Public Health Commons^™

Poor Sleep Quality And Suicidal Ideation Among Pregnant Women During Covid-19 In Ethiopia: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Aragaw Asfaw Hasen, Abubeker Alebachew Seid, Ahmed Adem Mohammed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the mental health and well-being of pregnant women worldwide. In Ethiopia, the poor sleep quality and suicidal ideation among pregnant women has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to provide comprehensive evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of poor sleep quality and suicidal ideation among pregnant women during COVID-19 in Ethiopia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendation. Data were searched from PubMed, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online from the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic to February 2023. …

Sex-Specific Associations Between Urinary Bisphenols Concentrations During Pregnancy And Problematic Child Behaviors At Age 2 Years, Sarah Dee Geiger, Salma Musaad, Jennifer Hill, Andréa Aguiar, Susan Schantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Effects of prenatal bisphenol A (BPA) exposure on child behavior are mixed with some reports suggesting increased problematic behaviors in girls (e.g., aggression and emotional reactivity) and in boys (i.e., externalizing behaviors), while other reports suggest decreased problematic behaviors in girls. Little is known about the potential impact of pregnancy bisphenol S (BPS) exposure on child behavior. In a prospective cohort study (n=68), five maternal spot urine samples collected across pregnancy were pooled and analyzed for BPA and BPS. Child behavior at 2 years was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Linear regression models were used to assess associations …

Population-Based Linked Longitudinal Surveillance Of Pregnant People And Their Infants: A Critical Resource For Emerging, Re-Emerging, And Persistent Threats, Van T Tong, Kate R Woodworth, Erin Blau, Neha Shinde, Amanda Akosa, Suzanne M Gilboa, Dana Meaney-Delman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Public health emergencies, from Zika to COVID-19, have underscored the importance of addressing the needs of pregnant people and their infants. Recent events have underlined the critical role of mother-infant-linked longitudinal surveillance to characterize and assess the impacts of emerging, re-emerging, and persistent threats, including infectious diseases, on these populations. In partnership with state, local, and territorial health departments, CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities activated the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network (SET-NET) to capture information about pregnant people with laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and their infants. SET-NET …

Gene-Environment Interactions Underlying The Etiology Of Neural Tube Defects, Carlo Donato Caiaffa, Cristiane Sá Roriz Fonteles, Lei Yunping, Richard H Finnell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neural tube defects (NTDs) consist of severe structural malformations of the brain and spinal cord and are the second most common structural birth defect in humans, accounting for approximately 2700 affected pregnancies every year in the United States. These numbers are highly significant, considering that birth defects remain a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, affecting approximately 120,000 babies born annually. Survivors of these congenital malformations face long-term disability and lifelong challenges imposed by severe physical burdens compromising the afflicted individual's overall quality of life. Clearly, birth defects, and especially NTDs remain a global public health challenge, …

Versican Provides The Provisional Matrix For Uterine Spiral Artery Dilation And Fetal Growth, Yusuke Sagae, Akihito Horie, Akihiro Yanai, Tsutomu Ohara, Baku Nakakita, Yoshimi Kitawaki, Asuka Okunomiya, Hirohiko Tani, Ken Yamaguchi, Junzo Hamanishi, John P Lydon, Takiko Daikoku, Hideto Watanabe, Masaki Mandai

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The extracellular matrix (ECM) in the endometrium plays a crucial role in mammalian pregnancy. We have shown that versican secreted from the endometrial epithelium promotes embryo implantation. Versican is a proteoglycan, a major player in the provisional matrix, and versikine, its N-terminal fragment cleaved by ADAMTS proteinases, serves as a bioactive molecule. Here, since versican expression in the placenta was dynamically altered in humans and mice, we investigated the role of versican in pregnancy using uterine-specific Vcan deletion mice (uKO mice) and ADAMTS-resistant versican expressing mice (V1R mice). uKO mice exhibited insufficient spiral artery dilation, followed by fetal growth restriction …

Relationships Among Pregnancy, Substance Use, Social Determinants Of Health And Assessment, Referral, And Utilization Of Treatment: A Secondary Analysis Of Nsduh Data, Heather Lynn Coddington

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

Relationships Among Pregnancy, Substance Use, Social Determinants of Health and Assessment, Referral, and Utilization of Treatment: A Secondary Analysis of NSDUH Data

Heather Coddington

Background: Assessment and referral for substance use disorder during pregnancy is crucial to improving outcomes for mothers and newborns during the antepartum and postpartum period. Healthcare professionals are essential during the entirety of the pregnancy during each trimester to provide effective communication when assessing for substance use early and throughout each trimester of pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between assessment, referral, and utilization of treatment …

Covid-19 And Pregnancy: Clinical Outcomes; Mechanisms, And Vaccine Efficacy, Deepak Kumar, Sonam Verma, Indira U Mysorekar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its third year, emerging data indicates increased risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, stillbirth, and risk of developmental defects in neonates. Here, we review clinical reports to date that address different COVID-19 pregnancy complications. We also document placental pathologies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection, entry mechanisms in placental cells, and immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface. Since new variants of SARS-CoV-2 are emerging with characteristics of higher transmissibility and more effective immune escape strategies, we also briefly highlight the genomic and proteomic features of SARS-CoV-2 investigated to …

Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Protects From Soluble Fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase-1-Induced Vascular Dysfunction In A Preeclampsia Mouse Model, Akansha Mishra, Ancizar Betancourt, Vipin Alukkal Vidyadharan, Chellakkan Selvanesan Blesson, Michael Belfort, Chandra Yallampalli, Madhu Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy associated with elevated levels of soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase (sFLT-1) and increased vascular sensitivity to angiotensin II (ATII). Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CALCA) is a potent vasodilator that inhibits the ATII-induced increase in blood pressure and protects against ATII-induced increases in oxidative stress through a mitochondrial-dependent pathway in male mice. In rodent pregnancy, CALCA facilitates pregnancy-induced vascular adaptation. Most of the vascular effects of CALCA are mediated by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). We recently reported that CALCA treatment inhibits sFLT-1-induced decreases in cAMP synthesis in omental artery smooth muscle cells (OASMCs) …

The Maternal And Infant Environmental Health Riskscape Study Of Perinatal Disparities In Greater Houston: Rationale, Study Design And Participant Profiles, R Jeanne Ruiz, Kristyn Grimes, Elizabeth Spurlock, Angela Stotts, Thomas F Northrup, Yolanda Villarreal, Robert Suchting, Melissa Cernuch, Liza Rivera, Raymond P Stowe, Rita H Pickler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Pregnant Mexican Americans (hereafter called Latinas) and Black/African American women are at increased risk for psychological distress, contributing to preterm birth and low birthweight; acculturative stress combined with perceived stress elevates depressive symptoms in Latinas. Based on our prior research using a psychoneuroimmunology framework, we identified psychological and neuroendocrine risk factors as predictors of preterm birth in Latina women that are also identified as risk factors for Black/African American women.

METHODS/DESIGN: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial with parallel group design we will explore psychosocial, neuroendocrine, and birth outcome effects of the Mastery Lifestyle Intervention (MLI). The MLI is …

Pertussis And Influenza Immunization: Perceived Attitude And Decision Of Postpartum Patients, Nutan B Hebballi, Tayler Parker, Elisa I Garcia, Dalya M Ferguson, Susan Lesser, Kuojen Tsao, Maryam Broussard, Susan H Wootton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Vaccination of pregnant patients with tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and influenza vaccine during influenza season can reduce maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality; nevertheless, vaccination rates remain suboptimal in this patient population. To investigate the effect of a brief educational counseling session on maternal Tdap and influenza vaccination and determine factors influencing women's decision in regards to receiving Tdap and or influenza vaccine during their pregnancy.

METHODS: A face-to-face semi-structured cross-sectional survey was administered to postpartum patients on their anticipated day of discharge (June 11-August 21, 2018). A brief educational counseling session about maternal …

Molecular Markers In Maternal Blood Exosomes Allow Early Detection Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Nune Darbinian, Armine Darbinyan, John Sinard, Gabriel Tatevosian, Nana Merabova, Faith D'Amico, Tarek Khader, Ahsun Bajwa, Diana Martirosyan, Alina K Gawlinski, Richa Pursnani, Huaqing Zhao, Shohreh Amini, Mary Morrison, Laura Goetzl, Michael E Selzer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause developmental abnormalities (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders; FASD), including small eyes, face and brain, and neurobehavioral deficits. These cannot be detected early in pregnancy with available imaging techniques. Early diagnosis could facilitate development of therapeutic interventions. Banked human fetal brains and eyes at 9−22 weeks’ gestation were paired with maternal blood samples, analyzed for morphometry, protein, and RNA expression, and apoptotic signaling. Alcohol (EtOH)-exposed (maternal self-report) fetuses were compared with unexposed controls matched for fetal age, sex, and maternal race. Fetal brain-derived exosomes (FB-E) were isolated from maternal blood and analyzed for protein, RNA, and apoptotic …

One Man's Pregnancy Story, Yvonne S. Marquez, Paige A. Perez

Capstones

Pregnancy is a challenging time for anyone. For LGBTQ people there are unique obstacles that make it especially difficult to navigate a medical system that was not built for them. Finn Schubert is trans and six months pregnant. He’s loving the experience but stressed by insurance claim denials, concerns for his safety, and medical incompetence.

This capstone project includes a 20-minute documentary, text, and a photo essay.

Effects Of A Behavioral Intervention On Physical Activity, Diet, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pregnant Women With Elevated Weight: Results Of The Hipp Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Jihong Liu, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Alycia K. Boutte, Ellen Wingard Msph, Rd, Ld

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity (PA), diet, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are related to maternal and infant health, but interventions to improve these outcomes are needed in diverse pregnant women with elevated weight.

Methods

Health In Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) was a randomized controlled trial. Women who were pregnant (N=219, 44% African American, 56% white) with overweight or obesity but otherwise healthy were randomized to a behavioral intervention grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (n=112) or to standard care (n=107). The intervention group received an in-depth counseling session, a private Facebook group, and 10 content-based …

Stillbirth After Adolescent And Young Adult Cancer: A Population-Based Study, Caitlin C Murphy, Andrea C Betts, Marlyn A Allicock, L Aubree Shay, Sharice M Preston, Barbara A Cohn, Philip J Lupo, Sandi L Pruitt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Gonadotoxic effects of cancer treatment may increase risk of adverse birth outcomes in adolescent and young adult (AYA, aged 15-39 years) women diagnosed with cancer. We estimated risk of stillbirth (fetal death of gestational age ≥20 weeks or weighing ≥350 grams) in a population-based sample of AYA women.

METHODS: AYA women diagnosed with cancer between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2015, were identified using the Texas Cancer Registry and linked to live birth and fetal death certificates through December 31, 2016. Among AYA women, cumulative incidence of stillbirth was estimated by gestational age, and Poisson regression models identified …

Cell-Free Dna Screening Positive For Monosomy X: Clinical Evaluation And Management Of Suspected Maternal Or Fetal Turner Syndrome, Tazim Dowlut-Mcelroy, Shanlee Davis, Susan Howell, Iris Gutmark-Little, Vaneeta Bamba, Siddharth Prakash, Sheetal Patel, Doris Fadoju, Nandini Vijayakanthi, Mary Haag, Deborrah Hennerich, Lorraine Dugoff, Roopa Kanakatti Shankar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Initially provided as an alternative to evaluation of serum analytes and nuchal translucency for the assessment of pregnancies at high risk of trisomy 21, cell-free DNA screening for fetal aneuploidy, also referred to as noninvasive prenatal screening, can now also screen for fetal sex chromosome anomalies such as monosomy X as early as 9 to 10 weeks of gestation. Early identification of Turner syndrome, a sex chromosome anomaly resulting from the complete or partial absence of the second X chromosome, allows medical interventions such as optimizing obstetrical outcomes, hormone replacement therapy, fertility preservation and support, and improved neurocognitive outcomes. However, …

Standards For Evaluating Neonatal Growth Outcomes Using Individualized Pathological Growth Potential Realization Indices, Russell L Deter, Wesley Lee, Roberto Romero

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: Provide standards for detecting neonatal growth abnormalities with the average pathological Growth Potential Realization Index (av. pGPRI).

METHODS: Individualized Growth Assessment (IGA) evaluations of 117 neonates with normal growth outcomes were carried out using measurements of WT, HC, AC, ThC and CHL. Growth Potential Realization Index (GPRI) values for each parameter were calculated from predicted and actual birth measurements, the former obtained using Rossavik size models derived from the second-trimester growth potential estimates. Subtraction of either the upper and lower boundaries of GPRI reference ranges from these GPRI measurements gave + pGPRI and - pGPRI measurements. GPRI's within their …

Lack Of Consensus Among Healthcare Professionals At A Large Academic Medical Center On The Use Of Exome Sequencing For Prenatal Diagnosis, Kylie Johnson, Hadi Erfani, Mohamad Ali Maktabi, Ignatia Van Den Veyver, Salma Nassef

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Prenatal exome sequencing (ES) is increasingly used for prenatal diagnosis because emerging data indicate it has incremental diagnostic benefit in pregnancies with fetal anomalies without identified genetic abnormalities by karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the medical community's attitude toward the clinical utility and use of exome sequencing for prenatal diagnosis and to address differences in attitudes and responses by type of practitioner, level of training, and years passed since last full-time training. We analyzed the answers of 109 trainees and professionals in the fields of genetic counseling, laboratory science, and medicine to …

Delayed-Interval Delivery In Multiple Gestation Pregnancies: Neonatal Mortality, Morbidity, And Development, Nicolas J Bouey, Shampa Saha, Deanne E Wilson-Costello, Matthew A Rysavy, Michele Walsh, Myra H Wyckoff, Anna Maria Hibbs

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Delayed-interval delivery (DID) is the delivery of the first fetus in a multiple gestation pregnancy without prompt delivery of the remaining fetus(es). We aimed to assess infant outcomes of DID.

STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective cohort study of infants born 22-28 weeks' gestation or weighing 401-1500 g. DID was defined as a passage of >24 h between the birth of firstborn and retained infants. Rates of mortality, morbidity, and developmental outcomes were compared within DID multiples, to other multiples not born by DID, and all infants in the Generic Database and follow-up datasets (excluding DID-born).

RESULTS: DID-born multiples …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices (Kap) Towards Covid-19 Pandemic Among Pregnant Women In A Tertiary Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, Sumaira Naz, Syeda Dur E Shawar, Shamila Saleem, Ayesha Malik, Amir Raza

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the pregnant population during the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. KAP towards COVID-19 was assessed using 21-item questionnaires. A score for each category was calculated and points were summed. The outcome variables of KAP were compared with demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 19.
Results: A total of 377 patients participated in the study. The majority of the patients were multiparous (36.8%) in the age group of …

Variation In Human Water Turnover Associated With Environmental And Lifestyle Factors, Yosuke Yamada, Xueying Zhang, Mary E T Henderson, Hiroyuki Sagayama, Herman Pontzer, Daiki Watanabe, Tsukasa Yoshida, Misaka Kimura, Philip N Ainslie, Lene F Andersen, Liam J Anderson, Lenore Arab, Issad Baddou, Kweku Bedu-Addo, Ellen E Blaak, Stephane Blanc, Alberto G Bonomi, Carlijn V C Bouten, Pascal Bovet, Maciej S Buchowski, Nancy F Butte, Stefan G Camps, Graeme L Close, Jamie A Cooper, Richard Cooper, Sai Krupa Das, Lara R Dugas, Simon Eaton, Ulf Ekelund, Sonja Entringer, Terrence Forrester, Barry W Fudge, Annelies H Goris, Michael Gurven, Lewis G Halsey, Catherine Hambly, Asmaa El Hamdouchi, Marije B Hoos, Sumei Hu, Noorjehan Joonas, Annemiek M Joosen, Peter Katzmarzyk, Kitty P Kempen, William E Kraus, Wantanee Kriengsinyos, Robert F Kushner, Estelle V Lambert, William R Leonard, Nader Lessan, Corby K Martin, Anine C Medin, Erwin P Meijer, James C Morehen, James P Morton, Marian L Neuhouser, Theresa A Nicklas, Robert M Ojiambo, Kirsi H Pietiläinen, Yannis P Pitsiladis, Jacob Plange-Rhule, Guy Plasqui, Ross L Prentice, Roberto A Rabinovich, Susan B Racette, David A Raichlen, Eric Ravussin, Leanne M Redman, John J Reilly, Rebecca M Reynolds, Susan B Roberts, Albertine J Schuit, Luis B Sardinha, Analiza M Silva, Anders M Sjödin, Eric Stice, Samuel S Urlacher, Giulio Valenti, Ludo M Van Etten, Edgar A Van Mil, Jonathan C K Wells, George Wilson, Brian M Wood, Jack A Yanovski, Alexia J Murphy-Alford, Cornelia U Loechl, Amy H Luke, Jennifer Rood, Klaas R Westerterp, William W Wong, Motohiko Miyachi, Dale A Schoeller, John R Speakman

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Water is essential for survival, but one in three individuals worldwide (2.2 billion people) lack access to safe drinking water. Water intake requirements largely reflect water turnover (WT), the water used by the body each day. We investigated the determinants of human WT in 5,604 people from the ages of 8 days to 96 years from 26 countries using isotope tracking (2H) methods. Age, body size, and composition were significantly associated with WT as were physical activity, athletic status, pregnancy, socioeconomic status, and environmental characteristics (latitude, altitude, air temperature, and humidity). People in countries with low human development index (HDI) …

Maternal Healthcare Utilization Among Pregnant Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: A Rapid Systematic Review, Gabrielle Harb

Master of Public Health Capstone Presentations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) impacts millions of pregnant women every year, and IPV is associated with adverse maternal and infant health outcomes. Previous studies have suggested that women experiencing IPV during pregnancy are less likely to access maternal healthcare services. Still, no consensus has been found, particularly within understudied low-and middle-income countries. This rapid systematic review identifies and examines evidence related to maternal healthcare utilization among women experiencing IPV in studies from 2015 to the present. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Scopus, and 1797 unique records were identified. After reviewing abstracts and full texts, 28 studies were …

Risk Factors For Community-Acquired Bacterial Infection Among Young Infants In South Asia: A Longitudinal Cohort Study With Nested Case-Control Analysis, Nicholas E Connor, Mohammad Shahidul Islam, Luke C Mullany, Nong Shang, Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Anita K M Zaidi, Sajid Soofi, Imran Nisar, Pinaki Panigrahi, Kalpana Panigrahi, Radhanath Satpathy, Anuradha Bose, Rita Isaac, Abdullah H Baqui, Dipak K Mitra, Qazi Sadeq-Ur Rahman, Tanvir Hossain, Stephanie J Schrag, Jonas M Winchell, Melissa L Arvay, Maureen H Diaz, Jessica L Waller, Martin W Weber, Davidson H Hamer, Patricia Hibberd, A S M Nawshad Uddin Ahmed, Maksuda Islam, Mohammad Belal Hossain, Shamim A Qazi, Shams El Arifeen, Gary L Darmstadt, Samir K Saha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Risk factors predisposing infants to community-acquired bacterial infections during the first 2 months of life are poorly understood in South Asia. Identifying risk factors for infection could lead to improved preventive measures and antibiotic stewardship.

METHODS: Five sites in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan enrolled mother-child pairs via population-based pregnancy surveillance by community health workers. Medical, sociodemographic and epidemiological risk factor data were collected. Young infants aged 0-59 days with signs of possible serious bacterial infection (pSBI) and age-matched controls provided blood and respiratory specimens that were analysed by blood culture and real-time PCR. These tests were used to build …

Assessing Urinary Phenol And Paraben Mixtures In Pregnant Women With And Without Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study, Wei-Jen Chen, Candace Robledo, Erin M Davis, Jean R Goodman, Chao Xu, Jooyeon Hwang, Amanda E Janitz, Tabitha Garwe, Antonia M Calafat, Jennifer D Peck

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prior studies have identified the associations between environmental phenol and paraben exposures and increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but no study addressed these exposures as mixtures. As methods have emerged to better assess exposures to multiple chemicals, our study aimed to apply Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to evaluate the association between phenol and paraben mixtures and GDM. This study included 64 GDM cases and 237 obstetric patient controls from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center. Mid-pregnancy spot urine samples were collected to quantify concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA), benzophenone-3, triclosan, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, butylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben. Multivariable …

The Reading Profiles Of Late Elementary English Learners With And Without Dyslexia, Pia Tohme, Rudy Abi-Habib, Elma Nassar, Nouran Hamed, Gaël Abou-Ghannam, Gihad E Chalouhi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 stress and anxiety on prenatal attachment during the second trimester of gestation. Pregnancy is an important stage for mothers-to-be in creating representations of themselves as a "mother", with the developing attachment relationship to the unborn child considered as a milestone in the future parent's developmental trajectory. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national health measures installed can hence have consequences on these representations and on prenatal attachment. Our sample consisted of 95 mothers that were recruited from a prenatal ultrasound screening center. Results suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic …

Outcome Prediction In Newborn Infants: Past, Present, And Future, Vivek V Shukla, Matthew A Rysavy, Abhik Das, Jon E Tyson, Edward F Bell, Namasivayam Ambalavanan, Waldemar A Carlo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The perinatal and neonatal periods are the periods of considerable organ development and maturation. Perinatal and neonatal illnesses can result in mortality and morbidities that burden families and the healthcare system. Outcome prediction is essential for informing perinatal and intensive care management, prognosis, and post-discharge interventions. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network (NRN) research databases include hospital and neurodevelopment follow-up outcomes of infants with various underlying diseases and conditions receiving intensive care, providing a unique opportunity to assess outcome risk prediction. The NRN has developed outcome risk prediction tools for use …

The Risks Of Birth Defects And Childhood Cancer With Conception By Assisted Reproductive Technology, Barbara Luke, Morton B Brown, Ethan Wantman, Maria J Schymura, Marilyn L Browne, Sarah C Fisher, Nina E Forestieri, Chandrika Rao, Hazel B Nichols, Mahsa M Yazdy, Susan T Gershman, Caitlin R Sacha, Melanie Williams, Mary K Ethen, Mark A Canfield, Kevin J Doody, Michael L Eisenberg, Valerie L Baker, Carrie Williams, Alastair G Sutcliffe, Melissa A Richard, Philip J Lupo

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Study question: Is there an association between fertility status, method of conception and the risks of birth defects and childhood cancer?

Summary answer: The risk of childhood cancer had two independent components: (i) method of conception and (ii) presence, type and number of birth defects.

What is known already: The rarity of the co-occurrence of birth defects, cancer and ART makes studying their association challenging. Prior studies have indicated that infertility and ART are associated with an increased risk of birth defects or cancer but have been limited by small sample size and inadequate statistical power, failure to adjust for …

Process Evaluation Methods And Results From The Health In Pregnancy And Postpartum (Hipp) Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Alicia A. Dahl, Alycia K. Boutté, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Kelsey Day, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Ellen Wingard

Faculty Publications

Background

Excessive gestational weight gain has increased over time and is resistant to intervention, especially in women living with overweight or obesity. This study described the process evaluation methods and findings from a behavioral lifestyle intervention for African American and white women living with overweight and obesity that spanned pregnancy (≤ 16 weeks gestation) through 6 months postpartum.

Methods

The Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) study tested a theory-based behavioral intervention (vs. standard care) to help women (N = 219; 44% African American, 29.1 ± 4.8 years) living with overweight or obesity meet weight gain guidelines in pregnancy and …

Maternal Prenatal Cortisol Trajectories Predict Accelerated Growth In Infancy, Jennifer Hahn-Holbrook, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Higher maternal cortisol in pregnancy has been linked to childhood obesity. Much of the previous research has been limited in that cortisol in pregnancy is only measured at one time-point, precluding the ability to examine critical timing effects of prenatal maternal cortisol. To fill this gap, this longitudinal study measured maternal plasma cortisol at 15, 19, 25, and 31 weeks of pregnancy, and assessed infant body mass index percentile (BMIP)1 at birth, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months in 189 mother-infant pairs. Three distinct patterns of maternal cortisol in pregnancy (typical, steep, and flat trajectories) were identified using general growth …

Metabolome-Wide Associations Of Gestational Weight Gain In Pregnant Women With Overweight And Obesity, Jin Dai, Nansi S. Boghossian, Mark Sarzynski Ph.D., Faha, Facsm, Feng Luo, Xiaoqian Sun, Jian Li, Oliver Fiehn, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Liwei Chen

Faculty Publications

Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This metabolome-wide association study aimed to identify metabolomic markers for GWG. This longitudinal study included 39 Black and White pregnant women with a prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/m². Untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed using fasting plasma samples collected at baseline (mean: 12.1 weeks) and 32 weeks of gestation. The associations of metabolites at each time point and changes between the two time points with GWG were examined by linear and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. Pearson correlations between the …

Covid-19 Pandemic And Infant Neurodevelopmental Impairment: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Kamran Hessami, Amir Hossein Norooznezhad, Sonia Monteiro, Enrico R Barrozo, Abolfazl Shirdel Abdolmaleki, Sara E Arian, Nikan Zargarzadeh, Lara S Shekerdemian, Kjersti M Aagaard, Alireza A Shamshirsaz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Primary studies proposed that aberrant maternal antiviral immunity and/or giving birth in quarantine, such as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, may be associated with the risk of neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in offspring.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the associations of birth and being raised during the COVID-19 pandemic with risk of NDI among infants and to assess the association of gestational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 with risk of NDI.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and preprint servers were systematically searched from inception to March 25, 2022.

STUDY SELECTION: Studies evaluating the neurodevelopment of infants born during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic …