Pregnancy and Lactation Period Exposure to Environmental Toxicants and the Effects on Maternal and Child Health
A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 1264
Special Issue Editors
Interests: environment exposure; perinatal period; maternal and child health; environmental toxicology; mitochondrial homeostasis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: pathology; toxic substances on the fetus and the infant
Interests: environmental exposure; maternal and child health; fetal and infant neurodevelopment; environmental epidemiology; heavy metals; sleep hygiene
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The Special Issue “Pregnancy and Lactation Period Exposure to Environmental Toxicants and the Effects on Maternal and Child Health” presents a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge research examining the long-term health consequences of maternal exposure to environmental contaminants during critical prenatal development windows. This issue explores how diverse pollutants, including heavy metals (lead, mercury), persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, DDT), endocrine disruptors (phthalates, bisphenol A), and emerging contaminants (microplastics, PFAS), influence fetal development and shape childhood health trajectories. By integrating biomonitoring data, epidemiological evidence, and mechanistic insights, this platform bridges the gap between pregnancy and lactation period environmental exposure assessment and maternal and child health outcomes.
A key focus is the identification of vulnerable windows through biomarker discovery, alongside investigations of molecular pathways such as placental transport mechanisms, fetal hypoxia, metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic modifications, oxidative stress, and immune dysregulation. The issue particularly welcomes contributions that employ advanced methodologies, including multi-omics approaches, network toxicology, computational modeling, and innovative risk assessment frameworks, to inform policy development for reducing pregnancy and lactation period exposure risks. Emphasis is placed on translating scientific findings into actionable strategies for safeguarding maternal and child health, with the overarching goal of advancing interdisciplinary approaches to address this critical global public health challenge.
Prof. Dr. Lin Zhang
Dr. C. Vyvyan Howard
Dr. Ju Wang
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- pregnancy and lactation period exposure
- environmental toxicants
- maternal and child health
- biomarkers
- molecular mechanism
- advanced methodologies
- multi-omics techniques
- network toxicology
- computational modeling
- risk assessment
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