Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Prenatal Programming Of Hepatic Glucose And Cholesterol Regulation In Male Rat Offspring By Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia, Waseem Iqbal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic disorder involving repetitive interruptions in breathing during sleep. Sufferers of OSA are exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), characterized by cyclical reductions in oxygen availability. A number of studies have established a link between OSA and various cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities in adulthood, including hypertension, obesity, and type II diabetes. While the consequences of OSA in adults have been well described, the cross-generational impact of this condition and potential effects on fetal development are not known. Epidemiological and animal studies have demonstrated that physiological insults during pregnancy lead to diminished growth of offspring …

Association Between Elevated Third Trimester Maternal Haemoglobin And Neonatal Gestational Age Adjusted Birth Weight, Bob Otieno Achila

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Women tend to have lower haemoglobin compared to men due to menstrual blood losses. This is often compounded by nutritional deficiencies. There is a further drop in haemoglobin during pregnancy due to red cell dilution. Pregnancy itself places a huge demand on maternal iron stores. High haemoglobin may reflect haemoconcentration due to a failure of the normal physiological expansion in plasma volume. Iron excess has also been associated with free-radical damage. In current practice, high maternal haemoglobin in pregnancy is often not given as much attention as anaemia. This study examines the association between high maternal haemoglobin in the …

Fetal Programming And Later Obesity In A Predominantly Latino Wic Population, Eric George Walsh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: In utero stressors may work to program the metabolism of the developing fetus in such a way that predisposes him/her to obesity later on. Studies have shown that breastfeeding is protective against childhood obesity and suggest that after six months the weight gain in breastfed babies slows opposed to formula fed babies who continue with rapid weight gain. This slowing of weight gain has been shown to be protective against adiposity and later life weight gain.

Purpose: This study looks to further explore these findings in a low income Latino population adding mother’s feelings about the pregnancy and the …

A Discursive Analysis Of A Pregnancy Center: How Pregnant Women Are Encouraged To Develop A Sense Of Self-Worth And Emotional Wellbeing Through The Use Of Rhetoric And Imagery, Jessica Postma

Masters Theses

This study presents and alternative approach to how pregnancy is interpreted in western society and how settings such as a pregnancy center both challenges and reinforces these social standards. The promotion of abstinence, the aversion to abortion, notions of truth and morality, religious narratives, and the standard of care are all integral components to this analysis of pregnancy, language, and culture.

Perinatal Nicotine Exposure And Programming Of Hie Sensitive Phenotype In Neonatal Rat Brains, Yong Li

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Large epidemiological and animal studies have revealed a clear association of adverse intrauterine environment with the increased risk of metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Maternal smoking is the single most widespread perinatal insult in the world and has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes for mother, fetus and the newborn. Our study aims to test the hypothesis that perinatal nicotine exposure induces reprogramming of susceptibility to hypoxic ischemic brain injury in the immature brain, focusing on the roles of AT1R and/or AT2R and trying to reveal the underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Therefore, we established two rat models: perinatal nicotine exposure model …

Predictors Of Psychosocial Adaptation To Pregnancy Among Urban African-American Primiparas, Joan M. Visger

Wayne State University Dissertations

Psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy among urban African-American women has not been well-researched. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy and to explore relationships among socioeconomic status, experiences and frequency of discrimination, personal control beliefs, social support, planned pregnancy, and model of health care among urban African-American primiparas using life course theory and Lederman's model of psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy as the framework.

One hundred and nine women participated in this descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational study. Participants were recruited from three clinical sites that provided care using medical and/or midwifery models of care. Study variables …

Is Probiotic Supplementation Effective In Reducing The Incidence Of Atopic Dermatitis In Children Age 3 And Under?, Kristen M. Mclaughlin

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not probiotic supplementation is effective in reducing the incidence of atopic dermatitis in children age 3 and younger.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review of three Engligh language primary studies one published in 2009 and the other two in 2010.

DATA SOURCES: Three double blind randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of probiotic supplementation for reducing the incidence of atopic dermatitis in children ages 3 and under were found using Cochrane Library EBM and PubMed databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, via a positive …

Does Metformin Use During Pregnancy Effectively Reduce The Rate Of Early Pregnancy Loss In Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?, Inna Prikhodko

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine “Does Metformin use during pregnancy effectively reduce the rate of early pregnancy loss in women with polycystic ovary syndrome?”

STUDY DESIGN: This review is based on two primary double-blind, randomized controlled trials and a prospective controlled trial that was not randomized or blinded to evaluate whether metformin, a medication used to manage PCOS, can also prevent early pregnancy loss in women with PCOS.

DATA SOURCES: All articles used were published in English, in peer-reviewed journals, and located through PubMed, OVID and COCHRANE databases..

OUTCOMES MEASURED: …

The Effect Of An Intensive Oral Hygiene Regimen On Gingival Inflammation During Pregnancy: Clinical And Laboratory Analysis, Maninder Kaur

All ETDs from UAB

Background: Recent evidence suggests that systemic inflammation as host immune response to oral microbial challenge may well underlie the observed association between periodontal disease and preterm birth/low birth weight (PTB/LBW). The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of vigorous oral hygiene regimen on gingival inflammation and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF)/serum biomarkers (TNF-&alpha, IL-1&beta and IL-6) during pregnancy and its impact on pregnancy outcome. Methods: 120 participants with pregnancy between 16-24 weeks gestation and with gingival index (GI) scores &ge 2 at &ge 50 % of tooth sites were recruited from the available pool of patients at …

Offspring And Maternal Health Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy, Lindsay G. Carter

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Maternal lifestyle and nutrient intake during pregnancy can have long-lasting effects on the health of offspring as well as the mother. This dissertation focuses on the impact of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake and the maternal effects of exercise during pregnancy.

The first aim of this dissertation was to investigate if exercise prior to and during pregnancy and nursing would improve glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity in mice and rats. In both mice and rats, it was concluded that maternal exercise could enhance whole-body insulin sensitivity and increase glucose uptake into skeletal muscle and …

Prevalence Of Vitamin D Deficiency In An Ethnic African Urban Obstetric Population In An Equatorial City Hospital, Raj Hasmukh Dodia

Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Low Vitamin D levels in pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, bacterial vaginosis, preterm birth, disordered fetal skeletal homeostasis, and impaired offspring lung health. As a result, current public health advice in several countries is to universally supplement Vitamin D during pregnancy. Data regarding the Vitamin D levels of the ethnic obstetric population in Kenya are not available; hence recommendations for Vitamin D supplementation have no scientific basis.

Objectives of study: This research was carried out to determine the prevalence of deficiency of Vitamin D in ethnic African obstetric patients who had delivered …

Hard On Your Heart: A Qualitative Description Of Adolescent Prenatal Stress, Candace Clayton Knight

All ETDs from UAB

Introduction: Pregnancy during adolescence is potentially stressful due to the concurrent tasks of navigating the typically tumultuous adolescent stage of development and the life altering experience of pregnancy (Kaye, 2008). There is a growing body of research linking prenatal stress to poor birth and developmental outcomes such as premature birth and low birth weight infants (K. Keenan, Sheffield, & Boeldt, 2007; Mulder et al., 2002), which makes describing the relatively unexplored perceptions and experience of stress during adolescent pregnancy important. The life course framework, with its emphasis on social, environmental, and family risk factors, has implications for reducing disparities among …