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BACKGROUND: Obesity and being underweight in pregnancy are related to an increased risk of maternal and foetal morbidity, yet their prevalence is often unknown. The present study aimed to identify neighbourhoods with a higher than average prevalence or 'hot spots' of obesity and/or being underweight among first trimester pregnant women. METHODS: A database was compiled consisting of postcode, height and weight for 7981 women who had booked-in for antenatal care between July 2004 and June 2005 at Liverpool Women's Hospital. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and women were categorised accordingly. Postcodes for 6865 cases across Merseyside were converted to geolocations (pin-points on a map) using conversion software (http://www.census.ac.uk/cdu/). RESULTS: There was a very high prevalence of being overweight (27%) and obesity (17%); 3.8% of women were underweight and probably malnourished (BMI < 18.5 kg m(-2)); and a further 10.7% of women were possibly malnourished (BMI < 20.0 kg m(-2). Deriving case density from the geolocations allowed visualisation and identification of six neighbourhoods with above average levels of obesity and three neighbourhoods had marked concentrations of both being underweight and obesity. CONCLUSIONS: These neighbourhoods, particularly those identified as 'hot spots' for both being underweight and obesity, include some of the most deprived wards in the UK. As dietetic intervention may help to promote optimal weight gain during pregnancy and improve dietary intake for pregnant women and their families, primary health care providers should target these localities with a high prevalence of low and high BMI as a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast-milk is the optimum form of nutrition for the first 6 months of life. However, breastfeeding rates in the UK are low and static compared to other European countries and those in the North-west of England in the UK are even lower. Of the women who initiate breastfeeding, many cease in the first month following the birth for reasons that might be avoided. To try and prevent this, UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) ‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’ state that maternity facilities should foster the development of support groups for breastfeeding women. The aim of the present study was to describe breastfeeding difficulties reported by women who attended the infant feeding clinic at a Women's Hospital in the North-west of England. During the study period, the clinic was attended mainly by primiparous mothers who were educated beyond 18 years of age and of higher socio-economic status. They presented with a variety of problems including baby not latching on, concerns about baby's weight gain/loss, sore nipples and advice about expressing milk in preparation for return to work. The women highlighted the importance of meeting other mothers and having someone to talk to who understood what they were going through. Inconsistent information/lack of detailed knowledge from health professionals was cited as contributing to breastfeeding difficulties. A number of women reported that expert hands-on, one-to-one support, was invaluable and many felt they were able to continue breastfeeding but without the support, they may have given up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise link between inflammation and pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is yet to be fully established. We developed a novel method to measure ASC/NLRP3 protein specks which are specific for the NLRP3 inflammasome only. We combined this with cytokine profiling to characterise various inflammatory markers in a large cohort of patients with lower risk MDS in comparison to healthy controls and patients with defined autoinflammatory disorders (AIDs). The ASC/NLRP3 specks were significantly elevated in MDS patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001) and these levels were comparable to those found in patients with AIDs. The distribution of protein specks positive only for ASC was different to ASC/NLRP3 ones suggesting that other ASC-containing inflammasome complexes might be important in the pathogenesis of MDS. Patients with MDS-SLD had the lowest levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), IL-23, IL-33, interferon (IFN) γ and IFN-α2, compared to other diagnostic categories. We also found that inflammatory cytokine TNF was positively associated with MDS progression to a more aggressive form of disease and IL-6 and IL-1β with time to first red blood cell transfusion. Our study shows that there is value in analysing inflammatory biomarkers in MDS, but their diagnostic and prognostic utility is yet to be fully validated., (© 2024 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: Biomarkers with the potential for longitudinal measurements are needed in multiple sclerosis (MS). Urine is easy to collect, and repeated sampling is possible., Methods: 39 paired CSF and urine samples were taken. Oligoclonal bands (OCBs) were measured in CSF. Kappa and lambda free light chain (FLC), neopterin and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1) were measured in CSF and urine., Results: 16/39 samples had OCBs unique to the CSF. CSF FLC levels (P < 0.0001) were higher in OCB-positive subjects, with no difference in urinary FLC. CSF and urinary FLC did not correlate. There were a significant correlation between total CSF FLC and CSF neopterin in MS samples (correlation coefficient = 0.588, P = 0.016) and a strong correlation between CSF lambda FLC and CSF neopterin in MS samples (correlation coefficient = 0.875, P < 0.001). There was a strong correlation between urinary neopterin/creatinine levels and urinary total FLC/protein levels (correlation coefficient = 0.452, P = 0.004). Only three CSF samples (8%) had detectable levels of UCHL1. 18/38 (48%) (8/15 MS and 10/23 control) urine samples had detectable levels of UCLH1., Conclusions: This study confirms the relationship between CSF OCBs and CSF FLCs, highlighting the importance of intrathecal B- and plasma-cell activation in MS. There is a relationship between CSF FLC and CSF neopterin in MS, highlighting the multifaceted immune activation seen in MS. Correlations in the OCB-positive group highlight the multifaceted immune activation seen in MS. Further studies are required to evaluate CSF and urinary biomarkers., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Transabdominal cerclage is a recognised treatment for cervical weakness with a history of recurrent mid-trimester loss and a failed elective vaginal suture. The emergence of dual pathology, such as antiphospholipid syndrome and bacterial vaginosis, is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery (RR 2.34, 95% CI 1.15-5.8). The first 40 cases are described where strict adherence to an investigation protocol and consistent treatment plan has been implemented.