Epidemiologic tools to study the influence of environmental factors on fecundity and pregnancy-related outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Adverse pregnancy outcomes entail a large health burden for the mother and offspring; a part of it might be avoided by better understanding the role of environmental factors in their etiology. Our aims were to review the assessment tools to characterize fecundity troubles and pregnancy-related outcomes in human populations and their sensitivity to environmental factors. For each outcome, we reviewed the possible study designs, main sources of bias, and their suggested cures. In terms of study design, for most pregnancy outcomes, cohorts with recruitment early during or even before pregnancy allow efficient characterization of pregnancy-related events, time-varying confounders, and in utero exposures that may impact birth outcomes and child health. Studies on congenital anomalies require sp

SUBMITTER: Slama R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3873845 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature