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September 10, 2026Frontiers in Network PhysiologyOpen Access

The maternal–fetal communicatome: a scoping review and network physiology perspective on a unified, adaptive, and multiscale interaction network

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Why the study?

The maternal-fetal relationship is increasingly viewed as a unified, adaptive, and multiscale network rather than an interaction between separate entities, prompting a synthesis to map this communicatome.

Design

Scoping review

Key result

The maternal-fetal relationship functions as a unified physiological network where decoupling of autonomic and molecular interactions serves as an early-warning marker for pregnancy pathologies.

Authors

ILIgor V. Lakhno

Discussion

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Overview

May support biosignal monitoring for early detection of pre-eclampsia and FGR; extends network physiology framework to maternal-fetal dyad.

Key Points

  • To synthesize cross-disciplinary evidence across psychological, physiological, immunological, genetic, and cellular domains to map the multiscale maternal–fetal communicatome and understand its influence on lifelong health.
  • Conducted a scoping review examining cross-disciplinary interactions between maternal and fetal systems through the framework of network physiology.
  • Synthesized findings on synchronized maternal-fetal biosignals, including autonomic heart rate variability coupling and fetoplacental vascular hemodynamics.
  • Demonstrated cross-system coupling wherein maternal autonomic oscillations directly mirror across umbilical venous and ductus venosus blood flow to direct fetal neurodevelopment.
  • Identified cellular mechanisms in which fetal trophoblasts modulate maternal immunity for semi-allogeneic tolerance and microchimeric cells persist postpartum for decades.
  • Determined that the physiological decoupling of integrated maternal–fetal biosignals provides an early-warning indicator for pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and preterm birth.

Structured PICO

P
Population
A scoping review of 38 studies examining the bidirectional maternal-fetal communicatome across psychological, physiological, immunological, genetic, and cellular domains.

The decoupling of the maternal-fetal physiological network, detectable through integrated biosignal analysis such as heart rate variability coupling, serves as a critical early-warning marker for pregnancy pathologies and neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities.

Limitations

  • High heterogeneity in fetal HRV measurement methods, gestational age at assessment, outcome definitions, and study populations limited pooled analyses.

Cite This Study

Igor V. Lakhno (2026) conducted a review in Pregnancy (n=38). Maternal-fetal network physiology interactions vs. Decoupled network interactions was evaluated. The maternal-fetal relationship functions as a unified physiological network where decoupling of autonomic and molecular interactions serves as an early-warning marker for pregnancy pathologies.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27a7f58559d80afc73065https://doi.org/10.3389/fnetp.2026.1864981
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