ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2022
Leukocyte telomere dynamics across gestation in uncomplicated pregnancies and associations with stress.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Are pregnancy and parity associated with telomere length? A systematic review.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Pooled it
- Maternal biological ageing and telomere attrition across parity, pregnancy, and the postpartum period.Biogerontology · 2026Review
- Exposure to Endocrine Disruptors and Stress Hormones Across Pregnancy Trimesters: Links with Maternal Telomere Length.Journal of xenobiotics · 2026Article
- Maternal Telomere Length and Its Influence on Neonatal Parameters: A Potential Tool for Prenatal Screening.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Observational
- Maternal telomere length and oxidative stress in pregnancy: cross-sectional analysis with an exploratory examination of systemic inflammation.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- The Association Between Longer Maternal Leukocyte Telomere Length in the Immediate Postpartum Period and Preterm Birth in a Predominately Latina Cohort of Mothers.Maternal and child health journal · 2025Article
- Association between shortened maternal and fetal telomere length and abnormal fetal development.PloS one · 2025Article
- Mode of delivery predicts postpartum maternal leukocyte telomere length.European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology · 2024Article
- Association of pregnancy complications and postpartum maternal leukocyte telomeres in two diverse cohorts: a nested case-control study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Comparison of Telomere Length in Age-Matched Primiparous and Multiparous Brahman Cows.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Linking Pregnancy and Long-Term Health: The Impact of Cardiovascular Risk on Telomere Shortening in Pregnant Women.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2023Article
- An exploratory analysis of leukocyte telomere length among pregnant and non-pregnant people.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundShort leukocyte telomere length is a biomarker associated with stress and morbidity in non-pregnant adults. Little is known, however, about maternal telomere dynamics in pregnancy. To address this, we examined changes in maternal leukocyte telomere length (LTL) during uncomplicated pregnancies and explored correlations with perceived stress.
methodsIn this pilot study, maternal LTL was measured in blood collected from nulliparas who delivered live, term, singleton infants between 2012 and 2018 at a single institution. Participants were excluded if they had diabetes or hypertensive disease. Samples were collected over the course of pregnancy and divided into three time periods: < 20
resultsA total of 115 samples from 46 patients were analyzed. LTL (mean ± SD), expressed as telomere to single copy gene (T/S) ratios, were: 1.15 ± 0.26, 1.13 ± 0.23, and 1.07 ± 0.21 for Timepoints 1, 2, and 3, respectively. There were no significant differences in LTL between Timepoints 1 and 2 (LTL T/S change - 0.03 ± 0.26, p = 0.39); 2 and 3 (- 0.07 ± 0.29, p = 0.38) or Timepoints 1 and 3 (- 0.07 ± 0.21, p = 0.06). Participants who underwent cesareans had significantly shorter postpartum LTLs than those who delivered vaginally (T/S ratio: 0.94 ± 0.12 cesarean versus 1.12 ± 0.21 vaginal, p = 0.01). In secondary analysis, poor sleep quality was the main stress construct associated with shorter Timepoint 1 LTLs (p = 0.02) and shorter mean LTLs (p = 0.03).
conclusionsIn this cohort of healthy pregnancies, maternal LTLs did not significantly change across gestation and postpartum LTLs were shorter after cesarean than after vaginal birth. Significant associations between sleep quality and short LTLs warrant further investigation.
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