Project description:Childhood obesity can be predicted by metabolic signaling at birth. Understanding what exposure factors, such as prenatal mental health, predict metabolic signaling at birth are important for understanding the etiology of childhood metabolic dysregulation. Drawing on data from the Born in Bradford (BiB) multi-ethnic birth cohort in the United Kingdom (N = 2962 dyads), this study examined associations between maternal prenatal mental health symptoms and infant leptin and adiponectin. We tested whether total maternal prenatal symptoms as well as specific symptom subscales forecasted infant cord blood levels of leptin and adiponectin. We found that higher total maternal mental health symptoms and somatic symptoms, specifically, predicted lower infant cord blood leptin. We did not find evidence that maternal prenatal mental health symptoms predicted adiponectin. Together, our findings suggest that maternal mental health symptoms may become biologically embedded through infant metabolic changes via leptin.
Project description:BackgroundIn Malaysia approximately 7% of births result in a preterm birth (< 37 weeks). Research in many other countries has found that mothers of preterm infants experience poorer psychological wellbeing. However, there has been limited research in Malaysia. We examined wellbeing, using the WHO Quality of Life brief version questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), in mothers who have preterm and full-term infants.MethodsData was collected as part of the South East Asian Community Observatory MISS-P project. A total of 3221 mothers (7.9% with a preterm and 92.1 with a full-term birth) completed a survey, with a range of measures, including the WHOQoL-BREF and sociodemographic questions.ResultsFor the physical health, psychological wellbeing and quality of their environment WHOQOL-BREF domains, a lower gestational age, a lower education level, and having had an emergency caesarean delivery were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with a lower quality of life, and there was a weak effect for ethnicity for some domains. The effects were strongest for mothers' education level.ConclusionsThere is a weak but significant relationship between the gestational age of an infant and the mother's quality of life. Mothers in Malaysia with a preterm infant or a lower level of education may benefit from additional support.
Project description:Concerns have been raised about the benefits of Fe-containing supplements on infant birth weight among women with normal/high Hb levels at baseline. Thus far, no clinical trials have examined whether the effects of prenatal Fe-containing supplements on birth weight vary by maternal Hb levels. We compared the effects of Fe-folic acid (IFA) or multiple micronutrients (MMN) with folic acid (FA) supplements on birth weight among pregnant women with mild/no anaemia or high Hb levels. A double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted in 2006-2009. In total, 18 775 pregnant women with mild/no anaemia (145 g/l) baseline Hb levels, IFA and MMN supplements increased birth weight by 91·44 (95% CI 3·37, 179·51) g and 107·63 (95% CI 21·98, 193·28) g (P<0·05), respectively, compared with the FA group. No differences were found between the IFA and the MMN group, regardless of maternal Hb concentration. In conclusion, the effects of Fe-containing supplements on birth weight depended on baseline Hb concentrations. The Fe-containing supplements improved birth weight in women with very high Hb levels before 20 weeks of gestation.
Project description:BackgroundSuboptimal maternal oral health during pregnancy is potentially associated with adverse birth outcomes and increased dental caries risks in children. This study aimed to assess the oral microbiome and immune response following an innovative clinical regimen, Prenatal Total Oral Rehabilitation (PTOR), that fully restores women's oral health to a "disease-free status" before delivery.MethodsThis prospective cohort study assessed 15 pregnant women at baseline and 3 follow-up visits (1 week, 2 weeks, and 2 months) after receiving PTOR. The salivary and supragingival plaque microbiomes were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing. Multiplexed Luminex cytokine assays were performed to examine immune response following PTOR. The association between salivary immune markers and oral microbiome was further examined.ResultsPTOR was associated with a reduction of periodontal pathogens in plaque, for instance, a lower relative abundance of Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola at 2 weeks compared to the baseline (p < 0.05). The alpha diversity of plaque microbial community was significantly reduced at the 1-week follow-up (p < 0.05). Furthermore, we observed significant changes in the Actinomyces defective-associated carbohydrate degradation pathway and Streptococcus Gordonii-associated fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. Two immune markers related to adverse birth outcomes significantly differed between baseline and follow-up. ITAC, negatively correlated with preeclampsia severity, significantly increased at 1-week follow-up; MCP-1, positively correlated with gestational age, was elevated at 1-week follow-up. Association modeling between immune markers and microbiome further revealed specific oral microorganisms that are potentially correlated with the host immune response.ConclusionsPTOR is associated with alteration of the oral microbiome and immune response among a cohort of underserved US pregnant women. Future randomized clinical trials are warranted to comprehensively assess the impact of PTOR on maternal oral flora, birth outcomes, and their offspring's oral health.
Project description:Epidemiologic evidence provides some support for a causal association between maternal secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure during pregnancy and reduction in infant birth weight. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the magnitude of this association in China, where both prevalence and dose of SHS exposure are thought to be higher than in U.S. populations. Women who gave birth in Beijing and Changchun September 2000-November 2001 were interviewed to quantify self-reported prenatal SHS exposure. Their medical records were reviewed for data on pregnancy complications and birth outcomes. Non-smoking women who delivered term babies (?37 weeks gestation) were included in the study (N = 2,770). Nearly a quarter of the women (24%) reported daily SHS exposure, 47% reported no prenatal exposure, and 75% denied any SHS exposure from the husband smoking at home. Overall, no deficit in mean birth weight was observed with exposure from all sources of SHS combined (+11 grams, 95% CI: +2, +21). Infants had higher mean birth weights among the exposed than the unexposed for all measures of SHS exposure. Future studies on SHS exposure and infant birth weight in China should emphasize more objective measures of exposure to quantify and account for any exposure misclassification.
Project description:ObjectivesTo examine the relation between prenatal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and preterm birth (PTB).MethodsThe data were drawn from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) Study, a pan-Canadian cohort of 1857 pregnant women enrolled between 2008 and 2011. We quantified urinary concentrations of 7 phthalate metabolites that were detected in > 70% of urine samples collected during the first trimester. Gestational age was obtained from either the last menstrual period or early ultrasound. We used Cox proportional hazard models to examine the associations of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations, plus the molar sum of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites (∑DEHP), with time to delivery before 37 weeks of gestation. We also examined PTB by clinical presentation. PTBs presented with either spontaneous labour or premature rupture of the membrane were considered spontaneous PTB (sPTB). Additionally, we used multiple linear regression to model changes in mean gestational age in relation to phthalate exposure.ResultsWe found no evidence of an association between first trimester phthalate metabolite concentrations and PTB among the MIREC study participants. For example, each 2-fold increase in any of the 7 phthalate concentrations or ∑DEHP was associated with hazard ratios (HRs) for PTB ranging from 0.95 to 1.07 with 95% confidence intervals including the null. An assessment of non-linear trends showed some evidence of non-monotonic dose-response relationships between phthalates and PTB. Furthermore, male infants exposed to MCPP showed higher sPTB risk compared with female infants.ConclusionPhthalate exposure during early pregnancy is not clearly associated with the risk of PTB among this Canadian population.
Project description:Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. Microbiome dysbiosis in the mother and infant may contribute to their adverse outcomes. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed on all samples. Phyloseq, microbiomeSeq, and NetCoMi were utilized for bioinformatics analysis. Statistical tests included the Wilcoxon test, ANOVA, permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), and linear regression. Statistical significance was set at p value <0.05. The establishment of an infant's microbiome most likely begins in utero and is influenced by the maternal microbiome. Infants' samples were enriched with Salmonella. There is a complex interplay among the microbial taxa noticeable at birth, exhibiting variability in interaction within the same host and across different hosts. Both maternal and infant microbiomes influence the anthropometric measures determined at birth, and a sex-based difference in correlation exists. This study highlights the potential role of maternal and infant microbiomes in improving pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
Project description:BackgroundMothers' stress in pregnancy is considered an environmental risk factor in child development. Multiple stressors may combine to increase risk, and maternal personal characteristics may offset the effects of stress. This study aimed to test the effect of 1) multifactorial prenatal stress, integrating objective "stressors" and subjective "distress" and 2) the moderating effects of maternal characteristics (perceived social support, self-esteem and specific personality traits) on infant birthweight.MethodHierarchical regression modeling was used to examine cross-sectional data on 403 birth mothers and their newborns from an adoption study.ResultsDistress during pregnancy showed a statistically significant association with birthweight (R2 = 0.032, F(2, 398) = 6.782, p = .001). The hierarchical regression model revealed an almost two-fold increase in variance of birthweight predicted by stressors as compared with distress measures (R2Δ = 0.049, F(4, 394) = 5.339, p < .001). Further, maternal characteristics moderated this association (R2Δ = 0.031, F(4, 389) = 3.413, p = .009). Specifically, the expected benefit to birthweight as a function of higher SES was observed only for mothers with lower levels of harm-avoidance and higher levels of perceived social support. Importantly, the results were not better explained by prematurity, pregnancy complications, exposure to drugs, alcohol or environmental toxins.ConclusionsThe findings support multidimensional theoretical models of prenatal stress. Although both objective stressors and subjectively measured distress predict birthweight, they should be considered distinct and cumulative components of stress. This study further highlights that jointly considering risk factors and protective factors in pregnancy improves the ability to predict birthweight.
Project description:Oral microbiomes vary in cariogenic potential; these differences may be established early in life. A major concern is whether mothers transmit cariogenic bacteria to their children. Here we characterize early salivary microbiome development and the potential associations of that development with route of delivery, breastfeeding, and mother's oral health, and we evaluate transmission of microbes between mother and child. We analyzed saliva and metadata from the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia. For this cohort study, we sequenced the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene and used quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sobrinus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Candida albicans in the saliva from mothers and their infants, collected at 2, 9, and 12 mo (Pennsylvania site) and 2, 12, and 24 mo (West Virginia site). Breastfed children had lower relative abundances of Prevotella and Veillonella. If mothers had decayed, missing, or filled teeth, children had greater abundances of Veillonella and Actinomyces. There was little evidence of maternal transmission of selected microbes. At 12 mo, children's microbiomes were more similar to other children's than to their mothers'. Infants' salivary microbiomes became more adult-like with age but still differed with mothers' microbiomes at 12 mo. There was little evidence supporting transmission of selected microbes from mothers to children, but risk of colonization was associated with tooth emergence. Children are likely to acquire cariogenic bacteria from a variety of sources, including foods and contact with other children and adults.
Project description:ObjectivesTo assess the oral health condition and oral microbial outcomes from receiving an innovative treatment regimen - Prenatal Total Oral Rehabilitation (PTOR).MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 15 pregnant women in the PTOR group who had a baseline visit before PTOR and three follow-up visits (immediate after, 2 weeks and 2 months) after receiving PTOR. A historical control group of additional 15 pregnant women was matched from a separate study based on a propensity score. Along with demographic and medical background, oral health conditions and perinatal oral health literacy were assessed. Oral samples (saliva and plaque) were analyzed to identify and quantify Streptococcus mutans and Candida species by culturing-dependent and -independent methods.ResultsSignificant reductions of salivary S. mutans were observed following PTOR, the effect remained until 2-month follow-up (p < 0.05). The carriage of salivary and plaque S. mutans at the 2-month visit of the PTOR group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Oral health conditions reflected by BOP and PI were significantly improved upon receiving PTOR (p < 0.05). Receiving PTOR significantly improved the perinatal oral health literacy score, and the knowledge retained until 2-month follow-up (p < 0.05).ConclusionsPTOR is associated with an improvement in oral health conditions and perinatal oral health literacy, and a reduction in S. mutans carriage, within a 2-month follow-up period. Future clinical trials are warranted to comprehensively assess the impact of PTOR on the maternal oral flora other than S. mutans and Candida, birth outcomes, and their offspring's oral health.