Announcements

World Health Day aims to draw global attention to pressing health challenges, reinforcing our commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3—ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

This year’s theme, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” highlights the importance of maternal and infant health. Current estimates show that a woman dies every two minutes from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Urgent action is needed to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and to prioritize women’s long-term health and well-being.

To provide high-quality care before, during, and after childbirth, we must engage in critical discussions and foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals. Health systems must evolve to address the full spectrum of maternal and newborn health issues—from obstetric complications to mental health conditions, noncommunicable diseases, and family planning.

In recognition of World Health Day 2025, we invite you to explore a curated selection of articles, journals, and Special Issues spanning multiple disciplines. These resources offer valuable insights into the complexities of maternal and infant health and outline actionable steps toward lasting, positive change.

Together, we can build a world where every mother and child have the opportunity for a healthy, hopeful future.

Maternal Health
“Relationship Between Plasma Acid Sphingomyelinase and Alteration in Taste and Smell as Indicator of Long COVID in Pregnant Women”
by Federico Fiorani, Giulia Moretti, Laura Cerquiglini, Chiara Gizzi, Giulia Gizzi, Paola Signorelli, Samuela Cataldi, Tommaso Beccari, Elisa Delvecchio, Claudia Mazzeschi et al.
Reports 2024, 7(4), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/reports7040104
  
“Pregnant Women’s Perception of Gestational Anemia and Iron Supplements in Oman”
by Zalikha Khamis Al-Marzouqi, Nawal Said Alsereahi and Safiya Khalfan Al Maqbali
J. Oman Med. Assoc. 2024, 1(1), 10–22; https://doi.org/10.3390/joma1010003

“The Sri Lanka Mother and Newborn Growth (S-MaNGro) Cohort: Protocol of a Nationwide Prospective Study”
by Malshani Lakshika Pathirathna, Megumi Haruna, Satoshi Sasaki, Kaori Yonezawa, Yuriko Usui and Yasuhiro Hagiwara
Methods Protoc. 2024, 7(4), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/mps7040061

“Gestational Trophoblastic Disease: Complete versus Partial Hydatidiform Moles”
by Jeffrey Gonzalez, Meagan Popp, Stephanie Ocejo, Alvaro Abreu, Hisham F. Bahmad and Robert Poppiti
Diseases 2024, 12(7), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12070159

“Evaluating Thromboprophylaxis Strategies for High-Risk Pregnancy: A Current Perspective”
by Lucia Stančiaková, Kristína Brisudová, Ingrid Škorňová, Tomáš Bolek, Matej Samoš, Kamil Biringer, Ján Staško and Juraj Sokol
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(6), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17060773

“Caring for Pregnant Patients with Cancer: A Framework for Ethical and Patient-Centred Care”
by Alma Linkeviciute, Rita Canario, Fedro Alessandro Peccatori and Kris Dierickx
Cancers 2024, 16(2), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16020455

“Histopathological Clues of Enhanced Inflammation in the Placental Tissue of Women with Chronic Venous Disease in Lower Limbs during Pregnancy”
by María Asunción Sánchez-Gil, Oscar Fraile-Martinez, Cielo García-Montero, María Del Val Toledo, Luis G. Guijarro, Juan A. De León-Luis, Coral Bravo, Raúl Díaz-Pedrero, Laura López-Gonzalez, Miguel A. Saez et al.
J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14010087

“Challenges Related to Acquisition of Physiological Data for Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Models in Postpartum, Lactating Women and Breastfed Infants—A Contribution from the ConcePTION Project”
by Martje Van Neste, Annick Bogaerts, Nina Nauwelaerts, Julia Macente, Anne Smits, Pieter Annaert and Karel Allegaert
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(11), 2618; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15112618

“Umbilical Cord Diseases Affecting Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes”
by Gabriele Tonni, Mario Lituania, Alessandro Cecchi, Elisa Carboni, Serena Resta, Maria Paola Bonasoni and Rodrigo Ruano
Healthcare 2023, 11(19), 2634; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11192634

“Scientists’ Warning: Remove the Barriers to Contraception Access, for Health of Women and the Planet”
by Jan Greguš and John Guillebaud
World 2023, 4(3), 589–597; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4030036

“Trauma-Informed Care and Equity in Group Pregnancy Care for Women of Refugee Background: Reflections from the Workforce”
by Fran Hearn, Laura Biggs, Stephanie J. Brown, Ann Krastev, Josef Szwarc and Elisha Riggs
Trauma Care 2023, 3(3), 161–176; https://doi.org/10.3390/traumacare3030016

“Smoking Cessation Rates among Pregnant Women and Their Relapse Rates in the Postpartum Period in Samsun”
by Bektas Murat Yalcin, Tugba Kertmen and Muge Ustaoglu
J. Respir. 2023, 3(3), 118–129; https://doi.org/10.3390/jor3030012

“Effects of COVID-19 on Kenya’s Healthcare System: Healthcare Providers’ Experiences with Maternal Health Services Utilization in Coastal Kenya”
by Stephen Okumu Ombere and Agnetta Adiedo Nyabundi
World 2023, 4(1), 140–152; https://doi.org/10.3390/world4010010

Infant and Child Health
“Clinical Insight into Congenital Hypothyroidism Among Children”
by Hüseyin Anıl Korkmaz
Children 2025, 12(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12010055

“Child and Adolescent Mental Health in a Period of Fewer COVID-19-Related Restrictions in an Urban Population in Germany”
by Anna Konopka, Amand Führer, Mascha Binder, Sophie Diexer, Thomas Frese, Michael Gekle, Matthias Girndt, Cornelia Gottschick, Jessica Hoell, Bianca Klee et al.
Psychiatry Int. 2024, 5(4), 718–737; https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint5040050

“Differences in Farmers’ Market Patronage among Participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)”
by Renata Blumberg, Emily Fowler, Gabrielle Guerrero, Yeon Bai, Meena Mahadevan and Pankaj Lal
Dietetics 2024, 3(2), 179–190; https://doi.org/10.3390/dietetics3020015

“Maternal Depressive Symptoms in the First Year after Childbirth Predict Long-Term Developmental Risks in Sons and Daughters”
by Linda S. Pagani, Kianoush Harandian, Beatrice Necsa, Marie-Josée Harbec and George M. Tarabulsy
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(3), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21030264

“Inflammatory Biomarker Profiles in Very Preterm Infants within the Context of Preeclampsia, Chorioamnionitis, and Clinically Diagnosed Postnatal Infection”
by Jordan T. Ewald, Baiba Steinbrekera, Jennifer R. Bermick, Donna A. Santillan, Tarah T. Colaizy, Mark K. Santillan and Robert D. Roghair
Pediatr. Rep. 2023, 15(3), 483–493; https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric15030044

“A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Evaluating a Regenerative Epithelial Suspension for Medium-Size Partial-Thickness Burns in Children: The BRACS Trial”
by Anjana Bairagi, Zephanie Tyack, Roy Kimble, Dimitrios Vagenas, Steven M. McPhail and Bronwyn Griffin
Eur. Burn J. 2023, 4(1), 121–141; https://doi.org/10.3390/ebj4010012

“The Impact of the Early COVID-19 Global Pandemic on Children Undergoing Active Cancer Treatment and Their Parents”
by Andrew Tran, Sharon H. J. Hou, Caitlin Forbes, Sara Cho, Victoria J. Forster, Mehak Stokoe, Claire E. Wakefield, Lori Wiener, Lauren C. Heathcote, Gisela Michel et al.
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(2), 2441–2456; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30020186

“Feature Advancements in Section “Childhood, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology””	“Global Neonatal Screening: Expanding Horizons in Diagnostic Technologies”
“Healthy Lifestyle for Pregnant and Postpartum Women”	“Advanced Pediatric Drug Formulation Strategies”