Dataset Information

Head circumference of infants born to mothers with different educational levels; the Generation R Study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Head circumference (HC) reflect growth and development of the brain in early childhood. It is unknown whether socioeconomic differences in HC are present in early childhood. Therefore, we investigated the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and HC in early childhood, and potential underlying factors.

Methods

The study focused on Dutch children born between April 2002 and January 2006 who participated in The Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Maternal educational level was used as indicator of SEP. HC measures were concentrated around 1, 3, 6 and 11 months. Associations and explanatory factors were investigated using linear regression analysis, adjusted for potential mediators.

Results

The study included 3383 children. At 1, 3 and 6 months of age, children of mothers with a low education had a smaller HC than those with a high education (difference at 1 month: -0.42 SD; 95% CI: -0.54,-0.30; at 3 months: -0.27 SD; 95% CI -0.40,-0.15; and at 6 months: -0.13 SD; 95% CI -0.24,-0.02). Child's length and weight could only partially explain the smaller HC at 1 and 3 months of age. At 6 months, birth weight, gestational age and parental height explained the HC differences. At 11 months, no HC differences were found.

Conclusion

Educational inequalities in HC in the first 6 months of life can be mainly explained by pregnancy-related factors, such as birth weight and gestational age. These findings further support public health policies to prevent negative birth outcomes in lower socioeconomic groups.

SUBMITTER: Bouthoorn SH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3387269 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Head circumference of infants born to mothers with different educational levels; the Generation R Study.

Bouthoorn Selma H SH van Lenthe Frank J FJ Hokken-Koelega Anita C S AC Moll Henriëtte A HA Tiemeier Henning H Hofman Albert A Mackenbach Johan P JP Jaddoe Vincent W V VW Raat Hein H

PloS one 20120629 6

<h4>Objective</h4>Head circumference (HC) reflect growth and development of the brain in early childhood. It is unknown whether socioeconomic differences in HC are present in early childhood. Therefore, we investigated the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and HC in early childhood, and potential underlying factors.<h4>Methods</h4>The study focused on Dutch children born between April 2002 and January 2006 who participated in The Generation R Study, a population-based prospective ...[more]

PMID: 22768125

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Project description:The prevalence of metabolic syndrome comprising obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease has been on the rise world-wide in recent years. As non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus have their roots in prenatal development and conditions such as maternal gestational diabetes (GDM), we aimed to test this hypothesis in primary cells derived from the offspring of GDM mothers compared to control subjects. Methods We have assessed primary umbilical cord derived cells such as human vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) and Wharton’s jelly derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJMSCs) from both, the offspring of GDM and healthy mothers. We have compared the primary isolates in cell based assays measuring proliferation, mitochondrial oxygen consumption, as well as the ability to support blood vessel growth. We conducted gene expression microarray studies with subsequent pathway analysis and candidate gene validation. Results We observed striking differences between the two groups such as lower metabolic rates and impairment of tube formation in cells with GDM background. HUVECs from subjects with maternal GDM have lower expression of the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-Xl suggesting compromised angiogenic capabilities. Comparative gene expression analysis revealed blood vessel formation as a major pathway enriched in the GDM derived HUVECs with the surface marker CD44 as a significant gene under-expressed in the GDM group. Functional validation of CD44 revealed that it regulates tube formation in HUVECs thereby providing new insights into a novel pathway imprinted in primary umbilical cord derived cells from GDM offspring. Conclusions/interpretation Our data demonstrate that primary cells isolated from the umbilical cord of offspring born to GDM mothers maintain metabolic and molecular imprints of maternal hyperglycemia, which occurred during prenatal development reflecting an enhanced risk for cardiovascular disease later in life.

Project description:BackgroundMaternal asthma is associated with serious pregnancy complications, but newborn morbidity is understudied.ObjectiveWe wanted to determine whether infants of asthmatic mothers have more neonatal complications.MethodsThe Consortium on Safe Labor (2002-2008), a retrospective cohort, included 223,512 singleton deliveries at ? 23 weeks' gestation. Newborns of mothers with asthma (n = 17,044) were compared with newborns of women without asthma by using logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to calculate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Electronic medical record data included gestational week at delivery, birth weight, resuscitation, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, NICU length of stay, hyperbilirubinemia, respiratory distress syndrome, apnea, sepsis, anemia, transient tachypnea of the newborn, infective pneumonia, asphyxia, intracerebral hemorrhage, seizure, cardiomyopathy, periventricular or intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, aspiration, retinopathy of prematurity, and perinatal mortality.ResultsPreterm delivery was associated with maternal asthma for each week after 33 completed weeks of gestation and not earlier. Maternal asthma also increased the adjusted odds of small for gestational age (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.16), NICU admission (OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07-1.17), hyperbilirubinemia (OR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04-1.14), respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.19), transient tachypnea of the newborn (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02-1.19), and asphyxia (OR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.03-1.75). Findings persisted for term infants (? 37 weeks) who had additional increased odds of intracerebral hemorrhage (OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.11-3.03) and anemia (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.04-1.62).ConclusionsMaternal asthma was associated with prematurity and small for gestational age. Adverse neonatal outcomes, including respiratory complications, hyperbilirubinemia, and NICU admission, were increased in association with maternal asthma even among term deliveries.

Dataset Information

Head circumference of infants born to mothers with different educational levels; the Generation R Study.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Head circumference of infants born to mothers with different educational levels; the Generation R Study.

Similar Datasets

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