Advocating for an integrated healthcare model for women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries

Abstract

Increasingly, women are presenting in pregnancy with multi-risk and multi-morbidity profiles (combinations of pro-inflammatory diets, trauma, anxiety, depression, infections, metabolic disease, and chronic medication use); together these may independently or interactively impact fetal development. Research indicates that high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the maternal womb, as well as the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, affect the brain development of offspring in a sexually dimorphic way that persists into late adulthood. Despite increased recognition, healthcare systems particularly in low- or middle-income countries remain siloed and have limited resources. This commentary argues for integrated healthcare strategies that transcend traditional maternal and child health frameworks and critiques the traditional disease-centric models that overlook systemic inequities and instead advocates for integrated, equity-driven healthcare solutions tailored to LMIC contexts. It proposes a life course approach, emphasizing the importance of considering temporal dynamics and socio-economic contexts in research on women of reproductive age in poorly resourced contexts.

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ORCID for Shane A. Norris: orcid.org/0000-0001-7124-3788

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