Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Affect Disord 2021 Mar 31;287:406-416. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China. Electronic address:

Background: Stressful life events as important stressors have gradually been recognized as the potential etiology that may lead to adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA). However, researches on this topic have shown relatively inconsistent results. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to synthesize available data on the association between prenatal stressful life events and increased risks of PTB, LBW, and SGA. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Harris Birthright Research Centre of Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, UK.

Objective: To expand the limited knowledge on cell-free (cf)DNA analysis of maternal blood for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 in twin pregnancies by updating the data from the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) on prospective first trimester screening and those arising from systematic review of the literature.

Methods: The FMF data were derived from prospective screening for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 in twin pregnancies at 10 -14 weeks' gestation using the Harmony® prenatal test of Roche/Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. Search of Medline, Embase, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library), ClinicalTrials. Read More

Acta Diabetol 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Department of Obstetrics, University Hospital Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.

Objective: Management of gestational diabetes (GDM) is currently changing toward a more personalized approach. There  is a growing number of GDM patients requiring only a single dose of basal insulin at night to achieve glucose control. Well-known risk factors like obesity, parity and family history have been associated with GDM treatment requirements. Read More

Clin Obes 2021 Apr 9:e12455. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Nutrition, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Test the hypothesis that women with obesity have greater gestation weight gain (GWG) with a moderately higher, vs lower, carbohydrate (CHO) diet, independent of energy intake, whereas GWG for women of normal weight would not differ by CHO group. This was a secondary analysis of data collected from glucose tolerant women with normal weight (NW) or obesity in pregnancy. Women completed a three-day food diary 16 to 20 weeks. Read More

BJOG 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Foothills Medical Center, Alberta Health Services, Canada.

Objectives: To evaluate the recurrence risk of stillbirth.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting And Population: All births 1992-2017, Alberta, Canada METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Apr 9;11(1):7824. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a fetal adverse condition, ascribed by limited oxygen and nutrient supply from the mother to the fetus. Management of IUGR is an ongoing challenge because of its connection with increased fetal mortality, preterm delivery and postnatal pathologies. Untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) metabolomics was applied in 84 umbilical cord blood and maternal blood samples obtained from 48 IUGR and 36 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) deliveries. Read More

BMJ Open 2021 Apr 9;11(4):e045650. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Center for Pregnant Women with Diabetes, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Introduction: Faster-acting insulin aspart (Fiasp) is approved for use in pregnancy and lactation, but no clinical study has evaluated its effects during this life stage in women with pre-existing diabetes. The aim of the CopenFast trial is to evaluate the effect of Fiasp compared with insulin aspart (NovoRapid) on maternal glycaemic control during pregnancy, delivery and lactation and on fetal growth and infant health.

Methods And Analysis: An open-label randomised controlled trial of pregnant women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes including women on multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy or insulin pump therapy. Read More

J Pediatr Surg 2021 Mar 26. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Department of Pediatric Surgery, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.250, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Center for Surgical Trials and Evidence-based Practice (C-STEP), McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.256, Houston, TX 77030, United States; Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, 6411 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, United States.

Purpose: Repetitive painful stimuli and early exposure to opioids places neonates at risk for neurocognitive delays. We aimed to understand opioid utilization for neonates with gastroschisis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of infants with gastroschisis at a tertiary children's hospital (2017-2019). Read More

Diabetol Metab Syndr 2021 Apr 9;13(1):39. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

NHC Key Laboratory of Hormones and Development (Tianjin Medical University), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases, Tianjin Medical University Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital & Tianjin Institute of Endocrinology, Tianjin, 300134, China.

Objective: To investigate the effects of intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) on blood glucose control, clinical value of blood glucose monitoring and production of urinary ketone bodies in pregestational diabetes mellitus.

Method: A total of 124 patients with pregestational diabetes mellitus at 12-14 weeks of gestation admitted to the gestational diabetes clinic of our hospital from December 2016 to December 2018 were selected and randomly divided into two groups. Sixty patients adopted self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) were taken as the control group, and the other 64 patients adopted isCGM system by wearing the device for 14 days. Read More

BMC Ophthalmol 2021 Apr 9;21(1):170. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated with Tongji University, 301 Middle Yan Chang Road, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China.

Background: Retinal capillary is vulnerable to diabetes, whether gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) eyes without clinical retinopathy have capillary abnormalities has not been well studied. To observe the microvasculature changes in eyes of GDM women compared with normoglycemic pregnant women and non-pregnant women by optical coherence tomography-angiography (OCT-A).

Methods: GDM women, age-matched normoglycemic pregnant women and non-pregnant women were included in this study. Read More

BMC Public Health 2021 Apr 9;21(1):703. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Broadcasting and Television, School of Journalism and Information Communication, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, People's Republic of China.

Background: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) makes certain recommendations including the annual influenza vaccination of pregnant and pre-pregnant women during influenza (flu) season with an inactivated influenza vaccine as soon as it becomes available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in association with ACOG state that the vaccine is safe to be given any trimester during pregnancy. However, due to a lack of communication, the public is unaware of the effects of influenza A vaccination in pregnancy. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2021 Apr 9;21(1):285. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Background: Routine assessment in (near) term pregnancy is often inaccurate for the identification of fetuses who are mild to moderately compromised due to placental insufficiency and are at risk of adverse outcomes, especially when fetal size is seemingly within normal range for gestational age. Although biometric measurements and cardiotocography are frequently used, it is known that these techniques have low sensitivity and specificity. In clinical practice this diagnostic uncertainty results in considerable 'over treatment' of women with healthy fetuses whilst truly compromised fetuses remain unidentified. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021 Mar;118(11)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612;

Depression and posttraumatic stress disorder increase the risk of idiopathic preterm birth (iPTB); however, the exact molecular mechanism is unknown. Depression and stress-related disorders are linked to increased FK506-binding protein 51 (FKBP51) expression levels in the brain and/or gene polymorphisms. -deficient () mice resist stress-induced depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. Read More

Z Geburtshilfe Neonatol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Cardiology, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.

Background: The aim of the current study is to compare electrocardiographic and echocardiographic changes in patients with severe preeclampsia (PE) and those with uncomplicated pregnancies.

Methods: This is a case-controlled prospective study consisting of 21 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and a control group consisting of age- and gestational age-matched 24 healthy pregnant women. All patients underwent electrocardiographic and echocardiographic investigation. Read More

Ultraschall Med 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Hadassah Medical Organization and Faculty of Medicine Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel.

Purpose:  To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published nomograms for fetal vermis biometry.

Materials And Methods:  A structured literature search was conducted to identify studies that reported normal measurements of the fetal vermis. A customized quality assessment tool was used to review the selected articles. Read More

J Trace Elem Med Biol 2021 Mar 26;66:126751. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, National Health and Family Planning Commission & Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province, Key Laboratory of Etiology and Epidemiology (23618504), Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Human Health, Harbin, 150086 Heilongjiang, China. Electronic address:

Background: Urinary creatinine can be used to adjust urinary iodine to evaluate iodine nutritional status during pregnancy. However, the reference intervals and impact factors of urinary creatinine are unknown.

Methods: 24 h urine creatinine concentration (24 hUCr) and spot UCr at four different time periods of the day of pregnant women from Part 1 (n = 743) were measured. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2021 Mar 18;157:105351. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK.

Introduction: Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is poorly predicted by markers of hypoxic ischaemic (HI) delivery. Repeated examination of infants with HI markers facilitates diagnostic certainty of HIE severity. When infants with HIE are nursed at incubator ambient air-temperature set to achieve normothermia, there is sometimes associated hyperthermia, a predictor of poor outcome. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2021 Mar 17;157:105353. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Neonatal Intensive Care Centre, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Background: Discharge home of preterm infants on supplemental oxygen has significant healthcare, parental psychological and financial implications, but the potential ability of clinical parameters at discharge to predict the duration of home oxygen has not been previously examined.

Aims: To use clinical and epidemiological parameters available at discharge to predict the duration of home oxygen therapy.

Study Design: Retrospective observational cohort study with a primary and a validation cohort. Read More

Nutrition 2021 Feb 26;89:111219. Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.

Objectives: Preterm births are at higher risk for neurodevelopment (NDV) disabilities. To limit long-term consequences, guidelines recommend aggressive parenteral nutrition (PN) soon after birth. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of energy-enhanced PN in the first week of life on long-term NDV in preterm neonates. Read More

J Pediatr 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Objective: To estimate the incidence of blood product transfusion, including red blood cells, platelets, and plasma, and characterize pre-transfusion hematologic values for infants during their initial hospitalization after birth.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study using data from 7 geographically diverse US academic and community hospitals that participated in the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-III (REDS-III) from 2013-2016. Pre-transfusion hematologic values were evaluated closest to each transfusion and no more than 24 hours prior. Read More

Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Neonatal hypoglycaemia is associated with adverse development, particularly visual-motor and executive function impairment, in childhood. As neonatal hypoglycaemia is common and frequently asymptomatic in at-risk babies-ie, those born preterm, small or large for gestational age, or to mothers with diabetes, it is recommended that these babies are screened for hypoglycaemia in the first 1-2 days after birth with frequent blood glucose measurements. Neonatal hypoglycaemia can be prevented and treated with buccal dextrose gel, and it is also common to treat babies with hypoglycaemia with infant formula and intravenous dextrose. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Maternal Fetal Medicine, USA.

Objectives: Determine interobserver reproducibility of fetal ultrasound biometry and amniotic fluid assessment in the third trimester according to BMI categories.

Methods: Prospective cohort of women with singleton gestations beyond 34 weeks, recruited into 4 groups according to BMI categories: normal, overweight, obese and morbid obese. Multiple pregnancies, diabetes, growth and fetal abnormalities were excluded. Read More

Cereb Cortex 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

The Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

The relationship between structural changes of the cerebral cortex revealed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and gene expression in the human fetal brain has not been explored. In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that relative regional thickness (a measure of cortical evolving organization) of fetal cortical compartments (cortical plate [CP] and subplate [SP]) is associated with expression levels of genes with known cortical phenotype. Mean regional SP/CP thickness ratios across age measured on in utero MRI of 25 healthy fetuses (20-33 gestational weeks [GWs]) were correlated with publicly available regional gene expression levels (23-24 GW fetuses). Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Environmental Health Division, Vital Strategies, New York office: 100 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10005, USA.

Stunting is an important risk factor for early growth and health implications throughout the life course, yet until recently, studies have rarely focused on populations exposed to high levels of particulate matter pollution or on developing countries most vulnerable to stunting and its associated health and developmental impacts. We systematically searched for epidemiologic studies published up to 15 August 2020 that examined the association between ambient and household particulate exposure and postnatal stunting (height-for-age z-score) and prenatal determinants (small for gestational age or SGA, or equivalent) of stunting. We conducted the literature search in PUBMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases in August 2020, using keywords including, but not limited to, "particulate matter," "indoor/household air pollution," and "adverse birth outcomes," to identify relevant articles. Read More

Int Urogynecol J 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Pediatrics, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Introduction And Hypothesis: We examined obstetric and maternal-newborn factors and UI history for stress urinary incontinence (UI) and urge UI during pregnancy and the first year postpartum.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 1447 pregnant women who underwent prenatal examinations and completed an Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form before pregnancy, during early, mid- and late pregnancy, and at five visits during the first year postpartum. Data were analyzed using univariate/multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) logistic regression analyses. Read More

Prenat Diagn 2021 Mar 30. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Objective: To determine the incidence and characterise corpus callosum (CC) abnormalities in fetuses with spina bifida aperta (SBA) between 18 and 26 weeks of gestation.

Methods: This was a retrospective study on fetuses with isolated SBA and who were assessed for fetal surgery. Digitally stored ultrasound images of the brain were reviewed for the presence/absence of the CC, and the length and diameter of its constituent parts (rostrum, genu, body and splenium). Read More

Dev Med Child Neurol 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.

Aim: To study the association between the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) at age 2 years and neurocognition at age 11 years in children born very preterm. We hypothesized that the HINE at 2 years would be associated with neurocognition, that is, neurological, motor, and cognitive outcomes at 11 years.

Method: A total of 174 children (mean gestational age 29. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 5, Fu-Hsing Street, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan.

Objectives: To estimate the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with Behçet's disease (BD) METHODS: Data collected by the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration between 2001 and 2012 was used for our study. A total of 2,350,339 pregnancies from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database and birth registry were identified. Maternal history of BD in women was ascertained. Read More

Front Pediatr 2021 23;9:597415. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Unità Operativa Complessa di Neonatologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.

The study investigates the role of the oxidative and proteolytic inactivation of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature infants. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected on the 3rd day of life from mechanically ventilated neonates with gestational age ≤ 30 weeks and analyzed without previous treatment (top-down proteomics) by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. AAT fragments were identified by high-resolution LTQ Orbitrap XL experiments and the relative abundances determined by considering the extracted ion current (XIC) peak area. Read More

Front Neurol 2021 23;12:649749. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Henan Key Laboratory of Child Brain Injury and Henan Pediatric Clinical Research Center, Institute of Neuroscience and Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Preterm birth is a leading contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality, and the incidence tends to increase and is higher in developing countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential impact of preterm birth in different etiology groups on neonatal complications and outcomes and to gain insight into preventive strategies. We performed a retrospective cohort study of preterm infants less than 32 weeks' gestation in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2014 to 2019. Read More