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The objective of the study is to determine perinatal and postnatal factors that may affect the occurrence of small cerebellar hemorrhage (CBH) and to evaluate the effect of small CBH on neurodevelopmental outcome in very preterm infants. This prospective study in an unselected cohort of very preterm infants was approved by the medical ethics committee, and informed parental consent was obtained. Presence of small CBH (<4 mm) was assessed with magnetic resonance imaging around term equivalent age in 108 preterm infants (<32 weeks gestation). We compared infants with and without small CBH for perinatal and postnatal factors, supratentorial brain injury, and for neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years corrected age. Follow-up consisted of a neurological examination, mental and developmental assessment (Bayley Scales of Infant Development), and behavior checklist. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between variables. Small CBH was diagnosed in 16/108 very preterm infants. Univariate analyses identified gestational age, high-frequency oscillation (HFO) ventilation, and grade 3-4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) as factors associated with small CBH. HFO ventilation and severe IVH were independent predictors of small CBH. We found no association between small CBH and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age. Small CBH is a frequent finding in preterm infants. These hemorrhages are independently associated with HFO ventilation and severe supratentorial hemorrhage and seem to have a favorable short-term prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Healthy infant twins have worse developmental skills compared with singleton norms. [•] Twins catch up to ‘normal’ development in the second year of life. [•] It might not be appropriate to compare twin and singleton development in infancy. [•] Older maternal age seems more influential on infant development than birth weight. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aims: We conducted a large registry-based study in California to investigate the association of perinatal factors and childhood CNS tumors, with analysis by tumor subtype. Methods: We linked California cancer and birth registries to obtain information on 3308 cases and 3308 controls matched on age and sex. We examined the association of birth weight, gestational age, birth order, parental ages, maternal conditions during pregnancy, newborn abnormalities and the risk of childhood CNS tumors using conditional logistic regression, with adjustment for potential confounders. Results: The odds ratio (OR) per 1000 g increase in birth weight was 1.11 (95% CI: 0.99-1.24) for total childhood CNS tumors, 1.17 (95% CI: 0.97-1.42) for astrocytoma and 1.28 (95% CI: 0.90-1.83) for medulloblastoma. Compared to average-for-gestational age, large-for-gestational age infants were at increased risk of glioma (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 0.99-3.48), while small-for-gestational age infants were at increased risk of ependimoma (OR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.10-6.30). Increased risk of childhood CNS tumors was observed for 5-year increase in maternal and paternal ages (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00-1.12 and 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.10 respectively). Increased risk of astrocytoma was detected for 5-year increase in paternal age (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00-1.16) and increased risk of glioma for maternal age ⩾ 35 years old (OR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.00-3.52). Maternal genital herpes during pregnancy was associated with a pronounced increase in risk of total CNS tumors (OR = 2.74; 95% CI: 1.16-6.51). Other (non-sexually transmitted) infections during pregnancy were associated with decreased risk of total CNS tumors (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09-0.85). Maternal blood/immune disorders during pregnancy were linked to increased risk of CNS tumors (OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.08-4.83) and medulloblastoma (OR = 7.13, 95% CI: 0.82-61.03). Newborn CNS abnormalities were also associated with high risk of childhood CNS tumors (OR = 4.08, 95% CI: 1.13- 14.76). Conclusions: Our results suggest that maternal genital herpes, blood and immunological disorders during pregnancy and newborn CNS abnormalities were associated with increased risk of CNS tumors. Maternal infections during pregnancy were associated with decreased risk of CNS tumors. Advanced maternal and paternal ages may be associated with a slightly increased risk of CNS tumors. Factors associated with CNS tumor subtypes varied by subtype, an indicator of different etiology for different subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular risk factors, such as abdominal obesity and obesity in general, are very prevalent among patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Although long-term use of psychotropic medications is an important determinant of these risk factors, other evidence suggests that early development may interact with the mood disorder diathesis to exponentially increase the risk of obesity. The goal of our study was to test whether season of birth is associated with adult body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity in individuals with bipolar disorder. We compared season of birth effects on BMI in 375 adult patients with bipolar disorder and 196 adult patients with unipolar major depression. We found a significant season of birth effect on BMI in patients with bipolar disorder, but not unipolar. In patients with bipolar disorder, season of birth was also associated with waist circumference, with a stronger effect in males. Season of birth affects adult BMI and waist circumference in patients with bipolar disorder, but not in patients with unipolar depression. Our results suggest that early environmental factors, yet to be identified, interact with specific neurobiological features of bipolar disorder to determine stable traits and disease risk factors in adult life. (Author correspondence: ) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A retrospective observational study was carried out in 28 infants with asphyxia at birth in "Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso" General Teaching Hospital of Santiago de Cuba, from January 2009 to December 2011, in order to describe some prenatal, natal and postnatal variables related to clinical course and their survival. In the series 23 patients discharged alive and 5 died; also, deaths of newborns were mostly associated with hypertension in mothers and birth after 42 weeks, while meconium and alterations of the fetal heart rate, predominantly bradycardia, were the main intrapartum risk factors. Hypotonia and seizures as neurological manifestations were the most frequently observed, and meconium aspiration and renal dysfunction as extraneurological signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is some evidence that perinatal factors, specifically birth weight (BW), may be related to the onset of prostate cancer (PRCA). This case–control study, nested within the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort Study, used archived birth record data from 308 incident PRCA cases diagnosed between 1991 and 2005, and 637 age-matched controls among 4781 men born (1923–1945) in Malmö and Lund, Sweden. We applied conditional logistic regression to examine the birth size–PRCA association, including tumour subtypes, adjusting for perinatal and adult factors. Compared with controls, cases had a non-significantly higher mean BW and were more likely to have high (>4000 g) BW (21% v. 18%), but did not differ in other birth size measures, nor in mean adult body mass index . We observed a non-linear association between BW and PRCA risk. Compared with BWs between 3000 and 3500 g (reference), the fully adjusted odds ratios (OR, 95% CI) were 0.55 (0.33–0.91) for <3000 g, 0.86 (0.61–1.22) for 3500–4000 g and 0.98 (0.64–1.50) for >4000 g. Among men with aggressive tumours, the reduction in risk for those with BWs <3000 g (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.09–0.72) was stronger than the rate of risk for PRCA overall. Crude risk estimates were minimally attenuated when adjusted for gestational age, maternal age, birth order and adult factors. Birth length, head circumference and placental weight were not associated with prostate cancer. Our results indicate a protective effect of lower BW on risk of total and aggressive prostate cancer, rather than any direct effect of larger birth size. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BACKGROUND: Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a major predictor of death and long-term neurologic disability, but there are few studies of antecedents of NE. OBJECTIVES: To identify antecedents in a large registry of infants who had NE. METHODS: This was a maternal and infant record review of 4165 singleton neonates, gestational age of ≥36 weeks, meeting criteria for inclusion in the Vermont Oxford Network Neonatal Encephalopathy Registry. RESULTS: Clinically recognized seizures were the most prevalent condition (60%); 49% had a 5-minute Apgar score of ≤3 and 18% had a reduced level of consciousness. An abnormal maternal or fetal condition predated labor in 46%; maternal hypertension (16%) or small for gestational age (16%) were the most frequent risk factors. In 8%, birth defects were identified. The most prevalent birth complication was elevated maternal temperature in labor of ≥37.5°C in 27% of mothers with documented temperatures compared with 2% to 3.2% in controls in population-based studies. Clinical chorioamnionitis, prolonged membrane rupture, and maternal hypothyroidism exceeded rates in published controls. Acute asphyxial indicators were reported in 15% (in 35% if fetal bradycardia included) and inflammatory indicators in 24%. Almost one-half had neither asphyxiai nor inflammatory indicators. Although most infants with NE were observably ill since the first minutes of life, only 54% of placentas were submitted for examination. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically recognized asphyxiai birth events, indicators of intrauterine exposure to inflammation, fetal growth restriction, and birth defects were each observed in term infants with NE, but much of NE in this large registry remained unexplained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restricted fetal growth and young maternal age have been associated with increased risk of suicidal behaviour later in life. Research investigating the independent and interacting effects of these risk factors with parental mental health and socio-economic status is scarce. A case-control study was effected through record linkage between Swedish registers. Individuals born 1973-1983 who were hospitalized due to a suicide attempt (n = 17,159) or committed suicide (n = 1,407) were matched to ≤10 controls by sex, month and county of birth. Controlling for parental conditions, significantly increased odds ratios (OR) for suicide attempt were found for low birth weight (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI 1.01-1.25), short birth length (OR = 1.15, 95 % CI 1.08-1.22), short and light for gestational age (OR = 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.10-1.38), short but not light for gestational age (OR = 1.18, 95 % CI: 1.09, 1.29), teenage motherhood (OR = 1.66, 95 % CI 1.53-1.80), young fatherhood (OR = 1.33, 95 % CI 1.27-1.39) and multiparity (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI 1.31-1.50). For completed suicide, increased odds ratios were found for low birth weight (OR = 1.65, 95 % CI 1.16-2.35), teenage motherhood (OR = 1.44, 95 % CI 1.09-1.90) and young fatherhood (OR = 1.20, 95 % CI 1.02-1.41). There was a synergy effect between teenage motherhood and parental psychiatric inpatient care with regard to suicide attempt in offspring [synergy index = 1.53 (95 % CI 1.27-1.84)]. Low birth weight and length, and short and light for gestational age may increase the risk of subsequent suicidal behaviour, and more research is needed to investigate underlying mechanisms. Public health implications from this study include measures to improve pre- and perinatal parental mental health, particularly in teenage pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth and development factors could contribute to the development of breast cancer associated with an increase in mammographic density. This study examines the influence of certain childhood-related, socio-demographic and anthropometric variables on mammographic density in adult woman. The study covered 3574 women aged 45-68 years, participating in breast cancer-screening programmes in seven Spanish cities. Based on a craniocaudal mammogram, blind, anonymous measurement of mammographic density was made by a single radiologist, using Boyd's semiquantitative scale. Data associated with the early stages of life were obtained from a direct survey. Ordinal logistic regression and generalised linear models were employed to estimate the association between mammographic density and the variables covered by the questionnaire. Screening programme was introduced as a random effects term. Age, number of children, body mass index (BMI) and other childhood-related variables were used as adjustment variables, and stratified by menopausal status. A total of 811 women (23%) presented mammographic density of over 50%, and 5% of densities exceeded 75%. Our results show a greater prevalence of high mammographic density in women with low prepubertal weight (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.02-1.36); marked prepubertal height (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 0.97-1.60) and advanced age of their mothers at their birth (>39 years: OR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03-1.60); and a lower prevalence of high mammographic density in women with higher prepubertal weight, low birth weight and earlier menarche. The influence of these early-life factors may be explained by greater exposure to hormones and growth factors during the development of the breast gland, when breast tissue would be particularly susceptible to proliferative and carcinogenic stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Study aim: To describe general movement in extremely premature infants and examine correlations with risk factors for antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal morbidity. Study type: Prospective, single-center study. Nineteen patients were followed up. Methodology: The infants’ general movement was analyzed using video recordings. Qualitative and quantitative assessments were performed during the writhing movement (WM) period and fidgety movement (FM) period. The quality of the general movements (GMs) and the scores achieved were then correlated with antenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors. Results: Infants’ motor activity fluctuated during the WM period, especially in extremely premature infants where poor repertoire is often observed. No correlations were found between WMs and obstetric factors. Gestational age correlated with WMs’ quality (p =0.023). WMs correlated with factors of postnatal morbidity such as chronic lung disease (CLD) (p =0.034) and nosocomial infections (p =0.05). At 3months corrected age, the spontaneous movement quality are correlated with neurological explorations such as US brain (p =0.032), MRI (p =0.039), EEG (p =0.036), and neurological follow-up assessments (p =0.015). Conclusion: Prudence must be used when performing the analysis of general movement in extremely preterm infants. WMs may be influenced by perinatal morbidity, and possibly by the severe brain immaturity of these infants. WMs correlate with CLD and nosocomial infections. Analysis of general movement in infants of 3months corrected age is a valuable means to detect neurological disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Borras V, Freitas A, Castell C, Gispert R, Jané M. Type 1 diabetes and perinatal factors in Catalonia (Spain). Aim: To identify perinatal risk factors associated with the development of type 1 diabetes. Methods: The research was designed as a retrospective study of cases and controls. Catalan Register of Diabetes and the Register of Newborn Screening for Metabolic Diseases were the data sources used in this study. The variables studied include sex, birth weight, age of onset of type 1 diabetes, maternal age at delivery, type of delivery, and type of feeding at birth. Anthropometric growth patterns of Carrascosa have been used to classify birth weight as small for gestational age: weight <10th percentile; appropriate for gestational age: weight ≥10th percentile and ≤90th percentile; and large for gestational age (LGA): weight >90th percentile. Statistical analysis was carried out using bivariate analysis (chi-squared test), and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were predicted. Results: A total of 1530 infants were analyzed (306 type 1 diabetes cases, 1224 control subjects). A significantly greater percentage of LGA babies were observed among diabetics (16.3% compared with 11.3% of the control group). The risk of having type 1 diabetes in children who were LGA was 1.45 times greater than that shown in children with normal and low birth weight. Conclusions: Only being born LGA was significantly associated with developing type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low birth weight and preterm birth, and social disadvantage may negatively affect mental health of children, but findings have been inconsistent. Objectives: To assess the influence of perinatal and social factors on mental health problems in children aged 7-9 years. Methods: A random sample of 805 births in São Luís, Brazil was studied in 1997/1998 and again in 2005/2006. Perinatal, socioeconomic and demographic variables were assessed within 24 h after delivery. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess mental health problems in the children. Simple and multiple Poisson regressions were used for statistical analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of mental health problems in the total sample was 47.7%. The prevalences of emotional and conduct problems were 58.2 and 48.8%, respectively. Only paternal age (<20 years) was associated with mental health problems as measured by the full SDQ scale (prevalence ratio PR = 1.27). Children born to single mothers (PR = 1.31) and those with birth weight from 1,500 to 2,499 g (PR = 1.18) and from 2,500 to 2,999 g (PR = 1.17) had a higher risk of emotional problems, but those from low income families had a lower risk (PR = 0.80). Children with a father of less than 20 years had a higher risk of having problems with their peers (PR = 1.75). A maternal education of 9 years or over was inversely associated with peer (PR = 0.70) and conduct problems (PR = 0.73). Girls had a lower risk of conduct (PR = 0.77) and hyperactivity problems (PR = 0.68). A maternal education of 4 years or less increased the risk of hyperactivity (PR = 1.48). Conclusions: Socioeconomic and demographic conditions were better predictors of mental health problems in children than birth weight or preterm birth. However, since most effect sizes were small most mental health problems were, unexplained by the variables in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR), obstetrical and demographic information was retrieved for 250 children with autism or Asperger syndrome who were born in Malmoe, Sweden, and enrolled at the local Child and Youth Habilitation Center. The reference group consisted of all children born in Malmoe during 1980—2005. Obstetric sub-optimality (prematurity, low Apgar scores, growth restriction, or macrosomia) was positively associated with autism but not with Asperger syndrome. Maternal birth outside the Nordic countries was positively associated with autism (adjusted OR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.6—3.1) and negatively associated with Asperger syndrome (OR: 0.6; 95%CI: 0.3—0.97). The highest risk estimate for autism was found among children to women who were born in sub-Saharan Africa (OR: 7.3), or in East Asia (OR: 3.4). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Preterm birth with very low birth weight (VLBW, ≤1500g) is connected to reduced white matter (WM) integrity in childhood and adolescence. These changes in WM are correlated to motor, sensory and neuropsychological impairments. CNS myelination continues into the early twenties, but the consequences of this for WM integrity in VLBWs have not been explored. DTI and tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) was carried out to test for voxelwise differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), eigenvalues and mean diffusivity (MD) between a preterm VLBW group (n =49) and a control group born at term (n =59) at 18–22years of age. TBSS was also used to explore the relationship between perinatal clinical data and general cognitive ability (total IQ), respectively, and the DTI metrics (FA and MD), with gender and age as a confounder. In the VLBW group several major WM tracts particularly in the posterior region had significantly reduced FA caused by an increase in the two lowest eigenvalues. MD was significantly increased in the VLBWs in 50% of the same regions as the FA changes, but encompassing also more peripheral WM. In the VLBW group, FA was found to correlate positively with birth weight and negatively with number of days in intensive care and on mechanical ventilator, particularly in the corpus callosum. FA was found to correlate positively with total IQ in the young preterm adults. In the controls there was no correlation between FA and total IQ. Our results indicate that the neurologic sequelae of preterm birth with VLBW are a lifelong condition inducing structural and functional impairments also in adulthood in VLBW survivors. The greatest risk of having reduced WM integrity in adulthood was found in the most immature VLBW neonates requiring mechanical ventilation and long-term intensive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between reported perinatal risk factors and sensory processing difficulties in young children. The biological mothers of 152 preschool-age children completed two measures: the Maternal Perinatal Scale (MPS), a maternal self-report that surveys complications of pregnancies and medical conditions of the mother, and the Short Sensory Profile (SSP), a measure designed to provide information about the child’s ability to process sensory information and the sensory system’s effect on functional performance. Using MPS factors as predictors, separate stepwise regression analyses for each SSP section showed early neonatal status, and prenatal and birth/delivery factors to hold the most significant implications for future sensory processing difficulties. Total number of perinatal risk factors was also found to significantly predict some SSP scores. Implications for intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As antenatal environment may influence the development of atopy-predisposing immune response, cord blood cytokine productions may be an important predictor for wheezing. We investigated cord blood cytokines in a prospective birth cohort, intensively monitored for wheezy infant outcome at 1 yr. Cord blood serum samples from 269 children were assayed for interleukin (IL)-1β, -2, -4 to -8, -10, -12 (p70), -13, and -17, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), monocyte chemotactic protein-1, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1β. Associations between family histories, antenatal and perinatal factors, cord blood cytokine concentrations, and wheezy infant outcomes (wheezing more than two times) were analyzed. In cord blood sera from 269 children, there were associations between high levels of IL-6, -8 and G-CSF concentrations, and cesarean section. Data at 1 yr were obtained from 213 infants, including 33 wheezy infants. Risk of wheezing was related to gestational age, birth weight, cesarean section, and maternal eczema, but not to bacterial/viral infection during pregnancy, maternal asthma, maternal smoking, or paternal history. High level of cord blood IL-8 concentration had a significant association with wheezy infant outcomes at 1 yr (p = 0.025). By using multivariate logistic regression analysis, birth weight [odds ratio(OR) = 0.998, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.997–1.000] and maternal eczema (OR = 5.356, 95% CI = 1.340–21.41), but no other factors, were significant predictors of wheezy infants. Birth weight, gestational age, and maternal history were important risk factors for wheezing in the first year of life. Several cord blood cytokine productions were influenced by cesarean section, and IL-8 may be a predictor for recurrent wheezing at 1 yr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this population-based Norwegian cohort study (2.1 million children), the impact of birth and parental characteristics on the risk of neuroblastoma (178 cases) was evaluated. In children below the age of 18 months, there was an increased neuroblastoma risk among those with congenital malformations and suggestion of increased risk when the mother had pre-eclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the rapid increase in incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children <5 yr in Austria. Methods: Data of children born between 1989 and 2005 (n = 444) from the T1DM children incidence registry were linked with birth certificates (n = 1 407 829). Results: Age of mother, level of education, birth weight, birth length, body mass index, and APGAR score at 10 min were not significant. Boys have about 25% higher risk than girls [hazard ratio = 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62–0.91]. The risk of developing diabetes increases over time significantly (1989–1991 vs. 2001–2005, hazard ratio = 2.86, 95% CI: 2.07–3.94). The linear effect of parity is borderline significant (p = 0.045), with lower risks for second and later born siblings. Marital status is significant [hazard ratio = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.90)]. Native-born children exhibit twice as high risk as non-native children (hazard ratio = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.37–0.71). Birth weight shows a positive but not significant effect on risk of T1DM. Conclusions: In this very young and rapidly increasing cohort of diabetic children <5 yr of age, no association with birth weight but with year of birth, gestational age, nationality and parity could be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To report on associations between perinatal factors and the subsequent development of diabetes mellitus under the age of 30 years in the offspring. Methods Analysis of linked hospital statistical records, comparing perinatal factors relating to the birth of 518 people admitted to hospital for diabetes with the same factors in 292 845 others, in a defined population in southern England from 1963 to 1999. Results Diabetes mellitus was much more common in children of mothers with diabetes than in others (odds ratio 6.42; 95% confidence interval 4.18–9.86). There was no significant association with birthweight or gestational age separately. Diabetes was more common in those in the highest quintile of ‘birthweight for gestational age’ compared with the lowest four quintiles combined (odds ratio 1.33; 95% confidence interval 1.08–1.64), but there was no consistent gradient of increasing frequency of diabetes across the lowest four quintiles. There were no significant associations between diabetes and mothers’ age, parity, social class, or smoking during pregnancy, or between babies’ mode of delivery or any other perinatal factors investigated. All results were similar when the analysis was confined to diabetes in people aged < 15 years. Conclusions We found a strong association between diabetes in the child—mainly, if not entirely Type 1 diabetes—and maternal diabetes. Diabetes was slightly more common in the heaviest quintile of birthweight for gestational age than in other quintiles. There were no significant associations between diabetes and the other perinatal factors studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It was hypothesized that the risk for testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) is associated with maternal hormone levels. To examine the hypothesis, some studies used perinatal factors as surrogates for hormone levels. To determine the validity of this assumption, hormone–perinatal factor relationships were examined in the Collaborative Perinatal Project. Methods: Maternal estradiol, estriol, and testosterone levels in first- and third-trimester serum samples were correlated with perinatal factors in 300 mothers representative of populations at high (white Americans) or low (black Americans) risk for TGCT. Results: For white participants, testosterone levels were associated negatively with maternal height (p < 0.01) and age (p = 0.02) and positively with maternal weight (p = 0.02) and body mass index (BMI; p < 0.01), whereas estradiol levels were associated negatively with height (p = 0.03) and positively with son''s birth weight (p = 0.04). For black participants, estriol levels were associated negatively with maternal weight (p = 0.01), BMI (p = 0.02), and gestational age p < 0.01) and positively with son''s birth weight (p < 0.01), length (p = 0.04), and head circumference (p = 0.03). Conclusions: These findings indicate that use of perinatal characteristics as surrogates for hormone levels should be limited to a specific ethnic group. For white men, previously reported associations of TGCT with maternal weight and age may be caused by lower maternal testosterone levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Human cord blood has been successfully used as an alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells suitable for transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of gestational age and the mode of delivery on cord blood hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell characteristics. The mode of delivery does not seem to affect either the replating capacity of hematopoietic progenitors colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage or the cord blood content in CD34+ cells. The higher percentage of CD34+ cells in cord blood from preterm deliveries compared to full-term ones indicates that hematopoietic progenitors from preterm cord blood may be suitable for transplantation. These findings should be taken into consideration when selection of cord blood units is required for potential use in transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S. mutans plays a key role in dental caries. The extent to which perinatal events influence the acquisition of S. mutans is unclear. We hypothesized that several maternal factors, including the mode of delivery, influence the initial acquisition of S. mutans in infants. A prospective cohort study was conducted in 156 mother-infant pairs. The study found that maternal gestational age (p = 0.04), S. mutans level (p = 0.02), caries score (p = 0.02), sexually transmitted disease (STD) infection experience (p = 0.01), and family income (p = 0.03) had significant effects on the acquisition of S. mutans. Among infants who became infected, those delivered by Caesarean section acquired S. mutans 11.7 mos earlier than did vaginally delivered infants (p = 0.038). Csection infants harbored a single genotype of S. mutans that was identical to that of their mothers (100% fidelity). Analysis of the data demonstrated the possible perinatal influences on infants' acquisition of a member of the cariogenic microbiota, and its potential effect on caries outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic periventricular leukomalacia (cPVL), the principal ischemic brain injury in premature infants, is characterized by necrosis of the white matter in the periventricular region and the major neuropathology for spastic motor deficits in cerebral palsy or epilepsy. Recent reports strongly suggest that the brain injury associated with cPVL may have already occurred in utero. In this study we searched retrospectively for possible clinical situations related to cPVL to facilitate assessment of optimal management. A total of 201 babies born at gestational ages from 24 to 33 weeks were entered into the study (1992–1997) and examined for involvement of 18 factors in cPVL retrospectively. And psychomotor development was examined at least until 18 months of corrected age. Among 201 premature babies 35 cases were diagnosed as cPVL later developed spastic diplegia. There are 23 cases of preeclampsia, no infant suffering from cPVL. In the univariate analysis, exposure to antenatal indomethacin, cord length ≥40 cm, and a low Apgar score were significantly associated with a 2–3 risk increased of cPVL occurrence, while antenatal magnesium sulfate reduced the risk. Chorioamnionitis was positively correlated with the risk, but did not reach statistical significance. In the multivariate analysis we found the statistical significance in exposure to antenatal indomethacin, a low Apgar score, and antenatal magnesium sulfate. Our results suggested that preeclampsia and antenatal exposure of magnesium sulfate reduced the risk while antenatal exposure of indomethacin and low Apgar score associated with the occurrence of cPVL. These findings support a growing consensus that cPVL is often the result of maternal and fetal factors as well as antenatal treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The purpose of our study was to investigate any possible relationship between the duration of labor, the mode of delivery and the duration of rupture of membranes and hematological parameters in cord blood. Material and methods: We studied 298 pregnant women who delivered term normal infants. The patients were divided into three groups according to the route of delivery: vaginal (n = 165), cesarean section after labor (n = 27) and elective cesarean section (n = 106). Immediately after delivery, umbilical cord blood samples were collected. Results: The mode of delivery influenced white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell distribution, platelets count and nucleated red blood cells. There was no correlation between the cord blood hematological values and the duration of labor, as well as the duration of rupture of membranes before delivery. Conclusion: The influence of mode of delivery, duration of labor and duration of ruptured membranes on hematological parameters in umbilical cord blood is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish the association between serial levels of inflammatory cytokines in cord blood and perinatal characteristics and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants., Methods: 147 premature infants with gestational age ≤32 weeks who were born and hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between July 2019 and August 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective case-control study. Multiple microsphere flow immunofluorescence was used to detect seven cytokines in cord blood collected within 24 h of birth. Demographics, delivery characteristics, maternal factors, neonatal characteristics, and clinical outcomes were collected for the two groups. An unconditional logistic regression model was used in this study to assess the clinical variables., Results: IL-6 cord blood levels at birth were significantly higher in the BPD group than in the non-BPD group, but the odds ratio (OR) was very small (OR = 1). No differences in other cytokine concentrations were observed between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that increased maternal white blood cell (WBC) count on admission and lower birth weight increased the risk of BPD progression., Conclusions: Increased IL-6 cord blood levels at birth in preterm infants may have trivial significance for predicting BPD. Furthermore, higher maternal WBC count on admission and lower birth weight increased the risk of BPD., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Luo, Shi, Cheng, Lei, Cao, Zhang, Ge, Song, Ding, Zhang, Zhao and Zhang.)

The human gut microbiome harbors a diverse range of microbes that play a fundamental role in the health and well-being of their host. The early-life microbiome has a major influence on human development and long-term health. Perinatal factors such as maternal nutrition, antibiotic use, gestational age and mode of delivery influence the initial colonization, development, and function of the neonatal gut microbiome. The perturbed early-life gut microbiome predisposes infants to diseases in early and later life. Understanding how perinatal factors guide and shape the composition of the early-life microbiome is essential to improving infant health. The following review provides a synopsis of perinatal factors with the most decisive influences on initial microbial colonization of the infant gut., Competing Interests: All authors declared that there are no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of various perinatal factors on cord blood TSH among newborns in Isfahan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic cross sectional study which performed in Isfahan Iran. During a period of four months, since February to May 2012 a total number of 440 newborns delivered in Alzahra and Shahid beheshti hospitals were enrolled in the study. For all newborns one mL blood sample from umbilical vein was obtained by one of the project investigators and sent to laboratory for further examinations. Cord blood TSH and birth body weight (BBW), gestational age, history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), apgar at one minute, apgar at five minute, newborn gender and the mother′s age were documented. Differences considered statistically significant if P < 0.01. Results: 440 newborns enrolled in the study, 221 (50.2%) were male and 219 (49.8%) were female. Among study parameters, method of delivery had statistically significant relation with cord blood TSH (P < 0.001), and other factors such as BBW, gestational age, GDM, apgar at one minute, apgar at five minute, newborn gender and the mother′s age didn′t have statistically significant relationship with cord TSH level. Conclusion: In conclusion we deduce that the only factor that can affect cord blood TSH was method of delivery. Infant with vaginal delivery has higher TSH level in cord blood. Other factors that were evaluated in this study didn′t have any statistically significant relationship.

Background Recent work has suggested possible linkages between perinatal factors and notably, head circumference and risks of subsequent atopic illness. Objective To examine the linkages between perinatal factors and risks of atopic conditions in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 16. Methods Measures of atopic illness including asthma, eczema, and other allergies were assessed prospectively during the course of a 16 year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand children. In the initial stage of this research, measures of perinatal variables including birthweight, gestational age, head circumference and length at birth were obtained from hospital record data. Results Children with head circumference at birth of 37 cm or greater had (unadjusted) odds of asthma that were 1.8 (P < 0.01) to 3.0 (P < 0.0001) times higher than the odds for children of lesser head circumference. However, risks of asthma were not related to other perinatal measures including birthweight, gestational age or length or ratios of these measures. There were no consistent associations between perinatal measures and other measures of childhood atopy including eczema, allergic rhinitis and other allergies. The associations between head circumference and asthma risks persisted when due allowance was made for potentially confounding social and perinatal factors. Conclusions It is concluded that large head circumference at birth may be associated with increased risks for the development of asthma. Possible explanations for the linkages between head circumference and asthma risks are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks whether biological factors play a causal role in violent criminal offending. We consider the research on genetic influence and find no evidence of hereditary transmission of violent criminal behavior. There is considerable evidence, however, that violent delinquent and adult offenders exhibit an elevated frequency of brain damage. Potential sources of this brain damage exist in the prenatal and perinatal course of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Swedish childhood diabetes register, a nationwide, case-referent study was performed from September 1, 1985 to August 31, 1986. Based on the information from a mailed questionnaire sent to all incident diabetic children and for each diabetic child - two referent children matched according to age, sex, and county, we have analysed perinatal events and aspects of the social environment as possible risk factors for Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes in childhood. A significantly larger proportion of the mothers of the diabetic children were older than 40 years compared to those of the referent children (33% and 24%, p=0.01 respectively). A smaller percentage of mothers of the diabetic children had a high educational level compared to mothers of referent children (10% and 15%, p=0.03 respectively) and 39% of the fathers of the diabetic children were manual workers compared to 31% of the fathers of referent children ( p=0.03). Perinatal events did not differ between diabetic and referent children. In children 0-6 years, the duration of breast-feeding was significantly shorter in diabetic children than among referent children (median duration for diabetic children 5 months compared to 6 months for referent children p=0.03). When considering the presence of Type 1 diabetes among relatives, maternal age over 40 years, low educational level of the mother, and the father being a manual worker as risk factors, the presence of 1 to 4 of any of these risk factors increased the relative risk for Type 1 diabetes cumulatively from 1.2-7.5. In conclusion, breast-feeding habits and probably other factors dependent on maternal age and the social status of the family may further increase the risk for Type 1 diabetes in genetically susceptible individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To analyse the contribution of certain social, familial, prenatal, perinatal, and developmental background factors in the pathogenesis of deficits in attention, motor control, and perception (DAMP).Methods: A population based case-control study was carried out with 113 children aged 6 years, 62 diagnosed with DAMP and 51 controls without DAMP. The children's health and medical records were studied and their history with regard to background factors was taken at an interview with the mother using a standardised schedule. Familial factors, possible non-optimal factors during pregnancy (including smoking), developmental factors (including early language development), and medical and psychosocial data were scored in accordance with the reduced optimality method.Results: Low socioeconomic class was common in the group with DAMP. Familial language disorder and familial motor clumsiness were found at higher rates in the DAMP group. Neuropathogenic risk factors in utero were also more common in the children with DAMP. Maternal smoking during pregnancy appeared to be an important risk factor. Language problems were present in two thirds of the children with DAMP. Sleep problems and gastrointestinal disorders, but not atopy or otitis media, were significantly more common in the DAMP group.Conclusions: Prenatal familial and neuropathogenic risk factors contribute to the development of DAMP. Primary prevention, such as improved maternal health care and early detection or treatment, or both, of associated language problems appear to be essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and lipoproteins (by electrophoresis on agarose gel) were determined in the cord blood of 124 Italian infants (Verona area). The mean TC and TG values, when compared with the values reported in other studies, turned out to be remarkably uniform, suggesting common genetic determinants in the modulation of blood lipids; no sex differences were observed. The TG distribution curve was skewed, overlapping the adult pattern. Cord blood TC and TG were not modified by the presence of perinatal factors. Both β and α bands (on agarose gel electrophoresis) were present in all the cases. The pre-β band was clearly detectable in 90 % of the cases; it was barely visible for TG values below 20 mg/100 ml; occasionally a discrepancy between the intensity of the pre-β band and the cord blood TG was observed, indicating a variable lipid composition of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). In 4 % of the cases a small band at the origin of the electrophoretic run was observed, consistent with the presence of chylomicrons. In the serum of both a newborn infant and its mother we detected a double band migrating in the pre-β region. This finding confirms the hypothesis of a familial transmission of this abnormality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have shown that breastfeeding self-efficacy constitutes a determinant used to forecast breastfeeding behaviours., Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated to breastfeeding self-efficacy and identify its predictors among Greek women in their immediate postpartum period., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the General Hospital of Volos, Greece. A convenience sample of 120 postpartum women who gave birth at the hospital and met all the inclusion criteria were invited to participate; 100 responded. Questionnaires on socio-demographic, perinatal and breastfeeding-related characteristics, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Breastfeeding Self-Efficiency Scale were completed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the use of the linear regression model., Results: Women reported a rather good level of breastfeeding self-efficacy (mean = 3.65; SD = 0.85) in the early postpartum period. 52% of women carried out exclusive breastfeeding in the hospital. The prevalence of postnatal depression was 25%. The best-fit regression analysis revealed four predictors (timing of the mother's decision to breastfeed, infant's feeding pattern, previous breastfeeding experience, levels of postnatal depression) explaining 44.7% of the variance in breastfeeding self-efficacy., Conclusion: Acknowledging the determinants which affect breastfeeding self-efficacy of women in the immediate postpartum period is a necessary condition in designing targeted intervention services., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2021 Konstantinos Tsaras, Tatiana Sorokina, Ioanna V. Papathanasiou, Evangelos C. Fradelos, Dimitrios Papagiannis, George Koulierakis.)