Call for papers - Maternal health's impact on neonatal development

Guest Editors

Fatih Akkuş, MD, Kütahya City Hospital, Türkiye
Misgav Rottenstreich MD, MBA, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Israel

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 15 December 2025

BMC Pediatrics invites submissions exploring the connections between maternal health and neonatal development. We welcome research on a wide range of topics, including the impacts of maternal care practices and nutritional status, exposure to environmental stressors, and mental health challenges on neonatal health outcomes. The aim of the Collection is to foster understanding, management, and interventions that ensure optimal maternal health to promote positive neonatal health and development.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

Submit to Collection

Meet the Guest Editors

Back to top

Fatih Akkuş, MD, Kütahya City Hospital, Türkiye

Dr Akkuş completed his medical education at Celal Bayar University. He specialized in gynecology and obstetrics at Süleyman Demirel University and later worked at Isparta City Hospital and Afyonkarahisar State Hospital. After completing his perinatology training at Necmettin Erbakan University, he focused on high-risk pregnancies and fetal medicine at Kütahya City Hospital. His interests include placental adhesion disorders, fetal echocardiography, fetal neurosonography, invasive fetal diagnosis/treatments, fetal surgery, endoscopic procedures, gynecologic oncology, and infertility.

Misgav Rottenstreich MD, MBA, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Israel

Dr Rottenstreich is the head of the Prenatal Diagnosis Center and a staff physician at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, a major tertiary medical center. With over 140 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and book chapters, Dr Rottenstreich focuses on high-risk pregnancies, particularly in areas of fetal medicine—fetal growth restriction, multifetal pregnancies, genetic and anatomical fetal abnormalities, and intrauterine invasive procedures.

About the Collection

Maternal health encompasses a range of factors, including physical, mental, and social well-being during pregnancy, all of which significantly influence neonatal outcomes. Inadequate maternal care and excessive exposure to environmental stressors can lead to adverse effects on fetal development, increasing the risk of complications such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and developmental disorders. This Collection seeks to delve into the intricate connections between maternal health and the subsequent growth and development of newborns.

Understanding the impact of maternal health on neonatal development is vital for designing effective public health interventions and improving maternal and child health outcomes. Recent advances in this field have illuminated the critical role of prenatal care, nutrition, and mental health support in promoting healthier pregnancies and better neonatal outcomes. Research has also shown that addressing maternal health disparities can lead to significant improvements in developmental trajectories for infants, particularly in vulnerable populations. By exploring these dimensions, we can foster a more holistic approach to maternal and neonatal healthcare.

BMC Pediatrics invites submissions to our new Collection, Maternal health's impact on neonatal development. We encourage submissions on topics including, but not limited to:

Influence of maternal nutrition status, diet and lifestyle habits on fetal and neonatal health outcomes
Impact of maternal exposure to environmental stressors such as noise, air and water pollution, workplace stress, and socioeconomic disadvantages on fetal and neonatal health
Strategies for maternal care models and interventions to ensure healthier pregnancies and improved neonatal outcomes
Effects of pre- and postnatal mental health support on neonatal development
Disparities in maternal healthcare and their relation to neonatal health outcomes

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to Collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

Back to top

This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Maternal health's impact on neonatal development" from the dropdown menu.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.