About this Research Topic
Healthy lifestyle habits spanning from preconception to postpartum are considered major safeguards for achieving successful pregnancies and preventing gestational diseases. Among the priorities established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for healthy pregnancies are a healthy diet and nutrition, weight management, physical activity, planned pregnancy, and physical, mental, and psychosocial health. A healthy maternal diet is particularly vital, as obesity increases the risks for adverse perinatal outcomes and disrupts metabolic health. Therefore, foods rich in vegetables, essential and polyunsaturated fats, and fiber-rich carbohydrates should be promoted. An adequate intake of micronutrients is also crucial to support pregnancy and breastfeeding while maintaining metabolic balance. Moderate physical activity throughout pregnancy improves muscle tone and function, enhances metabolic health, and decreases the risk of several pathologies. Additionally, factors such as microbiome modulation, behavioral strategies (e.g., smoking cessation, anxiety/stress reduction, and sleep quality), maternal genetics and age, social class, and education might also influence the quality of life for both the mother and fetus.
This research topic aims to provide an in-depth overview of maternal metabolic changes during pregnancy, with a particular focus on how these changes influence postnatal health. By doing so, it seeks to enhance our understanding of the critical period spanning from preconception to postpartum, emphasizing strategies to optimize maternal metabolism and, consequently, improve health outcomes for both mothers and fetus.
To gather further insights into the range and limitations of maternal metabolic health during pregnancy and breastfeeding, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Assessing the impact of maternal diet on metabolism during pregnancy and its postnatal effects.
• Understanding the relationship between maternal nutrition and fetal development, including long-term health consequences for the child.
• Exploring the influence of maternal microbiota on metabolic changes during pregnancy.
• Examining the benefits of moderate physical activity on maternal metabolic health and health outcomes for the infant.
• Examining the impact of maternal diet and metabolic health on breastfeeding outcomes.
• Investigating the effectiveness of interventions for smoking cessation, stress reduction, and improving sleep quality during pregnancy.
This research topic aims to provide an in-depth overview of maternal metabolic changes during pregnancy, with a particular focus on how these changes influence postnatal health. By doing so, it seeks to enhance our understanding of the critical period spanning from preconception to postpartum, emphasizing strategies to optimize maternal metabolism and, consequently, improve health outcomes for both mothers and fetus.
To gather further insights into the range and limitations of maternal metabolic health during pregnancy and breastfeeding, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Assessing the impact of maternal diet on metabolism during pregnancy and its postnatal effects.
• Understanding the relationship between maternal nutrition and fetal development, including long-term health consequences for the child.
• Exploring the influence of maternal microbiota on metabolic changes during pregnancy.
• Examining the benefits of moderate physical activity on maternal metabolic health and health outcomes for the infant.
• Examining the impact of maternal diet and metabolic health on breastfeeding outcomes.
• Investigating the effectiveness of interventions for smoking cessation, stress reduction, and improving sleep quality during pregnancy.
Keywords: Maternal Health, Metabolic Health, Infant, Fetus, pregnancy, maternal, diet, metabolism, obesity, microbiome, exersise, Gestational diseases prevention, Maternal diet, Maternal lifestyle, pregnancy outcomes, perinatal
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
