Perfluoro-n-octane-assisted Superior Inverted ILM Flap without Using the Peeling-off Technique for Large Macular Holes

Purpose@#To evaluate the surgical outcomes of a perfluoro-n-octane (PFO)-assisted superior inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap without the peeling-off technique for the treatment of a large macular hole (MH). @*Methods@#This retrospective interventional case series examined 13 eyes with a MH ≥ 400 μm. All eyes underwent 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy. An ILM flap stained with 0.025% brilliant blue G was made in the superior area of the hole. The ILM in the temporal, nasal, and inferior areas around the hole was not peeled off. The hole was gently covered using the inverted ILM flap, which was stabilized using a small amount of PFO. Fluidair exchange was performed slowly. The small amount of residual PFO was removed by evaporation. The patients were instructed to maintain a facedown position for 1 day postoperatively. Anatomical closure of the hole and visual acuity were assessed postoperatively. @*Results@#The average hole size was 605.08 ± 102.41 μm. Nine eyes had an idiopathic MH, two exhibited age-related macular degeneration, and one each had high myopia and a traumatic MH. All eyes achieved type I closure. The foveal contour improved gradually during follow-up: 92.3% of eyes had a U-shaped fovea, and 61.5% exhibited complete recovery of the ellipsoid zone. The visual acuity improved from 0.91 to 0.55 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (p = 0.003). @*Conclusions@#The PFO-assisted superior inverted ILM flap without peeling-off was effective for stabilizing the flap over the hole and consequently achieving good anatomical and visual outcomes in large MHs.

Incidence and Clinical Course of Acute Endophthalmitis after Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Surgery with Microincision Vitrectomy

Purpose@#To investigate the incidence and clinical course of acute endophthalmitis after idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) surgery employing microincision vitrectomy (MIVS). @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of eyes with acute endophthalmitis developing after iERM surgery via 23- or 25-gauge MIVS from 2011 to 2021. The incidence, culture-positive rate (and responsible bacteria), final visual acuity (VA), and factors affecting poor visual outcomes were assessed. @*Results@#Acute endophthalmitis developed in 20 of the 12,921 eyes (0.15%) after MIVS. Of these, 14 of 3,180 eyes treated via iERM (0.44%, one per 227 procedures) developed endophthalmitis; the incidence ratio (iERM versus non-iERM) was 7.1 (p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.6-22.7). At least one sclerotomy remained unsutured in all eyes after iERM surgery. Thirteen eyes (92.9%) were given intravitreal antibiotic injections after emergency vitrectomy, and one eye was treated with intravitreal antibiotic injection alone. Staphylococcus epidermidis was cultured from four eyes (28.6%); three strains were methicillin-resistant. All final VAs were not better than the initial VAs; the average VA decreased from 20/42 to 20/259 (p < 0.001). Six eyes (42.9%) attained legal blindness status (final VA < 20/200); Macular invasion was a unique risk factor for such blindness (p = 0.020, odds ratio = 35.0, 95% CI = 1.7-703.0). @*Conclusions@#Acute endophthalmitis developing after iERM surgery with MIVS was more common than such endophthalmitis after other retinal surgery. Approximately 40% of the former patients became legally blind, and the risk was higher in eyes with macular involvement of endophthalmitis.

ILM Insertion for the Treatment of Macular Hole Associated with Phakic Intraocular Lens Implantation

Purpose@#To report a case of macular hole closure using an internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap following implantation of a posterior chamber phakic implantable contact lens (ICL).Case summary: An 18-year-old female patient presented with visual loss of the left eye after ICL implantation. She had high myopia of -12.5 diopter (spherical equivalent) and a corrected visual acuity of 2/100. The fundus photograph and optical coherence tomography showed a full-thickness macular hole measuring 688 µm in width and 976 µm in length. The ILM around the hole was detached from the retinal surface, which was greater in size than the macular hole. The initial surgical intervention involved vitrectomy, inverted ILM flap placement, and gas tamponade. The decrease in gas volume was associated with a loss of the ILM flap. For hole closure, the remaining ILM flap in the peripheral macula was harvested and inserted in the hole during the second surgery. The silicone oil was used for tamponade. One month after ILM insertion, complete closure of the hole was observed. The visual acuity improved to 20/40 after silicone oil removal. @*Conclusions@#A large full-thickness macular hole developed after ICL implantation in a patient with high myopia. Macular hole surgery using ILM insertion and prolonged tamponade closed the hole and effectively improved the visual acuity.

Predictive Accuracy of Refraction after Transscleral Fixation of Intraocular Lenses in Trabeculectomized Eyes with Glaucoma

Purpose@#To investigate the predictive accuracy of refraction and any change in intraocular pressure (IOP) after transscleral fixation of intraocular lenses (IOLs) in trabeculectomized eyes with glaucoma. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of glaucoma patients who underwent trabeculectomy, followed by transscleral fixation of dislocated IOLs combined with vitrectomy. The refraction predicted by the SRK/T formula and the postoperative refraction were converted into spherical equivalents. Predictive refraction accuracies were analyzed when the differences between the two values were within ± 0.5 diopters (D) and ± 1.0 D. The IOP was measured before and after surgery. @*Results@#Eleven eyes of 11 men (mean age, 67.27 ± 10.55 years) were included. The mean axial length was 23.64 ± 1.26 mm; the mean predicted and postoperative refractions were -0.02 ± 0.46 D and -0.80 ± 0.98 D, respectively (p = 0.029). The refractive outcome was more myopic (by -0.78 ± 1.11 D) than predicted. The predictive accuracies were 36.4% and 72.7% when the differences were ± 0.5 and ± 1.0 D, respectively. The IOP did not change during follow-up (13.18 ± 4.56, 12.82 ± 5.88, and 12.73 ± 4.58 mmHg at baseline, 1 week, and 3 months, respectively). @*Conclusions@#In trabeculectomized eyes, transscleral IOL fixation did not affect the IOP, but the refractive outcome was more myopic than predicted. This difference should be considered when choosing IOL target power.

Clinical Effects of Guardcel® Nasal Packing on Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose@#To compare the clinical effects of Guardcel® (Genewel. Co, Seongnam, Korea) and Nasopore®(Polyganics, Rozenburglaan, Groningen, The Netherlands), two types of absorbable nasal packing materials after endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. @*Methods@#A total of 41 patients (49 eyes) who underwent endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy from March 2017 to January 2019 were studied retrospectively. Twenty seven eyes were packed with Guardcel® and twenty two eyes with Nasopore®. We compared the postoperative anatomical and functional surgical success rates between the groups at 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, and 6 months , as well as the frequency of postoperative complications including bleeding. @*Results@#There was no significant difference between the Guardcel® and Nasopore® groups in the postoperative anatomical and functional surgical success rate at 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, or 6 months. Also, there was no significant group difference in the incidence of postoperative complications. @*Conclusions@#The anatomical and functional surgical success rates and incidence of postoperative complications, including bleeding, synechiae, infection, granuloma, and revision were similar between the Guardcel® and Nasopore® groups. Therefore, Guardcel® can be used safely and effectively as an absorbable nasal packing material in endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy treatment.

Two Cases of Mydriasis following Barrier Photocoagulation at the Peripheral Lattice Degeneration or Retinal Hole

Purpose@#To report two cases of pupil dilatation that occurred after laser treatment at the peripheral lattice degeneration or retinal hole.Case summary: A 28-year-old male was treated with a Pascal laser for barrier photocoagulation at 10-12 and 6 o'clock retinal holes and a lattice degeneration. He complained of decreased visual activity at near distance. The right pupil size was 5 mm and the left pupil size was 3 mm. The right eye was more dilatated. The relative afferent pupillary defect test of the right eye was normal and the direct light reflex was slightly decreased in the same eye. A 35-year-old female patient was treated with a barrier grid photocoagulation with an argon laser for peripheral retinal degeneration, which occurred 1 month prior. The right eye dilatation was 4 mm pupil size. Both the pupillary light reflex and the relative afferent pupillary defect test showed normal results. @*Conclusions@#Because mydriasis can occur as an uncommon complication following barrier photocoagulation at the peripheral retinal degeneration and hole, mydriasis before the peripheral retinal treatmen should be fully explained to the patient. In addition, every effort should be made to minimize damage to the distribution of the short ciliary nerve, especially superior and inferior to the peripheral retinal lesion.

An Empirical Analysis of Costs related to Nursing Practice / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify nursing service costs associated with all health care costs incurred by the institution. METHODS: This study was an empirical case study research in which the nursing cost was separated from total medical cost. The nursing cost index was calculated through a cost allocation method after summarizing costs for personnel, raw materials and administration of each department in one public hospital. The 2014 budget plan, published in ‘Public Hospitals Alert’, was used as data and the data were analyzed using the Microsoft Office EXCEL 2013 program. RESULTS: When comparing total medical costs and nursing costs, the nursing cost were 27.14% of the total medical cost. The nursing cost per nurse per hour was calculated as ₩29,128 The nursing cost per inpatient per day was calculated as ₩157,970, and the administration cost per patient was calculated as ₩133,710. CONCLUSION: The results of the research present the process of cost allocation of specific cost elements in the hospital and evidence for administrative costs which in the past have been only vaguely formulated. These are the significant implications of this study.

Combined effect of folate and adiposity on homocysteine in children at three years of age

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular diseases is a major cause of death and is responsible for 23.8% of deaths in Korea. Clinical symptoms manifest in adulthood, but susceptibility begins in utero. Elevated homocysteine levels and adiposity might be linked to a greater risk in children as well as adults. We hypothesized that those who have simultaneous risk for folate and adiposity would be affected with elevated homocysteine levels at 3 years of age. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From the ongoing birth cohort at Ewha Womans University Mok-Dong Hospital, we compared adiposity parameters, serum homocysteine, and folate levels in 238 children (118 boys and 120 girls) at three years of age. The relationship between birth outcome, current weight and body mass index (BMI), postnatal growth, and homocysteine level were assessed using correlation and general linear model. Additionally, we assessed the combined effect between blood folate status and adiposity on current homocysteine levels. RESULTS: Birth characteristics were not correlated with homocysteine. Current weight, BMI, upper-arm circumference, skinfold thickness, waist circumference, and hip circumference were positively correlated with homocysteine at three years of age (P < 0.05). Folate level was negatively correlated with homocysteine at three years of age (P < 0.0001). A relative high anthropometric measure which is compatible with adiposity and low folate level was associated with high homocysteine levels. CONCLUSION: We found a combined effect of adiposity and folate levels with homocysteine levels at three years of age. This implicates the beneficial role of folate supplementation in the high-risk population at an early age.

Negative Association between Obesity Index and Thyroid Hormones in Euthyroid Children

BACKGROUND: The number of obese people is increasing worldwide; in particular, childhood obesity is becoming a major problem. Obesity elevates the risk of various endocrine-metabolic diseases, and it was recently reported that there was a correlation between obesity and thyroid hormone level. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between the obesity index and thyroid hormone level in healthy children with normal thyroid function. METHODS: The study subjects included children 7-12 years of age with normal thyroid function who participated in follow-up observations from 2011 to 2014 as participants in the Ewha Infant Growth Cohort (2001-2006). Subjects with a body mass index (BMI) > or =85th percentile were classified in the overweight group for the analysis (37 subjects, 14.5%). RESULTS: No significant differences in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or free thyroxine (FT4) levels were observed between the overweight and normal groups containing a total of 256 children (122 boys, 134 girls). Waist circumference, BMI z score, and WHtR were negatively correlated with TSH levels after adjusting for age, sex, birth weight and puberty status (P=0.03, P=0.04, P=0.05). However other obesity index did not show any relationship with TSH or FT4 levels. CONCLUSION: In children with normal thyroid function, waist circumference and BMI z score showed a negative correlation with TSH levels.

The Effect of Social Capital on Health-related Quality of Life of Residents in Integrated Changwon City: Using the Data of the 2013 Community Health Survey

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine social capital and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of residents who were living in the three regions(Masan, Jinhae, and Changwon) of integrated Changwon and to analyze the effect of social capital on HRQoL. METHODS: This study used the Masan, Jinhae and Changwon data of the 2013 Community Health Survey. The social capital questionnaire consisted of three subdomains (trust, participation, and network). HRQoL was measured with the Korean-version EQ-5D. The effect of social capital on HRQoL was analyzed using multiple regression with controlling for general characteristics and health behavior. RESULTS: The trust level of Masan citizen was highest among the three regions. Jinhae citizen showed the highest level of participation and network out of the three regions. Trust was not a significant influencing factor in any of the three models. Participation was a significant influencing factor in all of the three models. Network was a significant influencing factor only in the Masan model. CONCLUSION: Participation was the most important factor for health among the three social capital subdomains. Strategies for encouraging social participation are needed for health promotion for the residents of integrated Changwon.

An Analysis on the Nurse Expansion Policies through Policy Network / 보건행정학회지

BACKGROUND: Policy network theory was proved to be an appropriate analytic tool for the current social welfare policy making process. This study aimed to analyze policy making process related to the nurse expansion and policy output while focusing on the interactions and activities among various policy actors. METHODS: In this study, we used reports related to the need for expansion of nursing personnel journals, dissertations, newspaper articles, for hearings and debate policies for securing nurse data, and interviews. We examined three components of policy network, that is, policy actors, interactions, linkage of interest. RESULTS: For that to expand the nurse before the 2000s in expanding the supply of medical supplies have been conducted without much disagreement among policy actors under the government's initiative. However, there was lacked a close relationship between the expanding supply of nurses and inaccurate analysis of supply and demand. As the policy is applied between the various policy actors' needs and claims, conflict was intensified and many policy options had been developed. Government only took a role as a coordinator among policy actors in the 2000's. Also, it was difficult to find sufficient and clear evidence that policy-making process based on fair judgment. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is urgently required to determine the policy through a social consensus to address the appropriate policy means and the process by correct analysis of the policy issues.

Cost-of-Illness and Quality of Life in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis at a Tertiary Hospital in Korea

The objectives of this study were to estimate the cost-of-illness (COI) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Korea and to evaluate the effects of socio-demographic and clinical factors on the COI and the HRQOL. Face-to-face interview surveys were taken from patients with AS at the Rheumatology Clinic of Seoul National University Hospital. Direct medical and non-medical costs, indirect costs (productivity loss due to job loss and sick leave), and deterioration of HRQOL in patients with AS were measured. Factors associated with COI and HRQOL were analyzed with multiple regression and multivariate logistic regression. A total of 191 patients with AS was enrolled in the study. The COI in patients with AS amounted to 11,646,180 Korean Won (KRW) per patient, and their HRQOL was 0.62. As functional severity worsened, the total costs increased (class I, KRW 7.7 million; class II, KRW 12.9 million; classes III & IV, KRW 25.2 million) and the HRQOL scores decreased (class I, 0.72; class II, 0.61; classes III & IV, 0.24). Functional severity is the major determinant of the COI and HRQOL in patients with AS.

Application of Revised Nursing Work Index to Hospital Nurses of South Korea

PURPOSE: Based on the Revised Nursing Work Index (NWI-R), this research aimed to develop a Korean Hospital General Inpatient Unite-Nursing Work Index (KGU-NWI). This study also aimed to compare the common points and differences between the subfactors of the KGU-NWI and the subfactors from previous studies. METHODS: Based on opinions from 3,151 nurses in Korean hospital general inpatient unit, this research used 57 items of NWI-R and the principal axis factor analysis for deriving subfactors. We evaluated the convergent validity through factor analysis and the content validity of KGU-NWI in terms of the association between nurses' job outcome and the subfactors derived. RESULTS: Six subfactors and 26 items for KGU-NWI were derived from NWI-R. Among them, 'physician-nurse relationship', 'adequate nurse staffing' and 'organizational support and management of hospital' were the same with results from previous studies. In addition, two subfactors, 'participation of decision-making processes' and 'education for improving quality of care', which were similar with results from previous Korean studies, were newly added by using Korean hospital cases. In contrast to previous Korean studies, a unique subfactor this study found was 'nursing processes'. This research confirmed that the six subfactors were highly correlated with job satisfaction, intention to leave, and quality of health care, which represented a nurse's job outcome. CONCLUSION: KGU-NWI including six subfactors and 26 items is an applicable instrument to investigate nurse work environment in Korean hospital general inpatient unit.

Associations of Income and Wealth with Health Status in the Korean Elderly / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to verify the association between wealth or income level and health status after adjusting for other socio-economic position (SEP) indicators among Korean adults aged 45 and over. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 1st wave of Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (households: 6,171, persons: 10,254). We used self-rated health status and activities of daily living (ADLs) as dependent variables. Explanatory variables included both net wealth measured by savings, immovables, the other valuated assets and total income including pay, transfer, property and so on. Binary logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationships. Also, in order to determine the relative health inequality across economic groups, we estimated the relative index of inequality (RII). RESULTS: The inequality of health status was evident among various wealth and income groups. The wealthiest group (5th quintile) was much healthier than the poorest group, and this differential increased with age. Likewise, higher income was associated with better health status among the elderly. However, these effects, as measured by the odds ratio and RII, showed that wealth was more important in determining health status of elderly people. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that economic capability plays a significant role in determining the health status and other health-related problems among the elderly. Particularly, our results show that health status of the aged is related more closely to the individual's wealth than income.

Association of genetic polymorphisms in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase with preeclampsia in Korean women / 대한산부인과학회지

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether polymorphisms of genes encoding peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR gamma) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are associated with preeclmapsia in Korean women and also to demonstrate whether there is any haplotypic association between preeclampsia and those genes. METHODS: DNA was extracted from whole blood of 226 preeclampsia patients and 235 healthy pregnant women. The genotypes of SNPs in PPAR gamma (-796A>G, P12A (C>G), H447H (161C>T)) and MTHFR (A222V (677C>T), E429A (1298A>C), R594Q (1793G>A)) were analyzed by a single base primer extension assay using a SNaPShot assay kit. Results were analyzed with the Student's t-test, Chi-square test, and Logistic regression analysis. Haplotype analyses were performed using Haploview 3.2 version. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies of PPAR gamma and MTHFR gene polymorphisms between preeclampsia patients and controls (p>0.05). No increase in the risk of preeclampsia for those genes was observed under any model of inheritance. Among SNPs of the PPAR gamma, MTHFR genes, only SNPs in MTHFR gene (677C>T, 1298A>C, 1793G>A) were in a strong linkage disequilibrium with each other (Lod score>2.0), but there were no significant differences in genotype distribution of haplotypes of MTHFR gene (TAG, CAG, CCA, CCG) between preeclampsia patients and controls (p>0.05). No statistically significant associations were observed between any haplotypes of MTHFR gene and preeclampsia risk. CONCLUSION: This study suggest that SNPs in PPAR gamma and MTHFR gene were not associated with preeclampsia in Korean women, and its haplotypes were also not associated with preeclampsia.

The Study of 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphism and Its Effect on Pregnancy Outcomes among the Korean Population / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze MTHFR polymorphism among the Korean population and to evaluate the relationship between serum levels of homocysteine and MTHFR polymorphism and also to investigate the effect on pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: DNA was extracted from whole blood of 600 pregnant women. All samples were genotyped for the C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in MTHFR gene by PCR-RELP assay. Serum levels of homocysteine and folate were measured by high performance liquid chromatography for homocysteine and radioassay for folate. Pregnancy outcomes were estimated by gestational weeks and birth weights of newborns. RESULTS: Serum homocysteine was higher in women with the T/T genotype than those with the C/T or C/C genotype of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism (p<0.05). And also serum homocysteine was higher in women with the A/A genotype than those with the A/C or C/C genotype of the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism (p<0.05). Serum homocysteine was negatively correlated with serum folate in all MTHFR genotypes, especially prominent in T/T genotype of MTHFR C677T polymorphism and A/A genotype of MTHFR A1298C polymorphism. Gestational age and the birth weight of infant from hyperhomocysteinemic mothers whose homocysteine levels higher than 15 micromol/L were 36.1 weeks, 3053.8g, respectively, which were significant lower than those from normohomocysteinemic mothers (38.3 weeks, 3,215.3g) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum homocysteine was influenced significantly by MTHFR C677T polymorphism and MTHFR A1298C polymorphism. MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphism and serum homocysteine levels affect pregnancy outcomes, although not mainly by serum folate level.

Comparison of Umbilical Venous Erythropoietin Concentration Between Non-meconium Stained Neonates and Meconium Stained Neonates of Term Pregnancy / 대한주산의학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether meconium staining can be the indicator of intrauterine hypoxia by comparing umbilical venous erythropoietin (EPO) concentration and the number of nucleated erythrocytes (NRBC), as a marker of intrauterine hypoxia, between non meconium-stained neonates and meconium-stained neonates of term pregnancy. And to determine correlation between the number of NRBC, EPO levels and interleukin-6 (IL-6), as another mediator of intrauterine hypoxia. METHODS: In 240 neonates with gestational age ranged from 37 to 41 weeks, including 231 cases of nonmeconium-stained neonates and 9 cases of meconium-stained neonates, we performed the measurement of EPO levels by RIA, the number of NRBC per 100 white blood cells (WBC) by blood smear and IL-6 by ELISA in umbilical venous blood at delivery. Statistical analysis was performed by chi-square test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, linear regression analysis using SPSS 11.0 version statistical package. RESULTS: Amniotic fluids of meconium-stained neonates had significantly greater EPO concentrations compared with that of nonmeconium-stained controls (41.3+/-13.0 vs 26.5+/-18.9 mIU/mL, p=0.001). But there were no statistical difference in the number of NRBC, IL-6 levels and hematocrit of umbilical venous blood. The EPO levels in umbilical venous blood was correlated with the number of nucleated erythrocytes (r2=7.7%, p<0.001), and IL-6 in umbilical venous blood was correlated with the number of NRBC. (r2=11.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that meconium-stained amniotic fluid can be associated with fetal hypoxia. And the production of fetal NRBC is thought to be stimulated by EPO and IL-6, but it requires further study of other (yet to be determined) hypoxia-derived mediators.

A Trial for Association between Oxidative Stress in Midterm Pregnancy and Postnatal Growth during the First Year of Life / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: We aims to construct Infant Growth Cohort for evaluating whether oxidative stress in midterm pregnancy has an adverse effect on postnatal growth. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From September 2001 to April 2004, we constructed an Ewha Infant Growth Cohort connected with the Ewha Pregnant Women Cohort. We excluded mother-and-child pairs in which the mother had experienced hypertension or diabetes during pregnancy and had multiple births for this study, which gave us 233 mother-and-child pairs for analysis. We measured maternal serum homocysteine and urinary 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) at 24~28 weeks of pregnancy, and infant weights at birth and at 6 and 12 months postnatally. We applied repeated measures ANOVA with PROC MIXED to assess the significance of differences. RESULTS: We followed 64 and 85 infants at 6 and 12 months respectively. The mean body weights were 3146.4 g at birth, 8229.7 g at 6 months, and 1006.47 g at 12 months. The mean birth weight of infants was lower in mothers with higher homocysteine levels (third and fourth quartiles), but body weights from the first- and fourth-quartile groups of maternal homocysteine levels were lower than the others even though it was not statistically significant. Body weights at birth and at 6 months in third- and fourth-quartile groups of 8-OHdG levels were lower than the others. The body weights in the fourth quartile MDA group were significantly lower than the others at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal oxidative stress in midterm pregnancy may cause postnatal growth retardation. But, there were high rate of follow up loss and various measurement errors. Therefore, we need to have efforts for compete follow up and valid and reliable measurements.