Association between Prenatal Exposure to Tetrachloroethylene and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Prenatal Pesticide Exposure and Maternal-Fetal Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review Informing Agro-Nursing Practice

Prenatal pesticide exposure poses significant risks to maternal and child health in agricultural communities worldwide. This systematic review evaluated recent empirical evidence on the impact of agricultural chemical exposure during pregnancy to inform agro-nursing practice directly. A systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest following PRISMA guidelines. Studies published within the last year, written in English, and featuring active DOIs were strictly included. Methodological quality was rigorously assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Ten studies ultimately met the inclusion criteria, comprising seven cohort studies, one case-control study, one cross-sectional study, and one ecological analysis. Eight studies demonstrated high methodological quality. The synthesized evidence revealed strong associations between prenatal pesticide exposure and a range of adverse health outcomes. Specifically, exposure to organochlorines and organophosphates correlated with impaired early childhood neurodevelopment and increased childhood neuroblastoma risk. Maternal exposure to pyrethroids and organophosphates significantly elevated the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus and disrupted maternal thyroid homeostasis. Spatial analyses further confirmed increased risks of low birth weight in high-application agricultural zones. Agricultural chemical exposure during pregnancy constitutes a critical determinant of adverse perinatal outcomes. Agro-nurses must integrate comprehensive histories of environmental exposures into standard prenatal assessments. Proactive patient education and targeted clinical surveillance are essential for mitigating toxicological risks and optimizing maternal-fetal health trajectories globally

Pesticide exposure during pregnancy and the risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Pesticides are widely used in agriculture, residential settings, and public spaces, leading to environmental contamination and human exposure. During pregnancy, these compounds may cross the placenta and affect both maternal and fetal health. However, epidemiological evidence remains inconsistent and often focuses on specific pesticide classes or isolated reproductive outcomes. OBJECTIVES To systematically review and synthesize observational evidence on associations between maternal exposure to currently used pesticide classes and maternal and fetal outcomes. METHODS A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect from inception to November 14, 2025. During screening, studies assessing pesticide exposure prior to 2000 were excluded due to regulatory restrictions over recent decades. Eligible studies measured prenatal pesticide exposure using biological samples and reported maternal or fetal outcomes. Three reviewers independently screened and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using the NHLBI quality assessment tools. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251172677). RESULTS Of 6,776 records identified, 39 studies including 24,532 participants from 17 countries and territories met the inclusion criteria. Exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs) was associated with impaired fetal growth in several studies, with evidence pointing to trimester- and sex-specific effects. Associations with shortened gestational duration and increased risk of preterm birth were also reported, particularly for OPs and glyphosate. Evidence for neonicotinoid exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus was suggestive, but derived exclusively from Chinese cohorts, limiting generalizability. CONCLUSION Maternal exposure to currently used pesticides during pregnancy may be associated with fetal growth outcomes and maternal health. Future research should prioritize repeated biomarker measurements and mixture modelling to improve the characterization of potential reproductive health effects associated with these pesticides.

Gestational Selenium Exposure and Neonatal Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Mortality, Morbidity, and Neurobehavioral Development

Objectives: This systematic review synthesized the existing literature to evaluate the associations between maternal Selenium (Se) exposure during pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, specifically focusing on parameters of mortality, morbidity, and neurobehavioral development. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched from inception through December 2025. For quality appraisal, Cochrane RoB2 and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health tools for observational studies were applied. Results were qualitatively synthesized. Results: Screening of 2743 unique records and 473 full-text articles yielded 355 papers included in the overarching SeduP project, with 19 specific to this review. Synthesized evidence revealed a lack of consistent evidence of an association between maternal Se status and all-cause neonatal or perinatal mortality (n = 413, 4 studies), combined mortality/morbidity (n = 2753, 2 studies), or infectious-related morbidity (n = 928, 3 studies). Conversely, conflicting findings were observed regarding all-cause neonatal morbidity (n = 68, 2 studies) and neurobehavioral development (n = 1442, 4 studies), while a potentially inverse association was identified exclusively between Se levels and pulmonary-related neonatal morbidity (n = 611, 4 studies). Conclusions: Despite compelling preclinical biological plausibility, clinical data do not support a widespread protective effect of maternal Se status against adverse neonatal outcomes. The existing body of evidence is heavily constrained by moderate to very low quality, driven by small sample sizes, insufficient confounding adjustments, and suboptimal exposure assessment timing at delivery. While localized signals imply potential pulmonary protection alongside risks of excess toxicity, large-scale, standardized prospective cohorts are critically needed to generate clinically actionable data.

Prenatal alcohol exposure and physical health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood: A systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) has been linked to an increased risk of long-term adverse physical health outcomes. However, research on PAE has thus far primarily focused on neurobehavioural outcomes. To address this evidence gap, we conducted a systematic scoping review to synthesise the evidence on PAE-related adverse physical health impacts. METHODS Eligible publications were peer-reviewed articles that explored the relationship between PAE and physical health outcomes in adolescents and adults. We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping manual for evidence synthesis, and results were summarised using narrative synthesis and content analysis. Four electronic databases (MEDLINE OvidSP, Embase, CINAHL, and PyscINFO) were searched (26/06/2024) and screening decisions reported in a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses flow chart. RESULTS In total 852 records were identified, and after removing duplicates, 757 were screened for eligibility. The characteristics and results of 29 eligible studies are reported. These reported on the relationship between PAE and 15 physical health outcomes. The three most commonly reported physical health outcomes were ear-related (n = 11), cardiovascular (n = 13), and eye-related (n = 14). Evidence for metabolic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, musculoskeletal, immune, and genitourinary outcomes was more heterogeneous, but generally supported an association with PAE. CONCLUSIONS We have found that PAE is associated with a broader range of specific physical health conditions, across multiple body systems, than previously reported. Greater recognition of these associations may improve clinical management, and inform healthcare planning for individuals with PAE.

Prenatal occupational exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds and birthweight: findings from a pilot study using meconium as a biological matrix.

Maternal exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BackgroundEmerging evidence suggests that environmental exposures during pregnancy may influence the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Maternal exposure to second-hand smoke is a potentially modifiable risk factor, but previous studies have reported inconsistent findings. This is the first meta-analysis on the association between maternal second-hand smoke exposure during pregnancy and the risk of ASD in children.Materials and methodsA systematic search of the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases was conducted, covering articles published up to May 2, 2026, without language or publication date restrictions. Observational studies reporting odds ratios (ORs) for the association between maternal passive smoking during pregnancy and ASD diagnosis in offspring were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled ORs. Subgroup analysis was performed based on study design, and publication bias was evaluated using Begg's and Egger's tests.ResultsNine studies comprising 9,005 participants met the inclusion criteria. The pooled OR from adjusted studies demonstrated a statistically significant association between maternal second-hand smoke exposure during pregnancy and ASD risk (OR = 2.12; 95% CI: 1.59-2.66), indicating that exposed children had more than twice the risk of ASD compared to unexposed children.ConclusionsMaternal exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy was associated with increased odds of ASD in offspring. The findings highlight the importance of public health interventions aimed at reducing prenatal second-hand smoke exposure, including smoke-free legislation and smoking cessation counseling for pregnant women and their families.