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Effects of Stressors During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding on the Child: Molecular Perspectives

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 218

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Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Muszynskiego 1, 90-151 Lodz, Poland
Interests: pharmacology; environmental toxicology; liquid chromatography; drug-protein interactions; in silico studies; biological activity of plants; analysis of pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Developing organisms are sensitive to many undesirable prepartum and postpartum factors, including xenobiotics transferred from mother to child. To ensure the healthy development of offspring, we must be able to identify and counteract such factors. With this in mind, we encourage submissions of original research papers and reviews on the following topics:

-    The quantification of the molecular  mechanisms behind the mother-to-child transfer of xenobiotics during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
-    Effects of drugs and environmental contaminants on the fetus—the molecular mechanisms behind related health pathologies;
-    Maternal drug use and misuse during breastfeeding—instant and distant effects on the child’s health;
-    Interactions of xenobiotics with enzymes and transporters in the placenta;
-    Chemicals’ passage through the immature skin and across the blood–brain barrier;
-    Protective mechanisms of the immature central nervous system;
-    Molecular determinants of chemicals’ teratogenic activity.

Prof. Anna Weronika Sobańska
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • xenobiotics
  • drugs
  • gestation
  • breastfeeding
  • fetus
  • placenta
  • child’s development
  • teratogenicity
  • central nervous system

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

25 pages, 1794 KiB  
Review
When Your Body Tells You to Not Breastfeed—The Connivance of Oxytocin, Prolactin, and Dopamine
by Vladimír Kraus, Jr., Beáta Čižmárová and Anna Birková
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(12), 5909; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26125909 - 19 Jun 2025
Abstract
Breastfeeding is universally recognized for its extensive health benefits for both infants and mothers. However, for some women, the experience of breastfeeding can be complicated by intense negative emotional and physical reactions, including phenomena such as dysphoric milk ejection reflex and breastfeeding aversion/agitation. [...] Read more.
Breastfeeding is universally recognized for its extensive health benefits for both infants and mothers. However, for some women, the experience of breastfeeding can be complicated by intense negative emotional and physical reactions, including phenomena such as dysphoric milk ejection reflex and breastfeeding aversion/agitation. This review explores the neuroendocrine underpinnings of these conditions, emphasizing the interplay between oxytocin, prolactin, and dopamine. Oxytocin, traditionally viewed as a hormone promoting bonding and emotional regulation, can paradoxically provoke a stress response in vulnerable individuals. Prolactin, a key hormone for lactation and maternal behaviors, is implicated in stress resilience and mood regulation, but its dysregulation may contribute to depressive states. Dopamine, critical for reward processing and emotional stability, may underlie the acute emotional dysregulation seen in dysphoric milk ejection reflex. Together, disturbances in these neurohormonal systems may explain the aversive emotional experiences during breastfeeding. An improved understanding of these mechanisms offers critical insights into maternal mental health during lactation and underscores the importance of supportive clinical approaches for affected women. Full article
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