Medullary Serotonergic Binding Deficits and Hippocampal Abnormalities in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: One or Two Entities?

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is understood as a syndrome that presents with the common phenotype of sudden death but involves heterogenous biological causes. Many pathological findings have been consistently reported in SIDS, notably in areas of the brain known to play a role in autonomic control and arousal. Our laboratory has reported abnormalities in SIDS cases in medullary serotonin (5-HT) receptor 1A and within the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Unknown, however, is whether the medullary and hippocampal abnormalities coexist in the same SIDS cases, supporting a biological relationship of one abnormality with the other. In this study, we begin with an analysis of medullary 5-HT1A binding, as determined by receptor ligand autoradiography, in a combined cohort of published and unpublished SIDS (n = 86) and control (n = 22) cases. We report 5-HT1A binding abnormalities consistent with previously reported data, including lower age-adjusted mean binding in SIDS and age vs. diagnosis interactions. Utilizing this combined cohort of cases, we identified 41 SIDS cases with overlapping medullary 5-HT1A binding data and hippocampal assessment and statistically addressed the relationship between abnormalities at each site. Within this SIDS analytic cohort, we defined abnormal (low) medullary 5-HT1A binding as within the lowest quartile of binding adjusted for age and we examined three specific hippocampal findings previously identified as significantly more prevalent in SIDS compared to controls (granular cell bilamination, clusters of immature cells in the subgranular layer, and single ectopic cells in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus). Our data did not find a strong statistical relationship between low medullary 5-HT1A binding and the presence of any of the hippocampal abnormalities examined. It did, however, identify a subset of SIDS (~25%) with both low medullary 5-HT1A binding and hippocampal abnormalities. The subset of SIDS cases with both low medullary 5-HT1A binding and single ectopic cells in the molecular layer was associated with prenatal smoking (p = 0.02), suggesting a role for the exposure in development of the two abnormalities. Overall, our data present novel information on the relationship between neuropathogical abnormalities in SIDS and support the heterogenous nature and overall complexity of SIDS pathogenesis.

Using network analysis to illuminate the intergenerational transmission of adversity in the ALSPAC cohort

Objective: The effects of maternal exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may be transmitted to subsequent generations through various biopsychosocial mechanisms. However, studies tend to focus on exploring one or two focal pathways with less attention paid to links between different pathways. Using a network approach, this paper explores a range of core prenatal risk factors that may link maternal ACEs to infant preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW). Methods: We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) (n = 8 379) to estimate two mixed graphical network models: Model 1 was constructed using adverse infant outcomes, biopsychosocial and environmental risk factors, forms of ACEs, and sociodemographic factors. In Model 2, ACEs were combined to represent a threshold ACEs score (≥ 4). Network indices were estimated to determine the shortest pathway from ACEs to infant outcomes, and to identify the risk factors that are most vital in bridging these variables. Results: In both models, childhood and prenatal risk factors were highly interrelated. Childhood physical abuse, but not threshold ACEs, was directly linked to LBW. Further, exposure to second-hand smoke, developing gestational hypertension, prenatal smoking, first time pregnancy, not being White, and older age were directly linked to LBW, while developing gestational diabetes, having previous pregnanc(ies), and lower educational attainment were associated with PTB. Only pre-eclampsia was directly linked to both outcomes. Network indices and shortest pathways plots indicate that sexual abuse played a central role in bridging ACEs to other risks and poor infant outcomes. Overall, prenatal smoking was determined as the most influential bridge node. Conclusions: As child physical abuse was directly linked to low birthweight, and child sexual abuse and prenatal smoking were the most influential bridge nodes, they can be considered priority candidate targets for interventions to disrupt intergenerational risk transmission. Further, our study demonstrates the promise of network analysis as an approach for illuminating the intergenerational transmission of adversity in its full complexity.

Exclusive and Dual Cigarette and Hookah Smoking Is Associated with Adverse Perinatal Outcomes among Pregnant Women in Cairo, Egypt

This study assessed the prevalence of prenatal smoking, factors associated with prenatal smoking, and its association with birth outcomes in a sample of pregnant women in Egypt. Pregnant women were recruited during their last trimester from antenatal clinics in Cairo from June 2015 to May 2016. Participants completed an interviewer-administered survey that assessed tobacco use and attitudes, and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) was measured. Gestational age at delivery and offspring birth weight were collected via a postnatal phone interview. Two hundred pregnant women ages 16–37 years participated. More than a quarter (29.0%) of women reported smoking (cigarettes, hookah, or both) during their current pregnancy, and hookah was more popular than cigarettes. Most women who smoked prior to their current pregnancy either maintained their current smoking habits (46.6%) or switched from dual to hookah-only smoking (46.6%). Current smokers during pregnancy had a higher mean (±SD) exhaled CO level (2.97 ± 1.45 vs. 0.25 ± 0.60 ppm, p < 0.001) and had babies with a lower mean birth weight (2583 ± 300 vs. 2991 ± 478 g, p < 0.001) than non-smokers. Smokers during pregnancy had greater odds of premature birth and/or low birth weight babies compared to non-smokers. Dual cigarette-hookah smokers had the highest risk. Additional focused programs are required to prevent women of childbearing age from initiating tobacco use and empower women to stop tobacco use during the preconception and gestational periods.

The relation between cigarette smoking with delivery outcomes. An evaluation of a database of more than nine million deliveries

Objectives Smoking in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (PTB), intrauterine growth restriction, placental abruption and perinatal death. The association between smoking and other delivery outcomes, such as chorioamnionitis, mode of delivery or post partum hemorrhage (PPH), however, is insufficient as only few studies addressed these issues. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between prenatal smoking and delivery outcomes in a large database, while controlling for confounding effects. Methods A retrospective population-based study using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP‐NIS). A dataset of all deliveries between 2004 and 2014 (inclusively) was created. Our control group included all pregnant women who did not smoke during pregnancy, which was compared to pregnant women who smoked. A multivariate logistic analysis was conducted, adjusting for any statistically significant confounding effects. Results Our study identified 9,096,788 births between 2004 and 2014. Of which, 443,590 (4.8%) had a documented diagnosis of smoking. A significantly higher risk was found for PTB (odds ratio 1.39, CI 1.35–1.43), preterm premature rupture of membranes (odds ratio 1.52, CI 1.43–1.62) and small for gestational age (SGA) neonates (odds ratio 2.27, CI 2.19–2.35). The risks of preeclampsia (odds ratio 0.82, CI 0.78–0.85), chorioamnionitis (odds ratio 0.88, CI 0.83–0.4), PPH (odds ratio 0.94 CI 0.9–0.98) and operative vaginal delivery (odds ratio 0.9, CI 0.87–0.94) were lower among smokers. Conclusions This large database confirms the findings of previous smaller studies, according to which smoking decreases the risk of preeclampsia while increasing the risk of PTB and SGA neonates. The current study also revealed a decreased risk for PPH as well as for chorioamnionitis among pregnant smokers.

Correlation Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Dental caries is a long-standing oral health problem for children all over the world. The available evidence shows that the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood caries is still controversial. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine whether there was a correlation of prenatal smoking and dental caries in children.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for observational studies assessing the relationship between maternal smoking during the pregnancy and childhood caries. According to the predesigned eligibility criteria and items, studies selection, and data extraction were conducted, respectively. The effect estimates were pooled using a fixed-effect model or a random-effect model. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was adopted to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. All analyses were carried out through Stata 12.0 software.Results: Our systematic review included a total of 11 studies, of which 6 cross-sectional studies and 3 longitudinal studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The pooled estimates indicated maternal smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with dental caries in children both in cross-sectional studies (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.47–1.67) and longitudinal studies (RR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.07–1.48). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the overall effect estimates were robust.Conclusions: There is a significant correlation of maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood caries. However, the causal relationship between them cannot be determined. More prospective and extensive studies on this theme is needed for verification. Even so, it is necessary for pregnant women and women of reproductive age to quit smoking. Strategies must be developed to raise public awareness about the impact of prenatal smoking on children's oral health.

Special Issue on the Effects of Prenatal Smoking/Nicotine Exposure on the Child’s Health

Smoking increases the risk of negative pregnancy and perinatal outcomes and may have negative effects on a child’s short and long-term health [...]