Correlation between Severity of Fetal Growth Restriction and Oxidative Stress in Severe Small-for-Gestational-Age Infants.

Severe small-for-gestational-age (sSGA) infants exhibit increased mortality and morbidity. Oxidative stress is suggested to be involved in intrauterine growth restriction. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the oxidative stress level at birth in an sSGA population. Sera of 28 sSGA (sSGA group) and 31 non-sSGA (control group) infants, born at our hospital between March 2017 and March 2020, were evaluated. Oxidative stress (derivative of reactive oxidative metabolites: d-ROM level), biological antioxidant potential (BAP) level, and the ratio of d-ROM/BAP level (oxidative stress index: OSI) were measured. The sSGA group had a significantly lower birth weight (BW), BW z-score, head circumference, and height than the control group (all p < 0.05). No significant difference was noted in the BAP level; sSGA infants exhibited a significantly higher d-ROM level than control infants. sSGA infants showed a significantly increased OSI compared with control infants, and the BW z-score was inversely correlated with d-ROM levels and OSI in sSGA infants (R2 = 0.300; p < 0.01 and R2 = 0.319; p = 0.02, respectively) but not in controls. In conclusion, sSGA infants, including preterm infants, exhibited higher oxidative stress at birth. The severity of fetal growth restriction was significantly correlated with oxidative stress levels at birth in sSGA infants.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 18 Months of Corrected Age for Late Preterm Infants Born at 34 and 35 Gestational Weeks.

To date, the difference in neurodevelopmental outcomes between late preterm infants (LPI) born at 34 and 35 gestational weeks (LPI-34 and LPI-35, respectively) has not been elucidated. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age for LPI-34 and LPI-35, and to elucidate factors predicting neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Records of all LPI-34 (n = 93) and LPI-35 (n = 121) admitted to our facility from 2013 to 2017 were reviewed. Patients with congenital or chromosomal anomalies, severe neonatal asphyxia, and without developmental quotient (DQ) data were excluded. Psychomotor development was assessed as a DQ using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development at 18 months of corrected age. NDI was defined as DQ <80 or when severe neurodevelopmental problems made neurodevelopmental assessment impossible. We compared the clinical characteristics and DQ values between LPI-34 (n = 62) and LPI-35 (n = 73). To elucidate the factors predicting NDI at 18 months of corrected age, we compared clinical factors between the NDI (n = 17) and non-NDI (n = 118) groups. No significant difference was observed in DQ values at 18 months of corrected age between the groups in each area and overall. Among clinical factors, male sex, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), hyperbilirubinemia, and severe hyperbilirubinemia had a higher prevalence in the NDI group than in the non-NDI group, and IVH and/or severe hyperbilirubinemia showed the highest Youden Index values for predicting NDI. Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that no significant difference in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age was observed between LPI-34 and LPI-35. Patients with severe hyperbilirubinemia and/or IVH should be considered to be at high risk for developing NDI.

Validity of Combination Use of Activity Record and Accelerometry to Measure Free-Living Total Energy Expenditure in Female Endurance Runners.

Yoshida, A, Ishikawa-Takata, K, Tanaka, S, Suzuki, N, Nakae, S, Murata, H, Taguchi, M, and Higuchi, M. Validity of combination use of activity record and accelerometry to measure free-living total energy expenditure in female endurance runners. J Strength Cond Res 33(11): 2962-2970, 2019-Herein, we attempted to prove the validity of a new approach to assessing total energy expenditure (TEE) that combines activity recording and accelerometry in athletes. Eight female endurance runners participated in this study. We measured TEE over 8 days in the regular training season by using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method. In the combined method, an activity record of the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was used to estimate energy expenditure (EE) during the training period, whereas a triaxial accelerometer was used to evaluate EE during the nontraining time over the TEE measurement period using the DLW method. Training EE was calculated from the subjects' individual rating of perceived exertion-EE correlations provided by the exercise tolerance test. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured using indirect calorimetry. There were no significant differences in TEE, activity-induced EE (AEE), or physical activity level (PAL; TEE/RMR) between the DLW method and the combined method (TEE, 3,032 ± 344 vs. 3,033 ± 495 kcal·d; AEE, 1,585 ± 303 vs. 1,586 ± 442 kcal·d; and PAL, 2.68 ± 0.37 vs. 2.68 ± 0.48, respectively). Significant positive correlations and no systematic errors were observed in AEE and PAL. Intraclass correlation coefficients were high (TEE, 0.785; AEE, 0.841; and PAL, 0.779, respectively). These findings suggest that the combined method has high validity against the DLW method. Thus, the combined method would be able to estimate free-living TEE in the regular training season for female endurance runners.