ArticleMedical hypotheses2013
The EPIIC hypothesis: intrapartum effects on the neonatal epigenome and consequent health outcomes.
Article in Medical hypotheses, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 122 citations in OpenAlex.
- The association between early-life (during pregnancy and after birth) antibiotic exposure and type 1 diabetes: an updated meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Pooled it
- Routine vaginal examinations compared to other methods for assessing progress of labour to improve outcomes for women and babies at term.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Pediatrics Consequences of Caesarean Section-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in the Offspring Born through Elective or Non-elective Caesarean Section in Comparison to Vaginal Delivery: a Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.Current diabetes reports · 2019Pooled it
- Discontinuation of intravenous oxytocin in the active phase of induced labour.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018Pooled it
- Longitudinal Intergenerational Birth Cohort Designs: A Systematic Review of Australian and New Zealand Studies.PloS one · 2016Pooled it
- Health outcomes following caesarean birth- An observational study of twins discordant for mode of delivery.European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology: X · 2026Article
- Infant development at 14 months in the context of maternal objective and subjective birth experience and infant hair glucocorticoids.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Cesarean delivery on child health and development in Japanese nationwide birth cohort.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Placental DNA methylation in caesarean sections - a pilot study.Archives of medical science : AMS · 2025Article
- The Philosophy That Enables the Return to Our Essence in Breastfeeding: HypnoBreastfeeding.The Journal of perinatal education · 2024Article
- Earlier Menarche in Greek Girls Born by Caesarean Section: A Case-Control Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- A perspective-based analysis of attachment from prenatal period to second year postnatal life.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Review
- Caesarean section and risk of infection in offspring: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.BMJ medicine · 2024Article
- Individual and community-level factors associated with caesarean section in Haiti: secondary analysis of data from the 2016-2017 Haitian Demographic and Health Survey.Tropical medicine and health · 2023Article
- Does a mother's childbirth experience influence her perceptions of her baby's behaviour? A qualitative interview study.PloS one · 2023Article
- Head in the sand: Contemporary Australian attitudes towards induction of labour.The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology · 2022Article
- Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Associations Between Mode of Birth and Neuropsychological Development in Children Aged 4 Years: Results from a Birth Cohort Study.Child psychiatry and human development · 2021Article
- Global Changes of 5-mC/5h-mC Ratio and Methylation of Adiponectin and Leptin Gene in Placenta Depending on Mode of Delivery.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
There are many published studies about the epigenetic effects of the prenatal and infant periods on health outcomes. However, there is very little knowledge regarding the effects of the intrapartum period (labor and birth) on health and epigenetic remodeling. Although the intrapartum period is relatively short compared to the complete perinatal period, there is emerging evidence that this time frame may be a critical formative phase for the human genome. Given the debates from the National Institutes of Health and World Health Organization regarding routine childbirth procedures, it is essential to establish the state of the science concerning normal intrapartum epigenetic physiology. EPIIC (Epigenetic Impact of Childbirth) is an international, interdisciplinary research collaboration with expertise in the fields of genetics, physiology, developmental biology, epidemiology, medicine, midwifery, and nursing. We hypothesize that events during the intrapartum period - specifically the use of synthetic oxytocin, antibiotics, and cesarean section - affect the epigenetic remodeling processes and subsequent health of the mother and offspring. The rationale for this hypothesis is based on recent evidence and current best practice.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.