In a Congressionally mandated study carried out under the aegis of the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and summarized in this article, the authors have provided estimates of the numbers of American women of childbearing age and the numbers of American pregnant women whose lead exposure is sufficiently elevated to pose an intrauterine toxicity risk. Exposures associ...

BACKGROUND Dietary intake and nutritional status are important for pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. Dietary advice on folate, targeted to women of childbearing age, aims at preventing neural tube defects in the offspring. AIM To describe food and nutrient intake and nutritional status among women of childbearing age in Sweden in relation to current nutrition recommendations. METHODS Dietar...

BACKGROUND The number of cases of pertussis reported has increased gradually in the last decade. Pertussis vaccination is the most effective strategy for the prevention of infection. Despite the fact that young infants are at the highest risk for pertussis, the rate of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination is presumed to be very low among women of childbearing age in Korea. ...

Omega-3 fatty acids play critical roles during fetal growth and development with increased intakes associated with improved maternal-fetal outcomes. Omega-3 fatty acid intake in Western diets is low, and the impact of socioeconomic factors on omega-3 fatty acid intake in pregnant women and women of childbearing age has not been reported. We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Sur...

INTRODUCTION Few studies have focused on hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among childbearing-age women. This study explored hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroprevalence and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroprevalence and their associated factors among childbearing-age women. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted between June 2013 and October 2013 in Miany...

CONTEXT High unintended pregnancy rates, and inconsistencies between reported pregnancy intentions and contraceptive behaviors, have been well documented among young U.S. women. Women's beliefs about the benefits of childbearing and motherhood may be related to the apparent disconnect between pregnancy intentions and reproductive outcomes. METHODS Perceived benefits of childbearing and feelin...

BACKGROUND Recent research on fertility in industrialized countries focuses primarily on delayed childbearing, despite the facts that large numbers of women continue to enter parenthood at relatively young ages and that early childbearing has been linked to economic disadvantage. OBJECTIVE This cross-national comparative study describes relationships between women’s educational attainment and y...