Across the Western world, the age at which women become mothers has steadily increased over the past several decades, reflecting profound social, economic, and cultural shifts. In the mid-20th century, first births commonly occurred in a woman’s early to mid-20s, closely tied to earlier marriage and more traditional life trajectories. Today, however, the average age at first birth in most Western countries has moved into the late 20s or early 30s, with a growing proportion of women having their first child at 35 years or older.

During pregnancy, there is a physiological exchange between mother and fetus through the placenta This transplacental traffic can be unidirectional or bidirectional. The unidirectional transfer involves nutrients, water, electrolytes, oxygen, hormones, and immunoglobulins being transferred from the mother to the fetus and carbon dioxide and catabolism products from the fetus being transferred to the mother. Bidirectional traffic consists of maternal-fetal exchanges of cells and genetic material such as DNA. 

Genetic alterations that are responsible for autism most likely occur before conception takes place. These heritable genetic alterations are present in the parental genome long before a child is conceived. Drugs taken during pregnancy are very unlikely to alter the underlying gene expression.

FemTech, short for female technology, refers to software and services that utilize technology to address women's health needs. The emergence of women’s health technologies, or ‘FemTech’, is a significant advancement in women’s healthcare and reproductive rights. These rights, which include the right to abortion, contraception, and equitable fertility treatment, are essential to guaranteeing women’s bodily autonomy and human dignity. The FemTech industry promises to empower women by offering them tools to better understand and manage their reproductive health through a solid empowerment narrative. While offering potential for improved access to healthcare and personalized solutions, FemTech also faces challenges related to data privacy, regulatory issues, and the need for more robust scientific evidence.