Issue Highlights

Newborn infants of mothers with type 1 diabetes had increased odds of stillbirths, congenital malformations, preterm births, hypoglycaemia and neonatal deaths. The findings come from Goldberg et al. who used data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register on all singleton births from 22 weeks of gestation during 2010–2022 [1]. Brismar Wendell comments on the findings [2]. Meanwhile, Al Abed et al. report that there was an increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in Sweden in 2021 and a gradual shift towards a younger age at onset over time [3]. Their findings suggest a possible pandemic-related trigger. Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) has been shown to stabilise newborn infants by improving respiration, heart rates and glucose levels and increasing breastfeeding rates. Wickström et al. studied an educational programme about SSC for healthcare professionals and parents. The average time spent in maternal SSC rose from 12.9 to 14.6 h on the first day, while almost continuous SSC increased from 33% to 58% [4]. Meanwhile, Blair et al. have identified nine elements that were significantly related to effective breastfeeding [5]. The prevalence of congenital diaphragmatic hernias (CDH) in Denmark was stable at 1.60 per 10 000 live births from 1994 to 2021, according to a nationwide study by Lausten-Thomsen et al. [6]. The majority (89.3%) had non-syndromic phenotypes: 79.4% of these had isolated CDH and 20.6% had CDH with co-occurring malformations, predominantly cardiac malformations. Syndromic CDH was observed in 10.7%, but its prevalence declined significantly over the study period, possibly due to improved prenatal screening and increased terminations. The authors concluded that the high proportion of major, co-occurring malformations emphasised the need for continued monitoring. The use of electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes and vapes, has become increasingly popular in recent years, as they have been advertised as safe alternatives to smoking. O'Connell et al. performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate what impact prenatal electronic cigarette exposure during pregnancy had on the neurodevelopment of human and animal offspring [7]. Only one human study included electronic cigarettes, but the combined findings suggested that traditional combustible and electronic cigarettes had overlapping influences on self-regulation and motor domains. Malamitsi-Puchner et al. have raised concerns about the increase in Caesarean section (C-section) rates in many countries, particularly Greece, where the rate reached 62% in 2023 [8]. They discuss the role that medical professionals play in shaping whether a woman decides to have a C-section, even if it is not medically indicated. The authors suggest that one reason for the increase may be that hospitals and doctors are paid more for C-sections. They point out that obstetricians and midwives need to provide extensive information about the risks and benefits of C-section for both the mothers and their infants. FIGURE 1, 2, 4 and 5: istockphoto FIGURE 3: Alamy/IBL