Call for papers - Interaction of birth outcomes and postpartum mental health

Guest Editors

Nina K. Ayala, MD, ScM, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, USA
Solmaz Ghanbari-Homaie, PhD, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 18 June 2025

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is calling for submissions to our Collection on Interaction of birth outcomes and postpartum mental health.

This Collection aims to enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between childbirth experiences and maternal mental well-being. The relationship between birth outcomes and postpartum mental health is crucial for improving maternal and infant well-being. Recent research shows that neonatal issues, maternal complications, and childbirth experiences can significantly impact postpartum conditions like depression and anxiety, highlighting the need for integrated care that addresses both physical and psychological aspects of childbirth.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 5: Gender Equality.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Nina K. Ayala, MD, ScM, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, USA

Dr Nina K. Ayala is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Psychiatry & Human Behavior at Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She is a clinician-researcher in the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine with an interest in leveraging maternal resilience to improve perinatal somatic and mental health outcomes as well as achieving birth equity.

Solmaz Ghanbari-Homaie, PhD, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Dr Solmaz Ghanbari-Homaie is an Assistant Professor of Midwifery at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. She is the Head of the Clinical Research Development Unit of a Teaching Hospital in Tabriz and a member of the Board of Midwifery and Reproductive Health in the Ministry of Health and also a member of the advisory board of Medical Education Research Center. She is also a member of the Editorial Board of BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth Journal. Her special research interests are mental health during pregnancy and postpartum and the short- and long-term effects of traumatic childbirth.

About the Collection

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is calling for submissions to our Collection on Interaction of birth outcomes and postpartum mental health.

The intersection of birth outcomes and postpartum mental health is a critical area of study with far-reaching implications for maternal and infant health. Understanding how neonatal outcomes such as low birth weight or NICU admission, maternal complications such as emergency surgical intervention or hemorrhage, and childbirth experiences such as disrespect or trauma impact postpartum mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder can guide healthcare policies and practices to better support new mothers and their families. Recent advances have highlighted the interconnectedness of birth experiences and postpartum mental health, emphasizing the need for integrated care approaches that address both physical and psychological aspects of childbirth. Furthermore, research has underscored the importance of early identification and intervention for postpartum mental health issues to mitigate potential adverse effects on maternal and infant well-being.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is launching a new Collection, Interaction of birth outcomes with postpartum mental health, to enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between childbirth experiences and maternal mental well-being. The Collection invites researchers and clinicians in fields including obstetrics, psychiatry, psychology, pediatrics, public health, maternal-fetal medicine and midwifery to contribute research that explores topics including, but not limited to, the biological, psychological, and social determinants of postpartum mental health, the impact of various birth outcomes and complications on maternal mental health, and the effectiveness of interventions designed to support mental health in the postpartum period.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 5: Gender Equality.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read the submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal you are submitting to. 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 "Interaction of birth outcomes and postpartum mental health" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the standard peer-review process of the journal and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.