Subject(s)
Azoles , Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Trimester, First , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Maternal obesity is a chronic inflammatory state, which has been shown to induce increased levels of free fatty acids, reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cells. Recent evidence reveals increased levels of lipid peroxidation products in the plasma of obese women during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that maternal overweight or obesity is associated with increased oxidative stress (OS) in offspring. Two hundred and forty-five pregnant women and their newborns were prospectively enrolled. Mothers were divided in two groups: lean control - LC (n=175, Group I); overweight or obese (n=70, Group II) according to BMI ≥ 25 before pregnancy. Cord blood F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs), as reliable markers of OS, were measured in all newborns. Lower 1 minute APGAR score and higher weight at discharge were found in Group II neonates, compared to those of Group I (p less than 0.05). Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns of both groups showed increased levels of F2-IsoPs than appropriate (AGA) or large (LGA) for gestational age (GA) (p less than 0.01). SGA newborns of Group II had higher F2-IsoPs levels compared to SGA of Group I (p less than 0.01), which were significantly correlated to maternal BMI at the end of pregnancy (r=0.451, p less than 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis corrected for confounding factors, showed that maternal overweight or obesity was significantly associated with high F2-IsoPs levels in SGA offspring (p less than 0.01). Maternal overweight or obesity is associated with increased OS in their SGA newborns. Data suggest the need of antioxidant protection for both mothers during pregnancy and infants soon after birth.
Subject(s)
F2-Isoprostanes/blood , Infant, Small for Gestational Age/blood , Obesity/blood , Oxidative Stress , Adult , Birth Weight , Body Mass Index , Female , Fetal Blood/chemistry , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Lipid Peroxidation , Male , Multivariate Analysis , Obesity/physiopathology , Perinatal Care , Pregnancy , Prospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Maternal/foetal morbidity/mortality consequent to uterine rupture, placenta previa/increta and stillbirth may occur in repeat caesarean section (CS). Elective CS before 39 weeks increases respiratory complications, hypoglycaemia, sepsis and intensive care unit admissions. Different gut colonization in neonates born by CS accounts for increased incidence of food allergy, asthma and possibly type 1 diabetes. Epigenetic changes might be responsible - among others - for childhood malignancies. CONCLUSION: Decision for primary CS should take into consideration possible maternal/neonatal complications.
Subject(s)
Cesarean Section/adverse effects , Gestational Age , Obstetric Labor Complications , Pregnancy Outcome , Cesarean Section/trends , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1/etiology , Epigenesis, Genetic , Female , Humans , Hypersensitivity/etiology , Infant, Newborn , Neoplasms/etiology , Placenta Previa/etiology , Pregnancy , Respiratory Insufficiency/etiology , Stillbirth , Uterine Rupture/etiologyABSTRACT
Adolescent pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and fetal effects. Potential risk factors involve early dating behavior, early initiation of smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, low academic interest, single-parent families and, above all, poverty. Girls younger than 18 years and not legally majors are psychologically and socially underdeveloped, presenting higher obstetrical risks. Maternal complications due to adolescent pregnancy include, among others: anemia; pregnancy induced hypertension; sexually transmitted diseases; and premature labor and delivery. The most common complications concerning the infant are related to: low birth weight, due either to prematurity or intrauterine growth restriction; infection; chemical dependence (due to maternal substance abuse); sudden infant death syndrome; and increased morbidity and mortality during the 1st year of age. In addition, education of teenage mothers on the importance of pre-and postnatal care can reduce the poor perinatal outcome of both mother and infant.
Subject(s)
Pregnancy Complications , Pregnancy Outcome , Pregnancy in Adolescence , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Infant Mortality , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature , Infant, Very Low Birth Weight , Maternal Mortality , Pregnancy , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Neurotrophins (NTs), nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), NT-3, and NT-4 are of major importance in prenatal and postnatal brain development, due to their neuroprotective action. Developmental changes alter the neuronal responsiveness to certain NTs, which subsequently are variously expressed, to properly balance their action. The following study aimed at examining the pattern of perinatal changes of the four NTs--NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4 in 30 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) full-term fetuses and neonates by determining their circulating levels at characteristic time points. This study show a gradual decrease of circulating levels of the NTs, NT-3 and NT-4 from umbilical cord (UC) to neonates day 4 (N4), while circulating levels of NGF and BDNF present the opposite pattern: an increase from UC to N4. These patterns of perinatal changes differ according to their impact on the process of neuronal development and their reaction to perinatal stress. NT3 and NT4 have been documented to act at early stages of neuronal development and to decrease after hypoxia-ischemia, while NGF and BDNF to increase. Further studies should investigate these patterns in premature or full-term infants, presenting various pathological conditions in the perinatal period.
