Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41152759›Full record

ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025

The landscape of pregnancy and prepregnancy cohorts: a scoping review.

Lauren Maxwell, Regina Gilyan, Sayali Arvind Chavan, Shaila Akter, Mahir Bhatt, Solveig A Cunningham, Thomas Jaenisch

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lauren MaxwellHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130/3, Heidelberg, Germany. lauren.maxwell.us@gmail.com.
Regina GilyanHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130/3, Heidelberg, Germany.
Sayali Arvind ChavanInstitute of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
Shaila AkterHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130/3, Heidelberg, Germany.
Mahir BhattHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130/3, Heidelberg, Germany.
Solveig A CunninghamNetherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, Lange Houtstraat 19, 2511 CV, Den Haag, Netherlands.
Thomas JaenischHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130/3, Heidelberg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecent research in life course epidemiology has demonstrated the importance of evaluating how prepregnancy and pregnancy exposures affect later life developmental outcomes. In this scoping review, we identified and described completed or ongoing pregnancy and prepregnancy cohorts to assess gaps in the maternal exposures and child outcomes measured in these initiatives and inform future research investments.

methodsWe developed a systematic search that included text and MeSH terms and was tailored for four biomedical citation databases. We applied the Arskey and O'Malley scoping review methodology. We selected a scoping review methodology to provide a comprehensive overview of pregnancy and prepregnancy cohorts and their characteristics. Two reviewers independently conducted the title, abstract, full-text screening, and data charting; a third reviewer resolved discrepancies. The results were summarised in narrative form.

resultsWe reviewed 147 manuscripts that presented findings from 56 pregnancy and two prepregnancy cohorts, 23 of which were ongoing. Half of the pregnancy cohorts were based in Europe. The most commonly described maternal exposures were nutrition, anthropometric measures, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and demographic factors. Children's mental, behavioural, neurodevelopmental, and physical outcomes were the most commonly measured outcomes. Fewer studies evaluated infectious disease, biomarkers, and environmental or workplace exposures. No cohorts examined vaccine or climate-related exposures during pregnancy. About half of the cohorts collected samples from pregnant women or the fetus, and a third from children, with blood being the most common sample type. Most studies did not indicate how data or samples could be accessed.

conclusionsThis comprehensive overview of pregnancy and prepregnancy cohorts provides a foundation for cross-cohort coordination. Infectious disease, vaccine, environmental, and climate-related exposures and microbiome, immune function, and economic outcomes remain underrepresented in pregnancy and prepregnancy cohorts. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review summarises findings from existing publications in peer-reviewed journals and did not require ethics review.

Indexed as

Maternal ExposurePrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsCohort StudiesFemaleHumansPregnancyLife-course epidemiologyPregnancy cohortPrepregnancy cohortScoping review

Identifiers

PMID41152759
PMCPMC12570564

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.