Maternal mortality in Syria: causes, contributing factors and preventability.

PubMed

Bashour, Hyam; Abdulsalam, Asmaa; Jabr, Aisha; Cheikha, Salah; Tabbaa, Mohammed; Lahham, Moataz; Dihman, Reem; Khadra, Mazen; Campbell, Oona M R

2009-09-01

To describe the biomedical and other causes of maternal death in Syria and to assess their preventability. A reproductive age mortality study (RAMOS) design was used to identify pregnancy related deaths. All deaths among women aged 15-49 reported to the national civil register for 2003 were investigated through home interviews. Verbal autopsies were used to ascertain the cause of death among pregnancy related maternal deaths, and causes and preventability of deaths were assessed by a panel of doctors. A total of 129 maternal deaths were identified and reviewed. Direct medical causes accounted for 88%, and haemorrhage was the main cause of death (65%). Sixty nine deaths (54%) occurred during labour or delivery. Poor clinical skills and lack of clinical competency were behind 54% of maternal deaths. Ninety one percent of maternal deaths were preventable. The causes of maternal death in Syria and their contributing factors reflect serious defects in the quality of maternal care that need to be urgently rectified.

Factors Influencing Maternal Behavioral Adaptability: Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Child Negative Affect.

PubMed

Hummel, Alexandra C; Kiel, Elizabeth J

2016-01-01

In early childhood, parents play an important role in children's socioemotional development. As such, parent training is a central component of many psychological interventions for young children (Reyno & McGrath, 2006). Maternal depressive symptoms have consistently been linked to maladaptive parenting behaviors (e.g., disengagement, intrusiveness), as well as to lower parent training efficacy in the context of child psychological intervention, suggesting that mothers with higher symptomatology may be less able to be adapt their behavior according to situational demands. The goal of the current study was to examine both maternal and child factors that may influence maternal behavioral adaptability. Ninety-one mothers and their toddlers ( M = 23.93 months, 59% male) participated in a laboratory visit during which children engaged in a variety of novelty episodes designed to elicit individual differences in fear/withdrawal behaviors. Mothers also completed a questionnaire battery. Maternal behavioral adaptability was operationalized as the difference in scores for maternal involvement, comforting, and protective behavior between episodes in which mothers were instructed to refrain from interaction and those in which they were instructed to act naturally. Results indicated that when children displayed high levels of negative affect in the restricted episodes, mothers with higher levels of depressive symptoms were less able to adapt their involved behavior because they exhibited low rates of involvement across episodes regardless of instruction given. The current study serves as an intermediary step in understanding how maternal depressive symptoms may influence daily interactions with their children as well as treatment implementation and outcomes, and provides initial evidence that maternal internalizing symptoms may contribute to lower behavioral adaptability in the context of certain child behaviors due to consistent low involvement.

Factors Influencing Maternal Behavioral Adaptability: Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Child Negative Affect

PubMed Central

Hummel, Alexandra C.; Kiel, Elizabeth J.

2017-01-01

In early childhood, parents play an important role in children’s socioemotional development. As such, parent training is a central component of many psychological interventions for young children (Reyno & McGrath, 2006). Maternal depressive symptoms have consistently been linked to maladaptive parenting behaviors (e.g., disengagement, intrusiveness), as well as to lower parent training efficacy in the context of child psychological intervention, suggesting that mothers with higher symptomatology may be less able to be adapt their behavior according to situational demands. The goal of the current study was to examine both maternal and child factors that may influence maternal behavioral adaptability. Ninety-one mothers and their toddlers (M =23.93 months, 59% male) participated in a laboratory visit during which children engaged in a variety of novelty episodes designed to elicit individual differences in fear/withdrawal behaviors. Mothers also completed a questionnaire battery. Maternal behavioral adaptability was operationalized as the difference in scores for maternal involvement, comforting, and protective behavior between episodes in which mothers were instructed to refrain from interaction and those in which they were instructed to act naturally. Results indicated that when children displayed high levels of negative affect in the restricted episodes, mothers with higher levels of depressive symptoms were less able to adapt their involved behavior because they exhibited low rates of involvement across episodes regardless of instruction given. The current study serves as an intermediary step in understanding how maternal depressive symptoms may influence daily interactions with their children as well as treatment implementation and outcomes, and provides initial evidence that maternal internalizing symptoms may contribute to lower behavioral adaptability in the context of certain child behaviors due to consistent low involvement. PMID:29576864

Factors affecting birth weight in sheep: maternal environment

PubMed Central

Gardner, D S; Buttery, P J; Daniel, Z; Symonds, M E

2007-01-01

Knowledge of factors affecting variation in birth weight is especially important given the relationship of birth weight to neonatal and adult health. The present study utilises two large contemporary datasets in sheep of differing breeds to explore factors that influence weight at term. For dataset one (Study 1; n = 154 Blue-faced Leicester×Swaledale (Mule) and 87 Welsh Mountain ewes, 315 separate cases of birth weight), lamb birth weight as the outcome measure was related to maternal characteristics and individual energy intake of the ewe during specified periods of gestation, i.e. early (1-30 days; term ∼147 days gestation), mid (31-80 days) or late (110-147 days) pregnancy. For dataset two (Study 2; n = 856 Mule ewes and 5821 cases of birth weight), we investigated using multilevel modelling the influence of ewe weight, parity, barrenness, lamb sex, litter size, lamb mortality and year of birth on lamb birth weight. For a subset of these ewes (n = 283), the effect of the ewes’ own birth weight was also examined. Interactions between combinations of variables were selectively investigated. Litter size, as expected, had the single greatest influence on birth weight with other significant effects being year of birth, maternal birth weight, maternal nutrition, sex of the lamb, ewe barrenness and maternal body composition at mating. The results of the present study have practical implications not only for sheep husbandry but also for the increased knowledge of factors that significantly influence variation in birth weight; as birth weight itself has become a significant predictor of later health outcomes. PMID:17244755

Maternal age, birth order, and race: differential effects on birthweight

PubMed Central

Swamy, Geeta K; Edwards, Sharon; Gelfand, Alan; James, Sherman A; Miranda, Marie Lynn

2014-01-01

Background Studies examining the influence of maternal age and birth order on birthweight have not effectively disentangled the relative contributions of each factor to birthweight, especially as they may differ by race. Methods A population-based, cross-sectional study of North Carolina births from 1999 to 2003 was performed. Analysis was restricted to 510 288 singleton births from 28 to 42 weeks’ gestation with no congenital anomalies. Multivariable linear regression was used to model maternal age and birth order on birthweight, adjusting for infant sex, education, marital status, tobacco use and race. Results Mean birthweight was lower for non-Hispanic black individuals (NHB, 3166 g) compared with non-Hispanic white individuals (NHW, 3409 g) and Hispanic individuals (3348 g). Controlling for covariates, birthweight increased with maternal age until the early 30s. Race-specific modelling showed that the upper extremes of maternal age had a significant depressive effect on birthweight for NHW and NHB (35+ years, p<0.001), but only age less than 25 years was a significant contributor to lower birthweights for Hispanic individuals, p<0.0001. Among all racial subgroups, birth order had a greater influence on birthweight than maternal age, with the largest incremental increase from first to second births. Among NHB, birth order accounted for a smaller increment in birthweight than for NHW and Hispanic women. Conclusion Birth order exerts a greater influence on birthweight than maternal age, with signficantly different effects across racial subgroups. PMID:21081308

Prenatal programming of emotion regulation: neonatal reactivity as a differential susceptibility factor moderating the outcome of prenatal cortisol levels.

PubMed

Bolten, Margarete; Nast, Irina; Skrundz, Marta; Stadler, Christina; Hellhammer, Dirk H; Meinlschmidt, Gunther

2013-10-01

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activation during pregnancy is linked to dysfunctional behavioral outcomes in the offspring. According to Belsky's differential susceptibility hypothesis, individuals vary regarding their developmental plasticity. Translating the differential susceptibility hypothesis to the field of fetal programming, we hypothesize that infants' temperament, as the constitutionally based reactivity to stimulation, moderates prenatal environmental effects on postnatal emotion regulation. Maternal HPA axis activity and stress-reactivity during pregnancy was estimated, by measuring cortisol concentrations in saliva, collected at 0, 30, 45 and 60 min after awakening and in blood, collected during a laboratory stress test (Trier Social Stress Test), respectively. Newborns reactivity to stimulation was evaluated between postnatal day 10 and 14 using the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Infant's self-quieting-activities, as an indicator of emotion regulation, were evaluated at the age of six months during the still face paradigm. Maternal cortisol reactivity to stress during pregnancy was associated with infant's emotion regulation at the age of six months. Whereas cortisol levels after awakening in mid and late pregnancy were not associated with emotion regulation. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that in interaction with neonatal reactivity, both, prenatal maternal HPA activity as well as prenatal maternal HPA reactivity to stress predicted emotion regulation. The findings indicate that newborns' reactivity to stimulation is moderating the association between prenatal exposure to maternal glucocorticoids and emotion regulation in infancy. Data suggests that temperamental characteristics of the newborn are a relevant differential susceptibility factor with regard to prenatal effects on emotion regulation. © 2013.

Maternal sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors of antepartum fetal death.

PubMed

Azim, M A; Sultana, N; Chowdhury, S; Azim, E

2012-04-01

The objectives of this study were to assess the sociodemographic profile and to identify the risk factors of ante-partum fetal death which occurs after the age of viability of fetus. This prospective observational study was conducted in the Obstetrics department of Ad-din Women Medical College Hospital during the period of June, 2009 to July, 2010. A total of 14,015 pregnant patients were admitted in the study place after the age of viability, which was taken as 28 weeks of gestation for our facilities. Eighty-three (0.59%) of them were identified as intrauterine fetal death. Assessment of maternal sociodemographic characteristics and maternal-fetal risk factors were evaluated with a semi structured questionnaire pretested. Majority (81.92%, n=68) of the patients were below 30 years of age, 78.31% belonged to middle socioeconomic group. Almost 58% women had education below SSC level and 28.91% took regular antenatal checkup. About 61.45% patients were multigravida. Most (59.04%) ante-partum deaths were identified below 32 weeks of pregnancy. Out of 83 patients, maternal risk factors were identified in 41(49.59%) cases where fetal risk factors were found in 16(19.27%) cases; no risk factors could be determined in rests. Hypertension (48.78%), diabetes (21.95%), hyperpyrexia (17.3%), abruptio placentae (4.88%) and UTI (7.36%) were identified as maternal factors; and congenital anomaly (37.5%), Rh incompatibility (37.5%), multiple pregnancy (12.5%) and post-maturity (12.5%) were the fetal risk factors. Here, proximal biological risk factors are most important in ante-partum fetal deaths. More investigations and facilities are needed to explain the causes of antepartum deaths.

Risk factors for maternal night blindness in rural South India

PubMed Central

Katz, Joanne; Tielsch, James M.; Thulasiraj, R. D.; Coles, Christian; Sheeladevi, S.; Yanik, Elizabeth L.; Rahmathullah, Lakshmi

2009-01-01

Purpose This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with maternal night blindness in rural South India. Methods At delivery, women enrolled in a population-based trial of newborn vitamin A supplementation were asked whether they were night blind at any time during the pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify socioeconomic, demographic, and pregnancy related factors associated with maternal night blindness. Results Women reported night blindness in 687 (5.2%) of 13,171 pregnancies. In a multivariate model, having a concrete roof (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.60, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.47, 0.78), religion other than Hindu (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.76), maternal literacy (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.69), and maternal age from 25 to 29 years (OR: 0.68, 95%CI: 0.50, 0.93) were associated with a lower risk of night blindness in pregnancy. The odds of night blindness were higher for those leasing rather than owning land (OR: 1.78, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.93), parity 6 or more compared to 0 (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.09, 4.08), and with twin pregnancies (OR: 3.23, 95% CI: 1.93, 5.41). Factors not associated with night blindness in the multivariate model were other markers of socioeconomic status such as electricity in the house, radio and television ownership, type of cooking fuel, and household transportation, and number of children under 5 years of age in the household. Conclusions Maternal night blindness was prevalent in this population. Being pregnant with twins and of higher parity put women at higher risk. Maternal literacy and higher socioeconomic status lowered the risk. PMID:19437315

Risk factors for maternal night blindness in rural South India.

PubMed

Katz, Joanne; Tielsch, James M; Thulasiraj, Ravilla D; Coles, Christian; Sheeladevi, Sheela; Yanik, Elizabeth L; Rahmathullah, Lakshmi

2009-01-01

This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with maternal night blindness in rural South India. At delivery, women enrolled in a population-based trial of newborn vitamin A supplementation were asked whether they were night blind at any time during the pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify socioeconomic, demographic, and pregnancy-related factors associated with maternal night blindness. Women reported night blindness in 687 (5.2%) of 13,171 pregnancies. In a multivariate model, having a concrete roof (Odds Ratio (OR): 0.60, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.47, 0.78), religion other than Hindu (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.76), maternal literacy (OR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.69), and maternal age from 25 to 29 years (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.93) were associated with a lower risk of night blindness in pregnancy. The odds of night blindness were higher for those leasing rather than owning land (OR: 1.78, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.93), parity 6 or more compared to 0 (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.09, 4.08), and with twin pregnancies (OR: 3.23, 95% CI: 1.93, 5.41). Factors not associated with night blindness in the multivariate model were other markers of socioeconomic status such as electricity in the house, radio and television ownership, type of cooking fuel and household transportation, and number of children under 5 years of age in the household. Maternal night blindness was prevalent in this population. Being pregnant with twins and of higher parity put women at higher risk. Maternal literacy and higher socioeconomic status lowered the risk.

Risk Factors Linking Maternal Depressed Mood to Growth in Adolescent Substance Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cortes, Rebecca C.; Fleming, Charles B.; Mason, W. Alex; Catalano, Richard F.

2009-01-01

Maternal depression has been implicated in the development of adolescent substance use. Conceptualizing depression as a continuum, the aims of this study are to (a) understand the relationship between maternal depressed mood and risk factors associated with adolescent substance use; (b) understand the relationship between maternal depressed mood…

Fetal Sex-Based Differences in Maternal Hormones, Angiogenic Factors, and Immune Mediators During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

PubMed Central

Enninga, Elizabeth Ann L; Nevala, Wendy K; Creedon, Douglas J; Markovic, Svetomir N; Holtan, Shernan G

2015-01-01

Problem Several pregnancy complications have disparities based on the sex of the fetus. It is unknown whether the sex of the fetus differentially alters the maternal immune milieu, potentially contributing to the observed differences. Method of study Using maternal plasma collected during 38 uncomplicated pregnancies (19 males, 19 females), we compared levels of cytokines, sex hormones, and angiogenic factors throughout gestation and postpartum. Results Male fetal sex was associated with higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines (G-CSF, IL-12p70, IL-21, and IL-33) and angiogenic factors (PlGF and VEGF-A) compared with female fetal sex at multiple timepoints. Female fetal sex was associated with higher levels of regulatory cytokines (IL-5, IL-9, IL-17, and IL-25). IL-27 increased throughout pregnancy regardless of fetal sex. There was no fetal sex-based difference in analyte concentrations at the postpartum measurement. Conclusion Women carrying a male fetus exhibit a more proinflammatory/proangiogenic immune milieu than women carrying a female fetus. PMID:25091957

High Spending on Maternity Care in India: What Are the Factors Explaining It?

PubMed Central

Moradhvaj; Rammohan, Anu; Shruti; Pradhan, Jalandhar

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives High maternity-related health care spending is often cited as an important barrier in utilizing quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth. This study has two objectives: (i) to measure the levels of expenditure on total maternity care in disaggregated components such as ANCs, PNCs, and Natal care expenditure; (ii) to quantify the extent of catastrophic maternity expenditure (CME) incurred by households and identify the factors responsible for it. Methods and Findings Data from the 71st round of the National Sample Survey (2014) was used to estimate maternity expenditure and its predictors. CME was measured as a share of consumption expenditure by different cut-offs. The two-part model was used to identify the factors associated with maternity spending and CME. The findings show that household spending on maternity care (US$ 149 in constant price) is much higher than previous estimates (US$ 50 in constant price). A significant proportion of households in India (51%) are incurring CME. Along with economic and educational status, type of health care and place of residence emerged as significant factors in explaining CME. Conclusion Findings from this study assume importance in the context of an emerging demand for higher maternity entitlements and government spending on public health care in India. To reduce CME, India needs to improve the availability and accessibility of better-quality public health services and increase maternity entitlements in line with maternity expenditure identified in this study. PMID:27341520

High Spending on Maternity Care in India: What Are the Factors Explaining It?

PubMed

Goli, Srinivas; Moradhvaj; Rammohan, Anu; Shruti; Pradhan, Jalandhar

2016-01-01

High maternity-related health care spending is often cited as an important barrier in utilizing quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth. This study has two objectives: (i) to measure the levels of expenditure on total maternity care in disaggregated components such as ANCs, PNCs, and Natal care expenditure; (ii) to quantify the extent of catastrophic maternity expenditure (CME) incurred by households and identify the factors responsible for it. Data from the 71st round of the National Sample Survey (2014) was used to estimate maternity expenditure and its predictors. CME was measured as a share of consumption expenditure by different cut-offs. The two-part model was used to identify the factors associated with maternity spending and CME. The findings show that household spending on maternity care (US$ 149 in constant price) is much higher than previous estimates (US$ 50 in constant price). A significant proportion of households in India (51%) are incurring CME. Along with economic and educational status, type of health care and place of residence emerged as significant factors in explaining CME. Findings from this study assume importance in the context of an emerging demand for higher maternity entitlements and government spending on public health care in India. To reduce CME, India needs to improve the availability and accessibility of better-quality public health services and increase maternity entitlements in line with maternity expenditure identified in this study.

Disentangling the relationships between maternal smoking during pregnancy and co-occurring risk factors

PubMed Central

Ellingson, Jarrod M.; Rickert, Martin E.; Lichtenstein, Paul; Långström, Niklas; D’Onofrio, Brian M.

2013-01-01

Background Maternal smoking during pregnancy (SDP) has been extensively studied as a risk factor for adverse offspring outcomes and is known to co-occur with other familial risk factors. Accounting for general familial risk factors has attenuated associations between SDP and adverse offspring outcomes, and identifying these confounds will be critical to elucidating the relationship between SDP and its psychological correlates. Methods The current study aimed to disentangle the relationship between maternal SDP and co-occurring risk factors (maternal criminal activity, drug problems, teen pregnancy, educational attainment, and cohabitation at childbirth) using a population-based sample of full- (n=206,313) and half-sister pairs (n=19,363) from Sweden. Logistic regression models estimated the strength of association between SDP and co-occurring risk factors. Bivariate behavioral genetic models estimated the degree to which associations between SDP and co-occurring risk factors are attributable to genetic and environmental factors. Results Maternal SDP was associated with an increase in all co-occurring risk factors. Of the variance associated with SDP, 45% was attributed to genetic factors and 53% was attributed to unshared environmental factors. In bivariate models, genetic factors accounted for 21% (non- drug-, non-violence-related crimes) to 35% (drug-related crimes) of the covariance between SDP and co-occurring risk factors. Unshared environmental factors accounted for the remaining covariance. Conclusions The genetic factors that influence a woman’s criminal behavior, substance abuse, and her offspring’s rearing environment also influence SDP. Therefore, the intergenerational transmission of genes conferring risk for antisocial behavior and substance misuse may influence the associations between maternal SDP and adverse offspring outcomes. PMID:22115276

Maternal Burnout Syndrome: Contextual and Psychological Associated Factors

PubMed Central

Lebert-Charron, Astrid; Dorard, Géraldine; Boujut, Emilie; Wendland, Jaqueline

2018-01-01

Background: Becoming a parent is one of the most significant experiences in a woman’s life. Including substantial and long-lasting mental, social, and physical charge, the parenting experience may also be a potentially stressful and overwhelming task. Since the eighties, the notion of parental burnout syndrome has gained increasing attention, but its contextual and psychological factors need to be better identified. Aims: To investigate a large array of contextual and psychological factors associated with maternal burnout syndrome in a French community-based population in order to contribute to better operationalize the notion of parental burnout and to explore its determinants. Method: A total of 304 French-speaking mothers (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 6.72) completed a set of questionnaires including a sociodemographic form (in order to gather general information about the mothers, their spouses, and children living at home). The Perceived Stress Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory adapted to parents (MBI-parental), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Parental Stress Index-Short Form and the Ways of Coping Checklist were used in this study. Results: Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that scores on the MBI-parental version were strongly and positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as with perceived stress related to parenthood and parenting stress levels. Moreover, using the task-oriented coping style in parenthood was strongly and positively associated with personal accomplishment. Conversely, some sociodemographic characteristics were found to be negatively associated with maternal burnout: being employed, working full time and being a mother living without a coparent. Conclusion: The construct of maternal burnout syndrome seems to be linked to a conjunction of psychological and contextual factors associated with maternal exhaustion. The implication of the results for prevention and intervention strategies

Maternal Burnout Syndrome: Contextual and Psychological Associated Factors.

PubMed

Lebert-Charron, Astrid; Dorard, Géraldine; Boujut, Emilie; Wendland, Jaqueline

2018-01-01

Background: Becoming a parent is one of the most significant experiences in a woman's life. Including substantial and long-lasting mental, social, and physical charge, the parenting experience may also be a potentially stressful and overwhelming task. Since the eighties, the notion of parental burnout syndrome has gained increasing attention, but its contextual and psychological factors need to be better identified. Aims: To investigate a large array of contextual and psychological factors associated with maternal burnout syndrome in a French community-based population in order to contribute to better operationalize the notion of parental burnout and to explore its determinants. Method: A total of 304 French-speaking mothers (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 6.72) completed a set of questionnaires including a sociodemographic form (in order to gather general information about the mothers, their spouses, and children living at home). The Perceived Stress Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory adapted to parents (MBI-parental), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Parental Stress Index-Short Form and the Ways of Coping Checklist were used in this study. Results: Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that scores on the MBI-parental version were strongly and positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as with perceived stress related to parenthood and parenting stress levels. Moreover, using the task-oriented coping style in parenthood was strongly and positively associated with personal accomplishment. Conversely, some sociodemographic characteristics were found to be negatively associated with maternal burnout: being employed, working full time and being a mother living without a coparent. Conclusion: The construct of maternal burnout syndrome seems to be linked to a conjunction of psychological and contextual factors associated with maternal exhaustion. The implication of the results for prevention and intervention strategies

Maternal effects and Symbiodinium community composition drive differential patterns in juvenile survival in the coral Acropora tenuis

PubMed Central

Willis, Bette L.; Bay, Line K.

2016-01-01

Coral endosymbionts in the dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium are known to impact host physiology and have led to the evolution of reef-building, but less is known about how symbiotic communities in early life-history stages and their interactions with host parental identity shape the structure of coral communities on reefs. Differentiating the roles of environmental and biological factors driving variation in population demographic processes, particularly larval settlement, early juvenile survival and the onset of symbiosis is key to understanding how coral communities are structured and to predicting how they are likely to respond to climate change. We show that maternal effects (that here include genetic and/or effects related to the maternal environment) can explain nearly 24% of variation in larval settlement success and 5–17% of variation in juvenile survival in an experimental study of the reef-building scleractinian coral, Acropora tenuis. After 25 days on the reef, Symbiodinium communities associated with juvenile corals differed significantly between high mortality and low mortality families based on estimates of taxonomic richness, composition and relative abundance of taxa. Our results highlight that maternal and familial effects significantly explain variation in juvenile survival and symbiont communities in a broadcast-spawning coral, with Symbiodinium type A3 possibly a critical symbiotic partner during this early life stage. PMID:27853562

Undernutrition among Kenyan children: contribution of child, maternal and household factors.

PubMed

Gewa, Constance A; Yandell, Nanette

2012-06-01

To examine the contribution of selected child-, maternal- and household-related factors to child undernutrition across two different age groups of Kenyan under-5s. Demographic and Health Survey data, multistage stratified cluster sampling methodology. Rural and urban areas of Kenya. A total of 1851 children between the ages of 0 and 24 months and 1942 children between the ages of 25 and 59 months in Kenya. Thirty per cent of the younger children were stunted, 13 % were underweight and 8 % were wasted. Forty per cent of the older children were stunted, 17 % were underweight and 4 % were wasted. Longer breast-feeding duration, small birth size, childhood diarrhoea and/or cough, poor maternal nutritional status and urban residence were associated with higher odds of at least one form of undernutrition, while female gender, large birth size, up-to-date immunization, higher maternal age at first birth, BMI and education level at the time of the survey and higher household wealth were each associated with lower odds of at least one form of undernutrition among Kenyan children. The more proximal child factors had the strongest impact on the younger group of children while the intermediate and more distal maternal and household factors had the strongest impact on child undernutrition among the older group of children. The present analysis identifies determinants of undernutrition among two age groups of Kenyan pre-school children and demonstrates that the contribution of child, maternal and household factors on children's nutritional status varies with children's age.

Maternal and family factors and child eating pathology: risk and protective relationships

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Previous studies have found associations between maternal and family factors and child eating disorder symptoms. However, it is not clear whether family factors predict eating disorder symptoms specifically, or relate to more general child psychopathology, of which eating disorder symptoms may be one component. This study aimed to identify maternal and family factors that may predict increases or decreases in child eating disorder symptoms over time, accounting for children’s body mass index z-scores and levels of general psychological distress. Methods Participants were 221 mother-child dyads from the Childhood Growth and Development Study, a prospective cohort study in Western Australia. Participants were assessed at baseline, 1-year follow-up and 2-year follow-up using interview and self-report measures. Children had a mean age of 10 years at baseline and 46% were male. Linear mixed models and generalised estimating equations were used to identify predictors of children’s eating disorder symptoms, with outcome variables including a global index of eating disorder psychopathology, levels of dietary restraint, levels of emotional eating, and the presence of loss of control (‘binge’) eating. Results Children of mothers with a current or past eating disorder reported significantly higher levels of global eating disorder symptoms and emotional eating than other children, and mothers with a current or past eating disorder reported significantly more concern about their children’s weight than other mothers. Maternal concern about child weight, rather than maternal eating disorder symptoms, was significant in predicting child eating disorder symptoms over time. Family exposure to stress and low maternal education were additional risk factors for eating disorder symptoms, whilst child-reported family satisfaction was a protective factor. Conclusions After adjusting for relevant confounding variables, maternal concern about child weight, children�

Differential correlations between maternal hair levels of tobacco and alcohol with fetal growth restriction clinical subtypes.

PubMed

Sabra, Sally; Malmqvist, Ebba; Almeida, Laura; Gratacos, Eduard; Gomez Roig, Maria Dolores

2018-08-01

Maternal exposure to tobacco and alcohol is a known cause, among others, for fetal growth restriction (FGR). Clinically, FGR can be subclassified into two forms: intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and small for gestational age (SGA), based on the severity of the growth retardation, and abnormal uterine artery Doppler or cerebro-placental ratio. This study aimed at investigating any differential correlation between maternal exposures to these toxins with the two clinical forms of FGR. Therefore, a case-control study was conducted in Barcelona, Spain. Sixty-four FGR subjects, who were further subclassified into IUGR (n = 36) and SGA (n = 28), and 89 subjects matched appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA), were included. The levels of nicotine (NIC) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG), biomarkers of tobacco and alcohol exposure, respectively, were assessed in the maternal hair in the third trimester. Our analysis showed 65% of the pregnant women consumed alcohol, 25% smoked, and 19% did both. The odds ratios (ORs) of IUGR were 21 times versus 14 times for being SGA with maternal heavy smoking, while with alcohol consumption the ORs for IUGR were 22 times versus 37 times for the SGA group. The differential correlations between these toxins with the two subtypes of FGR suggest different mechanisms influencing fetal weight. Our alarming data of alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be considered for further confirmation among Spanish women. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chinese primiparous women's experiences of early motherhood: factors affecting maternal role competence.

PubMed

Ngai, Fei-Wan; Chan, Sally W C; Holroyd, Eleanor

2011-05-01

The aim of this study was to explore Chinese women's perceptions of maternal role competence and factors contributing to maternal role competence during early motherhood. Developing a sense of competence and satisfaction in the maternal role are considered critical components in maternal adaptation, which have a significant impact on parenting behaviours and the psychosocial development of the child. However, qualitative studies that address maternal role competence are limited in the Chinese population. This was an exploratory descriptive study. A purposive sample of 26 Chinese primiparous mothers participated in a childbirth psychoeducation programme and was interviewed at six weeks postpartum. Data were analysed using content analysis. Women perceived a competent mother as being able to make a commitment to caring for the physical and emotional well-being of child, while cultivating appropriate values for childhood. Personal knowledge and experience of infant care, success in breastfeeding, infant's well-being, availability of social support and contradictory information from various sources were major factors affecting maternal role competency. The findings highlight the importance of understanding Chinese cultural attitudes to childrearing and maternal role competence. New Chinese mothers need information on child care, positive experiences of infant care, social support and consistent information to enhance their maternal role competency. Recommendations are made for Chinese culturally specific guidelines and healthcare delivery interventions to enhance maternal role competence in early motherhood. Nursing and midwifery care should always take into account the cultural beliefs and enable adaptation of traditional postpartum practices. Providing consistent information and positive experience on parenting skills and infant behaviour as well as enhancing effective coping strategies could strengthen Chinese women's maternal role competency. © 2011 Blackwell

Maternal and Neonatal Birth Factors Affecting the Age of ASD Diagnosis.

PubMed

Darcy-Mahoney, Ashley; Minter, Bonnie; Higgins, Melinda; Guo, Ying; Zauche, Lauren Head; Hirst, Jessica

2016-12-01

Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enables early intervention that improves long term functioning of children with ASD but is often delayed until age of school entry. Few studies have identified factors that affect timely diagnosis. This study addressed how maternal education, race, age, marital status as well as neonatal birth factors affect the age at which a child is diagnosed with ASD. This study involved a retrospective analysis of 664 records of children treated at one of the largest autism treatment centers in the United States from March 1, 2009 to December 30, 2010. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to identify maternal and neonatal factors associated with age of diagnosis. Infant gender, maternal race, marital status, and maternal age were identified as significant factors for predicting the age of ASD diagnosis. In the Cox proportional hazards regression model, only maternal race and marital status were included. Median survival age till diagnosis of children born to married mothers was 53.4 months compared to 57.8 months and 63.7 months of children born to single and divorced or widowed mothers respectively. Median survival age till diagnosis for children of African American mothers was 53.8 months compared to 57.2 months for children of Caucasian mothers. No statistically significant difference of timing of ASD diagnosis was found for children of varying gestational age. Children born to older or married mothers and mothers of minority races were more likely to have an earlier ASD diagnosis. No statistically significant differences in timing of ASD diagnosis were found for children born at varying gestational ages. Identification of these factors has the potential to inform public health outreach aimed at promoting timely ASD diagnosis. This work could enhance clinical practice for timelier diagnoses of ASD by supporting parents and clinicians around the world in identifying risk factors beyond gender

Identifying Factors Associated with Maternal Deaths in Jharkhand, India: A Verbal Autopsy Study

PubMed Central

Pradhan, Manas Ranjan

2013-01-01

Maternal mortality has been identified as a priority issue in health policy and research in India. The country, with an annual decrease of maternal mortality rate by 4.9% since 1990, now records 63,000 maternal deaths a year. India tops the list of countries with high maternal mortality. Based on a verbal autopsy study of 403 maternal deaths, conducted in 2008, this paper explores the missed opportunities to save maternal lives, besides probing into the socioeconomic factors contributing to maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two phases, and a multistage sampling design was used in selecting deaths for verbal autopsy. Informed consent was taken into consideration before verbal autopsy. The analytical approach includes bivariate analysis using SPSS 15, besides triangulation of qualitative and quantitative findings. Most of the deceased were poor (89%), non-literates (85%), and housewives (74%). Again, 80% died in the community/at home, 28% died during pregnancy while another 26% died during delivery. Any antenatal care was received by merely 28% women, and only 20% of the deliveries were conducted by skilled birth attendants (doctors and midwives). Delays in decision-making, travel, and treatment compounded by ignorance of obstetric complications, inadequate use of maternal healthcare services, poor healthcare infrastructure, and harmful rituals are the major contributing factors of maternal deaths in India. PMID:23930345

Identifying factors associated with maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India: a verbal autopsy study.

PubMed

Khan, Nizamuddin; Pradhan, Manas Ranjan

2013-06-01

Maternal mortality has been identified as a priority issue in health policy and research in India. The country, with an annual decrease of maternal mortality rate by 4.9% since 1990, now records 63,000 maternal deaths a year. India tops the list of countries with high maternal mortality. Based on a verbal autopsy study of 403 maternal deaths, conducted in 2008, this paper explores the missed opportunities to save maternal lives, besides probing into the socioeconomic factors contributing to maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two phases, and a multistage sampling design was used in selecting deaths for verbal autopsy. Informed consent was taken into consideration before verbal autopsy. The analytical approach includes bivariate analysis using SPSS 15, besides triangulation of qualitative and quantitative findings. Most of the deceased were poor (89%), non-literates (85%), and housewives (74%). Again, 80% died in the community/at home, 28% died during pregnancy while another 26% died during delivery. Any antenatal care was received by merely 28% women, and only 20% of the deliveries were conducted by skilled birth attendants (doctors and midwives). Delays in decision-making, travel, and treatment compounded by ignorance of obstetric complications, inadequate use of maternal healthcare services, poor healthcare infrastructure, and harmful rituals are the major contributing factors of maternal deaths in India.

Fetal sex-based differences in maternal hormones, angiogenic factors, and immune mediators during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

PubMed

Enninga, Elizabeth Ann L; Nevala, Wendy K; Creedon, Douglas J; Markovic, Svetomir N; Holtan, Shernan G

2015-03-01

Several pregnancy complications have disparities based on the sex of the fetus. It is unknown whether the sex of the fetus differentially alters the maternal immune milieu, potentially contributing to the observed differences. Using maternal plasma collected during 38 uncomplicated pregnancies (19 males, 19 females), we compared levels of cytokines, sex hormones, and angiogenic factors throughout gestation and postpartum. Male fetal sex was associated with higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines (G-CSF, IL-12p70, IL-21, and IL-33) and angiogenic factors (PlGF and VEGF-A) compared with female fetal sex at multiple timepoints. Female fetal sex was associated with higher levels of regulatory cytokines (IL-5, IL-9, IL-17, and IL-25). IL-27 increased throughout pregnancy regardless of fetal sex. There was no fetal sex-based difference in analyte concentrations at the postpartum measurement. Women carrying a male fetus exhibit a more proinflammatory/proangiogenic immune milieu than women carrying a female fetus. © 2014 The Authors. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multilevel Mediation: Cumulative Contextual Risk, Maternal Differential Treatment, and Children's Behavior within Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meunier, Jean Christophe; Boyle, Michael; O'Connor, Thomas G.; Jenkins, Jennifer M.

2013-01-01

This study tests the hypothesis that links between contextual risk and children's outcomes are partially explained by differential parenting. Using multi-informant measurement and including up to four children per family (M[subscript age] = 3.51, SD = 2.38) in a sample of 397 families, indirect effects (through maternal differential…

The role of maternal factors in sibling relationship quality: a multilevel study of multiple dyads per family.

PubMed

Jenkins, Jennifer; Rasbash, Jon; Leckie, George; Gass, Krista; Dunn, Judy

2012-06-01

  Although many children grow up with more than one sibling, we do not yet know if sibling dyads within families show similarities to one another on sibling affection and hostility. In the present study the hypotheses were tested that (a) there will be significant between family variation in change in sibling affection and hostility and (b) this between family variation will be explained by maternal affective climate, operationalized as positive and negative ambient parenting, differential parenting and maternal malaise.   A general population sample of families with single and multiple sibling dyads were visited twice, 2 years apart. Up to 2 children in a family acted as informants; 253 relationships were rated in 118 families. A cross-classified, multilevel model was fit to separate between-family and within-family variance in sibling relationships while simultaneously controlling for informant and partner influences.   Thirty-seven percent of the variance in change in sibling affection and 32% of the variance in change in sibling hostility was between family variance. The measured maternal affective climate including, maternal malaise and maternal ambient and differential hostility and affection explained between family differences.   Sibling relationship quality clusters in families and is partly explained by maternal affective climate. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Interventions to provide culturally-appropriate maternity care services: factors affecting implementation.

PubMed

Jones, Eleri; Lattof, Samantha R; Coast, Ernestina

2017-08-31

The World Health Organization recently made a recommendation supporting 'culturally-appropriate' maternity care services to improve maternal and newborn health. This recommendation results, in part, from a systematic review we conducted, which showed that interventions to provide culturally-appropriate maternity care have largely improved women's use of skilled maternity care. Factors relating to the implementation of these interventions can have implications for their success. This paper examines stakeholders' perspectives and experiences of these interventions, and facilitators and barriers to implementation; and concludes with how they relate to the effects of the interventions on care-seeking outcomes. We based our analysis on 15 papers included in the systematic review. To extract, collate and organise data on the context and conditions from each paper, we adapted the SURE (Supporting the Use of Research Evidence) framework that lists categories of factors that could influence implementation. We considered information from the background and discussion sections of papers included in the systematic review, as well as cost data and qualitative data when included. Women's and other stakeholders' perspectives on the interventions were generally positive. Four key themes emerged in our analysis of facilitators and barriers to implementation. Firstly, interventions must consider broader economic, geographical and social factors that affect ethnic minority groups' access to services, alongside providing culturally-appropriate care. Secondly, community participation is important in understanding problems with existing services and potential solutions from the community perspective, and in the development and implementation of interventions. Thirdly, respectful, person-centred care should be at the core of these interventions. Finally, cohesiveness is essential between the culturally-appropriate service and other health care providers encountered by women and their

The role of family and maternal factors in childhood obesity.

PubMed

Gibson, Lisa Y; Byrne, Susan M; Davis, Elizabeth A; Blair, Eve; Jacoby, Peter; Zubrick, Stephen R

2007-06-04

To investigate the relationship between a child's weight and a broad range of family and maternal factors. Cross-sectional data from a population-based prospective study, collected between January 2004 and December 2005, for 329 children aged 6-13 years (192 healthy weight, 97 overweight and 40 obese) and their mothers (n=265) recruited from a paediatric hospital endocrinology department and eight randomly selected primary schools in Perth, Western Australia. Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of children and mothers; demographic information; maternal depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem; general family functioning; parenting style; and negative life events. In a multilevel model, maternal BMI and family structure (single-parent v two-parent families) were the only significant predictors of child BMI z scores. Childhood obesity is not associated with adverse maternal or family characteristics such as maternal depression, negative life events, poor general family functioning or ineffective parenting style. However, having an overweight mother and a single-parent (single-mother) family increases the likelihood of a child being overweight or obese.

Maternal lifestyle and environmental risk factors for autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

Lyall, Kristen; Schmidt, Rebecca J; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva

2014-01-01

Background: Over the past 10 years, research into environmental risk factors for autism has grown dramatically, bringing evidence that an array of non-genetic factors acting during the prenatal period may influence neurodevelopment. Methods: This paper reviews the evidence on modifiable preconception and/or prenatal factors that have been associated, in some studies, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including nutrition, substance use and exposure to environmental agents. This review is restricted to human studies with at least 50 cases of ASD, having a valid comparison group, conducted within the past decade and focusing on maternal lifestyle or environmental chemicals. Results: Higher maternal intake of certain nutrients and supplements has been associated with reduction in ASD risk, with the strongest evidence for periconceptional folic acid supplements. Although many investigations have suggested no impact of maternal smoking and alcohol use on ASD, more rigorous exposure assessment is needed. A number of studies have demonstrated significant increases in ASD risk with estimated exposure to air pollution during the prenatal period, particularly for heavy metals and particulate matter. Little research has assessed other persistent and non-persistent organic pollutants in association with ASD specifically. Conclusions: More work is needed to examine fats, vitamins and other maternal nutrients, as well as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pesticides, in association with ASD, given sound biological plausibility and evidence regarding other neurodevelopmental deficits. The field can be advanced by large-scale epidemiological studies, attention to critical aetiological windows and how these vary by exposure, and use of biomarkers and other means to understand underlying mechanisms. PMID:24518932

MATERNAL SELF-REPORTED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND MATERNAL CORTISOL LEVELS INTERACT TO PREDICT INFANT CORTISOL LEVELS.

PubMed

Khoury, Jennifer E; Gonzalez, Andrea; Levitan, Robert; Masellis, Mario; Basile, Vincenzo; Atkinson, Leslie

2016-01-01

Three basic findings have emerged from research on maternal depressive symptoms and offspring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal functioning: (a) Mothers' depressive symptoms are positively associated with their offsprings' cortisol stress response, (b) numerous individual and interpersonal maternal characteristics moderate this association, and (c) maternal and infant cortisol levels are highly correlated. In combination, these findings have suggested that maternal cortisol levels may moderate the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and infant cortisol responsivity; the current study assessed this hypothesis. Participants were 297 mother-infant dyads who were recruited from the community. Maternal depressive symptoms were assessed via self-report. Dyads participated in two differentially stressful infant challenges when infants were 16 and 17 months old. Mother and infant salivary cortisol was collected before and after challenges. Results indicate that maternal cortisol levels moderated associations between maternal depressive symptoms and infant cortisol levels across both challenges. Infants showed higher cortisol levels if their mothers had both higher depressive symptoms and higher cortisol levels, as compared to infants of mothers with higher depressive symptoms and lower cortisol, and to infants of mothers with lower depressive symptoms and either higher or lower cortisol levels. We discuss findings in relation to environmental and biological factors that may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of depressive symptoms. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Widespread differential maternal and paternal genome effects on fetal bone phenotype at mid-gestation.

PubMed

Xiang, Ruidong; Lee, Alice M C; Eindorf, Tanja; Javadmanesh, Ali; Ghanipoor-Samami, Mani; Gugger, Madeleine; Fitzsimmons, Carolyn J; Kruk, Zbigniew A; Pitchford, Wayne S; Leviton, Alison J; Thomsen, Dana A; Beckman, Ian; Anderson, Gail I; Burns, Brian M; Rutley, David L; Xian, Cory J; Hiendleder, Stefan

2014-11-01

Parent-of-origin-dependent (epi)genetic factors are important determinants of prenatal development that program adult phenotype. However, data on magnitude and specificity of maternal and paternal genome effects on fetal bone are lacking. We used an outbred bovine model to dissect and quantify effects of parental genomes, fetal sex, and nongenetic maternal effects on the fetal skeleton and analyzed phenotypic and molecular relationships between fetal muscle and bone. Analysis of 51 bone morphometric and weight parameters from 72 fetuses recovered at day 153 gestation (54% term) identified six principal components (PC1-6) that explained 80% of the variation in skeletal parameters. Parental genomes accounted for most of the variation in bone wet weight (PC1, 72.1%), limb ossification (PC2, 99.8%), flat bone size (PC4, 99.7%), and axial skeletal growth (PC5, 96.9%). Limb length showed lesser effects of parental genomes (PC3, 40.8%) and a significant nongenetic maternal effect (gestational weight gain, 29%). Fetal sex affected bone wet weight (PC1, p < 0.0001) and limb length (PC3, p < 0.05). Partitioning of variation explained by parental genomes revealed strong maternal genome effects on bone wet weight (74.1%, p < 0.0001) and axial skeletal growth (93.5%, p < 0.001), whereas paternal genome controlled limb ossification (95.1%, p < 0.0001). Histomorphometric data revealed strong maternal genome effects on growth plate height (98.6%, p < 0.0001) and trabecular thickness (85.5%, p < 0.0001) in distal femur. Parental genome effects on fetal bone were mirrored by maternal genome effects on fetal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (96.9%, p < 0.001) and paternal genome effects on alkaline phosphatase (90.0%, p < 0.001) and their correlations with maternally controlled bone wet weight and paternally controlled limb ossification, respectively. Bone wet weight and flat bone size correlated positively with muscle weight (r = 0.84 and 0.77, p�

Maternal postpartum corticosterone and fluoxetine differentially affect adult male and female offspring on anxiety-like behavior, stress reactivity, and hippocampal neurogenesis.

PubMed

Gobinath, Aarthi R; Workman, Joanna L; Chow, Carmen; Lieblich, Stephanie E; Galea, Liisa A M

2016-02-01

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 15% of mothers, disrupts maternal care, and can represent a form of early life adversity for the developing offspring. Intriguingly, male and female offspring are differentially vulnerable to the effects of PPD. Antidepressants, such as fluoxetine, are commonly prescribed for treating PPD. However, fluoxetine can reach offspring via breast milk, raising serious concerns regarding the long-term consequences of infant exposure to fluoxetine. The goal of this study was to examine the long-term effects of maternal postpartum corticosterone (CORT, a model of postpartum stress/depression) and concurrent maternal postpartum fluoxetine on behavioral, endocrine, and neural measures in adult male and female offspring. Female Sprague-Dawley dams were treated daily with either CORT or oil and fluoxetine or saline from postnatal days 2-23, and offspring were weaned and left undisturbed until adulthood. Here we show that maternal postpartum fluoxetine increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis negative feedback in adult male, but not female, offspring. Furthermore, maternal postpartum fluoxetine increased the density of immature neurons (doublecortin-expressing) in the hippocampus of adult male offspring but decreased the density of immature neurons in adult female offspring. Maternal postpartum CORT blunted HPA axis negative feedback in males and tended to increase density of immature neurons in males but decreased it in females. These results indicate that maternal postpartum CORT and fluoxetine can have long-lasting effects on anxiety-like behavior, HPA axis negative feedback, and adult hippocampal neurogenesis and that adult male and female offspring are differentially affected by these maternal manipulations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiating maternal fatigue and depressive symptoms at six months and four years post partum: Considerations for assessment, diagnosis and intervention.

PubMed

Giallo, Rebecca; Gartland, Deirdre; Woolhouse, Hannah; Brown, Stephanie

2015-02-01

fatigue and depressive symptoms are common among women in the postpartum period, and it has been proposed that fatigue is a risk factor for later depression. To progress this research, there is a need to clarify the conceptual and measurement issue of whether these two sets of symptoms are distinct constructs. There is also a need to determine whether they are distinct constructs beyond the postnatal period. The aim of the study was to assess the construct and discriminant validity of fatigue and depressive symptoms as measured by the SF-36 Vitality subscale (SF-36) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at six months and at four years post partum. data from over 1000 women participating in the Maternal Health Study, a longitudinal study of women׳s physical and psychological health and recovery after childbirth were used. confirmatory factor analysis revealed a two-factor model of fatigue and depressive symptoms represented as distinct but related constructs was a better fit to the data than a one-factor model of fatigue and depression sharing the same underlying construct at both six months and four years post partum. this study provides empirical evidence that maternal fatigue and depression in the first year after having a baby and at four years post partum are best understood as separate psychological constructs or experiences. The findings have important implications for clinical practice, in particular underlining the importance of differentiating tiredness from depression. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal Prenatal Stress and Other Developmental Risk Factors for Adolescent Depression: Spotlight on Sex Differences.

PubMed

Maxwell, Seth D; Fineberg, Anna M; Drabick, Deborah A; Murphy, Shannon K; Ellman, Lauren M

2018-02-01

Maternal stress during pregnancy has been linked to premorbid abnormalities associated with depression (e.g., difficult temperament, cognitive deficits) in offspring. However, few studies have looked across developmental periods to examine maternal stress during pregnancy and offspring depression during adolescence and whether these associations differ by sex. The current study used data from 1711 mother-offspring dyads (offspring sex: 49.8% male) in a longitudinal birth cohort study. Maternal narratives collected during pregnancy were qualitatively coded for stress-related themes by independent raters. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified distinct subgroups of offspring based on exposure to maternal prenatal stress and other developmental factors from the prenatal, childhood, and adolescent periods that have been associated with depression and/or maternal prenatal stress. LCA identified subgroups that were compared to determine whether and to what extent they differed on adolescent depressive symptoms. LCA revealed a subgroup of "high-risk" individuals, characterized by maternal factors during pregnancy (higher ambivalence/negativity and lower positivity towards the pregnancy, higher levels of hassles, lower maternal education and higher maternal age at birth, higher pre-pregnancy BMI) and offspring developmental factors (decreased cognitive functioning during childhood and adolescence, lower perceived parental support during adolescence, and higher levels of maternal depression during adolescence). High-risk females exhibited elevated conduct symptoms and higher birth order, while high-risk males exhibited decreased internalizing symptoms and lower birth order. Both high-risk males and females reported elevated depressive symptoms during adolescence relative to their "low-risk" counterparts.

Factors associated with maternal death in an intensive care unit

PubMed Central

Saintrain, Suzanne Vieira; de Oliveira, Juliana Gomes Ramalho; Saintrain, Maria Vieira de Lima; Bruno, Zenilda Vieira; Borges, Juliana Lima Nogueira; Daher, Elizabeth De Francesco; da Silva Jr, Geraldo Bezerra

2016-01-01

Objective To identify factors associated with maternal death in patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a maternal intensive care unit. All medical records of patients admitted from January 2012 to December 2014 were reviewed. Pregnant and puerperal women were included; those with diagnoses of hydatidiform mole, ectopic pregnancy, or anembryonic pregnancy were excluded, as were patients admitted for non-obstetrical reasons. Death and hospital discharge were the outcomes subjected to comparative analysis. Results A total of 373 patients aged 13 to 45 years were included. The causes for admission to the intensive care unit were hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, followed by heart disease, respiratory failure, and sepsis; complications included acute kidney injury (24.1%), hypotension (15.5%), bleeding (10.2%), and sepsis (6.7%). A total of 28 patients died (7.5%). Causes of death were hemorrhagic shock, multiple organ failure, respiratory failure, and sepsis. The independent risk factors associated with death were acute kidney injury (odds ratio [OR] = 6.77), hypotension (OR = 15.08), and respiratory failure (OR = 3.65). Conclusion The frequency of deaths was low. Acute kidney injury, hypotension, and respiratory insufficiency were independent risk factors for maternal death. PMID:28099637

Maternal nutritional programming of fetal adipose tissue development: differential effects on messenger ribonucleic acid abundance for uncoupling proteins and peroxisome proliferator-activated and prolactin receptors.

PubMed

Bispham, J; Gardner, D S; Gnanalingham, M G; Stephenson, T; Symonds, M E; Budge, H

2005-09-01

Maternal nutrient restriction at specific stages of gestation has differential effects on fetal development such that the offspring are programmed to be at increased risk of a range of adult diseases, including obesity. We investigated the effect of maternal nutritional manipulation through gestation on fetal adipose tissue deposition in conjunction with mRNA abundance for uncoupling protein (UCP)1 and 2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)alpha and gamma, together with long and short forms of the prolactin receptor (PRLR). Singleton-bearing ewes were either nutrient restricted (3.2-3.8 MJ day(-1) metabolizable energy) or fed to appetite (8.7-9.9 MJ day(-1)) over the period of maximal placental growth, i.e. between 28 and 80 d gestation. After 80 d gestation, ewes were either fed to calculated requirements, (6.7-7.5 MJ day(-1)), or to appetite (8.0-10.9 MJ day(-1)). At term, offspring of nutrient-restricted ewes possessed more adipose tissue, an adaptation that was greatest in those born to mothers that fed to requirements in late gestation. This was accompanied by an increased mRNA abundance for UCP2 and PPARalpha, an adaptation not seen in mothers re-fed to appetite. Maternal nutrition had no effect on mRNA abundance for UCP1, PPARgamma, or PRLR. Irrespective of maternal nutrition, mRNA abundance for UCP1 was positively correlated with PPARgamma and the long and short forms of PRLR, indicating that these factors may act together to ensure that UCP1 abundance is maximized in the newborn. In conclusion, we have shown, for the first time, differential effects of maternal nutrition on key regulatory components of fetal fat metabolism.

Competing risks model in screening for preeclampsia by maternal factors and biomarkers at 11-13 weeks gestation.

PubMed

O'Gorman, Neil; Wright, David; Syngelaki, Argyro; Akolekar, Ranjit; Wright, Alan; Poon, Leona C; Nicolaides, Kypros H

2016-01-01

Preeclampsia affects approximately 3% of all pregnancies and is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and death. In the last decade, extensive research has been devoted to early screening for preeclampsia with the aim of reducing the prevalence of the disease through pharmacologic intervention in the high-risk group starting from the first trimester of pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for preeclampsia based on maternal demographic characteristics and medical history (maternal factors) and biomarkers. The data for this study were derived from prospective screening for adverse obstetric outcomes in women who attended for their routine first hospital visit at 11-13 weeks gestation in 2 maternity hospitals in England. We screened 35,948 singleton pregnancies that included 1058 pregnancies (2.9%) that experienced preeclampsia. Bayes theorem was used to combine the a priori risk from maternal factors with various combinations of uterine artery pulsatility index, mean arterial pressure, serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A, and placental growth factor multiple of the median values. Five-fold cross validation was used to assess the performance of screening for preeclampsia that delivered at <37 weeks gestation (preterm-preeclampsia) and ≥37 weeks gestation (term-preeclampsia) by models that combined maternal factors with individual biomarkers and their combination with screening by maternal factors alone. In pregnancies that experienced preeclampsia, the values of uterine artery pulsatility index and mean arterial pressure were increased, and the values of serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and placental growth factor were decreased. For all biomarkers, the deviation from normal was greater for early than late preeclampsia; therefore, the performance of screening was related inversely to the gestational age at which delivery became necessary for maternal and/or fetal indications. Combined screening by maternal

Maternal haemoglobin levels and cardio-metabolic risk factors in childhood: the Generation R study.

PubMed

Welten, M; Gaillard, R; Hofman, A; de Jonge, L L; Jaddoe, V W V

2015-05-01

To assess whether variations in maternal haemoglobin levels during pregnancy are associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors in school age children. Population-based prospective cohort study. Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2002-2012. Mothers and children (n = 5002) participating in the Generation R Study. We obtained maternal haemoglobin levels during early pregnancy (median gestational age 14.6 weeks [95% range 10.3, 25.3]) from venous blood samples. Maternal anaemia and elevated haemoglobin levels were based on World Health Organization criteria. We measured childhood cardio-metabolic risk factors at age 6 years. Cardio-metabolic risk factors included body mass index, total fat mass percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular mass, and blood levels of cholesterol, insulin and C-peptide. Maternal haemoglobin levels were not associated with childhood body mass index, total fat mass percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol or insulin levels. Compared with children with normal maternal haemoglobin levels, children from anaemic mothers had slightly higher diastolic blood pressures (difference 0.70 mmHg, 95% CI 0.12, 1.29) and lower C-peptide levels (difference factor 0.93, 95% CI 0.88, 0.98), and children of mothers with elevated haemoglobin levels had lower left ventricular masses (difference -1.08 g, 95% CI -1.88, -0.29). These associations attenuated after adjustment for multiple testing and were not consistent within linear models. These results do not strongly support the hypothesis that variations in maternal haemoglobin levels during pregnancy influence cardio-metabolic risk factors in childhood. © 2014 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Maternal Sensitivity Predicts Fewer Sleep Problems at Early Adolescence for Toddlers with Negative Emotionality: A Case of Differential Susceptibility.

PubMed

Conway, Anne; Modrek, Anahid; Gorroochurn, Prakash

2018-02-01

Theory underscores the importance of parenting in sleep development, but few studies have examined whether links vary by temperament. To address this gap, we tested whether potential links between early maternal sensitivity and early adolescent sleep problems varied by child negative emotionality and delay of gratification. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 820), we found that high maternal sensitivity predicted fewer bedtime problems and longer sleep duration at 6th grade for toddlers with high negative emotionality, whereas low maternal sensitivity predicted the reverse. No differences were observed for low negative emotionality. Moreover, delay of gratification predicted fewer bedtime problems at 6th grade, but did not moderate associations between maternal sensitivity, negative emotionality, and sleep. Findings demonstrate that high, but not low, negative emotionality renders toddlers differentially susceptible and receptive to maternal sensitivity in relation to sleep.

Maternal history of adoption or foster care placement in childhood: a risk factor for preterm birth.

PubMed

Bublitz, Margaret H; Rodriguez, Daniel; Polly Gobin, Asi; Waldemore, Marissa; Magee, Susanna; Stroud, Laura R

2014-10-01

The objective of the study was to assess the impact of maternal history of adoption or foster care placement in childhood on the risk for preterm birth (PTB), controlling for other known risk factors for PTB. Participants were 302 pregnant women from a low-income, diverse sample drawn from 2 intensive prospective studies of maternal mood and behavior and fetal and infant development. Gestational age was determined by best obstetric estimate. Maternal history of adoption or foster care placement prior to age 18 years was determined by maternal report. Other maternal characteristics, including maternal medical conditions, psychosocial characteristics, and health behaviors, were measured during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The odds of delivering preterm (gestational age <37 weeks) were approximately 4 times greater among women with a history of childhood adoption or foster care placement compared with women who were never placed out of the home during childhood. This association remained significant after adjusting for other known risk factors for PTB including maternal medical conditions, psychosocial characteristics, and negative health behaviors in pregnancy. Findings suggest that a history of adoption/foster care placement is an important risk factor for PTB and may be comparable with other established risk factors for PTB including prior history of PTB, body mass index, African-American race, and advanced maternal age. More studies are needed to understand why women with placement histories may be at increased risk to deliver preterm. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential Antidepressant-Like Response to Lithium Treatment between Mouse Strains: Effects of Sex, Maternal Care, and Mixed Genetic Background

PubMed Central

Can, Adem; Piantadosi, Sean C.; Gould, Todd D.

2013-01-01

Background Lithium is a mood stabilizer with both antidepressant and antimanic properties, though its mechanism of action is unclear. Identifying the genetic factors that influence lithium's therapeutic actions will be an important step to assist in identifying such mechanisms. We previously reported that lithium treatment of male mice has antidepressant-like effects in the C57BL/6J strain but that such effects were absent in the BALB/cJ strain. Objectives To assess the roles of both genetic, and non-genetic factors such as sex and non-shared environmental factors that may mediate differential behavioral responses to lithium. Methods Mice were treated with lithium for ten days and then tested in the forced swim test followed by lithium discontinuation and retesting to assess effects of lithium withdrawal. We also assessed effects of sex and cross-fostering on lithium response between the C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ strains, and antidepressant-like effects of lithium in the hybrid CB6F1/J strain that is derived from C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ parental strains. Results Neither sex nor maternal care significantly influenced the differential antidepressant-like profile of lithium. Withdrawal from lithium treatment reversed antidepressant-like effects in the C57BL/6J strain, but had no effects in BALB/cJ mice. Lithium treatment did not result in antidepressant-like effects in the CB6F1/J strain. Conclusions Genetic factors are likely primarily responsible for differential antidepressant-like effects of lithium in the C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ strains. Future studies identifying such genetic factors may help to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms of lithium's therapeutic actions. PMID:23503701

[What is "normal"? Maternal parenting behavior as risk and protective factor for psychopathology and identity diffusion].

PubMed

Seiffge-Krenke, Inge; Escher, Fabian J

2018-06-01

What is "normal"? Maternal parenting behavior as risk and protective factor for psychopathology and identity diffusion Objectives: This study analyzes the implications of today's highly altered maternal parenting behaviors on children's development and psychological health. The relationship between maternal parenting behaviors (support, psychological control, and anxious monitoring) and delayed identity development or identity diffusion as well as internalizing or externalizing symptomatology was investigated in a sample of 732 youths (301 adolescents, 351 young adults, and 80 patients). Cluster analysis identified two types of maternal parenting behaviors: authoritative maternal behavior and dysfunctionalmaternal behavior. As expected, patients exhibited a high degree of dysfunctional maternal parenting behavior (low support, high psychological control), delayed identity development as well as elevated identity diffusion and symptomatology.Authoritative maternal parenting emerged as a protective factor in the prediction of identity diffusion and symptomatology.All three groups described a high degree of anxious maternal monitoring. The implications of changed maternal parenting behaviors on identity diffusion and symptomatology are discussed in light of societal changes and changing criteria of personality disorders in the new DSM-5.

Watching sexy displays improves hatching success and offspring growth through maternal allocation.

PubMed

Loyau, Adeline; Lacroix, Frédéric

2010-11-22

Male attractiveness can have tremendous effects on the fitness of his offspring via good genes, but also via enhanced maternal allocation of resources. Yet the proximate mechanisms influencing differential maternal allocation in relation to male sexiness are poorly known. Here, we studied the importance of visual stimulation for maternal allocation in the Houbara bustard, a vulnerable bird species bred in captivity to support wild populations. Artificial insemination allowed controlling for potential confounding factors, such as a male's territory quality, social interactions or sperm quality/quantity, probably linked to mate attractiveness. We show that artificially inseminated females stimulated by highly displaying males increased their hatching success, owing to increased fertilization success. The females also increased the allocation of maternal androgens in their eggs, leading to an increase of circulating testosterone and growth rate in chicks. Hence, visual stimulation of the females can promote differential maternal allocation and favour offspring fitness. Our results further suggest that using artificial insemination for species conservation without appropriate stimulation of the breeding females probably has negative impacts on their breeding performance and therefore on population viability.

Maternal Risk Factors for Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis

PubMed Central

March, Melissa I.; Gupta, Munish; Modest, Anna M.; Wu, Lily; Hacker, Michele R.; Martin, Camilia R.; Rana, Sarosh

2015-01-01

Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal hypertensive disease and other risk factors and the neonatal development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Methods This was a retrospective case control study of infants with NEC from 2008 to 2012. The primary exposure of interest was maternal hypertensive disease, which has been hypothesized to put infants at risk for NEC. Other variables collected included demographics, pregnancy complications, medications, and neonatal hospital course. Data was abstracted from medical records. Results 28 cases of singleton neonates with NEC and 81 matched controls were identified and analyzed. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome. Fetuses with an antenatal diagnosis of growth restriction were more likely to develop NEC (p=0.008). Infants with NEC had lower median birth weight than infants without NEC (p=0.009). Infants with NEC had more late-onset sepsis (p=0.01) and mortality before discharge (p=0.001). Conclusions The factors identified by this case-control study that increased the risk of neonatal NEC included intrauterine growth restriction and lower neonatal birth weight. The primary exposure, hypertensive disease, did not show a significantly increased risk of neonatal NEC, however there was a nearly two-fold difference observed. Our study was underpowered to detect the observed difference. PMID:25162307

Factors Associated with Young Children's Opportunities for Maintaining Family Relationships during Maternal Incarceration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poehlmann, Julie; Shlafer, Rebecca J.; Maes, Elizabeth; Hanneman, Ashley

2008-01-01

Children affected by maternal incarceration experience challenges maintaining continuous family relationships because of changes in caregivers, separation from siblings, and limited contact with mothers. In this mixed-method study, we investigated maternal and contextual factors associated with continuity in family relationships of children living…

Low maternal retinol as a risk factor for schizophrenia in adult offspring

PubMed Central

Bao, YuanYuan; Ibram, Ghionul; Blaner, William S.; Quesenberry, Charles P.; Shen, Ling; McKeague, Ian W.; Schaefer, Catherine A.; Susser, Ezra S.; Brown, Alan S.

2012-01-01

Background Prenatal micronutrient deficiency has been linked to later development of schizophrenia among offspring; however, no study has specifically investigated the association between vitamin A and this disorder. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient which is required by the early embryo and fetus for gene expression and regulation, cell differentiation, proliferation and migration. Previous work suggests that vitamin A deficiency in the second trimester may be particularly relevant to the etiopathogenesis of neurobehavioral phenotypes some of which are observed in schizophrenia. Methods We examined whether low maternal vitamin A levels in the second trimester are associated with the risk of schizophrenia and other schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) in the Prenatal Determinants of Schizophrenia study; third trimester vitamin A levels were also examined in relation to SSD. The cases were derived from a population-based birth cohort; all cohort members belonged to a prepaid health plan. Archived maternal serum samples were assayed for vitamin A in cases (N=55) and up to 2 controls per case (N=106) matched on length of membership in the health plan, date of birth (±28 days), sex, and gestational timing and availability of archived maternal sera. Results For the second trimester, low maternal vitamin A, defined as values in the lowest tertile of the distribution among controls, was associated with a greater than threefold increased risk of SSD, adjusting for maternal education and age (OR=3.04, 95% CI=1.06, 8.79, p=.039). No association between third trimester maternal vitamin A and SSD was observed. Conclusions Although further investigations are warranted, this is the first birth cohort study to our knowledge to report an association between low maternal vitamin A levels and SSD among offspring. PMID:22381190

A mixed methods evaluation of the maternal-newborn dashboard in Ontario: dashboard attributes, contextual factors, and facilitators and barriers to use: a study protocol.

PubMed

Dunn, Sandra; Sprague, Ann E; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Graham, Ian D; Taljaard, Monica; Fell, Deshayne; Peterson, Wendy E; Darling, Elizabeth; Harrold, JoAnn; Smith, Graeme N; Reszel, Jessica; Lanes, Andrea; Truskoski, Carolyn; Wilding, Jodi; Weiss, Deborah; Walker, Mark

2016-05-04

There are wide variations in maternal-newborn care practices and outcomes across Ontario. To help institutions and care providers learn about their own performance, the Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario has implemented an audit and feedback system, the Maternal-Newborn Dashboard (MND), for all hospitals providing maternal-newborn care. The dashboard provides (1) near real-time feedback, with site-specific and peer comparison data about six key performance indicators; (2) a visual display of evidence-practice gaps related to the indicators; and (3) benchmarks to provide direction for practice change. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the dashboard, dashboard attributes, contextual factors, and facilitation/support needs that influence the use of this audit and feedback system to improve performance. The objectives of this study are to (1) evaluate the effect of implementing the dashboard across Ontario; (2) explore factors that potentially explain differences in the use of the MND among hospitals; (3) measure factors potentially associated with differential effectiveness of the MND; and (4) identify factors that predict differences in hospital performance. A mixed methods design includes (1) an interrupted time series analysis to evaluate the effect of the intervention on six indicators, (2) key informant interviews with a purposeful sample of directors/managers from up to 20 maternal-newborn care hospitals to explore factors that influence the use of the dashboard, (3) a provincial survey of obstetrical directors/managers from all maternal-newborn hospitals in the province to measure factors that influence the use of the dashboard, and (4) a multivariable generalized linear mixed effects regression analysis of the indicators at each hospital to quantitatively evaluate the change in practice following implementation of the dashboard and to identify factors most predictive of use. Study results will provide essential data to develop knowledge

Chorion Mesenchymal Stem Cells Show Superior Differentiation, Immunosuppressive, and Angiogenic Potentials in Comparison With Haploidentical Maternal Placental Cells

PubMed Central

González, Paz L.; Carvajal, Catalina; Cuenca, Jimena; Alcayaga-Miranda, Francisca; Figueroa, Fernando E.; Bartolucci, Jorge; Salazar-Aravena, Lorena

2015-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of placental origin have become increasingly translational owing to their abundance and accessibility. MSCs of different origin share several features but also present biological differences that might point to distinct clinical properties. Hence, mixing fetal and maternal cells from the same placenta can lead to contradicting results. We analyzed the biological characteristics of haploidentical MSCs isolated from fetal sources, including the umbilical cord (UC-MSCs) and chorion (Ch-MSCs), compared with maternal decidua MSCs (Dc-MSCs). All MSCs were analyzed for general stem cell properties. In addition, immunosuppressive capacity was assessed by the inhibition of T-cell proliferation, and angiogenic potential was evaluated in a Matrigel transplantation assay. The comparison between haploidentical MSCs displayed several distinct features, including (a) marked differences in the expression of CD56, (b) a higher proliferative capacity for Dc-MSCs and UC-MSCs than for Ch-MSCs, (c) a diversity of mesodermal differentiation potential in favor of fetal MSCs, (d) a higher capacity for Ch-MSCs to inhibit T-cell proliferation, and (e) superior angiogenic potential of Ch-MSCs evidenced by a higher capability to form tubular vessel-like structures and an enhanced release of hepatocyte growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor under hypoxic conditions. Our results suggest that assessing the prevalence of fetomaternal contamination within placental MSCs is necessary to increase robustness and limit side effects in their clinical use. Finally, our work presents evidence positioning fetoplacental cells and notably Ch-MSCs in the forefront of the quest for cell types that are superior for applications in regenerative medicine. Significance This study analyzed the biological characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from fetal and maternal placental origins. The findings can be summarized as follows: (a) important differences

Child Health, Maternal Marital and Socioeconomic Factors, and Maternal Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garbarski, Dana; Witt, Whitney P.

2013-01-01

Although maternal socioeconomic status and health predict in part children's future health and socioeconomic prospects, it is possible that the intergenerational association flows in the other direction such that child health affects maternal outcomes. Previous research demonstrates that poor child health increases the risk of adverse maternal…

The Association Between Maternal Age and Cerebral Palsy Risk Factors.

PubMed

Schneider, Rilla E; Ng, Pamela; Zhang, Xun; Andersen, John; Buckley, David; Fehlings, Darcy; Kirton, Adam; Wood, Ellen; van Rensburg, Esias; Shevell, Michael I; Oskoui, Maryam

2018-05-01

Advanced maternal age is associated with higher frequencies of antenatal and perinatal conditions, as well as a higher risk of cerebral palsy in offspring. We explore the association between maternal age and specific cerebral palsy risk factors. Data were extracted from the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Registry. Maternal age was categorized as ≥35 years of age and less than 20 years of age at the time of birth. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to calculate odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. The final sample consisted of 1391 children with cerebral palsy, with 19% of children having mothers aged 35 or older and 4% of children having mothers below the age of 20. Univariate analyses showed that mothers aged 35 or older were more likely to have gestational diabetes (odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 2.8), to have a history of miscarriage (odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 2.4), to have undergone fertility treatments (odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 3.9), and to have delivered by Caesarean section (odds ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 2.2). These findings were supported by multivariate analyses. Children with mothers below the age of 20 were more likely to have a congenital malformation (odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 4.2), which is also supported by multivariate analysis. The risk factor profiles of children with cerebral palsy vary by maternal age. Future studies are warranted to further our understanding of the compound causal pathways leading to cerebral palsy and the observed greater prevalence of cerebral palsy with increasing maternal age. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maternal and paternal genomes differentially affect myofibre characteristics and muscle weights of bovine fetuses at midgestation.

PubMed

Xiang, Ruidong; Ghanipoor-Samami, Mani; Johns, William H; Eindorf, Tanja; Rutley, David L; Kruk, Zbigniew A; Fitzsimmons, Carolyn J; Thomsen, Dana A; Roberts, Claire T; Burns, Brian M; Anderson, Gail I; Greenwood, Paul L; Hiendleder, Stefan

2013-01-01

.001), suggested imprinted genes and miRNA interference as mechanisms for differential effects of maternal and paternal genomes on fetal muscle.

Maternal and Paternal Genomes Differentially Affect Myofibre Characteristics and Muscle Weights of Bovine Fetuses at Midgestation

PubMed Central

Xiang, Ruidong; Ghanipoor-Samami, Mani; Johns, William H.; Eindorf, Tanja; Rutley, David L.; Kruk, Zbigniew A.; Fitzsimmons, Carolyn J.; Thomsen, Dana A.; Roberts, Claire T.; Burns, Brian M.; Anderson, Gail I.; Greenwood, Paul L.; Hiendleder, Stefan

2013-01-01

(P<0.001), suggested imprinted genes and miRNA interference as mechanisms for differential effects of maternal and paternal genomes on fetal muscle. PMID:23341941

Sperm competition and maternal effects differentially influence testis and sperm size in Callosobruchus maculatus.

PubMed

Gay, L; Hosken, D J; Vasudev, R; Tregenza, T; Eady, P E

2009-05-01

The evolutionary factors affecting testis size are well documented, with sperm competition being of major importance. However, the factors affecting sperm length are not well understood; there are no clear theoretical predictions and the empirical evidence is inconsistent. Recently, maternal effects have been implicated in sperm length variation, a finding that may offer insights into its evolution. We investigated potential proximate and microevolutionary factors influencing testis and sperm size in the bruchid beetle Callosobruchus maculatus using a combined approach of an artificial evolution experiment over 90 generations and an environmental effects study. We found that while polyandry seems to select for larger testes, it had no detectable effect on sperm length. Furthermore, population density, a proximate indicator of sperm competition risk, was not significantly associated with sperm length or testis size variation. However, there were strong maternal effects influencing sperm length.

[Risk factors of development of nosocomial pyogenic and septic infections in maternity hospitals].

PubMed

Zakharova, Iu A; Nikolaeva, A M; Fel'dblium, I V

2007-01-01

During prospective epidemiological surveillance cases of pyogenic and septic infections (PSI) in mothers and newborns in two maternity hospitals were studied using standard case definition and leading risk factors of their development were revealed. These factors differed in two hospitals and were connected mainly with high level of patients colonization, contamination of the environment by nosocomial strains of microorganisms, and degree of participation of mother's relatives in delivery. It was shown that permission to relatives for presence on delivery did not influence on the rate of PSI. Specificity of risk factors of PSI in mothers and newborns dictates necessity to determine them in each maternity hospital.

Maternal risk factors and anaemia in pregnancy: a prospective retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Noronha, J A; Bhaduri, A; Vinod Bhat, H; Kamath, A

2010-02-01

Anaemia in pregnancy is still a concern during the reproductive period, as it is associated with increased maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. This study examined the maternal risk factors associated with increased prevalence of anaemia among antenatal and postnatal women. A prospective-retrospective cohort approach was carried out among 1,077 antenatal and 1,000 postnatal women. The haemoglobin was estimated using the cyanmethaemoglobin method. The maternal factors included were age, parity, education, socioeconomic status, spacing, history of bleeding, worm infestation, period of gestation, knowledge regarding anaemia in pregnancy, food selection ability and compliance to iron supplementation. Of the 1,077 antenatal women studied, 540 were anaemic. Among the 1,000 postnatal women, the prevalence was 537 (53.7%). The high prevalence was strongly associated with low socioeconomic status (OR 1.409 [1.048-1.899]; p < 0.023) which affected their knowledge and health seeking behaviour in both the groups. Hence it can be concluded that empowering women in terms of education and economic status is the key factor in combating anaemia in pregnancy to prevent the vicious cycle of associated problems.

Factors affecting utilization of skilled maternal care in Northwest Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Worku, Abebaw Gebeyehu; Yalew, Alemayehu Worku; Afework, Mesganaw Fantahun

2013-04-15

The evaluation of all potential sources of low skilled maternal care utilization is crucial for Ethiopia. Previous studies have largely disregarded the contribution of different levels. This study was planned to assess the effect of individual, communal, and health facility characteristics in the utilization of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care by a skilled provider. A linked facility and population-based survey was conducted over three months (January - March 2012) in twelve "kebeles" of North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region. A total of 1668 women who had births in the year preceding the survey were selected for analysis. Using a multilevel modelling, we examined the effect of cluster variation and a number of individual, communal (kebele), and facility-related variables for skilled maternal care utilization. About 32.3%, 13.8% and 6.3% of the women had the chance to get skilled providers for their antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, respectively. A significant heterogeneity was observed among clusters for each indicator of skilled maternal care utilization. At the individual level, variables related to awareness and perceptions were found to be much more relevant for skilled maternal service utilization. Preference for skilled providers and previous experience of antenatal care were consistently strong predictors of all indicators of skilled maternal health care utilizations. Birth order, maternal education, and awareness about health facilities to get skilled professionals were consistently strong predictors of skilled antenatal and delivery care use. Communal factors were relevant for both delivery and postnatal care, whereas the characteristics of a health facility were more relevant for use of skilled delivery care than other maternity services. Factors operating at individual and "kebele" levels play a significant role in determining utilization of skilled maternal health services. Interventions to create better community awareness and perception about

Factors affecting utilization of skilled maternal care in Northwest Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The evaluation of all potential sources of low skilled maternal care utilization is crucial for Ethiopia. Previous studies have largely disregarded the contribution of different levels. This study was planned to assess the effect of individual, communal, and health facility characteristics in the utilization of antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care by a skilled provider. Methods A linked facility and population-based survey was conducted over three months (January - March 2012) in twelve “kebeles” of North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region. A total of 1668 women who had births in the year preceding the survey were selected for analysis. Using a multilevel modelling, we examined the effect of cluster variation and a number of individual, communal (kebele), and facility-related variables for skilled maternal care utilization. Result About 32.3%, 13.8% and 6.3% of the women had the chance to get skilled providers for their antenatal, delivery and postnatal care, respectively. A significant heterogeneity was observed among clusters for each indicator of skilled maternal care utilization. At the individual level, variables related to awareness and perceptions were found to be much more relevant for skilled maternal service utilization. Preference for skilled providers and previous experience of antenatal care were consistently strong predictors of all indicators of skilled maternal health care utilizations. Birth order, maternal education, and awareness about health facilities to get skilled professionals were consistently strong predictors of skilled antenatal and delivery care use. Communal factors were relevant for both delivery and postnatal care, whereas the characteristics of a health facility were more relevant for use of skilled delivery care than other maternity services. Conclusion Factors operating at individual and “kebele” levels play a significant role in determining utilization of skilled maternal health services. Interventions to create

Investigating maternal risk factors as potential targets of intervention to reduce socioeconomic inequality in small for gestational age: a population-based study.

PubMed

Hayward, Irene; Malcoe, Lorraine Halinka; Cleathero, Lesley A; Janssen, Patricia A; Lanphear, Bruce P; Hayes, Michael V; Mattman, Andre; Pampalon, Robert; Venners, Scott A

2012-06-13

The major aim of this study was to investigate whether maternal risk factors associated with socioeconomic status and small for gestational age (SGA) might be viable targets of interventions to reduce differential risk of SGA by socioeconomic status (socioeconomic SGA inequality) in the metropolitan area of Vancouver, Canada. This study included 59,039 live, singleton births in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (Vancouver) from January 1, 2006 to September 17, 2009. To identify an indicator of socioeconomic SGA inequality, we used hierarchical logistic regression to model SGA by area-level variables from the Canadian census. We then modelled SGA by area-level average income plus established maternal risk factors for SGA and calculated population attributable SGA risk percentages (PAR%) for each variable. Associations of maternal risk factors for SGA with average income were investigated to identify those that might contribute to SGA inequality. Finally, we estimated crude reductions in the percentage and absolute differences in SGA risks between highest and lowest average income quintiles that would result if interventions on maternal risk factors successfully equalized them across income levels or eliminated them altogether. Average income produced the most linear and statistically significant indicator of socioeconomic SGA inequality with 8.9% prevalence of SGA in the lowest income quintile compared to 5.6% in the highest. The adjusted PAR% of SGA for variables were: bottom four quintiles of height (51%), first birth (32%), bottom four quintiles of average income (14%), oligohydramnios (7%), underweight or hypertension, (6% each), smoking (3%) and placental disorder (1%). Shorter height, underweight and smoking during pregnancy had higher prevalence in lower income groups. Crude models assuming equalization of risk factors across income levels or elimination altogether indicated little potential change in relative socioeconomic SGA inequality and reduction

[Maternal and perinatal risk factors for neonatal morbidity: a narrative literature review].

PubMed

Hernández Núñez, Jónathan; Valdés Yong, Magel; Suñol Vázquez, Yoanca de la Caridad; López Quintana, Marelene de la Caridad

2015-07-14

Newborn diseases increase neonatal mortality rates, so a literature review was conducted to establish the risk factors related to maternal and peripartum morbidity affecting the newborn. We searched the following electronic databases: Cumed, EBSCO, LILACS, IBECS and PubMed/MEDLINE. We used specific terms and Boolean operators in Spanish, Portuguese and English. We included longitudinal and cross-sectional descriptive studies, as well as case-control and cohort studies, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, spanning from 2010 to 2015 that responded the topic of interest. The included studies show that multiple maternal and perinatal conditions are risk factors for significant increase of neonatal morbidity, which are described in this narrative review.

Factors Underlying the Temporal Increase in Maternal Mortality in the United States

PubMed Central

Joseph, K.S.; Lisonkova, Sarka; Muraca, Giulia M.; Razaz, Neda; Sabr, Yasser; Mehrabadi, Azar; Schisterman, Enrique F.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE To identify the factors underlying the recent increase in maternal mortality ratios (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) in the United States. METHODS We carried out a retrospective study with data on maternal deaths and live births in the United States from 1993 to 2014 obtained from the birth and death files of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying causes of death were examined between 1999 and 2014 using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. Poisson regression was used to estimate maternal mortality rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) after adjusting for the introduction of a separate pregnancy question and the standard pregnancy checkbox on death certificates, and adoption of ICD-10. RESULTS Maternal mortality ratios increased from 7.55 in 1993, to 9.88 in 1999 and to 21.5 per 100,000 live births in 2014 (RR 2014 vs 1993 2.84, 95% CI 2.49 to 3.24; RR 2014 vs 1999 2.17, 95% CI 1.93 to 2.45). The increase in maternal deaths from 1999 to 2014 was mainly due to increases in maternal deaths associated with two new ICD-10 codes (O26.8 i.e., primarily renal disease and O99 i.e., other maternal diseases classifiable elsewhere); exclusion of such deaths abolished the increase in mortality (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.27). Regression adjustment for improvements in surveillance also abolished the temporal increase in maternal mortality ratios (adjusted maternal mortality ratios 7.55 in 1993, 8.00 per 100,000 live births in 2013; adjusted RR 2013 vs 1993 1.06, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.25). CONCLUSION Recent increases in maternal mortality ratios in the United States are likely an artifact of improvements in surveillance and highlight past underestimation of maternal death. Complete ascertainment of maternal death in populations remains a challenge even in countries with good systems for civil registration and vital statistics. PMID:27926651

Identifying potential maternal genes of Bombyx mori using digital gene expression profiling

PubMed Central

Xu, Pingzhen

2018-01-01

Maternal genes present in mature oocytes play a crucial role in the early development of silkworm. Although maternal genes have been widely studied in many other species, there has been limited research in Bombyx mori. High-throughput next generation sequencing provides a practical method for gene discovery on a genome-wide level. Herein, a transcriptome study was used to identify maternal-related genes from silkworm eggs. Unfertilized eggs from five different stages of early development were used to detect the changing situation of gene expression. The expressed genes showed different patterns over time. Seventy-six maternal genes were annotated according to homology analysis with Drosophila melanogaster. More than half of the differentially expressed maternal genes fell into four expression patterns, while the expression patterns showed a downward trend over time. The functional annotation of these material genes was mainly related to transcription factor activity, growth factor activity, nucleic acid binding, RNA binding, ATP binding, and ion binding. Additionally, twenty-two gene clusters including maternal genes were identified from 18 scaffolds. Altogether, we plotted a profile for the maternal genes of Bombyx mori using a digital gene expression profiling method. This will provide the basis for maternal-specific signature research and improve the understanding of the early development of silkworm. PMID:29462160

Maternal factors and the probability of a planned home birth.

PubMed

Anthony, S; Buitendijk, S E; Offerhaus, P M; Dommelen, P; Pal-de Bruin, K M

2005-06-01

In the Netherlands, approximately one-third of births are planned home births, mostly supervised by a midwife. The relationship between maternal demographic factors and home births supervised by midwives was examined. Cross-sectional study. Setting Dutch national perinatal registries of the year 2000. All women starting their pregnancy care under the supervision of a midwife, because these women have the possibility of having a planned home birth. The possible groups of birth were as follows: planned home birth or short stay hospital birth, both under the supervision of a midwife, or hospital birth under the supervision of an obstetrician after referral from the midwife during pregnancy or birth. The studied demographic factors were maternal age, parity, ethnicity and degree of urbanisation. Probabilities of having a planned home birth were calculated for women with different demographic profiles. Place of birth. In all age groups, the planned home birth percentage in primiparous women was lower than in multiparous women (23.5%vs 42.8%). A low home birth percentage was observed in women younger than 25 years. Dutch and non-Dutch women showed almost similar percentages of obstetrician-supervised hospital births but large differences in percentage of planned home births (36.5%vs 17.3%). Fewer home births were observed in large cities (30.5%) compared with small cities (35.7%) and rural areas (35.8%). This study demonstrates a clear relationship between maternal demographic factors and the place of birth and type of caregiver and therefore the probability of a planned home birth.

Social differentiation and embodied dispositions: a qualitative study of maternal care-seeking behaviour for near-miss morbidity in Bolivia

PubMed Central

Rööst, Mattias; Jonsson, Cecilia; Liljestrand, Jerker; Essén, Birgitta

2009-01-01

Background Use of maternal health care in low-income countries has been associated with several socioeconomic and demographic factors, although contextual analyses of the latter have been few. A previous study showed that 75% of women with severe obstetric morbidity (near-miss) identified at hospitals in La Paz, Bolivia were in critical conditions upon arrival, underscoring the significance of pre-hospital barriers also in this setting with free and accessible maternal health care. The present study explores how health care-seeking behaviour for near-miss morbidity is conditioned in La Paz, Bolivia. Methods Thematic interviews with 30 women with a near-miss event upon arrival at hospital. Near-miss was defined based on clinical and management criteria. Modified analytic induction was applied in the analysis that was further influenced by theoretical views that care-seeking behaviour is formed by predisposing characteristics, enabling factors, and perceived need, as well as by socially shaped habitual behaviours. Results The self-perception of being fundamentally separated from "others", meaning those who utilise health care, was typical for women who customarily delivered at home and who delayed seeking medical assistance for obstetric emergencies. Other explanations given by these women were distrust of authority, mistreatment by staff, such as not being kept informed about their condition or the course of their treatment, all of which reinforced their dissociation from the health-care system. Conclusion The findings illustrate health care-seeking behaviour as a practise that is substantially conditioned by social differentiation. Social marginalization and the role health institutions play in shaping care-seeking behaviour have been de-emphasised by focusing solely on endogenous cultural factors in Bolivia. PMID:19640286

Factors associated with severe maternal morbidity in Kelantan, Malaysia: A comparative cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Norhayati, Mohd Noor; Nik Hazlina, Nik Hussain; Aniza, Abd Aziz; Sulaiman, Zaharah

2016-07-26

Knowledge on the factors associated with severe maternal morbidity enables a better understanding of the problem and serves as a foundation for the development of an effective preventive strategy. However, various definitions of severe maternal morbidity have been applied, leading to inconsistencies between studies. The objective of this study was to identify the sociodemographic characteristics, medical and gynaecological history, past and present obstetric performance and the provision of health care services as associated factors for severe maternal morbidity in Kelantan, Malaysia. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary referral hospitals in 2014. Postpartum women with severe morbidity and without severe morbidity who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were eligible as cases and controls, respectively. The study population included all postpartum women regardless of their age. Pregnancy at less than 22 weeks of gestation, more than 42 days after the termination of pregnancy and non-Malaysian citizens were excluded. Consecutive sampling was applied for the selection of cases and for each case identified, one unmatched control from the same hospital was selected using computer-based simple random sampling. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were performed using Stata Intercooled version 11.0. A total of 23,422 pregnant women were admitted to these hospitals in 2014 and 395 women with severe maternal morbidity were identified, of which 353 were eligible as cases. An age of 35 or more years old [Adj. OR (95 % CI): 2.6 (1.67, 4.07)], women with past pregnancy complications [Adj. OR (95 % CI): 1.7 (1.00, 2.79)], underwent caesarean section deliveries [Adj. OR (95 % CI): 6.8 (4.68, 10.01)], preterm delivery [Adj. OR (95 % CI): 3.4 (1.87, 6.32)] and referral to tertiary centres [Adj. OR (95 % CI): 2.7 (1.87, 3.97)] were significant associated factors for severe maternal morbidity. Our study suggests the enhanced

Impact of maternal diabetes type 1 on proliferative potential, differentiation and apoptotic activity in villous capillaries of term placenta.

PubMed

Jirkovská, Marie; Kučera, Tomáš; Dvořáková, Veronika; Jadrníček, Martin; Moravcová, Milena; Žižka, Zdeněk; Krejčí, Vratislav

2016-04-01

Maternal diabetes mellitus changes morphology and impairs function of placental capillaries. Here, quantitative parameters characterizing cell proliferation using detection of Ki67, differentiation reflected by nestin expression and apoptosis in placental capillary bed with active caspase 3 as a marker were compared in normal term placentas and placentas from pregnancies complicated by Type 1 maternal diabetes mellitus. Specimens of sixteen diabetic placentas and eight control placentas were collected by systematic uniform random sampling. Immunohistochemical detections of Ki67, nestin, and active caspase 3 were performed in histological sections of five haphazardly chosen blocks per placenta. Twenty fields of view per section, i.e. one hundred fields of view per placenta, were used for analysis of proliferation as well as of apoptosis, and in approximately 70 capillary cross-sections per placenta the nestin-positive segments of their circumference were measured. The percentage of Ki67-positive cells counted in the capillary wall was significantly lower in diabetic group. The counts of Ki67-labelled nuclei per villous area unit were significantly lower in cytotrophoblast and capillary wall of terminal villi in diabetic placenta. The proportion of nestin-labeled segments of capillary circumference was significantly higher in placentas of diabetic group. No differences in the numbers of apoptotic cells were found between studied groups. The results show that the term placenta in Type 1 diabetes has lower potential to enlarge the surface area of structures involved in maternofetal transport, and that the villous capillary bed displays delayed differentiation. Those factors may participate in decreased ability of diabetic placenta to comply with fetal requirements in the final stage of pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal Risk Factors for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in a Province in Italy*

PubMed Central

Ceccanti, Mauro; Fiorentino, Daniela; Coriale, Giovanna; Kalberg, Wendy O.; Buckley, David; Hoyme, H. Eugene; Gossage, J. Phillip; Robinson, Luther K.; Manning, Melanie; Romeo, Marina; Hasken, Julie M.; Tabachnick, Barbara; Blankenship, Jason

2016-01-01

Background Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Italy and Mediterranean cultures need clarification, as there are few studies and most are plagued by inaccurate reporting of antenatal alcohol use. Methods Maternal interviews (n=905) were carried out in a population-based study of the prevalence and characteristics of FASD in the Lazio region of Italy which provided data for multivariate case control comparisons and multiple correlation models. Results Case control findings from interviews seven years post-partum indicate that mothers of children with FASD are significantly more likely than randomly-selected controls or community mothers to: be shorter; have higher body mass indexes (BMI); be married to a man with legal problems; report more drinking three months pre-pregnancy; engage in more current drinking and drinking alone; and have alcohol problems in her family. Logistic regression analysis of multiple candidate predictors of a FASD diagnosis indicates that alcohol problems in the child’s family is the most significant risk factor, making a diagnosis within the continuum of FASD 9 times more likely (95% C.I. = 1.6 to 50.7). Sequential multiple regression analysis of the child’s neuropsychological performance also identifies alcohol problems in the child’s family as the only significant maternal risk variable (p<.001) when controlling for other potential risk factors. Conclusions Underreporting of prenatal alcohol use has been demonstrated among Italian and other Mediterranean antenatal samples, and it was suspected in this sample. Nevertheless, several significant maternal risk factors for FASD have been identified. PMID:25456331

Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in a province in Italy.

PubMed

Ceccanti, Mauro; Fiorentino, Daniela; Coriale, Giovanna; Kalberg, Wendy O; Buckley, David; Hoyme, H Eugene; Gossage, J Phillip; Robinson, Luther K; Manning, Melanie; Romeo, Marina; Hasken, Julie M; Tabachnick, Barbara; Blankenship, Jason; May, Philip A

2014-12-01

Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Italy and Mediterranean cultures need clarification, as there are few studies and most are plagued by inaccurate reporting of antenatal alcohol use. Maternal interviews (n = 905) were carried out in a population-based study of the prevalence and characteristics of FASD in the Lazio region of Italy which provided data for multivariate case control comparisons and multiple correlation models. Case control findings from interviews seven years post-partum indicate that mothers of children with FASD are significantly more likely than randomly-selected controls or community mothers to: be shorter; have higher body mass indexes (BMI); be married to a man with legal problems; report more drinking three months pre-pregnancy; engage in more current drinking and drinking alone; and have alcohol problems in her family. Logistic regression analysis of multiple candidate predictors of a FASD diagnosis indicates that alcohol problems in the child's family is the most significant risk factor, making a diagnosis within the continuum of FASD 9 times more likely (95%C.I. = 1.6 to 50.7). Sequential multiple regression analysis of the child's neuropsychological performance also identifies alcohol problems in the child's family as the only significant maternal risk variable (p < .001) when controlling for other potential risk factors. Underreporting of prenatal alcohol use has been demonstrated among Italian and other Mediterranean antenatal samples, and it was suspected in this sample. Nevertheless, several significant maternal risk factors for FASD have been identified. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Differential growth factor control of bone formation through osteoprogenitor differentiation.

PubMed

Chaudhary, L R; Hofmeister, A M; Hruska, K A

2004-03-01

The osteogenic factors bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-7), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) regulate the recruitment of osteoprogenitor cells and their proliferation and differentiation into mature osteoblasts. However, their mechanisms of action on osteoprogenitor cell growth, differentiation, and bone mineralization remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that these osteogenic agents were capable of regulating osteoblast differentiation and bone formation in vitro. Normal human bone marrow stromal (HBMS) cells were treated with BMP-7 (40 ng ml(-1)), PDGF-BB (20 ng ml(-1)), FGF-2 (20 ng ml(-1)), or FGF-2 plus BMP-7 for 28 days in a serum-containing medium with 10 mM beta-glycerophosphate and 50 microg ml(-1) ascorbic acid. BMP-7 stimulated a morphological change to cuboidal-shaped cells, increased alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) activity, bone sialoprotein (BSP) gene expression, and alizarin red S positive nodule formation. Hydroxyapatite (HA) crystal deposition in the nodules was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy only in BMP-7- and dexamethasone (DEX)-treated cells. DEX-treated cells appeared elongated and fibroblast-like compared to BMP-7-treated cells. FGF-2 did not stimulate ALKP, and cell morphology was dystrophic. PDGF-BB had little or no effect on ALKP activity and biomineralization. Alizarin Red S staining of cells and calcium assay indicated that BMP-7, DEX, and FGF-2 enhanced calcium mineral deposition, but FTIR spectroscopic analysis demonstrated no formation of HA similar to human bone in control, PDGF-BB-, and FGF-2-treated samples. Thus, FGF-2 stimulated amorphous octacalcium phosphate mineral deposition that failed to mature into HA. Interestingly, FGF-2 abrogated BMP-7-induced ALKP activity and HA formation. Results demonstrate that BMP-7 was competent as a sole factor in the differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells to bone-forming osteoblasts confirmed by FTIR

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor promotes neuroblastoma differentiation.

PubMed

Gaviglio, Angela L; Knelson, Erik H; Blobe, Gerard C

2017-05-01

High-risk neuroblastoma is characterized by undifferentiated neuroblasts and low schwannian stroma content. The tumor stroma contributes to the suppression of tumor growth by releasing soluble factors that promote neuroblast differentiation. Here we identify heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HBEGF) as a potent prodifferentiating factor in neuroblastoma. HBEGF mRNA expression is decreased in human neuroblastoma tumors compared with benign tumors, with loss correlating with decreased survival. HBEGF protein is expressed only in stromal compartments of human neuroblastoma specimens, with tissue from high-stage disease containing very little stroma or HBEGF expression. In 3 human neuroblastoma cell lines (SK-N-AS, SK-N-BE2, and SH-SY5Y), soluble HBEGF is sufficient to promote neuroblast differentiation and decrease proliferation. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans and heparin derivatives further enhance HBEGF-induced differentiation by forming a complex with the epidermal growth factor receptor, leading to activation of the ERK1/2 and STAT3 pathways and up-regulation of the inhibitor of DNA binding transcription factor. These data support a role for loss of HBEGF in the neuroblastoma tumor microenvironment in neuroblastoma pathogenesis.-Gaviglio, A. L., Knelson, E. H., Blobe, G. C. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor promotes neuroblastoma differentiation. © FASEB.

The role of sociodemographic factors in maternal psychological distress and mother-preterm infant interactions.

PubMed

Gondwe, Kaboni W; White-Traut, Rosemary; Brandon, Debra; Pan, Wei; Holditch-Davis, Diane

2017-12-01

Preterm birth has been associated with greater psychological distress and less positive mother infant interactions than were experienced by mothers of full-term infants. Maternal and infant sociodemographic factors have also shown a strong association with psychological distress and the mother-infant relationship. However, findings on their effects over time are limited. In this longitudinal analysis, we explored the relationship of maternal and infant sociodemographic variables (maternal age, maternal education, marital status, being on social assistance, maternal race, infant birth weight, and infant gender) to maternal psychological distress (depressive, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, parenting stress symptoms, and maternal worry about child's health) through 12 months corrected age for prematurity, and on the home environment, and mother-infant interactions through 6 months corrected age for prematurity. We also explored differences related to maternal obstetrical characteristics (gestational age at birth, parity, mode of delivery, and multiple birth) and severity of infant conditions (Apgar scores, need for mechanical ventilation, and infant medical complications). Although the relationship of maternal and infant characteristics with these outcomes did not change over time, psychological distress differed based on marital status, maternal education, infant gender, and infant medical complications. Older mothers provided more a positive home environment. Mother-infant interactions differed by maternal age, being on public assistance, maternal race, infant gender, and infant medical complications. More longitudinal research is needed to better understand these effects over time in order to identify and support at-risk mothers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal depression and low maternal intelligence as risk factors for malnutrition in children: a community based case-control study from South India

PubMed Central

Anoop, S; Saravanan, B; Joseph, A; Cherian, A; Jacob, K

2004-01-01

Aims: To determine whether current and postpartum maternal depression and low maternal intelligence are risk factors for malnutrition in children. Methods: In rural South India 72 children with malnutrition were identified from a central register; 72 controls were matched for age, gender, and residence. Results: Major depression in the postpartum period (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 24.0), current major depression (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 9.5), and low maternal intelligence (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 11.1) were associated with malnutrition in the child. Low birth weight (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.8) was also significantly associated with infant malnutrition. Conditional logistic regression adjusting for all other determinants yielded the following results: major depression during the postpartum period (OR 7.8; 95% CI 1.6 to 38.51), current major depression (OR 3.1; 95% CI 0.9 to 9.7), low maternal intelligence (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.5 to 14.1), and low birth weight (OR 2.7; 95% CI 2.5 to 6.8). The interactions between current maternal depression and low birth weight and between postpartum depression and low maternal intelligence were statistically significant. The level of maternal intelligence was associated with nutritional status. The severity of malnutrition was also significantly associated with major depression during the postpartum period and low maternal intelligence. Conclusion: There is evidence for an association between postpartum maternal depression, low maternal intelligence, and low birth weight with malnutrition in children aged 6–12 months. PMID:15033840

Maternal depression and low maternal intelligence as risk factors for malnutrition in children: a community based case-control study from South India.

PubMed

Anoop, S; Saravanan, B; Joseph, A; Cherian, A; Jacob, K S

2004-04-01

To determine whether current and postpartum maternal depression and low maternal intelligence are risk factors for malnutrition in children. In rural South India 72 children with malnutrition were identified from a central register; 72 controls were matched for age, gender, and residence. Major depression in the postpartum period (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.0 to 24.0), current major depression (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 9.5), and low maternal intelligence (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 11.1) were associated with malnutrition in the child. Low birth weight (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.8) was also significantly associated with infant malnutrition. Conditional logistic regression adjusting for all other determinants yielded the following results: major depression during the postpartum period (OR 7.8; 95% CI 1.6 to 38.51), current major depression (OR 3.1; 95% CI 0.9 to 9.7), low maternal intelligence (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.5 to 14.1), and low birth weight (OR 2.7; 95% CI 2.5 to 6.8). The interactions between current maternal depression and low birth weight and between postpartum depression and low maternal intelligence were statistically significant. The level of maternal intelligence was associated with nutritional status. The severity of malnutrition was also significantly associated with major depression during the postpartum period and low maternal intelligence. There is evidence for an association between postpartum maternal depression, low maternal intelligence, and low birth weight with malnutrition in children aged 6-12 months.

Pregnancy-related maternal risk factors of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a case-control study.

PubMed

Amiri, Shahrokh; Malek, Ayyoub; Sadegfard, Majid; Abdi, Salman

2012-01-01

Background. The etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complex.This study was conducted to evaluate the pregnancy-related maternal risk factors of ADHD. Methods. 164 ADHD children attending to Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics compared with 166 normal children selected in a random-cluster method from primary schools. ADHD rating scale and clinical interview based on Schedule for Affective disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children (K-SADS) were used to diagnose ADHD cases and to select the control group. Results. The mean maternal age at pregnancy, duration of pregnancy, and the mean paternal age were alike in two groups. The ADHD children's mothers compared with those of control group had higher frequencies of somatic diseases, psychiatric disorders, and alcohol and cigarette exposure during the pregnancies (P < 0.01). Also birth by cesarean section was more common among mothers of ADHD children (P < 0.001). These factors plus trauma to the abdomen during pregnancy were significantly predictors of ADHD in children. Conclusions. Some pregnancy-related maternal factors may be considered as environmental risk factors for ADHD. Each of these factors considered in our study as a risk factor needs to be tested and confirmed through next methodologically appropriate researches in this field.

Maternal and paternal factors associated with congenital syphilis in Shenzhen, China: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Qin, J-B; Feng, T-J; Yang, T-B; Hong, F-C; Lan, L-N; Zhang, C-L

2014-02-01

Maternal and paternal factors create considerable obstacles to the elimination of congenital syphilis (CS). A clear understanding of maternal and paternal factors is important in order to define interventions in every community. This study aimed to investigate the maternal and paternal factors associated with CS. A prospective cohort study was conducted from April 25, 2007 to October 31, 2012 at the Shenzhen Center for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention (SCCDC) in China. We screened 279,334 pregnant women and identified 838 women with syphilis. Finally, a total of 360 women with syphilis were included for analysis. At the end of follow-up, 34 infants [9.4 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 6.8-12.9 %] were diagnosed with CS. Following adjustment for confounders, maternal history of syphilis [adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 0.21], prenatal care (aRR = 0.12), and complete treatment (aRR = 0.22) reduced the risk of infants being infected. Every two-fold increase of titer of non-treponemal antibodies (aRR = 1.88), early stage of syphilis (aRR = 9.59), a shorter length of time between the end of the first treatment to childbirth (aRR = 5.39), and every week of delay in treatment (aRR = 2.25) for maternal syphilis as well as paternal history of cocaine use (aRR = 6.28) and positive (aRR = 3.30) or unknown (aRR = 2.79) status of syphilis increased the risk of infants being infected. CS also increased the risk (aRR = 8.02) of neonatal death. Maternal and paternal factors constituted two separate profiles associated with CS. To become more effective, future strategies for the prevention of CS should be targeted to each profile.

Is maternal colonization with group B streptococci a risk factor for preeclampsia?

PubMed

Mulla, Zuber D; Carrillo, Thelma; Kalamegham, Ramaswami; Hernandez, Loretta L; Portugal, Elizabeth; Nuwayhid, Bahij S

2015-01-01

To explore the association between maternal rectovaginal colonization with group B Streptococcus (GBS) and the outcome of preeclampsia, and to identify other factors such as maternal chocolate consumption that may be associated with preeclampsia on the Texas-Mexico border. A case-control study was conducted among 330 women who delivered at a teaching hospital in El Paso, Texas, during the time period April 2010 to April 2012. Preeclamptic cases (n = 165) and controls free of preeclampsia (n = 165) were matched by gestational age and date of delivery. Conditional logistic regression (with multiple imputation for missing data) was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that were adjusted for maternal age and other factors. Cases (94.6%) and controls (97.0%) were predominantly Hispanic. GBS colonization was not associated with preeclampsia: adjusted OR = 1.73 (95% CI 0.63-4.74, p = 0.29). Maternal consumption of chocolate desserts once daily or more frequently as compared to < 7 times weekly was associated with a 76% reduction in the odds of preeclampsia: adjusted OR = 0.24 (95% CI 0.09-0.63, p = 0.004). Our study did not confirm the protective association between GBS and preeclampsia that was found in 2 existing state hospital datasets. Chocolate consumption during pregnancy was inversely associated with preeclampsia.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor promotes neuroblastoma differentiation

PubMed Central

Gaviglio, Angela L.; Knelson, Erik H.; Blobe, Gerard C.

2017-01-01

High-risk neuroblastoma is characterized by undifferentiated neuroblasts and low schwannian stroma content. The tumor stroma contributes to the suppression of tumor growth by releasing soluble factors that promote neuroblast differentiation. Here we identify heparin-binding epidermal growth factor–like growth factor (HBEGF) as a potent prodifferentiating factor in neuroblastoma. HBEGF mRNA expression is decreased in human neuroblastoma tumors compared with benign tumors, with loss correlating with decreased survival. HBEGF protein is expressed only in stromal compartments of human neuroblastoma specimens, with tissue from high-stage disease containing very little stroma or HBEGF expression. In 3 human neuroblastoma cell lines (SK-N-AS, SK-N-BE2, and SH-SY5Y), soluble HBEGF is sufficient to promote neuroblast differentiation and decrease proliferation. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans and heparin derivatives further enhance HBEGF-induced differentiation by forming a complex with the epidermal growth factor receptor, leading to activation of the ERK1/2 and STAT3 pathways and up-regulation of the inhibitor of DNA binding transcription factor. These data support a role for loss of HBEGF in the neuroblastoma tumor microenvironment in neuroblastoma pathogenesis.—Gaviglio, A. L., Knelson, E. H., Blobe, G. C. Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor promotes neuroblastoma differentiation. PMID:28174207

Pre-eclampsia: contribution of maternal constitutional factors and the consequences for cardiovascular health.

PubMed

Barden, Anne

2006-09-01

1. Pre-eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy that is potentially life threatening for both the mother and baby. It encompasses a number of abnormalities that may be present in other clinical conditions. 2. A placenta is essential for the development of pre-eclampsia and can be important in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Normal pregnancy is associated with remodelling of the maternal spiral arteries, which deliver blood to the placental villous space. Remodelling involves invasion by placental cytotrophoblasts that cause the maternal spiral arteries to lose their smooth muscle and become capacitance vessels; this process, known as placentation, is complete by 20 weeks of pregnancy. Poor placentation is associated with small-for-gestational-age fetuses and some cases of pre-eclampsia. It is thought that poor placentation can result in a hypoxic placenta that releases 'toxic substances' into the maternal circulation, contributing to the maternal syndrome. A number of candidate 'toxic substances' have been proposed, but none is universally raised in pre-eclampsia. 3. Although the placenta is necessary for the development of pre-eclampsia, the extent to which placental abnormalities contribute to the condition varies. It is becoming apparent that maternal constitutional factors may also be important in this syndrome. Underlying hypertension, diabetes and obesity strongly predispose to pre-eclampsia. However, a continuum of risk may exist for blood pressure, bodyweight, glucose and lipids, which, in combination with each other and some degree of placental abnormalities, may lead to the development of pre-eclampsia. 4. The present review will focus on the maternal constitutional factors that define the metabolic syndrome and examine their contribution to pre-eclampsia and the long-term consequences for cardiovascular health.

Paternal and maternal factors in preimplantation embryogenesis: interaction with the biochemical environment.

PubMed

Ménézo, Yves J R

2006-05-01

Paternal effect on embryonic development occurs as early as fertilization. Incorrect formation of the spermatozoon due to centrosome defects and abnormal concentrations of any components involved in the activation process lead to failure immediately or in the subsequent cell cycles. Sperm chromosomal abnormalities result in early embryo developmental arrests. Generally poor spermatozoa lead to poor blastocyst formation. Sperm DNA fragmentation may impair even late post-implantation development. The DNA repair capacity of the oocytes is of major importance. Early preimplantation development, i.e. until maternal to zygotic transition, is maternally driven. Maternal mRNAs and proteins are of major importance, as there is an unavoidable turnover of these reserves. Polyadenylation of these mRNAs is precisely controlled, in order to avoid too early or too late transcription and translation of the housekeeping genes. An important set of maternal regulations, such as DNA stability, transcriptional regulation and protection against oxidative stress, are impaired by age. The embryo biochemical endogenous pool is very important and may depend upon the environment, i.e. the culture medium. Paternal, maternal and environmental factors are unavoidable parameters; they become evident when age impairs oocyte quality.

Factors differentiating callous-unemotional children with and without conduct problems.

PubMed

Wall, Tina D; Frick, Paul J; Fanti, Kostas A; Kimonis, Eva R; Lordos, Alexandros

2016-08-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for a severe, aggressive, and persistent pattern of conduct problems (CP). This study investigated characteristics that might differentiate children with elevated CU traits with and without CP in an effort to identify factors that may reduce the risk for CP in children with limited prosocial emotions. Utilizing a sample of 1,366 children from Cyprus, five groups were identified for further study based on latent profile analysis: low-risk (67.2%), high-CP/low-CU (7.9%), high-CU (9.4%), moderate-CP/CU (8.4%), and high-CP/CU (7.2%). The identified groups were compared on behavioral and social measures. There were significant main effects of group for: impulsivity and executive functioning; parenting; and connectedness to school. The high-CU group had significantly lower hyperactivity-impulsivity and executive functioning deficits, significantly higher self-regulation, and their mothers reported more maternal involvement and positive parenting than those in the high-CP/CU group. Also, the high-CU group showed more school connectedness than those in the high-CP/CU group. These findings highlight several factors in the child and in his or her social environment that are associated with CU traits in the absence of serious CP and that may suggest targets for intervention for youth who may lack prosocial emotions. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Maternal and Gestational Risk Factors for Hypospadias

PubMed Central

Akre, Olof; Boyd, Heather A.; Ahlgren, Martin; Wilbrand, Kerstin; Westergaard, Tine; Hjalgrim, Henrik; Nordenskjöld, Agneta; Ekbom, Anders; Melbye, Mads

2008-01-01

Background An increase in the prevalence of hypospadias has been reported, but the environmental causes remain virtually unknown. Objectives Our goal was to assess the association between risk of hypospadias and indicators of placental function and endogenous hormone levels, exposure to exogenous hormones, maternal diet during pregnancy, and other environmental factors. Methods We conducted a case–control study in Sweden and Denmark from 2000 through 2005 using self-administered questionnaires completed by mothers of hypospadias cases and matched controls. The response rate was 88% and 81% among mothers of cases and controls, respectively. The analyses included 292 cases and 427 controls. Results A diet during pregnancy lacking both fish and meat was associated with a more than 4-fold increased risk of hypospadias [odds ratio (OR) = 4.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.6–13.3]. Boys born to obese [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30] women had a more than 2-fold increased risk of hypospadias (OR = 2.6; 95% CI, 1.2–5.7) compared with boys born to mothers with a normal weight (BMI = 20–24). Maternal hypertension during pregnancy and absence of maternal nausea increased a boy’s risk of hypospadias 2.0-fold (95% CI, 1.1–3.7) and 1.8-fold (95% CI, 1.2–2.8), respectively. Nausea in late pregnancy also appeared to be positively associated with hypospadias risk (OR = 7.6; 95% CI, 1.1–53). Conclusions A pregnancy diet lacking meat and fish appears to increase the risk of hypospadias in the offspring. Other risk associations were compatible with a role for placental insufficiency in the etiology of hypospadias. PMID:18709149

Personal and couple level risk factors: Maternal and paternal parent-child aggression risk.

PubMed

Tucker, Meagan C; Rodriguez, Christina M; Baker, Levi R

2017-07-01

Previous literature examining parent-child aggression (PCA) risk has relied heavily upon mothers, limiting our understanding of paternal risk factors. Moreover, the extent to which factors in the couple relationship work in tandem with personal vulnerabilities to impact PCA risk is unclear. The current study examined whether personal stress and distress predicted PCA risk (child abuse potential, over-reactive discipline style, harsh discipline practices) for fathers as well as mothers and whether couple functioning mediated versus moderated the relation between personal stress and PCA risk in a sample of 81 couples. Additionally, the potential for risk factors in one partner to cross over and affect their partner's PCA risk was considered. Findings indicated higher personal stress predicted elevated maternal and paternal PCA risk. Better couple functioning did not moderate this relationship but partially mediated stress and PCA risk for both mothers and fathers. In addition, maternal stress evidenced a cross-over effect, wherein mothers' personal stress linked to fathers' couple functioning. Findings support the role of stress and couple functioning in maternal and paternal PCA risk, including potential cross-over effects that warrant further inquiry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling Ability Differentiation in the Second-Order Factor Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molenaar, Dylan; Dolan, Conor V.; van der Maas, Han L. J.

2011-01-01

In this article we present factor models to test for ability differentiation. Ability differentiation predicts that the size of IQ subtest correlations decreases as a function of the general intelligence factor. In the Schmid-Leiman decomposition of the second-order factor model, we model differentiation by introducing heteroscedastic residuals,…

Maternal Gatekeeping: Antecedents and Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaunt, Ruth

2008-01-01

This study examined maternal gatekeeping, its background and psychological antecedents, and its consequences for paternal and maternal involvement in child care. In sum, 209 couples with 6- to 36-month-old children completed extensive questionnaires. Analyses revealed that various dimensions of gate-keeping were differentially associated with the…

EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY FACTORS ON MATERNAL HEALTH CARE SERVICE USE IN INDIA: A MULTILEVEL APPROACH.

PubMed

Yadav, Awdhesh; Kesarwani, Ranjana

2016-01-01

This study aimed to assess empirically the influence of individual and community (neighbourhood) factors on the use of maternal health care services in India through three outcomes: utilization of full antenatal care (ANC) services, safe delivery and utilization of postnatal care services. Data were from the third round of the National Family Health Survey (2005-06). The study sample constituted ever-married women aged 15-49 from 29 Indian states. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed for the three outcomes of interest accounting for individual- and community-level factors associated with the use of maternal health care services. A substantial amount of variation was observed at the community level. About 45%, 51% and 62% of the total variance in the use of full ANC, safe delivery and postnatal care, respectively, could be attributed to differences across the community. There was significant variation in the use of maternal health care services at the individual level, with socioeconomic status and mother's education being the most prominent factors associated with the use of maternal health care services. At the community level, urban residence and poverty concentration were found to be significantly associated with maternal health care service use. The results suggest that an increased focus on community-level interventions could lead to an increase in the utilization of maternal health care services in India.

Maternal common mental disorders and associated factors: a cross-sectional study in an urban slum area of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, Ahad Mahmud; Flora, Meerjady Sabrina

2017-01-01

Poor maternal mental health has a negative impact on child growth and development. The objective of the study was to find out the associated factors of maternal common mental disorders (CMD) in an urban slum area of Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was carried out from September to November 2013 among conveniently selected 264 mothers having under-five children at Kamrangirchar area of Dhaka. A structured questionnaire based on Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) was used for data collection where a cut-off of 7 was considered to ascertain CMD. Majority of the mothers were housewives (89.8%), educated up to primary level (40.9%) and lived in nuclear families (83.0%) with low socioeconomic status (64.4%) and moderate household food insecurity (57.5%). The prevalence of maternal CMD was 46.2%. In bivariate analysis, the associated factors of CMD were higher maternal age ( p  = 0.043), lower educational qualification ( p  = 0.015), low socioeconomic status ( p  = 0.004), household food insecurity ( p  < 0.001), maternal undernutrition ( p  = 0.001), child wasting (p = 0.005) and child underweight (p < 0.001). Household food insecurity ( p  < 0.001) and maternal undernutrition ( p  = 0.004) were identified as associated factors of maternal CMD after controlling for socio-demographic variables. There were about 5 times and 12 times increased odds of having maternal CMD in moderately (adjusted OR = 4.8, 95% CI 2.0-11.7) and severely food insecure household (adjusted OR = 11.6, 95% CI 3.5-38.1), respectively, than food secure one. Underweight mothers had 2.5 times increased odds of experiencing CMD as compared with mothers who were not underweight (adjusted OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.4-5.0). The prevalence of maternal CMD was relatively higher than other developing countries studied so far. Household food insecurity and maternal under-nutrition were the associated factors of maternal CMD. Therefore, interventions to improve household food

The plausibility of maternal toxicant exposure and nutritional status as contributing factors to the risk of autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Nuttall, Johnathan R

2017-05-01

Recent research suggests the maternal environment may be especially important for the risk of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In particular maternal infections, micronutrient deficiencies, obesity, and toxicant exposures are likely to interact with genetic risk factors to disrupt fetal brain development. The goal of this paper is to investigate the plausibility of maternal toxicant exposure and nutritional status as causal factors in the development of ASD. This paper reviews current research investigating the hypothesis that maternal toxicant exposure and prenatal micronutrient intake are important modifiable risk factors for ASD. Zinc, copper, iron, and vitamin B9 are identified as specific micronutrients with relevance to the etiology of ASD. Specific toxicants induce a maternal inflammatory response leading to fetal micronutrient deficiencies that disrupt early brain development. Importantly, maternal micronutrient supplementation is associated with reduced risk of ASD. Furthermore, animal studies show that micronutrient supplementation can prevent the teratogenicity and developmental neurotoxicity of specific toxicants. These findings lead to the hypothesis that maternal infection, obesity, and toxicant exposures (e.g. valproic acid, endocrine disrupting plasticizers, ethanol, and heavy metals) are all environmental risk factors for ASD that lead to fetal micronutrient deficiencies resulting from a maternal inflammatory response. It could be possible to use markers of inflammation and micronutrient status to identify women that would benefit from micronutrient supplementation or dietary interventions to reduce the risk of ASD. However, more research is needed to demonstrate a causal role of fetal micronutrient deficiencies and clarify the underlying mechanisms that contribute to ASD.

Low maternal vitamin D as a risk factor for schizophrenia: a pilot study using banked sera.

PubMed

McGrath, John; Eyles, Darryl; Mowry, Bryan; Yolken, Robert; Buka, Stephen

2003-09-01

Evidence from epidemiology suggests that low maternal vitamin D may be a risk factor for schizophrenia. Based on sera taken during the third trimester, we compared the level of 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 in mothers of individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders versus mothers of unaffected controls. For each case, we selected two controls matched on race, gender and date of birth of the offspring. There was no significant difference in third trimester maternal vitamin D in the entire sample (cases = 26, controls = 51). Within the subgroup of black individuals (n = 21), there was a trend level difference in the predicted direction. Maternal vitamin D does not operate as a continuous graded risk factor for schizophrenia, however, the results in the black subgroup raise the possibility that below a certain critical threshold, low levels of maternal vitamin D may be associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia.

Individual differences in maternal response to immune challenge predict offspring behavior: Contribution of environmental factors

PubMed Central

Bronson, Stefanie L.; Ahlbrand, Rebecca; Horn, Paul S.; Kern, Joseph R.; Richtand, Neil M.

2011-01-01

Maternal infection during pregnancy elevates risk for schizophrenia and related disorders in offspring. Converging evidence suggests the maternal inflammatory response mediates the interaction between maternal infection, altered brain development, and behavioral outcome. The extent to which individual differences in the maternal response to immune challenge influence the development of these abnormalities is unknown. The present study investigated the impact of individual differences in maternal response to the viral mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) on offspring behavior. We observed significant variability in body weight alterations of pregnant rats induced by administration of poly I:C on gestational day 14. Furthermore, the presence or absence of maternal weight loss predicted MK-801 and amphetamine stimulated locomotor abnormalities in offspring. MK-801 stimulated locomotion was altered in offspring of all poly I:C treated dams; however, the presence or absence of maternal weight loss resulted in decreased and modestly increased locomotion, respectively. Adult offspring of poly I:C treated dams that lost weight exhibited significantly decreased amphetamine stimulated locomotion, while offspring of poly I:C treated dams without weight loss performed similarly to vehicle controls. Social isolation and increased maternal age predicted weight loss in response to poly I:C but not vehicle injection. In combination, these data identify environmental factors associated with the maternal response to immune challenge and functional outcome of offspring exposed to maternal immune activation. PMID:21255612

Association between maternal socioeconomic factors and nutritional outcomes in children under 5 years of age.

PubMed

Géa-Horta, Tatiane; Felisbino-Mendes, Mariana Santos; Ortiz, Renzo Joel Flores; Velasquez-Melendez, Gustavo

To estimate the association between maternal socioeconomic factors and the occurrence of nutritional outcomes in children under five years of age in a representative sample of the Brazilian population. This was a cross-sectional study that evaluated data from the latest National Survey of Children and Women's Demographics and Health, carried out in Brazil in 2006-2007. Maternal employment and maternal level of schooling were the main exposures. The following nutritional outcomes in children were considered: height/age <-2 standard deviations (SD) for short stature and BMI/age >2SD for overweight. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were utilized as the regression method. After adjustments, it was observed that children whose mothers had low level of schooling had a higher chance of having short stature (OR=3.97, 95% CI, 1.23-12.80) and children whose mothers worked outside the home were more likely to have excess weight (OR=1.57, 95% CI, 1.02-2.42). Maternal employment was not associated with short stature in children (OR=1.09, 95% CI, 0.67-1.77). Maternal level of schooling was associated with short stature in children and maternal employment with overweight, indicating the need to take into account the socioeconomic factors when proposing programs and strategies aimed at health and nutrition improvement of children, considering inter-sectoral interventions. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

The impact of allostatic load on maternal sympathovagal functioning in stressful child contexts: Implications for problematic parenting

PubMed Central

STURGE-APPLE, MELISSA L.; SKIBO, MICHAEL A.; ROGOSCH, FRED A.; IGNJATOVIC, ZELJKO; HEINZELMAN, WENDI

2011-01-01

The present study applies an allostatic load framework to an examination of the relationship between maternal psychosocial risk factors and maladaptive parenting behaviors. Specifically, the implications of low socioeconomic status and maternal depressive symptoms for maternal sympathovagal functioning during young children’s distress were examined, as well as whether that functioning was, in turn, associated with maternal insensitivity, hostility, intrusiveness, and disengagement during mother–child dyadic interaction. Consistent with an allostatic framework, three patterns of sympathovagal functioning were expected to emerge: normative arousal, hyperarousal, and hypoarousal profiles. Furthermore, meaningful associations between maternal psychosocial risk factors, maladaptive parenting behaviors, and the three profiles of sympathovagal functioning were anticipated. Participants included 153 mother–toddler dyads recruited proportionately from lower and middle socioeconomic status backgrounds. Mothers’ sympathovagal response to their child’s distress was assessed during the Strange Situation paradigm, and mothers’ parenting behavior was assessed during a dyadic free-play interaction. As hypothesized, normative arousal, hyperarousal, and hypoarousal profiles of maternal sympathovagal functioning were identified. Maternal depressive symptomatology predicted the hyperarousal profile, whereas socioeconomic adversity predicted hypoarousal. Moreover, allostatic load profiles were differentially associated with problematic parenting behaviors. These findings underscore the role of physiological dysregulation as a mechanism in the relationship between proximal risk factors and actual maladaptive parenting behaviors. PMID:21756435

Transcriptional integration of paternal and maternal factors in the Arabidopsis zygote

PubMed Central

Aichinger, Ernst; Gong, Wen; Groot, Edwin; Verstraeten, Inge; Vu, Lam Dai; De Smet, Ive; Higashiyama, Tetsuya; Umeda, Masaaki; Laux, Thomas

2017-01-01

In many plants, the asymmetric division of the zygote sets up the apical–basal axis of the embryo. Unlike animals, plant zygotes are transcriptionally active, implying that plants have evolved specific mechanisms to control transcriptional activation of patterning genes in the zygote. In Arabidopsis, two pathways have been found to regulate zygote asymmetry: YODA (YDA) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which is potentiated by sperm-delivered mRNA of the SHORT SUSPENSOR (SSP) membrane protein, and up-regulation of the patterning gene WOX8 by the WRKY2 transcription factor. How SSP/YDA signaling is transduced into the nucleus and how these pathways are integrated have remained elusive. Here we show that paternal SSP/YDA signaling directly phosphorylates WRKY2, which in turn leads to the up-regulation of WOX8 transcription in the zygote. We further discovered the transcription factors HOMEODOMAIN GLABROUS11/12 (HDG11/12) as maternal regulators of zygote asymmetry that also directly regulate WOX8 transcription. Our results reveal a framework of how maternal and paternal factors are integrated in the zygote to regulate embryo patterning. PMID:28404632

Determinants of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in umbilical cord and maternal serum.

PubMed

Flöck, A; Weber, S K; Ferrari, N; Fietz, C; Graf, C; Fimmers, R; Gembruch, U; Merz, W M

2016-01-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a fundamental role in brain development; additionally, it is involved in various aspects of cerebral function, including neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Involvement of BDNF in parturition has not been investigated. The aim of our study was to analyze determinants of umbilical cord BDNF (UC-BDNF) concentrations of healthy, term newborns and their respective mothers. This cross-sectional prospective study was performed at a tertiary referral center. Maternal venous blood samples were taken on admission to labor ward; newborn venous blood samples were drawn from the umbilical cord (UC), before delivery of the placenta. Analysis was performed with a commercially available immunoassay. Univariate analyses and stepwise multivariate regression models were applied. 120 patients were recruited. UC-BDNF levels were lower than maternal serum concentrations (median 641 ng/mL, IQR 506 vs. median 780 ng/mL, IQR 602). Correlation between UC- and maternal BDNF was low (R=0.251, p=0.01). In univariate analysis, mode of delivery (MoD), gestational age (GA), body mass index at delivery, and gestational diabetes were determinants of UC-BDNF (MoD and smoking for maternal BDNF, respectively). Stepwise multivariate regression analysis revealed a model with MoD and GA as determinants for UC-BDNF (MoD for maternal BDNF). MoD and GA at delivery are determinants of circulating BDNF in the mother and newborn. We hypothesize that BDNF, like other neuroendocrine factors, is involved in the neuroendocrine cascade of delivery. Timing and mode of delivery may exert BDNF-induced effects on the cerebral function of newborns and their mothers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disadvantaged populations in maternal health in China who and why?

PubMed Central

Yuan, Beibei; Qian, Xu; Thomsen, Sarah

2013-01-01

Background China has made impressive progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for maternal and reproductive health, but ensuring that progress reaches all segments of the population remains a challenge for policy makers. The aim of this review is to map disadvantaged populations in terms of maternal health in China, and to explain the causes of these inequities to promote policy action. Methods We searched PUBMED, Popline, Proquest and WanFang and included primary studies conducted in mainland China. Experts were also contacted to identify additional studies. Disadvantaged populations in terms of MDG 5 and the reasons for this disadvantage explored by authors were identified and coded based on the conceptual framework developed by the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Results In China, differences in maternal health service utilization and the maternal mortality ratio among different income groups, and among regions with different socio-economic development still exist, although these differences are narrowing. Groups with low levels of education and ethnic minorities utilize maternal health care less frequently and experience higher maternal mortality, although we could not determine whether these differences have changed in the last decade. Rural-to-urban migrants use maternal health care and contraception to a lower extent than permanent residents of cities, and differential maternal mortality shows a widening trend among these groups. Gender inequity also contributes to the disadvantaged position of women. Intermediary factors that explain these inequities include material circumstances such as long distances to health facilities for women living in remote areas, behavioral factors such as traditional beliefs that result in reduced care seeking among ethnic minorities, and health system determinants such as out-of-pocket payments posing financial barriers for the poor. Conclusions Inequity in maternal health continues to be an

Disadvantaged populations in maternal health in China who and why?

PubMed

Yuan, Beibei; Qian, Xu; Thomsen, Sarah

2013-04-03

China has made impressive progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for maternal and reproductive health, but ensuring that progress reaches all segments of the population remains a challenge for policy makers. The aim of this review is to map disadvantaged populations in terms of maternal health in China, and to explain the causes of these inequities to promote policy action. We searched PUBMED, Popline, Proquest and WanFang and included primary studies conducted in mainland China. Experts were also contacted to identify additional studies. Disadvantaged populations in terms of MDG 5 and the reasons for this disadvantage explored by authors were identified and coded based on the conceptual framework developed by the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. In China, differences in maternal health service utilization and the maternal mortality ratio among different income groups, and among regions with different socio-economic development still exist, although these differences are narrowing. Groups with low levels of education and ethnic minorities utilize maternal health care less frequently and experience higher maternal mortality, although we could not determine whether these differences have changed in the last decade. Rural-to-urban migrants use maternal health care and contraception to a lower extent than permanent residents of cities, and differential maternal mortality shows a widening trend among these groups. Gender inequity also contributes to the disadvantaged position of women. Intermediary factors that explain these inequities include material circumstances such as long distances to health facilities for women living in remote areas, behavioral factors such as traditional beliefs that result in reduced care seeking among ethnic minorities, and health system determinants such as out-of-pocket payments posing financial barriers for the poor. Inequity in maternal health continues to be an issue worthy of greater programmatic and

Differential sensitization of parenting on early adolescent cortisol: Moderation by profiles of maternal stress.

PubMed

Martin, Christina Gamache; Kim, Hyoun K; Fisher, Philip A

2016-05-01

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a critical component of the body's stress-response neurobiological system, and its development and functioning are shaped by the social environment. Much of our understanding of the effects of the caregiving environment on the HPA axis is based on (a) parenting in young children and (b) individual maternal stressors, such as depression. Yet, less is known about how parenting behaviors and maternal stressors interact to influence child cortisol regulation, particularly in older children. With an ethnically diverse sample of 199 mothers and their early adolescent children (M=11.00years; 54% female), a profile analytic approach was used to investigate how multiple phenotypes of maternal stress co-occur and moderate the relation between parenting behaviors and youths' diurnal cortisol rhythms. Latent profile analysis yielded 4 profiles: current parenting stress, concurrent parenting and childhood stress, childhood stress, and low stress. For mothers with the concurrent parenting and childhood stress profile, inconsistent discipline, poor parental supervision, and harsh caregiving behaviors each were related to flattened diurnal cortisol rhythms in their adolescents. For mothers with the current parenting stress and childhood stress profiles, their use of inconsistent discipline was associated with flattened diurnal cortisol rhythms in their adolescents. For mothers with the low stress profile, none of the parenting behaviors was related to their adolescents' cortisol regulation. Findings suggest that based on mothers' stress profile, parenting behaviors are differentially related to youths' diurnal cortisol rhythms. Implications for parenting interventions are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential Sensitization of Parenting on Early Adolescent Cortisol: Moderation by Profiles of Maternal Stress

PubMed Central

Martin, Christina Gamache; Kim, Hyoun K.; Fisher, Philip A.

2016-01-01

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a critical component of the body’s stress-response neurobiological system, and its development and functioning are shaped by the social environment. Much of our understanding of the effects of the caregiving environment on the HPA axis is based on a) parenting in young children and b) individual maternal stressors, such as depression. Yet, less is known about how parenting behaviors and maternal stressors interact to influence child cortisol regulation, particularly in older children. With an ethnically diverse sample of 199 mothers and their early adolescent children (M = 11.00 years; 54% female), a profile analytic approach was used to investigate how multiple phenotypes of maternal stress co-occur and moderate the relation between parenting behaviors and youths’ diurnal cortisol rhythms. Latent profile analysis yielded 4 profiles: current parenting stress, concurrent parenting and childhood stress, childhood stress, and low stress. For mothers with the concurrent parenting and childhood stress profile, inconsistent discipline, poor parental supervision, and harsh caregiving behaviors each were related to flattened diurnal cortisol rhythms in their adolescents. For mothers with the current parenting stress and childhood stress profiles, their use of inconsistent discipline was associated with flattened diurnal cortisol rhythms in their adolescents. For mothers with the low stress profile, none of the parenting behaviors was related to their adolescents’ cortisol regulation. Findings suggest that based on mothers’ stress profile, parenting behaviors are differentially related to youths’ diurnal cortisol rhythms. Implications for parenting interventions are discussed. PMID:26859701

Individual, maternal and household risk factors for anaemia among young children in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Arlington, Lauren; Antsygina, Olga; Hayden, Douglas; Dzik, Walter; Kiwanuka, Julius P; Christiani, David C; Hibberd, Patricia L

2018-01-01

Objective Anaemia affects the majority of children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Previous studies of risk factors for anaemia have been limited by sample size, geography and the association of many risk factors with poverty. In order to measure the relative impact of individual, maternal and household risk factors for anaemia in young children, we analysed data from all SSA countries that performed haemoglobin (Hb) testing in the Demographic and Health Surveys. Design and setting This cross-sectional study pooled household-level data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 27 SSA between 2008 and 2014. Participants 96 804 children age 6–59 months. Results The prevalence of childhood anaemia (defined as Hb <11 g/dL) across the region was 59.9%, ranging from 23.7% in Rwanda to 87.9% in Burkina Faso. In multivariable regression models, older age, female sex, greater wealth, fewer household members, greater height-for-age, older maternal age, higher maternal body mass index, current maternal pregnancy and higher maternal Hb, and absence of recent fever were associated with higher Hb in tested children. Demographic, socioeconomic factors, family structure, water/sanitation, growth, maternal health and recent illnesses were significantly associated with the presence of childhood anaemia. These risk factor groups explain a significant fraction of anaemia (ranging from 1.0% to 16.7%) at the population level. Conclusions The findings from our analysis of risk factors for anaemia in SSA underscore the importance of family and socioeconomic context in childhood anaemia. These data highlight the need for integrated programmes that address the multifactorial nature of childhood anaemia. PMID:29764873

Effect of maternal and neonatal factors on neonatal thyroid stimulating hormone: Results from a population-based prospective cohort study in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Yixin; Du, Cong; Wang, Wei; Chen, Wen; Shao, Ping; Wang, Chongdan; Leng, Junhong; Shen, Jun; Tan, Long; Zhang, Wanqi

2018-09-01

Neonatal TSH screening is effective in detecting congenital hypothyroidism and estimating iodine status in a given population, but various factors influence TSH levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal and neonatal factors on neonatal TSH levels. Data were obtained from an ongoing prospective cohort study. A total of 988 pregnant women and their newborn infants participated in the study from April 2015 to May 2017 at Tianjin Maternal and Child Health Center and Tanggu Maternity Hospital in Tianjin, China. Maternal demographic information, including age, height, and parity, was recorded by questionnaire. Fasting blood and urinary samples were collected from all pregnant women. After parturition, information on gestation duration, mode of delivery, neonatal sex, neonatal TSH, neonatal birth weight, and neonatal birth height were recorded. Maternal age, maternal BMI, gestation duration, parity, and neonatal birth weight and height were significantly correlated with neonatal TSH (p < 0.05). Quantile regression revealed that maternal age, TSH, FT 4 , and gestation duration were positively correlated with neonatal TSH level. A logistic regression model identified maternal BMI, TSH, and birth height as risk factors for having neonatal TSH > 5 mIU/L (p < 0.05). Neonatal TSH levels are dynamic and may be affected by several maternal and neonatal factors including maternal age, TSH, FT 4 , and birth weight and height. Identification of these confounders is useful for assessing the status of neonatal thyroid development. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDY: (1) Iodine deficiency disorder has generally been eliminated, so the median urinary iodine concentration of pregnancy is higher than 150 μg/L even in mildly or moderately iodine deficient areas. (2) Unlike many other studies, which did not consider the complexity of factors or examined only one or two variables, this study used a multivariate model to analyze the data. (3

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and children's cognitive and physical development: a causal risk factor?

PubMed

Gilman, Stephen E; Gardener, Hannah; Buka, Stephen L

2008-09-01

There remains considerable debate regarding the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on children's growth and development. Evidence that exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with numerous adverse outcomes is contradicted by research suggesting that these associations are spurious. The authors investigated the relation between maternal smoking during pregnancy and 14 developmental outcomes of children from birth through age 7 years, using data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project (1959-1974; n = 52,919). In addition to adjusting for potential confounders measured contemporaneously with maternal smoking, the authors fitted conditional fixed-effects models among siblings that controlled for unmeasured confounders. Results from the conditional analyses indicated a birth weight difference of -85.63 g associated with smoking of >or=20 cigarettes daily during pregnancy (95% confidence interval: -131.91, -39.34) and 2.73 times' higher odds of being overweight at age 7 years (95% confidence interval: 1.30, 5.71). However, the associations between maternal smoking and 12 other outcomes studied (including Apgar score, intelligence, academic achievement, conduct problems, and asthma) were entirely eliminated after adjustment for measured and unmeasured confounders. The authors conclude that the hypothesized effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on these outcomes either are not present or are not distinguishable from a broader range of familial factors associated with maternal smoking.

Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Children's Cognitive and Physical Development: A Causal Risk Factor?

PubMed Central

Gardener, Hannah; Buka, Stephen L.

2008-01-01

There remains considerable debate regarding the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on children's growth and development. Evidence that exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy is associated with numerous adverse outcomes is contradicted by research suggesting that these associations are spurious. The authors investigated the relation between maternal smoking during pregnancy and 14 developmental outcomes of children from birth through age 7 years, using data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project (1959–1974; n = 52,919). In addition to adjusting for potential confounders measured contemporaneously with maternal smoking, the authors fitted conditional fixed-effects models among siblings that controlled for unmeasured confounders. Results from the conditional analyses indicated a birth weight difference of −85.63 g associated with smoking of ≥20 cigarettes daily during pregnancy (95% confidence interval: −131.91, −39.34) and 2.73 times' higher odds of being overweight at age 7 years (95% confidence interval: 1.30, 5.71). However, the associations between maternal smoking and 12 other outcomes studied (including Apgar score, intelligence, academic achievement, conduct problems, and asthma) were entirely eliminated after adjustment for measured and unmeasured confounders. The authors conclude that the hypothesized effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on these outcomes either are not present or are not distinguishable from a broader range of familial factors associated with maternal smoking. PMID:18653646

Blood pressure augmentation and maternal circulating concentrations of angiogenic factors at delivery in preeclamptic and uncomplicated pregnancies

PubMed Central

Troisi, Rebecca; Braekke, Kristin; Harsem, Nina Kittelsen; Hyer, Marianne; Hoover, Robert N.; Staff, Anne Cathrine

2008-01-01

Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether blood pressure increases are associated with maternal angiogenic factors in uncomplicated and preeclamptic pregnancies. Study Design Associations of blood pressure increases from mid- to late pregnancy with maternal serum concentrations of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFlt1), soluble endoglin (sEng), and placental growth factor (PlGF) at delivery were analyzed in 43 uncomplicated and 44 preeclamptic pregnancies. Results In uncomplicated pregnancies, increases in diastolic and mean arterial pressure were inversely associated with PlGF at delivery and positively associated with sEng and sFlt1/PlGF ratio. There were no significant associations between blood pressure increases and angiogenic factor concentrations in preeclampsia. Conclusion These data suggest that angiogenic factors are involved in blood pressure modulation in normotensive pregnancy and are consistent with the hypothesis that angiogenic balance plays a role in maternal breast cancer risk reduction associated with mid- to late blood pressure increases in uncomplicated pregnancies. PMID:18722574

Maternal Risk Factors for Preterm Birth in Murmansk County, Russia: A Registry-Based Study.

PubMed

Usynina, Anna A; Postoev, Vitaly A; Grjibovski, Andrej M; Krettek, Alexandra; Nieboer, Evert; Odland, Jon Øyvind; Anda, Erik Eik

2016-09-01

Globally, about 11% of all liveborn infants are preterm. To date, data on prevalence and risk factors of preterm birth (PTB) in Russia are limited. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of PTB in Murmansk County, Northwestern Russia and to investigate associations between PTB and selected maternal factors using the Murmansk County Birth Registry. We conducted a registry-based study of 52 806 births (2006-2011). In total, 51 156 births were included in the prevalence analysis, of which 3546 were PTBs. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals of moderate-to-late PTB, very PTB and extremely PTB for a range of maternal characteristics were estimated using multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. The overall prevalence of PTB in Murmansk County was 6.9%. Unmarried status, prior PTBs, spontaneous and induced abortions were strongly associated with PTB at any gestational age. Maternal low educational level increased the risk of extremely and moderate-to-late PTB. Young (<18 years) or older (≥35 years) mothers, graduates of vocational schools, underweight, overweight/obese mothers, and smokers were at higher risk of moderate-to-late PTB. Secondary education, alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus, or gestational diabetes were strongly associated with moderate-to-late and very PTB. The observed prevalence of PTB (6.9%) in Murmansk County, Russia was comparable with data on live PTB from European countries. Adverse prior pregnancy outcomes, maternal low educational level, unmarried status, alcohol abuse, and diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes were the most common risk factors for PTB. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differential effects of dietary diversity and maternal characteristics on linear growth of children aged 6-59 months in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-country analysis.

PubMed

Amugsi, Dickson A; Dimbuene, Zacharie T; Kimani-Murage, Elizabeth W; Mberu, Blessing; Ezeh, Alex C

2017-04-01

To investigate the differential effects of dietary diversity (DD) and maternal characteristics on child linear growth at different points of the conditional distribution of height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) in sub-Saharan Africa. Secondary analysis of data from nationally representative cross-sectional samples of singleton children aged 0-59 months, born to mothers aged 15-49 years. The outcome variable was child HAZ. Quantile regression was used to perform the multivariate analysis. The most recent Demographic and Health Surveys from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The present analysis was restricted to children aged 6-59 months (n 31 604). DD was associated positively with HAZ in the first four quantiles (5th, 10th, 25th and 50th) and the highest quantile (90th) in Nigeria. The largest effect occurred at the very bottom (5th quantile) and the very top (90th quantile) of the conditional HAZ distribution. In DRC, DD was significantly and positively associated with HAZ in the two lower quantiles (5th, 10th). The largest effects of maternal education occurred at the lower end of the conditional HAZ distribution in Ghana, Nigeria and DRC. Maternal BMI and height also had positive effects on HAZ at different points of the conditional distribution of HAZ. Our analysis shows that the association between DD and maternal factors and HAZ differs along the conditional HAZ distribution. Intervention measures need to take into account the heterogeneous effect of the determinants of child nutritional status along the different percentiles of the HAZ distribution.

Maternal Emotional Availability and Its Association with Maternal Psychopathology, Attachment Style Insecurity and Theory of Mind.

PubMed

Licata, Maria; Zietlow, Anna-Lena; Träuble, Birgit; Sodian, Beate; Reck, Corinna

High maternal emotional availability (EA) positively affects various domains of child development. However, the question of which factors promote or hinder maternal EA has not been investigated systematically. The present study investigated several maternal characteristics, namely maternal psychopathology, maternal attachment style insecurity, and theory of mind (ToM) as possible factors that influence maternal EA. The sample was comprised of 56 mothers and their preschool-aged children. Half of the mothers were diagnosed with postpartum depression and or anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV, and the other half were healthy controls. The results showed that both low maternal attachment style insecurity and high ToM skills significantly predicted maternal EA sensitivity, independently from maternal postpartum and concurrent psychopathology and education. Moreover, maternal attachment style insecurity fully mediated the link between maternal postpartum psychopathology and sensitivity. The findings suggest that maternal attachment style security can buffer negative effects of maternal psychopathology on maternal sensitivity in the mother-child interaction. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Gestational age-dependent risk factors for preterm birth: associations with maternal education and age early in gestation.

PubMed

Auger, Nathalie; Abrahamowicz, Michal; Wynant, Willy; Lo, Ernest

2014-05-01

Preterm birth (PTB) before 37 weeks can occur over a wide range of gestational ages, but few studies have assessed if associations between risk factors and PTB vary over the duration of gestation. We sought to evaluate if associations between two major risk factors (maternal education and age) and PTB depend on gestational age at delivery. We estimated hazard ratios of PTB for education and age in a time-to-event analysis using a retrospective cohort of 223,756 live singleton births from the province of Québec, Canada for the years 2001-2005. Differences in hazards of maternal education and age with PTB were assessed over gestational age in a Cox proportional hazards model using linear and nonlinear time interaction terms, adjusting for maternal characteristics. Associations of PTB with lower (vs. higher) education and older (vs. younger) age strengthened progressively at earlier gestational ages, such that the risk of PTB for maternal education and age was not constant over the course of gestation. Associations of PTB with risk factors such as maternal low education and older age may be stronger early in gestation. Models that capture the time-dependent nature of PTB may be useful when the goal is to assess associations at low gestational ages, and to avoid masked or biased associations early in gestation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Canonical correlation analysis of infant's size at birth and maternal factors: a study in rural northwest Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kabir, Alamgir; Merrill, Rebecca D; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Klemn, Rolf D W; Labrique, Alain B; Christian, Parul; West, Keith P; Nasser, Mohammed

2014-01-01

This analysis was conducted to explore the association between 5 birth size measurements (weight, length and head, chest and mid-upper arm [MUAC] circumferences) as dependent variables and 10 maternal factors as independent variables using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). CCA considers simultaneously sets of dependent and independent variables and, thus, generates a substantially reduced type 1 error. Data were from women delivering a singleton live birth (n = 14,506) while participating in a double-masked, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled maternal vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation trial in rural Bangladesh. The first canonical correlation was 0.42 (P<0.001), demonstrating a moderate positive correlation mainly between the 5 birth size measurements and 5 maternal factors (preterm delivery, early pregnancy MUAC, infant sex, age and parity). A significant interaction between infant sex and preterm delivery on birth size was also revealed from the score plot. Thirteen percent of birth size variability was explained by the composite score of the maternal factors (Redundancy, RY/X = 0.131). Given an ability to accommodate numerous relationships and reduce complexities of multiple comparisons, CCA identified the 5 maternal variables able to predict birth size in this rural Bangladesh setting. CCA may offer an efficient, practical and inclusive approach to assessing the association between two sets of variables, addressing the innate complexity of interactions.

Influence of maternal and socioeconomic factors on breast milk fatty acid composition in urban, low-income families.

PubMed

Nayak, Uma; Kanungo, Suman; Zhang, Dadong; Ross Colgate, E; Carmolli, Marya P; Dey, Ayan; Alam, Masud; Manna, Byomkesh; Nandy, Ranjan Kumar; Kim, Deok Ryun; Paul, Dilip Kumar; Choudhury, Saugato; Sahoo, Sushama; Harris, William S; Wierzba, Thomas F; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Kirkpatrick, Beth D; Haque, Rashidul; Petri, William A; Mychaleckyj, Josyf C

2017-10-01

The lipid composition of breast milk may have a significant impact on early infant growth and cognitive development. Comprehensive breast milk data is lacking from low-income populations in the Indian subcontinent impeding assessment of deficiencies and limiting development of maternal nutritional interventions. A single breast milk specimen was collected within 6 weeks postpartum from two low-income maternal cohorts of exclusively breastfed infants, from Dhaka, Bangladesh (n = 683) and Kolkata, India (n = 372) and assayed for percentage composition of 26 fatty acids. Mature milk (>15 days) in Dhaka (n = 99) compared to Kolkata (n = 372) was higher in total saturated fatty acid (SFA; mean 48% vs. 44%) and disproportionately lower in ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), hence the ω6- and ω3-PUFA ratio in Dhaka were almost double the value in Kolkata. In both sites, after adjusting for days of lactation, increased maternal education was associated with decreased SFA and PUFA, and increasing birth order or total pregnancies was associated with decreasing ω6-PUFA or ω3-PUFA by a factor of 0.95 for each birth and pregnancy. In Dhaka, household prosperity was associated with decreased SFA and PUFA and increased ω6- and ω3-PUFA. Maternal height was associated with increased SFA and PUFA in Kolkata (1% increase per 1 cm), but body mass index showed no independent association with either ratio in either cohort. In summary, the socioeconomic factors of maternal education and household prosperity were associated with breast milk composition, although prosperity may only be important in higher cost of living communities. Associated maternal biological factors were height and infant birth order, but not adiposity. Further study is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects. © 2017 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Family and Child Factors Related to the Use of Non-Maternal Infant Care: An English Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sylva, Kathy; Stein, Alan; Leach, Penelope; Barnes, Jacqueline; Malmberg, Lars-Erik

2007-01-01

This paper explores factors related to the use, amount and type of non-maternal child care infants experience in their first year, reporting on a prospective longitudinal study of 1201 families recruited from two different regions in England. The selection and timing of non-maternal child care was investigated within a socio-ecological model that…

The Effects of Differential Timing of Maternal Return to Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambliss, Catherine; Sheller, Kellianne

This study examined the relationship between maternal employment and college students' perceptions of the consequences of maternal employment and their own plans for future workplace involvement, as well as the degree to which this varies according to gender. It was hypothesized that the attitudes and preferences of adult children would be…

Maternal Depression, Maternal Expressed Emotion, and Youth Psychopathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tompson, Martha C.; Pierre, Claudette B.; Boger, Kathryn Dingman; McKowen, James W.; Chan, Priscilla T.; Freed, Rachel D.

2010-01-01

Across development, maternal depression has been found to be a risk factor for youth psychopathology generally and youth depression specifically. Maternal Expressed Emotion (EE) has been examined as a predictor of outcome among youth with depression. The present study explored the associations between youth psychopathology and two…

Individual, maternal and household risk factors for anaemia among young children in sub-Saharan Africa: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Moschovis, Peter P; Wiens, Matthew O; Arlington, Lauren; Antsygina, Olga; Hayden, Douglas; Dzik, Walter; Kiwanuka, Julius P; Christiani, David C; Hibberd, Patricia L

2018-05-14

Anaemia affects the majority of children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Previous studies of risk factors for anaemia have been limited by sample size, geography and the association of many risk factors with poverty. In order to measure the relative impact of individual, maternal and household risk factors for anaemia in young children, we analysed data from all SSA countries that performed haemoglobin (Hb) testing in the Demographic and Health Surveys. This cross-sectional study pooled household-level data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 27 SSA between 2008 and 2014. 96 804 children age 6-59 months. The prevalence of childhood anaemia (defined as Hb <11 g/dL) across the region was 59.9%, ranging from 23.7% in Rwanda to 87.9% in Burkina Faso. In multivariable regression models, older age, female sex, greater wealth, fewer household members, greater height-for-age, older maternal age, higher maternal body mass index, current maternal pregnancy and higher maternal Hb, and absence of recent fever were associated with higher Hb in tested children. Demographic, socioeconomic factors, family structure, water/sanitation, growth, maternal health and recent illnesses were significantly associated with the presence of childhood anaemia. These risk factor groups explain a significant fraction of anaemia (ranging from 1.0% to 16.7%) at the population level. The findings from our analysis of risk factors for anaemia in SSA underscore the importance of family and socioeconomic context in childhood anaemia. These data highlight the need for integrated programmes that address the multifactorial nature of childhood anaemia. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Clinical Risk Factors Associated With Peripartum Maternal Bacteremia.

PubMed

Easter, Sarah Rae; Molina, Rose L; Venkatesh, Kartik K; Kaimal, Anjali; Tuomala, Ruth; Riley, Laura E

2017-10-01

To evaluate risk factors associated with maternal bacteremia in febrile peripartum women. We performed a case-control study of women with fevers occurring between 7 days before and up to 42 days after delivery of viable neonates at two academic hospitals. Women with positive blood cultures were matched with the next two febrile women meeting inclusion criteria with negative blood cultures in the microbiology data without other matching parameters. We compared maternal and neonatal characteristics and outcomes between women in the case group and those in the control group with univariate analysis. We then used logistic regression to examine the association between clinical characteristics and maternal bacteremia. After excluding blood cultures positive only for contaminants, we compared 115 women in the case group with 285 in the control group. Bacteremic women were more likely to experience their initial fever during labor (40.9% compared with 22.8%, P<.01) and more likely to have fever at or above 102°F (62.6% compared with 31.6%, P<.01). These associations persisted in the adjusted analysis: multiparity (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.75, 95% CI 1.07-2.87), initial fever during labor (adjusted OR 2.82, 95% CI 1.70-4.70), and fever at or above 102°F (adjusted OR 3.83, 95% CI 2.37-6.19). In an analysis restricted to neonates whose mothers had initial fevers before or in the immediate 24 hours after delivery, neonates born to women in the case group had higher rates of bacteremia compared with those born to women in the control group (9.0% compared with 1.3%, P<.01). Eight of the nine bacteremic neonates born to bacteremic mothers (89%) grew the same organism as his or her mother in blood culture. Maternal bacteremia is associated with multiparity, initial fever during labor, and fever at or above 102°F; however, 37.5% of cases of bacteremia occurred in women with maximum fevers below this threshold. Obstetricians should maintain a heightened suspicion for an

Key Transcription Factors in the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Almalki, Sami G.; Agrawal, Devendra K.

2016-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells that represent a promising source for regenerative medicine. MSCs are capable of osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic and myogenic differentiation. Efficacy of differentiated MSCs to regenerate cells in the injured tissues requires the ability to maintain the differentiation toward the desired cell fate. Since MSCs represent an attractive source for autologous transplantation, cellular and molecular signaling pathways and micro-environmental changes have been studied in order to understand the role of cytokines, chemokines, and transcription factors on the differentiation of MSCs. The differentiation of MSC into a mesenchymal lineage is genetically manipulated and promoted by specific transcription factors associated with a particular cell lineage. Recent studies have explored the integration of transcription factors, including Runx2, Sox9, PPARγ, MyoD, GATA4, and GATA6 in the differentiation of MSCs. Therefore, the overexpression of a single transcription factor in MSCs may promote trans-differentiation into specific cell lineage, which can be used for treatment of some diseases. In this review, we critically discussed and evaluated the role of transcription factors and related signaling pathways that affect the differentiation of MSCs toward adipocytes, chondrocytes, osteocytes, skeletal muscle cells, cardiomyocytes, and smooth muscle cells. PMID:27012163

Are infants differentially sensitive to parenting? Early maternal care, DRD4 genotype and externalizing behavior during adolescence.

PubMed

Nikitopoulos, Jörg; Zohsel, Katrin; Blomeyer, Dorothea; Buchmann, Arlette F; Schmid, Brigitte; Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine; Becker, Katja; Schmidt, Martin H; Esser, Günter; Brandeis, Daniel; Banaschewski, Tobias; Laucht, Manfred

2014-12-01

Insensitive and unresponsive caregiving during infancy has been linked to externalizing behavior problems during childhood and adolescence. The 7-repeat (7r) allele of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene has meta-analytically been associated with a heightened susceptibility to adverse as well as supportive environments. In the present study, we examined long-term effects of early maternal care, DRD4 genotype and the interaction thereof on externalizing and internalizing psychopathology during adolescence. As part of an ongoing epidemiological cohort study, early maternal care was assessed at child's age 3 months during a nursing and playing situation. In a sample of 296 offspring, externalizing and internalizing symptoms were assessed using a psychiatric interview conducted at age 15 years. Parents additionally filled out a questionnaire on their children's psychopathic behaviors. Results indicated that adolescents with the DRD4 7r allele who experienced less responsive and stimulating early maternal care exhibited more symptoms of ADHD and CD/ODD as well as higher levels of psychopathic behavior. In accordance with the hypothesis of differential susceptibility, 7r allele carriers showed fewer ADHD symptoms and lower levels of psychopathic behavior when exposed to especially beneficial early caregiving. In contrast, individuals without the DRD4 7r allele proved to be insensitive to the effects of early maternal care. This study replicates earlier findings with regard to an interaction between DRD4 genotype and early caregiving on externalizing behavior problems in preschoolers. It is the first one to imply continuity of this effect until adolescence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BNDF methylation in mothers and newborns is associated with maternal exposure to war trauma.

PubMed

Kertes, Darlene A; Bhatt, Samarth S; Kamin, Hayley S; Hughes, David A; Rodney, Nicole C; Mulligan, Connie J

2017-01-01

The BDNF gene codes for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a growth factor involved in neural development, cell differentiation, and synaptic plasticity. Present in both the brain and periphery, BDNF plays critical roles throughout the body and is essential for placental and fetal development. Rodent studies show that early life stress, including prenatal stress, broadly alters BDNF methylation, with presumed changes in gene expression. No studies have assessed prenatal exposure to maternal traumatic stress and BDNF methylation in humans. This study examined associations of prenatal exposure to maternal stress and BDNF methylation at CpG sites across the BDNF gene. Among 24 mothers and newborns in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region with extreme conflict and violence to women, maternal experiences of war trauma and chronic stress were associated with BDNF methylation in umbilical cord blood, placental tissue, and maternal venous blood. Associations of maternal stress and BDNF methylation showed high tissue specificity. The majority of significant associations were observed in putative transcription factor binding regions. This is the first study in humans to examine BDNF methylation in relation to prenatal exposure to maternal stress in three tissues simultaneously and the first in any mammalian species to report associations of prenatal stress and BDNF methylation in placental tissue. The findings add to the growing body of evidence highlighting the importance of considering epigenetic effects when examining the impacts of trauma and stress, not only for adults but also for offspring exposed via effects transmitted before birth.

Maternal inexperience as a risk factor of innate fear and PTSD-like symptoms in mice.

PubMed

Siegmund, Anja; Dahlhoff, Maik; Habersetzer, Ursula; Mederer, Anna; Wolf, Eckhard; Holsboer, Florian; Wotjak, Carsten T

2009-09-01

In laboratory rats and mice, differences in maternal care during the first week of life have been shown to exert long-lasting consequences on cognitive functioning and stress processing of the offspring. Such epigenetic programming is also assumed to play an important role in the transgenerational transmission of PTSD in humans. Here we studied whether even subtle within-subject differences in maternal care - caused by increasing mothering experience from the first to the second litter - can determine subsequent vulnerability for PTSD-like behaviour. To assess the influence of maternal experience on different components of fear, we analysed the adult male offspring of two subsequent litters (offspring 1, 2) from the same parental C57BL/6NCrl (B6N) and C57BL/6JOla (B6JOla) mice for (i) their innate anxiety behaviour on a modified hole board and (ii) their vulnerability to develop long-lasting PTSD-like fear symptoms ("hyperarousal", contextually conditioned fear) following perception of an inescapable foot shock. Increasing maternal experience reduced the animals' innate fear on the modified hole board (more exploration, less inhibition), the acute stress reaction to the shock and - one month after trauma - the levels of hyperarousal-like behaviour in the PTSD-prone B6N strain. In contrast, both acquisition and extinction of contextually conditioned fear were increased in the second offspring, representing cognitive flexibility. A factor analysis showed that innate fear, "hyperarousal" and conditioned fear represent independent behavioural dimensions. In conclusion, the present study identifies maternal inexperience as a risk factor for the development of PTSD-like symptoms. This effect - occurring in inbred mice on an almost identical genetic background - emphasizes the impact of epigenetic factors in PTSD-like behaviour.

Factors That Contribute to the Improvement in Maternal Parenting after Separation from a Violent Husband or Partner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujiwara, Takeo; Okuyama, Makiko; Izumi, Mayuko

2012-01-01

The authors test the hypothesis that separation from a violent husband or partner improves maternal parenting in Japan and examine how childhood abuse history (CAH), experience of domestic violence (DV), mental health problems, husband or partner's child maltreatment, and other demographic factors affect maternal parenting after such separation. A…

Adverse maternal outcomes associated with fetal macrosomia: what are the risk factors beyond birthweight?

PubMed

Fuchs, Florent; Bouyer, Jean; Rozenberg, Patrick; Senat, Marie-Victoire

2013-04-08

To identify risk factors, beyond fetal weight, associated with adverse maternal outcomes in delivering infants with a birthweight of 4000 g or greater, and to quantify their role in maternal complications. All women (n = 1564) with singleton pregnancies who attempted vaginal delivery and delivered infants weighing at least 4000 g, in two French tertiary care centers from 2005 to 2008, were included in our study. The studied outcome was maternal complications defined as composite item including the occurrence of a third- or fourth-degree perineal laceration, or the occurrence of severe postpartum hemorrhage requiring the use of prostaglandins, uterine artery embolization, internal iliac artery ligation or haemostatic hysterectomy, or the occurrence of blood transfusion. Univariate analysis, multivariable logistic regression and estimation of attributable risk were used. Maternal complications were increased in Asian women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-9.3, Attributable risk (AR): 3%), in prolonged labor (aOR = 1.9 [95% CI; 1.1-3.4], AR = 12%) and in cesarean delivery during labor (aOR = 2.2 [95% CI; 1.3-3.9], AR = 17%). Delivering infants with a birthweight > 4500 g also increased the occurrence of maternal complications (aOR = 2.7 [95% CI; 1.4-5.1]) but with an attributable risk of only 10%. Multiparous women with a previous delivery of a macrosomic infant were at lower risk of maternal complications (aOR = 0.5 [95% CI; 0.2-0.9]). In women delivering infants with a birthweight of 4000 g or greater, some maternal characteristics as well as labor parameters may worsen maternal outcome beyond the influence of increased fetal weight.

PREventing Maternal And Neonatal Deaths (PREMAND): a study protocol for examining social and cultural factors contributing to infant and maternal deaths and near-misses in rural northern Ghana.

PubMed

Moyer, Cheryl A; Aborigo, Raymond A; Kaselitz, Elizabeth B; Gupta, Mira L; Oduro, Abraham; Williams, John

2016-03-09

While Ghana is a leader in some health indicators among West African nations, it still struggles with high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates, especially in the northern areas. The clinical causes of mortality and morbidity are relatively well understood in Ghana, but little is known about the impact of social and cultural factors on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Less still is understood about how such factors may vary by geographic location, and how such variability may inform locally-tailored solutions. Preventing Maternal And Neonatal Deaths (PREMAND) is a three-year, three-phase project that takes place in four districts in the Upper East, Upper West, and Northern Regions of Ghana. PREMAND will prospectively identify all maternal and neonatal deaths and 'near-misses', or those mothers and babies who survive a life threatening complication, in the project districts. Each event will be followed by either a social autopsy (in the case of deaths) or a sociocultural audit (in the case of near-misses). Geospatial technology will be used to visualize the variability in outcomes as well as the social, cultural, and clinical predictors of those outcomes. Data from PREMAND will be used to generate maps for local leaders, community members and Government of Ghana to identify priority areas for intervention. PREMAND is an effort of the Navrongo Health Research Centre and the University of Michigan Medical School. PREMAND uses an innovative, multifaceted approach to better understand and address neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality in northern Ghana. It will provide unprecedented access to information on the social and cultural factors that contribute to deaths and near-misses in the project regions, and will allow such causal factors to be situated geographically. PREMAND will create the opportunity for local, regional, and national stakeholders to see how these events cluster, and place them relative to traditional healer compounds, health

Is Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy a Causal Environmental Risk Factor for Adolescent Antisocial Behavior? Testing Etiological Theories and Assumptions

PubMed Central

D'Onofrio, Brian M.; Van Hulle, Carol A.; Goodnight, Jackson A.; Rathouz, Paul J.; Lahey, Benjamin B.

2013-01-01

Background Although many studies indicate that maternal smoking during pregnancy (SDP) is correlated with later offspring antisocial behavior (ASB), recent quasi-experimental studies suggest that background familial factors confound the association. The present study sought to test alternative etiological hypotheses using multiple indices of adolescent ASB, comparing differentially exposed siblings, and testing assumptions in the sibling-comparison design. Methods The study examined the association between maternal SDP and adolescent-reported ASB, criminal convictions, and membership in a group of individuals with early-starting and chronic ASB among 6,066 offspring of women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a representative sample of women in the United States. The analyses controlled for statistical covariates and examined associations while comparing differentially exposed siblings. Results At the population-level, each additional pack of cigarettes/day predicted greater mean adolescent-reported ASB symptoms (ratio of means=1.15, 95% CIs=1.08–1.22), odds of being in the top 10% of ASB (OR=1.34, 95% CIs=1.10–1.65), hazard of a criminal conviction (HR=1.51, 95% CIs=1.34–1.68), and odds of chronic ASB (OR=1.57, 95% CIs=1.25–1.99). SDP robustly predicted most assessments of ASB while controlling for measured covariates. When siblings exposed to differing levels of SDP were compared, however, all of the associations were attenuated and were not statistically significant: adolescent-reported mean ASB (ratio of means=0.86, 95% CIs=0.74–1.01), High ASB (OR=0.67, 95% CIs=0.41–1.12), criminal conviction (HR=0.98, 95% CIs=0.66–1.44), and Chronic ASB (OR=0.80, 95% CIs=0.46–1.38). Conclusions The results strongly suggest that familial factors account for the correlation between SDP and offspring adolescent ASB, rather than a putative causal environmental influence of SDP. PMID:22085725

Maternal sensitivity: a concept analysis.

PubMed

Shin, Hyunjeong; Park, Young-Joo; Ryu, Hosihn; Seomun, Gyeong-Ae

2008-11-01

The aim of this paper is to report a concept analysis of maternal sensitivity. Maternal sensitivity is a broad concept encompassing a variety of interrelated affective and behavioural caregiving attributes. It is used interchangeably with the terms maternal responsiveness or maternal competency, with no consistency of use. There is a need to clarify the concept of maternal sensitivity for research and practice. A search was performed on the CINAHL and Ovid MEDLINE databases using 'maternal sensitivity', 'maternal responsiveness' and 'sensitive mothering' as key words. The searches yielded 54 records for the years 1981-2007. Rodgers' method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to analyse the material. Four critical attributes of maternal sensitivity were identified: (a) dynamic process involving maternal abilities; (b) reciprocal give-and-take with the infant; (c) contingency on the infant's behaviour and (d) quality of maternal behaviours. Maternal identity and infant's needs and cues are antecedents for these attributes. The consequences are infant's comfort, mother-infant attachment and infant development. In addition, three positive affecting factors (social support, maternal-foetal attachment and high self-esteem) and three negative affecting factors (maternal depression, maternal stress and maternal anxiety) were identified. A clear understanding of the concept of maternal sensitivity could be useful for developing ways to enhance maternal sensitivity and to maximize the developmental potential of infants. Knowledge of the attributes of maternal sensitivity identified in this concept analysis may be helpful for constructing measuring items or dimensions.

Maternal Psychosocial Maladjustment and Child Internalizing Symptoms: Investigating the Modulating Role of Maternal Sensitivity.

PubMed

Bouvette-Turcot, Andrée-Anne; Bernier, Annie; Leblanc, Élizabel

2017-01-01

In light of evidence suggesting that maternal adaptation may impact early child emotional development, this study investigated the interactive effects of maternal psychosocial maladjustment and maternal sensitivity on child internalizing symptoms, with the aim of investigating the potentially protective function of maternal sensitivity. Families (N = 71 to 106 across measures, with gender spread almost evenly: number of boys = 31 to 51 across measures) took part in four assessments between child ages 1 and 3 years. Mothers completed measures of parental stress, psychological distress, and marital satisfaction when their children were between 12 and 15 months. A composite score of maternal psychosocial maladjustment was derived from these measures. Maternal sensitivity was rated by trained observers at 12 months following a home visit. Child internalizing symptoms were assessed by both parents when the child was 2 and 3 years old. Hierarchical regressions revealed that increased maternal psychosocial maladjustment was related to more internalizing symptoms in children, however only among children of less sensitive mothers. In contrast, children of more sensitive mothers appeared to be protected. This was observed with maternal reports at 2 years, and both maternal and paternal reports at 3 years. These results suggest that young children may be differentially affected by their parents' emotional adjustment, while highlighting the pivotal protective role of maternal sensitivity in this process.

Maternal socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with the sex ratio at birth in Vietnam.

PubMed

Pham, Bang Nguyen; Adair, Timothy; Hill, Peter S

2010-11-01

In recent years Vietnam has experienced a high sex ratio at birth (SRB) amidst rapid socioeconomic and demographic changes. However, little is known about the differentials in SRB between maternal socioeconomic and demographic groups. The paper uses data from the annual Population Change Survey (PCS) in 2006 to examine the relationship of the sex ratio of the most recent birth with maternal socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and the number of previous female births. The SRB of Vietnam was significantly high at 111.4 (95% CI 109.7-113.1) for the period 1st April 2000 to 31st March 2006. Multivariate analysis reveals that sex of the most recent birth is strongly related with the number of previous female births. This association is consistent across different socioeconomic and demographic groups of women. Given the high SRB in Vietnam, further research into the reasons for high SRB in these groups is required, as are intervention programmes such as those raising the public awareness of its negative consequences.

Genetic Syndromes, Maternal Diseases and Antenatal Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

PubMed

Ornoy, Asher; Weinstein-Fudim, Liza; Ergaz, Zivanit

2016-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affecting about 1% of all children is associated, in addition to complex genetic factors, with a variety of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal etiologies. In addition, ASD is often an important clinical presentation of some well-known genetic syndromes in human. We discuss these syndromes as well as the role of the more important prenatal factors affecting the fetus throughout pregnancy which may also be associated with ASD. Among the genetic disorders we find Fragile X, Rett syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Timothy syndrome, Phelan-McDermid syndrome, Hamartoma tumor syndrome, Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes, and a few others. Among the maternal diseases in pregnancy associated with ASD are diabetes mellitus (PGDM and/or GDM), some maternal autoimmune diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) with anti-β2GP1 IgG antibodies and thyroid disease with anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, preeclampsia and some other autoimmune diseases with IgG antibodies that might affect fetal brain development. Other related factors are maternal infections (rubella and CMV with fetal brain injuries, and possibly Influenza with fever), prolonged fever and maternal inflammation, especially with changes in a variety of inflammatory cytokines and antibodies that cross the placenta and affect the fetal brain. Among the drugs are valproic acid, thalidomide, misoprostol, and possibly SSRIs. β2-adrenergic receptor agonists and paracetamol have also lately been associated with increased rate of ASD but the data is too preliminary and inconclusive. Associations were also described with ethanol, cocaine, and possibly heavy metals, heavy smoking, and folic acid deficiency. Recent studies show that heavy exposure to pesticides and air pollution, especially particulate matter < 2.5 and 10 μm in diameter (PM2.5 and PM10) during pregnancy is also associated with ASD. Finally, we have to remember that many of the associations mentioned in this review are

Genetic Syndromes, Maternal Diseases and Antenatal Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

PubMed Central

Ornoy, Asher; Weinstein- Fudim, Liza; Ergaz, Zivanit

2016-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affecting about 1% of all children is associated, in addition to complex genetic factors, with a variety of prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal etiologies. In addition, ASD is often an important clinical presentation of some well-known genetic syndromes in human. We discuss these syndromes as well as the role of the more important prenatal factors affecting the fetus throughout pregnancy which may also be associated with ASD. Among the genetic disorders we find Fragile X, Rett syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Timothy syndrome, Phelan–McDermid syndrome, Hamartoma tumor syndrome, Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes, and a few others. Among the maternal diseases in pregnancy associated with ASD are diabetes mellitus (PGDM and/or GDM), some maternal autoimmune diseases like antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) with anti-β2GP1 IgG antibodies and thyroid disease with anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, preeclampsia and some other autoimmune diseases with IgG antibodies that might affect fetal brain development. Other related factors are maternal infections (rubella and CMV with fetal brain injuries, and possibly Influenza with fever), prolonged fever and maternal inflammation, especially with changes in a variety of inflammatory cytokines and antibodies that cross the placenta and affect the fetal brain. Among the drugs are valproic acid, thalidomide, misoprostol, and possibly SSRIs. β2-adrenergic receptor agonists and paracetamol have also lately been associated with increased rate of ASD but the data is too preliminary and inconclusive. Associations were also described with ethanol, cocaine, and possibly heavy metals, heavy smoking, and folic acid deficiency. Recent studies show that heavy exposure to pesticides and air pollution, especially particulate matter < 2.5 and 10 μm in diameter (PM2.5 and PM10) during pregnancy is also associated with ASD. Finally, we have to remember that many of the associations mentioned in this review are

Influence of maternal and socioeconomic factors on breast milk fatty acid composition in urban, low‐income families

PubMed Central

Nayak, Uma; Kanungo, Suman; Zhang, Dadong; Ross Colgate, E.; Carmolli, Marya P.; Dey, Ayan; Alam, Masud; Manna, Byomkesh; Nandy, Ranjan Kumar; Kim, Deok Ryun; Paul, Dilip Kumar; Choudhury, Saugato; Sahoo, Sushama; Harris, William S.; Wierzba, Thomas F.; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Kirkpatrick, Beth D.; Haque, Rashidul; Petri, William A.

2017-01-01

Abstract The lipid composition of breast milk may have a significant impact on early infant growth and cognitive development. Comprehensive breast milk data is lacking from low‐income populations in the Indian subcontinent impeding assessment of deficiencies and limiting development of maternal nutritional interventions. A single breast milk specimen was collected within 6 weeks postpartum from two low‐income maternal cohorts of exclusively breastfed infants, from Dhaka, Bangladesh (n = 683) and Kolkata, India (n = 372) and assayed for percentage composition of 26 fatty acids. Mature milk (>15 days) in Dhaka (n = 99) compared to Kolkata (n = 372) was higher in total saturated fatty acid (SFA; mean 48% vs. 44%) and disproportionately lower in ω3‐polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), hence the ω6‐ and ω3‐PUFA ratio in Dhaka were almost double the value in Kolkata. In both sites, after adjusting for days of lactation, increased maternal education was associated with decreased SFA and PUFA, and increasing birth order or total pregnancies was associated with decreasing ω6‐PUFA or ω3‐PUFA by a factor of 0.95 for each birth and pregnancy. In Dhaka, household prosperity was associated with decreased SFA and PUFA and increased ω6‐ and ω3‐PUFA. Maternal height was associated with increased SFA and PUFA in Kolkata (1% increase per 1 cm), but body mass index showed no independent association with either ratio in either cohort. In summary, the socioeconomic factors of maternal education and household prosperity were associated with breast milk composition, although prosperity may only be important in higher cost of living communities. Associated maternal biological factors were height and infant birth order, but not adiposity. Further study is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects. PMID:28198164

Gravity, an Regulation Factor in BMSCs Differentiation to osteoblasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Huang; Yinghui, Li; Fen, Yang; Zhongquan, Dai

PURPOSE Most studies of regulatory mechanisms of adult stem cell differentiation are concentrated in chemical factors but few efforts are put into physical factors Recent space life science studies indicate mechanical factors participate in the differentiation of cells The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of simulated microgravity or hypergravity on the osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells BMSCs METHODOLOGY The BMSCs at day 7 were added osteogenic inducer 10nM dexamethasone 10mM beta -glycerophosphate and 50 mu M asorbic acid-2-phosphate for 7 days and cultured under simulated microgravity or hypergravity 2g for 1 day 3 days 5 days or 7 days RESULTS After treating BMSCs with osteogenic inducer and hypergravity the cells expressed more ColIA1 Cbfa1 and ALP than in single steogenic inducer treatment Reversely the cells treated with osteogenic inducer and simulated microgravity expressed less ColIA1 Cbfa1 and ALP CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that hypergravity promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and simulated microgravity inhibits this process Gravity is an important regulation factor in BMSCs differentiation to osteoblasts

Adverse maternal outcomes associated with fetal macrosomia: what are the risk factors beyond birthweight?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To identify risk factors, beyond fetal weight, associated with adverse maternal outcomes in delivering infants with a birthweight of 4000 g or greater, and to quantify their role in maternal complications. Methods All women (n = 1564) with singleton pregnancies who attempted vaginal delivery and delivered infants weighing at least 4000 g, in two French tertiary care centers from 2005 to 2008, were included in our study. The studied outcome was maternal complications defined as composite item including the occurrence of a third- or fourth-degree perineal laceration, or the occurrence of severe postpartum hemorrhage requiring the use of prostaglandins, uterine artery embolization, internal iliac artery ligation or haemostatic hysterectomy, or the occurrence of blood transfusion. Univariate analysis, multivariable logistic regression and estimation of attributable risk were used. Results Maternal complications were increased in Asian women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–9.3, Attributable risk (AR): 3%), in prolonged labor (aOR = 1.9 [95% CI; 1.1–3.4], AR = 12%) and in cesarean delivery during labor (aOR = 2.2 [95% CI; 1.3–3.9], AR = 17%). Delivering infants with a birthweight > 4500 g also increased the occurrence of maternal complications (aOR = 2.7 [95% CI; 1.4–5.1]) but with an attributable risk of only 10%. Multiparous women with a previous delivery of a macrosomic infant were at lower risk of maternal complications (aOR = 0.5 [95% CI; 0.2–0.9]). Conclusion In women delivering infants with a birthweight of 4000 g or greater, some maternal characteristics as well as labor parameters may worsen maternal outcome beyond the influence of increased fetal weight. PMID:23565692

Transcription factor interplay in T helper cell differentiation

PubMed Central

Evans, Catherine M.

2013-01-01

The differentiation of CD4 helper T cells into specialized effector lineages has provided a powerful model for understanding immune cell differentiation. Distinct lineages have been defined by differential expression of signature cytokines and the lineage-specifying transcription factors necessary and sufficient for their production. The traditional paradigm of differentiation towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes driven by T-bet and GATA3, respectively, has been extended to incorporate additional T cell lineages and transcriptional regulators. Technological advances have expanded our view of these lineage-specifying transcription factors to the whole genome and revealed unexpected interplay between them. From these data, it is becoming clear that lineage specification is more complex and plastic than previous models might have suggested. Here, we present an overview of the different forms of transcription factor interplay that have been identified and how T cell phenotypes arise as a product of this interplay within complex regulatory networks. We also suggest experimental strategies that will provide further insight into the mechanisms that underlie T cell lineage specification and plasticity. PMID:23878131

Transcription factor interplay in T helper cell differentiation.

PubMed

Evans, Catherine M; Jenner, Richard G

2013-11-01

The differentiation of CD4 helper T cells into specialized effector lineages has provided a powerful model for understanding immune cell differentiation. Distinct lineages have been defined by differential expression of signature cytokines and the lineage-specifying transcription factors necessary and sufficient for their production. The traditional paradigm of differentiation towards Th1 and Th2 subtypes driven by T-bet and GATA3, respectively, has been extended to incorporate additional T cell lineages and transcriptional regulators. Technological advances have expanded our view of these lineage-specifying transcription factors to the whole genome and revealed unexpected interplay between them. From these data, it is becoming clear that lineage specification is more complex and plastic than previous models might have suggested. Here, we present an overview of the different forms of transcription factor interplay that have been identified and how T cell phenotypes arise as a product of this interplay within complex regulatory networks. We also suggest experimental strategies that will provide further insight into the mechanisms that underlie T cell lineage specification and plasticity.

Effect of maternal death reviews and training on maternal mortality among cesarean delivery: post-hoc analysis of a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Zongo, Augustin; Dumont, Alexandre; Fournier, Pierre; Traore, Mamadou; Kouanda, Séni; Sondo, Blaise

2015-02-01

To explore the differential effect of a multifaceted intervention on hospital-based maternal mortality between patients with cesarean and vaginal delivery in low-resource settings. We reanalyzed the data from a major cluster-randomized controlled trial, QUARITE (Quality of care, Risk management and technology in obstetrics). These subgroup analyses were not pre-specified and were treated as exploratory. The intervention consisted of an initial interactive workshop and quarterly educational clinically oriented and evidence-based outreach visits focused on maternal death reviews (MDR) and best practices implementation. The trial originally recruited 191,167 patients who delivered in each of the 46 participating hospitals in Mali and Senegal, between 2007 and 2011. The primary endpoint was hospital-based maternal mortality. Subgroup-specific Odds Ratios (ORs) of maternal mortality were computed and tested for differential intervention effect using generalized linear mixed model between two subgroups (cesarean: 40,975; and vaginal delivery: 150,192). The test for homogeneity of intervention effects on hospital-based maternal mortality among the two delivery mode subgroups was statistically significant (p-value: 0.0201). Compared to the control, the adjusted OR of maternal mortality was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.58-0.82, p=0.0034) among women with cesarean delivery. The intervention had no significant effect among women with vaginal delivery (adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.69-1.11, p=0.6213). This differential effect was particularly marked for district hospitals. Maternal deaths reviews and on-site training on emergency obstetric care may be more effective in reducing maternal mortality among high-risk women who need a cesarean section than among low-risk women with vaginal delivery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with total mercury concentrations in maternal blood, cord blood, and breast milk among pregnant women in Busan, Korea.

PubMed

Song, Yoojun; Lee, Chae-Kwan; Kim, Kun-Hyung; Lee, Jong-Tae; Suh, Chunhui; Kim, Se-Yeong; Kim, Jeong-Ho; Son, Byung-Chul; Kim, Dae-Hwan; Lee, Sangyoon

2016-01-01

This study investigated the concentration of total mercury (THg) in maternal blood, cord blood, and breast milk, and its association with dietary factors. A total of 127 pregnant women in Busan, Korea were recruited. Maternal blood, cord blood, and breast milk were collected at 36 weeks of gestation, at delivery, and at one week after birth, respectively. Information about dietary habits and other factors were obtained from each subject. The mean THg concentrations in maternal blood, cord blood, and breast milk were 3.12±1.36 μg/L, 5.46±2.41 μg/L, and 0.91±2.08 μg/L, respectively. Positive correlations were found between log-transformed THg concentrations in maternal blood and cord blood (r=0.829, p<0.001), and between maternal blood and breast milk (r=0.296, p=0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the log-transformed concentration of THg in maternal blood was positively correlated with fish consumption (β=0.345, p<0.0001) and negatively correlated with bean consumption (β=-0.055, p=0.048). Fish consumption (β=0.482, p<0.0001) and maternal age (β=0.025, p=0.033) were positively associated with the concentration of THg in cord blood, while negative correlations were found for bean consumption (β=-0.134, p=0.027) and parity (β=-0.172, p=0.015). Beef consumption (β=0.031, p=0.007) was positively associated with log-transformed THg concentrations in breast milk, while negative correlations were found for bean consumption (β=-0.019, p=0.003) and maternal age (β=-0.083, p=0.004). Our study found that both the dietary and demographic factors differently affected to THg concentrations among samples of maternal blood, cord blood, and breast milk.

Maternal Factors as Moderators or Mediators of PTSD Symptoms in Very Young Children: A Two-Year Prospective Study.

PubMed

Scheeringa, Michael S; Myers, Leann; Putnam, Frank W; Zeanah, Charles H

2015-07-01

Research has suggested that parenting behaviors and other parental factors impact the long-term outcome of children's posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. In a sample of 62 children between the ages of one and six who experienced life-threatening traumas, PTSD was measured prospectively two years apart. Seven maternal factors were measured in a multi-method, multi-informant design. Both moderation and mediation models, with different theoretical and mechanism implications, were tested. Moderation models were not significant. Mediation models were significant when the mediator variable was maternal symptoms of PTSD or depression (measured at Time 1), self-report of maternal escape/avoidance coping (measured at Time 2), or self-report emotional sensitivity (measured at Time 2). Greater maternal emotional sensitivity was associated with greater Time 2 PTSD symptoms among children. Observational measures of emotional sensitivity as the mediator were not supported. Correlation of parents' and children's symptoms is a robust finding, however caution is warranted in attributing children's PTSD symptoms to insensitive parenting.

Estimating the relative contributions of maternal genetic, paternal genetic and intrauterine factors to offspring birth weight and head circumference

PubMed Central

Rice, Frances; Thapar, Anita

2010-01-01

Background Genetic factors and the prenatal environment contribute to birth weight. However, very few types of study design can disentangle their relative contribution. Aims To examine maternal genetic and intrauterine contributions to offspring birth weight and head circumference. To compare the contribution of maternal and paternal genetic effects. Study design Mothers and fathers were either genetically related or unrelated to their offspring who had been conceived by in vitro fertilization. Subjects 423 singleton full term offspring, of whom 262 were conceived via homologous IVF (both parents related), 66 via sperm donation (mother only related) and 95 via egg donation (father only related). Measures Maternal weight at antenatal booking, current weight and maternal height. Paternal current weight and height were all predictors. Infant birth weight and head circumference were outcomes. Results Genetic relatedness was the main contributing factor between measures of parental weight and offspring birth weight as correlations were only significant when the parent was related to the child. However, there was a contribution of the intrauterine environment to the association between maternal height and both infant birth weight and infant head circumference as these were significant even when mothers were unrelated to their child. Conclusions Both maternal and paternal genes made contributions to infant birth weight. Maternal height appeared to index a contribution of the intrauterine environment to infant growth and gestational age. Results suggested a possible biological interaction between the intrauterine environment and maternal inherited characteristics which suppresses the influence of paternal genes. PMID:20646882

Estimating the relative contributions of maternal genetic, paternal genetic and intrauterine factors to offspring birth weight and head circumference.

PubMed

Rice, Frances; Thapar, Anita

2010-07-01

Genetic factors and the prenatal environment contribute to birth weight. However, very few types of study design can disentangle their relative contribution. To examine maternal genetic and intrauterine contributions to offspring birth weight and head circumference. To compare the contribution of maternal and paternal genetic effects. Mothers and fathers were either genetically related or unrelated to their offspring who had been conceived by in vitro fertilization. 423 singleton full term offspring, of whom 262 were conceived via homologous IVF (both parents related), 66 via sperm donation (mother only related) and 95 via egg donation (father only related). Maternal weight at antenatal booking, current weight and maternal height. Paternal current weight and height were all predictors. Infant birth weight and head circumference were outcomes. Genetic relatedness was the main contributing factor between measures of parental weight and offspring birth weight as correlations were only significant when the parent was related to the child. However, there was a contribution of the intrauterine environment to the association between maternal height and both infant birth weight and infant head circumference as these were significant even when mothers were unrelated to their child. Both maternal and paternal genes made contributions to infant birth weight. Maternal height appeared to index a contribution of the intrauterine environment to infant growth and gestational age. Results suggested a possible biological interaction between the intrauterine environment and maternal inherited characteristics which suppresses the influence of paternal genes. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal scaffolding behavior: links with parenting style and maternal education.

PubMed

Carr, Amanda; Pike, Alison

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to specify the relationship between positive and harsh parenting and maternal scaffolding behavior. A 2nd aim was to disentangle the effects of maternal education and parenting quality, and a 3rd aim was to test whether parenting quality mediated the association between maternal education and scaffolding practices. We examined associations between positive and harsh parenting practices and contingent and noncontingent tutoring strategies. Ninety-six mother-child dyads (49 boys, 47 girls) from working- and middle-class English families participated. Mothers reported on parenting quality at Time 1 when children were 5 years old and again approximately 5 years later at Time 2. Mother-child pairs were observed working together on a block design task at Time 2, and interactions were coded for contingent (contingent shifting) and noncontingent (fixed failure feedback) dimensions of maternal scaffolding behavior. Positive and harsh parenting accounted for variance in contingent behavior over and above maternal education, whereas only harsh parenting accounted for unique variance in noncontingent scaffolding practices. Our findings provide new evidence for a more differentiated model of the relation between general parenting quality and specific scaffolding behaviors. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Placenta previa and maternal hemorrhagic morbidity.

PubMed

Gibbins, Karen J; Einerson, Brett D; Varner, Michael W; Silver, Robert M

2018-02-01

Placenta previa is associated with maternal hemorrhage, but most literature focuses on morbidity in the setting of placenta accreta. We aim to characterize maternal morbidity associated with previa and to define risk factors for hemorrhage. This is a secondary cohort analysis of the NICHD Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network Cesarean Section Registry. This analysis included all women undergoing primary Cesarean delivery without placenta accreta. About 496 women with previa were compared with 24,201 women without previa. Primary outcome was composite maternal hemorrhagic morbidity. Non-hemorrhagic morbidities and risk factors for hemorrhage were also evaluated. Maternal hemorrhagic morbidity was more common in women with previa (19 versus 7%, aRR 2.6, 95% CI 1.9-3.5). Atony requiring uterotonics (aRR 3.1, 95% CI 2.0-4.9), red blood cell transfusion (aRR 3.8, 95% CI 2.5-5.7), and hysterectomy (aRR 5.1, 95% CI 1.5-17.3) were also more common with previa. For women with previa, factors associated with maternal hemorrhage were pre-delivery anemia, thrombocytopenia, diabetes, magnesium use, and general anesthesia. Placenta previa is an independent risk factor for maternal hemorrhagic morbidity. Some risk factors are modifiable, but many are intrinsic to the clinical scenario.

Does maternal environmental tobacco smoke interact with social-demographics and environmental factors on congenital heart defects?

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoqing; Nie, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jimei; Guo, Xiaoling; Ou, Yanqiu; Chen, Guanchun; Mai, Jinzhuang; Gong, Wei; Wu, Yong; Gao, Xiangmin; Qu, Yanji; Bell, Erin M; Lin, Shao; Zhuang, Jian

2018-03-01

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are a major cause of death in infancy and childhood. Major risk factors for most CHDs, particularly those resulting from the combination of environmental exposures with social determinants and behaviors, are still unknown. This study evaluated the main effect of maternal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), and its interaction with social-demographics and environmental factors on CHDs in China. A population-based, matched case-control study of 9452 live-born infants and stillborn fetuses was conducted using the Guangdong Registry of Congenital Heart Disease data (2004-2014). The CHDs were evaluated by obstetrician, pediatrician, or cardiologist, and confirmed by cardia tomography/catheterization. Controls were randomly chosen from singleton newborns without any malformation, born in the same hospital as the cases and 1:1 matched by infant sex, time of conception, and parental residence (same city and town to ensure sufficient geographical distribution for analyses). Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect information on demographics, behavior patterns, maternal disease/medication, and environmental exposures. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of ETS exposure on CHDs while controlling for all risk factors. Interactive effects were evaluated using a multivariate delta method for maternal demographics, behavior, and environmental exposures on the ETS-CHD relationship. Mothers exposed to ETS during the first trimester of pregnancy were more likely to have infants with CHD than mothers who did not (aOR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.25-1.66). We also observed a significant dose-response relationship when mothers were exposed to ETS and an increasing number of risk factors and CHDs. There were greater than additive interactions for maternal ETS and migrant status, low household income and paternal alcohol consumption on CHDs. Maternal low education also modified the ETS

Maternal Differential Treatment in Later Life Families and Within-Family Variations in Adult Sibling Closeness

PubMed Central

Suitor, J. Jill; Nam, Sangbo

2015-01-01

Objectives. In this article, we explore within-family differences in the closeness of sibling ties in adulthood. Specifically, we consider the sibship as a network and investigate the ways in which perceptions of mothers’ differential treatment play a role in within-family variations in sibling closeness in midlife. Method. Data were analyzed from 2,067 adult sibling dyads nested within 216 later life families, collected as part of the Within-Family Differences Study-II. Results. Respondents reported the greatest closeness to siblings whom they perceived as favored by their mothers when they were not favored themselves, whereas respondents were less likely to choose siblings whom they perceived as disfavored by their mothers when they did not perceive themselves as disfavored. Discussion. Variability in the strength of sibling ties within families suggests that some individuals receive greater benefits from this relationship than do their brothers and sisters. These findings shed new light on such within-family variations in sibling closeness by identifying how specific patterns of maternal differential treatment draw offspring toward some siblings and away from others. PMID:25324293

The maternal genes Ci-p53/p73-a and Ci-p53/p73-b regulate zygotic ZicL expression and notochord differentiation in Ciona intestinalis embryos.

PubMed

Noda, Takeshi

2011-12-01

I isolated a Ciona intestinalis homolog of p53, Ci-p53/p73-a, in a microarray screen of rapidly degraded maternal mRNA by comparing the transcriptomes of unfertilized eggs and 32-cell stage embryos. Higher expression of the gene in eggs and lower expression in later embryonic stages were confirmed by whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR); expression was ubiquitous in eggs and early embryos. Knockdown of Ci-p53/p73-a by injection of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs) severely perturbed gastrulation cell movements and expression of notochord marker genes. A key regulator of notochord differentiation in Ciona embryos is Brachyury (Ci-Bra), which is directly activated by a zic-like gene (Ci-ZicL). The expression of Ci-ZicL and Ci-Bra in A-line notochord precursors was downregulated in Ci-p53/p73-a knockdown embryos. Maternal expression of Ci-p53/p73-b, a homolog of Ci-p53/p73-a, was also detected. In Ci-p53/p73-b knockdown embryos, gastrulation cell movements, expression of Ci-ZicL and Ci-Bra in A-line notochord precursors, and expression of notochord marker gene at later stages were perturbed. The upstream region of Ci-ZicL contains putative p53-binding sites. Cis-regulatory analysis of Ci-ZicL showed that these sites are involved in expression of Ci-ZicL in A-line notochord precursors at the 32-cell and early gastrula stages. These results suggest that p53 genes are maternal factors that play a crucial role in A-line notochord differentiation in C. intestinalis embryos by regulating Ci-ZicL expression. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maternal Factors Are Associated with the Expression of Placental Genes Involved in Amino Acid Metabolism and Transport

PubMed Central

Day, Pricilla E.; Ntani, Georgia; Crozier, Sarah R.; Mahon, Pam A.; Inskip, Hazel M.; Cooper, Cyrus; Harvey, Nicholas C.; Godfrey, Keith M.; Hanson, Mark A.; Lewis, Rohan M.; Cleal, Jane K.

2015-01-01

Introduction Maternal environment and lifestyle factors may modify placental function to match the mother’s capacity to support the demands of fetal growth. Much remains to be understood about maternal influences on placental metabolic and amino acid transporter gene expression. We investigated the influences of maternal lifestyle and body composition (e.g. fat and muscle content) on a selection of metabolic and amino acid transporter genes and their associations with fetal growth. Methods RNA was extracted from 102 term Southampton Women’s Survey placental samples. Expression of nine metabolic, seven exchange, eight accumulative and three facilitated transporter genes was analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. Results Increased placental LAT2 (p = 0.01), y + LAT2 (p = 0.03), aspartate aminotransferase 2 (p = 0.02) and decreased aspartate aminotransferase 1 (p = 0.04) mRNA expression associated with pre-pregnancy maternal smoking. Placental mRNA expression of TAT1 (p = 0.01), ASCT1 (p = 0.03), mitochondrial branched chain aminotransferase (p = 0.02) and glutamine synthetase (p = 0.05) was positively associated with maternal strenuous exercise. Increased glutamine synthetase mRNA expression (r = 0.20, p = 0.05) associated with higher maternal diet quality (prudent dietary pattern) pre-pregnancy. Lower LAT4 (r = -0.25, p = 0.05) and aspartate aminotransferase 2 mRNA expression (r = -0.28, p = 0.01) associated with higher early pregnancy diet quality. Lower placental ASCT1 mRNA expression associated with measures of increased maternal fat mass, including pre-pregnancy BMI (r = -0.26, p = 0.01). Lower placental mRNA expression of alanine aminotransferase 2 associated with greater neonatal adiposity, for example neonatal subscapular skinfold thickness (r = -0.33, p = 0.001). Conclusion A number of maternal influences have been linked with outcomes in childhood, independently of neonatal size; our finding of associations between placental expression of

Perinatal and lifestyle factors mediate the association between maternal education and preschool children's weight status: the ToyBox study.

PubMed

Androutsos, Odysseas; Moschonis, George; Ierodiakonou, Despo; Karatzi, Kalliopi; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Iotova, Violeta; Zych, Kamila; Moreno, Luis A; Koletzko, Berthold; Manios, Yannis

2018-04-01

This study aimed to explore the associations among perinatal, sociodemographic, and behavioral factors and preschool overweight/obesity. Data were collected from 7541 European preschoolers in May/June 2012. Children's anthropometrics were measured, and parents self-reported all other data via questionnaires. Level of statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Certain perinatal factors (i.e., maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity, maternal excess gestational weight gain, excess birth weight, and "rapid growth velocity"), children's energy balance-related behaviors (i.e., high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, increased screen time, reduced active-play time), family sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., Eastern or Southern Europe, low maternal and paternal education), and parental overweight/obesity were identified as correlates of preschoolers' overweight/obesity. Furthermore, maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity, children's "rapid growth velocity," and increased screen time mediated by 21.2%, 12.5%, and 5.7%, respectively, the association between maternal education and preschoolers' body mass index. This study highlighted positive associations of preschooler's overweight/obesity with excess maternal prepregnancy and gestational weight gain, excess birth weight and "rapid growth velocity," Southern or Eastern European region, and parental overweight/obesity. Moreover, maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity, children's "rapid growth velocity," and increased screen time partially mediated the association between maternal education and preschoolers' body mass index. The findings of the present study may support childhood obesity prevention initiatives, because vulnerable population groups and most specifically low-educated families should be prioritized. Among other fields, these intervention initiatives should also focus on the importance of normal prepregnancy maternal weight status, normal growth velocity during infancy, and retaining

Low maternal adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with increase in methylation at the MEG3-IG differentially methylated region in female infants

PubMed Central

Gonzalez-Nahm, Sarah; Mendez, Michelle; Robinson, Whitney; Murphy, Susan K.; Hoyo, Cathrine; Hogan, Vijaya; Rowley, Diane

2017-01-01

Abstract Diet is dictated by the surrounding environment, as food access and availability may change depending on where one lives. Maternal diet during pregnancy is an important part of the in utero environment, and may affect the epigenome. Studies looking at overall diet pattern in relation to DNA methylation have been lacking. The Mediterranean diet is known for its health benefits, including decreased inflammation, weight loss, and management of chronic diseases. This study assesses the association between maternal adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern during pregnancy and infant DNA methylation at birth. Mediterranean diet adherence in early pregnancy was measured in 390 women enrolled in the Newborn Epigenetic Study, and DNA methylation was assessed in their infants at birth. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean diet and infant methylation at the MEG3, MEG3-IG, pleiomorphic adenoma gene-like 1, insulin-like growth factor 2 gene, H19, mesoderm-specific transcript, neuronatin, paternally expressed gene 3, sarcoglycan and paternally expressed gene 10 regions, measured by pyrosequencing. Infants of mothers with a low adherence to a Mediterranean diet had a greater odds of hypo-methylation at the MEG3-IG differentially methylated region (DMR). Sex-stratified models showed that this association was present in girls only. This study provides early evidence on the association between overall diet pattern and methylation at the 9 DMRs included in this study, and suggests that maternal diet can have a sex-specific impact on infant DNA methylation at specific imprinted DMRs. PMID:29492309

Neuroendocrine Regulation of Maternal Behavior

PubMed Central

Bridges, Robert S.

2015-01-01

The expression of maternal behavior in mammals is regulated by the developmental and experiential events over a female’s lifetime. In this review the relationships between the endocrine and neural systems that play key roles in these developmental and experiential that affect both the establishment and maintenance of maternal care are presented. The involvement of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and lactogens are discussed in the context of ligand, receptor, and gene activity in rodents and to a lesser extent in higher mammals. The roles of neuroendocrine factors, including oxytocin, vasopressin, classical neurotransmitters, and other neural gene products that regulate aspects of maternal care are set forth, and the interactions of hormones with central nervous system mediators of maternal behavior are discussed. The impact of prior developmental factors, including epigenetic events, and maternal experience on subsequent maternal care are assessed over the course of the female’s lifespan. It is proposed that common neuroendocrine mechanisms underlie the regulation of maternal care in mammals. PMID:25500107

Maternal nutrition and birth outcomes.

PubMed

Abu-Saad, Kathleen; Fraser, Drora

2010-01-01

In this review, the authors summarize current knowledge on maternal nutritional requirements during pregnancy, with a focus on the nutrients that have been most commonly investigated in association with birth outcomes. Data sourcing and extraction included searches of the primary resources establishing maternal nutrient requirements during pregnancy (e.g., Dietary Reference Intakes), and searches of Medline for "maternal nutrition"/[specific nutrient of interest] and "birth/pregnancy outcomes," focusing mainly on the less extensively reviewed evidence from observational studies of maternal dietary intake and birth outcomes. The authors used a conceptual framework which took both primary and secondary factors (e.g., baseline maternal nutritional status, socioeconomic status of the study populations, timing and methods of assessing maternal nutritional variables) into account when interpreting study findings. The authors conclude that maternal nutrition is a modifiable risk factor of public health importance that can be integrated into efforts to prevent adverse birth outcomes, particularly among economically developing/low-income populations.

Maternal risk factors in fetal alcohol syndrome: provocative and permissive influences.

PubMed

Abel, E L; Hannigan, J H

1995-01-01

We present an hypothesis integrating epidemiological, clinical case, and basic biomedical research to explain why only relatively few women who drink alcohol during pregnancy give birth to children with alcohol-related birth defects (ARBDs), in particular, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). We argue that specific sociobehavioral risk factors, e.g., low socioeconomic status, are permissive for FAS in that they provide the context for increased vulnerability. We illustrate how these permissive factors are related to biological factors, e.g., decreased antioxidant status, which in conjunction with alcohol, provoke FAS/ARBDs in vulnerable fetuses. We propose an integrative heuristic model hypothesizing that these permissive and provocative factors increase the likelihood of FAS/ARBDs because they potentiate two related mechanisms of alcohol-induced teratogenesis, specifically, maternal/fetal hypoxia and free radical formation.

Birthweight below the tenth percentile: the relative and attributable risks of maternal tobacco consumption and other factors.

PubMed

Morrison, J; Williams, G M; Najman, J M; Andersen, M J; Keeping, J D

1993-10-01

Analysis of 7776 singleton births defined a cohort of babies with birthweight below the 10th percentile after adjusting for gestational age and sex. The relative risk of a baby being small for gestational age in respect to a number of factors, such as parental anthropometry, demographic factors, behavior patterns (tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, and caffeine consumption), maternal pathology, and fetal abnormality, was calculated. The highest relative risks are associated with severe antepartum hemorrhage, severe pre-eclampsia, and severe fetal abnormality. As these are relatively rare events, a more accurate calculation of overall risk to the population as opposed to the individual can be obtained by studying the percent attributable risk of each of the factors. This demonstrates that maternal tobacco consumption is the major environmental risk factor in our population.

Psychosocial factors in maternal phenylketonuria: women's adherence to medical recommendations.

PubMed Central

Waisbren, S E; Hamilton, B D; St James, P J; Shiloh, S; Levy, H L

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVES. This study identified factors predicting adherence to medical recommendations in maternal phenylketonuria, which can result in severe fetal damage. METHODS. Sixty-nine women with phenylketonuria, 68 of their acquaintances, and 69 women with diabetes mellitus were interviewed annually for 5 years. A model in which each stage in the maternal phenylketonuria life cycle represented a treatment-related goal provided a means to assess adherence. RESULTS. At the stages of prevention of unplanned pregnancy, treatment initiation, and diet continuation throughout pregnancy, attitudes and social support were associated with adherence to medical recommendations. No specific variables were associated with outcome at reproductive decision making, but women with phenylketonuria were more likely to delay making a decision, resulting in unplanned and, hence, untreated or late-treated pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS. Women with phenylketonuria differed from their acquaintances and diabetic women in many respects, suggesting that special programs are needed. Greater emphasis on reproductive decision making is especially needed. Interventions that focus on improving social support networks and attitudes about treatment may increase adherence to recommendations. PMID:7503337

Maternal Prenatal Psychological Distress and Preschool Cognitive Functioning: the Protective Role of Positive Parental Engagement.

PubMed

Schechter, Julia C; Brennan, Patricia A; Smith, Alicia K; Stowe, Zachary N; Newport, D Jeffrey; Johnson, Katrina C

2017-02-01

Considerable animal research and available human studies suggest that psychological distress experienced by mothers during gestation is associated with later neurodevelopmental deficits in offspring; however, little research has examined potential protective factors that might mitigate this risk. The current study examined the impact of maternal prenatal psychological distress during pregnancy on cognitive outcomes in preschoolers (ages 2.5-5 years) and positive parenting as a potential protective factor. Mother-child dyads (N = 162, mean child age = 44 months, 49 % female) were recruited from a longitudinal cohort of women who had previously participated in a study of maternal mood disorders during pregnancy. Maternal prenatal distress was assessed with multiple measures collected throughout pregnancy. During a follow-up visit, mothers were interviewed about their psychological symptoms since the birth of the child, parenting behaviors were recorded during a parent-child interaction, and children's cognitive abilities were measured using the Differential Ability Scales, 2nd Edition. Maternal prenatal distress significantly predicted lower general cognitive abilities; however, this relationship was strongest for children whose mothers exhibited low levels of positive engagement and not significant when mothers exhibited high levels of positive engagement. Results suggest that positive parental engagement can protect against the detrimental effects of maternal prenatal distress on preschoolers' cognitive abilities.

Maternal prenatal psychological distress and preschool cognitive functioning: The protective role of positive parental engagement

PubMed Central

Schechter, Julia C.; Brennan, Patricia A.; Smith, Alicia K.; Stowe, Zachary N.; Newport, D. Jeffrey; Johnson, Katrina C.

2016-01-01

Considerable animal research and available human studies suggest that psychological distress experienced by mothers during gestation is associated with later neurodevelopmental deficits in offspring; however, little research has examined potential protective factors that might mitigate this risk. The current study examined the impact of maternal prenatal psychological distress during pregnancy on cognitive outcomes in preschoolers (ages 2.5-5 years) and positive parenting as a potential protective factor. Mother-child dyads (N=162, mean child age=44 months, 49% female) were recruited from a longitudinal cohort of women who had previously participated in a study of maternal mood disorders during pregnancy. Maternal prenatal distress was assessed with multiple measures collected throughout pregnancy. During a follow-up visit, mothers were interviewed about their psychological symptoms since the birth of the child, parenting behaviors were recorded during a parent-child interaction, and children's cognitive abilities were measured using the Differential Ability Scales, 2nd Edition. Maternal prenatal distress significantly predicted lower general cognitive abilities; however, this relationship was strongest for children whose mothers exhibited low levels of positive engagement and not significant when mothers exhibited high levels of positive engagement. Results suggest that positive parental engagement can protect against the detrimental effects of maternal prenatal distress on preschoolers cognitive abilities. PMID:27150387

Differential hypothalamic leptin sensitivity in obese rat offspring exposed to maternal and postnatal intake of chocolate and soft drink.

PubMed

Kjaergaard, M; Nilsson, C; Secher, A; Kildegaard, J; Skovgaard, T; Nielsen, M O; Grove, K; Raun, K

2017-01-16

Intake of high-energy foods and maternal nutrient overload increases the risk of metabolic diseases in the progeny such as obesity and diabetes. We hypothesized that maternal and postnatal intake of chocolate and soft drink will affect leptin sensitivity and hypothalamic astrocyte morphology in adult rat offspring. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed ad libitum chow diet only (C) or with chocolate and high sucrose soft drink supplement (S). At birth, litter size was adjusted into 10 male offspring per mother. After weaning, offspring from both dietary groups were assigned to either S or C diet, giving four groups until the end of the experiment at 26 weeks of age. As expected, adult offspring fed the S diet post weaning became obese (body weight: P<0.01, %body fat per kg: P<0.001) and this was due to the reduced energy expenditure (P<0.05) and hypothalamic astrogliosis (P<0.001) irrespective of maternal diet. Interesting, offspring born to S-diet-fed mothers and fed the S diet throughout postnatal life became obese despite lower energy intake than controls (P<0.05). These SS offspring showed increased feed efficiency (P<0.001) and reduced fasting pSTAT3 activity (P<0.05) in arcuate nucleus (ARC) compared with other groups. The findings indicated that the combination of the maternal and postnatal S-diet exposure induced persistent changes in leptin signalling, hence affecting energy balance. Thus, appetite regulation was more sensitive to the effect of leptin than energy expenditure, suggesting differential programming of leptin sensitivity in ARC in SS offspring. Effects of the maternal S diet were normalized when offspring were fed a chow diet after weaning. Maternal intake of chocolate and soft drink had long-term consequences for the metabolic phenotype in the offspring if they continued on the S diet in postnatal life. These offspring displayed obesity despite lowered energy intake associated with alterations in hypothalamic leptin signalling.

Differential hypothalamic leptin sensitivity in obese rat offspring exposed to maternal and postnatal intake of chocolate and soft drink

PubMed Central

Kjaergaard, M; Nilsson, C; Secher, A; Kildegaard, J; Skovgaard, T; Nielsen, M O; Grove, K; Raun, K

2017-01-01

Background/objective: Intake of high-energy foods and maternal nutrient overload increases the risk of metabolic diseases in the progeny such as obesity and diabetes. We hypothesized that maternal and postnatal intake of chocolate and soft drink will affect leptin sensitivity and hypothalamic astrocyte morphology in adult rat offspring. Methods: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed ad libitum chow diet only (C) or with chocolate and high sucrose soft drink supplement (S). At birth, litter size was adjusted into 10 male offspring per mother. After weaning, offspring from both dietary groups were assigned to either S or C diet, giving four groups until the end of the experiment at 26 weeks of age. Results: As expected, adult offspring fed the S diet post weaning became obese (body weight: P<0.01, %body fat per kg: P<0.001) and this was due to the reduced energy expenditure (P<0.05) and hypothalamic astrogliosis (P<0.001) irrespective of maternal diet. Interesting, offspring born to S-diet-fed mothers and fed the S diet throughout postnatal life became obese despite lower energy intake than controls (P<0.05). These SS offspring showed increased feed efficiency (P<0.001) and reduced fasting pSTAT3 activity (P<0.05) in arcuate nucleus (ARC) compared with other groups. The findings indicated that the combination of the maternal and postnatal S-diet exposure induced persistent changes in leptin signalling, hence affecting energy balance. Thus, appetite regulation was more sensitive to the effect of leptin than energy expenditure, suggesting differential programming of leptin sensitivity in ARC in SS offspring. Effects of the maternal S diet were normalized when offspring were fed a chow diet after weaning. Conclusions: Maternal intake of chocolate and soft drink had long-term consequences for the metabolic phenotype in the offspring if they continued on the S diet in postnatal life. These offspring displayed obesity despite lowered energy intake associated with

Factors Associated with Subjective Quality of Life of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Self-Report versus Maternal Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Jinkuk; Bishop-Fitzpatrick, Lauren; Smith, Leann E.; Greenberg, Jan S.; Mailick, Marsha R.

2016-01-01

We examined factors related to subjective quality of life (QoL) of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 25-55 (n = 60), using the World Health Organization Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-BREF). We used three different assessment methods: adult self-report, maternal proxy-report, and maternal report. Reliability analysis showed that…

Reasons for Persistently High Maternal and Perinatal Mortalities in Ethiopia: Part II-Socio-Economic and Cultural Factors

PubMed Central

Berhan, Yifru; Berhan, Asres

2014-01-01

Background The major causes of maternal and perinatal deaths are mostly pregnancy related. However, there are several predisposing factors for the increased risk of pregnancy related complications and deaths in developing countries. The objective of this review was to grossly estimate the effect of selected socioeconomic and cultural factors on maternal mortality, stillbirths and neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. Methods A comprehensive literature review was conducted focusing on the effect of total fertility rate (TFR), modern contraceptive use, harmful traditional practice, adult literacy rate and level of income on maternal and perinatal mortalities. For the majority of the data, regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient were used as a proxy indicator for the association of variables with maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality. Results Although there were variations in the methods for estimation, the TFR of women in Ethiopia declined from 5.9 to 4.8 in the last fifteen years, which was in the middle as compared with that of other African countries. The preference of injectable contraceptive method has increased by 7-fold, but the unmet contraceptive need was among the highest in Africa. About 50% reduction in female genital cutting (FGC) was reported although some women's attitude was positive towards the practice of FGC. The regression analysis demonstrated increased risk of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal mortality with increased TFR. The increased adult literacy rate was associated with increased antenatal care and skilled person attended delivery. Low adult literacy was also found to have a negative association with stillbirths and neonatal and maternal mortality. A similar trend was also observed with income. Conclusion Maternal mortality ratio, stillbirth rate and neonatal mortality rate had inverse relations with income and adult education. In Ethiopia, the high total fertility rate, low utilization of contraceptive methods, low adult

Celecoxib restores angiogenic factor expression at the maternal-fetal interface in the BPH/5 mouse model of preeclampsia.

PubMed

Reijnders, Dorien; Liu, Chin-Chi; Xu, Xinjing; Zhao, Anna M; Olson, Kelsey N; Butler, Scott D; Douglas, Nataki C; Sones, Jenny L

2018-05-01

Preeclampsia (PE), a hypertensive disease of pregnancy, is a leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity/mortality. Early angiogenic and inflammatory disturbances within the placenta are thought to underlie the development of the maternal PE syndrome and poor pregnancy outcomes. However, the exact etiology remains largely unknown. Here, we use the BPH/5 mouse model of PE to elucidate the way in which inflammation early in pregnancy contributes to abnormal expression of angiogenic factors at the maternal-fetal interface. We have previously described improvement in maternal hypertension and fetal growth restriction in this model after treatment with the anti-inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox2) specific inhibitor celecoxib. To further characterize the mechanisms by which celecoxib improves poor pregnancy outcomes in BPH/5 mice, we determined expression of angiogenic factors and complement pathway components after celecoxib. In BPH/5 implantation sites there was increased hypoxia inducible factor-1α ( Hif1α), heme oxygenase-1 ( Ho-1), and stem cell factor ( Scf) mRNA concomitant with elevated prostaglandin synthase 2 ( Ptgs2), encoding Cox2, and elevated VEGF protein. Angiopoietin 1 ( Ang1), tunica interna endothelial cell kinase-2 receptor ( Tie2), complement factor 3 ( C3), and complement factor B ( CfB) were increased in midgestation BPH/5 placentae. Whereas BPH/5 expression levels of VEGF, Ang1, and Tie2 normalized after celecoxib, placental C3 and CfB mRNA remained unchanged. However, celecoxib did reduce the pregnancy-specific circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) rise in BPH/5 mice at midgestation. These data show that elevated Cox2 during implantation contributes to placental angiogenic factor imbalances in the BPH/5 mouse model of PE.

Manganese concentrations in maternal and umbilical cord blood: related to birth size and environmental factors.

PubMed

Guan, Huai; Wang, Man; Li, Xiaowei; Piao, Fengyuan; Li, Qiujuan; Xu, Lei; Kitamura, Fumihiko; Yokoyama, Kazuhito

2014-02-01

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element and a potential toxicant for developing organism. Deficiency and excess of it were both deleterious to fetal growth in experimental animals. However, literature on relationship between Mn status and birth outcome in humans is sparse. Mn concentrations were measured in mother whole blood (MWB) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) in 125 pairs of mother-infant; birth size was examined and relationship between them was analysed. Potentially environmental factors influencing Mn loads in maternal and fetal organisms were investigated through epidemiological method. Mn level in UCB was significantly higher than that in MWB (mean value: 54.98 vs. 78.75 µg/L), and a significant positive correlation was shown between them. There was a quadratic curvilinear (inverted U-shaped curve) relationship between MWB Mn and birth size, and between UCB Mn and birth size. Both univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that exposure to harmful occupational factors during gestation remarkably increased maternal and fetal Mn levels. Living close to major transportation routes (<500 m) also increased the MWB Mn levels. Our results suggested that lower or higher Mn level in maternal and umbilical blood may induce adverse effect on birth size in humans. In addition, increased levels of Mn in MWB or UCB may be associated with exposure to some environmental hazard factors.

Maternal Iron Deficiency Anemia as a Risk Factor for the Development of Retinopathy of Prematurity.

PubMed

Dai, Alper I; Demiryürek, Seniz; Aksoy, Sefika Nur; Perk, Peren; Saygili, Oguzhan; Güngör, Kivanc

2015-08-01

Retinopathy of prematurity is a proliferative vascular disease affecting premature newborns and occurs during vessel development and maturation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the maternal iron deficiency anemia as possible risk factors associated with the development of retinopathy of prematurity among premature or very low birth weight infants. In this study, mothers of 254 infants with retinopathy of prematurity were analyzed retrospectively, and their laboratory results of medical records during pregnancy were reviewed for possible iron deficiency anemia. In a cohort of 254 mothers of premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity, 187 (73.6%) had iron deficiency, while the remaining 67 (26.4%) mothers had no deficiency. Babies born to mothers with iron deficiency anemia with markedly decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, serum iron, and ferritin levels were more likely to develop retinopathy of prematurity. Our results are the first to suggest that maternal iron deficiency is a risk factor for the development of retinopathy of prematurity. Our data suggest that maternal iron supplementation therapy during pregnancy might lower the risk of retinopathy of prematurity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancer and Transcription Factor Dynamics during Myeloid Differentiation Reveal an Early Differentiation Block in Cebpa null Progenitors.

PubMed

Pundhir, Sachin; Bratt Lauridsen, Felicia Kathrine; Schuster, Mikkel Bruhn; Jakobsen, Janus Schou; Ge, Ying; Schoof, Erwin Marten; Rapin, Nicolas; Waage, Johannes; Hasemann, Marie Sigurd; Porse, Bo Torben

2018-05-29

Transcription factors PU.1 and CEBPA are required for the proper coordination of enhancer activity during granulocytic-monocytic (GM) lineage differentiation to form myeloid cells. However, precisely how these factors control the chronology of enhancer establishment during differentiation is not known. Through integrated analyses of enhancer dynamics, transcription factor binding, and proximal gene expression during successive stages of murine GM-lineage differentiation, we unravel the distinct kinetics by which PU.1 and CEBPA coordinate GM enhancer activity. We find no evidence of a pioneering function of PU.1 during late GM-lineage differentiation. Instead, we delineate a set of enhancers that gain accessibility in a CEBPA-dependent manner, suggesting a pioneering function of CEBPA. Analyses of Cebpa null bone marrow demonstrate that CEBPA controls PU.1 levels and, unexpectedly, that the loss of CEBPA results in an early differentiation block. Taken together, our data provide insights into how PU.1 and CEBPA functionally interact to drive GM-lineage differentiation. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Progesterone from maternal circulation binds to progestin receptors in fetal brain.

PubMed

Wagner, Christine K; Quadros-Mennella, Princy

2017-06-01

Steroid hormones activate nuclear receptors which, as transcription factors, can regulate critical aspects of neural development. Many regions of the rat forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain express progestin receptors (PR) during perinatal life, suggesting that progesterone may play an important role in the development of the brain. An immunohistochemical approach using two antibodies with differential recognition of ligand-bound PR was used to examine whether fetuses are exposed to maternal progesterone during pregnancy and whether progesterone from maternal circulation can bind to PR within the fetal brain. Findings demonstrate that maternal and fetal serum progesterone levels are positively correlated at the end of gestation, suggesting a common source of progesterone in mothers and fetuses (e.g., the maternal ovary). Additional findings suggest that administration of exogenous progesterone to mothers not only increases fetal serum progesterone levels within 2 h, but appears to increase ligand-bound PR in fetal brain. These findings suggest that progesterone of maternal origin may play a previously overlooked role in neural development. In addition, there are implications for the ongoing prophylactic use of synthetic progestins in pregnant women for the prevention of premature birth. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 767-774, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal-foetal attachment independently predicts the quality of maternal-infant bonding and post-partum psychopathology.

PubMed

Petri, Eleonora; Palagini, Laura; Bacci, Olivia; Borri, Chiara; Teristi, Valentina; Corezzi, Camilla; Faraoni, Sara; Antonelli, Paolo; Cargioli, Claudio; Banti, Susanna; Perugi, Giulio; Mauri, Mauro

2017-08-21

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of maternal antenatal attachment and post-partum psychopathology, maternal-infant bonding, while checking for antenatal psychopathology, for lifetime psychiatric diagnosis and for the known risk factors for peripartum depression. One hundred and six women recruited at the first month of pregnancy (T0) were evaluated with the structured interview for DSM-IV TR (SCID-I) to assess the presence of lifetime psychiatric diagnosis and with the Perinatal Depression Predictor Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). At the sixth month of pregnancy (T1) and at the first month post-partum (T2), all patients were evaluated with the PDPI-R, the EPDS, the STAI, at T1, with the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS), and at T2 with the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS). Multivariate regression analyses showed that maternal-foetal attachment was the variable most significantly associated with postnatal symptoms of depression and anxiety and with quality of maternal-infant attachment. The logistic regression analyses showed that antenatal attachment may predict postnatal depressive and anxiety symptoms (respectively, OR: 0.83 - IC [0.74 - 0.95], p = .005, OR: 0.88 - IC [0.79 - 0.98], p = .02), and the quality of maternal postnatal attachment (OR: 1.17 - IC [1.08 - 1.27], p < .001), also after taking into account the known risk factors for perinatal depression, the sociodemographic variables and lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. The quality of maternal-foetal bonding may independently predict the quality of maternal-infant attachment and post-partum depressive and anxiety symptoms. A comprehensive assessment of maternal risk factors for perinatal psychopathology during pregnancy should include the evaluation of antenatal attachment that could be modifiable by specific interventions promoting the quality of maternal

Maternal investment in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus: support for the differential allocation hypothesis.

PubMed

Rios-Cardenas, Oscar; Brewer, Jason; Morris, Molly R

2013-01-01

The differential allocation hypothesis predicts that reproductive investment will be influenced by mate attractiveness, given a cost to reproduction and a tradeoff between current and future reproduction. We tested the differential allocation hypothesis in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus, where males have genetically influenced (patroclinous inheritance) alternative mating tactics (ARTs) maintained by a tradeoff between being more attractive to females (mature later as larger courting males) and a higher probability of reaching sexual maturity (mature earlier as smaller sneaker males). Males in X. multilineatus do not provide parental care or other resources to the offspring. Allelic variation and copy number of the Mc4R gene on the Y-chromosome influences the size differences between males, however there is no variation in this gene on the X-chromosome. Therefore, to determine if mothers invested more in offspring of the larger courter males, we examined age to sexual maturity for daughters. We confirmed a tradeoff between number of offspring and female offspring's age to sexual maturity, corroborating that there is a cost to reproduction. In addition, the ART of their fathers significantly influenced the age at which daughters reached sexual maturity, suggesting increased maternal investment to daughters of courter males. The differential allocation we detected was influenced by how long the wild-caught mother had been in the laboratory, as there was a brood order by father genotype (ART) interaction. These results suggest that females can adjust their reproductive investment strategy, and that differential allocation is context specific. We hypothesize that one of two aspects of laboratory conditions produced this shift: increased female condition due to higher quality diet, and/or assessment of future mating opportunities due to isolation from males.

Maternal Investment in the Swordtail Fish Xiphophorus multilineatus: Support for the Differential Allocation Hypothesis

PubMed Central

Rios-Cardenas, Oscar; Brewer, Jason; Morris, Molly R.

2013-01-01

The differential allocation hypothesis predicts that reproductive investment will be influenced by mate attractiveness, given a cost to reproduction and a tradeoff between current and future reproduction. We tested the differential allocation hypothesis in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus, where males have genetically influenced (patroclinous inheritance) alternative mating tactics (ARTs) maintained by a tradeoff between being more attractive to females (mature later as larger courting males) and a higher probability of reaching sexual maturity (mature earlier as smaller sneaker males). Males in X. multilineatus do not provide parental care or other resources to the offspring. Allelic variation and copy number of the Mc4R gene on the Y-chromosome influences the size differences between males, however there is no variation in this gene on the X-chromosome. Therefore, to determine if mothers invested more in offspring of the larger courter males, we examined age to sexual maturity for daughters. We confirmed a tradeoff between number of offspring and female offspring’s age to sexual maturity, corroborating that there is a cost to reproduction. In addition, the ART of their fathers significantly influenced the age at which daughters reached sexual maturity, suggesting increased maternal investment to daughters of courter males. The differential allocation we detected was influenced by how long the wild-caught mother had been in the laboratory, as there was a brood order by father genotype (ART) interaction. These results suggest that females can adjust their reproductive investment strategy, and that differential allocation is context specific. We hypothesize that one of two aspects of laboratory conditions produced this shift: increased female condition due to higher quality diet, and/or assessment of future mating opportunities due to isolation from males. PMID:24349348

Influences of maternal overprotection.

PubMed

Parker, G; Lipscombe, P

1981-04-01

While maternal overprotection appears associated with several neurotic and psychotic disorders, little is known about determinants of such a parental characteristic. Several hypotheses have been tested in a large nonclinical sample. Maternal and cultural factors seemed of greater relevance than characteristics in the child. Overprotective mothers gave evidence of marked maternal preoccupations before having children, of showing a capacity to be overprotective after the active stage of mothering, and of having personality characteristics of high anxiety, obsessionality and a need to control. Maternal overprotection appears associated with low, rather than with high maternal care. This has important primary prevention and treatment implications.

Maternal factors and experiences associated with observed parenting behavior in mothers attending a residential parenting program.

PubMed

Treyvaud, Karli; Rogers, Susan; Matthews, Jan; Allen, Beverley

2010-01-01

Parents experiencing early parenting difficulties often seek support through parenting programs. Characteristics of mothers seeking parenting support and information at an early parenting center in Victoria, Australia and the relationships between these factors and parenting behavior were explored using an observational measure of parent-child interaction. Participants were 43 mothers and children attending a 5-day residential parenting program at the Queen Elizabeth Centre. Maternal and sociodemographic data as well as an observational mother-child interaction task from the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training Parent Child Interaction Teaching scale were completed and scored on the first day of the program. Certain maternal factors and experiences were associated with observed parenting behavior. Poorer maternal sleeping quality, unplanned pregnancy and preterm birth were all associated with less optimal parenting behavior in certain domains. Findings are discussed with reference to the impact of past experiences around pregnancy and birth as well as the current context and well-being of mothers attending early parenting centers. Copyright © 2010 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Success factors for reducing maternal and child mortality.

PubMed

Kuruvilla, Shyama; Schweitzer, Julian; Bishai, David; Chowdhury, Sadia; Caramani, Daniele; Frost, Laura; Cortez, Rafael; Daelmans, Bernadette; de Francisco, Andres; Adam, Taghreed; Cohen, Robert; Alfonso, Y Natalia; Franz-Vasdeki, Jennifer; Saadat, Seemeen; Pratt, Beth Anne; Eugster, Beatrice; Bandali, Sarah; Venkatachalam, Pritha; Hinton, Rachael; Murray, John; Arscott-Mills, Sharon; Axelson, Henrik; Maliqi, Blerta; Sarker, Intissar; Lakshminarayanan, Rama; Jacobs, Troy; Jack, Susan; Jacks, Susan; Mason, Elizabeth; Ghaffar, Abdul; Mays, Nicholas; Presern, Carole; Bustreo, Flavia

2014-07-01

Reducing maternal and child mortality is a priority in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and will likely remain so after 2015. Evidence exists on the investments, interventions and enabling policies required. Less is understood about why some countries achieve faster progress than other comparable countries. The Success Factors for Women's and Children's Health studies sought to address this knowledge gap using statistical and econometric analyses of data from 144 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over 20 years; Boolean, qualitative comparative analysis; a literature review; and country-specific reviews in 10 fast-track countries for MDGs 4 and 5a. There is no standard formula--fast-track countries deploy tailored strategies and adapt quickly to change. However, fast-track countries share some effective approaches in addressing three main areas to reduce maternal and child mortality. First, these countries engage multiple sectors to address crucial health determinants. Around half the reduction in child mortality in LMICs since 1990 is the result of health sector investments, the other half is attributed to investments made in sectors outside health. Second, these countries use strategies to mobilize partners across society, using timely, robust evidence for decision-making and accountability and a triple planning approach to consider immediate needs, long-term vision and adaptation to change. Third, the countries establish guiding principles that orient progress, align stakeholder action and achieve results over time. This evidence synthesis contributes to global learning on accelerating improvements in women's and children's health towards 2015 and beyond.

Seed dimorphism, nutrients and salinity differentially affect seed traits of the desert halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica via multiple maternal effects.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Baskin, Jerry M; Baskin, Carol C; Cornelissen, J Hans C; Dong, Ming; Huang, Zhenying

2012-09-25

Maternal effects may influence a range of seed traits simultaneously and are likely to be context-dependent. Disentangling the interactions of plant phenotype and growth environment on various seed traits is important for understanding regeneration and establishment of species in natural environments. Here, we used the seed-dimorphic plant Suaeda aralocaspica to test the hypothesis that seed traits are regulated by multiple maternal effects. Plants grown from brown seeds had a higher brown:black seed ratio than plants from black seeds, and germination percentage of brown seeds was higher than that of black seeds under all conditions tested. However, the coefficient of variation (CV) for size of black seeds was higher than that of brown seeds. Seeds had the smallest CV at low nutrient and high salinity for plants from brown seeds and at low nutrient and low salinity for plants from black seeds. Low levels of nutrients increased size and germinability of black seeds but did not change the seed morph ratio or size and germinability of brown seeds. High levels of salinity decreased seed size but did not change the seed morph ratio. Seeds from high-salinity maternal plants had a higher germination percentage regardless of level of germination salinity. Our study supports the multiple maternal effects hypothesis. Seed dimorphism, nutrient and salinity interacted in determining a range of seed traits of S. aralocaspica via bet-hedging and anticipatory maternal effects. This study highlights the importance of examining different maternal factors and various offspring traits in studies that estimate maternal effects on regeneration.

Seed dimorphism, nutrients and salinity differentially affect seed traits of the desert halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica via multiple maternal effects

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Maternal effects may influence a range of seed traits simultaneously and are likely to be context-dependent. Disentangling the interactions of plant phenotype and growth environment on various seed traits is important for understanding regeneration and establishment of species in natural environments. Here, we used the seed-dimorphic plant Suaeda aralocaspica to test the hypothesis that seed traits are regulated by multiple maternal effects. Results Plants grown from brown seeds had a higher brown:black seed ratio than plants from black seeds, and germination percentage of brown seeds was higher than that of black seeds under all conditions tested. However, the coefficient of variation (CV) for size of black seeds was higher than that of brown seeds. Seeds had the smallest CV at low nutrient and high salinity for plants from brown seeds and at low nutrient and low salinity for plants from black seeds. Low levels of nutrients increased size and germinability of black seeds but did not change the seed morph ratio or size and germinability of brown seeds. High levels of salinity decreased seed size but did not change the seed morph ratio. Seeds from high-salinity maternal plants had a higher germination percentage regardless of level of germination salinity. Conclusions Our study supports the multiple maternal effects hypothesis. Seed dimorphism, nutrient and salinity interacted in determining a range of seed traits of S. aralocaspica via bet-hedging and anticipatory maternal effects. This study highlights the importance of examining different maternal factors and various offspring traits in studies that estimate maternal effects on regeneration. PMID:23006315

Physiological, Behavioral and Maternal Factors That Contribute to Size Variation in Larval Amphibian Populations

PubMed Central

Warne, Robin W.; Kardon, Adam; Crespi, Erica J.

2013-01-01

Size variance among similarly aged individuals within populations is a pattern common to many organisms that is a result of interactions between intrinsic and extrinsic traits of individuals. While genetic and maternal effects, as well as physiological and behavioral traits have been shown to contribute to size variation in animal populations, teasing apart the influence of such factors on individual growth rates remain a challenge. Furthermore, tracing the effects of these interactions across life stages and in shaping adult phenotypes also requires further exploration. In this study we investigated the relationship between genetics, hatching patterns, behaviors, neuroendocrine stress axis activity and variance in growth and metamorphosis among same-aged larval amphibians. Through parallel experiments we found that in the absence of conspecific interactions, hatch time and to a lesser extent egg clutch identity (i.e. genetics and maternal effects) influenced the propensity for growth and development in individual tadpoles and determined metamorphic traits. Within experimental groups we found that variance in growth rates was associated with size-dependent foraging behaviors and responses to food restriction. We also found an inverse relationship between glucocorticoid (GC) hormone levels and body mass and developmental stage among group-reared tadpoles, which suggests that GC expression plays a role in regulating differing within-population growth trajectories in response to density-dependent conditions. Taken together these findings suggest that factors that influence hatching conditions can have long-term effects on growth and development. These results also raise compelling questions regarding the extent to which maternal and genetic factors influence physiological and behavioral profiles in amphibians. PMID:24143188

Neuroendocrine regulation of maternal behavior.

PubMed

Bridges, Robert S

2015-01-01

The expression of maternal behavior in mammals is regulated by the developmental and experiential events over a female's lifetime. In this review the relationships between the endocrine and neural systems that play key roles in these developmental and experiential processes that affect both the establishment and maintenance of maternal care are presented. The involvement of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and lactogens are discussed in the context of ligand, receptor, and gene activity in rodents and to a lesser extent in higher mammals. The roles of neuroendocrine factors, including oxytocin, vasopressin, classical neurotransmitters, and other neural gene products that regulate aspects of maternal care are set forth, and the interactions of hormones with central nervous system mediators of maternal behavior are discussed. The impact of prior developmental factors, including epigenetic events, and maternal experience on subsequent maternal care are assessed over the course of the female's lifespan. It is proposed that common neuroendocrine mechanisms underlie the regulation of maternal care in mammals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do Maternal Caregiver Perceptions of Childhood Obesity Risk Factors and Obesity Complications Predict Support for Prevention Initiatives Among African Americans?

PubMed

Alexander, Dayna S; Alfonso, Moya L; Cao, Chunhua; Wright, Alesha R

2017-07-01

Objectives African American maternal caregiver support for prevention of childhood obesity may be a factor in implementing, monitoring, and sustaining children's positive health behaviors. However, little is known about how perceptions of childhood obesity risk factors and health complications influence caregivers' support of childhood obesity prevention strategies. The objective of this study was to determine if childhood obesity risk factors and health complications were associated with maternal caregivers' support for prevention initiatives. Methods A convenience sample of maternal caregivers (N = 129, ages 22-65 years) completed the childhood obesity perceptions (COP) survey. A linear regression was conducted to determine whether perceptions about childhood obesity risk factors and subsequent health complications influenced caregivers' support for prevention strategies. Results Caregivers' perceptions of childhood obesity risk factors were moderate (M = 3.4; SD = 0.64), as were their perceptions of obesity-related health complications (M = 3.3; SD = 0.75); however, they perceived a high level of support for prevention strategies (M = 4.2; SD = 0.74). In the regression model, only health complications were significantly associated with caregiver support (β = 0.348; p < 0.004). Conclusions Childhood obesity prevention efforts should emphasize health complications by providing education and strategies that promote self-efficacy and outcome expectations among maternal caregivers.

Strong and stable geographic differentiation of swamp buffalo maternal and paternal lineages indicates domestication in the China/Indochina border region.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi; Lu, Yongfang; Yindee, Marnoch; Li, Kuan-Yi; Kuo, Hsiao-Yun; Ju, Yu-Ten; Ye, Shaohui; Faruque, Md Omar; Li, Qiang; Wang, Yachun; Cuong, Vu Chi; Pham, Lan Doan; Bouahom, Bounthong; Yang, Bingzhuang; Liang, Xianwei; Cai, Zhihua; Vankan, Dianne; Manatchaiworakul, Wallaya; Kowlim, Nonglid; Duangchantrasiri, Somphot; Wajjwalku, Worawidh; Colenbrander, Ben; Zhang, Yuan; Beerli, Peter; Lenstra, Johannes A; Barker, J Stuart F

2016-04-01

The swamp type of the Asian water buffalo is assumed to have been domesticated by about 4000 years BP, following the introduction of rice cultivation. Previous localizations of the domestication site were based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation within China, accounting only for the maternal lineage. We carried out a comprehensive sampling of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Nepal and Bangladesh and sequenced the mtDNA Cytochrome b gene and control region and the Y-chromosomal ZFY, SRY and DBY sequences. Swamp buffalo has a higher diversity of both maternal and paternal lineages than river buffalo, with also a remarkable contrast between a weak phylogeographic structure of river buffalo and a strong geographic differentiation of swamp buffalo. The highest diversity of the swamp buffalo maternal lineages was found in south China and north Indochina on both banks of the Mekong River, while the highest diversity in paternal lineages was in the China/Indochina border region. We propose that domestication in this region was later followed by introgressive capture of wild cows west of the Mekong. Migration to the north followed the Yangtze valley as well as a more eastern route, but also involved translocations of both cows and bulls over large distances with a minor influence of river buffaloes in recent decades. Bayesian analyses of various migration models also supported domestication in the China/Indochina border region. Coalescence analysis yielded consistent estimates for the expansion of the major swamp buffalo haplogroups with a credibility interval of 900 to 3900 years BP. The spatial differentiation of mtDNA and Y-chromosomal haplotype distributions indicates a lack of gene flow between established populations that is unprecedented in livestock. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Replication of High Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevalence Rates, Child Characteristics, and Maternal Risk Factors in a Second Sample of Rural Communities in South Africa

PubMed Central

May, Philip A.; De Vries, Marlene M.; Marais, Anna-Susan; Kalberg, Wendy O.; Buckley, David; Adnams, Colleen M.; Hasken, Julie M.; Tabachnick, Barbara; Robinson, Luther K.; Manning, Melanie A.; Bezuidenhout, Heidre; Adam, Margaret P.; Jones, Kenneth L.; Seedat, Soraya; Parry, Charles D.H.; Hoyme, H. Eugene

2017-01-01

Background: Prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and total fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) were studied in a second sample of three South African rural communities to assess change. Methods: Active case ascertainment focused on children with height, weight and/or head circumference ≤25th centile and randomly-selected children. Final diagnoses were based on dysmorphology, neurobehavioral scores, and maternal risk interviews. Results: Cardinal facial features, head circumference, and total dysmorphology scores differentiated specific FASD diagnostic categories in a somewhat linear fashion but all FASD traits were significantly worse than those of randomly-selected controls. Neurodevelopmental delays were significantly worse for children with FASD than controls. Binge alcohol use was clearly documented as the proximal maternal risk factor for FASD, and significant distal risk factors were: low body mass, education, and income; high gravidity, parity, and age at birth of the index child. FAS rates continue to extremely high in these communities at 89–129 per 1000 children. Total FASD affect 196–276 per 1000 or 20–28% of the children in these communities. Conclusions: Very high rates of FASD persist in these general populations where regular, heavy drinking, often in a binge fashion, co-occurs with low socioeconomic conditions. PMID:28498341

Replication of High Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevalence Rates, Child Characteristics, and Maternal Risk Factors in a Second Sample of Rural Communities in South Africa.

PubMed

May, Philip A; De Vries, Marlene M; Marais, Anna-Susan; Kalberg, Wendy O; Buckley, David; Adnams, Colleen M; Hasken, Julie M; Tabachnick, Barbara; Robinson, Luther K; Manning, Melanie A; Bezuidenhout, Heidre; Adam, Margaret P; Jones, Kenneth L; Seedat, Soraya; Parry, Charles D H; Hoyme, H Eugene

2017-05-12

Background : Prevalence and characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and total fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) were studied in a second sample of three South African rural communities to assess change. Methods : Active case ascertainment focused on children with height, weight and/or head circumference ≤25th centile and randomly-selected children. Final diagnoses were based on dysmorphology, neurobehavioral scores, and maternal risk interviews. Results : Cardinal facial features, head circumference, and total dysmorphology scores differentiated specific FASD diagnostic categories in a somewhat linear fashion but all FASD traits were significantly worse than those of randomly-selected controls. Neurodevelopmental delays were significantly worse for children with FASD than controls. Binge alcohol use was clearly documented as the proximal maternal risk factor for FASD, and significant distal risk factors were: low body mass, education, and income; high gravidity, parity, and age at birth of the index child. FAS rates continue to extremely high in these communities at 9-129 per 1000 children. Total FASD affect 196-276 per 1000 or 20-28% of the children in these communities. Conclusions : Very high rates of FASD persist in these general populations where regular, heavy drinking, often in a binge fashion, co-occurs with low socioeconomic conditions.

Differentiated Instruction: Understanding the Personal Factors and Organizational Conditions that Facilitate Differentiated Instruction in Elementary Mathematics Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbati, Diana Guglielmo

2012-01-01

Differentiated instruction is a widely held practice used by teachers to provide diverse learners with complex learning opportunities in the area of mathematics. Research on differentiated instruction shows a multitude of factors that support high quality instruction in mixed-ability elementary classrooms. These factors include small-class size,…

Fibronectin is a survival factor for differentiated osteoblasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, R. K.; Doty, S. B.; Lull, J. C.; Holmuhamedov, E.; Humphries, M. J.; Damsky, C. H.

1998-01-01

The skeletal extracellular matrix produced by osteoblasts contains the glycoprotein fibronectin, which regulates the adhesion, differentiation and function of various adherent cells. Interactions with fibronectin are required for osteoblast differentiation in vitro, since fibronectin antagonists added to cultures of immature fetal calvarial osteoblasts inhibit their progressive differentiation. To determine if fibronectin plays a unique role in fully differentiated osteoblasts, cultures that had already formed mineralized nodules in vitro were treated with fibronectin antagonists. Fibronectin antibodies caused >95% of the cells in the mature cultures to display characteristic features of apoptosis (nuclear condensation, apoptotic body formation, DNA laddering) within 24 hours. Cells appeared to acquire sensitivity to fibronectin antibody-induced apoptosis as a consequence of differentiation, since antibodies failed to kill immature cells and the first cells killed were those associated with mature nodules. Intact plasma fibronectin, as well as fragments corresponding to the amino-terminal, cell-binding, and carboxy-terminal domains of fibronectin, independently induced apoptosis of mature (day-13), but not immature (day-4), osteoblasts. Finally, transforming growth factor-beta1 partially protected cells from the apoptotic effects of fibronectin antagonists. Thus, in the course of maturation cultured osteoblasts switch from depending on fibronectin for differentiation to depending on fibronectin for survival. These data suggest that fibronectin, together with transforming growth factor-beta1, may affect bone formation, in part by regulating the survival of osteoblasts.

Revised infant dietary recommendations: the impact of maternal education and other parental factors on adherence rates in Iceland.

PubMed

Thorisdottir, Asa Vala; Gunnarsdottir, Ingibjorg; Thorsdottir, Inga

2013-02-01

Revised infant dietary recommendations from the Icelandic Nutrition Council (Nutrition: the first twelve months. Reykjavík, Iceland: The Icelandic Nutrition Council, 2003) are outlined in a booklet provided during free postnatal care. These focus on increasing the duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding and reducing cow's milk consumption. This study explored whether maternal education and other parental factors affected whether mothers followed the recommendations. Mothers of randomly selected healthy infants (n = 200) completed questionnaires on body mass index (BMI), age, education (basic, medium and higher), household income, smoking and parental factors. Dietary data were collected during home visits by a researcher (0-4 months) and through monthly food records completed by parents or caregivers (5-12 months). Each maternal education level increased breastfeeding duration by 0.72 months (95% CI = 0.04, 1.39) and reduced cow's milk consumption by 36.7 mL/day (95% CI = -70.11, -3.03), when adjusted for maternal BMI, age, smoking and family income. Maternal education was not associated with duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding was inversely associated with maternal BMI, B = -0.10 (95% CI = -0.16, -0.05) and -0.13 (95% CI = -0.23, -0.03), respectively. Mothers with higher education appear to have adapted more easily to the revised recommendations on infant diet, particularly when their infants are 6-12 months old. Higher maternal BMI was associated with shorter duration of both exclusive and total breastfeeding. ©2012 Unit for Nutrition Research/Acta Paediatrica ©2012 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Using Microfluidic Device-Generated Growth Factor Gradient.

PubMed

Kim, Ji Hyeon; Sim, Jiyeon; Kim, Hyun-Jung

2018-04-11

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple nervous system cell types. During embryonic development, the concentrations of soluble biological molecules have a critical role in controlling cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptosis. In an effort to find optimal culture conditions for the generation of desired cell types in vitro , we used a microfluidic chip-generated growth factor gradient system. In the current study, NSCs in the microfluidic device remained healthy during the entire period of cell culture, and proliferated and differentiated in response to the concentration gradient of growth factors (epithermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor). We also showed that overexpression of ASCL1 in NSCs increased neuronal differentiation depending on the concentration gradient of growth factors generated in the microfluidic gradient chip. The microfluidic system allowed us to study concentration-dependent effects of growth factors within a single device, while a traditional system requires multiple independent cultures using fixed growth factor concentrations. Our study suggests that the microfluidic gradient-generating chip is a powerful tool for determining the optimal culture conditions.

U.S. Maternally Linked Birth Records May Be Biased for Hispanics and Other Population Groups

PubMed Central

LEISS, JACK K.; GILES, DENISE; SULLIVAN, KRISTIN M.; MATHEWS, RAHEL; SENTELLE, GLENDA; TOMASHEK, KAY M.

2010-01-01

Purpose To advance understanding of linkage error in U.S. maternally linked datasets, and how the error may affect results of studies based on the linked data. Methods North Carolina birth and fetal death records for 1988-1997 were maternally linked (n=1,030,029). The maternal set probability, defined as the probability that all records assigned to the same maternal set do in fact represent events to the same woman, was used to assess differential maternal linkage error across race/ethnic groups. Results Maternal set probabilities were lower for records specifying Asian or Hispanic race/ethnicity, suggesting greater maternal linkage error. The lower probabilities for Hispanics were concentrated in women of Mexican origin who were not born in the United States. Conclusions Differential maternal linkage error may be a source of bias in studies using U.S. maternally linked datasets to make comparisons between Hispanics and other groups or among Hispanic subgroups. Methods to quantify and adjust for this potential bias are needed. PMID:20006273

Maternal retinoids control type 3 innate lymphoid cells and set the offspring immunity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van de Pavert, Serge A.; Ferreira, Manuela; Domingues, Rita G.; Ribeiro, Hélder; Molenaar, Rosalie; Moreira-Santos, Lara; Almeida, Francisca F.; Ibiza, Sales; Barbosa, Inês; Goverse, Gera; Labão-Almeida, Carlos; Godinho-Silva, Cristina; Konijn, Tanja; Schooneman, Dennis; O'Toole, Tom; Mizee, Mark R.; Habani, Yasmin; Haak, Esther; Santori, Fabio R.; Littman, Dan R.; Schulte-Merker, Stefan; Dzierzak, Elaine; Simas, J. Pedro; Mebius, Reina E.; Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique

2014-04-01

The impact of nutritional status during fetal life on the overall health of adults has been recognized; however, dietary effects on the developing immune system are largely unknown. Development of secondary lymphoid organs occurs during embryogenesis and is considered to be developmentally programmed. Secondary lymphoid organ formation depends on a subset of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) named lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. Here we show that mouse fetal ILC3s are controlled by cell-autonomous retinoic acid (RA) signalling in utero, which pre-sets the immune fitness in adulthood. We found that embryonic lymphoid organs contain ILC progenitors that differentiate locally into mature LTi cells. Local LTi cell differentiation was controlled by maternal retinoid intake and fetal RA signalling acting in a haematopoietic cell-autonomous manner. RA controlled LTi cell maturation upstream of the transcription factor RORγt. Accordingly, enforced expression of Rorgt restored maturation of LTi cells with impaired RA signalling, whereas RA receptors directly regulated the Rorgt locus. Finally, we established that maternal levels of dietary retinoids control the size of secondary lymphoid organs and the efficiency of immune responses in the adult offspring. Our results reveal a molecular link between maternal nutrients and the formation of immune structures required for resistance to infection in the offspring.

Maternal retinoids control type 3 innate lymphoid cells and set the offspring immunity.

PubMed

van de Pavert, Serge A; Ferreira, Manuela; Domingues, Rita G; Ribeiro, Hélder; Molenaar, Rosalie; Moreira-Santos, Lara; Almeida, Francisca F; Ibiza, Sales; Barbosa, Inês; Goverse, Gera; Labão-Almeida, Carlos; Godinho-Silva, Cristina; Konijn, Tanja; Schooneman, Dennis; O'Toole, Tom; Mizee, Mark R; Habani, Yasmin; Haak, Esther; Santori, Fabio R; Littman, Dan R; Schulte-Merker, Stefan; Dzierzak, Elaine; Simas, J Pedro; Mebius, Reina E; Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique

2014-04-03

The impact of nutritional status during fetal life on the overall health of adults has been recognized; however, dietary effects on the developing immune system are largely unknown. Development of secondary lymphoid organs occurs during embryogenesis and is considered to be developmentally programmed. Secondary lymphoid organ formation depends on a subset of type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) named lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells. Here we show that mouse fetal ILC3s are controlled by cell-autonomous retinoic acid (RA) signalling in utero, which pre-sets the immune fitness in adulthood. We found that embryonic lymphoid organs contain ILC progenitors that differentiate locally into mature LTi cells. Local LTi cell differentiation was controlled by maternal retinoid intake and fetal RA signalling acting in a haematopoietic cell-autonomous manner. RA controlled LTi cell maturation upstream of the transcription factor RORγt. Accordingly, enforced expression of Rorgt restored maturation of LTi cells with impaired RA signalling, whereas RA receptors directly regulated the Rorgt locus. Finally, we established that maternal levels of dietary retinoids control the size of secondary lymphoid organs and the efficiency of immune responses in the adult offspring. Our results reveal a molecular link between maternal nutrients and the formation of immune structures required for resistance to infection in the offspring.

Investigation on maternal physiological and psychological factors of cheilopalatognathus.

PubMed

Ma, J; Zhao, W; Ma, R M; Li, X J; Wen, Z H; Liu, X F; Hu, W D; Zhang, C B

2013-01-01

Case-control study on mothers of cheilopalatognathus children was conducted, to investigate the maternal physiological and psychological factors for occurrence of cheilopalatognathus. One hundred ten mothers of cheilopalatognathus children who were scheduled for one-stage surgery were selected as a research group, and 110 mothers of normal children served as a normal control group at the same time. Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-AI), Life Events Scale (LES), Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ), Type C Behavior Scale (CBS), adult Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and homemade general questionnaire survey were employed for the investigation. Compared with the control group, the scores for negative event tension value, anxiety, and depressive factors were higher in the study group (p < 0.05); while the scores for positive event tension value, intellect, optimism, and social support factors were lower (p < 0.05). Regression analysis found that physiological factors included were five: education, changes in body weight during pregnancy, the intake amount of milk and beans, and intake of healthcare products, and supplementary folic acid taken or not, while the psychological factors included were four: positive event stimulation, negative event stimulation, the amount of social support, as well as introvert and extrovert personalities. The study results suggest that pregnant women's physiological and psychological factors can cause changes in cheilopalatognathus incidence, which is expected to be guidance for healthcare during pregnancy, to prevent the occurrence of cheilopalatognathus.

Factors affecting levels of circulating cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma and their implications for noninvasive prenatal testing.

PubMed

Kinnings, Sarah L; Geis, Jennifer A; Almasri, Eyad; Wang, Huiquan; Guan, Xiaojun; McCullough, Ron M; Bombard, Allan T; Saldivar, Juan-Sebastian; Oeth, Paul; Deciu, Cosmin

2015-08-01

Sufficient fetal DNA in a maternal plasma sample is required for accurate aneuploidy detection via noninvasive prenatal testing, thus highlighting a need to understand the factors affecting fetal fraction. The MaterniT21™ PLUS test uses massively parallel sequencing to analyze cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma and detect chromosomal abnormalities. We assess the impact of a variety of factors, both maternal and fetal, on the fetal fraction across a large number of samples processed by Sequenom Laboratories. The rate of increase in fetal fraction with increasing gestational age varies across the duration of the testing period and is also influenced by fetal aneuploidy status. Maternal weight trends inversely with fetal fraction, and we find no added benefit from analyzing body mass index or blood volume instead of weight. Strong correlations exist between fetal fractions from aliquots taken from the same patient at the same blood draw and also at different blood draws. While a number of factors trend with fetal fraction across the cohort as a whole, they are not the sole determinants of fetal fraction. In this study, the variability for any one patient does not appear large enough to justify postponing testing to a later gestational age. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Association between risk factors during maternal pregnancy and the neonatal period and childhood bronchial asthma].

PubMed

Zhang, Hui-Qin; Fan, Rui; Zhang, Jing-Jing; Tao, Xiao-Juan; Sun, Xin

2017-01-01

To study the association of the risk factors during maternal pregnancy and the neonatal period with childhood bronchial asthma. A total of 306 children with asthma (asthma group) and 250 healthy children (control group) were enrolled. Their clinical data during the neonatal period and the maternal data during pregnancy were retrospectively studied. The univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the rates of maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy, use of antibiotics and probiotics during the neonatal period, preterm birth, cesarean section, low birth weight, and breast feeding (>6 months) between the asthma and control groups (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that use of antibiotics during pregnancy (OR=3.908, 95%CI: 1.277-11.962), use of antibiotics during neonatal period (OR=24.154, 95%CI: 7.864-74.183), preterm birth (OR=8.535, 95%CI: 2.733-26.652), and cesarean section (OR=4.588, 95%CI: 2.887-7.291) were independent risk factors for childhood asthma. The use of probiotics during the neonatal period (OR=0.014, 95%CI: 0.004-0.046) and breast feeding (>6 months) (OR=0.161, 95%CI: 0.103-0.253) were protective factors for childhood asthma. The early prevention of childhood asthma can be improved by reducing the use of antibiotics during pregnancy, reducing cesarean section, avoiding abuse of antibiotics during the neonatal period, trying breast feeding and taking probiotics in early stage.

Factors associated with maternal anaemia among pregnant women in Dhaka city.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Hasina Akhter; Ahmed, Kazi Rumana; Jebunessa, Fatema; Akter, Jesmin; Hossain, Sharmin; Shahjahan, Md

2015-09-22

Maternal anaemia is a common problem in pregnancy, particularly in developing countries. The study was aimed at determining the factors associated with anaemia among a group of pregnant mothers who attended an antenatal clinic in Dhaka city. This cross-sectional study included 224 pregnant women, who visited the antenatal clinic of the Marie Stops, Dhaka. Demographic data and information on maternal age, gestational age, educational and income level, and socioeconomic status were collected from all the subjects. Haemoglobin status was measured to assess their anaemia. A qualified technician drew venous blood samples from them. The reference values of haemoglobin were categorized according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria as follows: normal (11 g/dL or higher), mild (10-10.9 g/dL), and moderate (7-9.9 g/dL). Mild and moderate levels of haemoglobin were defined as anaemic (haemoglobin levels of <11 g/dL). The SPSS software (Windows version 16.0. SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA) was used for analyzing data. The mean (±SD) age of the subjects was 26.4 ± 2.81 years. Sixty-three percent of the subjects had normal level of haemoglobin, and 37% were anaemic 26% mild and 11% moderate. Maternal anaemia was significantly associated with age (p = 0.036), education (p = 0.002), income (p = 0.001), living area (p = 0.031). Results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that maternal anaemia was also significantly associated with age (p = 0.006), educational status (primary to 8th grade, p = 0.004; secondary and above, p = 0.002), living area (0.022), and income (0.021). A significant proportion of pregnant women were found anaemic. Most data showed education has animpact on awareness to use of health services and iron supplementation should be encouraged to improve the haemoglobin levels in pregnancy. The results indicate that anaemia is alarmingly high among pregnant women in Dhaka city. Maternal anaemia is associated with age

Maternal predictors of intrauterine growth restriction.

PubMed

Cetin, Irene; Mandò, Chiara; Calabrese, Stefania

2013-05-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) occurs when fetal growth rate falls below the genetic potential and affects a significant number of pregnancies, but still no therapy has been developed for this pregnancy disease. This article reviews the most recent findings concerning maternal characteristics and behaviours predisposing to IUGR as well as maternal early markers of the disease. A comprehensive understanding of factors associated with IUGR will help in providing important tools for preventing and understanding adverse outcomes. Maternal nutritional status, diet and exposure to environmental factors are increasingly acknowledged as potential factors affecting fetal growth both by altering nutrient availability to the fetus and by modulating placental gene expression, thus modifying placental function. Assessing nutritional and environmental factors associated with IUGR, and the molecular mechanisms by which they may have a role in the disease onset, is necessary to provide comprehensive and common guidelines for maternal care and recommended behaviours. Moreover, maternal genetic predispositions and early serum markers may allow a better and more specific monitoring of high risk pregnancies, optimizing the timing of delivery.

Iron concentrations in breast milk and selected maternal factors of human milk bank donors.

PubMed

Mello-Neto, Julio; Rondó, Patrícia H C; Morgano, Marcelo A; Oshiiwa, Marie; Santos, Mariana L; Oliveira, Julicristie M

2010-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between iron concentration in mature breast milk and characteristics of 136 donors of a Brazilian milk bank. Iron, vitamin A, zinc, and copper concentrations were assessed in human milk and maternal blood. Data were collected on maternal anthropometrics, obstetric, socioeconomic, demographic, and lifestyle factors. Iron, zinc, and copper in milk and zinc and copper in blood were detected by spectrophotometry. Vitamin A in milk and blood was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Hemoglobin was measured by electronic counting and serum iron and ferritin by colorimetry and chemoluminescence, respectively. Transferrin and ceruloplasmin were determined by nephelometry. According to multivariate linear regression analysis, iron in milk was positively associated with vitamin A in milk and with smoking but negatively associated with timing of breast milk donation (P < .001). These results indicate that iron concentration in milk of Brazilian donors may be influenced by nutritional factors and smoking.

Initiating a Caregiving Relationship: Pregnancy and Childbirth Factors as Predictors of Maternal Sensitivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernier, Annie; Jarry-Boileau, Veronique; Tarabulsy, George M.; Miljkovitch, Raphaele

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relations between pregnancy and childbirth factors and subsequent quality of maternal interactive behavior in a sample of 116 full-term infants and their mothers. Mothers reported on the conditions of childbirth when infants were 6-8 months of age, and their interactive behavior was observed during a…

Differential roles of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1 and 2 in dendritic cell differentiation.

PubMed

Dikov, Mikhail M; Ohm, Joyce E; Ray, Neelanjan; Tchekneva, Elena E; Burlison, Jared; Moghanaki, Drew; Nadaf, Sorena; Carbone, David P

2005-01-01

Impaired Ag-presenting function in dendritic cells (DCs) due to abnormal differentiation is an important mechanism of tumor escape from immune control. A major role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors, VEGFR1/Flt-1 and VEGFR2/KDR/Flk-1, has been documented in hemopoietic development. To study the roles of each of these receptors in DC differentiation, we used an in vitro system of myeloid DC differentiation from murine embryonic stem cells. Exposure of wild-type, VEGFR1(-/-), or VEGFR2(-/-) embryonic stem cells to exogenous VEGF or the VEGFR1-specific ligand, placental growth factor, revealed distinct roles of VEGF receptors. VEGFR1 is the primary mediator of the VEGF inhibition of DC maturation, whereas VEGFR2 tyrosine kinase signaling is essential for early hemopoietic differentiation, but only marginally affects final DC maturation. SU5416, a VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, only partially rescued the mature DC phenotype in the presence of VEGF, suggesting the involvement of both tyrosine kinase-dependent and independent inhibitory mechanisms. VEGFR1 signaling was sufficient for blocking NF-kappaB activation in bone marrow hemopoietic progenitor cells. VEGF and placental growth factor affect the early stages of myeloid/DC differentiation. The data suggest that therapeutic strategies attempting to reverse the immunosuppressive effects of VEGF in cancer patients might be more effective if they specifically targeted VEGFR1.

Influence of maternal factors on the successful outcome of kangaroo mother care in low birth-weight infants: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Lumbanraja, S N

2016-01-01

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is associated with positive neonatal outcomes. Studies demonstrated significant influence of maternal factors on the success of applying KMC. To determine maternal factors that influence on anthropometric parameters in low birth weight babies that received kangaroo mother care. This is a randomized controlled study that involved low birth weight newborns. We randomly assigned newborns into two groups; a group who received KMC and a group who received conventional care. Maternal factors were recorded. We followed weight, length, and head circumferences of newborns for thirty days. A total of 40 newborns were included. Weight parameters were significantly higher in the KMC group than the conventional group. From maternal characteristics, only gestational age was found to influence increased head circumference in KMC group (p = 0.035); however, it did not affect the increase in weight or length. Maternal age, parity, education, mode of delivery, fetal sex, and initial Apgar score did not influence growth parameters in either groups. KMC was associated with increased weight gain in LBW infants. Gestational age influences head growth in infants who received KMC.

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is associated with differential expression of imprinted genes and DNA methyltranfereases in muscle of beef cattle offspring.

PubMed

Wang, X; Lan, X; Radunz, A E; Khatib, H

2015-01-01

Maternal diet during pregnancy is a major determinant of the fetal developmental competence and may induce long-lasting epigenetic changes to the offspring. Imprinted genes have important roles in fetal programming, growth, and development. There are, however, limited data available on the influence of maternal diet on the expression of imprinted genes in beef cattle. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the impact of maternal diet during pregnancy on the expression of 5 imprinted genes and 3 DNA methyltransferase genes in longissimus dorsi muscle from Angus calves. A total of 36 Angus-cross cows were inseminated to a single sire and on Day 135 of gestation they were randomly assigned to either low-starch (haylage) or high-starch (corn silage) diets. Diets were initially formulated to provide isocaloric and isonitrogenous intake. The H19, MEG8, IGF2R, and DNMT3a genes showed differential expression in longissimus dorsi muscle in calves between the diet groups. Given that high-starch diet is a source of energy for muscle growth and feed conversion efficiency in postnatal development, the mechanisms by which this diet affected expression of imprinted genes should be further explored.

Social and Cultural Factors Affecting Maternal Health in Rural Gambia: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Lowe, Mat; Chen, Duan-Rung; Huang, Song-Lih

The high rate of maternal mortality reported in The Gambia is influenced by many factors, such as difficulties in accessing quality healthcare and facilities. In addition, socio-cultural practices in rural areas may limit the resources available to pregnant women, resulting in adverse health consequences. The aim of this study is to depict the gender dynamics in a rural Gambian context by exploring the social and cultural factors affecting maternal health. Five focus group discussions that included 50 participants (aged 15-30 years, with at least one child) and six in-depth interviews with traditional birth attendants were conducted to explore perceptions of maternal health issues among rural women. The discussion was facilitated by guides focusing on issues such as how the women perceived their own physical health during pregnancy, difficulties in keeping themselves healthy, and health-related problems during pregnancy and delivery. The data resulting from the discussion was transcribed verbatim and investigated using a qualitative thematic analysis. In general, rural Gambian women did not enjoy privileges in their households when they were pregnant. The duties expected of them required pregnant women to endure heavy workloads, with limited opportunities for sick leave and almost nonexistent resources to access prenatal care. The division of labor between men and women in the household was such that women often engaged in non-remunerable field work with few economic resources, and their household duties during pregnancy were not alleviated by either their husbands or the other members of polygamous households. At the time of delivery, the decision to receive care by trained personnel was often beyond the women's control, resulting in birth-related complications. Our findings suggest that despite women's multiple roles in the household, their positions are quite unfavorable. The high maternal morbidity and mortality rate in The Gambia is related to practices

Developmental Risk Factors in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder

PubMed Central

Newman, Michelle G.; Shin, Ki Eun; Zuellig, Andrea R.

2016-01-01

Background There is a lack of clarity regarding specific risk factors discriminating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) from panic disorder (PD). Goal This study investigated whether GAD and PD could be discriminated through differences in developmental etiological factors including childhood parental loss/separation, psychological disorders, and maternal and paternal attachment. Method Twenty people with adult generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), 20 with adult panic disorder (PD), 11 with adult comorbid GAD and PD, and 21 adult non-anxious controls completed diagnostic interviews to assess symptoms of mental disorders in adulthood and childhood. Participants also reported on parental attachment, loss, and separation. Results Childhood diagnoses of GAD and PD differentiated clinical groups from controls as well as from each other, suggesting greater likelihood for homotypic over heterotypic continuity. Compared to controls, specific phobia was associated with all three clinical groups, and childhood depression, social phobia, and PTSD were uniquely associated with adult GAD. Both maternal and paternal attachment also differentiated clinical groups from controls. However, higher levels of subscales reflecting maternal insecure avoidant attachment (e.g., no memory of early childhood experiences and balancing/forgiving current state of mind) emerged as more predictive of GAD relative to PD. There were no group differences in parental loss or separation. Conclusions These results support differentiation of GAD and PD based on developmental risk factors. Recommendations for future research and implications of the findings for understanding the etiology and symptomatology of GAD and PD are discussed. PMID:27466747

Developmental risk factors in generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

PubMed

Newman, Michelle G; Shin, Ki Eun; Zuellig, Andrea R

2016-12-01

There is a lack of clarity regarding specific risk factors discriminating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) from panic disorder (PD). This study investigated whether GAD and PD could be discriminated through differences in developmental etiological factors including childhood parental loss/separation, psychological disorders, and maternal and paternal attachment. Twenty people with adult generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), 20 with adult panic disorder (PD), 11 with adult comorbid GAD and PD, and 21 adult non-anxious controls completed diagnostic interviews to assess symptoms of mental disorders in adulthood and childhood. Participants also reported on parental attachment, loss and separation. Childhood diagnoses of GAD and PD differentiated clinical groups from controls as well as from each other, suggesting greater likelihood for homotypic over heterotypic continuity. Compared to controls, specific phobia was associated with all three clinical groups, and childhood depression, social phobia, and PTSD were uniquely associated with adult GAD. Both maternal and paternal attachment also differentiated clinical groups from controls. However, higher levels of subscales reflecting maternal insecure avoidant attachment (e.g., no memory of early childhood experiences and balancing/forgiving current state of mind) emerged as more predictive of GAD relative to PD. There were no group differences in parental loss or separation. These results support differentiation of GAD and PD based on developmental risk factors. Recommendations for future research and implications of the findings for understanding the etiology and symptomatology of GAD and PD are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioactive factors in milk across lactation: maternal effects and influence on infant growth in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

PubMed Central

Bernstein, Robin; Hinde, Katie

2017-01-01

Among mammals, numerous bioactive factors in milk vary across mothers and influence offspring outcomes. This emerging area of research has primarily investigated such dynamics within rodent biomedical models, domesticated dairy breeds, and among humans in clinical contexts. Less understood are signaling factors in the milk of non-human primates. Here, we report on multiple bioactive components in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) milk and their associations with maternal and infant characteristics. Milk samples were collected from 59 macaques at multiple time points across lactation in conjunction with maternal and infant morphometrics and life-history animal records. Milk was assayed for adiponectin (APN), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGF-R), and transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-β2). Regression models were constructed to assess the contributions of maternal factors on variation in milk bioactives, and on the relationship of this variation to infant body mass and growth. Maternal body mass, parity, social rank and infant sex were all predictive of concentrations of milk bioactives. Primiparous mothers produced milk with higher adiponectin, but lower EGF, than multiparous mothers. Heavier mothers produced milk with lower EGF and EGF-R, but higher TGF-β2. Mothers of daughters produced milk with higher TGF-β2. Mid-ranking mothers produced milk with higher mean EGF and adiponectin concentrations than low-ranking mothers. Milk EGF and EGF-R were positively associated with infant body mass and growth rate. Importantly, these signaling bioactives (APN, EGF, EGF-R, TGF-β2) were significantly correlated with nutritional values of milk. The effects of milk signals remained after controlling for the available energy in milk revealing the added physiological role of non-nutritive milk bioactives in the developing infant. Integrating analyses of energetic and other bioactive components of milk yields an important perspective for interpreting the

Success factors for reducing maternal and child mortality

PubMed Central

Schweitzer, Julian; Bishai, David; Chowdhury, Sadia; Caramani, Daniele; Frost, Laura; Cortez, Rafael; Daelmans, Bernadette; de Francisco, Andres; Adam, Taghreed; Cohen, Robert; Alfonso, Y Natalia; Franz-Vasdeki, Jennifer; Saadat, Seemeen; Pratt, Beth Anne; Eugster, Beatrice; Bandali, Sarah; Venkatachalam, Pritha; Hinton, Rachael; Murray, John; Arscott-Mills, Sharon; Axelson, Henrik; Maliqi, Blerta; Sarker, Intissar; Lakshminarayanan, Rama; Jacobs, Troy; Jacks, Susan; Mason, Elizabeth; Ghaffar, Abdul; Mays, Nicholas; Presern, Carole; Bustreo, Flavia

2014-01-01

Abstract Reducing maternal and child mortality is a priority in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and will likely remain so after 2015. Evidence exists on the investments, interventions and enabling policies required. Less is understood about why some countries achieve faster progress than other comparable countries. The Success Factors for Women’s and Children’s Health studies sought to address this knowledge gap using statistical and econometric analyses of data from 144 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over 20 years; Boolean, qualitative comparative analysis; a literature review; and country-specific reviews in 10 fast-track countries for MDGs 4 and 5a. There is no standard formula – fast-track countries deploy tailored strategies and adapt quickly to change. However, fast-track countries share some effective approaches in addressing three main areas to reduce maternal and child mortality. First, these countries engage multiple sectors to address crucial health determinants. Around half the reduction in child mortality in LMICs since 1990 is the result of health sector investments, the other half is attributed to investments made in sectors outside health. Second, these countries use strategies to mobilize partners across society, using timely, robust evidence for decision-making and accountability and a triple planning approach to consider immediate needs, long-term vision and adaptation to change. Third, the countries establish guiding principles that orient progress, align stakeholder action and achieve results over time. This evidence synthesis contributes to global learning on accelerating improvements in women’s and children’s health towards 2015 and beyond. PMID:25110379

Maternal Interpersonal Trauma and Child Social-Emotional Development: An Intergenerational Effect.

PubMed

Folger, Alonzo T; Putnam, Karen T; Putnam, Frank W; Peugh, James L; Eismann, Emily A; Sa, Ting; Shapiro, Robert A; Van Ginkel, Judith B; Ammerman, Robert T

2017-03-01

Evidence suggests that maternal interpersonal trauma can adversely affect offspring health, but little is known about potential transmission pathways. We investigated whether interpersonal trauma exposure had direct and indirect associations with offspring social-emotional development at 12-months of age in an at-risk, home visited population. A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 1172 mother-child dyads who participated in a multi-site, early childhood home visiting program. Children were born January 2007 to June 2010 and data were collected at enrolment (prenatal/birth) through 12-months of age. Multivariable path analyses were used to examine the relationship between maternal interpersonal trauma, subsequent psychosocial mediators (maternal depressive symptoms, social support, and home environment), and the outcome of child social-emotional development measured with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE). Maternal interpersonal trauma was characterized as any previous exposure, the level of exposure, and type (e.g. abuse) of exposure. The prevalence of maternal interpersonal trauma exposure was 69.1%, and exposures ranged from 1 type (19.3%) to 7 types (2.3%). Interpersonal trauma was associated with a 3.6 point (95% confidence interval 1.8, 5.4) higher ASQ:SE score among offspring and indicated greater developmental risk. An estimated 23.4% of the total effect was mediated by increased maternal depressive symptoms and lower social support. Differential effects were observed by the level and type of interpersonal trauma exposure. Maternal interpersonal trauma exposures can negatively impact child social-emotional development, acting in part through maternal psychosocial factors. Future research is needed to further elucidate the mechanisms of intergenerational risk. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Maternal burn-out: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Séjourné, N; Sanchez-Rodriguez, R; Leboullenger, A; Callahan, S

2018-02-21

Maternal burn-out is a psychological, emotional and physiological condition resulting from the accumulation of various stressors characterised by a moderate but also a chronic and repetitive dimension. Little research has focused on this syndrome. The current study aims to assess maternal burn-out rate and to identify factors associated with this state of exhaustion. 263 French mothers aged between 20 and 49 years answered five scales quantifying maternal burn-out, perceived social support, parental stress, depression and anxiety symptoms and history of postnatal depression. About 20% of mothers were affected by maternal burn-out. The main factors related to maternal burn-out were having a child perceived as difficult, history of postnatal depression, anxiety, satisfaction of a balance between professional and personal life and parental stress. This research shows the need for further work on maternal burn-out to better understand and prevent this syndrome.

Adolescent eating disorder behaviours and cognitions: gender-specific effects of child, maternal and family risk factors

PubMed Central

Micali, N.; De Stavola, B.; Ploubidis, G.; Simonoff, E.; Treasure, J.; Field, A. E.

2015-01-01

Background Eating disorder behaviours begin in adolescence. Few longitudinal studies have investigated childhood risk and protective factors. Aims To investigate the prevalence of eating disorder behaviours and cognitions and associated childhood psychological, physical and parental risk factors among a cohort of 14-year-old children. Method Data were collected from 6140 boys and girls aged 14 years. Gender-stratified models were used to estimate prospective associations between childhood body dissatisfaction, body mass index (BMI), self-esteem, maternal eating disorder and family economic disadvantage on adolescent eating disorder behaviours and cognitions. Results Childhood body dissatisfaction strongly predicted eating disorder cognitions in girls, but only in interaction with BMI in boys. Higher self-esteem had a protective effect, particularly in boys. Maternal eating disorder predicted body dissatisfaction and weight/shape concern in adolescent girls and dieting in boys. Conclusions Risk factors for eating disorder behaviours and cognitions vary according to gender. Prevention strategies should be gender-specific and target modifiable predictors in childhood and early adolescence. PMID:26206865

A Maternal Influence on Reading the Mind in the Eyes Mediated by Executive Function: Differential Parental Influences on Full and Half-Siblings

PubMed Central

Ragsdale, Gillian; Foley, Robert A.

2011-01-01

Background Parent-of-origin effects have been found to influence the mammalian brain and cognition and have been specifically implicated in the development of human social cognition and theory of mind. The experimental design in this study was developed to detect parent-of-origin effects on theory of mind, as measured by the ‘Reading the mind in the eyes’ (Eyes) task. Eyes scores were also entered into a principal components analysis with measures of empathy, social skills and executive function, in order to determine what aspect of theory of mind Eyes is measuring. Methodology/Principal Findings Maternal and paternal influences on Eyes scores were compared using correlations between pairs of full (70 pairs), maternal (25 pairs) and paternal siblings (15 pairs). Structural equation modelling supported a maternal influence on Eyes scores over the normal range but not low-scoring outliers, and also a sex-specific influence on males acting to decrease male Eyes scores. It was not possible to differentiate between genetic and environmental influences in this particular sample because maternal siblings tended to be raised together while paternal siblings were raised apart. The principal components analysis found Eyes was associated with measures of executive function, principally behavioural inhibition and attention, rather than empathy or social skills. Conclusions/Significance In conclusion, the results suggest a maternal influence on Eye scores in the normal range and a sex-specific influence acting to reduce scores in males. This influence may act via aspects of executive function such as behavioural inhibition and attention. There may be different influences acting to produce the lowest Eyes scores which implies that the heratibility and/or maternal influence on poor theory of mind skills may be qualitatively different to the influence on the normal range. PMID:21850264

Analysis of Maternal Risk Factors Associated With Congenital Vertebral Malformations

PubMed Central

Hesemann, Jennifer; Lauer, Emily; Ziska, Stephen; Noonan, Kenneth; Nemeth, Blaise; Scott-Schwoerer, Jessica; McCarty, Catherine; Rasmussen, Kristen; Goldberg, Jacob M.; Sund, Sarah; Eickhoff, Jens; Raggio, Cathleen L.; Giampietro, Philip F.

2014-01-01

Study Design A retrospective chart review of cases with congenital vertebral malformations (CVM) and controls with normal spine morphology. Objective To determine the relative contribution of maternal environmental factors (MEF) during pregnancy including maternal insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, valproic acid, alcohol, smoking, hyperthermia, twin gestation, assisted reproductive technology, in-vitro fertilization and maternal clomiphene usage to CVM development. Summary of Background Data Congenital vertebral malformations (CVM) represent defects in formation and segmentation of somites occurring with an estimated incidence of between 0.13–0.50 per 1000 live births. CVM may be associated with congenital scoliosis, Klippel-Feil syndrome, hemifacial microsomia and VACTERL syndromes, and represent significant morbidity due to pain and cosmetic disfigurement. Methods A multicenter retrospective chart review of 229 cases with CVM and 267 controls with normal spine morphology between the ages of 1–50 years was performed in order to obtain the odds ratio (OR) of MEF related to CVM among cases vs. controls. CVM due to an underlying syndrome associated with a known gene mutation or chromosome etiology were excluded. An imputation based analysis was performed in which subjects with no documentation of MEF history were treated as no maternal exposure.” Univariate and multivariate analysis was conducted to calculate the OR. Results Of the 229 total cases, 104 cases had single or multiple CVM without additional congenital malformations (CM) (Group 1) and 125 cases had single or multiple CVM and additional CM (Group 2). Nineteen percent of total cases had an identified MEF. The OR (95% CI, P-value) for MEF history for Group 1 was 6.0 (2.4–15.1, P<0.001) in the univariate analysis. The OR for MEF history in Group 2 was 9.1 (95%CI, P-value) (3.8–21.6, P<0.001) in the univariate analysis. The results were confirmed in the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for

Interactions between environmental factors and maternal-fetal genetic variations: strategies to elucidate risks of preterm birth.

PubMed

Pereyra, Silvana; Bertoni, Bernardo; Sapiro, Rossana

2016-07-01

Preterm birth (PTB) is a complex disease in which medical, social, cultural, and hereditary factors contribute to the pathogenesis of this adverse event. Interactions between genes and environmental factors may complicate our understanding of the relative influence of both effects on PTB. To overcome this, we combined data obtained from a cohort of newborns and their mothers with multiplex analysis of inflammatory-related genes and several environmental risk factors of PTB to describe the environmental-genetic influence on PTB. The study aimed to investigate the association between maternal and fetal genetic variations in genes related to the inflammation pathway with PTB and to assess the interaction between environmental factors with these variations. We conducted a case-control study at the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center, Montevideo, Uruguay. The study included 143 mother-offspring dyads who delivered at preterm (gestational age<37 weeks) and 108 mother-offspring dyads who delivered at term. We used real-time PCR followed by a high-resolution melting analysis to simultaneously identify gene variations involved in inflammatory pathways in the context of environmental variables. The genes analyzed were: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), Interleukin 6 (IL6), Interleukin 1 beta (IL1B) and Interleukin 12 receptor beta (IL12RB). We detected a significant interaction between IL1B rs16944 polymorphism in maternal samples and IL6 rs1800795 polymorphism in newborns, emphasizing the role of the interaction of maternal and fetal genomes in PTB. In addition, smoke exposure and premature rupture of membranes (PROM) were significantly different between the premature group and controls. IL1B and IL6 polymorphisms in mothers were significantly associated with PTB when controlling for smoke exposure. TLR4 polymorphism and PROM were significantly associated with PTB when controlling for PROM, but only in the case of severe PTB. Interactions between maternal and fetal genomes may

Assessment of maternal risk factors associated with low birth weight neonates at a tertiary hospital, Nanded, Maharashtra.

PubMed

Domple, Vijay Kishanrao; Doibale, Mohan K; Nair, Abhilasha; Rajput, Pinkesh S

2016-01-01

To assess the maternal risk factors associated with low birth weight (LBW) neonates at a tertiary hospital, Nanded, Maharashtra. This study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Nanded city of Maharashtra between January 2014 and July 2014 among 160 cases (LBW-birth weight ≤2499 g) and 160 controls (normal birth weight-birth weight >2499. Data collection was done by using predesigned questionnaire and also related health documents were checked and collected the expected information during the interview after obtaining informed consent from mothers. The data were analyzed by Epi Info 7 Version. The present study found the significant association among gestational age, sex of baby, type of delivery, maternal age, religion, education of mother and husband, occupation of mother and husband, type of family, maternal height, weight gain, hemoglobin level, planned/unplanned delivery, bad obstetric history, interval between pregnancies, previous history of LBW, underlying disease, tobacco chewing, timing of first antenatal care (ANC) visit, total number of ANC visit, and iron and folic acid (IFA) tablets consumption with LBW. No significant association was found among maternal age, residence, caste, consanguinity of marriage, socioeconomic status, gravida, birth order, multiple pregnancy, and smoking with LBW in our study. It was concluded that hemoglobin level, weight gain during pregnancy, gestational age, planned/unplanned delivery, bad obstetric history, and IFA tablets consumption during pregnancy were independent risk factors for LBW.

Unpacking the enabling factors for hand, cord and birth-surface hygiene in Zanzibar maternity units

PubMed Central

Gon, Giorgia; Ali, Said M; Towriss, Catriona; Kahabuka, Catherine; Ali, Ali O; Cavill, Sue; Dahoma, Mohammed; Faulkner, Sally; Haji, Haji S; Kabole, Ibrahim; Morrison, Emma; Said, Rukaiya M; Tajo, Amour; Velleman, Yael; Woodd, Susannah L; Graham, and Wendy J

2017-01-01

Abstract Recent national surveys in The United Republic of Tanzania have revealed poor standards of hygiene at birth in facilities. As more women opt for institutional delivery, improving basic hygiene becomes an essential part of preventative strategies for reducing puerperal and newborn sepsis. Our collaborative research in Zanzibar provides an in-depth picture of the state of hygiene on maternity wards to inform action. Hygiene was assessed in 2014 across all 37 facilities with a maternity unit in Zanzibar. We used a mixed methods approach, including structured and semi-structured interviews, and environmental microbiology. Data were analysed according to the WHO ‘cleans’ framework, focusing on the fundamental practices for prevention of newborn and maternal sepsis. For each ‘clean’ we explored the following enabling factors: knowledge, infrastructure (including equipment), staffing levels and policies. Composite indices were constructed for the enabling factors of the ‘cleans’ from the quantitative data: clean hands, cord cutting, and birth surface. Results from the qualitative tools were used to complement this information. Only 49% of facilities had the ‘infrastructural’ requirements to enable ‘clean hands’, with the availability of constant running water particularly lacking. Less than half (46%) of facilities met the ‘knowledge’ requirements for ensuring a ‘clean delivery surface’; six out of seven facilities had birthing surfaces that tested positive for multiple potential pathogens. Almost two thirds of facilities met the ‘infrastructure (equipment) requirement’ for ‘clean cord’; however, disposable cord clamps being frequently out of stock, often resulted in the use of non-sterile thread made of fabric. This mixed methods approach, and the analytical framework based on the WHO ‘cleans’ and the enabling factors, yielded practical information of direct relevance to action at local and ministerial levels. The same

Maternal Depression and Youth Internalizing and Externalizing Symptomatology: Severity and Chronicity of Past Maternal Depression and Current Maternal Depressive Symptoms

PubMed Central

O’Connor, Erin E.; Langer, David A.; Tompson, Martha C.

2017-01-01

Maternal depression is a well-documented risk factor for youth depression, and taking into account its severity and chronicity may provide important insight into the degree of risk conferred. This study explored the degree to which the severity/chronicity of maternal depression history explained variance in youth internalizing and externalizing symptoms above and beyond current maternal depressive symptoms among 171 youth (58% male) ages 8 to 12 over a span of three years. Severity and chronicity of past maternal depression and current maternal depressive symptoms were examined as predictors of parent-reported youth internalizing and externalizing symptomatology, as well as youth self-reported depressive symptoms. Severity and chronicity of past maternal depression did not account for additional variance in youth internalizing and externalizing symptoms at Time 1 beyond what was accounted for by maternal depressive symptoms at Time 1. Longitudinal growth curve modeling indicated that prior severity/chronicity of maternal depression predicted levels of youth internalizing and externalizing symptoms at each time point when controlling for current maternal depressive symptoms at each time point. Chronicity of maternal depression, apart from severity, also predicted rate of change in youth externalizing symptoms over time. These findings highlight the importance of screening and assessing for current maternal depressive symptoms, as well as the nature of past depressive episodes. Possible mechanisms underlying the association between severity/chronicity of maternal depression and youth outcomes, such as residual effects from depressive history on mother–child interactions, are discussed. PMID:27401880

Increasing maternal percentage body fat in early second trimester: a risk factor for preeclampsia.

PubMed

Wang, Yanxia; Qiu, Jie; Zhou, Min; Wang, Youjie; Du, Yukai

2015-02-01

To determine if maternal percentage body fat (PBF) or fat free mass (FFM) in the early second trimester of pregnancy influenced the development of preeclampsia. A matched nested case-control study was conducted from a cohort study of 1668 women at Gansu provincial maternal and child care hospital from July 2007 to August 2011 in China. Maternal PBF and FFM were assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis during 12th-16th gestational week. The demographic characteristics were all chart abstracted. After childbirth, 70 cases of preeclampsia were matched by race/age with 140 uncomplicated pregnancies women. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the associated risk factors. Pre-pregnancy body mass index were higher in women who subsequently developed preeclampsia compared with controls (p < 0.001). During 12th-16th gestational week, there were nearly 7-fold increase in the odds of preeclampsia (adjusted OR: 6.84, 95% CI: 4.15-41.60) among women with PBF ≥ 40% versus women with PBF < 40%. But FFM were not at further increased risk of the development of preeclampsia (adjusted OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.6-3.6). Maternal PBF but not FFM is a predictor of preeclampsia in the early second trimester. Excessive adipose tissue possibly played an important role in developing of preeclampsia.

Neural and environmental factors impacting maternal behavior differences in high- versus low-novelty-seeking rats.

PubMed

Clinton, Sarah M; Bedrosian, Tracy A; Abraham, Antony D; Watson, Stanley J; Akil, Huda

2010-04-01

Selective breeding of rats exhibiting differences in novelty-induced locomotion revealed that this trait predicts several differences in emotional behavior. Bred High Responders (bHRs) show exaggerated novelty-induced locomotion, aggression, and psychostimulant self-administration, compared to bred Low Responders (bLRs), which are inhibited and prone to anxiety- and depression-like behavior. Our breeding studies highlight the heritability of the bHR/bLR phenotypes, although environmental factors like maternal care also shape some aspects of these traits. We previously reported that HR vs. LR mothers act differently, but it was unclear whether their behaviors were genetically driven or influenced by their pups. The present study (a) used cross-fostering to evaluate whether the bHR/bLR maternal styles are inherent to mothers and/or are modulated by pups; and (b) assessed oxytocin and oxytocin receptor mRNA expression to examine possible underpinnings of bHR/bLR maternal differences. While bHR dams exhibited less maternal behavior than bLRs during the dark/active phase, they were very attentive to pups during the light phase, spending greater time passive nursing and in contact with pups compared to bLRs. Cross-fostering only subtly changed bHR and bLR dams' behavior, suggesting that their distinct maternal styles are largely inherent to the mothers. We also found elevated oxytocin mRNA levels in the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus in bHR versus bLR dams, which may play some role in driving their behavior differences. Overall these studies shed light on the interplay between the genetics of mothers and infants in driving differences in maternal style. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Delayed onset of lactogenesis among first-time mothers is related to maternal obesity and factors associated with ineffective breastfeeding.

PubMed

Nommsen-Rivers, Laurie A; Chantry, Caroline J; Peerson, Janet M; Cohen, Roberta J; Dewey, Kathryn G

2010-09-01

Delayed onset of lactogenesis (OL) is most common in primiparas and increases the risk of excess neonatal weight loss, formula supplementation, and early weaning. We examined variables associated with delayed OL among first-time mothers who delivered at term and initiated breastfeeding (n = 431). We conducted in-person interviews during pregnancy and at days 0, 3, and 7 postpartum and extracted obstetric and newborn information from medical records. We defined OL as delayed if it occurred after 72 h and used chi-square analysis to examine its association with potential risk factors across 6 dimensions: 1) prenatal characteristics, 2) maternal anthropometric characteristics, 3) labor and delivery experience, 4) newborn characteristics, 5) maternal postpartum factors, and 6) infant feeding variables. We examined independent associations by using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Median OL was 68.9 h postpartum; 44% of mothers experienced delayed OL. We observed significant bivariate associations between delayed OL and variables in all 6 dimensions (P < 0.05). In a multivariate model adjusted for prenatal feeding intentions, independent risk factors for delayed OL were maternal age > or =30 y, body mass index in the overweight or obese range, birth weight >3600 g, absence of nipple discomfort between 0-3 d postpartum, and infant failing to "breastfeed well" > or =2 times in the first 24 h. Postpartum edema was significant in an alternate model excluding body mass index (P < 0.05). The risk factors for delayed OL are multidimensional. Public health and obstetric and maternity care interventions are needed to address what has become an alarmingly common problem among primiparas.

Delivery of Differentiation Factors by Mesoporous Silica Particles Assists Advanced Differentiation of Transplanted Murine Embryonic Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Kozhevnikova, Mariya; König, Niclas; Zhou, Chunfang; Leao, Richardson; Knöpfel, Thomas; Pankratova, Stanislava; Trolle, Carl; Berezin, Vladimir; Bock, Elisabeth; Aldskogius, Håkan

2013-01-01

Stem cell transplantation holds great hope for the replacement of damaged cells in the nervous system. However, poor long-term survival after transplantation and insufficiently robust differentiation of stem cells into specialized cell types in vivo remain major obstacles for clinical application. Here, we report the development of a novel technological approach for the local delivery of exogenous trophic factor mimetics to transplanted cells using specifically designed silica nanoporous particles. We demonstrated that delivering Cintrofin and Gliafin, established peptide mimetics of the ciliary neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, respectively, with these particles enabled not only robust functional differentiation of motor neurons from transplanted embryonic stem cells but also their long-term survival in vivo. We propose that the delivery of growth factors by mesoporous nanoparticles is a potentially versatile and widely applicable strategy for efficient differentiation and functional integration of stem cell derivatives upon transplantation. PMID:24089415

Maternal anxiety and depression, poverty and marital relationship factors during early childhood as predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescence.

PubMed

Spence, Susan H; Najman, Jake M; Bor, William; O'Callaghan, Michael J; Williams, Gail M

2002-05-01

This paper examines the degree to which symptoms of anxiety and depression at age 14 years are associated with early childhood experience of maternal anxiety and depression, poverty, and mother's marital relationship distress and break-up. In a longitudinal study, 4434 families were followed-up from infancy to adolescence. Maternal anxiety and depression during early childhood were found to have small, but significant, influences upon the development of high anxiety-depression symptoms at age 14, after controlling for the effects of poverty and marital relationship factors. This effect was greater with repeated exposure to high maternal anxiety and depression. Poverty, distressed marital relationship and marital break-up during the child's first five years also produced small, but significant, increases in risk of high anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence. Stable, single-parent status was not found to be a risk factor. There was no evidence of marked gender differences in risk factors, other than poverty, which had a stronger impact for girls than boys. Overall, the results suggest that maternal anxiety and depression, poverty, parent relationship conflict and marital break-up during early childhood are associated with small, but significant, increased risk of anxiety-depression symptoms in adolescence.

Incidence, types, geographical distribution, and risk factors of congenital anomalies in Al-Ramadi Maternity and Children's Teaching Hospital, Western Iraq.

PubMed

Al-Ani, Zaid R; Al-Haj, Shaker A; Al-Ani, Muhammad M; Al-Dulaimy, Khamees M; Al-Maraie, Ayad Kh; Al-Ubaidi, Belal Kh

2012-09-01

To study the incidence, types, geographical distribution, and risk factors of congenital anomalies (CAs) in a teaching hospital. A total of 5864 neonates were examined for CAs between October 2010 and October 2011 in Al-Ramadi Maternity and Children's Teaching Hospital, Al-Ramadi, Western Iraq. Data include: neonate's name, gender, weight, and type of CAs, mother's age, residence, education, parity, consanguinity, smoking, illness, drugs, and ultrasound (U/S) results, father's age and smoking, and family recurrence of CAs. For every case, 2 controls were selected. Types and incidence of CAs was calculated. Odds ratio and confidence interval was utilized for risk factors evaluation. Overall CA incidences were 40.5/1000 for total births, 40.8/1000 live births, and 270.0/1000 for stillbirths. Twenty percent of CAs was found as multiple, 80% single, 63.8% major, and 36.2% minor. The cardiovascular system was found most affected, followed by genito-urinary system. Low birth weight, male gender, maternal smoking, consanguinity, parity, and CAs family recurrence were found to be significant risk factors, and oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios, and positive CAs by U/S, found as significant co-factors associated with CAs, while parental age, and maternal education were not considered risk factors. Although the incidence of CAs was lower than the Al-Fallujah rate, it is still higher than many developed and developing countries. Amniotic fluid volume changes in U/S may hide an ominous CA, and maternal smoking exposure during pregnancy and consanguinity may expose the family to a congenitally anomalous delivery.

Maternal differential treatment in later life families and within-family variations in adult sibling closeness.

PubMed

Gilligan, Megan; Suitor, J Jill; Nam, Sangbo

2015-01-01

In this article, we explore within-family differences in the closeness of sibling ties in adulthood. Specifically, we consider the sibship as a network and investigate the ways in which perceptions of mothers' differential treatment play a role in within-family variations in sibling closeness in midlife. Data were analyzed from 2,067 adult sibling dyads nested within 216 later life families, collected as part of the Within-Family Differences Study-II. Respondents reported the greatest closeness to siblings whom they perceived as favored by their mothers when they were not favored themselves, whereas respondents were less likely to choose siblings whom they perceived as disfavored by their mothers when they did not perceive themselves as disfavored. Variability in the strength of sibling ties within families suggests that some individuals receive greater benefits from this relationship than do their brothers and sisters. These findings shed new light on such within-family variations in sibling closeness by identifying how specific patterns of maternal differential treatment draw offspring toward some siblings and away from others. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inequalities in maternal health: national cohort study of ethnic variation in severe maternal morbidities.

PubMed

Knight, Marian; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J; Spark, Patsy; Brocklehurst, Peter

2009-03-03

To describe on a national basis ethnic differences in severe maternal morbidity in the United Kingdom. National cohort study using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS). All hospitals with consultant led maternity units in the UK. 686 women with severe maternal morbidity between February 2005 and February 2006. Rates, risk ratios, and odds ratios of severe maternal morbidity in different ethnic groups. 686 cases of severe maternal morbidity were reported in an estimated 775 186 maternities, representing an estimated incidence of 89 (95% confidence interval 82 to 95) cases per 100 000 maternities. 74% of women were white, and 26% were non-white. The estimated risk of severe maternal morbidity in white women was 80 cases per 100 000 maternities, and that in non-white women was 126 cases per 100,000 (risk difference 46 (27 to 66) cases per 100 000; risk ratio 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.33 to 1.87). Black African women (risk difference 108 (18 to 197) cases per 100,000 maternities; risk ratio 2.35, 1.45 to 3.81) and black Caribbean women (risk difference 116 (59 to 172) cases per 100 000 maternities; risk ratio 2.45, 1.81 to 3.31) had the highest risk compared with white women. The risk in non-white women remained high after adjustment for differences in age, socioeconomic and smoking status, body mass index, and parity (odds ratio 1.50, 1.15 to 1.96). Severe maternal morbidity is significantly more common among non-white women than among white women in the UK, particularly in black African and Caribbean ethnic groups. This pattern is very similar to reported ethnic differences in maternal death rates. These differences may be due to the presence of pre-existing maternal medical factors or to factors related to care during pregnancy, labour, and birth; they are unlikely to be due to differences in age, socioeconomic or smoking status, body mass index, or parity. This highlights to clinicians and policy makers the importance of tailored maternity services

Effects of maternal confidence and competence on maternal parenting stress in newborn care.

PubMed

Liu, Chien-Chi; Chen, Yueh-Chih; Yeh, Yen-Po; Hsieh, Yeu-Sheng

2012-04-01

This paper is a report of a correlational study of the relations of maternal confidence and maternal competence to maternal parenting stress during newborn care. Maternal role development is a cognitive and social process influenced by cultural and family contexts and mother and child characteristics. Most knowledge about maternal role development comes from western society. However, perceptions of the maternal role in contemporary Taiwanese society may be affected by contextual and environmental factors. A prospective correlational design was used to recruit 372 postpartum Taiwanese women and their infants from well-child clinics at 16 health centres in central Taiwan. Inclusion criteria for mothers were gestational age >37 weeks, ≥18 years old, and healthy, with infants <4 months old. Data were collected between August 2007 and January 2008 using a self-report questionnaire on mothers' and infants' demographic variables, maternal confidence, maternal competence and self-perceived maternal parenting stress. After controlling for maternal parity and infant temperament, high maternal confidence and competence were associated with low maternal parenting stress. Maternal confidence influenced maternal parenting stress both directly and indirectly via maternal competence. To assist postpartum women in infant care programmes achieve positive outcomes, nurses should evaluate and bolster mothers' belief in their own abilities. Likewise, nurses should not only consider mothers' infant care skills, but also mothers' parity and infant temperament. Finally, it is crucial for nurses and researchers to recognize that infant care programmes should be tailored to mothers' specific maternal characteristics. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Periconception maternal smoking and low education are associated with methylation of INSIGF in children at the age of 17 months.

PubMed

Obermann-Borst, S A; Heijmans, B T; Eilers, P H C; Tobi, E W; Steegers, E A P; Slagboom, P E; Steegers-Theunissen, R P M

2012-10-01

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and a low socioeconomic status (SES) lead to increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcome. Maternal education is often used as proxy for SES. We explored the programming of the insulin pathway genes IGF2 DMR (insulin growth factor 2 differentially methylated region), IGF2R (insulin growth factor 2 receptor) and INSIGF [the overlapping region of IGF2 and insulin (INS)] in the child through any periconception maternal smoking and education level. In 120 children at 17 months of age, methylation of DNA derived from white blood cells was measured. Periconception smoking and low education were independently associated with INSIGF methylation and showed a relative increase in methylation of +1.3%; P = 0.043 and +1.6%; P = 0.021. Smoking and low education showed an additive effect on INSIGF methylation (+2.8%; P = 0.011). There were no associations with IGF2 DMR and IGF2R methylation. Our data suggest that periconception maternal smoking and low education are associated with epigenetic marks on INSIGF in the very young child, this warrants further study in additional populations.

Biobehavioral Factors in Child Health Outcomes: The Roles of Maternal Stress, Maternal-Child Engagement, Salivary Cortisol, and Salivary Testosterone.

PubMed

Clowtis, Licia M; Kang, Duck-Hee; Padhye, Nikhil S; Rozmus, Cathy; Barratt, Michelle S

2016-01-01

Exposure to high levels of maternal stress and ineffective maternal-child engagement (MC-E) may adversely affect child health-related outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of maternal stress and MC-E on maternal and child biological responses (salivary cortisol and testosterone) and child health outcome in mother-child dyads of preschool children (3-5.9 years) in a low socioeconomic setting. Observational and biobehavioral data were collected from 50 mother-child dyads in a preschool setting. Assessments included maternal stress with the Perceived Stress Scale, child health outcomes with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and MC-E with videotaped mother-child interactions and scored with the Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale. Morning and evening saliva samples were collected from mother and child for biological assays. Maternal stress was negatively correlated with MC-E (r = -.32, p < .05) and child health outcome (r = -.33, p < .05). Lower levels of MC-E predicted higher morning cortisol (p = .02) and higher morning and bedtime testosterone levels in children (p = .03 and p = .04, respectively). Child biological responses did not predict child health outcome. Maternal stress and MC-E during mother-child interactions play a significant role in the regulation of child stress physiology and child health outcome. Elevated cortisol and testosterone related to high maternal stress and low MC-E may increase the child's vulnerability to negative health outcomes-if sustained. More biobehavioral research is needed to understand how parent-child interactions affect child development and health outcomes in early childhood.

Maternal exposure to UV filters: associations with maternal thyroid hormones, IGF-I/IGFBP3 and birth outcomes.

PubMed

Krause, M; Frederiksen, H; Sundberg, K; Jørgensen, F S; Jensen, L N; Nørgaard, P; Jørgensen, C; Ertberg, P; Petersen, J H; Feldt-Rasmussen, U; Juul, A; Drzewiecki, K T; Skakkebaek, N E; Andersson, A M

2018-02-01

Several chemical UV filters/absorbers ('UV filters' hereafter) have endocrine-disrupting properties in vitro and in vivo . Exposure to these chemicals, especially during prenatal development, is of concern. To examine maternal exposure to UV filters, associations with maternal thyroid hormone, with growth factor concentrations as well as to birth outcomes. Prospective study of 183 pregnant women with 2nd trimester serum and urine samples available. Maternal concentrations of the chemical UV filters benzophenone-1 (BP-1) and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) in urine and 4-hydroxy-benzophenone (4-HBP) in serum were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The relationships between 2nd trimester maternal concentrations of the three chemical UV filters and maternal serum concentrations of thyroid hormones and growth factors, as well as birth outcomes (weight, height, and head and abdominal circumferences) were examined. Positive associations between maternal serum concentrations of 4-HBP and triiodothyronine (T 3 ), thyroxine (T 4 ), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and its binding protein IGFBP3 were observed in mothers carrying male fetuses. Male infants of mothers in the middle 4-HBP exposure group had statistically significantly lower weight and shorter head and abdominal circumferences at birth compared to the low exposure group. Widespread exposure of pregnant women to chemical UV filters and the possible impact on maternal thyroid hormones and growth factors, and on fetal growth, calls for further studies on possible long-term consequences of the exposure to UV filters on fetal development and children's health. © 2018 The authors.

Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Maternal Behavior, and Toddler Internalizing Outcomes: A Moderated Mediation Model

PubMed Central

Hummel, Alexandra C.; Kiel, Elizabeth J.

2014-01-01

Maternal depression relates to child internalizing outcomes, but one missing aspect of this association is how variation in depressive symptoms, including mild and moderate symptoms, relates to young children’s outcomes. The current study examined a moderated mediation model to investigate how maternal behaviors may mediate this association in the context of child temperament and gender. Mothers and toddlers completed a free-play/clean-up task in the laboratory. Mothers rated their depressive symptoms and their toddlers’ temperament and internalizing behaviors. Results indicated a significant indirect of maternal warmth on the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and toddler internalizing outcomes for boys with low negative emotionality. Toddler gender and temperament moderated the relation between maternal intrusiveness and toddler internalizing outcomes, but mediation was not supported. Results highlight the important interaction between child and maternal variables in predicting child outcomes, and suggest mechanisms by and conditions under which mild maternal depressive symptomatology can be a risk factor for toddler internalizing outcomes. PMID:24553739

Defining the patient safety attitudes and influencing factors of health professionals working at maternity hospitals.

PubMed

Tunçer Ünver, Gamze; Harmanci Seren, Arzu Kader

2018-02-27

To determine patient safety attitudes of midwives, nurses and physicians and to examine the difference or correlation in patient safety attitudes of midwives, nurses and physicians working in maternity hospitals. It has been suggested that it is necessary to define the factors affecting patient safety attitudes of health professionals working in maternity hospitals. A descriptive and correlational design was employed.The sample comprised 58 midwives, 134 nurses and 63 physicians (255) in two maternity hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey. The data were collected using an 'information form' and a 'Patient Safety Attitude Questionnaire'. The safety attitudes of participants were generally found to be negative. However, midwives had more positive patient safety attitudes and the age, unit, adequacy of patient safety training and the importance of patient safety were the most effective variables. As health professionals working in maternity hospitals generally have negative patient safety attitudes and because patient safety training provided better attitudes among the participants, these training programmes should be developed and implemented considering the differences among age groups and units. Health professionals have different views on the patient safety culture; therefore, training needs to involve everyone to create a shared vision for patient safety. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Association of Autism with Maternal Infections, Perinatal and Other Risk Factors: A Case-Control Study.

PubMed

Guisso, Dikran Richard; Saadeh, Fadi S; Saab, Dahlia; El Deek, Joud; Chamseddine, Sarah; El Hassan, Hadi Abou; Majari, Ghidaa; Boustany, Rose-Mary

2018-06-01

This case-control study explores the association between pregnancy/birth complications and other factors with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Lebanese subjects aged 2-18 years. Researchers interviewed 136 ASD cases from the American University of Beirut Medical Center Special Kids Clinic, and 178 controls selected by systematic digit dialing in the Greater-Beirut area. Male gender (Adjusted Odds Ratio [95% CI]: 3.9 [2.2-7.0]); postpartum feeding difficulties (2.5 [1.2-5.4]); maternal infections/complications during pregnancy (2.9 [1.5-5.5], 2.1 [1.1-3.9]); consanguinity (2.5 [1.0-6.0]); family history of psychiatric disorders (2.2 [1.1-4.4]) were risk factors for ASD. Being born first/second (0.52 [0.28-0.95]) and maternal psychological support during pregnancy (0.49 [0.27-0.89]) were negatively associated with ASD. Identifying ASD correlates is crucial for instigating timely screening and subsequent early intervention.

A new definition of maternal depletion syndrome.

PubMed Central

Winkvist, A; Rasmussen, K M; Habicht, J P

1992-01-01

BACKGROUND. Although the term "maternal depletion syndrome" has been commonly used to explain poor maternal and infant health, whether such a syndrome actually exists remains unclear. This uncertainty may be due to the lack of a clear definition of the syndrome and the absence of theoretical frameworks that account for the many factors related to reproductive nutrition. METHODS. We propose a new definition of maternal depletion syndrome within a framework that accounts for potential confounding factors. RESULTS. Our conceptual framework distinguishes between childbearing pattern and inadequate diet as causes of poor maternal health; hence, our definition of maternal depletion syndrome has both biological and practical meaning. The new definition is based on overall change in maternal nutritional status over one reproductive cycle in relation to possible depletion and repletion phases and in relation to initial nutritional status. CONCLUSIONS. The empirical application of this approach should permit the testing of the existence of maternal depletion syndrome in the developing world, and the distinction between populations where family planning will alleviate maternal depletion and those in which an improved diet is also necessary. PMID:1566948

Effectiveness of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care in increasing uptake of skilled maternity care: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Coast, Ernestina; Jones, Eleri; Lattof, Samantha R; Portela, Anayda

2016-01-01

Addressing cultural factors that affect uptake of skilled maternity care is recognized as an important step in improving maternal and newborn health. This article describes a systematic review to examine the evidence available on the effects of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care on the use of skilled maternity care during pregnancy, for birth or in the postpartum period. Items published in English, French and/or Spanish between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 2014 were considered. Fifteen studies describing a range of interventions met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on population and intervention characteristics; study design; definitions and data for relevant outcomes; and the contexts and conditions in which interventions occurred. Because most of the included studies focus on antenatal care outcomes, evidence of impact is particularly limited for care seeking for birth and after birth. Evidence in this review is clustered within a small number of countries, and evidence from low- and middle-income countries is notably lacking. Interventions largely had positive effects on uptake of skilled maternity care. Cultural factors are often not the sole factor affecting populations’ use of maternity care services. Broader social, economic, geographical and political factors interacted with cultural factors to affect targeted populations’ access to services in included studies. Programmes and policies should seek to establish an enabling environment and support respectful dialogue with communities to improve use of skilled maternity care. Whilst issues of culture are being recognized by programmes and researchers as being important, interventions that explicitly incorporate issues of culture are rarely evaluated. PMID:27190222

Circulating and Placental Growth-Differentiation Factor 15 in Preeclampsia and in Pregnancy Complicated by Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Sugulle, Meryam; Dechend, Ralf; Herse, Florian; Weedon-Fekjaer, M. Susanne; Johnsen, Guro M.; Brosnihan, K. Bridget; Anton, Lauren; Luft, Friedrich C.; Wollert, Kai C.; Kempf, Tibor; Staff, Anne Cathrine

2014-01-01

Abstract Growth-differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a stress-responsive transforming growth factor-β–related cytokine, is emerging as a new risk marker in patients with cardiovascular disease. We explored GDF-15 in preeclampsia and in diabetic pregnancies, because these conditions are associated with augmented risk for cardiovascular disease, both in mother and in offspring. Plasma from pregnant women (n=267; controls: n=59, preeclampsia: n=85, diabetes mellitus: n=112, and superimposed preeclampsia in diabetes mellitus: n=11), fetal plasma (n=72), and amniotic fluid (n=99) were analyzed by immunoassay for GDF-15. Placental GDF-15 mRNA and protein expression levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblots in 78 and 18 pregnancies, respectively. Conditioned media from preeclamptic (n=6) and control (n=6) villous placenta explants were analyzed by immunoassay for GDF-15. Median maternal GDF-15 concentration was elevated in those with diabetes mellitus, as compared with controls (91 549 versus 79 875 ng/L; P=0.02). Median GDF-15 concentration was higher in patients with preeclampsia than in controls in term maternal blood samples (127 061 versus 80 319 ng/L; P<0.001). In the fetal circulation and amniotic fluid, GDF-15 was elevated in preeclampsia and superimposed preeclampsia in diabetes mellitus, as compared with controls. GDF-15 placental mRNA expression was elevated in preeclampsia, as compared with controls (P=0.002). Placenta immunoblots confirmed a single GDF-15 protein band, and a time-dependent increase in GDF-15 protein was detected in the conditioned media. Our study is the first to show that GDF-15 is dysregulated, both in preeclampsia and in diabetic pregnancies. The mechanisms and diagnostic implications of these findings remain to be explored. PMID:19470878

Identification of novel candidate maternal serum protein markers for Down syndrome by integrated proteomic and bioinformatic analysis.

PubMed

Kang, Yuan; Dong, Xinran; Zhou, Qiongjie; Zhang, Ying; Cheng, Yan; Hu, Rong; Su, Cuihong; Jin, Hong; Liu, Xiaohui; Ma, Duan; Tian, Weidong; Li, Xiaotian

2012-03-01

This study aimed to identify candidate protein biomarkers from maternal serum for Down syndrome (DS) by integrated proteomic and bioinformatics analysis. A pregnancy DS group of 18 women and a control group with the same number were prepared, and the maternal serum proteins were analyzed by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation and mass spectrometry, to identify DS differentially expressed maternal serum proteins (DS-DEMSPs). Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was then employed to analyze DS-DEMSPs both in this paper and seven related publications. Down syndrome differentially expressed maternal serum proteins from different studies are significantly enriched with common Gene Ontology functions, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, transcription factor binding sites, and Pfam protein domains, However, the DS-DEMSPs are less functionally related to known DS-related genes. These evidences suggest that common molecular mechanisms induced by secondary effects may be present upon DS carrying. A simple scoring scheme revealed Alpha-2-macroglobulin, Apolipoprotein A1, Apolipoprotein E, Complement C1s subcomponent, Complement component 5, Complement component 8, alpha polypeptide, Complement component 8, beta polypeptide and Fibronectin as potential DS biomarkers. The integration of proteomics and bioinformatics studies provides a novel approach to develop new prenatal screening methods for noninvasive yet accurate diagnosis of DS. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Factors associated with women's autonomy regarding maternal and child health care utilization in Bale Zone: a community based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Nigatu, Dabere; Gebremariam, Abebe; Abera, Muluemebet; Setegn, Tesfaye; Deribe, Kebede

2014-07-03

Women's autonomy in health-care decision is a prerequisite for improvements in maternal and child health. Little is known about women's autonomy and its influencing factors on maternal and child health care in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess women's autonomy and identify associated factors in Southeast Ethiopia. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 19th until March 28th, 2011. A total of 706 women were selected using stratified sampling technique from rural and urban kebeles. The quantitative data were collected by interviewer administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS for window version 16.0. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with women's autonomy for health care utilization. Out of 706 women less than half (41.4%) had higher autonomy regarding their own and their children's health. In the multiple logistic regression model monthly household income >1000 ETB [adjusted odds ratio(AOR):3.32(95% C.I: 1.62-6.78)], having employed husband [AOR: 3.75 (95% C.I:1.24-11.32)], being in a nuclear family structure [AOR: 0.53(95% C.I: 0.33-0.87)], being in monogamous marriage [AOR: 3.18(95% C.I: 1.35-7.50)], being knowledgeable and having favorable attitude toward maternal and child health care services were independently associated with an increased odds of women's autonomy. Socio-demographic and maternal factors (knowledge and attitude) were found to influence women's autonomy. Interventions targeting women's autonomy with regards to maternal and child health care should focus on addressing increasing awareness and priority should be given to women with a lower socioeconomic status.

Childhood overweight and obesity among Kenyan pre-school children: association with maternal and early child nutritional factors.

PubMed

Gewa, Constance A

2010-04-01

To report on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among pre-school children in Kenya and examine the associations between childhood overweight and selected maternal and child-related factors. Demographic Health Survey data, multistage stratified cluster sampling methodology. Rural and urban areas of Kenya. A total of 1495 children between the ages of 3 and 5 years in Kenya. Over 30 % of the children were stunted, approximately 16 % were underweight, 4 % were wasted, approximately 18 % were overweight and 4 % were obese; 8 % were both overweight/obese and stunted. Maternal overweight and obesity, higher levels of maternal education, being a large or very large child at birth, and being stunted were each associated with higher odds of overweight and obesity among Kenyan children. Older children and large household size were each associated with lower odds of overweight and obesity among Kenyan children. The analysis demonstrates the presence of under- and overnutrition among Kenyan pre-school children and the importance of focusing on expanding efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition within this population. It also identifies some of the modifiable factors that can be targeted in these efforts.

Factors Associated with Maternal Serum Levels of Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Organochlorines: A Descriptive Study of Parous Women in Norway and Sweden

PubMed Central

Lauritzen, Hilde B.; Larose, Tricia L.; Øien, Torbjørn; Odland, Jon Ø.; van de Bor, Margot; Jacobsen, Geir W.; Sandanger, Torkjel M.

2016-01-01

Introduction Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and organochlorines (OCs) are ubiquitous and persistent in the environment and proposed endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They can be transferred across the placenta during pregnancy, and studies suggest that the prenatal period may be particularly sensitive for influences on fetal growth and development. Several studies have investigated socio-demographic and pregnancy related factors associated with maternal serum PFAS and OC levels, but few studies have been conducted in time periods with increasing emissions of PFASs and recent emissions of OCs. Methods Serum from 424 pregnant women participating in the NICHD Scandinavian Successive Small-for-gestational Age (SGA) births study was collected in 1986–1988, and analyses of two PFASs and six OCs were conducted. Associations between EDCs and geographic, time dependent, socio-demographic and pregnancy related variables were evaluated by using multivariable linear regression models. Results Previous breastfeeding duration, time since last breastfeeding period, sampling date and country of residence were important factors associated with serum levels of PFOS and PFOA. Smoking status and pre-pregnancy BMI were negatively associated with PFOS, and maternal height was borderline negatively associated with PFOS and PFOA. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was negatively associated with PFOS in a sub-sample. Maternal serum levels of OCs were positively associated with maternal age, and negatively associated with previous breastfeeding duration and sampling date. Smoking had a consistently negative association with PCB 118 in a dose-dependent manner. Education level, pre-pregnancy BMI and alcohol consumption varied in importance according to the compound under study. Conclusions Several maternal factors, including potentially modifiable factors, markers of pregnancy physiology and factors also related to perinatal outcomes were associated with EDC levels. Results from this

Bioactive factors in milk across lactation: Maternal effects and influence on infant growth in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Bernstein, Robin M; Hinde, Katie

2016-08-01

Among mammals, numerous bioactive factors in milk vary across mothers and influence offspring outcomes. This emerging area of research has primarily investigated such dynamics within rodent biomedical models, domesticated dairy breeds, and among humans in clinical contexts. Less understood are signaling factors in the milk of non-human primates. Here, we report on multiple bioactive components in rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) milk and their associations with maternal and infant characteristics. Milk samples were collected from 59 macaques at multiple time points across lactation in conjunction with maternal and infant morphometrics and life-history animal records. Milk was assayed for adiponectin (APN), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGF-R), and transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-β2 ). Regression models were constructed to assess the contributions of maternal factors on variation in milk bioactives, and on the relationship of this variation to infant body mass and growth. Maternal body mass, parity, social rank, and infant sex were all predictive of concentrations of milk bioactives. Primiparous mothers produced milk with higher adiponectin, but lower EGF, than multiparous mothers. Heavier mothers produced milk with lower EGF and EGF-R, but higher TGF-β2 . Mothers of daughters produced milk with higher TGF-β2 . Mid-ranking mothers produced milk with higher mean EGF and adiponectin concentrations than low-ranking mothers. Milk EGF and EGF-R were positively associated with infant body mass and growth rate. Importantly, these signaling bioactives (APN, EGF, EGF-R, and TGF-β2 ) were significantly correlated with nutritional values of milk. The effects of milk signals remained after controlling for the available energy in milk revealing the added physiological role of non-nutritive milk bioactives in the developing infant. Integrating analyses of energetic and other bioactive components of milk yields an important perspective for interpreting

Differential susceptibility to discipline: the moderating effect of child temperament on the association between maternal discipline and early childhood externalizing problems.

PubMed

van Zeijl, Jantien; Mesman, Judi; Stolk, Mirjam N; Alink, Lenneke R A; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; Juffer, Femmie; Koot, Hans M

2007-12-01

This study investigated the interaction of child temperament and maternal discipline in the prediction of externalizing problems in early childhood. Interaction effects were evaluated in a sample of 227 one- to three-year-old children with relatively high externalizing problems scores on the Child Behavior Checklist/1 1/2-5. Child temperament was reported by the mothers, maternal discipline was observed in a laboratory session, and child outcome measures included both mother-reported externalizing problems and observed physical aggression. Results indicate that children with difficult temperaments are more susceptible to negative discipline (i.e., they showed more externalizing problems) as well as more susceptible to positive discipline (i.e., they showed fewer externalizing problems and less physical aggression), as compared with children with relatively easy temperaments. These findings provide empirical evidence for the differential susceptibility hypothesis and suggest directions for enhancing the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing early childhood externalizing problems.

History of Maternal Fetal Loss and Childhood Leukaemia Risk in Subsequent Offspring: Differentials by Miscarriage or Stillbirth History and Disease Subtype.

PubMed

Karalexi, M A; Skalkidou, A; Thomopoulos, T P; Belechri, M; Biniaris-Georgallis, S-I; Bouka, E; Baka, M; Hatzipantelis, E; Kourti, M; Polychronopoulou, S; Sidi, V; Stiakaki, E; Moschovi, M; Dessypris, N; Petridou, E Th

2015-09-01

Despite the putative intrauterine origins of childhood (0-14 years) leukaemia, it is complex to assess the impact of perinatal factors on disease onset. Results on the association of maternal history of fetal loss (miscarriage/stillbirth) with specific disease subtypes in the subsequent offspring are in conflict. We sought to investigate whether miscarriage and stillbirth may have different impacts on the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and of its main immunophenotypes (B-cell and T-cell ALL), as contrasted to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). One thousand ninety-nine ALL incidents (957 B-ALL) and 131 AML cases along with 1:1 age and gender-matched controls derived from the Nationwide Registry for Childhood Hematological Malignancies and Brain Tumors (1996-2013) were studied. Multivariable regression models were used to assess the roles of previous miscarriage(s) and stillbirth(s) on ALL (overall, B-, T-ALL) and AML, controlling for potential confounders. Statistically significant exposure and disease subtype-specific associations of previous miscarriage(s) exclusively with AML [odds ratio (OR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00, 2.81] and stillbirth(s) with ALL [OR 4.82, 95% CI 1.63, 14.24] and B-ALL particularly, emerged. Differential pathophysiological pathways pertaining to genetic polymorphisms or cytogenetic aberrations are likely to create hostile environments leading either to fetal loss or the development of specific leukaemia subtypes in subsequent offspring, notably distinct associations of maternal miscarriage history confined to AML and stillbirth history confined to ALL (specifically B-ALL). If confirmed and further supported by studies revealing underlying mechanisms, these results may shed light on the divergent leukemogenesis processes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors associated with maternal healthcare services utilization in nine high focus states in India: a multilevel analysis based on 14 385 communities in 292 districts.

PubMed

Singh, Prashant Kumar; Kumar, Chandan; Rai, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Lucky

2014-08-01

Studies have often ignored examining the role of community- and district-level factors in the utilization of maternity healthcare services, particularly in Indian contexts. The Social Determinants of Health framework emphasizes the role of governance and government policies, the measures for which are rarely incorporated in single-level individual analysis. This study examines factors associated with maternal healthcare utilization in nine high focus states in India, which shares more than half of the total maternal deaths in the country; accounting for individual-, household-, community- and district-level characteristics. The required data are extracted from the third round of the nationally representative District Level Household and Facility Survey conducted during 2007-08. Multilevel analyses were applied to three maternity outcomes, namely, four or more antenatal care visits, skilled birth attendance and post-natal care after birth. Results show that along with individual-/household-level factors, community and district-level factors influence the pattern of utilization of maternal healthcare services significantly. At the community level, the odds of maternal healthcare utilization were lower in rural areas and in communities with a high concentration of poor and illiterate women. Moreover, the average population coverage of primary health centres (PHCs), availability of labour room in PHC and percentage of registered pregnancies were significant factors at the district level that influenced the use of maternity care services. The study also found a strong association between the extent of previous use of maternal healthcare and its effect on subsequent usage patterns. This study highlights the role of strengthening public health infrastructure at district level in the study area, and promoting awareness about available healthcare services and subsidized schemes in the community. To reach out to rural and underprivileged communities and to apply a

Platelet-Released Growth Factors Induce Differentiation of Primary Keratinocytes

PubMed Central

Tohidnezhad, Mersedeh; Lammel, Justus; Lippross, Sebastian; Behrendt, Peter; Klüter, Tim; Pufe, Thomas; Jahr, Holger; Cremer, Jochen; Rademacher, Franziska; Gläser, Regine; Harder, Jürgen

2017-01-01

Autologous thrombocyte concentrate lysates, for example, platelet-released growth factors, (PRGFs) or their clinically related formulations (e.g., Vivostat PRF®) came recently into the physicians' focus as they revealed promising effects in regenerative and reparative medicine such as the support of healing of chronic wounds. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed the influence of PRGF and Vivostat PRF on human keratinocyte differentiation in vitro and on epidermal differentiation status of skin wounds in vivo. Therefore, we investigated the expression of early (keratin 1 and keratin 10) and late (transglutaminase-1 and involucrin) differentiation markers. PRGF treatment of primary human keratinocytes decreased keratin 1 and keratin 10 gene expression but induced involucrin and transglutaminase-1 gene expression in an epidermal growth factor receptor- (EGFR-) dependent manner. In concordance with these results, microscopic analyses revealed that PRGF-treated human keratinocytes displayed morphological features typical of keratinocytes undergoing terminal differentiation. In vivo treatment of artificial human wounds with Vivostat PRF revealed a significant induction of involucrin and transglutaminase-1 gene expression. Together, our results indicate that PRGF and Vivostat PRF induce terminal differentiation of primary human keratinocytes. This potential mechanism may contribute to the observed beneficial effects in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds with autologous thrombocyte concentrate lysates in vivo. PMID:28808357

The effect of the season of birth and of selected maternal factors on linear enamel thickness in modern human deciduous incisors.

PubMed

Żądzińska, E; Kurek, M; Borowska-Strugińska, B; Lorkiewicz, W; Rosset, I; Sitek, A

2013-08-01

Development of human tooth enamel is a part of a foetus's development; its correctness is the outcome of genetic and maternal factors shaping its prenatal environment. Many authors reported that individuals born in different seasons experience different early developmental conditions during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated the effects of season of birth and selected maternal factors on enamel thickness of deciduous incisors. Dental sample comprises 60 deciduous incisors. The parents who handed over their children's teeth for research fill in questionnaires containing questions about the course of pregnancy. All teeth were sectioned in the labio-linqual plane using diamond blade (Buechler IsoMet 1000). The final specimens were observed by way of scanning electron microscopy at magnifications 80× and 320×. The thickness of total enamel (TE), prenatally (PE) and postnatally (PSE) formed enamel was measured. Children born in summer and in spring (whose first and second foetal life fall on autumn and winter) have the thinnest enamel. Season of birth, number of children in family, diseases and spasmolytic medicines using by mother during pregnancy explained almost 13% of the variability of TE. Regression analysis proved a significant influence of the season of birth and selected maternal factors on the PE thickness - these factors explained over 17% of its variability. Neither of analysed variables had influenced PSE. Our findings suggests that the thickness of enamel of deciduous incisors depends on the season of birth and some maternal factors. The differences were observed only in the prenatally formed enamel. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibits differentiation of myogenic cells in human urethral rhabdosphincter.

PubMed

Shinohara, Mayuka; Sumino, Yasuhiro; Sato, Fuminori; Kiyono, Tohru; Hashimoto, Naohiro; Mimata, Hiromitsu

2017-06-01

To examine the inhibitory effects of tumor necrosis factor-α on myogenic differentiation of human urethral rhabdosphincter cells. A rhabdosphincter sample was obtained from a patient who underwent total cystectomy. To expand the lifespan of the primary cultured cells, rhabdosphincter myogenic cells were immortalized with mutated cyclin-dependent kinase 4, cyclin D1 and telomerase. The differential potential of the cells was investigated. The transfected human rhabdosphincter cells were induced for myogenic differentiation with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α and/or the tumor necrosis factor-α antagonist etanercept at different concentrations, and activation of signaling pathways was monitored. Human rhabdosphincter cells were selectively cultured for at least 40 passages. Molecular analysis confirmed the expression of myosin heavy chain, which is a specific marker of differentiated muscle cells, significantly increased after differentiation induction. Although tumor necrosis factor-α treatment reduced the myosin heavy chain expression in a concentration-dependent manner, etanercept inhibited this suppression. Tumor necrosis factor-α suppressed phosphorylation of protein kinase B and p38, whereas etanercept pretreatment promoted phosphorylation and myosin heavy chain expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Tumor necrosis factor-α inhibits differentiation of urethral rhabdosphincter cells in part through the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathways. Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α might be a useful strategy to treat stress urinary incontinence. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

Pluripotency factors in embryonic stem cells regulate differentiation into germ layers.

PubMed

Thomson, Matt; Liu, Siyuan John; Zou, Ling-Nan; Smith, Zack; Meissner, Alexander; Ramanathan, Sharad

2011-06-10

Cell fate decisions are fundamental for development, but we do not know how transcriptional networks reorganize during the transition from a pluripotent to a differentiated cell state. Here, we asked how mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) leave the pluripotent state and choose between germ layer fates. By analyzing the dynamics of the transcriptional circuit that maintains pluripotency, we found that Oct4 and Sox2, proteins that maintain ESC identity, also orchestrate germ layer fate selection. Oct4 suppresses neural ectodermal differentiation and promotes mesendodermal differentiation; Sox2 inhibits mesendodermal differentiation and promotes neural ectodermal differentiation. Differentiation signals continuously and asymmetrically modulate Oct4 and Sox2 protein levels, altering their binding pattern in the genome, and leading to cell fate choice. The same factors that maintain pluripotency thus also integrate external signals and control lineage selection. Our study provides a framework for understanding how complex transcription factor networks control cell fate decisions in progenitor cells. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of maternal responsiveness.

PubMed

Drake, Emily E; Humenick, Sharron S; Amankwaa, Linda; Younger, Janet; Roux, Gayle

2007-01-01

To explore maternal responsiveness in the first 2 to 4 months after delivery and to evaluate potential predictors of maternal responsiveness, including infant feeding, maternal characteristics, and demographic factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and educational level. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the variables of maternal responsiveness, feeding patterns, and maternal characteristics in a convenience sample of 177 mothers in the first 2 to 4 months after delivery. The 60-item self-report instrument included scales to measure maternal responsiveness, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life as well as infant feeding questions and sociodemographic items. An online data-collection strategy was used, resulting in participants from 41 U.S. states. Multiple regression analysis showed that satisfaction with life, self-esteem, and number of children, but not breastfeeding, explained a significant portion of the variance in self-reported maternal responsiveness scores. In this analysis, sociodemographic variables such as age, education, income, and work status showed little or no relationship to maternal responsiveness scores. This study provides additional information about patterns of maternal behavior in the transition to motherhood and some of the variables that influence that transition. Satisfaction with life was a new predictor of maternal responsiveness. However, with only 15% of the variance explained by the predictors in this study, a large portion of the variance in maternal responsiveness remains unexplained. Further research in this area is needed.

Effectiveness of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care in increasing uptake of skilled maternity care: a systematic review.

PubMed

Coast, Ernestina; Jones, Eleri; Lattof, Samantha R; Portela, Anayda

2016-12-01

Addressing cultural factors that affect uptake of skilled maternity care is recognized as an important step in improving maternal and newborn health. This article describes a systematic review to examine the evidence available on the effects of interventions to provide culturally appropriate maternity care on the use of skilled maternity care during pregnancy, for birth or in the postpartum period. Items published in English, French and/or Spanish between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 2014 were considered. Fifteen studies describing a range of interventions met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted on population and intervention characteristics; study design; definitions and data for relevant outcomes; and the contexts and conditions in which interventions occurred. Because most of the included studies focus on antenatal care outcomes, evidence of impact is particularly limited for care seeking for birth and after birth. Evidence in this review is clustered within a small number of countries, and evidence from low- and middle-income countries is notably lacking. Interventions largely had positive effects on uptake of skilled maternity care. Cultural factors are often not the sole factor affecting populations' use of maternity care services. Broader social, economic, geographical and political factors interacted with cultural factors to affect targeted populations' access to services in included studies. Programmes and policies should seek to establish an enabling environment and support respectful dialogue with communities to improve use of skilled maternity care. Whilst issues of culture are being recognized by programmes and researchers as being important, interventions that explicitly incorporate issues of culture are rarely evaluated. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Differences in nutritional status of preschool children in the context of the maternal social characteristics.

PubMed

Potocka, Adrianna; Jacukowicz, Aleksandra

2017-07-14

It is generally accepted that maternal factors are important in maintaining the adequate nutritional status of young children. This study was aimed at verifying whether mother's socio-demographic (age and relationship status) and socio-economic features (education and professional status) differentiate the child's nutritional status. A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and October 2013. Five hundred thirty mothers of preschool children from 5 different regions of Poland were interviewed. Mothers were interviewed on their socio-demographic and socio-economic status. To assess the child's nutritional status, body mass index (BMI) z-score and the diet indicators were calculated, such as the percentage of the estimated average requirement for energy (%EAR), the percentage of energy coming from carbohydrates (%EC), fat (%ET) and proteins (%EP). Percentage of the estimated average requirement for energy, %EC, %ET and %EP was obtained from 24-h dietary recalls conducted with the mothers. The results showed that mother's education and professional status did not differentiate any of the indices of the child's nutritional status. However, maternal age and her relationship status occurred significant (ANOVA; p < 0.05). Children of younger mothers had higher BMI z-score and higher %EC as compared to children of older mothers. Moreover, %EAR was higher among children of single mothers and it was closer to the recommended nutrition standards as compared to children of mothers with a partner. When a child is diagnosed with any type of malnutrition, it is worth assessing various factors that might influence the nutritional status, such as child's social background (e.g., maternal factors). Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(5):811-821. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

The maternally expressed WRKY transcription factor TTG2 controls lethality in interploidy crosses of Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Dilkes, Brian P; Spielman, Melissa; Weizbauer, Renate; Watson, Brian; Burkart-Waco, Diana; Scott, Rod J; Comai, Luca

2008-12-09

The molecular mechanisms underlying lethality of F1 hybrids between diverged parents are one target of speciation research. Crosses between diploid and tetraploid individuals of the same genotype can result in F1 lethality, and this dosage-sensitive incompatibility plays a role in polyploid speciation. We have identified variation in F1 lethality in interploidy crosses of Arabidopsis thaliana and determined the genetic architecture of the maternally expressed variation via QTL mapping. A single large-effect QTL, DR. STRANGELOVE 1 (DSL1), was identified as well as two QTL with epistatic relationships to DSL1. DSL1 affects the rate of postzygotic lethality via expression in the maternal sporophyte. Fine mapping placed DSL1 in an interval encoding the maternal effect transcription factor TTG2. Maternal parents carrying loss-of-function mutations in TTG2 suppressed the F1 lethality caused by paternal excess interploidy crosses. The frequency of cellularization in the endosperm was similarly affected by both natural variation and ttg2 loss-of-function mutants. The simple genetic basis of the natural variation and effects of single-gene mutations suggests that F1 lethality in polyploids could evolve rapidly. Furthermore, the role of the sporophytically active TTG2 gene in interploidy crosses indicates that the developmental programming of the mother regulates the viability of interploidy hybrid offspring.

Maternal depression and suicide at immediate prenatal and early postpartum periods and psychosocial risk factors.

PubMed

Shi, Peixia; Ren, Hui; Li, Hong; Dai, Qin

2018-03-01

Maternal depression has been intensively explored; however, less attention has been paid to maternal suicide. No studies to date have observed maternal depression and suicide at immediate prenatal and early postpartum stages. In total, 213 Chinese women were recruited in hospitals after they were admitted for childbirth. All completed a short-term longitudinal survey at perinatal stages. Women reported lower depression scores (6.65) and higher suicidal ideation incidence (11.74%) after childbirth. Prenatal depression raised the possibility of prenatal suicidal ideation, while prenatal depression and suicidal ideation increased postpartum depression and suicidal ideation. At immediate prenatal stage, marital satisfaction protected women from depression, while miscarriage experiences and self-esteem increased the risk. At early postpartum stage, in contrast, being first-time mother, marital satisfaction, and harmony with mother-in-law prevented them from depression. Our study is among the first to confirm that women have decreased depression but increased suicidal ideation at early postpartum, and a causal relationship between them, which are worthy of public attention. Potential protective (marital satisfaction, being first-time mother, and harmony with mother-in-law) or risk factors (miscarriage experiences and self-esteem) of maternal depression and suicidal ideation are identified at perinatal stages. This offers reliable guidance for clinical practice of health care. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maternal and perinatal factors associated with hospitalised infectious mononucleosis in children, adolescents and young adults: record linkage study.

PubMed

Mahmud, Imran; Abdel-Mannan, Omar A; Wotton, Clare J; Goldacre, Michael J

2011-02-28

There is current interest in the role of perinatal factors in the aetiology of diseases that occur later in life. Infectious mononucleosis (IM) can follow late primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and has been shown to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis and Hodgkin's disease. Little is known about maternal or perinatal factors associated with IM or its sequelae. We investigated perinatal risk factors for hospitalised IM using a prospective record-linkage study in a population in the south of England. The dataset used, the Oxford record linkage study (ORLS), includes abstracts of birth registrations, maternities and in-patient hospital records, including day case care, for all subjects in a defined geographical area. From these sources, we identified cases of hospitalised IM up to the age of 30 years in people for whom the ORLS had a maternity record; and we compared perinatal factors in their pregnancy with those in the pregnancy of children who had no hospital record of IM. Our data showed a significant association between hospitalised IM and lower social class (p = 0.02), a higher risk of hospitalised IM in children of married rather than single mothers (p < 0.001), and, of marginal statistical significance, an association with singleton birth (p = 0.06). The ratio of observed to expected cases of hospitalised IM in each season was 0.95 in winter, 1.02 in spring, 1.02 in summer and 1.00 in autumn. The chi-square test for seasonality, with a value of 0.8, was not significant.Other factors studied, including low birth weight, short gestational age, maternal smoking, late age at motherhood, did not increase the risk of subsequent hospitalised IM. Because of the increasing tendency of women to postpone childbearing, it is useful to know that older age at motherhood is not associated with an increased risk of hospitalised IM in their children. We have no explanation for the finding that children of married women had a higher risk of IM than those of

Maternal Eating Disorders and Infant Feeding Difficulties: Maternal and Child Mediators in a Longitudinal General Population Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micali, Nadia; Simonoff, Emily; Stahl, Daniel; Treasure, Janet

2011-01-01

Background: Maternal eating disorders (ED) have been shown to increase the risk of feeding difficulties in the offspring. Very few studies, however, have investigated whether the effect of a maternal ED on childhood feeding is a direct effect or whether it can be ascribed to other child or maternal factors. We aimed to determine the role of…

Protein content and methyl donors in maternal diet interact to influence the proliferation rate and cell fate of neural stem cells in rat hippocampus.

PubMed

Amarger, Valérie; Lecouillard, Angèle; Ancellet, Laure; Grit, Isabelle; Castellano, Blandine; Hulin, Philippe; Parnet, Patricia

2014-10-14

Maternal diet during pregnancy and early postnatal life influences the setting up of normal physiological functions in the offspring. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate cell differentiation during embryonic development and may mediate gene/environment interactions. We showed here that high methyl donors associated with normal protein content in maternal diet increased the in vitro proliferation rate of neural stem/progenitor cells isolated from rat E19 fetuses. Gene expression on whole hippocampi at weaning confirmed this effect as evidenced by the higher expression of the Nestin and Igf2 genes, suggesting a higher amount of undifferentiated precursor cells. Additionally, protein restriction reduced the expression of the insulin receptor gene, which is essential to the action of IGFII. Inhibition of DNA methylation in neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro increased the expression of the astrocyte-specific Gfap gene and decreased the expression of the neuron-specific Dcx gene, suggesting an impact on cell differentiation. Our data suggest a complex interaction between methyl donors and protein content in maternal diet that influence the expression of major growth factors and their receptors and therefore impact the proliferation and differentiation capacities of neural stem cells, either through external hormone signals or internal genomic regulation.

Plasticity of the Maternal Brain across the Lifespan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Frances A.; Curley, James P.

2016-01-01

Maternal behavior is dynamic and highly sensitive to experiential and contextual factors. In this review, this plasticity will be explored, with a focus on how experiences of females occurring from the time of fetal development through to adulthood impact maternal behavior and the maternal brain. Variation in postpartum maternal behavior is…

Sexual dimorphism in the fetal cardiac response to maternal nutrient restriction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muralimanoharan, Sribalasubashini; Li, Cun; Nakayasu, Ernesto S.

Poor maternal nutrition causes intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR); however, its effects on fetal cardiac development are unclear. We have developed a baboon model of moderate maternal undernutrition, leading to IUGR. We hypothesized that IUGR affects fetal cardiac structure and metabolism. Six control pregnant baboons ate ad-libitum (CTRL)) or 70% CTRL from 0.16 of gestation (G). Fetuses were euthanized at C-section at 0.9G under general anesthesia. Male but not female IUGR fetuses showed left ventricular fibrosis inversely correlated with birth weight. Expression of extracellular matrix protein TSP-1 was increased ( SMAD3 and ALK-1 were downregulated in male IUGRs with no differencemore » in females. Autophagy was present in male IUGR evidenced by upregulation of ATG7 expression and lipidation LC3B. Global miRNA expression profiling revealed 56 annotated and novel cardiac miRNAs exclusively dysregulated in female IUGR, and 38 cardiac miRNAs were exclusively dysregulated in males (p<0.05). Fifteen (CTRL) and 23 (IUGR) miRNAs, were differentially expressed between males and. females (p<0.05) suggesting sexual dimorphism, which can be at least partially explained by differential expression of upstream transcription factors (e.g. HNF4α, and NFκB p50). Lipidomics analysis exhibited a net increase in diacylglycerol and plasmalogens, and a decrease in triglycerides and phosphatidylcholines. In summary, IUGR resulting from decreased maternal nutrition is associated with sex-dependent dysregulations in cardiac structure, miRNA expression, and lipid metabolism. If these changes persist postnatally, they may program offspring for higher later life cardiac risk.« less

Risk factors and consequences of maternal anaemia and elevated haemoglobin levels during pregnancy: a population-based prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Gaillard, Romy; Eilers, Paul H C; Yassine, Siham; Hofman, Albert; Steegers, Eric A P; Jaddoe, Vincent W V

2014-05-01

To determine sociodemographic and life style-related risk factors and trimester specific maternal, placental, and fetal consequences of maternal anaemia and elevated haemoglobin levels in pregnancy. In a population-based prospective cohort study of 7317 mothers, we measured haemoglobin levels in early pregnancy [gestational age median 14.4 weeks (inter-quartile-range 12.5-17.5)]. Anaemia (haemoglobin ≤11 g/dl) and elevated haemoglobin levels (haemoglobin ≥13.2 g/dl) were defined according to the WHO criteria. Maternal blood pressure, placental function and fetal growth were measured in each trimester. Data on gestational hypertensive disorders and birth outcomes was collected from hospitals. Older maternal age, higher body mass index, primiparity and European descent were associated with higher haemoglobin levels (P < 0.05). Elevated haemoglobin levels were associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure throughout pregnancy (mean differences 5.1 mmHg, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8, 6.5 and 4.1 mmHg, 95% CI 3.0, 5.2, respectively) and with a higher risk of third trimester uterine artery notching (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0, 1.7). As compared with maternal normal haemoglobin levels, not anaemia, but elevated haemoglobin levels were associated with fetal head circumference, length, and weight growth restriction from third trimester onwards (P < 0.05). Elevated haemoglobin levels were associated with increased risks of gestational hypertensive disorders (RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1, 1.8) and adverse birth outcomes (RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1, 1.7). In a low-risk population, various sociodemographic and life style factors affect haemoglobin levels during pregnancy. Elevated haemoglobin levels are associated with increased risks of maternal, placental, and fetal complications. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DNA demethylation activates genes in seed maternal integument development in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Wang, Yifeng; Lin, Haiyan; Tong, Xiaohong; Hou, Yuxuan; Chang, Yuxiao; Zhang, Jian

2017-11-01

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that regulates various plant developmental processes. Rice seed integument determines the seed size. However, the role of DNA methylation in its development remains largely unknown. Here, we report the first dynamic DNA methylomic profiling of rice maternal integument before and after pollination by using a whole-genome bisulfite deep sequencing approach. Analysis of DNA methylation patterns identified 4238 differentially methylated regions underpin 4112 differentially methylated genes, including GW2, DEP1, RGB1 and numerous other regulators participated in maternal integument development. Bisulfite sanger sequencing and qRT-PCR of six differentially methylated genes revealed extensive occurrence of DNA hypomethylation triggered by double fertilization at IAP compared with IBP, suggesting that DNA demethylation might be a key mechanism to activate numerous maternal controlling genes. These results presented here not only greatly expanded the rice methylome dataset, but also shed novel insight into the regulatory roles of DNA methylation in rice seed maternal integument development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Suboptimal care and maternal mortality among foreign-born women in Sweden: maternal death audit with application of the 'migration three delays' model.

PubMed

Esscher, Annika; Binder-Finnema, Pauline; Bødker, Birgit; Högberg, Ulf; Mulic-Lutvica, Ajlana; Essén, Birgitta

2014-04-12

Several European countries report differences in risk of maternal mortality between immigrants from low- and middle-income countries and host country women. The present study identified suboptimal factors related to care-seeking, accessibility, and quality of care for maternal deaths that occurred in Sweden from 1988-2010. A subset of maternal death records (n = 75) among foreign-born women from low- and middle-income countries and Swedish-born women were audited using structured implicit review. One case of foreign-born maternal death was matched with two native born Swedish cases of maternal death. An assessment protocol was developed that applied both the 'migration three delays' framework and a modified version of the Confidential Enquiry from the United Kingdom. The main outcomes were major and minor suboptimal factors associated with maternal death in this high-income, low-maternal mortality context. Major and minor suboptimal factors were associated with a majority of maternal deaths and significantly more often to foreign-born women (p = 0.01). The main delays to care-seeking were non-compliance among foreign-born women and communication barriers, such as incongruent language and suboptimal interpreter system or usage. Inadequate care occurred more often among the foreign-born (p = 0.04), whereas delays in consultation/referral and miscommunication between health care providers where equally common between the two groups. Suboptimal care factors, major and minor, were present in more than 2/3 of maternal deaths in this high-income setting. Those related to migration were associated to miscommunication, lack of professional interpreters, and limited knowledge about rare diseases and pregnancy complications. Increased insight into a migration perspective is advocated for maternity clinicians who provide care to foreign-born women.

Timing of Maternal Immunization Affects Immunological and Behavioral Outcomes of Adult Offspring in Siberian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)

PubMed Central

French, Susannah S.; Chester, Emily M.; Demas, Gregory E.

2016-01-01

Maternal influences are an important contributing factor to offspring survival, development, and behavior. Common environmental pathogens can induce maternal immune responses and affect subsequent development of offspring. There are likely sensitive periods during pregnancy when animals are particularly vulnerable to environmental disruption. Here we characterize the effects of maternal immunization across pregnancy and postpartum on offspring physiology and behavior in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Hamsters were injected with the antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) 1) prior to pairing with a male (pre-mating), 2) at separation (post-mating), 3) at mid-pregnancy, or 4) after birth (lactation). Maternal food intake, body mass, and immunity were monitored throughout gestation, and litters were measured weekly for growth until adulthood when social behavior, hormone concentrations, and immune responses were determined. We found that immunizations altered maternal immunity throughout pregnancy and lactation. The effects of maternal treatment differed between male and female offspring. Aggressive behavior was enhanced in offspring of both sexes born to mothers treated post-mating and thus early in pregnancy relative to other stages. In contrast, maternal treatment and maternal stage differentially affected innate immunity in males and females. Offspring cortisol, however, was unaffected by maternal treatment. Collectively, these data demonstrate that maternal immunization affects offspring physiology and behavior in a time-dependent and sex-specific manner. More broadly, these findings contribute to our understanding of the effects of maternal immune activation, whether it be from environmental exposure or immunization, on immunological and behavioral responses of offspring. PMID:27320639

Maternal and neonatal factors related to prematurity.

PubMed

Oliveira, Laura Leismann de; Gonçalves, Annelise de Carvalho; Costa, Juvenal Soares Dias da; Bonilha, Ana Lucia de Lourenzi

2016-01-01

To identify maternal and neonatal factors associated with prematurity in the municipality of Porto Alegre. This was a population-based case-control study. The cases were newborns under 37 weeks of gestation and the controls were newborns over 37 weeks. The data came from the records of 19,457 births in the city of Porto Alegre in the year 2012 from the Information System on Live Births of the Municipal Health Department. The analysis was carried outand adjusted by a Logistic Regression according to a hierarchical model. The variables studied were allocated into three hierarchy levels: sociodemographic variables; reproductive history; and gestational and birth factors. There were 767 cases allocated and 1,534 controls in a design of a case for two controls (1:2) by simple randomization. In the final model, a statistically significant association was found for prematurity for the following variables: mother's age under 19 years old (OR=1.32; CI 95%: 1.02-1.71) or over 34 years old (OR=1.39; CI 95%: 1.12-1.72); inadequate maternal schooling for age (OR=2.11; CI 95%: 1.22-3.65); multiple pregnancies (OR=1.14; CI 95%: 1.01-1.29); C-section (OR=1.15; CI 95%: 1.03-1.29); birth weights under 2,500g (OR=4.04; CI 95%: 3.64-4.49); Apgar score at five minutes between zero and three (OR=1.47; CI 95%: 1.12-1.91); and inadequate prenatal care (OR=1.18; CI 95%: 1.02-1.36). The present study showed the most immediate consequence of prematurity for newborns by evidencing its association with worse Apgar scores and low birth weight. The following factors were also shown as possible more distal determinants of prematurity: mother's age; inadequate maternal education; multiple gestation; inadequate prenatal care; and C-section. Identificar fatores maternos e neonatais associados à prematuridade no município de Porto Alegre. Estudo do tipo caso-controle de base populacional. Os casos foram recém-nascidos com menos de 37 semanas de gestação, e os controles foram os rec

IMPACT OF PRENATAL MATERNAL FACTORS AND BIRTH ORDER ON THE ANTHROPOMETRIC STATUS OF NEWBORNS IN IRAN.

PubMed

Kheirouri, Sorayya; Alizadeh, Mohammad

2017-03-01

This cross-sectional study was carried out to capture possible maternal factors affecting newborns' anthropometric measurements. Data were collected from eight public health centres and referral university hospital records in Tabriz and Heriss districts, north-west Iran, for 807 mother-neonate pairs delivering live singleton births and their offspring during the two years up to August 2014. The incidence of low birth weight (LBW) was 5.1%. A close correlation was found between maternal anthropometry and birth order with neonatal anthropometric data. Birth order and maternal height and body mass index (BMI) positively affected neonates' birth size (weight, length and head circumference). The rate of LBW was significantly higher for older (≥35 years), taller (≥170 cm), underweight (BMI<18.5) and non-iron-taking women and in the first-born babies. The odds of having LBW newborns in older, taller, underweight, obese and irregular iron-taking women were 3.82, 4.00, 9.07, 3.50 and 2.50 times those of mid-age group, middle-height, overweight and regular iron-taking women, respectively. First-born newborns were 5.97 times more likely to be LBW compared with second-birth neonates. The results indicate that maternal anthropometric indices, age, iron intake and birth order influence the risk of LBW in newborns.

Neighborhood contextual factors, maternal smoking, and birth outcomes: multilevel analysis of the South Carolina PRAMS survey, 2000-2003.

PubMed

Nkansah-Amankra, Stephen

2010-08-01

Previous studies investigating relationships among neighborhood contexts, maternal smoking behaviors, and birth outcomes (low birth weight [LBW] or preterm births) have produced mixed results. We evaluated independent effects of neighborhood contexts on maternal smoking behaviors and risks of LBW or preterm birth outcomes among mothers participating in the South Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey, 2000-2003. The PRAMS data were geocoded to 2000 U.S. Census data to create a multilevel data structure. We used a multilevel regression analysis (SAS PROC GLIMMIX) to estimate odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). In multivariable logistic regression models, high poverty, predominantly African American neighborhoods, upper quartiles of low education, and second quartile of neighborhood household crowding were significantly associated with LBW. However, only mothers resident in predominantly African American Census tract areas were statistically significantly at an increased risk of delivering preterm (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.29-3.78). In addition, mothers resident in medium poverty neighborhoods remained modestly associated with smoking after adjustment for maternal-level covariates. The results also indicated that maternal smoking has more consistent effects on LBW than preterm births, particularly for mothers living in deprived neighborhoods. Interventions seeking to improve maternal and child health by reducing smoking during pregnancy need to engage specific community factors that encourage maternal quitting behaviors and reduce smoking relapse rates. Inclusion of maternal-level covariates in neighborhood models without careful consideration of the causal pathway might produce misleading interpretation of the results.

Operator Factorization and the Solution of Second-Order Linear Ordinary Differential Equations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robin, W.

2007-01-01

The theory and application of second-order linear ordinary differential equations is reviewed from the standpoint of the operator factorization approach to the solution of ordinary differential equations (ODE). Using the operator factorization approach, the general second-order linear ODE is solved, exactly, in quadratures and the resulting…

Maternal Employment and Adolescent Achievement Revisited: An Ecological Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulson, Sharon E.

1996-01-01

Explores the relation of maternal employment and attitudes toward maternal employment to adolescent achievement. Examines parenting characteristics that mediate relations between maternal employment factors and achievement. Subjects were 240 ninth graders and their parents. Findings were that maternal employment did not influence adolescent…

Opinions of maternity care professionals and other stakeholders about integration of maternity care: a qualitative study in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Perdok, Hilde; Jans, Suze; Verhoeven, Corine; Henneman, Lidewij; Wiegers, Therese; Mol, Ben Willem; Schellevis, François; de Jonge, Ank

2016-07-26

This study aims to give insight into the opinions of maternity care professionals and other stakeholders on the integration of midwife-led care and obstetrician-led care and on the facilitating and inhibiting factors for integrating maternity care. Qualitative study using interviews and focus groups from November 2012 to February 2013 in the Netherlands. Seventeen purposively selected stakeholder representatives participated in individual semi-structured interviews and 21 in focus groups. One face-to-face focus group included a combined group of midwives, obstetricians and a paediatrician involved in maternity care. Two online focus groups included a group of primary care midwives and a group of clinical midwives respectively. Thematic analysis was performed using Atlas.ti. Two researchers independently coded the interview and focus group transcripts by means of a mind map and themes and relations between them were described. Three main themes were identified with regard to integrating maternity care: client-centred care, continuity of care and task shifting between professionals. Opinions differed regarding the optimal maternity care organisation model. Participants considered the current payment structure an inhibiting factor, whereas a new modified payment structure based on the actual amount of work performed was seen as a facilitating factor. Both midwives and obstetricians indicated that they were afraid to loose autonomy. An integrated maternity care system may improve client-centred care, provide continuity of care for women during labour and birth and include a shift of responsibilities between health care providers. However, differences of opinion among professionals and other stakeholders with regard to the optimal maternity care organisation model may complicate the implementation of integrated care. Important factors for a successful implementation of integrated maternity care are an appropriate payment structure and maintenance of the autonomy of

Opposite differential risks for autism and schizophrenia based on maternal age, paternal age, and parental age differences

PubMed Central

Boomsma, Jacobus J.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background and objectives: Effects of maternal and paternal age on offspring autism and schizophrenia risks have been studied for over three decades, but inconsistent risks have often been found, precluding well-informed speculation on why these age-related risks might exist. Methodology: To help clarify this situation we analysed a massive single population sample from Denmark including the full spectrum of autistic and schizophrenic disorders (eliminating between-study confounding), used up to 30 follow-up years, controlled for over 20 potentially confounding factors and interpret the ultimate causation of the observed risk patterns using generally accepted principles of parent-offspring conflict and life-history theory. Results: We evaluated the effects of paternal age, maternal age and parental age difference on offspring mental disorders and found consistently similar risk patterns for related disorders and markedly different patterns between autistic and schizophrenic disorders. Older fathers and mothers both conferred increased risk for autistic but not schizophrenic disorders, but autism risk was reduced in younger parents and offspring of younger mothers had increased risk for many schizophrenic disorders. Risk for most disorders also increased when parents were more dissimilarly aged. Monotonically increasing autism risk is consistent with mutation accumulation as fathers’ age, but this explanation is invalid for schizophrenic disorders, which were not related to paternal age and were negatively correlated with maternal age. Conclusions and implications: We propose that the observed maternally induced risk patterns ultimately reflect a shifting ancestral life-history trade-off between current and future reproduction, mediated by an initially high but subsequently decreasing tendency to constrain foetal provisioning as women proceed from first to final pregnancy. PMID:27637201

Modifying effect of maternal nutritional status on the impact of maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation on birthweight in Indonesia.

PubMed

Sebayang, S K; Dibley, M J; Kelly, P; Shankar, A V; Shankar, A H

2011-10-01

Low birthweight (LBW) and intrauterine growth restriction are linked with maternal nutritional status during pregnancy, and maternal supplementation with multiple micronutrients (MMNs) is reported to increase birthweight. Responses to MMN, however, might be modified by maternal nutrition. To examine the differential effects of maternal nutritional status on birthweight responses to prenatal MMN supplementation, data from the Supplementation with Multiple Micronutrient Intervention Trial, a cluster-randomized trial in Indonesia was analyzed. Birthweight outcomes of 7001 infants whose mothers received iron/folic acid were compared with 7292 infants whose mothers received MMN. The modifying effects of maternal short-term nutritional status (mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and long-term nutritional status (height) on the birthweight response to MMN supplementation were assessed. For women with higher MUAC (≥23.5 cm), MMN increased mean birthweight by 33 g (95% confidence interval (CI): -1 to 66, P=0.06) and significantly reduced LBW by 21% (relative risk: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64-0.99, P=0.04). The modifying effect of MUAC on mean birthweight, LBW and small for gestational age was significant. There was no evidence of a modifying effect of maternal height on the response to MMN. Supplementation with MMN in pregnancy increased birthweight, but maternal nutritional status modified this response, with infants born to women with better short-term nutrition having greater birthweight response.

Maternal mental health and social support: effect on childhood atopic and non-atopic asthma symptoms.

PubMed

Marques dos Santos, Letícia; Neves dos Santos, Darci; Rodrigues, Laura Cunha; Barreto, Maurício Lima

2012-11-01

Atopic and non-atopic asthma have distinct risk factors and immunological mechanisms, and few studies differentiate between the impacts of psychosocial factors on the prevalence of these disease phenotypes. The authors aimed to identify whether the effect of maternal mental health on prevalence of asthma symptoms differs between atopic and non-atopic children, taking into account family social support. This is a cross-sectional study of 1013 children participating in the Social Change Allergy and Asthma in Latin America project. Psychosocial data were collected through a household survey utilising Self-Reporting Questionnaire and Medical Outcome Study Social Support Scale. Socioeconomic and wheezing information was obtained through the questionnaire of the International Study of Allergy and Asthma in Childhood, and level of allergen-specific IgE was measured to identify atopy. Polytomous logistic regression was used to estimate the association between maternal mental health, social support and atopic and non-atopic wheezing. Effect modification was evaluated through stratified polytomous regression according to social support level. Maternal mental disorder had the same impact on atopic and non-atopic wheezing, even after adjusting for confounding variables. Affective, material and informational supports had protective effects on non-atopic asthma, and there is some evidence that social supports may act as a buffer for the impact of maternal mental disorder on non-atopic wheezing. Poor maternal mental health is positively associated with wheezing, independent of whether asthma is atopic or non-atopic, but perception of high levels of social support appears to buffer this relationship in non-atopic wheezers only.

Two models for a maternal factor in the inheritance of Huntington disease.

PubMed Central

Boehnke, M; Conneally, P M; Lange, K

1983-01-01

Huntington disease is a classic example of an autosomal dominant trait. Over the years, however, a number of investigators have reported anomalies regarding the age of onset of the disease that are inconsistent with this paradigm. We propose two models in which a maternal factor--cytoplasmic in one case, autosomal or X-linked in the other--acts to delay onset in a manner consistent with the previously reported anomalies. Relevant data from the Huntington's Disease Research Roster are presented that reinforce and extend the previous observations. PMID:6225335

Maternal Exposure to Domestic Hair Cosmetics and Occupational Endocrine Disruptors Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Hypospadias in the Offspring.

PubMed

Haraux, Elodie; Braun, Karine; Buisson, Philippe; Stéphan-Blanchard, Erwan; Devauchelle, Camille; Ricard, Jannick; Boudailliez, Bernard; Tourneux, Pierre; Gouron, Richard; Chardon, Karen

2016-12-29

Pregnant women are exposed to various chemical products at home and at work. Some of these products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as cosmetics, pesticides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, plastics or medications that could alter sexual differentiation and increase the risk of hypospadias. We evaluated maternal occupational and household exposures that could constitute risk factors for hypospadias. From 2011 to 2014, we enrolled 57 full-term newborns with hypospadias and three randomly selected controls per case (162 control newborns), matched for gestational age, from 11 maternity units in Picardy, France. Neonatal and parental data were collected at birth (personal characteristics, maternal lifestyle, and medical history). Maternal occupational exposure was assessed by a job-exposure matrix for EDCs from a job history questionnaire completed by mothers. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with univariate and multivariable logistic regression, and adjusted for relevant covariates. Multivariate analysis showed a strong association between hypospadias and potential maternal occupational exposure to EDCs and maternal household use of hair cosmetics (OR 6.1, 95% CI: 1.1-34.9; OR: 9.6, 95% CI: 1.4-66.1, respectively). Our results suggest that maternal occupational exposure to EDCs is a risk factor for hypospadias and suggests a possible influence of household use of hair cosmetics during early pregnancy on the incidence of hypospadias in the offspring. A larger study with more accurate exposure assessment should evaluate the impact of EDCs in hair cosmetics on the incidence of hypospadias.

Socioeconomic Position and Factors Associated With Use of a Nonsupine Infant Sleep Position: Findings From the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey

PubMed Central

Fell, Deshayne B.; Chalmers, Beverley; Sauve, Reg; Royle, Catherine; Allan, Billie; O’Campo, Patricia

2014-01-01

Objectives. With a focus on socioeconomic position, we examined the association between maternal education and nonsupine infant sleep position, and examined patterns of effect modification with additional sociodemographic, maternal, infant, and health services predictors. Methods. Data were from the Maternity Experiences Survey, a national population-based sample of 76 178 new Canadian mothers (unweighted n = 6421) aged 15 years or older interviewed in 2006–2007. Using logistic regression, we developed multivariate models for 3 maternal education strata. Results. Level of maternal education was significantly and inversely related to nonsupine infant sleep position. Stratified analyses revealed different predictive factors for nonsupine infant sleep position across strata of maternal education. Postpartum home visits were not associated with use of this sleep position among new mothers with less than high school completion. Adequacy of postpartum information regarding sudden infant death syndrome was not associated with nonsupine infant sleep position in any of the educational strata. Conclusions. These findings suggest a need to revisit Back to Sleep health promotion strategies and to ensure that these interventions are tailored to match the information needs of all families, including mothers with lower levels of formal education. PMID:23597349

Psychosocial factors in maternal phenylketonuria: prevention of unplanned pregnancies.

PubMed Central

Waisbren, S E; Shiloh, S; St James, P; Levy, H L

1991-01-01

BACKGROUND. Women with phenylketonuria (PKU) not treated prior to conception can have a pregnancy that results in serious fetal damage. In this report, factors associated with preventing unplanned (and hence late treated) pregnancies are described. METHODS. Subjects included 60 phenylketonuric women and two comparison groups composed of female acquaintances and diabetic women. All were interviewed and administered tests of intelligence, general well-being, knowledge, and personality. RESULTS. Thirty-five percent of the sexually active women with PKU used contraception only sporadically. The variables that best predicted reported frequency of birth control use were the extent to which women felt social support to use contraception (r = .64) along with positive attitudes about birth control (r = .66) and knowledge of family planning (r = .43). For the comparison groups, a different pattern of variables predicted contraceptive use, with locus of control figuring most prominently for the diabetics (r = .39) and social support for birth control being most important for the acquaintances (r = .46). CONCLUSIONS. As more girls with PKU enter childbearing ages, there will be an increased need for specific programs that address psychosocial factors in maternal PKU. PMID:1994738

The impact of maternal- and neonatal-associated factors on human milk's macronutrients and energy.

PubMed

Dritsakou, Kalliopi; Liosis, Georgios; Valsami, Georgia; Polychronopoulos, Evangelos; Skouroliakou, Maria

2017-06-01

To test the impact of specific maternal- and neonatal-associated factors on human milk's macronutrients and energy. This study was conducted with the use of a human milk analyzer (HMA, MIRIS, Uppsala, Sweden). Six hundred and thirty samples of raw milk and 95 samples of donor pasteurized milk were delivered from a total of 305 mothers. A significant inverse correlation of fat, protein and energy content with gestational age and birth weight was established. Fat and energy were lower in colostrum, increased in transitional milk and decreased on the 30th day's mature milk compared to transitional. The rate of protein decline from colostrum to mature milk was lower in premature deliveries compared to that of full-terms, resulting in greater contents of protein in preterm mature milk. The upmost amounts of carbohydrates were found in mature milk of preterm deliveries. A positive correlation was found between maternal age and fat contents. In women with higher post-pregnancy BMI levels greater analogies of fat and energy were presented. In women suffering diet-controlled gestational diabetes (GD), lower protein and higher fat and energy levels were found. Prematurity, maternal age, diet-controlled GD and high post-pregnancy BMI levels were found to impose statistical significant effect on milk's macronutrients and energy.

Relationship between personal, maternal, and familial factors with mental health problems in school-aged children in Aceh province, Indonesia.

PubMed

Saputra, Fauzan; Yunibhand, Jintana; Sukratul, Sunisa

2017-02-01

Recently, mental health problems (MHP) in school-aged children have become a global phenomenon. Yet, the number of children affected remains unclear in Indonesia, and the effects of mental health problems are of concern. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MHP in school-aged children and its relationship to personal, maternal, and familial factors in Aceh province, Indonesia. Participants were 143 school-aged children with MHP and their mothers. They completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Social Competence Questionnaire, Brief Family Relationship Scale, Parental Stress Scale, Parent's Report Questionnaire, and Indonesian Version of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Mainly, children were rated to have emotional symptoms by their mothers (37.8%). Factors such as academic competence, family relationships, and maternal parenting stress are related to MHP. Given the high prevalence of school-aged children that have emotional symptoms, child psychiatric mental health nurses should give special attention to assist them during their school years. Moreover, nurses should aim to improve family relationships and reduce maternal parenting stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elevated maternal cortisol leads to relative maternal hyperglycemia and increased stillbirth in ovine pregnancy

PubMed Central

Feng, Xiaodi; Wood, Charles E.; Richards, Elaine; Anthony, Russell V.; Dahl, Geoffrey E.; Tao, Sha

2014-01-01

In normal pregnancy, cortisol increases; however, further pathological increases in cortisol are associated with maternal and fetal morbidities. These experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that increased maternal cortisol would increase maternal glucose concentrations, suppress fetal growth, and impair neonatal glucose homeostasis. Ewes were infused with cortisol (1 mg·kg−1·day−1) from day 115 of gestation to term; maternal glucose, insulin, ovine placental lactogen, estrone, progesterone, nonesterified free fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and electrolytes were measured. Infusion of cortisol increased maternal glucose concentration and slowed the glucose disappearance after injection of glucose; maternal infusion of cortisol also increased the incidence of fetal death at or near parturition. The design of the study was altered to terminate the study prior to delivery, and post hoc analysis of the data was performed to test the hypothesis that maternal metabolic factors predict the fetal outcome. In cortisol-infused ewes that had stillborn lambs, plasma insulin was increased relative to control ewes or cortisol-infused ewes with live lambs. Maternal cortisol infusion did not alter maternal food intake or plasma NEFA, BHB, estrone, progesterone or placental lactogen concentrations, and it did not alter fetal body weight, ponderal index, or fetal organ weights. Our study suggests that the adverse effect of elevated maternal cortisol on pregnancy outcome may be related to the effects of cortisol on maternal glucose homeostasis, and that chronic maternal stress or adrenal hypersecretion of cortisol may create fetal pathophysiology paralleling some aspects of maternal gestational diabetes. PMID:24920731

Demographic, socio-economic, and cultural factors affecting fertility differentials in Nepal.

PubMed

Adhikari, Ramesh

2010-04-28

Traditionally Nepalese society favors high fertility. Children are a symbol of well-being both socially and economically. Although fertility has been decreasing in Nepal since 1981, it is still high compared to many other developing countries. This paper is an attempt to examine the demographic, socio-economic, and cultural factors for fertility differentials in Nepal. This paper has used data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS 2006). The analysis is confined to ever married women of reproductive age (8,644). Both bivariate and multivariate analyses have been performed to describe the fertility differentials. The bivariate analysis (one-way ANOVA) was applied to examine the association between children ever born and women's demographic, socio-economic, and cultural characteristics. Besides bivariate analysis, the net effect of each independent variable on the dependent variable after controlling for the effect of other predictors has also been measured through multivariate analysis (multiple linear regressions). The mean numbers of children ever born (CEB) among married Nepali women of reproductive age and among women aged 40-49 were three and five children, respectively. There are considerable differentials in the average number of children ever born according to women's demographic, socio-economic, and cultural settings. Regression analysis revealed that age at first marriage, perceived ideal number of children, place of residence, literacy status, religion, mass media exposure, use of family planning methods, household headship, and experience of child death were the most important variables that explained the variance in fertility. Women who considered a higher number of children as ideal (beta = 0.03; p < 0.001), those who resided in rural areas (beta = 0.02; p < 0.05), Muslim women (beta = 0.07; p < 0.001), those who had ever used family planning methods (beta = 0.08; p < 0.001), and those who had a child-death experience (beta = 0.31; p < 0

Associations between infant temperament, maternal stress, and infants' sleep across the first year of life.

PubMed

Sorondo, Barbara M; Reeb-Sutherland, Bethany C

2015-05-01

Effects of temperament and maternal stress on infant sleep behaviors were explored longitudinally. Negative temperament was associated with sleep problems, and with longer sleep latency and night wakefulness, whereas maternal stress was associated with day sleep duration, suggesting infant and maternal characteristics affect sleep differentially. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mother reports of maternal support following child sexual abuse: Preliminary psychometric data on the Maternal Self-report Support Questionnaire (MSSQ).

PubMed

Smith, Daniel W; Sawyer, Genelle K; Jones, Lisa M; Cross, Theodore; McCart, Michael R; Ralston, M Elizabeth

2010-10-01

Maternal support is an important factor in predicting outcomes following disclosure of child sexual abuse; however, definition of the construct has been unclear and existing measures of maternal support are utilized inconsistently and have limited psychometric data. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid mother-report measure for assessing maternal support following the disclosure of child sexual abuse. Data from 2 very similar samples of mother-child pairs seeking forensic evaluation following the discovery of child sexual abuse were combined, resulting in a final sample of 246. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two reliable 7-item factors labeled "Emotional Support" and "Blame/Doubt," each of which had acceptable internal consistency. Analyses with a child-report measure of general maternal support the construct validity of the MSSQ. Concurrent validity analyses revealed unique relations with maternal ratings of child behavior problems and case characteristic data. The study resulted in the development of a brief, easily scored self-report measure of maternal support with reasonable preliminary psychometric properties that could easily be utilized in other studies of sexually abused children. Adoption of this promising measure in future research will reduce the lack of cross-study measurement comparability that has characterized the maternal support literature to date, increase the feasibility of expanding upon current literature on maternal support, and may produce important information leading to clinical and theoretical innovation. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Early maternal employment and children's school readiness in contemporary families.

PubMed

Lombardi, Caitlin McPherran; Coley, Rebekah Levine

2014-08-01

This study assessed whether previous findings linking early maternal employment to lower cognitive and behavioral skills among children generalized to modern families. Using a representative sample of children born in the United States in 2001 (N = 10,100), ordinary least squares regression models weighted with propensity scores assessed links between maternal employment in the 2 years after childbearing and children's school readiness skills at kindergarten. There were neutral associations between maternal employment and children's school readiness, which were not differentiated by maternal time, stress, or wages. However, as nonmaternal household income decreased, maternal employment begun prior to 9 months was linked with higher cognitive skills, while employment begun between 9 and 24 months was linked with lower conduct problems. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Maternal cardiac metabolism in pregnancy

PubMed Central

Liu, Laura X.; Arany, Zolt

2014-01-01

Pregnancy causes dramatic physiological changes in the expectant mother. The placenta, mostly foetal in origin, invades maternal uterine tissue early in pregnancy and unleashes a barrage of hormones and other factors. This foetal ‘invasion’ profoundly reprogrammes maternal physiology, affecting nearly every organ, including the heart and its metabolism. We briefly review here maternal systemic metabolic changes during pregnancy and cardiac metabolism in general. We then discuss changes in cardiac haemodynamic during pregnancy and review what is known about maternal cardiac metabolism during pregnancy. Lastly, we discuss cardiac diseases during pregnancy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, and the potential contribution of aberrant cardiac metabolism to disease aetiology. PMID:24448314

Maternal hookworm modifies risk factors for childhood eczema: results from a birth cohort in Uganda

PubMed Central

Mpairwe, Harriet; Ndibazza, Juliet; Webb, Emily L; Nampijja, Margaret; Muhangi, Lawrence; Apule, Barbara; Lule, Swaib; Akurut, Hellen; Kizito, Dennison; Kakande, Mohammed; Jones, Frances M; Fitzsimmons, Colin M; Muwanga, Moses; Rodrigues, Laura C; Dunne, David W; Elliott, Alison M

2014-01-01

Background Worms may protect against allergy. Early-life worm exposure may be critical, but this has not been fully investigated. Objectives To investigate whether worms in pregnancy and in early childhood are associated with childhood eczema incidence. Methods The Entebbe Mother and Baby Study, an anthelminthic treatment trial, enrolled pregnant women between 2003 and 2005 in Uganda. Mothers were investigated for worms during pregnancy and children annually. Eczema was doctor-diagnosed from birth to age five years. A planned observational analysis was conducted within the trial cohort to investigate associations between worms and eczema. Results Data for 2345 live-born children were analysed. Hookworm was the most prevalent maternal worm (45%). Childhood worms were less prevalent. Eczema incidence was 4.68/100 person-years. Maternal hookworm was associated with reduced eczema incidence [adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), p-value: 0.71(0.51–0.99), 0.04] and modified effects of known risk factors for eczema: Dermatophagoides-specific IgE in children was positively associated with eczema incidence if the mother had no hookworm [2.72(1.11–6.63), 0.03], but not if the mother had hookworm [0.41(0.10–1.69), 0.22], interaction p-value = 0.03. Similar interactions were seen for maternal history of eczema {[2.87(1.31–6.27, 0.008) vs. [0.73(0.23–2.30), 0.60], interaction p-value = 0.05}, female gender {[1.82(1.22–2.73), 0.004 vs. [0.96(0.60–1.53), 0.87], interaction p-value = 0.04} and allergen-specific IgE. ChildhoodTrichuris trichiura and hookworm were inversely associated with eczema. Conclusions Maternal hookworm modifies effects of known risk factors for eczema. Mechanisms by which early-life worm exposures influence allergy need investigation. Worms or worm products, and intervention during pregnancy have potential for primary prevention of allergy. PMID:25171741

Prematurity, maternal stress and mother-child interactions.

PubMed

Muller-Nix, Carole; Forcada-Guex, Margarita; Pierrehumbert, Blaise; Jaunin, Lyne; Borghini, Ayala; Ansermet, François

2004-09-01

Previous studies have shown that premature birth and the immaturity of the child can affect the quality of the parent-child relationship. The present study examines the relationship between maternal and infant interactional behavior over time and infant perinatal risk factors as well as maternal perinatal recollected traumatic experience. Few studies have explored the relationship between maternal stress and the quality of parent-infant interaction. Mother-child interaction was recorded at 6 and 18 months of infant's age, in a population of 47 preterm infants (GA<34 weeks) and 25 full-term infants, born in 1998, during a play interaction. According to the Care Index, sensitivity, control and unresponsiveness have been used to code maternal interactional characteristics, and cooperation, compliance-compulsiveness, difficulty and passivity have been used to code the infant's interactional characteristics. The level of maternal stress was evaluated with the Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (PPQ), and the infant's perinatal risk factors were assessed with the Perinatal Risk Inventory (PERI). Mothers of high-risk infants, as well as mothers that had experienced traumatic stress in the perinatal period, were less sensitive and more controlling at 6 months. The interactional behavior of the preterm infant was different from that of the full-term infant at 18 months of age, and was correlated with maternal traumatic stress but not with perinatal risk factors. These results underline the importance of maternal traumatic experience related to premature birth and its potential long lasting influence on mother-child interactional behavior.

Prevalence of maternal near miss and community-based risk factors in Central Uganda.

PubMed

Nansubuga, Elizabeth; Ayiga, Natal; Moyer, Cheryl A

2016-11-01

To examine the prevalence of maternal near-miss (MNM) and its associated risk factors in a community setting in Central Uganda. A cross-sectional research design employing multi-stage sampling collected data from women aged 15-49 years in Rakai, Uganda, who had been pregnant in the 3years preceding the survey, conducted between August 10 and December 31, 2013. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted. WHO-based disease and management criteria were used to identify MNM. Binary logistic regression was used to predict MNM risk factors. Content analysis was performed for qualitative data. Survey data were collected from 1557 women and 40 in-depth interviews were conducted. The MNM prevalence was 287.7 per 1000 pregnancies; the majority of MNMs resulted from hemorrhage. Unwanted pregnancies, a history of MNM, primipara, pregnancy danger signs, Banyakore ethnicity, and a partner who had completed primary education only were associated with increased odds of MNM (all P<0.05). MNM morbidity is a significant burden in Central Uganda. The present study demonstrated higher MNM rates compared with studies employing organ-failure MNM-diagnostic criteria. These findings illustrate the need to look beyond mortality statistics when assessing maternal health outcomes. Concerted efforts to increase supervised deliveries, access to emergency obstetric care, and access to contraceptives are warranted. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relative Importance and Additive Effects of Maternal and Infant Risk Factors on Childhood Asthma

PubMed Central

Rosas-Salazar, Christian; James, Kristina; Escobar, Gabriel; Gebretsadik, Tebeb; Li, Sherian Xu; Carroll, Kecia N.; Walsh, Eileen; Mitchel, Edward; Das, Suman; Kumar, Rajesh; Yu, Chang; Dupont, William D.; Hartert, Tina V.

2016-01-01

Background Environmental exposures that occur in utero and during early life may contribute to the development of childhood asthma through alteration of the human microbiome. The objectives of this study were to estimate the cumulative effect and relative importance of environmental exposures on the risk of childhood asthma. Methods We conducted a population-based birth cohort study of mother-child dyads who were born between 1995 and 2003 and were continuously enrolled in the PRIMA (Prevention of RSV: Impact on Morbidity and Asthma) cohort. The individual and cumulative impact of maternal urinary tract infections (UTI) during pregnancy, maternal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS), mode of delivery, infant antibiotic use, and older siblings at home, on the risk of childhood asthma were estimated using logistic regression. Dose-response effect on childhood asthma risk was assessed for continuous risk factors: number of maternal UTIs during pregnancy, courses of infant antibiotics, and number of older siblings at home. We further assessed and compared the relative importance of these exposures on the asthma risk. In a subgroup of children for whom maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy information was available, the effect of maternal antibiotic use on the risk of childhood asthma was estimated. Results Among 136,098 singleton birth infants, 13.29% developed asthma. In both univariate and adjusted analyses, maternal UTI during pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18, 1.25; adjusted OR [AOR] 1.04, 95%CI 1.02, 1.07 for every additional UTI) and infant antibiotic use (OR 1.21, 95%CI 1.20, 1.22; AOR 1.16, 95%CI 1.15, 1.17 for every additional course) were associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma, while having older siblings at home (OR 0.92, 95%CI 0.91, 0.93; AOR 0.85, 95%CI 0.84, 0.87 for each additional sibling) was associated with a decreased risk of childhood asthma, in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with vaginal

Relative Importance and Additive Effects of Maternal and Infant Risk Factors on Childhood Asthma.

PubMed

Wu, Pingsheng; Feldman, Amy S; Rosas-Salazar, Christian; James, Kristina; Escobar, Gabriel; Gebretsadik, Tebeb; Li, Sherian Xu; Carroll, Kecia N; Walsh, Eileen; Mitchel, Edward; Das, Suman; Kumar, Rajesh; Yu, Chang; Dupont, William D; Hartert, Tina V

2016-01-01

Environmental exposures that occur in utero and during early life may contribute to the development of childhood asthma through alteration of the human microbiome. The objectives of this study were to estimate the cumulative effect and relative importance of environmental exposures on the risk of childhood asthma. We conducted a population-based birth cohort study of mother-child dyads who were born between 1995 and 2003 and were continuously enrolled in the PRIMA (Prevention of RSV: Impact on Morbidity and Asthma) cohort. The individual and cumulative impact of maternal urinary tract infections (UTI) during pregnancy, maternal colonization with group B streptococcus (GBS), mode of delivery, infant antibiotic use, and older siblings at home, on the risk of childhood asthma were estimated using logistic regression. Dose-response effect on childhood asthma risk was assessed for continuous risk factors: number of maternal UTIs during pregnancy, courses of infant antibiotics, and number of older siblings at home. We further assessed and compared the relative importance of these exposures on the asthma risk. In a subgroup of children for whom maternal antibiotic use during pregnancy information was available, the effect of maternal antibiotic use on the risk of childhood asthma was estimated. Among 136,098 singleton birth infants, 13.29% developed asthma. In both univariate and adjusted analyses, maternal UTI during pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18, 1.25; adjusted OR [AOR] 1.04, 95%CI 1.02, 1.07 for every additional UTI) and infant antibiotic use (OR 1.21, 95%CI 1.20, 1.22; AOR 1.16, 95%CI 1.15, 1.17 for every additional course) were associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma, while having older siblings at home (OR 0.92, 95%CI 0.91, 0.93; AOR 0.85, 95%CI 0.84, 0.87 for each additional sibling) was associated with a decreased risk of childhood asthma, in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with vaginal delivery, C

Factors associated with women’s autonomy regarding maternal and child health care utilization in Bale Zone: a community based cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Women's autonomy in health-care decision is a prerequisite for improvements in maternal and child health. Little is known about women’s autonomy and its influencing factors on maternal and child health care in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess women’s autonomy and identify associated factors in Southeast Ethiopia. Method A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 19th until March 28th, 2011. A total of 706 women were selected using stratified sampling technique from rural and urban kebeles. The quantitative data were collected by interviewer administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS for window version 16.0. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify factors associated with women’s autonomy for health care utilization. Result Out of 706 women less than half (41.4%) had higher autonomy regarding their own and their children’s health. In the multiple logistic regression model monthly household income >1000 ETB [adjusted odds ratio(AOR):3.32(95% C.I: 1.62-6.78)], having employed husband [AOR: 3.75 (95% C.I:1.24-11.32)], being in a nuclear family structure [AOR: 0.53(95% C.I: 0.33-0.87)], being in monogamous marriage [AOR: 3.18(95% C.I: 1.35-7.50)], being knowledgeable and having favorable attitude toward maternal and child health care services were independently associated with an increased odds of women’s autonomy. Conclusion Socio-demographic and maternal factors (knowledge and attitude) were found to influence women’s autonomy. Interventions targeting women’s autonomy with regards to maternal and child health care should focus on addressing increasing awareness and priority should be given to women with a lower socioeconomic status. PMID:24990689

Child and Maternal Factors That Influence Child Blood Pressure in Preschool Children: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Rice, Marti; Turner-Henson, Anne; Park, Na-Jin; Azuero, Andres; Amiri, Azita; Feeley, Christine A; Johnson, Ann; Lam, Thuy; Huntington-Moskos, Luz; Rodriguez, Jeannie; Williams, Susan

2016-08-01

Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults and children and has its origins in childhood. While the prevalence of hypertension in children is estimated to be 2 to 5%, instance elevations in blood pressure readings (BPRs) in school-age children and adolescents are more common, track to adulthood, and are an independent risk factor for CVD. Less information is available about BPR in the preschool period and what child factors could influence those BPR. The primary aims of this exploratory study were to determine child blood pressure (BP) levels and determine effect sizes of the relationships between child and maternal factors that can influence child BP. A convenience sample of 15 rural and 15 urban children enrolled in Head Start programs (13 males; 14 females; all black) with ability to understand and speak English and with mothers who gave consent and could understand, read and speak English were enrolled. Mothers completed demographic information about their child including, gender, birth history and age. Height, weight, waist circumference and BP were measured in the mothers and the children. Children gave saliva specimens for cortisol and C-reactive protein. Over 37% of the children had elevated BPR with over 20% at or above the 95th percentile. Effect sizes of relationships ranged from very small to large. Elevations in BPR may be seen as early as preschool. It is important to examine factors, both child and maternal that influence BP. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contextual factors in maternal and newborn health evaluation: a protocol applied in Nigeria, India and Ethiopia.

PubMed

Sabot, Kate; Marchant, Tanya; Spicer, Neil; Berhanu, Della; Gautham, Meenakshi; Umar, Nasir; Schellenberg, Joanna

2018-01-01

Understanding the context of a health programme is important in interpreting evaluation findings and in considering the external validity for other settings. Public health researchers can be imprecise and inconsistent in their usage of the word "context" and its application to their work. This paper presents an approach to defining context, to capturing relevant contextual information and to using such information to help interpret findings from the perspective of a research group evaluating the effect of diverse innovations on coverage of evidence-based, life-saving interventions for maternal and newborn health in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and India. We define "context" as the background environment or setting of any program, and "contextual factors" as those elements of context that could affect implementation of a programme. Through a structured, consultative process, contextual factors were identified while trying to strike a balance between comprehensiveness and feasibility. Thematic areas included demographics and socio-economics, epidemiological profile, health systems and service uptake, infrastructure, education, environment, politics, policy and governance. We outline an approach for capturing and using contextual factors while maximizing use of existing data. Methods include desk reviews, secondary data extraction and key informant interviews. Outputs include databases of contextual factors and summaries of existing maternal and newborn health policies and their implementation. Use of contextual data will be qualitative in nature and may assist in interpreting findings in both quantitative and qualitative aspects of programme evaluation. Applying this approach was more resource intensive than expected, in part because routinely available information was not consistently available across settings and more primary data collection was required than anticipated. Data was used only minimally, partly due to a lack of evaluation results that needed further explanation

Tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} enhances IL-15-induced natural killer cell differentiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Jiwon; Lee, Suk Hyung; Korea University of Science and Technology, Yusong, Daejeon 305-333

2009-09-04

The differentiation of natural killer (NK) cells is regulated by various factors including soluble growth factors and transcription factors. Here, we have demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) is a positive regulator of NK cell differentiation. TNF-{alpha} augmented the IL-15-induced expression of NK1.1 and CD122 in mature NK cells, and TNF-{alpha} alone also induced NK cell maturation as well as IL-15. TNF-{alpha} also increased IFN-{gamma} production in NK cells in the presence of IL-15. Meanwhile, mRNA expression of several transcription factors, including T-bet and GATA-3, was increased by the addition of TNF-{alpha} and IL-15. In addition, TNF-{alpha} increased nuclear factor-kappamore » B (NF-{kappa}B) activity in NK cells and inhibition of NF-{kappa}B impeded TNF-{alpha}-enhanced NK cell maturation. Overall, these data suggest that TNF-{alpha} significantly increased IL-15-driven NK cell differentiation by increasing the expression of transcription factors that play crucial roles in NK cell maturation and inducing the NF-{kappa}B activity.« less

A mixed methods systematic review of success factors of mhealth and telehealth for maternal health in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Ag Ahmed, Mohamed Ali; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Hamelin-Brabant, Louise; Mbemba, Gisele Irène Claudine; Alami, Hassane

2017-01-01

Access to health care is still limited for many women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while it remains an important determinant of maternal mortality and morbidity. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mhealth and telehealth, can help to facilitate this access by acting on the various obstacles encountered by women, be they socio-cultural, economic, geographical or organizational. However, various factors contribute to the success of mhealth and telehealth implementation and use, and must be considered for these technologies to go beyond the pilot project stage. The objective of this systematic literature review is to synthesize the empirical knowledge on the success factors of the implementation and use of telehealth and mhealth to facilitate access to maternal care in SSA. The methodology used is based on that of the Cochrane Collaboration, including a documentary search using standardized language in six databases, selection of studies corresponding to the inclusion criteria, data extraction, evaluation of study quality, and synthesis of the results. A total of 93 articles were identified, which allowed the inclusion of seven studies, six of which were on mhealth. Based on the framework proposed by Broens et al ., we synthesized success factors into five categories: (I) technology, such as technical support to maintain, troubleshoot and train users, good network coverage, existence of a source of energy and user friendliness; (II) user acceptance, which is facilitated by factors such as unrestricted use of the device, perceived usefulness to the worker, adequate literacy, or previous experience of use ; (III) short- and long-term funding; (IV) organizational factors, such as the existence of a well-organized health system and effective coordination of interventions; and (V) political or legislative aspects, in this case strong government support to deploy technology on a large scale. Telehealth and mhealth are promising solutions to reduce

A mixed methods systematic review of success factors of mhealth and telehealth for maternal health in Sub-Saharan Africa

PubMed Central

Ag Ahmed, Mohamed Ali; Hamelin-Brabant, Louise; Mbemba, Gisele Irène Claudine; Alami, Hassane

2017-01-01

Access to health care is still limited for many women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while it remains an important determinant of maternal mortality and morbidity. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mhealth and telehealth, can help to facilitate this access by acting on the various obstacles encountered by women, be they socio-cultural, economic, geographical or organizational. However, various factors contribute to the success of mhealth and telehealth implementation and use, and must be considered for these technologies to go beyond the pilot project stage. The objective of this systematic literature review is to synthesize the empirical knowledge on the success factors of the implementation and use of telehealth and mhealth to facilitate access to maternal care in SSA. The methodology used is based on that of the Cochrane Collaboration, including a documentary search using standardized language in six databases, selection of studies corresponding to the inclusion criteria, data extraction, evaluation of study quality, and synthesis of the results. A total of 93 articles were identified, which allowed the inclusion of seven studies, six of which were on mhealth. Based on the framework proposed by Broens et al., we synthesized success factors into five categories: (I) technology, such as technical support to maintain, troubleshoot and train users, good network coverage, existence of a source of energy and user friendliness; (II) user acceptance, which is facilitated by factors such as unrestricted use of the device, perceived usefulness to the worker, adequate literacy, or previous experience of use ; (III) short- and long-term funding; (IV) organizational factors, such as the existence of a well-organized health system and effective coordination of interventions; and (V) political or legislative aspects, in this case strong government support to deploy technology on a large scale. Telehealth and mhealth are promising solutions to reduce

Maternal and perinatal factors associated with subsequent meningococcal, Haemophilus or enteroviral meningitis in children: database study.

PubMed

Goldacre, M J; Wotton, C J; Maisonneuve, J J

2014-02-01

We used a database of 248 659 births, with follow-up to subsequent disease, in the Oxford record linkage archive (1979-1999) to study the influence of family, maternal, and perinatal factors on subsequent hospital admission for meningococcal, Haemophilus, and enteroviral meningitis in the children. In this summary, we report key findings that were significant in multivariate analysis. Meningococcal meningitis was significantly associated with maternal smoking [odds ratio (OR) 2·1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·2-3·7]. Haemophilus meningitis was associated with having older siblings (e.g. second child compared to first-born, OR 3·3, 95% CI 2·0-5·6). Enteroviral meningitis was associated with low birth weight (OR 2·2, 95% CI 1·3-3·6) and male sex (OR 1·7, 95% CI 1·2-2·3). The mothers of six of the 312 children with enteroviral meningitis had previously had enteroviral meningitis themselves. We concluded that several maternal characteristics influence the risk of these types of meningitis.

Toothbrushing frequency among 4–6-year-old Iranian children and associated maternal attitude and sociobehavioral factors

PubMed Central

Soltani, Raheleh; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Akhlaghi, Najmeh; Sharifirad, Gholamreza; Alipoor, Mikaeil; Mahaki, Behzad

2017-01-01

Background: Toothbrushing is an important aspect of children's oral health self-care. This study aimed to explore toothbrushing frequency among 4–6-year-old Iranian children and associated maternal attitude and sociobehavioral factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 407 mother–child (aged 4–6 years) pairs through stratified random sampling in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires including demographic characteristic, maternal attitude, and toothbrushing frequency of both mothers and children. Logistic regression was used to determine the predicators of children's toothbrushing. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05 for all tests. Results: The mean ages were 32.6 ± 4.8 and 5.3 ± 1.1 years for mothers and children respectively. Twice-daily toothbrushing was observed at a relative frequency of 12.8% in children and 18.4% in mothers. About 43.7% of children brushed their teeth once daily. Nearly 38.7% of children started toothbrushing behavior regularly at 4 years of age, and 41% had dental visits. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that children's toothbrushing (once daily or more) was associated with maternal brushing frequency (odds ratio [OR] =2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.53–2.86), maternal attitude toward oral health (OR = 1.15, CI = 1.08–1.22), and children's age (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.02–1.77). Conclusion: The descriptive results indicated that maternal and children toothbrushing behaviors are unfavorable. Furthermore, maternal toothbrushing behavior is a strong predicator of children's brushing behavior. Health promotional activities seem necessary for mothers to enhance oral health behavior of their children. PMID:28348618

Maternal Diet, Metabolic State, and Inflammatory Response Exert Unique and Long-Lasting Influences on Offspring Behavior in Non-Human Primates

PubMed Central

Thompson, Jacqueline R.; Gustafsson, Hanna C.; DeCapo, Madison; Takahashi, Diana L.; Bagley, Jennifer L.; Dean, Tyler A.; Kievit, Paul; Fair, Damien A.; Sullivan, Elinor L.

2018-01-01

Nutritional status influences brain health and gestational exposure to metabolic disorders (e.g. obesity and diabetes) increases the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the role of maternal Western-style diet (WSD), metabolic state, and inflammatory factors in the programming of Japanese macaque offspring behavior. Utilizing structural equation modeling, we investigated the relationships between maternal diet, prepregnancy adiposity, third trimester insulin response, and plasma cytokine levels on 11-month-old offspring behavior. Maternal WSD was associated with greater reactive and ritualized anxiety in offspring. Maternal adiposity and third trimester macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) exerted opposing effects on offspring high-energy outbursts. Elevated levels of this behavior were associated with low maternal MDC and increased prepregnancy adiposity. This is the first study to show that maternal MDC levels influence offspring behavior. We found no evidence suggesting maternal peripheral inflammatory response mediated the effect of maternal diet and metabolic state on aberrant offspring behavior. Additionally, the extent of maternal metabolic impairment differentially influenced chemokine response. Elevated prepregnancy adiposity suppressed third trimester chemokines, while obesity-induced insulin resistance augmented peripheral chemokine levels. WSD also directly increased maternal interleukin-12. This is the first non-human primate study to delineate the effects of maternal diet and metabolic state on gestational inflammatory environment and subsequent offspring behavior. Our findings give insight to the complex mechanisms by which diet, metabolic state, and inflammation during pregnancy exert unique influences on offspring behavioral regulation. PMID:29740395

Intimate partner violence among Egyptian pregnant women: incidence, risk factors, and adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Z M; Sayed Ahmed, W A; El-Hamid, S A; Hagras, A M

2015-01-01

To assess incidence and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy among a sample of women from Egypt and to evaluate its impact on maternal and fetal adverse health outcomes. After obtaining ethical approval, a total of 1,857 women aged 18 - 43 years completed the study and were investigated using an interview questionnaire. The questionnaire contains five main items: demographic characteristics of women, intimate partner characteristics, assessment of IPV during current pregnancy, and assessment of maternal as well as fetal/neonatal adverse outcomes. Women were also examined to detect signs of violence and identify injuries. Exposure to IPV during pregnancy was reported among 44.1% of the studied women. Emotional violence was the most common form. Women exposed to violence were of younger age, higher parity, and lower educational level. Their partners were older, less educated, and more likely to be addicted to drugs and alcohol. Women were also found to have significantly higher incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes (miscarriage, preterm labor, and premature rupture of membrane), and fetal/neonatal adverse outcomes (fetal distress, fetal death, and low birth weight). A total of 297 cases had been exposed to physical violence (15.9%) vs 32.6% and 10% exposed to emotional and sexual violence, respectively. The most common form of physical violence was kicking. Violence during pregnancy is prevalent among Egyptian women. Exposure to violence was a significant risk factor for multiple adverse maternal and fetal health outcomes.

Maternal and early life factors of tooth emergence patterns and number of teeth at one and two years of age

PubMed Central

Ntani, Georgia; Day, Peter F; Baird, Janis; Godfrey, Keith M; Robinson, Sian M; Cooper, Cyrus; Inskip, Hazel M

2015-01-01

Various environmental factors have been associated with the timing of eruption of primary dentition, but the evidence to date comes from small studies with limited information on potential risk factors. We aimed to investigate associations between tooth emergence patterns and pre-conception, pregnancy and post-natal influences. Dentition patterns were recorded at ages one and two years in 2,915 children born to women in the Southampton Women’s Survey from whom information had been collected on maternal factors before conception and during pregnancy. In mutually adjusted regression models we found that: children were more dentally advanced at ages one and two years if their mothers had smoked during pregnancy or they were longer at birth; mothers of children whose dental development was advanced at age two years tended to have poorer socioeconomic circumstances, and to have reported a slower walking speed pre-pregnancy; and children of mothers of Asian ethnicity had later tooth development than those of white mothers. The findings add to the evidence of environmental impacts on the timing of the eruption of primary dentition in indicating that maternal smoking during pregnancy, socio-economic status and physical activity (assessed by reported walking speed) may influence the child’s primary dentition. Early life factors, including size at birth are also associated with dentition patterns, as is maternal ethnicity. PMID:25936832

Maternal and perinatal factors associated with hospitalised infectious mononucleosis in children, adolescents and young adults: record linkage study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is current interest in the role of perinatal factors in the aetiology of diseases that occur later in life. Infectious mononucleosis (IM) can follow late primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and has been shown to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis and Hodgkin's disease. Little is known about maternal or perinatal factors associated with IM or its sequelae. Methods We investigated perinatal risk factors for hospitalised IM using a prospective record-linkage study in a population in the south of England. The dataset used, the Oxford record linkage study (ORLS), includes abstracts of birth registrations, maternities and in-patient hospital records, including day case care, for all subjects in a defined geographical area. From these sources, we identified cases of hospitalised IM up to the age of 30 years in people for whom the ORLS had a maternity record; and we compared perinatal factors in their pregnancy with those in the pregnancy of children who had no hospital record of IM. Results Our data showed a significant association between hospitalised IM and lower social class (p = 0.02), a higher risk of hospitalised IM in children of married rather than single mothers (p < 0.001), and, of marginal statistical significance, an association with singleton birth (p = 0.06). The ratio of observed to expected cases of hospitalised IM in each season was 0.95 in winter, 1.02 in spring, 1.02 in summer and 1.00 in autumn. The chi-square test for seasonality, with a value of 0.8, was not significant. Other factors studied, including low birth weight, short gestational age, maternal smoking, late age at motherhood, did not increase the risk of subsequent hospitalised IM. Conclusions Because of the increasing tendency of women to postpone childbearing, it is useful to know that older age at motherhood is not associated with an increased risk of hospitalised IM in their children. We have no explanation for the finding that children of married women

Maternal deaths in eastern Indonesia: 20 years and still walking: an ethnographic study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The delays in receiving adequate emergency maternal care described by Thaddeus and Maine twenty years ago are still occurring, as exemplified in this study of cases of maternal deaths in a subdistrict in rural eastern Indonesia. Methods An ethnographic design was conducted, recruiting eleven families who reported on cases of maternal deaths in one sub-district of Indonesia, as well as assessing the geographical and cultural context of the villages. Traditional birth attendants and village leaders provided information to the research team which was thematically and contextually analysed. Results Two stages to the first and second delays have been differentiated in this study. First, delays in the decision to seek care comprised time taken to recognise (if at all) that an emergency situation existed, followed by time taken to reach a decision to request care. The decision to request care resided variously with the family or cadre. Second, delays in reaching care comprised time taken to deliver the request for help and then time for help to arrive. A phone was not available to request care in many cases and so the request was delivered by walking or motorbike. In two cases where the decision to seek care and the delivery of the request happened in a timely way, help was delayed because the midwife and ambulance respectively were unavailable. Conclusions This study, although a small sample, confirmed that either a single delay or a sequence of delays can prove fatal. Delays were determined by both social and geographic factors, any of which alone could be limiting. Initiatives to improve maternal health outcomes need to address multiple factors: increased awareness of equitable access to maternal health care, village preparedness for emergency response, improved access to telecommunications and geographic access. PMID:24447873

Learning Innovative Maternal Instinct: Activity Designing Semantic Factors of Alcohol Modification in Rural Communities of Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yodmongkol, Pitipong; Jaimung, Thunyaporn; Chakpitak, Nopasit; Sureephong, Pradorn

2014-01-01

At present, Thailand is confronting a serious problem of alcohol drinking behavior which needs to be solved urgently. This research aimed to identify the semantic factors on alcohol drinking behavior and to use maternal instinct driving for housewives as village health volunteers in rural communities, Thailand. Two methods were implemented as the…

Maternal care and paternal protection influence response to psychotherapy treatment for adult depression.

PubMed

Johnstone, Jeanette M; Carter, Janet D; Luty, Suzanne E; Mulder, Roger T; Frampton, Christopher M; Joyce, Peter R

2013-07-01

Adverse childhood experiences of neglect, overprotection and abuse, well-recognized risk factors for the development of adult psychopathology, were examined as predictors of response to psychotherapy treatment for adults with depression. Outpatients in a randomized clinical trial of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) completed the parental bonding instrument (PBI) at baseline to establish levels of care and protection. Childhood abuse was asked about using clinical interviews. The PBI variables were examined in tertiles while the abuse variables were categorized as "none," "some," and "severe." Associations between these childhood adversities and treatment response were examined in those who completed the trial. Of 177 outpatients with depression who were randomized, 159 completed an adequate trial of therapy. Within these 159 patients, 57% were categorized as responders to treatment. The mean percentage improvement on the MADRS was 57.7% (±31.4). Across both treatments, patients reporting intermediate levels of maternal care had the best response to treatment. Also across both treatments, the interaction effects of maternal care and paternal protection by treatment were statistically significant. Examining the two therapies independently, maternal care and paternal protection were associated with a differential response to IPT but not CBT. Reports of abuse, whether physical, emotional or sexual, did not impact treatment response. This study examined patients who completed treatment, which may have attenuated the findings. Two categories of childhood adversity were measured although a range of other adverse childhood experiences exist. The results were from exploratory analyses and require replication. Maternal care, demonstrating a robust main effect across treatments, appears to be the childhood variable most strongly associated with response to psychotherapy in this sample. In addition, maternal care and paternal protection

The influence of maternal and paternal factors on time to pregnancy--a Dutch population-based birth-cohort study: the GECKO Drenthe study.

PubMed

Mutsaerts, M A Q; Groen, H; Huiting, H G; Kuchenbecker, W K H; Sauer, P J J; Land, J A; Stolk, R P; Hoek, A

2012-02-01

Both maternal and paternal factors have been suggested to influence a couple's fecundity. To investigate this, we examined the role of several maternal and paternal lifestyle and socio-demographic factors as determinants of time to pregnancy (TTP) in a Dutch birth-cohort. Groningen Expert Center for Kids with Obesity (GECKO) Drenthe is a population-based birth-cohort study of children born between April 2006 and April 2007 in Drenthe, a province of The Netherlands. Both partners received extensive questionnaires during pregnancy. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to determine the impact of the investigated factors on TTP. A total of 4778 children were born, and the parents of 2997 children (63%) gave their consent to participate. After excluding unintended pregnancies and pregnancies as a result of fertility treatment, the data of 1924 couples were available for analysis. Hazards ratios and 95% confidence intervals of factors influencing TTP in multivariable Cox regression analysis were: maternal age 1.23 (0.98-1.54) for age <25 years, 1.17 (1.03-1.32) for age 25-30 years and 0.72 (0.61-0.85) for age >35 years (reference category: 30-35 years); paternal age: 1.31 (0.94-1.82) for age <25 years, 1.11 (0.97-1.28) for age 25-30 years and 0.91 (0.80-1.04 for age >35 years (reference category: 30-35 years); nulliparity: 0.76 (0.68-0.85) versus multiparity; menstrual cycle length: 1.12 (0.95-1.30) for 3 weeks, 0.72 (0.62-0.83) for 4-6 weeks, 0.68 (0.40-1.16) for >6 weeks and 0.66 (0.54-0.81) for irregular cycle (reference category: 4 weeks); prior contraceptive use: 0.78 (0.67-0.91) for no contraception, 1.68 (1.45-1.95) for condom use, 1.08 (0.89-1.33) for condom use combined with oral contraception, 1.40 (1.16-1.70) for intrauterine device and 0.50 (0.25-1.01) for contraceptive injection (reference category: oral contraception); and maternal educational level 0.75 (0.62-0.92) for low education level and 0.81 (0.73-0.90) for medium

The development of a classification system for maternity models of care.

PubMed

Donnolley, Natasha; Butler-Henderson, Kerryn; Chapman, Michael; Sullivan, Elizabeth

2016-08-01

A lack of standard terminology or means to identify and define models of maternity care in Australia has prevented accurate evaluations of outcomes for mothers and babies in different models of maternity care. As part of the Commonwealth-funded National Maternity Data Development Project, a classification system was developed utilising a data set specification that defines characteristics of models of maternity care. The Maternity Care Classification System or MaCCS was developed using a participatory action research design that built upon the published and grey literature. The study identified the characteristics that differentiate models of care and classifies models into eleven different Major Model Categories. The MaCCS will enable individual health services, local health districts (networks), jurisdictional and national health authorities to make better informed decisions for planning, policy development and delivery of maternity services in Australia. © The Author(s) 2016.

Maternal and Placental Factors Associated with Congenital Hearing Loss in Very Preterm Neonates.

PubMed

Kim, Shin Hye; Choi, Byung Yoon; Park, Jaehong; Jung, Eun Young; Cho, Soo-Hyun; Park, Kyo Hoon

2017-06-01

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a multifactorial disease that more frequently affects preterm newborns. Although a number of maternal conditions have been reported to be associated with preterm birth, little information is available concerning maternal risk factors for the development of SNHL. We aimed to identify maternal and placental risk factors associated with a "refer" result on the newborn hearing screening (NHS) test and subsequently confirmed SNHL in very preterm neonates. This retrospective cohort study included 267 singleton neonates who were born alive after ≤ 32 weeks. Histopathologic examination of the placenta was performed, and clinical data were retrieved from a computerized perinatal database. Cases with two abnormal findings, "refer" on the NHS test, and presence of SNHL on the confirmation test were retrospectively reviewed based on electronic medical records. Forty-two neonates (15.7%) showed a "refer" result, and, on the confirmation test, permanent SNHL was identified in 1.87% (5/267) of all neonates. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the presence of funisitis was independently associated with a "refer" on the NHS test, whereas use of antenatal corticosteroids was statistically significantly associated with a reduced incidence of "refer" on the screening test. Neither histologic chorioamnionitis nor prematurity (as defined by low gestational age and birth weight) was associated with a "refer" on the NHS test. By contrast, multivariate analysis with occurrence of SNHL as a dependent variable identified no significant associations with the parameters studied, probably owing to the small total number of neonates with permanent SNHL. Presence of funisitis was significantly and independently associated with increased risk of abnormal NHS results, while administration of antenatal corticosteroids was related to a normal NHS result. These findings support the hypothesis that a systemic fetal inflammatory response, manifested

Suboptimal care and maternal mortality among foreign-born women in Sweden: maternal death audit with application of the ‘migration three delays’ model

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Several European countries report differences in risk of maternal mortality between immigrants from low- and middle-income countries and host country women. The present study identified suboptimal factors related to care-seeking, accessibility, and quality of care for maternal deaths that occurred in Sweden from 1988–2010. Methods A subset of maternal death records (n = 75) among foreign-born women from low- and middle-income countries and Swedish-born women were audited using structured implicit review. One case of foreign-born maternal death was matched with two native born Swedish cases of maternal death. An assessment protocol was developed that applied both the ‘migration three delays’ framework and a modified version of the Confidential Enquiry from the United Kingdom. The main outcomes were major and minor suboptimal factors associated with maternal death in this high-income, low-maternal mortality context. Results Major and minor suboptimal factors were associated with a majority of maternal deaths and significantly more often to foreign-born women (p = 0.01). The main delays to care-seeking were non-compliance among foreign-born women and communication barriers, such as incongruent language and suboptimal interpreter system or usage. Inadequate care occurred more often among the foreign-born (p = 0.04), whereas delays in consultation/referral and miscommunication between health care providers where equally common between the two groups. Conclusions Suboptimal care factors, major and minor, were present in more than 2/3 of maternal deaths in this high-income setting. Those related to migration were associated to miscommunication, lack of professional interpreters, and limited knowledge about rare diseases and pregnancy complications. Increased insight into a migration perspective is advocated for maternity clinicians who provide care to foreign-born women. PMID:24725307

Intergenerational Transmission of Internalizing Behavior: The Role of Maternal Psychopathology, Child Responsiveness and Maternal Attachment Style Insecurity.

PubMed

Reck, Corinna; Nonnenmacher, Nora; Zietlow, Anna-Lena

Maternal depression and anxiety disorders are risk factors for the development of internalizing disorders in offspring. Maternal attachment has been discussed as one factor accounting for transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate child internalizing behavior at preschool age on a symptomatic and behavioral level and possible links to maternal mental health over time and maternal attachment style insecurity in a sample of postpartum depressed and anxious mothers. Child internalizing behavior at preschool age was rated by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form (C-TRF), and during a mother-child free-play situation. We focused on child responsiveness as it has been linked to child internalizing behavior. Maternal attachment style insecurity was tested to mediate the link between maternal mental health (assessed postpartum and at preschool age with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I Disorders, SCID-I) and child internalizing behavior/child responsiveness. Of the overall sample (n = 58), 28 women were diagnosed with postpartum depression and/or anxiety disorders according to DSM-IV, and 30 were healthy controls. Data were collected 3-9 months after delivery and at preschool age (mean = 4.6 years). At preschool age, children of postpartum depressed and anxious mothers were rated significantly higher on child internalizing behavior by mothers, fathers, and additional caregivers compared to the control group. Child internalizing behavior rated by mothers was influenced by current psychiatric symptoms; maternal attachment style insecurity did not mediate this link. During interaction, children in the clinical group displayed significantly less child responsiveness compared to the control group. Maternal attachment style insecurity mediated the relationship between maternal mental health over time and child responsiveness. The results emphasize the need for interventions focusing on mother-child interaction and

Maternal factors associated with offspring polycystic ovarian syndrome.

PubMed

Steiner, Anne Z

2018-04-19

In this Swedish national registry-based cohort study Valgeirsdottir et al. sought to determine the association between 1) in-utero exposures and 2) birth indices and the subsequent development of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) after age 15. To do this, they selected 681,123 girls, whose birth was recorded in the Swedish birth registry between 1982 and 1995. They followed the girls in the Swedish Patient Registry until 2010 for a diagnosis of PCOS using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. The authors found that in-utero exposure to maternal obesity and smoking, but not maternal pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes, increased the risk of PCOS as an adolescent or young adult. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Women's postpartum maternity benefits and work experience.

PubMed

Gjerdingen, D K; McGovern, P M; Chaloner, K M; Street, H B

1995-10-01

This study was conducted to describe women's perceptions of their maternity leave policy and its implementation, maternity leave benefits, postpartum work experience, and factors that relate to returning to work. Surveys were mailed to 436 married, recently employed, first-time mothers at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postpartum. Most respondents said they had written maternity leave policies they could understand, but they were not completely satisfied with their policies. The average 11.1-week maternity leave was considerably shorter than their 8-month ideal, and only 25.5% had the option of working part-time. A minority (35.8%) were allowed to use personal days to care for a sick infant. Most women were distressed about making child care arrangements. Compared with women who remained at home, those who returned to work complained of more respiratory, gynecologic, and breast symptoms. Relatively little is known about women's postpartum work experience. In this study, return to work after delivery was related to several demographic, occupational, and social factors and was associated with health problems and concerns about child care. With a majority of new mothers now returning to work, attention has recently been directed to factors that facilitate the merger of work and parenting roles. One such important factor is women's parental or maternity leave benefits, the focus of this study.

Beyond infection - Maternal immune activation by environmental factors, microglial development, and relevance for autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Bilbo, Staci D; Block, Carina L; Bolton, Jessica L; Hanamsagar, Richa; Tran, Phuong K

2018-01-01

Immune molecules such as cytokines and chemokines and the cells that produce them within the brain, notably microglia, are critical for normal brain development. This recognition has in recent years led to the working hypothesis that inflammatory events during pregnancy, e.g. in response to infection, may disrupt the normal expression of immune molecules during critical stages of neural development and thereby contribute to the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This hypothesis has in large part been shepherded by the work of Dr. Paul Patterson and colleagues, which has elegantly demonstrated that a single viral infection or injection of a viral mimetic to pregnant mice significantly and persistently impacts offspring immune and nervous system function, changes that underlie ASD-like behavioral dysfunction including social and communication deficits. Subsequent studies by many labs - in humans and in non-human animal models - have supported the hypothesis that ongoing disrupted immune molecule expression and/or neuroinflammation contributes to at least a significant subset of ASD. The heterogeneous clinical and biological phenotypes observed in ASD strongly suggest that in genetically susceptible individuals, environmental risk factors combine or synergize to create a tipping or threshold point for dysfunction. Importantly, animal studies showing a link between maternal immune activation (MIA) and ASD-like outcomes in offspring involve different species and diverse environmental factors associated with ASD in humans, beyond infection, including toxin exposures, maternal stress, and maternal obesity, all of which impact inflammatory or immune pathways. The goal of this review is to highlight the broader implications of Dr. Patterson's work for the field of autism, with a focus on the impact that MIA by diverse environmental factors has on fetal brain development, immune system development, and the pathophysiology of ASD

Pathways from Maternal Effortful Control to Child Self-Regulation: The Role of Maternal Emotional Support

PubMed Central

Zeytinoglu, Selin; Calkins, Susan D.; Swingler, Margaret M.; Leerkes, Esther M.

2016-01-01

This study examined the direct and indirect pathways from maternal effortful control to two aspects of children’s self-regulation – executive functioning and behavioral regulation – via maternal emotional support. Two hundred and seventy eight children and their primary caregivers (96% mothers) participated in laboratory visits when children were 4 and 5 years, and teachers reported on children’s behavior at kindergarten. At the 4-year assessment, maternal effortful control was measured using the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (ATQ; Evans & Rothbart, 2007) and maternal emotional support was observed during a semi-structured mother-child problem-solving task. At the 5-year assessment, children’s executive functioning was measured using laboratory tasks designed to assess updating/working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, whereas behavioral regulation was assessed via teacher-report questionnaires on children’s attention control, discipline and persistence, and work habits. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that, after controlling for child gender and minority status, and maternal education, maternal effortful control was indirectly associated with both child executive functioning and behavioral regulation through maternal emotional support. Maternal effortful control had a direct association with children’s teacher-reported behavioral regulation but not observed executive functioning. These findings suggest that maternal effortful control may be a key contributing factor to the development of children’s self-regulatory competencies through its impact on maternal emotional support. PMID:27929315

Pathways from maternal effortful control to child self-regulation: The role of maternal emotional support.

PubMed

Zeytinoglu, Selin; Calkins, Susan D; Swingler, Margaret M; Leerkes, Esther M

2017-03-01

This study examined the direct and indirect pathways from maternal effortful control to 2 aspects of children's self-regulation-executive functioning and behavioral regulation-via maternal emotional support. Two hundred seventy-eight children and their primary caregivers (96% mothers) participated in laboratory visits when children were 4 and 5 years, and teachers reported on children's behavior at kindergarten. At the 4-year assessment, maternal effortful control was measured using the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (Evans & Rothbart, 2007) and maternal emotional support was observed during a semistructured mother-child problem-solving task. At the 5-year assessment, children's executive functioning was measured using laboratory tasks designed to assess updating/working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, whereas behavioral regulation was assessed via teacher-report questionnaires on children's attention control, discipline and persistence, and work habits. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that, after controlling for child gender and minority status, and maternal education, maternal effortful control was indirectly associated with both child executive functioning and behavioral regulation through maternal emotional support. Maternal effortful control had a direct association with children's teacher-reported behavioral regulation but not observed executive functioning. These findings suggest that maternal effortful control may be a key contributing factor to the development of children's self-regulatory competencies through its impact on maternal emotional support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Fibroblast growth factor-2 stimulates adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kakudo, Natsuko; Shimotsuma, Ayuko; Kusumoto, Kenji

2007-07-27

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) have demonstrated a capacity for differentiating into a variety of lineages, including bone, cartilage, or fat, depending on the inducing stimuli and specific growth and factors. It is acknowledged that fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) promotes chondrogenic and inhibits osteogenic differentiation of ASCs, but thorough investigations of its effects on adipogenic differentiation are lacking. In this study, we demonstrate at the cellular and molecular levels the effect of FGF-2 on adipogenic differentiation of ASCs, as induced by an adipogenic hormonal cocktail consisting of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), dexamethasone, insulin, and indomethacin. FGF-2 significantly enhances the adipogenic differentiation of humanmore » ASCs. Furthermore, in cultures receiving FGF-2 before adipogenic induction, mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma}2 (PPAR{gamma}2), a key transcription factor in adipogenesis, was upregulated. The results of FGF-2 supplementation suggest the potential applications of FGF-2 and ASCs in adipose tissue regeneration.« less

Differential Effects of Maternal Sensitivity to Infant Distress and Nondistress on Social-Emotional Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leerkes, Esther M.; Blankson, A. Nayena; O'Brien, Marion

2009-01-01

Associations between maternal sensitivity to infant distress and nondistress and infant social-emotional adjustment were examined in a subset of dyads from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care (N = 376). Mothers reported on infant temperament at 1 and 6 months postpartum, and maternal sensitivity to distress and nondistress were observed at 6…

Maternal predictive factors for fetal congenital heart block in pregnant mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies.

PubMed

Tsuboi, Hiroto; Sumida, Takayuki; Noma, Hisashi; Yamagishi, Kazumasa; Anami, Ai; Fukushima, Kotaro; Horigome, Hitoshi; Maeno, Yasuki; Kishimoto, Mitsumasa; Takasaki, Yoshinari; Nakayama, Masahiro; Waguri, Masako; Sago, Haruhiko; Murashima, Atsuko

2016-07-01

To determine the maternal predictive factors for fetal congenital heart block (CHB) in pregnancy in mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies. The Research Team for Surveillance of Autoantibody-Exposed Fetuses and Treatment of Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus, the Research Program of the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, performed a national survey on pregnancy of mothers positive for anti-SS-A antibodies. We analyzed 635 pregnant mothers who tested positive for anti-SS-A antibodies before conception but had no previous history of fetal CHB. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis (models 1, 2, and 3 using different set of independent variables) investigated the relation between risk of fetal CHB and maternal clinical features. Of the 635 pregnant mothers, fetal CHB was detected in 16. Univariate analysis showed that fetal CHB associated with use of corticosteroids before conception (OR 3.72, p = 0.04), and negatively with use of corticosteroids (equivalent doses of prednisolone (PSL), at ≥10 mg/day) after conception before 16-week gestation (OR 0.17, p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, model 1 identified the use of corticosteroids before conception (OR 4.28, p = 0.04) and high titer of anti-SS-A antibodies (OR 3.58, p = 0.02) as independent and significant risk factors, and model 3 identified use of corticosteroids (equivalent doses of PSL, at ≥10 mg/day) after conception before 16-week gestation as independent protective factor against the development of fetal CHB (OR 0.16, p = 0.03). Other maternal clinical features did not influence the development of fetal CHB. The results identified high titers of anti-SS-A antibodies and use of corticosteroids before conception as independent risk factors, and use of corticosteroids (equivalent doses of PSL, at ≥10 mg/day) after conception before 16-week gestation as an independent protective factor for fetal CHB.

Molecular mechanisms of maternal vascular dysfunction in preeclampsia.

PubMed

Goulopoulou, Styliani; Davidge, Sandra T

2015-02-01

In preeclampsia, as a heterogeneous syndrome, multiple pathways have been proposed for both the causal as well as the perpetuating factors leading to maternal vascular dysfunction. Postulated mechanisms include imbalance in the bioavailability and activity of endothelium-derived contracting and relaxing factors and oxidative stress. Studies have shown that placenta-derived factors [antiangiogenic factors, microparticles (MPs), cell-free nucleic acids] are released into the maternal circulation and act on the vascular wall to modify the secretory capacity of endothelial cells and alter the responsiveness of vascular smooth muscle cells to constricting and relaxing stimuli. These molecules signal their deleterious effects on the maternal vascular wall via pathways that provide the molecular basis for novel and effective therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal Exposure to Domestic Hair Cosmetics and Occupational Endocrine Disruptors Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Hypospadias in the Offspring

PubMed Central

Haraux, Elodie; Braun, Karine; Buisson, Philippe; Stéphan-Blanchard, Erwan; Devauchelle, Camille; Ricard, Jannick; Boudailliez, Bernard; Tourneux, Pierre; Gouron, Richard; Chardon, Karen

2016-01-01

Pregnant women are exposed to various chemical products at home and at work. Some of these products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as cosmetics, pesticides, industrial chemicals, heavy metals, plastics or medications that could alter sexual differentiation and increase the risk of hypospadias. We evaluated maternal occupational and household exposures that could constitute risk factors for hypospadias. From 2011 to 2014, we enrolled 57 full-term newborns with hypospadias and three randomly selected controls per case (162 control newborns), matched for gestational age, from 11 maternity units in Picardy, France. Neonatal and parental data were collected at birth (personal characteristics, maternal lifestyle, and medical history). Maternal occupational exposure was assessed by a job-exposure matrix for EDCs from a job history questionnaire completed by mothers. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with univariate and multivariable logistic regression, and adjusted for relevant covariates. Multivariate analysis showed a strong association between hypospadias and potential maternal occupational exposure to EDCs and maternal household use of hair cosmetics (OR 6.1, 95% CI: 1.1–34.9; OR: 9.6, 95% CI: 1.4–66.1, respectively). Our results suggest that maternal occupational exposure to EDCs is a risk factor for hypospadias and suggests a possible influence of household use of hair cosmetics during early pregnancy on the incidence of hypospadias in the offspring. A larger study with more accurate exposure assessment should evaluate the impact of EDCs in hair cosmetics on the incidence of hypospadias. PMID:28036072

Discriminating Factors for Low or High IQ of Children in Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dumaret, A. C.; Duyme, M.; Tomkiewicz, S.

1998-01-01

Examined major discriminating factors for cognitive development in high-IQ and low-IQ children in child care who had been adopted after age four. Found that birth rank, maternal mental retardation, pregnancy/delivery complications, severe prematurity or low birthweight, and number of hospitalizations differentiated the two groups. Over time, IQs…

Maternal Characteristics Predicting Young Girls’ Disruptive Behavior

PubMed Central

van der Molen, Elsa; Hipwell, Alison E.; Vermeiren, Robert; Loeber, Rolf

2011-01-01

Little is known about the relative predictive utility of maternal characteristics and parenting skills on the development of girls’ disruptive behavior. The current study used five waves of parent and child-report data from the ongoing Pittsburgh Girls Study to examine these relationships in a sample of 1,942 girls from age 7 to 12 years. Multivariate Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analyses indicated that European American race, mother’s prenatal nicotine use, maternal depression, maternal conduct problems prior to age 15, and low maternal warmth explained unique variance. Maladaptive parenting partly mediated the effects of maternal depression and maternal conduct problems. Both current and early maternal risk factors have an impact on young girls’ disruptive behavior, providing support for the timing and focus of the prevention of girls’ disruptive behavior. PMID:21391016

Maternal characteristics predicting young girls' disruptive behavior.

PubMed

van der Molen, Elsa; Hipwell, Alison E; Vermeiren, Robert; Loeber, Rolf

2011-01-01

Little is known about the relative predictive utility of maternal characteristics and parenting skills on the development of girls' disruptive behavior. The current study used five waves of parent- and child-report data from the ongoing Pittsburgh Girls Study to examine these relationships in a sample of 1,942 girls from age 7 to 12 years. Multivariate generalized estimating equation analyses indicated that European American race, mother's prenatal nicotine use, maternal depression, maternal conduct problems prior to age 15, and low maternal warmth explained unique variance. Maladaptive parenting partly mediated the effects of maternal depression and maternal conduct problems. Both current and early maternal risk factors have an impact on young girls' disruptive behavior, providing support for the timing and focus of the prevention of girls' disruptive behavior.

Intimate Partner Violence, Maternal Stress, Nativity, and Risk for Maternal Maltreatment of Young Children

PubMed Central

Guterman, Neil B.; Lee, Shawna J.; Rathouz, Paul J.

2009-01-01

Objectives. We examined the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV) and maternal risk factors with maternal child maltreatment risk within a diverse sample of mothers. Methods. We derived the study sample (N = 2508) from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. We conducted regression analyses to examine associations between IPV, parenting stress, major depression, key covariates, and 4 proxy variables for maternal child maltreatment. Results. Mothers reported an average of 25 acts of psychological aggression and 17 acts of physical aggression against their 3-year-old children in the year before the study, 11% reported some act of neglect toward their children during the same period, and 55% had spanked their children during the previous month. About 40% of mothers had experienced IPV by their current partner. IPV and maternal parenting stress were both consistent risk factors for all 4 maltreatment proxy variables. Although foreign-born mothers reported fewer incidents of child maltreatment, the IPV relative risk for child maltreatment was greater for foreign-born than for US-born mothers. Conclusions. Further integration of IPV and child maltreatment prevention and intervention efforts is warranted; such efforts must carefully balance the needs of adult and child victims. PMID:19008518

Maternity Leave Policies

PubMed Central

Strang, Lucy; Broeks, Miriam

2017-01-01

Abstract Over recent years many European Union countries have made changes to the design of the maternity leave provision. These policy developments reflect calls for greater gender equality in the workforce and more equal share of childcare responsibilities. However, while research shows that long period of leave can have negative effects on women's labour market attachment and career advancements, early return to work can be seen as a factor preventing exclusive breastfeeding, and therefore, potentially having negative health impacts for babies. Indeed, the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age to provide babies with the nutrition for healthy growth and brain development, protection from life-threatening ailments, obesity and non-communicable diseases such as asthma and diabetes. Therefore, labour market demands on women may be at odds with the health benefits for children gained by longer periods of maternity leave. The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between leave provision and health benefits for children. We examine maternity and parental leave provision across European countries and its potential impact on the breastfeeding of very young babies (up to 6-months of age). We also consider economic factors of potential extension of maternity leave provision to 6 months, such as costs to businesses, effects on the female labour market attachment, and wider consequences (benefits and costs) for individuals, families, employers and the wider society. PMID:28983432

Maternal Behavior by Birth Order in Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Increased Investment by First-Time Mothers.

PubMed

Stanton, Margaret A; Lonsdorf, Elizabeth V; Pusey, Anne E; Goodall, Jane; Murray, Carson M

2014-08-01

Parental investment theory predicts that maternal resources are finite and allocated among offspring based on factors including maternal age and condition, and offspring sex and parity. Among humans, firstborn children are often considered to have an advantage and receive greater investment than their younger siblings. However, conflicting evidence for this "firstborn advantage" between modern and hunter-gatherer societies raises questions about the evolutionary history of differential parental investment and birth order. In contrast to humans, most non-human primate firstborns belong to young, inexperienced mothers and exhibit higher mortality than laterborns. In this study, we investigated differences in maternal investment and offspring outcomes based on birth order (firstborn vs. later-born) among wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodyte schweinfurthii ). During the critical first year of life, primiparous mothers nursed, groomed, and played with their infants more than did multiparous mothers. Furthermore, this pattern of increased investment in firstborns appeared to be compensatory, as probability of survival did not differ by birth order. Our study did not find evidence for a firstborn advantage as observed in modern humans but does suggest that unlike many other primates, differences in maternal behavior help afford chimpanzee first-borns an equal chance of survival.

[Analysis of free foetal DNA in maternal plasma using STR loci].

PubMed

Vodicka, R; Vrtel, R; Procházka, M; Santavá, A; Dusek, L; Vrbická, D; Singh, R; Krejciríková, E; Schneiderová, E; Santavý, J

2006-01-01

Problems of maternal and foetal genotype differentiation of maternal plasma in pregnant women are solved generally by real-time systems. In this case the specific probes are used to distinguish particular genotype. Mostly gonosomal sequences are utilised to recognise the male foetus. This work describes possibilities in free foetal DNA detection and quantification by STR. Artificial genotype mixtures ranging from 0,2 % to 100 % to simulate maternal and paternal genotypes and 27 DNA samples from pregnant women in different stage of pregnancy were used for DNA quantification and detection. Foetal genotype was confirmed by biological father genotyping. The detection was performed in STR from 21st chromosome Down syndrome (DS) responsible region by innovated (I) QF PCR which allows to reveal and quantify even very rare DNA mosaics. The STR quantification was assessed in artificial mixtures of genotypes and discriminability of particular genotypes was on the level of few percent. Foetal DNA was detected in 74 % of tested samples. The IQF PCR application in quantification and differentiation between maternal and foetal genotypes by STR loci could have importance in non-invasive prenatal diagnostics as another possible marker for DS risk assessment.

What influences success in family medicine maternity care education programs?

PubMed Central

Biringer, Anne; Forte, Milena; Tobin, Anastasia; Shaw, Elizabeth; Tannenbaum, David

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To ascertain how program leaders in family medicine characterize success in family medicine maternity care education and determine which factors influence the success of training programs. Design Qualitative research using semistructured telephone interviews. Setting Purposive sample of 6 family medicine programs from 5 Canadian provinces. Participants Eighteen departmental leaders and program directors. METHODS Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with program leaders in family medicine maternity care. Departmental leaders identified maternity care programs deemed to be “successful.” Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Team members conducted thematic analysis. Main findings Participants considered their education programs to be successful in family medicine maternity care if residents achieved competency in intrapartum care, if graduates planned to include intrapartum care in their practices, and if their education programs were able to recruit and retain family medicine maternity care faculty. Five key factors were deemed to be critical to a program’s success in family medicine maternity care: adequate clinical exposure, the presence of strong family medicine role models, a family medicine–friendly hospital environment, support for the education program from multiple sources, and a dedicated and supportive community of family medicine maternity care providers. Conclusion Training programs wishing to achieve greater success in family medicine maternity care education should employ a multifaceted strategy that considers all 5 of the interdependent factors uncovered in our research. By paying particular attention to the informal processes that connect these factors, program leaders can preserve the possibility that family medicine residents will graduate with the competence and confidence to practise full-scope maternity care. PMID:29760273

Interrupting Intergenerational Cycles of Maternal Obesity

PubMed Central

Gillman, Matthew W.

2016-01-01

Factors operating in the preconception and prenatal periods, such as maternal obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, and gestational diabetes, predict a substantial fraction of childhood obesity as well as lifelong adverse health consequences in the mother. These periods may lend themselves to successful intervention to reduce such risk factors because parents may be especially willing to change behavior if it confers health advantages to their children. If effective interventions started before or during pregnancy can be maintained after birth, they have the potential to lower the risk of both maternal obesity in the next pregnancy and obesity in the growing child, thus helping to interrupt maternal and child inter-generational vicious cycles of obesity, diabetes, and related cardiometabolic health consequences. While this paradigm is appealing, challenges include determining the magnitude, causality, and modifiability of these risk factors, and quantifying any adverse consequences of intervention. PMID:27088333

Differential Influences of Parental Home Literacy Practices and Anxiety in English as a Foreign Language on Chinese Children's English Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Bonnie Wing-Yin; Chui, Barbie Hiu-Tung; Lai, Michael Wei-Chun; Kwok, Sylvia Y. C. L.

2017-01-01

This study investigated the differential influences of maternal and paternal factors on Chinese children's English as a foreign language development. It took into account both behavioral (i.e. parental home literacy practices, HLP; and children's vocabulary knowledge) and emotional (i.e. parental and children's foreign language reading anxiety,…

Live maternal speech and singing have beneficial effects on hospitalized preterm infants.

PubMed

Filippa, Manuela; Devouche, Emmanuel; Arioni, Cesare; Imberty, Michel; Gratier, Maya

2013-10-01

To study the effects of live maternal speaking and singing on physiological parameters of preterm infants in the NICU and to test the hypothesis that vocal stimulation can have differential effects on preterm infants at a behavioural level. Eighteen mothers spoke and sang to their medically stable preterm infants in their incubators over 6 days, between 1 and 2 pm. Heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (OxSat), number of critical events (hypoxemia, bradycardia and apnoea) and change in behavioural state were measured. Comparisons of periods with and without maternal vocal stimulation revealed significantly greater oxygen saturation level and heart rate and significantly fewer negative critical events (p < 0.0001) when the mother was speaking and singing. Unexpected findings were the comparable effects of maternal talk and singing on infant physiological parameters and the differential ones on infant behavioural state. A renewed connection to the mother's voice can be an important and significant experience for preterm infants. Exposure to maternal speech and singing shows significant early beneficial effects on physiological state, such as oxygen saturation levels, number of critical events and prevalence of calm alert state. These findings have implications for NICU interventions, encouraging maternal interaction with their medically stable preterm infants. ©2013 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Maternal and obstetrical predictors of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

PubMed

Friedmann, Isabel; Dahdouh, Elias M; Kugler, Perlyne; Mimran, Gracia; Balayla, Jacques

2017-10-01

Public Health initiatives, such as the "Safe to Sleep" campaign, have traditionally targeted infants' risk factors for the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). However, controversy remains regarding maternal and obstetrical risk factors for SIDS. In our study, we sought out to determine both modifiable and non-modifiable obstetrical and maternal risk factors associated with SIDS. We conducted a population-based cohort study using the CDC's Linked Birth-Infant Death data from the United States for the year 2010. The impact of several obstetrical and maternal risk factors on the risk of overall infant mortality and SIDS was estimated using unconditional regression analysis, adjusting for relevant confounders. Our cohort consisted of 4,007,105 deliveries and 24,174 infant deaths during the first year of life, of which 1991 (8.2%) were due to SIDS. Prominent risk factors for SIDS included (OR [95% CI]): black race, 1.89 [1.68-2.13]; maternal smoking, 3.56 [3.18-3.99]; maternal chronic hypertension, 1.73 [1.21-2.48]; gestational hypertension, 1.51 [1.23-1.87]; premature birth <37 weeks, 2.16 [1.82-2.55]; IUGR, 2.46 [2.14-2.82]; and being a twin, 1.81 [1.43-2.29], p < 0.0001. Relative to a cohort of infants who died of other causes, risk factors with a predilection for SIDS were maternal smoking, 2.48 [2.16-2.83] and being a twin, 1.52 [1.21-1.91], p < 0.0001. Conclusions for practice: While certain socio-demographic and gestational characteristics are important risk factors, maternal smoking remains the strongest prenatal modifiable risk factor for SIDS. We recommend the continuation of Public Health initiatives that promote safe infant sleeping practices and smoking cessation during and after pregnancy.

Childhood maternal care is associated with DNA methylation of the genes for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in peripheral blood cells in adult men and women.

PubMed

Unternaehrer, Eva; Meyer, Andrea Hans; Burkhardt, Susan C A; Dempster, Emma; Staehli, Simon; Theill, Nathan; Lieb, Roselind; Meinlschmidt, Gunther

2015-01-01

In adults, reporting low and high maternal care in childhood, we compared DNA methylation in two stress-associated genes (two target sequences in the oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR; one in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene, BDNF) in peripheral whole blood, in a cross-sectional study (University of Basel, Switzerland) during 2007-2008. We recruited 89 participants scoring < 27 (n = 47, 36 women) or > 33 (n = 42, 35 women) on the maternal care subscale of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) at a previous assessment of a larger group (N = 709, range PBI maternal care = 0-36, age range = 19-66 years; median 24 years). 85 participants gave blood for DNA methylation analyses (Sequenom(R) EpiTYPER, San Diego, CA) and cell count (Sysmex PocH-100i™, Kobe, Japan). Mixed model statistical analysis showed greater DNA methylation in the low versus high maternal care group, in the BDNF target sequence [Likelihood-Ratio (1) = 4.47; p = 0.035] and in one OXTR target sequence Likelihood-Ratio (1) = 4.33; p = 0.037], but not the second OXTR target sequence [Likelihood-Ratio (1) < 0.001; p = 0.995). Mediation analyses indicated that differential blood cell count did not explain associations between low maternal care and BDNF (estimate = -0.005, 95% CI = -0.025 to 0.015; p = 0.626) or OXTR DNA methylation (estimate = -0.015, 95% CI = -0.038 to 0.008; p = 0.192). Hence, low maternal care in childhood was associated with greater DNA methylation in an OXTR and a BDNF target sequence in blood cells in adulthood. Although the study has limitations (cross-sectional, a wide age range, only three target sequences in two genes studied, small effects, uncertain relevance of changes in blood cells to gene methylation in brain), the findings may indicate components of the epiphenotype from early life stress.

Memory, maternal representations and internalizing symptomatology among abused, neglected and nonmaltreated children

PubMed Central

Valentino, Kristin; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Toth, Sheree L.

2009-01-01

A depth-of-processing incidental recall task for maternal referent stimuli was utilized to assess basic memory processes and the affective valence of maternal-representations among abused (N = 63), neglected (N= 33) and nonmaltreated (N = 128) school-aged children. Self-reported and observer-rated indices of internalizing symptoms were also assessed. Abused children demonstrated impairments in recall compared to neglected and nonmaltreated children. Although abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated children did not differ in valence of maternal representations, positive- and negative-maternal schemas related to internalizing symptoms differently among subgroups of maltreated children. Valence of maternal schema was critical in differentiating those with high and low internalizing symptomatology among the neglected children only. Implications for clinical intervention and prevention efforts are underscored. PMID:18489422

Memory, maternal representations, and internalizing symptomatology among abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated children.

PubMed

Valentino, Kristin; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A; Toth, Sheree L

2008-01-01

A depth-of-processing incidental recall task for maternal-referent stimuli was utilized to assess basic memory processes and the affective valence of maternal representations among abused (N = 63), neglected (N = 33), and nonmaltreated (N = 128) school-aged children (ages 8-13.5 years old). Self-reported and observer-rated indices of internalizing symptoms were also assessed. Abused children demonstrated impairments in recall compared to neglected and nonmaltreated children. Although abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated children did not differ in valence of maternal representations, positive and negative maternal schemas related to internalizing symptoms differently among subgroups of maltreated children. Valence of maternal schema was critical in differentiating those with high and low internalizing symptomatology among the neglected children only. Implications for clinical intervention and prevention efforts are underscored.

Maternal factors predicting cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

PubMed

May, Philip A; Tabachnick, Barbara G; Gossage, J Phillip; Kalberg, Wendy O; Marais, Anna-Susan; Robinson, Luther K; Manning, Melanie A; Blankenship, Jason; Buckley, David; Hoyme, H Eugene; Adnams, Colleen M

2013-06-01

To provide an analysis of multiple predictors of cognitive and behavioral traits for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Multivariate correlation techniques were used with maternal and child data from epidemiologic studies in a community in South Africa. Data on 561 first-grade children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (PFAS), and not FASD and their mothers were analyzed by grouping 19 maternal variables into categories (physical, demographic, childbearing, and drinking) and used in structural equation models (SEMs) to assess correlates of child intelligence (verbal and nonverbal) and behavior. A first SEM using only 7 maternal alcohol use variables to predict cognitive/behavioral traits was statistically significant (B = 3.10, p < .05) but explained only 17.3% of the variance. The second model incorporated multiple maternal variables and was statistically significant explaining 55.3% of the variance. Significantly correlated with low intelligence and problem behavior were demographic (B = 3.83, p < .05) (low maternal education, low socioeconomic status [SES], and rural residence) and maternal physical characteristics (B = 2.70, p < .05) (short stature, small head circumference, and low weight). Childbearing history and alcohol use composites were not statistically significant in the final complex model and were overpowered by SES and maternal physical traits. Although other analytic techniques have amply demonstrated the negative effects of maternal drinking on intelligence and behavior, this highly controlled analysis of multiple maternal influences reveals that maternal demographics and physical traits make a significant enabling or disabling contribution to child functioning in FASD.

Maternal Factors Predicting Cognitive and Behavioral Characteristics of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

May, Philip A.; Tabachnick, Barbara G.; Gossage, J. Phillip; Kalberg, Wendy O.; Marais, Anna-Susan; Robinson, Luther K.; Manning, Melanie A.; Blankenship, Jason; Buckley, David; Hoyme, H. Eugene; Adnams, Colleen M.

2013-01-01

Objective To provide an analysis of multiple predictors of cognitive and behavioral traits for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Method Multivariate correlation techniques were employed with maternal and child data from epidemiologic studies in a community in South Africa. Data on 561 first grade children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (PFAS), and not FASD and their mothers were analyzed by grouping 19 maternal variables into categories (physical, demographic, childbearing, and drinking) and employed in structural equation models (SEM) to assess correlates of child intelligence (verbal and non-verbal) and behavior. Results A first SEM utilizing only seven maternal alcohol use variables to predict cognitive/behavioral traits was statistically significant (B = 3.10, p < .05), but explained only 17.3% of the variance. The second model incorporated multiple maternal variables and was statistically significant explaining 55.3% of the variance. Significantly correlated with low intelligence and problem behavior were demographic (B = 3.83, p < .05) (low maternal education, low socioeconomic status (SES), and rural residence) and maternal physical characteristics (B = 2.70, p < .05) (short stature, small head circumference, and low weight). Childbearing history and alcohol use composites were not statistically significant in the final complex model, and were overpowered by SES and maternal physical traits. Conclusions While other analytic techniques have amply demonstrated the negative effects of maternal drinking on intelligence and behavior, this highly-controlled analysis of multiple maternal influences reveals that maternal demographics and physical traits make a significant enabling or disabling contribution to child functioning in FASD. PMID:23751886

Disability due to maternal common mental disorders (CMDs) as a risk factor for chronic childhood malnutrition: cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Cavalcante-Neto, Jorge Lopes; Paula, Cristiane Silvestre de; Florêncio, Telma Maria de Menezes Toledo; Miranda, Claudio Torres de

2016-05-13

The disability associated with maternal common mental disorders (CMDs) is among the possible explanations for the association between chronic childhood malnutrition and CMDs. CMDs may impair the mother's ability to perform her role, particularly in deprived environments. The present study aimed to evaluate whether disability relating to CMDs could be part of the pathway of the association between childhood malnutrition and maternal CMDs. Cross-sectional study conducted in two institutions: one for malnourished children and another for eutrophic children living in a low-income community in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. The cases consisted of 55 malnourished children aged from 12 to 60 months who were attending a nutritional rehabilitation center, with height-for-age z-scores < 2. The controls were 70 eutrophic children of the same age who were attending a day care center in the same area as the cases. The Self-Report Questionnaire made it possible to identify likely cases of maternal CMD. The Sheehan Disability Scale enabled evaluation of the associated disability. Chronic childhood malnutrition was significantly associated with maternal disability relating to CMDs (OR = 2.28; 95% CI: 1.02-5.1). The best logistic regression model using chronic childhood malnutrition as the dependent variable included the following independent variables: higher number of people living in the household; absence of the biological father from the household; and maternal disability relating to CMDs. If confirmed, the association between chronic childhood malnutrition and maternal disability relating to CMDs may be useful in helping to identify the causal chain between childhood malnutrition and maternal CMDs and to indicate environmental risk factors associated with chronic childhood malnutrition.

Murine maternal cell microchimerism: analysis using real-time PCR and in vivo imaging1

PubMed Central

Su, Eric C.; Johnson, Kirby L.; Tighiouart, Hocine; Bianchi, Diana W.

2009-01-01

In humans, maternal cells are present in the affected tissues of children with inflammatory myopathy, scleroderma, and neonatal lupus. It is unknown if maternal cell microchimerism (MCM) contributes to the pathology of disease. We sought to understand the factors that affect MCM to serve as a baseline for future mechanistic studies. Using a mouse model, we bred female mice transgenic for the luciferase (Luc) reporter gene to wild type (WT) males. The WT offspring were sacrificed at various postnatal ages. DNA was extracted from multiple organs and real-time PCR amplification was used to quantify Luc transgene as a marker for maternally derived cells. Sensitivity was 1 to 2 transgenic cells per 100,000 WT cells. MCM was noted in 85% of mice and 45% of tissues assayed. The average quantity of MCM was 158 maternal cells per 100,000 neonatal cells. The organs displaying the highest frequency and quantity of MCM were heart and lung (p<0.001). Postnatal age up to 21 days did not appear to affect levels of MCM (p=0.47), whereas increasing parity may increase levels of MCM. The data show that MCM is a common occurrence in healthy newborn mice, is present in their major organs, and that there are organ specific differences. This may represent differential migration of maternal cells, or varying receptivity of specific fetal organs to microchimerism. Pregnancy history appears to play a role in maternal cell trafficking. The role of MCM in pregnancy and disease pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. PMID:18256332

Programmed hyperphagia in offspring of obese dams: Altered expression of hypothalamic nutrient sensors, neurogenic factors and epigenetic modulators.

PubMed

Desai, Mina; Han, Guang; Ross, Michael G

2016-04-01

Maternal overnutrition results in programmed offspring obesity, mediated in part, by hyperphagia. This is remarkably similar to the effects of maternal undernutrition on offspring hyperphagia and obesity. In view of the marked differences in the energy environment of the over and under-nutrition exposures, we studied the expression of select epigenetic modifiers associated with energy imbalance including neurogenic factors and appetite/satiety neuropeptides which are indicative of neurogenic differentiation. HF offspring were exposed to maternal overnutrition (high fat diet; HF) during pregnancy and lactation. We determined the protein expression of energy sensors (mTOR, pAMPK), epigenetic factors (DNA methylase, DNMT1; histone deacetylase, SIRT1/HDAC1), neurogenic factors (Hes1, Mash1, Ngn3) and appetite/satiety neuropeptides (AgRP/POMC) in newborn hypothalamus and adult arcuate nucleus (ARC). Despite maternal obesity, male offspring born to obese dams had similar body weight at birth as Controls. However, when nursed by the same dams, male offspring of obese dams exhibited marked adiposity. At 1 day of age, HF newborn males had significantly decreased energy sensors, DNMT1 including Hes1 and Mash1, which may impact neuroprogenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. This is consistent with increased AgRP in HF newborns. At 6 months of age, HF adult males had significantly increased energy sensors and decreased histone deactylases. In addition, the persistent decreased Hes1, Mash1 as well as Ngn3 are consistent with increased AgRP and decreased POMC. Thus, altered energy sensors and epigenetic responses which modulate gene expression and adult neuronal differentiation may contribute to hyperphagia and obesity in HF male offspring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Programmed Hyperphagia in Offspring of Obese Dams: Altered Expression of Hypothalamic Nutrient Sensors, Neurogenic Factors and Epigenetic Modulators

PubMed Central

Desai, Mina; Han, Guang; Ross, Michael G.

2016-01-01

Maternal overnutrition results in programmed offspring obesity, mediated in part, by hyperphagia. This is remarkably similar to the effects of maternal undernutrition on offspring hyperphagia and obesity. In view of the marked differences in the energy environment of the over and under-nutrition exposures, we studied the expression of select epigenetic modifiers associated with energy imbalance including neurogenic factors and appetite/satiety neuropeptides which are indicative of neurogenic differentiation. HF offspring were exposed to maternal overnutrition (high fat diet; HF) during pregnancy and lactation. We determined the protein expression of energy sensors (mTOR, pAMPK), epigenetic factors (DNA methylase, DNMT1; histone deacetylase, SIRT1/HDAC1), neurogenic factors (Hes1, Mash1, Ngn3) and appetite/satiety neuropeptides (AgRP/POMC) in newborn hypothalamus and adult arcuate nucleus (ARC). Despite maternal obesity, male offspring born to obese dams had similar body weight at birth as Controls. However, when nursed by the same dams, male offspring of obese dams exhibited marked adiposity. At 1 day of age, HF newborn males had significantly decreased energy sensors, DNMT1 including Hes1 and Mash1, which may impact neuroprogenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. This is consistent with increased AgRP in HF newborns. At 6 months of age, HF adult males had significantly increased energy sensors and decreased histone deactylases. In addition, the persistent decreased Hes1, Mash1 as well as Ngn3 are consistent with increased AgRP and decreased POMC. Thus, altered energy sensors and epigenetic responses which modulate gene expression and adult neuronal differentiation may contribute to hyperphagia and obesity in HF male offspring. PMID:26785315

Maternal hormonal interventions as a risk factor for Autism Spectrum Disorder: an epidemiological assessment from India.

PubMed

Mamidala, Madhu Poornima; Polinedi, Anupama; Kumar, P T V Praveen; Rajesh, N; Vallamkonda, Omsai Ramesh; Udani, Vrajesh; Singhal, Nidhi; Rajesh, Vidya

2013-12-01

Globalization and women empowerment have led to stressful life among Indian women. This stress impairs women's hormonal makeup and menstrual cycle, leading to infertility. National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3) reports a decline in fertility status in India, indicating a rise in various infertility treatments involving hormonal interventions. No studies are available from India on the risk association link between maternal hormonal treatments and ASD. Hence, this study explores the association of maternal hormonal interventions with risk for ASD. Parents of 942 children (471 ASD and 471 controls) across 9 cities in India participated in the questionnaire-based study. The questionnaire was pilot tested and validated for its content and reliability as a psychometric instrument. Data collection was done at 70 centres through direct interaction with parents and with the help of trained staff. Statistical analysis of data was carried out using SAS 9.1.3. Out of the 471 ASD cases analysed, 58 mothers had undergone hormonal interventions (12.3 percent) while there were only 22 mothers among controls who underwent hormonal interventions (4.6 percent). According to logistic regression analysis maternal hormonal intervention (OR=2.24) was a significant risk factor for ASD.

Emotion regulation in preschoolers: the roles of behavioral inhibition, maternal affective behavior, and maternal depression.

PubMed

Feng, Xin; Shaw, Daniel S; Kovacs, Maria; Lane, Tonya; O'Rourke, Flannery E; Alarcon, Joseph H

2008-02-01

This study examined preschoolers' emotion regulation (ER) strategies and the association with temperament, maternal interactive style, and maternal history of childhood-onset depression (COD). Participants were 62 children and their mothers, 37 of whom had mothers with COD. Children's ER was assessed using a disappointment paradigm; temperament assessment also was laboratory-based. Maternal COD was inversely related to offspring's active ER and positive mood. Among children of COD mothers, behavioral inhibition was associated with passive regulation and sadness, and maternal positivity toward these children was associated with child active ER and positive mood. Behavioral inhibition may place children of COD mothers at risk for developing maladaptive ways of regulating negative emotion, whereas mothers' positivity may serve as a protective factor for them.

Maternal nutrition induces gene expression changes in fetal muscle and adipose tissues in sheep.

PubMed

Peñagaricano, Francisco; Wang, Xin; Rosa, Guilherme Jm; Radunz, Amy E; Khatib, Hasan

2014-11-28

Maternal nutrition during different stages of pregnancy can induce significant changes in the structure, physiology, and metabolism of the offspring. These changes could have important implications on food animal production especially if these perturbations impact muscle and adipose tissue development. Here, we evaluated the impact of different maternal isoenergetic diets, alfalfa haylage (HY; fiber), corn (CN; starch), and dried corn distillers grains (DG; fiber plus protein plus fat), on the transcriptome of fetal muscle and adipose tissues in sheep. Prepartum diets were associated with notable gene expression changes in fetal tissues. In longissimus dorsi muscle, a total of 224 and 823 genes showed differential expression (FDR ≤0.05) in fetuses derived from DG vs. CN and HY vs. CN maternal diets, respectively. Several of these significant genes affected myogenesis and muscle differentiation. In subcutaneous and perirenal adipose tissues, 745 and 208 genes were differentially expressed (FDR ≤0.05), respectively, between CN and DG diets. Many of these genes are involved in adipogenesis, lipogenesis, and adipose tissue development. Pathway analysis revealed that several GO terms and KEGG pathways were enriched (FDR ≤0.05) with differentially expressed genes associated with tissue and organ development, chromatin biology, and different metabolic processes. These findings provide evidence that maternal nutrition during pregnancy can alter the programming of fetal muscle and fat tissues in sheep. The ramifications of the observed gene expression changes, in terms of postnatal growth, body composition, and meat quality of the offspring, warrant future investigation.

Maternal and anaesthesia-related risk factors and incidence of spinal anaesthesia-induced hypotension in elective caesarean section: A multinomial logistic regression.

PubMed

Fakherpour, Atousa; Ghaem, Haleh; Fattahi, Zeinabsadat; Zaree, Samaneh

2018-01-01

Although spinal anaesthesia (SA) is nowadays the preferred anaesthesia technique for caesarean section (CS), it is associated with considerable haemodynamic effects, such as maternal hypotension. This study aimed to evaluate a wide range of variables (related to parturient and anaesthesia techniques) associated with the incidence of different degrees of SA-induced hypotension during elective CS. This prospective study was conducted on 511 mother-infant pairs, in which the mother underwent elective CS under SA. The data were collected through preset proforma containing three parts related to the parturient, anaesthetic techniques and a table for recording maternal blood pressure. It was hypothesized that some maternal (such as age) and anaesthesia-related risk factors (such as block height) were associated with occurance of SA-induced hypotension during elective CS. The incidence of mild, moderate and severe hypotension was 20%, 35% and 40%, respectively. Eventually, ten risk factors were found to be associated with hypotension, including age >35 years, body mass index ≥25 kg/m 2 , 11-20 kg weight gain, gravidity ≥4, history of hypotension, baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) <120 mmHg and baseline heart rate >100 beats/min in maternal modelling, fluid preloading ≥1000 ml, adding sufentanil to bupivacaine and sensory block height >T 4 in anaesthesia-related modelling ( P < 0.05). Age, body mass index, weight gain, gravidity, history of hypotension, baseline SBP and heart rate, fluid preloading, adding sufentanil to bupivacaine and sensory block hieght were the main risk factors identified in the study for SA-induced hypotension during CS.

Lactation and changes in maternal metabolic risk factors.

PubMed

Gunderson, Erica P; Lewis, Cora E; Wei, Gina S; Whitmer, Rachel A; Quesenberry, Charles P; Sidney, Steve

2007-03-01

To examine the relationship between duration of lactation and changes in maternal metabolic risk factors. This 3-year prospective study examined changes in metabolic risk factors among lactating women from preconception to postweaning and among nonlactating women from preconception to postdelivery, in comparison with nongravid women. Of 1,051 (490 black, 561 white) women who attended two consecutive study visits in years 7 (1992-1993) and 10 (1995-1996), 942 were nongravid and 109 had one interim birth. Of parous women, 48 (45%) did not lactate, and 61 (55%) lactated and weaned before year 10. The lactated and weaned women were subdivided by duration of lactation into less than 3 months and 3 months or more. Multiple linear regression models estimated mean 3-year changes in metabolic risk factors adjusted for age, race, parity, education, and behavioral covariates. Both parous women who did not lactate and parous women who lactated and weaned gained more weight (+5.6, +4.4 kg) and waist girth (+5.3, +4.9 cm) than nongravid women over the 3-year interval; P<.001. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+6.7 mg/dL, P<.05) and fasting insulin (+2.6 microunits, P=.06) increased more for parous women who did not lactate than for nongravid and parous women who lactated and weaned. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol decrements for both parous women who did not lactate and parous women who lactated and weaned were 4.0 mg/dL greater than for nongravid women (P<.001). Among parous, lactated and weaned women, lactation for 3 months or longer was associated with a smaller decrement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-1.3 mg/dL versus -7.3 mg/dL for less than 3 months; P<.01). Lactation may attenuate unfavorable metabolic risk factor changes that occur with pregnancy, with effects apparent after weaning. As a modifiable behavior, lactation may affect women's future risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. II.

Administrative Compensation: An Investigation of Factors Accounting for Salary Differentials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tracy, Saundra J.; Sheehan, Robert

A study was done to determine whether administrator salaries in 14 Ohio school districts were a reflection of administrator responsibilities or of length of service, and to find what factors accounted for salary differentials. Although previous research suggests factors for assigning value to administrative positions, traditional salary structures…

Maternal distress and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

PubMed

Garza-Veloz, Idalia; Castruita-De la Rosa, Claudia; Ortiz-Castro, Yolanda; Flores-Morales, Virginia; Castañeda-Lopez, Maria E; Cardenas-Vargas, Edith; Hernandez-Delgadillo, Gloria P; Ortega-Cisneros, Vicente; Luevano, Martha; Rodriguez-Sanchez, Iram P; Trejo-Vazquez, Fabiola; Delgado-Enciso, Ivan; Cid-Baez, Miguel A; Trejo-Ortiz, Perla M; Ramos-Del Hoyo, Maria G; Martinez-Fierro, Margarita L

2017-11-01

Despite the implementation of programmes to improve maternal health, maternal and foetal mortality rates still remain high. The presence of maternal distress and its association with the development of pregnancy hypertensive disorders is not well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal distress and the development of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy in a prospective cohort of 321 Mexican women. Symptoms of maternal distressing were evaluated at week 20th of gestation using the General Health Questionnaire. The presence of acute somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, anxiety and insomnia increased the odds of developing a pregnancy hypertensive disorder by 5.1-26.4 times in study population (p values < .05). Our results support the participation of maternal distress in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The implementation of effective programmes prioritising risk factors during pregnancy including the presence of maternal distressing factors is recommended. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Changes in the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems have been observed in pregnant women with distress conditions leading to gestational disorders. What do the results of this study add: The presence of acute somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, anxiety and insomnia increased the developing of hypertensive disorders in Mexican population. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the role of the maternal stress in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and in the implementation of effective programmes for clinical practice prioritising risk factors during pregnancy, including the presence of maternal distressing factors.

Comparing maternal styles in bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

PubMed

De Lathouwers, Mieke; Van Elsacker, Linda

2004-12-01

Studies on Cercopithecine primate maternal styles, using factor analysis on a set of maternal behaviors, commonly render two factors that describe separate dimensions of maternal behavior: protectiveness and rejection. The aims of this study were to 1) investigate whether this method for determining maternal styles in Cercopithecine species can be applied to bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), 2) determine whether they follow the same pattern, and 3) assess whether species differences in maternal style are apparent. We performed a factor analysis on nine maternal behaviors using data on eight mother-infant pairs of each species. This resulted in three factors: protectiveness, distance, and refusal. Protectiveness is positively correlated with time spent in ventral contact, making contact, approaching, and restraining. Distance is positively related with breaking contact and leaving. Refusal is positively correlated with rejecting and nipple-rejecting. The pattern of protectiveness corresponds with the pattern found in Cercopithecine species, suggesting a high consistency of this dimension across species and higher taxa. The retention of the other two factors indicates that in the Pan species, breaking contact and leaving represent another dimension, apart from rejecting and nipple-rejecting, which usually fall under one dimension in Cercopithecine species. An interspecific comparison of the factor scores for each dimension of maternal behavior reveals that, on average, bonobos and chimpanzees score equally on protectiveness. Scores on distance increase positively with infant age in chimpanzees, and negatively in bonobos, and on average bonobos have higher scores on refusal. These interspecies differences in maternal style are discussed in the light of interspecies differences in infant development, infant vulnerability to aggression, interbirth intervals, and female sociality. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The difficulties of conducting maternal death reviews in Malawi.

PubMed

Kongnyuy, Eugene J; van den Broek, Nynke

2008-09-11

Maternal death reviews is a tool widely recommended to improve the quality of obstetric care and reduce maternal mortality. Our aim was to explore the challenges encountered in the process of facility-based maternal death review in Malawi, and to suggest sustainable and logically sound solutions to these challenges. SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the process of maternal death review during a workshop in Malawi. Strengths: Availability of data from case notes, support from hospital management, and having maternal death review forms. Weaknesses: fear of blame, lack of knowledge and skills to properly conduct death reviews, inadequate resources and missing documentation. Opportunities: technical assistance from expatriates, support from the Ministry of Health, national protocols and high maternal mortality which serves as motivation factor. Threats: Cultural practices, potential lawsuit, demotivation due to the high maternal mortality and poor planning at the district level. Solutions: proper documentation, conducting maternal death review in a blame-free manner, good leadership, motivation of staff, using guidelines, proper stock inventory and community involvement. Challenges encountered during facility-based maternal death review are provider-related, administrative, client related and community related. Countries with similar socioeconomic profiles to Malawi will have similar 'pull-and-push' factors on the process of facility-based maternal death reviews, and therefore we will expect these countries to have similar potential solutions.

Determinants of maternal immunization in developing countries.

PubMed

Pathirana, Jayani; Nkambule, Jerome; Black, Steven

2015-06-12

Maternal immunization is an effective intervention to protect newborns and young infants from infections when their immune response is immature. Tetanus toxoid vaccination of pregnant women is the most widely implemented maternal vaccine in developing countries where neonatal mortality is the highest. We identified barriers to maternal tetanus vaccination in developing African and Asian countries to identify means of improving maternal immunization platforms in these countries. We categorized barriers into health system, health care provider and patient barriers to maternal tetanus immunization and conducted a literature review on each category. Due to limited literature from Africa, we conducted a pilot survey of health care providers in Malawi on barriers they experience in immunizing pregnant women. The major barriers of the health system are due to inadequate financial and human resources which translate to inadequate vaccination services delivery and logistics management. Health care providers are limited by poor attendance of Antenatal Care and inadequate knowledge on vaccinating pregnant women. Patient barriers are due to lack of education and knowledge on pregnancy immunization and socioeconomic factors such as low income and high parity. There are several factors that affect maternal tetanus immunization. Increasing knowledge in health care providers and patients, increasing antenatal care attendance and outreach activities will aid the uptake of maternal immunization. Health system barriers are more difficult to address requiring an improvement of overall immunization services. Further analyses of maternal immunization specific barriers and the means of addressing them are required to strengthen the existing program and provide a more efficient delivery system for additional maternal vaccines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the association of Apgar score with maternal socio-economic and biological factors: an analysis of German perinatal statistics

PubMed Central

Voigt, Manfred; Jorch, Gerhard; Hallier, Ernst; Briese, Volker; Borchardt, Ulrike

2009-01-01

Purpose To examine the relationship of 5-min Apgar score with maternal socio-economic and biological factors. Methods We analyzed data from 465,964 singleton pregnancies (37–41 weeks’ gestation) from the German perinatal statistics of 1998–2000. Using a logistic regression model we analyzed the incidence of low (0–6) 5-min Apgar scores in relation to these maternal factors: body mass index (BMI), age, previous live births, country of origin, occupation, single mother status, working during pregnancy, and smoking. Results A low Apgar score was more common in overweight [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.40; P < 0.001] and obese [OR 1.92 (95% CI 1.67–2.20); P < 0.001] compared to normal weight women. A low Apgar score was also more common for women aged >35 years compared to those aged 20–35 years [OR 1.35 (95% CI 1.16–1.58); P < 0.001]. Furthermore, odds of a low Apgar score were higher for women with no previous live births compared to those with one or more previous live births [OR 1.52 (95% CI 1.37–1.70); P < 0.001]. Socio-economic factors did not convincingly influence Apgar scores. Conclusions There was an influence of the biological maternal factors age, BMI, and parity on the 5-min Apgar score. There was no convincing effect of socio-economic factors on Apgar score in our study population. Possible reasons for this are discussed. PMID:19714345

Relationship between positive self-recognition of maternal role and psychosocial factors in Japanese mothers with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Ueno, Rie; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko

2011-10-01

Mothers with mental illness have positive self-recognition of maternal role (PM), and it is important for parenting. The purpose of this study was to determine the psychosocial factors related to the PM. We recruited a total of 74 women diagnosed as having schizophrenia or mood disorders according to the DSM-IV-TR and who had minor children. Participant completed devaluation-discrimination measure, The social support questionnaire, self-efficacy for community life scale (SECL), parenting stress-short form scale (PS-SF), and Acceptance of maternal role scale. To identify factors predicting the PM, we utilized hierarchical regression analysis. The variables in all blocks explained 53% of the variance in the PM. In the final model, 'hard' living conditions (β = -0.31, P < 0.05), SECL (β = 0.34, P < 0.01) and PS-SF (β = -0.45, P < 0.01) were significant predictors of the PM. Our result indicates that psychosocial approach could enhance the PM.

A systematic review of micro correlates of maternal mortality.

PubMed

Yakubu, Yahaya; Mohamed Nor, Norashidah; Abidin, Emilia Zainal

2018-05-05

In the year 2000, the World Health Organization launched the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were to be achieved in 2015. Though most of the goals were not achieved, a follow-up post 2015 development agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was launched in 2015, which are to be achieved by 2030. Maternal mortality reduction is a focal goal in both the MDGs and SDGs. Achieving the maternal mortality target in the SDGs requires multiple approaches, particularly in developing countries with high maternal mortality. Low-income developing countries rely to a great extent on macro determinants such as public health expenditure, which are spent mostly on curative health and health facilities, to improve population health. To complement the macro determinants, this study employs the systematic review technique to reveal significant micro correlates of maternal mortality. The study searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Science Direct, and Global Index Medicus of the World Health Organization. Our search was time framed from the 1st January, 2000 to the 30th September, 2016. In the overall search result, 6758 articles were identified, out of which 33 were found to be eligible for the review. The outcome of the systematic search for relevant literature revealed a concentration of literature on the micro factors and maternal mortality in developing countries. This shows that maternal mortality and micro factors are a major issue in developing countries. The studies reviewed support the significant relationship between the micro factors and maternal mortality. This study therefore suggests that more effort should be channelled to improving the micro factors in developing countries to pave the way for the timely achievement of the SDGs' maternal mortality ratio (MMR) target.

Androgen Concentrations in Umbilical Cord Blood and Their Association with Maternal, Fetal and Obstetric Factors

PubMed Central

Keelan, Jeffrey A.; Mattes, Eugen; Tan, HaiWei; Dinan, Andrew; Newnham, John P.; Whitehouse, Andrew J. O.; Jacoby, Peter; Hickey, Martha

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to measure umbilical blood androgen concentrations in a birth cohort using a highly specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay and assesses the effects of sex, labor, and gestational age on fetal androgen levels at birth. We performed a prospective cohort study of androgen concentrations in mixed arterial and venous umbilical cord serum from 803 unselected singleton pregnancies from a general obstetric population in Western Australia. Total testosterone (TT), Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were extracted from archived cord serum samples and measured using LC-MS/MS. SHBG was measured by ELISA; free testosterone (FT) and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) values were also calculated. Median values for all three androgens were generally lower than previously published values. Levels of TT, FT, BioT, and SHBG were significantly higher in male verses female neonates (P<0.0001), while dehydroepiandrosterone levels were higher in females (P<0.0001). Labor was associated with a significant (∼15–26%) decrease in median cord blood TT and FT levels (both sexes combined), but a modest (∼16–31%) increase in SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations. TT and FT were significantly negatively correlated with gestational age at delivery, while SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were positively correlated. Antenatal glucocorticoid administration also had a significant effect in the multiple regression models. This is the first study to report umbilical cord androgen levels in a large unselected population of neonates using LC-MS/MS. Our findings suggest that previous studies have over-estimated cord androgen levels, and that fetal, maternal, and obstetric factors influence cord androgen levels differentially. Caution should be exercised when interpreting previously-published data that have not taken all of these factors into account. PMID:22916165

Maternal obesity, environmental factors, cesarean delivery and breastfeeding as determinants of overweight and obesity in children: results from a cohort.

PubMed

Portela, Daniel S; Vieira, Tatiana O; Matos, Sheila Ma; de Oliveira, Nelson F; Vieira, Graciete O

2015-04-15

Overweight and obesity are a public health problem with a multifactorial aetiology. The objective of this study was to evaluate risk factors for overweight and obesity in children at 6 years of age, including type of delivery and breastfeeding. This study relates to a cohort of 672 mother-baby pairs who have been followed from birth up to 6 years of age. The sample included mothers and infants seen at all ten maternity units in a large Brazilian city. Genetic, socioeconomic, demographic variables and postnatal characteristics were analyzed. The outcome analyzed was overweight and/or obesity defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to +1 z-score. The sample was stratified by breastfeeding duration, and a descriptive analysis was performed using a hierarchical logistic regression. P-values of <0.05 were considered significant. Prevalence rates (PR) of overweight and obesity among the children were 15.6% and 12.9%, respectively. Among the subset of breastfed children, factors associated with the outcome were maternal overweight and/or obesity (PR 1.92; 95% confidence interval "95% CI" 1.15-3.24) and lower income (PR 0.50; 95% CI 0.29-0.85). Among children who had not been breastfed or had been breastfed for shorter periods (less than 12 months), predictors were mothers with lower levels of education (PR 0.39; 95% CI 0.19-0.78), working mothers (PR 1.83; 95% CI 1.05-3.21), caesarean delivery (PR 1.98; 95% CI 1.14 - 3.50) and maternal obesity (PR 3.05; 95% CI 1.81 - 5.25). Maternal obesity and caesarean delivery were strongly associated with childhood overweight and/or obesity. Lower family income and lower levels of education were identified as protective factors. Breastfeeding duration appeared to modify the association between overweight/obesity and the other predictors studied.

Children’s genotypes interact with maternal responsive care in predicting children’s competence: Diathesis–stress or differential susceptibility?

PubMed Central

KOCHANSKA, GRAZYNA; KIM, SANGHAG; BARRY, ROBIN A.; PHILIBERT, ROBERT A.

2012-01-01

We examined Genotype × Environment (G × E) interactions between children’s genotypes (the serotonin transporter linked promoter region [5-HTTLPR] gene) and maternal responsive care observed at 15, 25, 38, and 52 months on three aspects of children’s competence at 67 months: academic skills and school engagement, social functioning with peers, and moral internalization that encompassed prosocial moral cognition and the moral self. Academic and social competence outcomes were reported by both parents, and moral internalization was observed in children’s narratives elicited by hypothetical stories and in a puppet interview. Analyses revealed robust G × E interactions, such that children’s genotype moderated the effects of maternal responsive care on all aspects of children’s competence. Among children with a short 5-HTTLPR allele (ss/sl), those whose mothers were more responsive were significantly more competent than those whose mothers were less responsive. Responsiveness had no effect for children with two long alleles (ll). For academic and social competence, the G × E interactions resembled the diathesis–stress model: ss/sl children of unresponsive mothers had particularly unfavorable outcomes, but ss/sl children of responsive mothers had no worse outcomes than ll children. For moral internalization, the G × E interaction reflected the differential susceptibility model: whereas ss/sl children of unresponsive mothers again had particularly unfavorable outcomes, ss/sl children of responsive mothers had significantly better outcomes than ll children. PMID:23786699

[Factors affecting maternal physical activities: an analysis based on the structural equation modeling].

PubMed

Liu, Yi; Luo, Bi-Ru

2016-11-20

To analyze the factors affecting maternal physical activities at different stages among pregnant women. Self-designed questionnaires were used to investigate the physical activities of women in different stages, including 650 in the first, 650 in the second, and 750 in the third trimester of pregnancy. The factors affecting maternal physical activities were analyzed using the structural equation model that comprised 4 latent variables (attitude, norm, behavioral attention and behavior) with observed variables that matched the latent variables. The participants ranged from 18 to 35 years of age. The women and their husbands, but not their mothers or mothers-in-law, were all well educated. The caregiver during pregnancy was mostly the mother followed by the husband. For traveling, the women in the first, second and third trimesters preferred walking, bus, and personal escort, respectively; the main physical activity was walking in all trimesters, and the women in different trimester were mostly sedentary, a greater intensity of exercise was associated with less exercise time. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that the physical activities of pregnant women was affected by behavioral intention (with standardized regression coefficient of 0.372); attitude and subjective norms affected physical activity by indirectly influencing the behavior intention (standardized regression coefficients of 0.140 and 0.669). The pregnant women in different stages have inappropriate physical activities with insufficient exercise time and intensity. The subjective norms affects the physical activities of the pregnant women by influencing their attitudes and behavior intention indirectly, suggesting the need of health education of the caregivers during pregnancy.

Rural/Urban and Socioeconomic Differentials in Quality of Antenatal Care in Ghana

PubMed Central

Afulani, Patience A.

2015-01-01

Background Approximately 800 women die of pregnancy-related complications every day. Over half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Most maternal deaths can be prevented with high quality maternal health services. It is well established that use of maternal health services vary by place of residence and socioeconomic status (SES), but few studies have examined the determinants of quality of maternal health services in SSA. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of antenatal care (ANC) quality in Ghana–focusing on the role of place of residence and SES (education and wealth). The analysis also examines the interactions of these variables and the mediating role of ANC timing, frequency, facility type, and provider type. Methods The data are from the Ghana Maternal Health Survey (N = 4,868). Analytic techniques include multilevel linear regression with mediation and moderation analysis. Results Urban residence and higher SES are positively associated with higher ANC quality, but the urban effect is completely explained by sociodemographic factors. Specifically, about half of the urban effect is explained by education and wealth alone, with other variables accounting for the remainder. The effects of education are conditional on wealth and are strongest for poor women. Starting ANC visits early and attending the recommended four visits as well as receiving ANC from a higher level facility and from a skilled provider are associated with higher quality ANC. These factors partially explain the SES differentials. Implications Ghanaian women experience significant disparities in quality of ANC, with poor illiterate women receiving the worst care. Targeted efforts to increase quality of ANC may significantly reduce maternal health disparities in Ghana and SSA. A particularly crucial step is to improve ANC quality in the lower level health facilities, where the most vulnerable women are more likely to seek ANC. PMID:25695737

Why are women so intelligent? The effect of maternal IQ on childhood mortality may be a relevant evolutionary factor.

PubMed

Charlton, Bruce G

2010-03-01

Humans are an unusual species because they exhibit an economic division of labour. Most theories concerning the evolution of specifically human intelligence have focused either on economic problems or sexual selection mechanisms, both of which apply more to men than women. Yet while there is evidence for men having a slightly higher average IQ, the sexual dimorphism of intelligence is not obvious (except at unusually high and low levels). However, a more female-specific selection mechanism concerns the distinctive maternal role in child care during the offspring's early years. It has been reported that increasing maternal intelligence is associated with reducing child mortality. This would lead to a greater level of reproductive success for intelligent women, and since intelligence is substantially heritable, this is a plausible mechanism by which natural selection might tend to increase female intelligence in humans. Any effect of maternal intelligence on improving child survival would likely be amplified by assortative mating for IQ by which people tend to marry others of similar intelligence - combining female maternal and male economic or sexual selection factors. Furthermore, since general intelligence seems to have the functional attribute of general purpose problem-solving and more rapid learning, the advantages of maternal IQ are likely to be greater as the environment for child-rearing is more different from the African hunter-gatherer society and savannah environment in which ancestral humans probably evolved. However, the effect of maternal IQ on child mortality would probably only be of major evolutionary significance in environments where childhood mortality rates were high. The modern situation is that population growth is determined mostly by birth rates; so in modern conditions, maternal intelligence may no longer have a significant effect on reproductive success; the effect of female IQ on reproductive success is often negative. Nonetheless, in the

Maternal progesterone levels are modulated by maternal BMI and predict birth weight sex-specifically in human pregnancies.

PubMed

Diemert, Anke; Goletzke, Janina; Barkmann, Claus; Jung, Robert; Hecher, Kurt; Arck, Petra

2017-06-01

Successful pregnancy outcome is the result of a tailored adaptation of the maternal endocrine and immune system throughout gestation. We aimed to investigate if maternal endocrine, anthropometric and life style factors assessed longitudinally throughout pregnancy allow prediction of birth weight. Data on maternal factors and obstetrical characteristics from 220 pregnancies from a German prospective pregnancy cohort were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression models. The association between maternal progesterone levels at the end of the 1st (gw 12-14), the 2nd (gw 22-24) and the 3rd trimester (gw 34-36) and birth weight of children born at term was examined. Interaction terms were included to identify possible sex-specific associations. Furthermore, associations between maternal and obstetric characteristics and progesterone levels were tested. After controlling for possible confounders, progesterone in the 2nd trimester emerged as an independent predictor for birth weight in pregnancies with female (p=0.01), but not male fetuses (p=0.6). In female fetuses each increase of progesterone by 1ng/ml in the 2nd trimester was associated with an increase of birth weight by 6.8g (95%-CI=1.44-12.24). Maternal 1st trimester BMI showed a significant inverse correlation to progesterone levels throughout gestation (p<0.0001 in the 1st and 2nd, p=0.01 in the 3rd trimester). This inverse association between maternal BMI and progesterone levels was confined to overweight women. Our data support that maternal progesterone levels have the potential to serve as early biomarker for reduced birth weight and underpins the importance of normal weight when entering the reproductive phase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential ethnic associations between maternal flexibility and play sophistication in toddlers born very low birth weight

PubMed Central

Erickson, Sarah J.; Montague, Erica Q.; Maclean, Peggy C.; Bancroft, Mary E.; Lowe, Jean R.

2013-01-01

Children born very low birth weight (<1500 grams, VLBW) are at increased risk for developmental delays. Play is an important developmental outcome to the extent that child’s play and social communication are related to later development of self-regulation and effective functional skills, and play serves as an important avenue of early intervention. The current study investigated associations between maternal flexibility and toddler play sophistication in Caucasian, Spanish speaking Hispanic, English speaking Hispanic, and Native American toddlers (18-22 months adjusted age) in a cross-sectional cohort of 73 toddlers born VLBW and their mothers. We found that the association between maternal flexibility and toddler play sophistication differed by ethnicity (F(3,65) = 3.34, p = .02). In particular, Spanish speaking Hispanic dyads evidenced a significant positive association between maternal flexibility and play sophistication of medium effect size. Results for Native Americans were parallel to those of Spanish speaking Hispanic dyads: the relationship between flexibility and play sophistication was positive and of small-medium effect size. Findings indicate that for Caucasians and English speaking Hispanics, flexibility evidenced a non-significant (negative and small effect size) association with toddler play sophistication. Significant follow-up contrasts revealed that the associations for Caucasian and English speaking Hispanic dyads were significantly different from those of the other two ethnic groups. Results remained unchanged after adjusting for the amount of maternal language, an index of maternal engagement and stimulation; and after adjusting for birth weight, gestational age, gender, test age, cognitive ability, as well maternal age, education, and income. Our results provide preliminary evidence that ethnicity and acculturation may mediate the association between maternal interactive behavior such as flexibility and toddler developmental outcomes, as

Differential ethnic associations between maternal flexibility and play sophistication in toddlers born very low birth weight.

PubMed

Erickson, Sarah J; Montague, Erica Q; Maclean, Peggy C; Bancroft, Mary E; Lowe, Jean R

2012-12-01

Children born very low birth weight (<1500 g, VLBW) are at increased risk for developmental delays. Play is an important developmental outcome to the extent that child's play and social communication are related to later development of self-regulation and effective functional skills, and play serves as an important avenue of early intervention. The current study investigated associations between maternal flexibility and toddler play sophistication in Caucasian, Spanish speaking Hispanic, English speaking Hispanic, and Native American toddlers (18-22 months adjusted age) in a cross-sectional cohort of 73 toddlers born VLBW and their mothers. We found that the association between maternal flexibility and toddler play sophistication differed by ethnicity (F(3,65) = 3.34, p = .02). In particular, Spanish speaking Hispanic dyads evidenced a significant positive association between maternal flexibility and play sophistication of medium effect size. Results for Native Americans were parallel to those of Spanish speaking Hispanic dyads: the relationship between flexibility and play sophistication was positive and of small-medium effect size. Findings indicate that for Caucasians and English speaking Hispanics, flexibility evidenced a non-significant (negative and small effect size) association with toddler play sophistication. Significant follow-up contrasts revealed that the associations for Caucasian and English speaking Hispanic dyads were significantly different from those of the other two ethnic groups. Results remained unchanged after adjusting for the amount of maternal language, an index of maternal engagement and stimulation; and after adjusting for birth weight, gestational age, gender, test age, cognitive ability, as well maternal age, education, and income. Our results provide preliminary evidence that ethnicity and acculturation may mediate the association between maternal interactive behavior such as flexibility and toddler developmental outcomes, as indexed

Maternal body mass index before pregnancy as a risk factor for ADHD and autism in children.

PubMed

Andersen, Christina Hebsgaard; Thomsen, Per Hove; Nohr, Ellen Aagaard; Lemcke, Sanne

2018-02-01

The risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be influenced by environmental factors such as maternal obesity before pregnancy. Previous studies investigating those associations have found divergent results. We aim to investigate in a large birth cohort this association further in children with ADHD, ASD and comorbid ADHD and ASD. Our study population consisted of 81,892 mother-child pairs participating in the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC). Information about pre-pregnancy weight and height was collected in week 16 of pregnancy; the analysis was divided into groups based on BMI. Children with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD and/or ASD were identified in the Danish health registries at an average age of 13.3 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using time-to-event analysis. Compared to normal weight mothers, the risk of having a child with ADHD was significantly increased if the mother was overweight (HR = 1.28 [95% CI 1.15;1.48]), obese (HR = 1.47 [95% CI 1.26;1.71]) or severely obese (HR = 1.95 [95% CI 1.58;2.40]). The same pattern was seen for the combined ADHD and ASD group. Regarding ASD, an increased risk was observed in underweight (HR = 1.30 [95% CI 1.01;1.69]) and obese (HR = 1.39 [95% CI 1.11;1.75]) mothers. Subgroup analysis revealed that the association in the ADHD group could mostly be attributable to the hyperactive group. Maternal obesity before pregnancy is a risk factor for ADHD in children. Maternal obesity as well as underweight may also be associated with an increased risk for ASD.

Interrelations between Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy, Birth Weight and Sociodemographic Factors in the Prediction of Early Cognitive Abilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huijbregts, S. C. J.; Seguin, J. R.; Zelazo, P. D.; Parent, S.; Japel, C.; Tremblay, R. E.

2006-01-01

Maternal prenatal smoking, birth weight and sociodemographic factors were investigated in relation to cognitive abilities of 1544 children (aged 3.5 years) participating in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Children's Development. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used to assess verbal ability, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale…

Comparison of familial and psychological factors in groups of encopresis patients with constipation and without constipation.

PubMed

Çengel-Kültür, S Ebru; Akdemir, Devrim; Saltık-Temizel, İnci N

2014-01-01

The study aimed to evaluate the differences between groups of encopresis patients with constipation and without constipation. The Symptom Checklist- 90-Revised, the COPE Questionnaire, the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, the McMaster Family Assessment Device and the Parenting Style Scale were used to evaluate, respectively, maternal psychiatric symptoms, coping abilities, attachment style, family functioning and children's perceptions of parenting behaviors. Psychiatric diagnoses were evaluated using the K-SADS. A higher level of maternal psychiatric symptoms, impaired role and affective involvement functioning of the family and less psychological autonomy were observed in the group of encopresis patients with constipation than in the group of encopresis patients without constipation. No significant differences were found between the groups in psychiatric comorbidities, maternal coping abilities and attachment style. The two groups had a similar pattern of comorbid psychiatric disorders and maternal psychological factors, although some familial factors-related mainly to parental authority-were differentiated in the encopresis with constipation group.

Maternal and anaesthesia-related risk factors and incidence of spinal anaesthesia-induced hypotension in elective caesarean section: A multinomial logistic regression

PubMed Central

Fakherpour, Atousa; Ghaem, Haleh; Fattahi, Zeinabsadat; Zaree, Samaneh

2018-01-01

Background and Aims: Although spinal anaesthesia (SA) is nowadays the preferred anaesthesia technique for caesarean section (CS), it is associated with considerable haemodynamic effects, such as maternal hypotension. This study aimed to evaluate a wide range of variables (related to parturient and anaesthesia techniques) associated with the incidence of different degrees of SA-induced hypotension during elective CS. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 511 mother–infant pairs, in which the mother underwent elective CS under SA. The data were collected through preset proforma containing three parts related to the parturient, anaesthetic techniques and a table for recording maternal blood pressure. It was hypothesized that some maternal (such as age) and anaesthesia-related risk factors (such as block height) were associated with occurance of SA-induced hypotension during elective CS. Results: The incidence of mild, moderate and severe hypotension was 20%, 35% and 40%, respectively. Eventually, ten risk factors were found to be associated with hypotension, including age >35 years, body mass index ≥25 kg/m2, 11–20 kg weight gain, gravidity ≥4, history of hypotension, baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) <120 mmHg and baseline heart rate >100 beats/min in maternal modelling, fluid preloading ≥1000 ml, adding sufentanil to bupivacaine and sensory block height >T4in anaesthesia-related modelling (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Age, body mass index, weight gain, gravidity, history of hypotension, baseline SBP and heart rate, fluid preloading, adding sufentanil to bupivacaine and sensory block hieght were the main risk factors identified in the study for SA-induced hypotension during CS. PMID:29416149

Maternal and foetal risk factor and complication with immediate outcome during hospital stay of very low birth weight babies.

PubMed

Mannan, M A; Jahan, N; Dey, S K; Uddin, M F; Ahmed, S

2012-10-01

This prospective study was done to find out the maternal and foetal risk factors and complications during hospital stay. It was conducted in Special Care Neonatal Unit (SCANU), Department of Child Health, Bangabandhu Memorial Hospital (BBMH), University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) from1st October 2001 to 30th March 2002 and cases were 35 very low birth weight (VLBW) newborns. Common complications of VLBW babies of this series were frequent apnea (40%), Septicemia (25.71%), Hypothermia (17.14%), NEC (14.28%), Convulsion (11.43%), Hyper-bilirubinaemia (8.57%), Anemia (5.71%), IVH (5.71%), RDS (2.86%), HDN (2.86%), CCF (2.86%), ARF (2.86%), either alone or in combination with other clinical conditions. Newborns 62.86% male, 37.14% female & their mortality rate were 40.91% & 38.46% respectively; Preterm 88.57% & their mortality (41.93%) were higher than term babies (25.00%); AGA 62.86%, SGA 37.14% & mortality rate of AGA babies (45.46%) were higher than of SGA (30.77%) babies. The mortality rate of VLBW infants of teen age (≤ 18 years) mothers (57.14%) & high (≥ 30 years) aged mothers (50.00%) were higher than average (19-26 yrs) maternal age mothers (33.33%). Mortality rate was higher among the babies of primi (41.67%) than multiparous (36.36%), poor socioeconomic group (53.33%) than middle class (30.00%) & mothers on irregular ANC (47.83%) than regular ANC (25.00%). It has been also noted the mortality rate of home delivered babies (50.00%) higher than institutional delivered (34.78%) babies; higher in LUCS babies (46.15%) than normal vaginal delivered babies (31.58%); higher in the babies who had antenatal maternal problem (48.15%) than no maternal problems babies (12.50%); higher in the babies who had fetal distress (50.00%) and twin (46.67%) than no foetal risk factors (28.57%) during intrauterine life; higher in the babies who had problems at admission (46.67%) than no problems (35.00%); and mortality higher in twin (46.67%) than singleton

Oxytocin and Maternal Brain Plasticity.

PubMed

Kim, Sohye; Strathearn, Lane

2016-09-01

Although dramatic postnatal changes in maternal behavior have long been noted, we are only now beginning to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that support this transition. The present paper synthesizes growing insights from both animal and human research to provide an overview of the plasticity of the mother's brain, with a particular emphasis on the oxytocin system. We examine plasticity observed within the oxytocin system and discuss how these changes mediate an array of other adaptations observed within the maternal brain. We outline factors that affect the oxytocin-mediated plasticity of the maternal brain and review evidence linking disruptions in oxytocin functions to challenges in maternal adaptation. We conclude by suggesting a strategy for intervention with mothers who may be at risk for maladjustment during this transition to motherhood, while highlighting areas where further research is needed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wired for motherhood: induction of maternal care but not maternal aggression in virgin female CD1 mice

PubMed Central

Martín-Sánchez, Ana; Valera-Marín, Guillermo; Hernández-Martínez, Adoración; Lanuza, Enrique; Martínez-García, Fernando; Agustín-Pavón, Carmen

2015-01-01

Virgin adult female mice display nearly spontaneous maternal care towards foster pups after a short period of sensitization. This indicates that maternal care is triggered by sensory stimulation provided by the pups and that its onset is largely independent on the physiological events related to gestation, parturition and lactation. Conversely, the factors influencing maternal aggression are poorly understood. In this study, we sought to characterize two models of maternal sensitization in the outbred CD1 strain. To do so, a group of virgin females (godmothers) were exposed to continuous cohabitation with a lactating dam and their pups from the moment of parturition, whereas a second group (pup-sensitized females), were exposed 2 h daily to foster pups. Both groups were tested for maternal behavior on postnatal days 2–4. Godmothers expressed full maternal care from the first test. Also, they expressed higher levels of crouching than dams. Pup-sensitized females differed from dams in all measures of pup-directed behavior in the first test, and expressed full maternal care after two sessions of contact with pups. However, both protocols failed to induce maternal aggression toward a male intruder after full onset of pup-directed maternal behavior, even in the presence of pups. Our study confirms that adult female mice need a short sensitization period before the onset of maternal care. Further, it shows that pup-oriented and non-pup-oriented components of maternal behavior are under different physiological control. We conclude that the godmother model might be useful to study the physiological and neural bases of the maternal behavior repertoire. PMID:26257621

Wired for motherhood: induction of maternal care but not maternal aggression in virgin female CD1 mice.

PubMed

Martín-Sánchez, Ana; Valera-Marín, Guillermo; Hernández-Martínez, Adoración; Lanuza, Enrique; Martínez-García, Fernando; Agustín-Pavón, Carmen

2015-01-01

Virgin adult female mice display nearly spontaneous maternal care towards foster pups after a short period of sensitization. This indicates that maternal care is triggered by sensory stimulation provided by the pups and that its onset is largely independent on the physiological events related to gestation, parturition and lactation. Conversely, the factors influencing maternal aggression are poorly understood. In this study, we sought to characterize two models of maternal sensitization in the outbred CD1 strain. To do so, a group of virgin females (godmothers) were exposed to continuous cohabitation with a lactating dam and their pups from the moment of parturition, whereas a second group (pup-sensitized females), were exposed 2 h daily to foster pups. Both groups were tested for maternal behavior on postnatal days 2-4. Godmothers expressed full maternal care from the first test. Also, they expressed higher levels of crouching than dams. Pup-sensitized females differed from dams in all measures of pup-directed behavior in the first test, and expressed full maternal care after two sessions of contact with pups. However, both protocols failed to induce maternal aggression toward a male intruder after full onset of pup-directed maternal behavior, even in the presence of pups. Our study confirms that adult female mice need a short sensitization period before the onset of maternal care. Further, it shows that pup-oriented and non-pup-oriented components of maternal behavior are under different physiological control. We conclude that the godmother model might be useful to study the physiological and neural bases of the maternal behavior repertoire.

Maternal Rest/Nrsf Regulates Zebrafish Behavior through snap25a/b

PubMed Central

Moravec, Cara E.; Samuel, John; Weng, Wei; Wood, Ian C.

2016-01-01

During embryonic development, regulation of gene expression is key to creating the many subtypes of cells that an organism needs throughout its lifetime. Recent work has shown that maternal genetics and environmental factors have lifelong consequences on diverse processes ranging from immune function to stress responses. The RE1-silencing transcription factor (Rest) is a transcriptional repressor that interacts with chromatin-modifying complexes to repress transcription of neural-specific genes during early development. Here we show that in zebrafish, maternally supplied rest regulates expression of target genes during larval development and has lifelong impacts on behavior. Larvae deprived of maternal rest are hyperactive and show atypical spatial preferences. Adult male fish deprived of maternal rest present with atypical spatial preferences in a novel environment assay. Transcriptome sequencing revealed 158 genes that are repressed by maternal rest in blastula stage embryos. Furthermore, we found that maternal rest is required for target gene repression until at least 6 dpf. Importantly, disruption of the RE1 sites in either snap25a or snap25b resulted in behaviors that recapitulate the hyperactivity phenotype caused by absence of maternal rest. Both maternal rest mutants and snap25a RE1 site mutants have altered primary motor neuron architecture that may account for the enhanced locomotor activity. These results demonstrate that maternal rest represses snap25a/b to modulate larval behavior and that early Rest activity has lifelong behavioral impacts. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Maternal factors deposited in the oocyte have well-established roles during embryonic development. We show that, in zebrafish, maternal rest (RE1-silencing transcription factor) regulates expression of target genes during larval development and has lifelong impacts on behavior. The Rest transcriptional repressor interacts with chromatin-modifying complexes to limit transcription of neural

Identifying maternal and infant factors associated with newborn size in rural Bangladesh by partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis

PubMed Central

Rahman, Md. Jahanur; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Klemm, Rolf D. W.; Labrique, Alain B.; Rashid, Mahbubur; Christian, Parul; West, Keith P.

2017-01-01

Birth weight, length and circumferences of the head, chest and arm are key measures of newborn size and health in developing countries. We assessed maternal socio-demographic factors associated with multiple measures of newborn size in a large rural population in Bangladesh using partial least squares (PLS) regression method. PLS regression, combining features from principal component analysis and multiple linear regression, is a multivariate technique with an ability to handle multicollinearity while simultaneously handling multiple dependent variables. We analyzed maternal and infant data from singletons (n = 14,506) born during a double-masked, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled maternal vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation trial in rural northwest Bangladesh. PLS regression results identified numerous maternal factors (parity, age, early pregnancy MUAC, living standard index, years of education, number of antenatal care visits, preterm delivery and infant sex) significantly (p<0.001) associated with newborn size. Among them, preterm delivery had the largest negative influence on newborn size (Standardized β = -0.29 − -0.19; p<0.001). Scatter plots of the scores of first two PLS components also revealed an interaction between newborn sex and preterm delivery on birth size. PLS regression was found to be more parsimonious than both ordinary least squares regression and principal component regression. It also provided more stable estimates than the ordinary least squares regression and provided the effect measure of the covariates with greater accuracy as it accounts for the correlation among the covariates and outcomes. Therefore, PLS regression is recommended when either there are multiple outcome measurements in the same study, or the covariates are correlated, or both situations exist in a dataset. PMID:29261760

Endocannabinoid receptor deficiency affects maternal care and alters the dam's hippocampal oxytocin receptor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression.

PubMed

Schechter, M; Weller, A; Pittel, Z; Gross, M; Zimmer, A; Pinhasov, A

2013-10-01

Maternal care is the newborn's first experience of social interaction, and this influences infant survival, development and social competences throughout life. We recently found that postpartum blocking of the endocannabinoid receptor-1 (CB1R) altered maternal behaviour. In the present study, maternal care was assessed by the time taken to retrieve pups, pups' ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs) and pup body weight, comparing CB1R deleted (CB1R KO) versus wild-type (WT) mice. After culling on postpartum day 8, hippocampal expression of oxytocin receptor (OXTR), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and stress-mediating factors were evaluated in CB1R KO and WT dams. Comparisons were also performed with nulliparous (NP) CB1R KO and WT mice. Compared to WT, CB1R KO dams were slower to retrieve their pups. Although the body weight of the KO pups did not differ from the weight of WT pups, they emitted fewer USVs. This impairment of the dam-pup relationship correlated with a significant reduction of OXTR mRNA and protein levels among CB1R KO dams compared to WT dams. Furthermore, WT dams exhibited elevated OXTR mRNA expression, as well as increased levels of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors, compared to WT NP mice. By contrast, CB1R KO dams showed no such elevation of OXTR expression, alongside lower BDNF and mineralocorticoid receptors, as well as elevated corticotrophin-releasing hormone mRNA levels, when compared to CB1R KO NP. Thus, it appears that the disruption of endocannabinoid signalling by CB1R deletion alters expression of the OXTR, apparently leading to deleterious effects upon maternal behaviour. © 2013 British Society for Neuroendocrinology.

Identifying maternal and infant factors associated with newborn size in rural Bangladesh by partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis.

PubMed

Kabir, Alamgir; Rahman, Md Jahanur; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Klemm, Rolf D W; Labrique, Alain B; Rashid, Mahbubur; Christian, Parul; West, Keith P

2017-01-01

Birth weight, length and circumferences of the head, chest and arm are key measures of newborn size and health in developing countries. We assessed maternal socio-demographic factors associated with multiple measures of newborn size in a large rural population in Bangladesh using partial least squares (PLS) regression method. PLS regression, combining features from principal component analysis and multiple linear regression, is a multivariate technique with an ability to handle multicollinearity while simultaneously handling multiple dependent variables. We analyzed maternal and infant data from singletons (n = 14,506) born during a double-masked, cluster-randomized, placebo-controlled maternal vitamin A or β-carotene supplementation trial in rural northwest Bangladesh. PLS regression results identified numerous maternal factors (parity, age, early pregnancy MUAC, living standard index, years of education, number of antenatal care visits, preterm delivery and infant sex) significantly (p<0.001) associated with newborn size. Among them, preterm delivery had the largest negative influence on newborn size (Standardized β = -0.29 - -0.19; p<0.001). Scatter plots of the scores of first two PLS components also revealed an interaction between newborn sex and preterm delivery on birth size. PLS regression was found to be more parsimonious than both ordinary least squares regression and principal component regression. It also provided more stable estimates than the ordinary least squares regression and provided the effect measure of the covariates with greater accuracy as it accounts for the correlation among the covariates and outcomes. Therefore, PLS regression is recommended when either there are multiple outcome measurements in the same study, or the covariates are correlated, or both situations exist in a dataset.

Evaluation of offspring and maternal genetic effects on disease risk using a family-based approach: the "pent" design.

PubMed

Mitchell, Laura E; Weinberg, Clarice R

2005-10-01

Diseases that develop during gestation may be influenced by the genotype of the mother and the inherited genotype of the embryo/fetus. However, given the correlation between maternal and offspring genotypes, differentiating between inherited and maternal genetic effects is not straightforward. The two-step transmission disequilibrium test was the first, family-based test proposed for the purpose of differentiating between maternal and offspring genetic effects. However, this approach, which requires data from "pents" comprising an affected child, mother, father, and maternal grandparents, provides biased tests for maternal genetic effects when the offspring genotype is associated with disease. An alternative approach based on transmissions from grandparents provides unbiased tests for maternal and offspring genetic effects but requires genotype information for paternal grandparents in addition to pents. The authors have developed two additional, pent-based approaches for the evaluation of maternal and offspring genetic effects. One approach requires the assumption of genetic mating type symmetry (pent-1), whereas the other does not (pent-2). Simulation studies demonstrate that both of these approaches provide valid estimation and testing for offspring and maternal genotypic effects. In addition, the power of the pent-1 approach is comparable with that of the approach based on data using all four grandparents.

Effect of simple, targeted diet in pregnant women with metabolic risk factors on maternal and fetal outcomes (ESTEEM): study protocol for a pragmatic multicentre randomised trial

PubMed Central

Al Wattar, Bassel H; Dodds, Julie; Placzek, Anna; Spyreli, Eleni; Moore, Amanda; Hooper, Richard; Beresford, Lee; Roseboom, Tessa J; Bes-Rastrollo, Maira; Hitman, Graham; Khan, Khalid S; Thangaratinam, Shakila

2016-01-01

Introduction Women with metabolic risk factors are at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mediterranean-based dietary interventions have the potential to minimise these risks. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a simple, targeted intervention modelled on Mediterranean diet in preventing maternal and fetal complications in pregnant women with metabolic risk factors. Methods and analysis Pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy <18 weeks gestation, and without pre-existing diabetes, chronic renal disease and autoimmune diseases will be recruited. Women with metabolic risk factors will be randomised to receive a dietary intervention based on a Mediterranean pattern, supplemented with extra virgin olive oil and mixed nuts until delivery. The intervention will be delivered through a series of one to one and group sessions. The primary outcome is a composite maternal outcome of pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes and a composite fetal outcome of stillbirth, small for gestational age fetus or admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Secondary outcomes include maternal, fetal, dietary and laboratory outcomes. We aim to randomise 1230 eligible women with metabolic risk factors. We will also compare the outcomes in women with and without these risk factors. The sample size will provide us with 80% power at 5% significance, assuming a 20% loss to follow-up to detect a 30% reduction in maternal and fetal complications. Ethics and dissemination The ESTEEM trial is designed to provide a definitive estimate of the effects of Mediterranean dietary pattern in pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes. The pragmatic nature of ESTEEM ensures the applicability of its findings into clinical practice. The findings of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international scientific meetings and congresses. Ethical approval was granted by the NHS Research Ethics Committees (14/EE/1048). Trial registration number NCT02218931

Estimation of umbilical cord blood leptin and insulin based on anthropometric data by means of artificial neural network approach: identifying key maternal and neonatal factors.

PubMed

Guzmán-Bárcenas, José; Hernández, José Alfredo; Arias-Martínez, Joel; Baptista-González, Héctor; Ceballos-Reyes, Guillermo; Irles, Claudine

2016-07-21

Leptin and insulin levels are key factors regulating fetal and neonatal energy homeostasis, development and growth. Both biomarkers are used as predictors of weight gain and obesity during infancy. There are currently no prediction algorithms for cord blood (UCB) hormone levels using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) that have been directly trained with anthropometric maternal and neonatal data, from neonates exposed to distinct metabolic environments during pregnancy (obese with or without gestational diabetes mellitus or lean women). The aims were: 1) to develop ANN models that simulate leptin and insulin concentrations in UCB based on maternal and neonatal data (ANN perinatal model) or from only maternal data during early gestation (ANN prenatal model); 2) To evaluate the biological relevance of each parameter (maternal and neonatal anthropometric variables). We collected maternal and neonatal anthropometric data (n = 49) in normoglycemic healthy lean, obese or obese with gestational diabetes mellitus women, as well as determined UCB leptin and insulin concentrations by ELISA. The ANN perinatal model consisted of an input layer of 12 variables (maternal and neonatal anthropometric and biochemical data from early gestation and at term) while the ANN prenatal model used only 6 variables (maternal anthropometric from early gestation) in the input layer. For both networks, the output layer contained 1 variable to UCB leptin or to UCB insulin concentration. The best architectures for the ANN perinatal models estimating leptin and insulin were 12-5-1 while for the ANN prenatal models, 6-5-1 and 6-4-1 were found for leptin and insulin, respectively. ANN models presented an excellent agreement between experimental and simulated values. Interestingly, the use of only prenatal maternal anthropometric data was sufficient to estimate UCB leptin and insulin values. Maternal BMI, weight and age as well as neonatal birth were the most influential parameters for leptin while

Predictors and correlates of maternal role competence and satisfaction.

PubMed

Ngai, Fei-Wan; Wai-Chi Chan, Sally; Ip, Wan-Yim

2010-01-01

Developing a sense of competence and satisfaction in the maternal role enhances positive parenting and healthy development of the child. There is limited longitudinal research on the predictive factors influencing maternal role competence and satisfaction. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive and concurrent associations of prenatal perceived maternal role competence, learned resourcefulness, social support, stress, and depression to perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at 6 weeks postpartum. A longitudinal, descriptive design was used. A convenience sample of 184 first-time pregnant women with a singleton and uneventful pregnancy were recruited from two regional public hospitals in Hong Kong. The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Self-control Schedule, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, Social Readjustment Rating Scale, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used to assess maternal role competence and satisfaction, learned resourcefulness, social support, stress, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Data were collected during pregnancy and at 6 weeks postpartum. Multiple regression analysis showed that perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at 6 weeks postpartum were predicted by prenatal perceived maternal role competence and learned resourcefulness and were associated with postnatal learned resourcefulness and depression. Social support and stress were not associated directly with perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at 6 weeks postpartum. The present findings suggest that maternal learned resourcefulness and depression are important factors affecting perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at postpartum. Culturally competent healthcare should be developed to promote the psychological well-being of women and to equip women with the learned resourcefulness skills to facilitate maternal role taking and enhance women's sense of competence and satisfaction in the maternal

Non-invasive prenatal testing using cell-free fetal DNA in maternal circulation.

PubMed

Liao, Gary J W; Gronowski, Ann M; Zhao, Zhen

2014-01-20

The identification of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in maternal circulation has made non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) possible. Maternal plasma cell free DNA is a mixture of maternal and fetal DNA, of which, fetal DNA represents a minor population in maternal plasma. Therefore, methods with high sensitivity and precision are required to detect and differentiate fetal DNA from the large background of maternal DNA. In recent years, technical advances in the molecular analysis of fetal DNA (e.g., digital PCR and massively parallel sequencing (MPS)) has enabled the successful implementation of noninvasive testing into clinical practice, such as fetal sex assessment, RhD genotyping, and fetal chromosomal aneuploidy detection.With the ability to decipher the entire fetal genome from maternal plasma DNA, we foresee that an increased number of non-invasive prenatal tests will be available for detecting many single-gene disorders in the near future. This review briefly summarizes the technical aspects of the NIPT and application of NIPT in clinical practice.

Does maternal birth outcome differentially influence the occurrence of infant death among African Americans and European Americans?

PubMed

Masho, Saba W; Archer, Phillip W

2011-11-01

The United States continues to have one of the highest infant mortality rates (IMR). Although studies have examined the association between maternal and infant birth outcomes, few studies have examined the impact of maternal birth outcome on infant mortality. This study was designed to examine the influence of maternal low birth weight and preterm birth on infant mortality. The 1997-2007 Virginia birth and infant death registry was analyzed. The infant birth and death data was linked to maternal birth registry data using the mother's maiden name and date of birth. From the mother's birth registry data, the grandmother's demographic and pregnancy history was obtained. Logistic regression modeling was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. There was a statistically significant association between maternal birth outcome and subsequent infant mortality. Infants born from a mother who was low birth weight were 2.3 times more likely to have an infant die within the first year of life. Similarly, infants born from a mother born preterm were 2.2 times more likely to have an infant die. Stratification by race showed that there was no statistical association between maternal birth weight and infant death among Whites. However, a strong association was observed among Blacks. Maternal birth outcomes may be an important indicator for infant mortality. Future longitudinal studies are needed to understand the underlying cause of these associations.

Maternal obesity alters brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the placenta in a sexually dimorphic manner.

PubMed

Prince, Calais S; Maloyan, Alina; Myatt, Leslie

2017-01-01

Obesity is a major clinical problem in obstetrics being associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and fetal programming. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a validated miR-210 target, is necessary for placental development, fetal growth, glucose metabolism, and energy homeostasis. Plasma BDNF levels are reduced in obese individuals; however, placental BDNF has yet to be studied in the context of maternal obesity. In this study, we investigated the effect of maternal obesity and sexual dimorphism on placental BDNF signaling. BDNF signaling was measured in placentas from lean (pre-pregnancy BMI < 25) and obese (pre-pregnancy BMI>30) women at term without medical complications that delivered via cesarean section without labor. MiRNA-210, BDNF mRNA, proBDNF, and mature BDNF were measured by RT - PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. Downstream signaling via TRKB (BDNF receptor) was measured using Western blot. Maternal obesity was associated with increased miRNA-210 and decreased BDNF mRNA in placentas from female fetuses, and decreased proBDNF in placentas from male fetuses. We also identified decreased mature BDNF in placentas from male fetuses when compared to female fetuses. Mir-210 expression was negatively correlated with mature BDNF protein. TRKB phosphorylated at tyrosine 817, not tyrosine 515, was increased in placentas from obese women. Maternal obesity was associated with increased phosphorylation of MAPK p38 in placentas from male fetuses, but not phosphorylation of ERK p42/44. BDNF regulation is complex and highly regulated. Pre-pregnancy/early maternal obesity adversely affects BDNF/TRKB signaling in the placenta in a sexually dimorphic manner. These data collectively suggest that induction of placental TRKB signaling could ameliorate the placental OB phenotype, thus improving perinatal outcome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parental Divorce, Maternal-Paternal Alcohol Problems, and Adult Offspring Lifetime Alcohol Dependence.

PubMed

Thompson, Ronald G; Alonzo, Dana; Hasin, Deborah S

2013-01-01

This study examined the influences of parental divorce and maternal-paternal histories of alcohol problems on adult offspring lifetime alcohol dependence using data from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Parental divorce and maternal-paternal alcohol problems interacted to differentially influence the likelihood of offspring lifetime alcohol dependence. Experiencing parental divorce and either maternal or paternal alcohol problems doubled the likelihood of alcohol dependence. Divorce and history of alcohol problems for both parents tripled the likelihood. Offspring of parental divorce may be more vulnerable to developing alcohol dependence, particularly when one or both parents have alcohol problems.

In vivo maternal and in vitro BPA exposure effects on hypothalamic neurogenesis and appetite regulators.

PubMed

Desai, Mina; Ferrini, Monica G; Han, Guang; Jellyman, Juanita K; Ross, Michael G

2018-07-01

In utero exposure to the ubiquitous plasticizer, bisphenol A (BPA) is associated with offspring obesity. As food intake/appetite is one of the critical elements contributing to obesity, we determined the effects of in vivo maternal BPA and in vitro BPA exposure on newborn hypothalamic stem cells which form the arcuate nucleus appetite center. For in vivo studies, female rats received BPA prior to and during pregnancy via drinking water, and newborn offspring primary hypothalamic neuroprogenitor (NPCs) were obtained and cultured. For in vitro BPA exposure, primary hypothalamic NPCs from healthy newborns were utilized. In both cases, we studied the effects of BPA on NPC proliferation and differentiation, including putative signal and appetite factors. Maternal BPA increased hypothalamic NPC proliferation and differentiation in newborns, in conjunction with increased neuroproliferative (Hes1) and proneurogenic (Ngn3) protein expression. With NPC differentiation, BPA exposure increased appetite peptide and reduced satiety peptide expression. In vitro BPA-treated control NPCs showed results that were consistent with in vivo data (increase appetite vs satiety peptide expression) and further showed a shift towards neuronal versus glial fate as well as an increase in the epigenetic regulator lysine-specific histone demethylase1 (LSD1). These findings emphasize the vulnerability of stem-cell populations that are involved in life-long regulation of metabolic homeostasis to epigenetically-mediated endocrine disruption by BPA during early life. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.