Effect of mangosteen peel extract on BPA-exposed murine during gestation

Aim: To evaluate the potential protective effects of mangosteen peel extract against BPA-induced abnormalities on-pregnant mice fetus at implantation stage and offspring at post-parturition. Methodology: Pregnant mice were orally administered with BPA (100mg kg-1 b.wt.) and mangosteen peel extract (200mg kg-1 b.wt.) for 16 days. In order to evaluate the effect of MPE treatment on fetus at implantation stage, the pregnant mice were euthanized at day 18 and the fetus number and morphology were examined. Another group of treated dams, were allowed to undergo parturition for evaluating the of maternal weight, litter size and offspring sex-skewness. Results: Upon feeding Mangosteen peel extract (MPE), the average daily weight gain of dams were not significantly different from the control and BPA treated dams. The fetus derived from BPA treated dams were detected with abnormalities such as under development, haemorrhage and absence of vein, whereas fetus from dam treated with MPE and BPA as well as control were normal. The average litter size of all the treatment groups were not significantly different from the control group. BPA treated mice had lower pups survival up to 6 weeks compared to the groups treated with MPE and control. Test of proportion analysis showed BPA-treated group had significantly higher fraction female ratio. Interpretation: BPA is known as endocrine disruptor causing oxidative stress to female reproductive system, hence mangosteen peel extract contains antioxidant substances that have the potential to ameliorate the adverse effects of BPA exposure on dams during pregnancy and its fetus development.

Birth Size and Maternal, Social, and Environmental Factors in the Province of Jujuy, Argentina

Introduction: birth size is affected by diverse maternal, environmental, social, and economic factors. Aim: analyze the relationships between birth size—shown by the indicators small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA)—and maternal, social, and environmental factors in the Argentine province of Jujuy, located in the Andean foothills. Methods: data was obtained from 49,185 mother-newborn pairs recorded in the Jujuy Perinatal Information System (SIP) between 2009 and 2014, including the following: newborn and maternal weight, length/height, and body mass index (BMI); gestational age and maternal age; mother’s educational level, nutritional status, marital status and birth interval; planned pregnancy; geographic-linguistic origin of surnames; altitudinal place of birth; and unsatisfied basic needs (UBN). The dataset was split into two groups, SGA and LGA, and compared with adequate for gestational age (AGA). Bivariate analysis (ANOVA) and general lineal modeling (GLM) with multinomial distribution were employed. Results: for SGA newborns, risk factors were altitude (1.43 [1.12–1.82]), preterm birth (5.33 [4.17–6.82]), older maternal age (1.59 [1.24–2.05]), and primiparous mothers (1.88 [1.06–3.34]). For LGA newborns, the risk factors were female sex (2.72 [5.51–2.95]), overweight (1.33 [1.22–2.46]) and obesity (1.85 [1.66–2.07]). Conclusions: the distribution of birth size and the factors related to its variability in Jujuy are found to be strongly conditioned by provincial terrain and the clinal variation due to its Andean location.

Pregnancy outcomes with differences in grain consumption: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives Contemporary obstetrics has begun to appreciate the importance of diet in pregnancy, but guidelines are not based on robust data. The hypothesis that a whole grains diet improves pregnancy outcomes is tested in this study. We compared maternal and neonatal outcomes for a pregnancy diet containing 75% of total carbohydrates as refined grains with outcomes for a diet with 75% of total carbohydrates as whole grains. Methods This was a randomized interventional study in a clinic population over the last 4–7 months of normal pregnancy with extensive compliance measures. Besides obstetrical and neonatal outcomes, anthropometric measurements were done. In addition to food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), total plasma alkyl resorcinols, a unique quantitative measure of whole grains, were used as a measure of whole grain consumption. Results The data show effective compliance and no difference in outcomes between the diets with regard to maternal weight gain, birth weights, subcutaneous fat and glucose tolerance. Conclusions Ensuring compliance to a proper pregnancy diet resulted in satisfactory weight gain and normal outcomes even when the proportion of whole grains consumed is only 25% of total carbohydrates. www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03232762, Effects of Diet on Pregnancy Outcome and Child Obesity.

Association Between Maternal Weight Gain in Different Periods of Pregnancy and the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism: A Retrospective Matched Case-Control Study

Background Although the rate of maternal mortality has declined over the past few decades, pulmonary embolus (PE) remains an important cause of maternal deaths. Little is known about the associations of specific periods of gestational weight gain with detailed PE and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). We explored the incidence of pregnancy-related venous thromboembolism (VTE) in China and assessed the associations of maternal weight gain in different periods of pregnancy with VTE.Methods In a retrospective case-control study conducted in in Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital from January 1st, 2017 to July 31th, 2021, 151 cases (11.7 per 10000) of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within pregnancy or the first 6 postnatal weeks were identified. 302 controls without VTE who gave birth at the same time as the cases were selected. Maternal pre-pregnancy weight, weight in early, mid and late pregnancy and other maternal pregnancy and newborn characteristics were obtained. GWG was standardized into gestational age-specific z-scores stratified by body mass index (BMI) and categorized as low (z score <-1), normal (-1 to 1), and high (>1). The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through log-binomial regression models. Interaction effects between gestational weight gain (GWG) and some other adjustment factors were tested, further stratified analyses were performed separately where interaction terms were significant. Results There were 65.6% (99 of 151) of pulmonary embolus (PE) alone and 34.4% (52 of 151) of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) alone or combined with PE. For all pre-pregnancy BMI categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese), there was no statistical association between maternal weight gain of all gestational intervals and DVT or all VTE in this study. However, for PE, there was observed protective effects of low weight gain (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.37–1.68) and significantly increased risks of high weight gain (aOR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.03-2.09) among normal-weight women in early pregnancy. Similarly, a tendency towards decreased risk at lower weight gain throughout pregnancy (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.37–1.68) and significantly increased risk at higher values (aOR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.01-2.31) for PE was observed in normal-weight women. As for underweight and overweight women, results from the categorical model for early, late or total pregnancy weight gain indicated an increased risk in PE at both low and high weight gain, but confidence intervals were wide.Conclusion Chinese women have a higher risk of PE than the foreigner counterparts. Maternal weight gain in total or early pregnancy is an important risk factor for PE. In order to effectively improve maternal and child outcomes, intensive weight management that continues through pregnancy may be indispensable.

Perinatal Food Deprivation Modifies the Caloric Restriction Response in Adult Mice Through Sirt1

Variations in the availability of nutritional resources in animals can trigger reversible adjustments, which in the short term are manifested as behavioral and physiological changes. Several of these responses are mediated by Sirt1, which acts as an energy status sensor governing a global genetic program to cope with changes in nutritional status. Growing evidence suggests a key role of the response of the perinatal environment to caloric restriction in the setup of physiological responses in adulthood. The existence of adaptive predictive responses has been proposed, which suggests that early nutrition could establish metabolic capacities suitable for future food-scarce environments. We evaluated how perinatal food deprivation and maternal gestational weight gain impact the transcriptional, physiological, and behavioral responses in mice, when acclimated to caloric restriction in adulthood. Our results show a strong predictive capacity of maternal weight and gestational weight gain, in the expression of Sirt1 and its downstream targets in the brain and liver, mitochondrial enzymatic activity in skeletal muscle, and exploratory behavior in offspring. We also observed differential responses of both lactation and gestational food restriction on gene expression, thermogenesis, organ masses, and behavior, in response to adult caloric restriction. We conclude that the early nutritional state could determine the magnitude of responses to food scarcity later in adulthood, mediated by the pivotal metabolic sensor Sirt1. Our results suggest that maternal gestational weight gain could be an important life history trait and could be used to predict features that improve the invasive capacity or adjustment to seasonal food scarcity of the offspring.

Correlation between maternal eating disorder and early infant feeding regulation: a cross -sectional study

Background The post-partum period is a vulnerable time for mothers in terms of eating disorder symptoms and is critical for the establishment of feeding patterns in infants. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between maternal eating disorder symptoms and objective indices of feeding regulation at 3 months, as well as perceived breastfeeding self-efficacy. Methods A sample of n = 73 full-term mother-child dyads (44% female) participated in the study. Mothers self-reported eating disorder symptoms and breastfeeding self-efficacy and objective indices of infant feeding regulation were obtained in the home. Results Findings revealed the existence of relationships between higher maternal eating disorder symptoms, and objective indices of infant feeding regulation with substantial gender differences in the patterns emerging. Among mother-daughter dyads, maternal weight and shape concerns were associated with higher infant transfer volume and rate during bottle feeding. In contrast, among mother-son dyads, higher maternal eating disorder symptoms, including weight, shape, and eating concern, were associated with lower infant transfer volume and rate as well as lower levels of proficiency while taking their bottle. Conclusion Relationships emerged between higher maternal eating disorder symptoms and feeding regulation with substantial gender differences in these patterns. Additional research clarifying the underlying mechanisms of these associations is warranted and further efforts should be directed towards supporting mothers during the postpartum period.

Determinants of low birth weight among newborns delivered at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a case-control study

Background Low birth weight is weight less than 2500 g or 5.5 lb. at birth. Globally, more than 20 million infants (15-20%) are born with a low birth weight each year. Birth weight is the primary indicator of the health status of neonates and is the primary factor that determines the infant’s physical, survival, and mental growth. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the determinants of low birth weight among newborn babies delivered at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods We performed a facility-based unmatched case-control study among 453 (151 cases and 302 controls) deliveries conducted at Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital. Birth records and maternal antenatal care (ANC) files were reviewed from March 1 to April 30, 2019. Consecutive sampling was employed to select study participants. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.2.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 25 statistical software. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were computed to identify independent determinants of low birth weight. A p-value of ≤0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Result Four hundred fifty-three birth records of babies (151 cases and 302 controls) were reviewed. Women who reside in rural area [AOR (CI) = 3.12 (1.63-5.98)], being merchant [(AOR (CI) = 2.90 (1.03-8.22)], danger sign during pregnancy [(AOR (CI) = 4.14 (1.68-10.2)], and maternal weight during pregnancy [(AOR (CI) = 4.94 (3.26-7.52)] were found to be a significant determinants of low birth weight. Conclusion Residence, occupation, danger signs, and maternal weight during pregnancy were significant determinants of low birth weight. Socioeconomic development, early detection and management of complications, and encouraging nutrition and weight during pregnancy are crucial for minimizing the risk of delivering low birth weight babies.

DHA Supplementation of Obese Rats throughout Pregnancy and Lactation Modifies Milk Composition and Anxiety Behavior of Offspring

We investigated if supplementing obese mothers (MO) with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves milk long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) composition and offspring anxiety behavior. From weaning throughout pregnancy and lactation, female Wistar rats ate chow (C) or a high-fat diet (MO). One month before mating and through lactation, half the mothers received 400 mg DHA kg−1 d−1 orally (C+DHA or MO+DHA). Offspring ate C after weaning. Maternal weight, total body fat, milk hormones, and milk nutrient composition were determined. Pups’ milk nutrient intake was evaluated, and behavioral anxiety tests were conducted. MO exhibited increased weight and total fat, and higher milk corticosterone, leptin, linoleic, and arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations, and less DHA content. MO male and female offspring had higher ω-6/ ω-3 milk consumption ratios. In the elevated plus maze, female but not male MO offspring exhibited more anxiety. MO+DHA mothers exhibited lower weight, total fat, milk leptin, and AA concentrations, and enhanced milk DHA. MO+DHA offspring had a lower ω-6/ω-3 milk intake ratio and reduced anxiety vs. MO. DHA content was greater in C+DHA milk vs. C. Supplementing MO mothers with DHA improves milk composition, especially LCPUFA content and ω-6/ω-3 ratio reducing offspring anxiety in a sex-dependent manner.