FEMICIDE

New national study finds homicide and suicide is the #1 cause of maternal death in the U.S.

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Denver, Colo. -- In the medical community, research has traditionally focused on how to prevent and treat the leading medical causes of maternal mortality, which include bleeding, infection, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. However, new research reveals deaths by homicide and suicide are the leading causes of maternal death in the United States.

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers will unveil findings that suggest that nationwide more pregnant people die from homicide and suicide than any medical cause, and that firearm legislation is associated with fewer maternal deaths.

Researchers reviewed CDC data from 2005-2022 on the deaths of pregnant people and people within the first 42 postpartum days ranging in age from 15-44, making this the most extensive study of a national database on maternal deaths. Researchers note that past studies either have been done at the state level or use data from multiple databases, which can result in inconsistencies in how information is reported.

Findings show that over the 18-year period, 20,421 pregnant people died. Of that number, 11 percent (2,293) of deaths were due to homicide and suicide. More specifically, 61 percent (1,407) of those deaths were the result of homicides and 39 percent (886) were the result of death by suicide. Fifty-five percent of violent deaths (1,261) involved firearms.

“Many people are surprised when they hear that violence is the leading cause of death in pregnancy,” says the study’s lead author Hooman Azad, MD, MPH, a fourth-year resident in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at New York’s Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “Right now, the definition of maternal mortality does not include death by homicide. I’m not sure this is correct — being pregnant or postpartum significantly increases the risk of death by homicide, and more pregnant women die of violence than any individual medical cause. Part of the reason violence is not recognized as the leading cause of death during pregnancy is because we don’t include homicide and suicide in the definition of maternal mortality.”

The study also found that Black birthing people, ages 18-24, experience death due to homicide at a rate of almost eight deaths per 100,000, nearly four times the national average.

Researchers also looked at the impact of the passage of firearm legislation on maternal deaths and found a 20-30 percent reduction in firearm deaths and firearm homicides in states that had enacted firearm legislation.

“There’s a misconception that most maternal deaths happen in hospitals or healthcare settings, and that’s simply not the case,” says another study author Mary D’Alton, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist and chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. D’Alton also serves as director of services at the Sloane Hospital for Women at New York-Presbyterian. “We need more education about this serious national issue so we can begin to take steps to address it as clinicians as well as at the policy level.”

The abstract was published in the January 2025 issue of Pregnancy, a new open-access journal and the first official journal for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Additional news releases about select SMFM research being presented are posted on AAAS’s EurekAlert (subscription needed) approximately one week in advance of embargo lifting. Embargoes lift on the date and start time of the abstract presentation.

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About the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

he Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), founded in 1977, is the medical professional society for obstetricians who have additional training in high-risk, complicated pregnancies. SMFM represents more than 7,000 members who care for high-risk pregnant people and provides education, promotes research, and engages in advocacy to reduce disparities and optimize the health of high-risk pregnant people and their families. SMFM and its members are dedicated to optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes and assuring medically appropriate treatment options are available to all patients. For more information, visit SMFM.org and connect with the organization on Facebook, X, and Instagram. For the latest 2025 Annual Meeting news and updates, follow the hashtag #SMFM25.

 

 

Genomic evidence confirms white shark liver is on Australian killer whales' menu

Flinders University

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White shark carcass washed up in Portland, Victoria in October 2023.

 

 

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Credit: Photography: Ben Johnson, Portland Bait and Tackle

For the first time, DNA evidence has confirmed killer whales in Australia hunted a white shark for its liver. 

Based on DNA analysis from the bite wounds on the carcass of a large white shark washed ashore near Portland in Victoria in 2023, the Flinders University-led study identified that killer whales were responsible for consuming the mid-section containing the nutritionally rich liver.

Around the world, killer whales (Orcinus orca) have been observed preying on various shark species including white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) – as previously documented in California and South Africa.

The discovery of a 4.7 metre white shark missing its liver on a beach in southeastern Australia offered a rare opportunity to analyse distinctive bite wounds and unravel the predator’s identity.

“The liver, digestive and reproductive organs were missing, and there were four distinctive bite wounds, one of which was characteristic of liver extraction by killer whale, similar to what has been observed in South Africa,” says lead author Isabella Reeves, a PhD candidate with Flinders University’s Southern Shark Ecology Group and the West Australian Cetacean Research Centre (CETREC).

“Swabs were taken from bite wounds on the white shark and sequenced for remnant genetic material from the shark’s predator. We were able to confirm the presence of killer whale DNA in the primary bite area, while the other three wounds revealed DNA from scavenging broadnose sevengill sharks.

“These findings provide compelling evidence of killer whale predation on white sharks in Australian waters, with a strong indication of selective liver consumption. This suggests that such predation events may be more widespread and prevalent across the globe than previously believed.”

The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, used wildlife forensic techniques to confirm killer whales were responsible for excising and consuming the liver from the white shark. Civilian bystanders had witnessed several killer whales, including locally known individuals called ‘Bent Tip’ and ‘Ripple, catching a large prey in Bridgewater Bay two days before the white shark carcass washed ashore.

The beached large white shark carcass was collected by state government fisheries officers for investigation. 

Killer whales in Australia have occasionally recorded preying on various shark species, including blue shark (Prionace glauca), porbeagle (Lamna nasus), shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), ground sharks (most likely school shark, Galeorhinus galeus), and tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). But white shark liver consumption had yet to be observed in Australia – despite numerous reports of such behaviour in California and by notorious duo ‘Port’ and ‘Starboard’ in South Africa.  

Several interactions between killer whales and white sharks have been reported in Australia, including at least one suspected kill at the Neptune Islands Group Marine Park in South Australia in February 2015. On that occasion, an oil slick indicative of a successful predation was observed following the interaction, although no carcass was recovered to confirm the kill.

Rhodes University (South Africa) marine biologist, Dr Alison Towner, an author in the study, says similar killer whale predation on white sharks have led to disruptions in local shark populations in both South Africa and California. “However direct observations of these interactions remain rare and their frequency is poorly understood,” she says.

Senior author, Flinders adjunct Associate Professor Adam Miller, says: "We don’t know how frequently these events occurred in Australian waters and therefore how significant these findings are," says Associate Professor Miller, who is also a senior ecologist with Cesar Australia.

"Evidence suggests that the white sharks being displaced or directly killed as a result of the killer whale predation in South Africa has led to cascading shifts in the wider marine ecosystem.

"We know that white sharks are key regulators of ecosystem structure and functions, so it's very important we preserve these top predators. Therefore, it is important that we keep a tab on these types of interactions in Australian waters where possible.”

Another author, Flinders University Research Fellow Dr Lauren Meyer, adds, “This study also provides DNA evidence that scavenging is facilitated by killer whales’ tissue selection, whereby the liver and internal organs are consumed, but much of the carcass remains as a nutrient source benefiting local ecosystems.”

The ‘Nature Notes’ article ‘Genetic Evidence of Killer Whale Predation on White Sharks in Australia’ (2025) by Isabella MM Reeves, Andrew R Weeks, Alison V Towner, Rachael Impey, Jessica J Fish, Zach SR Clark, Paul A Butcher, Lauren Meyer, David M Donnelly, Charlie Huveneers, Nicky Hudson and Adam D Miller has been published in Ecology and Evolution (Wiley) First published: 27 January 2025 https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70786

The study was supported by experts from Victoria’s EnviroDNA, The University of Melbourne, Rhodes University in South Africa, the South African International Maritime Institute, Deakin University’s EcoGenetics Lab, the NSW Department of Primary Industries National Marine Science Centre, Killer Whales Australia and Dolphin Research Institute in Victoria and the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Victoria.  

Images & captions: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14dzGYj5_lzHyD2jh0ADnA_AcnuKaNGtm?usp=drive_link

Acknowledgements: Researchers acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this research was conducted, the Gunditjmara and Wurundjeri peoples. Thanks to Cameron McCallum and John Melis from the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Aboriginal Corporation. The carcass is now held by Museums Victoria.

Infographic of Reeves et al. 2025 study based on using DNA to identify that killer whales killed white shark carcass for liver.

Credit

Emma Luck

Journal

Ecology and Evolution

DOI

10.1002/ece3.70786 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Genetic Evidence of Killer Whale Predation on White Sharks in Australia

Article Publication Date

27-Jan-2025

 

Burn grasslands to maintain them: What is good for biodiversity?

Kobe University

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It has been unclear which soils are better candidates for being managed by prescribed burning in terms of allowing a high diversity of endangered plants or plant species in general. To settle this question, a Kobe University team led by master’s student ASADA Airi from the group of ecologist USHIMARI Atushi turned to Mount Fuji, where grasslands covering different soil types are kept by prescribed burning once a year in April.

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Credit: ASADA Airi

As grasslands get abandoned, controlled burning is discussed as a labor-saving method of keeping forests at bay. A Kobe University research team found that this method results in higher biodiversity and a higher prevalence of endangered plant species in some grasslands compared to others, depending on what soils they grow on.

Humans have been keeping grasslands since millennia by grazing, mowing and controlled burning, all of these are means to keep forests from overgrowing the grasslands. Grazing and mowing are, however, labor intensive and as rural areas become increasingly depopulated, grasslands have been disappearing worldwide. One consequence of this is the loss of the habitat of plant and insect species, also many endangered ones, that depend on grasslands. To maintain grasslands nevertheless, “prescribed” burning, which is what land managers call controlled burning, is being discussed as a labor-efficient option. But not all grasslands are equal. The Kobe University ecologist USHIMARU Atushi says, “Many studies have focused on examining the effects of different management measures on plant diversity, but few researchers have paid attention to those of soil differences.” Therefore, it has remained unclear which soils are better candidates for being managed by prescribed burning in terms of allowing a high diversity of endangered plants or plant species in general.

To settle this question, Ushimaru’s team led by master’s student ASADA Airi turned to Mount Fuji. There, on a training site of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, grasslands covering different soil types are kept by prescribed burning once a year in April. “We noticed that there were some areas, especially on young lava flows, where endangered species were concentrated,” Ushimaru explains the choice of the research site, allowing them to study which soil factors influence species abundance. On site, they set up 100 one-square-meter plots across the grasslands on four different soil types and in each identified all plants as well as measured a range of physical and chemical factors.

Their results, now published in the journal Plants, People, Planet, show that grasslands on young lava flows exhibit higher total species richness, native species richness and prevalence of red-listed plant species than grasslands on both young and old scoria bedrock. They also found that the soils were different in their acidity, depth and coverage by rocks and stones, which allowed them to infer that these factors are important to the persistence of rare plants. 

Previous studies showed that acidic soils make it difficult for plants to take up nutrients and shallow soils favor slow-growing plants. Asada thus argues that, as prescribed burning resets plants growth on the grasslands, these conditions suppress the growth of otherwise fast-growing and thus dominant species and so give those that are usually outcompeted and that are therefore rare a better chance of gaining a foothold. 

Ushimaru sums up, “Our study was able to identify environments where grasslands managed by burning alone can harbor a significant variety of endangered species.” The team concludes their paper saying, “Identifying environments where high plant diversity can be maintained through prescribed burning not only elucidates the survival conditions of grassland plants in Japan but also proves essential for the conservation and restoration of grassland environments and grassland species in the future.”

In their paper published in Plants, People, Planet, ASADA Airi and her team report that grasslands on young lava flows (pictured) exhibit higher total species richness, native species richness and prevalence of red-listed plant species than grasslands on both young and old scoria bedrock.

Credit

ASADA Airi

ASADA Airi and her team argue that in grasslands on the less acidic and deeper soils on scoria bedrock (pictured), the lower diversity compared to grasslands on young lava flows is a consequence of fast-growing plant species being able to dominate slow-growing ones.

Credit

Asada et al., Plants, People, Planet (2025) (DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.10629)

This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grants 19H03303 and 24K01782) and the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency (grant JPMEERF20234005). It was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the J. F. Oberlin University.

Kobe University is a national university with roots dating back to the Kobe Higher Commercial School founded in 1902. It is now one of Japan’s leading comprehensive research universities with nearly 16,000 students and nearly 1,700 faculty in 10 faculties and schools and 15 graduate schools. Combining the social and natural sciences to cultivate leaders with an interdisciplinary perspective, Kobe University creates knowledge and fosters innovation to address society’s challenges.

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Journal

Plants People Planet

DOI

10.1002/ppp3.10629 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Prescribed burning effectively maintains threatened species in semi-natural grasslands on lava flows

Article Publication Date

31-Jan-2025

 

New study finds high concentrations of plastics in the placentae of infants born prematurely

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

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Denver, Colo. ― Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters, and nanoplastics, which are invisible to the naked eye, are widespread throughout our environment. Research has shown that exposure to plastics in general is harmful to both the environment and humans.

Now, in a new study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers will unveil findings that suggest that microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in higher concentrations in the placentae of infants born prematurely compared to those born at term.

In collaboration investigators at the University of New Mexico, researchers used highly sensitive mass spectrometry to analyze 175 placentae; 100 placentae collected at term and 75 collected preterm (less than 37 weeks of pregnancy).

“Advanced technology now enables us to accurately measure microplastics in ways we haven’t been able to in the past,” says senior study author Kjersti Aagaard, MD, PhD, MSCI, a maternal-fetal subspecialist and research professor at Boston Children’s Hospital and the HCA Institute. Aagaard also serves as the medical director of the Gulf Coast Division of HCA Healthcare.

Researchers found that the levels of microplastics and nanoplastics were significantly higher in preterm placenta and they were at much greater levels than previously measured in human blood. This led the investigators to conclude that plastics were likely accumulating in the placenta during pregnancy, with a greater exposure and accumulation occurring in cases of preterm birth.

“The finding of higher placental concentrations among preterm births was surprising because it was counterintuitive to what you might expect if it was merely a byproduct of the length of time of the pregnancy,” says the study’s lead author Enrico R. Barrozo, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“In other words, a preterm delivery not only accumulated more microplastics and nanoplastics in its placenta relative to term, but did so at an earlier time point in the pregnancy,” added Aagaard. “This hints at the possibility that the accumulation plastics could be contributing to the risk and occurrence of preterm birth. When combined with other recent research, this study adds to the growing body of evidence, ranging from heart disease to potentially stroke, that demonstrates a real risk of exposure to plastics on human health and disease.”

The abstract was publisehd in the January 2025 issue Pregnancy, a new open-access journal and the first official journal for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

Additional news releases about select SMFM research being presented are posted on AAAS’s EurekAlert (subscription needed) approximately one week in advance of embargo lifting. Embargoes lift on the date and start time of the abstract presentation.

Disclosure Statement

This study was supported by NIH-NICHD (R01HD091731), NSF (#2208903), NIH LRP (NIAID-1L40AI171990-01), pilot grants from MIEHR (#P50MD015496) and CPEH (#P30ES030285), NIEHS (R01ES014639), CMBM (P20GM130422), UNM CTSC (KL2TR001448), and the Superfund Research Program (P42ES027725). Funding agencies had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, or publication.

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About the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), founded in 1977, is the medical professional society for obstetricians who have additional training in high-risk, complicated pregnancies. SMFM represents more than 7,000 members who care for high-risk pregnant people and provides education, promotes research, and engages in advocacy to reduce disparities and optimize the health of high-risk pregnant people and their families. SMFM and its members are dedicated to optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes and assuring medically appropriate treatment options are available to all patients. For more information, visit SMFM.org and connect with the organization on Facebook, X, and Instagram. For the latest 2025 Annual Meeting news and updates, follow the hashtag #SMFM25.

 

Low-level traffic air pollution linked to liver damage and fatty liver disease

Traffic-related air pollution harms the liver and may raise the risk of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, a new study in mice suggests.

University of Technology Sydney

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Long-term exposure to low levels of traffic-related air pollution harms the liver and may raise the risk of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, a new study in mice suggests.

Fatty liver, also called hepatic steatosis, is the most common liver disease worldwide, and occurs when excess fat builds up in liver cells. It can lead to inflammation, scarring (cirrhosis), and an increased risk of cancer and liver failure.

“We think of air pollution as being harmful to people’s lungs, but it has a broader impact on health including on the liver,” said lead author Professor Hui Chen from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

“The liver is critical for metabolism. It clears toxins, regulates blood sugar, and produces essential vitamins and proteins, among many other functions. If the liver isn't functioning properly, it can leave people feeling tired and unwell due to disrupted metabolism,” said Professor Chen.

“When we inhale air pollution, the very tiny particles known as PM2.5 enter the bloodstream through the lungs. The liver, which filters toxins from the blood, then accumulates these substances, which can include heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, nickel and zinc.”

World-leading liver specialist Professor Jacob George, Director of the Storr Liver Centre at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, studies the causes of liver diseases and cancer, and is a co-author on the study.

“Around one in three Australian adults has fatty liver disease, and it is more common in those who are overweight or have diabetes,” said Professor George.

“Lifestyle factors such as a bad diet, lack of exercise and excessive alcohol contribute to the development of fatty liver, however this research suggests that your environment, particularly exposure to traffic air pollution, may also be a contributing factor,” said Professor Chen.

The study, Prolonged exposure to low-dose traffic-derived PM2.5 causes fatty liver disorder in mice, was recently published in the Journal of Environmental Sciences.

The researchers exposed mice to a dose (10 micrograms daily of traffic-derived PM2.5 particles) that reflects typical human exposure in Sydney, collected from a major road in Sydney. 

Signs of inflammation and fibrosis, or scarring, as well as changes to liver sugars and fats, were measured at four, eight and 12 weeks.

“The effect was cumulative. At four weeks we didn’t see much change, but by eight weeks there was disruption to the normal metabolic function of the liver and by 12 weeks we could see significant changes,” said first author Dr Min Feng, a medical doctor and PhD candidate in the UTS Faculty of Science.

Exposure to air pollution particles caused more immune cells to gather in the liver and it increased inflammation. It also led to more scar tissue forming.

The liver's fat processing went up, and potentially harmful fats like triglycerides, diacylglycerols, and ceramides also increased. At the same time, the liver stored less sugar for energy.

The researchers discovered changes in 64 specific functional proteins in the liver, many linked to conditions like fatty liver disease, immune system dysfunction, and processes linked to cancer.

“Previous research has shown that exposure to heavily polluted air is associated with liver disorders, however this study reveals even low levels can cause harm. It suggests there is no safe level of exposure to traffic-derived air pollution,” said Professor Chen.

“To minimise exposure to traffic-derived air pollution, avoid peak hour traffic, take less congested routes when walking or cycling or consider wearing a mask, and keep car windows closed with air recirculation mode on while driving in heavy traffic,” she said.

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Journal

Journal of Environmental Sciences

DOI

10.1016/j.jes.2025.01.025 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Prolonged exposure to low-dose traffic-derived PM2.5 causes fatty liver disorder in mice

Article Publication Date

27-Jan-2025