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Background: Extreme in utero temperatures have been associated with adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and low birthweight. However, there is limited evidence on associations with neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, which reflect a range of poor neonatal health outcomes., Methods: This case-crossover study assesses the associations between ambient temperature changes during the week of delivery and risk of NICU admission. Data from the Consortium on Safe Labor (2002-2008) were linked to ambient temperature at hospital referral regions. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) estimated NICU admission risk with a 1 °C increase on each day of the week of delivery and of the average weekly temperature, adjusted for particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) and relative humidity. We also estimated associations with 1 °C increases and 1 °C decreases in temperatures during weeks of site-specific extreme heat (>90th and 95th percentiles) and cold (<5th and 10th percentiles), respectively., Results: There were 27,188 NICU admissions with median (25th, 75th) temperature of 16.4 °C (5.8, 23.0) during the week before delivery. A 1 °C increase in temperature during the week of delivery was not associated with risk of NICU admission. However, analyses of extreme temperatures found that a 1 °C decrease in weekly average temperatures below the 10th and 5th percentiles was associated with 30 % (aHR = 1.30, 95 % CI 1.28, 1.31) and 47 % (aHR = 1.47, 95 % CI 1.45, 1.50) increased risk of NICU admissions, while a 1 °C increase in weekly average temperatures above the 90th and 95th percentiles was associated with more than two- (aHR = 2.29, 95 % CI 2.17, 2.42) and four-fold (aHR = 4.30, 95 % CI 3.68, 5.03) higher risk of NICU admission, respectively., Conclusions: Our study found temperature extremes in the week before delivery increased NICU admission risk, particularly during extreme heat, which may translate to more adverse neonatal outcomes as extreme temperatures persist., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jessica L. Gleason reports financial support was provided by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Katherine L. Grantz reports financial support was provided by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Katherine L. Grantz reports a relationship with National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that includes: employment. Jessica L. Gleason reports a relationship with National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that includes: employment. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The length of research fellowships, the number of doctorates pursuing them, and the academic job market have changed dramatically in recent years. However, there is limited investigation on attributes of fellowships most relevant to future scientific achievement. We analyzed the association of a modifiable aspect of research training, fellowship length, with future achievement and differences across research discipline in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research (DIPHR), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health., Methods: Demographics of 88 DIPHR trainees from 1998 to 2016 were collected from publicly available annual reports. Research performance metrics, including total publication count and H index through 2016, were collected via Scopus. We used linear regression models for associations between fellowship length, including both total exposure to research training and duration of postdoctoral training alone, and research performance adjusted for start year, publications at entry, branch (e.g., Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Epidemiology, and Health Behavior), and mentor seniority., Results: Each additional year of research training in DIPHR was associated with a 15% increase in H index (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.0, 28.4) and 21% more lifetime publications (95% CI = 3.0, 41.9). Results were similar, although attenuated, when evaluating postdoctoral training alone. Differences by discipline were observed, with the strongest positive associations in the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and Epidemiology Branches., Conclusions: Longer training at DIPHR was associated with improved measures of research performance, though this relationship varied by discipline. Additional research is needed to tailor training programs to optimize success of trainees.

Since the 2000s, air pollution has generally continued to decrease in the U.S. To investigate preterm birth (PTB) risk associated with air pollutants in two consecutive pregnancies, we estimated exposures using modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models linked to the NICHD Consecutive Pregnancy Study. Electronic medical records for delivery admissions were available for 50,005 women with singleton births in 20 Utah-based hospitals between 2002-2010. We categorized whole pregnancy average exposures as high (>75th percentile), moderate (25-75) and low (<25). Modified Poisson regression estimated second pregnancy PTB risk associated with persistent high and moderate exposure, and increasing or decreasing exposure, compared to persistent low exposure. Analyses were adjusted for prior PTB, interpregnancy interval and demographic and clinical characteristics. Second pregnancy PTB risk was increased when exposure stayed high for sulfur dioxide (32%), ozone (17%), nitrogen oxides (24%), nitrogen dioxide (43%), carbon monoxide (31%) and for particles < 10 microns (29%) versus consistently low exposure. PTB risk tended to increase to a lesser extent for repeated PTB (19-21%) than for women without a prior PTB (22-79%) when exposure increased or stayed high. Area-level changes in air pollution exposure appear to have important consequences in consecutive pregnancies with increasing exposure associated with higher risk.

Background: The impact of autoimmune diseases on pregnancy remains understudied on a population level. Examination of obstetric and neonatal outcomes among women with autoimmune disease and their infants can provide important insights for clinical management., Methods: Autoimmune diseases and outcomes were identified using medical records. Cesarean delivery, preterm birth, preeclampsia, small for gestational age (SGA), neonatal intensive care (NICU) admission, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), and perinatal mortality risk was assessed. Poisson regression with robust standard errors estimated relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) with adjustment for maternal characteristics and other chronic conditions., Results: Women with T1DM were at increased risk for nearly all outcomes including RDS (RR: 3.62; 95% CI: 2.84, 4.62), perinatal mortality (RR: 2.35; 95% CI: 1.12, 4.91), cesarean delivery (RR: 2.16; 95% CI: 2.02, 2.32) and preterm birth (RR: 3.52; 95% CI: 3.17, 3.91). Women with SLE also had higher risk for preterm delivery (RR: 2.90; 95% CI: 2.42, 3.48) and RDS (RR:2.99; 95% CI: 1.99, 4.51) as did women with Crohn's (cesarean delivery RR:1.31, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.60; preterm delivery RR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.49. RA increased risk for SGA (RR:1.66; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.55)., Conclusion(s): Despite the heterogeneity in autoimmune diseases, we observed elevated preterm birth risk for most women with autoimmune disease. SLE and T1DM appeared to confer increased risk for a wide range of adverse outcomes., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates have increased over time. Air pollution is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but the relationship between prenatal air pollution exposure and NICU admission has not been investigated., Methods: In the Consortium on Safe Labor (2002-2008), 27,189 singletons were admitted to the NICU. Modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models estimated exposures for criteria air pollutants and constituents of particles less than or equal to 2.5 microns (PM 2.5 ). Case-crossover analyses calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for interquartile range increases in pollutant exposure, comparing exposures during the week of delivery to control periods before and after delivery., Results: In models that adjusted for PM 2.5 , exposure to PM 2.5 constituents during the week before delivery was significantly associated with increased odds of NICU admission: elemental carbon (35%), ammonium ions (37%), nitrate compounds (16%), organic compounds (147%), and sulfate compounds (35%). Odds were also significantly increased by day of and day before delivery exposures to carbon monoxide (4%-5%), nitrogen dioxide (13%), nitrogen oxides (4%-8%), particles less than or equal to 10 microns (2%), particles less than or equal to 2.5 microns (2%), and sulfur dioxide (3%-6%). No associations were observed for ozone., Conclusions: Acute exposures to PM 2.5 constituents and several traffic-related pollutants during the week before delivery, the day of delivery, and day before delivery appear to increase the odds of NICU admissions. These novel associations suggest infants exposed in utero to common air pollutants may require additional care during the newborn hospital admission., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Pill dysphagia is common and costly with a significant risk of pill retention, caustic injury, and poor medication compliance. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the validity and reliability of the PILL-5, a self-administered patient reported outcome measure (PROM) to quantify the degree of pill (tablet and capsule) dysphagia. The PILL-5 is a 5-item questionnaire with a maximum symptom score of 20. Methods: The PILL-5 was administered to 190 patients with dysphagia referred for videofluoroscopic esophagography (VFE). Construct validity was assessed by comparing PILL-5 composite scores to delayed barium tablet transit on VFE. Normative data was obtained by administering the instrument to a cohort of healthy community based volunteers. Internal consistency was assessed with the Cronbach alpha. Test/retest reliability was determined by administering the instrument to the same cohort of patients at two time points. Results: The mean PILL-5 was 5.6 (±4.9) for persons with dysphagia and 1.6 (±2.7) for healthy volunteers ( p < 0.001). The internal consistency of the instrument was high (Cronbach alpha = 0.85). The mean PILL-5 was 4.3 (±4.1) for patients with normal transit and 7.6 (±5.3) for patients with delayed barium tablet transit on esophagography, indicating excellent criterion based validity ( p < 0.001). Reproducibility was high with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.83 ( p < 0.001). Conclusions: Healthy individuals report some degree of swallowing difficulty with pills. Normative data suggest that a PILL-5 > 6 is abnormal (mean + 2 SD). The instrument demonstrated excellent criterion based validity and reliability. The PILL-5 is the first validated patient reported outcome measure for pill dysphagia.

Background: Ambient air pollution may affect fetal growth restriction (FGR) through several mechanisms. However, prior studies of air pollution and small-for-gestational age (SGA), a common proxy for FGR, have reported inconsistent findings., Objective: We assessed air pollution in relation to physician-diagnosed FGR and population-based SGA in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Consecutive Pregnancy Study (2002-2010)., Methods: Among 50,005 women (112,203 singleton births), FGR was captured from medical records and ICD-9 codes, and SGA determined by population standards for birthweight <10th, <5th and <3rd percentile. Community Multiscale Air Quality models estimated ambient levels of seven criteria pollutants for whole pregnancy, 3-months preconception, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Generalized estimating equations with robust standard errors accounted for interdependency of pregnancies within participant. Models adjusted for maternal age, race/ethnicity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, smoking, alcohol, parity, insurance, marital status, asthma and temperature., Results: FGR was diagnosed in 1.5% of infants, and 6.7% were <10th, 2.7% <5th and 1.5% <3rd percentile for SGA. Positive associations of SO 2 , NO 2 and PM 10 and negative associations of O 3 with FGR were observed throughout preconception and pregnancy. For example, an interquartile increase in whole pregnancy SO 2 was associated with 16% (95% CI 8%, 25%) increased FGR risk, 17% for NO 2 (95% CI 9%, 26%) and 12% for PM 10 (95% CI 6%, 19%). Associations with SGA were less clear., Conclusions: Chronic exposure to air pollution may be associated with FGR but not SGA in this low-risk population., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: Maternal asthma increases adverse neonatal respiratory outcomes, and pollution may further increase risk. Air quality in relation to neonatal respiratory health has not been studied., Methods: Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN), asphyxia, and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were identified using medical records among 223,375 singletons from the Consortium on Safe Labor (2002-2008). Community Multiscale Air Quality models estimated pollutant exposures. Multipollutant Poisson regression models calculated adjusted relative risks of outcomes for interquartile range increases in average exposure. Maternal asthma and preterm delivery were evaluated as effect modifiers., Results: TTN risk increased after particulate matter (PM) less than or equal to 10-micron exposure during preconception and trimester one (9-10%), and whole-pregnancy exposure to PM less than or equal to 2.5 microns (PM 2.5 ; 17%) and carbon monoxide (CO; 10%). Asphyxia risk increased after exposure to PM 2.5 in trimester one (48%) and whole pregnancy (84%), CO in trimester two and whole pregnancy (28-32%), and consistently for ozone (34%-73%). RDS risk was associated with increased concentrations of nitrogen oxides (33%-42%) and ozone (9%-21%) during all pregnancy windows. Inverse associations were observed with several pollutants, particularly sulfur dioxide. No interaction with maternal asthma was observed. Restriction to term births yielded similar results., Conclusions: Several pollutants appear to increase neonatal respiratory outcome risks., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To estimate the association of pregnancy loss with common air pollutant exposure. Ambient air pollution exposure has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, but few studies have investigated its relationship with pregnancy loss., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Not applicable., Patient(s): A total of 343 singleton pregnancies in a multisite prospective cohort study with detailed protocols for ovulation and pregnancy testing., Intervention(s): None., Main Outcome Measure(s): Timing of incident pregnancy loss (from ovulation)., Result(s): The incidence of pregnancy loss was 28% (n = 98). Pollutant levels at women's residences were estimated using modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models and averaged during the past 2 weeks (acute) and the whole pregnancy (chronic). Adjusted Cox proportional hazards models showed that an interquartile range increase in average whole pregnancy ozone (hazard ratio [HR] 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.17) and particulate matter <2.5 μm (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.24) concentrations were associated with faster time to pregnancy loss. Sulfate compounds also appeared to increase risk (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.07-2.34). Last 2 weeks of exposures were not associated with loss., Conclusion(s): In a prospective cohort of couples trying to conceive, we found evidence that exposure to air pollution throughout pregnancy was associated with loss, but delineating specific periods of heightened vulnerability await larger preconception cohort studies with daily measured air quality., (Copyright © 2017 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Chronic and acute air pollution has been studied in relation to stillbirth with inconsistent findings. We examined stillbirth risk in a retrospective cohort of 223,375 singleton deliveries from 12 clinical sites across the United States. Average criteria air pollutant exposure was calculated using modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models for the day of delivery and each of the seven days prior, whole pregnancy, and first trimester. Poisson regression models using generalized estimating equations estimated the relative risk (RR) of stillbirth and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in relation to an interquartile range increase in pollutant with adjustment for temperature, clinical, and demographic factors. Ozone (O₃) was associated with a 13-22% increased risk of stillbirth on days 2, 3, and 5-7 prior to delivery in single pollutant models, and these findings persisted in multi-pollutant models for days 5 (RR = 1.22, CI = 1.07-1.38) and 6 (RR = 1.18, CI = 1.04-1.33). Whole pregnancy and first trimester O₃ increased risk 18-39% in single pollutant models. Maternal asthma increased stillbirth risk associated with chronic PM 2.5 and carbon monoxide exposures. Both chronic and acute O₃ exposure consistently increased stillbirth risk, while the role of other pollutants varied. Approximately 8000 stillbirths per year in the US may be attributable to O₃ exposure., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. This paper has been cleared for publication by the NICHD but the funding source had no role in the design of the study, collection, analyses or interpretation of the data, or in the writing of the manuscript.

Background: Contact surveys and diaries have conventionally been used to measure contact networks in different settings for elucidating infectious disease transmission dynamics of respiratory infections. More recently, technological advances have permitted the use of wireless sensor devices, which can be worn by individuals interacting in a particular social context to record high resolution mixing patterns. To date, a direct comparison of these two different methods for collecting contact data has not been performed., Methods: We studied the contact network at a United States high school in the spring of 2012. All school members (i.e., students, teachers, and other staff) were invited to wear wireless sensor devices for a single school day, and asked to remember and report the name and duration of all of their close proximity conversational contacts for that day in an online contact survey. We compared the two methods in terms of the resulting network densities, nodal degrees, and degree distributions. We also assessed the correspondence between the methods at the dyadic and individual levels., Results: We found limited congruence in recorded contact data between the online contact survey and wireless sensors. In particular, there was only negligible correlation between the two methods for nodal degree, and the degree distribution differed substantially between both methods. We found that survey underreporting was a significant source of the difference between the two methods, and that this difference could be improved by excluding individuals who reported only a few contact partners. Additionally, survey reporting was more accurate for contacts of longer duration, and very inaccurate for contacts of shorter duration. Finally, female participants tended to report more accurately than male participants., Conclusions: Online contact surveys and wireless sensor devices collected incongruent network data from an identical setting. This finding suggests that these two methods cannot be used interchangeably for informing models of infectious disease dynamics.