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Pediatr Res 2019 Apr 20. Epub 2019 Apr 20.

Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Objective: To identify modifiable antecedents during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy windows associated with a positive child health at 10 years of age.

Study Design: Data on 889 children enrolled in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) study in 2002-2004 were analyzed for associations between potentially modifiable maternal antecedents during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy time windows and a previously described positive child health index (PCHI) score at 10 years of age. Stratification by race was also investigated for associations with investigated antecedents. Read More

J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Objective: To analyze quality improvement opportunities (QIOs) identified through review of cases of maternal death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) by the California Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review committee.

Design: Qualitative descriptive design using thematic analysis.

Sample: A total of 269 QIOs identified from 87 pregnancy-related deaths from CVD in California from 2002 to 2007. Read More

Pediatr Pulmonol 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Respiratory Department, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between high adherence to the Mediterranean diet in pregnancy and childhood and the risk of asthma and wheeze in children.

Methods: We conducted searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to 30 October 2018. Observational studies providing risk estimates and corresponding confidence intervals on the association of high adherence to the Mediterranean diet in pregnancy or childhood and the risk of asthma or wheeze in childhood were included. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2019 Apr 14:1-241. Epub 2019 Apr 14.

b Division of General Pediatrics , Department of Pediatrics , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee , USA.

Background: Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy may influence lung development and risk of childhood wheeze and asthma. We investigated the relationship between prenatal vitamin D and child asthma in a racially diverse cohort with a high burden of vitamin D insufficiency and child asthma.

Methods: We included mother-child dyads in the prenatal Conditions Affecting neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood (CANDLE) cohort (2006-2011, Shelby County, Tennessee). Read More

Am J Clin Nutr 2019 Mar;109(Supplement_7):772S-799S

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Alexandria, VA.

Background: During the Pregnancy and Birth to 24 Months Project, the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services initiated a review of evidence on diet and health in these populations.

Objectives: The aim of these systematic reviews was to examine the relation of 1) never versus ever feeding human milk, 2) shorter versus longer durations of any human milk feeding, 3) shorter versus longer durations of exclusive human milk feeding prior to infant formula introduction, 4) feeding a lower versus higher intensity of human milk to mixed-fed infants, and 5) feeding a higher intensity of human milk by bottle versus breast with food allergies, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and asthma.

Methods: The Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review team conducted systematic reviews with external experts. Read More

Am J Clin Nutr 2019 Mar;109(Supplement_7):890S-934S

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Alexandria, VA.

Background: Nutrition during infancy and toddlerhood may influence health and disease prevention across the life span. Complementary feeding (CF) starts when human milk or infant formula is complemented by other foods and beverages, beginning during infancy and continuing to age 24 mo.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe systematic reviews conducted for the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services Pregnancy and Birth to 24 Months Project to answer the following question: What is the relationship between the timing of the introduction of complementary foods and beverages (CFBs), or types and amounts of CFBs consumed, and the development of food allergy, atopic dermatitis/eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis?

Methods: The literature was searched using 4 databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, PubMed) to identify articles published from January 1980 to February 2017 that met predetermined inclusion criteria. Read More

J Allergy Clin Immunol 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Department of Occupational Safety and Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background: Lung development is a multi-stage process from conception to postnatal period, the disruption of by which air pollutants may trigger later respiratory morbidity.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of weekly average fine particulate matters (PM) exposure during pregnancy and infancy periods on asthma, and identify vulnerable times to help elucidate the possible mechanisms of the effects of PM on asthma.

Methods: A birth cohort study including 184,604 children born during 2004-2011 in Taichung city was retrieved from the Taiwan Maternal and Child Health Database and followed until 2014. Read More

Rofo 2019 Apr 4. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

University of Latvia, Faculty of Medicine, Riga, Latvia.

Background:  High diagnostic accuracy, increasing clinical experience and technical improvements are good reasons to consider lung ultrasound (US) for the assessment of pleural and pulmonary diseases. In the emergency room and in intensive care, it is well acknowledged, but application in other settings is rare. The aim of this review is to update potential users in general radiology about the diagnostic scope of lung US and to encourage more frequent use of this generally underestimated lung imaging modality. Read More

J Cell Biochem 2019 Apr 1. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Institute of Genetics Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.

Allergic disorders are among the most common diseases around the world especially in children. Many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of atopic disorders, but early events during the pregnancy are very important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of cord blood immunoglobulin E (CB-IgE) and its association with maternal in a group of Iranian newborns. Read More

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

the Department of Pediatrics, Childhood Asthma Atopy Center, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul. Electronic address:

Background: The increasing incidence of food allergy (FA) can be attributed to interactions between genes and the environment, but these interactions are not yet fully clear.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the interaction between infant genetic variations and maternal dietary patterns to identify risk factors in the development of FA.

Methods: We used the COCOA birth cohort of 1628 infants, born between 2007 and 2015. Read More

Hum Reprod 2019 Mar 30. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Study Question: Is there an association between maternal occupational exposure to solvents, pesticides and metals as assessed by expert-based assessment and congenital anomalies in the offspring?

Summary Answer: There is an association between maternal occupational exposure to solvents and congenital anomalies in the offspring, including neural tube defects, congenital heart defects and orofacial clefts.

What Is Known Already: One important environmental risk factor for development of congenital anomalies is maternal occupational exposure to chemicals in the workplace prior to and during pregnancy. A number of studies have assessed the association with often conflicting results, possibly due to different occupational exposure assessing methods. Read More

Presse Med 2019 Mar 23;48(3 Pt 1):262-273. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Inserm U1168, VIMA (aging and chronic diseases, epidemiological and public health approaches), Villejuif, France; UVSQ, UMR-S 1168, université Versailles, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.

The prevalence of asthma has increased rapidly since the early 1970s, and only changes in exposure to environmental factors; which go together with changes in lifestyle, are likely to explain such a rapid increase. Exposure to allergens is a risk factor for allergic sensitization, and allergic sensitization is a risk factor for allergic asthma. However, apart from indoor mold exposure as a risk factor for childhood asthma, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the associations between allergen exposure and asthma development are causal. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Mar 20;9(3):e023213. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Scottish Cot Death Trust, 5th Floor, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Objective: Smoking during pregnancy is associated with adverse health impacts on mother and child. We used a large linked Scottish dataset to produce contemporary estimates of the impact on child health, particularly hospitalisation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study linking birth, death, maternity, infant health, child health surveillance and admission records. Read More

J Dent Sci 2018 Dec 11;13(4):318-328. Epub 2018 Jun 11.

Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pedodontics, Istanbul, Turkey.

Background/purpose: Molar-Incisor-Hypomineralisation (MIH) is the term used to depict a condition in which one or more of the permanent molar teeth and usually no less than one incisor tooth is hypomineralised and the prevalence rates vary from 2.4 to 40.2%. Read More

Pediatrics 2019 Apr 18;143(4). Epub 2019 Mar 18.

This clinical report updates and replaces a 2008 clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which addressed the roles of maternal and early infant diet on the prevention of atopic disease, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and food allergy. As with the previous report, the available data still limit the ability to draw firm conclusions about various aspects of atopy prevention through early dietary interventions. Current evidence does not support a role for maternal dietary restrictions during pregnancy or lactation. Read More

Eur Respir J 2019 Mar 17. Epub 2019 Mar 17.

Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Many epidemiological studies have reported a positive association between prenatal exposure to paracetamol and childhood wheezing and asthma. We investigated whether the link between prenatal analgesic exposure and asthma/wheeze is specific to paracetamol, and whether it is causal or confounded.Using linked Swedish health register data we investigated the relation between various prescribed analgesics in pregnancy and the risk of childhood asthma/wheeze in a population of N=492 999, and used negative paternal control and sibling comparison approaches to explore unmeasured confounding. Read More

JAMA 2019 03;321(10):1003-1005

Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2019 Mar 11;19(4):22. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Henry Ford Health System, WSU School of Medicine, One Ford Place 4B, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.

Purpose Of Review: The infant gut microbiota has become a focus of multiple epidemiologic and cohort studies. This microbiome is derived from the mother (via the vaginal canal, maternal skin contact, breastfeeding, and possibly in utero microbial transfer) and is likely influenced by multiple external factors. It is now believed by some experts that colonization and formation of the newborn and alterations of gut microbiota in children are dependent on earlier alterations of the microbiota of mothers during or perhaps even before pregnancy. Read More

J Dev Orig Health Dis 2019 Mar 7:1-9. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

5Department of Clinical Trial and Clinical Epidemiology,Faculty of Medicine,University of Tsukuba,Tsukuba,Japan.

Numerous studies have investigated the risk of developing asthma due to early-life experiences and environmental exposures. However, the influence of intrauterine growth restriction and postnatal undernutrition on childhood wheezing/asthma remains unclear. Thus, we examined the effects of both small for gestational age (SGA) and postnatal stunted growth on ever asthma among children in the rural areas in Bangladesh. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 03 1;20(5). Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Philipps-University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.

Maternal diet modifies epigenetic programming in offspring, a potentially critical factor in the immune dysregulation of modern societies. We previously found that prenatal fish oil supplementation affects neonatal T-cell histone acetylation of genes implicated in adaptive immunity including , , and . In this study, we measured H3 and H4 histone acetylation levels by chromatin immunoprecipitation in 173 term placentas collected in the prospective birth cohort, ALADDIN, in which information on lifestyle and diet is thoroughly recorded. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Feb 28;9(1):3043. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

COPSAC, Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a marker of systemic low-grade inflammation and associated with chronic inflammatory diseases. It is unknown whether maternal and infant hs-CRP levels are correlated and little is known about risk factors in early childhood. Hs-CRP were measured in mothers during pregnancy week 24 (N = 690), and one-week postpartum (N = 675) and in their children age 6 mo (N = 640) enrolled in the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC) cohort. Read More

Front Pediatr 2019 7;7:22. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.

Biological differences between the sexes are apparent even from the early part of the pregnancy. The crown-rump length is larger in male fetuses compared to females in the first trimester. Placentae of male and female fetuses have different protein and gene expressions, especially in adverse conditions. Read More

Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2019 Feb 20. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

McGill University Department of Epidemiology Biostatistics and Occupational Health, 213585, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Rationale: Little is known regarding the impact of ambient ultrafine particles (<0.1 μm) (UFPs) on childhood asthma development.

Objective: To examine the association between prenatal and early postnatal life exposure to UFPs and development of childhood asthma. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2019 Feb 12. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

COPSAC, Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Aim: The objective of this study was to identify possible pre- and postnatal factors influencing neurodevelopment of the young child.

Methods: We used data from the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 (COPSAC ) mother-child cohort, but excluded those with a neurological diagnosis, born <37 weeks of gestation and birthweights <2500 g, resulting in 650 children analysed. Neurodevelopment was assessed as age of achievement of early milestones, language scores at 1 and 2 years and cognitive score at 2 ½ years of age. Read More

Clin Exp Allergy 2019 Feb 11. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Associations between parental asthma and prenatal exposure to asthma medications with offspring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been reported. However, the associations might be confounded by unmeasured (genetic and shared environmental) familial factors.

Objective: We investigated the association between (a) maternal/paternal asthma and offspring ASD, and (b) prenatal exposures to β2-agonists, other asthma medications and offspring ASD using cases and controls selected from the population as well as biological relatives with different degrees of relatedness. Read More

Expert Opin Drug Saf 2019 Mar 22;18(3):173-185. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

c Division of Surgery , University College London, Northwick Park Institute of Medical Research Campus , London , UK.

Introduction: The use of antibiotics prenatally, during pregnancy, or neonatally may have adverse effects on the neonatal gut microbiome, and adversely affect the development of the infant immune system, leading to childhood atopy, asthma, allergy and obesity. Areas covered: Vaginal eubiosis and dysbiosis from molecular-based, cultivation-independent techniques, and how this affects the neonatal gut microbiome and early development of the immune system, the association between maternal antibiotics and the beneficial role of vitamin D in the development of atopy, asthma, allergy and obesity, efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics in pregnancy and therapeutic interventions such as vaginal 'seeding', probiotics, breastfeeding and neonatal dietary supplementation. Expert opinion: Currently available research gives insufficient attention to confounding variables. Read More

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.

Introduction: In most pregnancies after a cesarean section, a trial of labor is an option. The objective of the study was to explore trial of labor and its failure in pregnancies with medical risk conditions, in a population with a high trial of labor rate.

Material And Methods: In a cohort study (n = 57 109), using data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway 1989-2014, women with a second delivery after a first pregnancy cesarean section were included. Read More

Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2019 Feb 8. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education, Davos, Switzerland.

Background: Allergies are a serious public health issue, and prevalences are rising worldwide. The role of antibiotics in the development of allergies has repeatedly been discussed, as results remain inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between pre- and post-natal antibiotic exposure and subsequent development of allergies (atopic dermatitis, food allergy, asthma, atopic sensitization and allergic rhinitis). Read More

PLoS One 2019 7;14(2):e0211976. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Background: Smoking is the main risk factor for most of the leading causes of death. Cessation is the single most important step that smokers can take to improve their health. With the aim of informing policy makers about decisions on future tobacco control strategies, we estimated time and age trends in smoking cessation in Europe between 1980 and 2010. Read More

Br J Nutr 2019 Apr 7;121(8):905-913. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

5Center for Nutrition, Prevention, and Health Services,National Institute for Public Health and the Environment,3720 BA Bilthoven,The Netherlands.

Observational studies suggest that breast-feeding is associated with a more favourable BMI and cardio-metabolic markers, but potential underlying mechanisms are unclear. As serum adiponectin has an important function in adults for glucose and lipid metabolism, we assessed 251 participants of the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy birth cohort whether breast milk adiponectin is associated with childhood BMI and cardio-metabolic markers. We measured adiponectin levels in breast milk collected around 3 months after birth of the child and subsequently obtained weight and height repeatedly up to the age of 17 years. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 May 25;663:418-425. Epub 2019 Jan 25.

Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London,1 - 19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

The prevalence of the asthmatic symptoms among children increases globally over the time. Reduced exposure to pathogens in early childhood and increased exposure to anthropogenic irritants result in increased risk of wheezing in children, and all of this may be related to the usage of household chemicals. Objective of this analysis thus was to study the potential effects of overall exposure to home chemicals in the early life on the phenotypes of wheezing from birth until five years of age. Read More

Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2019 May 30;13(3):233-239. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Faculty of Medicine, Discipline of Pediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Data on burden of severe influenza in children with a range of chronic lung diseases (CLDs) remain limited.

Method: We performed a cohort study to estimate burden of influenza-associated hospitalization in children with CLDs using population-based linked data. The cohort comprised all children in New South Wales, Australia, born between 2001 and 2010 and was divided into five groups, children with: (a) severe asthma; (b) bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); (c) cystic fibrosis (CF); (d) other congenital/chronic lung conditions; and (e) children without CLDs. Read More

Ethiop J Health Sci 2019 Jan;29(1):831-840

MizanTepi University, College of Health Science, Department of Nursing, adult Health Hursing Unit.

Background: Disorders of pregnancy induced hypertensive are a major health problem in the obstetric population as they are one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization estimates that at least one woman dies every seven minutes from complications of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The objective of this study is to assess pregnancy induced hypertension and its associated factors among women attending delivery service at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Gebretsadikshawo Hospital and Tepi General Hospital. Read More

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019 Jan 30;7(1):e11836. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong).

Background: The use of social media and mobile health (mHealth) apps has been increasing in pregnancy care. However, the effectiveness of these interventions is still unclear.

Objectives: We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of these interventions with regard to different health outcomes in pregnant and postpartum women and investigate the characteristics and components of interventions that may affect program effectiveness. Read More

Environ Int 2019 Mar 23;124:462-472. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address:

Introduction: Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) has been inconsistently associated with asthma and allergic diseases and increased number of infections in early childhood. We examined the association of PFASs measured in pregnancy with childhood asthma, allergies and common infectious diseases in a prospective pregnancy cohort followed to age 7 years.

Material And Methods: Six PFASs (out of 19 measured) with at least 80% of measurements above the limit of quantification (LOQ) in maternal plasma during pregnancy in two subcohorts of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) were analyzed in relation to health outcomes: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA), and perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS). Read More

Med Lett Drugs Ther 2019 Jan;61(1563):6-8

Aging (Albany NY) 2019 Jan;11(2):707-723

Department of Pharmacotherapy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Musashino University, Tokyo 202-8585, Japan.

Reproductive organs play a pivotal role in asthma development and progression, especially in women. Endocrine environment changes associated with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can exacerbate the clinical features of asthma. Factors secreted by reproductive organs may be responsible for the gender difference and age-related changes in adult asthma. Read More

BJOG 2019 Apr 24;126(5):663-673. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK.

Objective: To examine the association between mid-pregnancy dietary patterns and pregnancy-associated hypertension (PAH).

Design: A prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Setting: Denmark. Read More

BMC Public Health 2019 Jan 21;19(1):94. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Section for Environment, Occupation and Health, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.

Background: With increasing interest in exposure effects across generations, it is crucial to assess the validity of information given on behalf of others.

Aims: To compare adult's report of their parent's smoking status against parent's own report and examine predictors for discrepant answers.

Methods: We studied 7185 offspring (18-51 years) and one of their parents, n = 5307 (27-67 years) participating in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study. Read More

Can Respir J 2018 18;2018:7649629. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Gynecologist and Obstetrician, St. Josefs Hospital, Wiesbaden, Germany.

Data on inhaler technique and its effects on maternal and fetal outcomes during pregnancy are seldom reported. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate inhaler technique and identify errors in inhaler use among pregnant women with asthma. Secondary objectives were to identify factors associated with poor inhaler technique and study the association between inhaler technique and maternal and fetal outcomes. Read More

Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol 2018 Dec 2;17(6):540-547. Epub 2018 Dec 2.

Department of Immunology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran AND Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Regulatory T cells are of utmost importance for tolerating the fetus. In some pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia, the frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells is altered, but there is no consistency regarding the results. Besides, little is known about the frequency of CD8+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells in pregnancy complications. Read More

Birth Defects Res 2019 Mar 8;111(5):254-260. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sherbrooke University Hospital Research Centre, Sherbrooke, Canada.

Background: The relationship between childhood asthma and central nervous system defects in offspring is poorly understood. We assessed if childhood asthma was associated with the risk of having an infant with neural tube or other nervous system defects compared with asthma during pregnancy.

Methods: We analyzed a longitudinal cohort of 128,060 women who were 5 years or less at study entry and later delivered an infant in Quebec, Canada (1989-2014). Read More

Front Immunol 2018 18;9:2997. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.

Sex-related differences in asthma prevalence are well established and change through the reproductive phases of life. As children, boys have increased prevalence of asthma compared to girls. However, as adults, women have increased prevalence of asthma compared to men. Read More

Georgian Med News 2018 Nov(284):98-102

David Tvildiani Medical University, Tbilisi; Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Georgia.

Asthma is a common disease with increasing prevalence both in children and adults. WHO estimates that annually 15 million disability-adjusted life-years are lost and 250,000 asthma deaths are reported worldwide. Approximately 500,000 annual hospitalizations are due to asthma. Read More

Can J Public Health 2019 Apr 7;110(2):149-158. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St, 4th Floor, Office 4S310, Toronto, ON, M3H 5T4, Canada.

Objectives: To estimate the proportion of the Canadian population that is more susceptible to adverse effects of ozone (O) and fine particle (PM) air pollution exposure and how this varies by health region alongside ambient concentrations of O and PM.

Methods: Using data from the census, the Canadian Community Health Survey, vital statistics and published literature, we generated cross-sectional estimates for 2014 of the proportions of the Canadian population considered more susceptible due to age, chronic disease, pregnancy, outdoor work, socio-economic status, and diet. We also estimated 2010-2012 average concentrations of O and PM. Read More

Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2019 Apr;19(2):126-131

Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.

Purpose Of Review: To review the literature of the past 18 months (April 2017 through September, 2018) relating to vitamin D and childhood asthma.

Recent Findings: A combined analysis of two clinical trials of maternal vitamin D supplementation trials showed a significant protective effect of vitamin D supplementation trials in the primary prevention of asthma and recurrent wheeze up to age 3 years. Secondary analyses from these trials have also suggested that initial maternal vitamin D status could affect the response to supplementation during pregnancy, with the biggest protective effect in children born to mothers with initial 25hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels of at least 30 ng/ml. Read More

Asthma Res Pract 2018 27;4:11. Epub 2018 Dec 27.

1Faculty of Medicine, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.

Background: Although asthma is one of the most serious diseases causing complications during pregnancy, half of the women discontinue therapy thus diminishing the control of the disease, mostly due to the inadequate education and fear of adverse events. Sadly, this is sometimes encouraged by insufficiently educated physicians. Since the incidence and the prevalence of asthma is increasing, it is important to arouse the importance of proper asthma therapy during pregnancy. Read More

PLoS One 2018 28;13(12):e0207235. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

UQAM, Département des sciences de l'activité physique, Montréal, Canada.

Introduction: Past research has shown relationships between stress during pregnancy, and related psychosocial health measures such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, with infant, child, and adult outcomes. However, most research is from high-income countries. We conducted a scoping review to identify research studies on prenatal stress and outcomes of the pregnancy or offspring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to synthesize the stress measures and outcomes assessed, the findings observed, and directions for future research. Read More

Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi 2018 Dec;53(12):842-848

Department of Intensive Care Unit, Foshan Woman and Children Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan 528000, China.

To analyze clinical characteristics of severe community-acquired pneumonia during pregnancy and its outcomes, and to explore the relevant risk factors. From September 2012 to September 2017, 324 398 pregnancies admitted in 7 tertiary hospitals were included. Clinical data of 33 cases of pregnancies with severe community-acquired pneumonia (severe pneumonia group) and 214 cases of pregnancies with common community-acquired pneumonia (control group) were reviewed retrospectively, including the clinical information, manifestations, laboratory examinations and pregnancy outcomes. Read More

Harefuah 2018 Dec;157(12):783-786

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Rambam Health Care Campus, affiliated with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.

Introduction: Smoking during pregnancy is a public health problem because of the many adverse effects associated with it. These include intrauterine growth restriction, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, decreased maternal thyroid function, preterm premature rupture of membranes, low birth weight, perinatal mortality, and ectopic pregnancy. An estimated 5-8% of pre-term deliveries, 13-19% of term deliveries of infants with low birth weight, 23-34% cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and 5-7% of preterm-related infant deaths can be attributed to prenatal maternal smoking. Read More