income level, parity, gravidity, and residential settings. The number of antenatal clinic visits had no statistically significant correlation with BPACR practice. Interventions to facilitate practice at the community level may be helpful to improve outcomes and bridge the know-do gap with respect to BPACR within the study context.

Using detailed data from the third round of the District Level Household Survey of India, this paper examines in detail the effect of child marriage of women on contraceptive usage and access to skilled care during pregnancy and delivery. This paper particularly focuses on sixteen different outcome variables categorized under four broad sub-groups; namely, family planning and contraceptive usage, birth history, utilization of antenatal care; and finally, natal and postnatal care. The overall results presented in the paper suggest that women who marry early, i.e. before they reach the legal age of marriage are more likely to have experienced miscarriage, give birth before they turn 18 and lose children. They also lack current contraception usage and are less likely to access public health facilities during both pregnancy and childbirth. These results, however, vary widely based on the state of residence and age of the women in question.

The announcement in 2019 of a new coronavirus disease that quickly became a major pandemic, is an exceptional challenge to healthcare systems never seen before. Such a public health emergency can largely influence various aspects of people’s health as well as reproductive outcome. IVF specialists should be vigilant, monitoring the situation whilst contributing by sharing novel evidence to counsel patients, both pregnant women and would-be mothers. Coronavirus infection might adversely affect pregnant women and their offspring. Consequently, this review paper aims to analyse its potential risks for reproductive health, as well as potential effects of the virus on gamete function and embryo development. In addition, reopening fertility clinics poses several concerns that need immediate addressing, such as the effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on reproductive cells and also the potential risk of cross-contamination and viral transmission. Therefore, this manuscript summarizes what is currently known about the effect of the SARS-CoV-2 infection on medically assisted reproductive treatments and its effect on reproductive health and pregnancy.

This article examines the barriers to quality health care for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people (TGE) who become pregnant and give birth, identifying three central themes that emerge from the literature. These insights suggest that significant reform will be necessary to ensure access to safe, appropriate, gender-affirming care for childbearing TGE people. After illustrating the need for systemic changes that untether rigid gender norms from the provision of perinatal care, the article proposes that the Midwives Model of Care offers a set of values and clinical practices that are well-suited to meet the needs of many TGE patients during pregnancy and childbirth and which should be incorporated into the healthcare system more broadly.