Womb to womb: Maternal litter size and birth weight but not adult characteristics predict early neonatal death of offspring in the common marmoset monkey

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252093
• Publication Date: 2021-06-09T17:27:33Z
• Authors: Julienne N. Ruthe...; Corinna N. Ross; Toni Ziegler; Larisa A. Burke; Alana D. Steffen; Aubrey Sills; Donna Layne Colon; Victoria A. deMar...; Laren R. Narapareddy; Suzette D. Tardif
• Keywords: Litter

A singular focus on maternal health at the time of a pregnancy leaves much about perinatal mortality unexplained, especially when there is growing evidence for early life effects. Further, lumping stillbirth and neonatal death into single category may obscure different causes thus avenues screening prevention. The common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus), litter-bearing nonhuman primate, an ideal species in which to study independent effects mother's adult phenotypes outcomes. We tested two hypotheses 59 pregnancies Southwest National Primate Research Center Barshop Institute Longevity Aging Studies. explored 1) whether outcomes were predicted independently by weight versus litter size birth weight, 2) differentially variables. No characteristics no death. In univariate Poisson models, triplet-born females had significantly increased rate (IRR[se] = 3.00[1.29], p 0.011), while higher decreased 0.89[0.05], 0.039). multivariate remained predictor, explaining 13% variance found that later first week those neonates died, more they lost. Together these findings suggest low have distinct developmental trajectories underlying greater rates infant loss, losses we be attributable disruption feeding carrying. Our contributions disrupt mother-blaming narratives humans. These hold pregnant person solely responsible their children, socioecological factors, moralistic framing has shaped clinical management. It necessary differentiate temporal loss view them as embedded external processes develop screening, diagnostic, treatment tools consider full arc lived experience, from womb beyond.