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Background: Development of the gonads during fetal life is complex and vital for adult reproductive health. Cell and animal studies have shown an alarming effect of mild analgesics on germ cells in both males and females. More than 50% of pregnant women use mild analgesics during pregnancy, which potentially could compromise the reproductive health of the next generation., Objectives: We present a research protocol designed to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to mild analgesics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals on gonadal function in the offspring., Population: Healthy, singleton pregnant women and their partners., Design: The COPANA cohort is a prospective, observational pregnancy and birth cohort., Methods: Participants were enrolled during the first trimester of pregnancy. Information on the use of mild analgesics was collected retrospectively 3 months prior to pregnancy and prospectively every 2 weeks throughout the study. We collected extensive data on lifestyle and reproductive health. Biospecimens were collected in the first trimester (maternal and paternal urine- and blood samples), in the third trimester in conjunction with a study-specific ultrasound scan (maternal urine sample), and approximately 3 months post-partum during the infant minipuberty period (maternal and infant urine- and blood samples). A comprehensive evaluation of reproductive function in the infants during the minipuberty phase was performed, including an ultrasound scan of the testis or ovaries and uterus., Preliminary Results: In total, 685 pregnant women and their partners were included between March 2020 and January 2022. A total of 589 infants (287 males) and their parents completed the follow-up during the minipuberty phase (December 2020-November 2022)., Conclusions: The Copenhagen Analgesic Study holds the potential to provide novel and comprehensive insights into the impact of early and late prenatal exposure to mild analgesics and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals on future reproductive function in the offspring., (© 2024 The Authors. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Context: Hepatic lipase influences metabolism of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), a risk factor for ischemic cardiovascular disease (ICD: ischemic heart disease and ischemic cerebrovascular disease)., Objective: We tested the hypothesis that genetic variation in the hepatic lipase genetic variants V73M, N193S, S267F, L334F, T383M, and -480c>t influence levels of lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins and risk of ICD., Design: For the cross-sectional study, we genotyped 9003 individuals from the Copenhagen City Heart Study; hereof were 8971 individuals included in the prospective study, 1747 of whom had incident ICD during 28 yr of follow-up. For the case-control studies, 2110 ischemic heart disease patients vs. 4899 controls and 769 ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients vs. 2836 controls, respectively, were genotyped. Follow-up was 100% complete., Results: HDL cholesterol was higher by 0.21 mmol/liter in S267F heterozygotes, by 0.06 mmol/liter in -480c>t heterozygotes, and by 0.13 mmol/liter in -480c>t homozygotes, as compared with noncarriers. These HDL increases theoretically predicted hazard ratios for ICD of 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.90], 0.96 (95% CI 0.95-0.97), and 0.91 (95% CI 0.89-0.94), respectively; this calculation assumes that genetically elevated HDL levels confer decreased risk similar to common HDL elevations. In contrast, when all cases and controls were combined, the observed odds ratios for ICD for these three genetic variants vs. noncarriers were 1.19 (0.76-1.88), 1.04 (0.96-1.13), and 1.08 (0.89-1.30), respectively. Hazard/odds ratios for ICD in carriers vs. noncarriers of the four remaining hepatic lipase genetic variants did not differ consistently from 1.0., Conclusion: Hepatic lipase genetic variants with elevated levels of HDL cholesterol did not associate with risk of ICD.

Introduction: Failure to thrive, defined as insufficient weight gain according to age, is a well-known condition among infants and toddlers. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of diagnosed failure to thrive and possible comorbidity in hospitalised 0-2 year-old children in the County of Copenhagen., Material and Methods: It resulted from inquiries sent to all paediatric departments in Denmark that the most frequently used ICD-10 diagnoses for failure to thrive were R62.8, E64.9, and E34.3. Data concerning patients with these three diagnoses hospitalised in two paediatric departments in the County of Copenhagen during a two-year period were drawn from the Patient Registry System. The following parameters were registered: sex, age, diagnoses, hospitalizations, and address., Results: Among referred children below the age of two years, 173 or 4% were diagnosed with failure to thrive. Girls were in excess, the ratio girls-boys being 107:66. More than half, 60% were below one year of age, 40% were below six months of age. We found equal distribution of index children from municipalities with low and high incomes. The diagnosis R62.8 was found in 170 patients, of whom 155 had the diagnosis as either main diagnosis or side diagnosis. Out of these 155 patients 46% had additional somatic diagnosis, whereas 5% had child psychiatric comorbidity., Discussion: Failure to thrive was diagnosed in 4% of hospitalised children under two years of age. Nearly half of the children diagnosed with failure to thrive had a comorbid somatic diagnosis, whereas only a few was diagnosed with psychiatric or social disturbances.