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Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland, Level 3 Aubigny Place, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia,; Mater Mothers' Hospital, Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia,; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Australia,. Electronic address:

Background: Small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants are at significantly increased risk of perinatal complications, but the risk of recurrent SGA is not well known, particularly as there are many demographic and obstetric factors that interact and modify this risk. We investigated the relationship between previous SGA births and the risk of recurrence at term in a large Australian cohort.

Objective(s): We aimed to identify key demographic and obstetric variables that influence the risk of recurrence of an SGA infant at term. Read More

Contraception 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Indiana University Bloomington, School of Public Health, Bloomington IN, 47405.

Objectives: We explored public opinion about using telemedicine to provide medication abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We also investigated the associations between socio-demographic characteristics and support for using telemedicine in this context and explored factors that influenced respondents' attitudes on the topic.

Study Design: In a nationally representative, web-based survey of US adults (n=711), we asked open- and closed-ended questions about using telemedicine to prescribe medication abortion during COVID-19. Read More

Curr Hypertens Rep 2021 Apr 13;23(4):20. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Optics and Imaging Centre, Doris Duke Medical Research Institution, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Purpose Of Review: This review investigated the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the synergy of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, preeclampsia (PE), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Maternal health is a great concern when treating pregnant women fighting this triad of diseases, which is highly prevalent in South Africa. MicroRNAs are involved in fine-tuning of physiological processes. Read More

Bioelectromagnetics 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.

The effects of exposure to intermediate-frequency electromagnetic fields (IF-EMFs) during pregnancy on birth outcomes are uncertain. We investigated the association between the use of induction heating (IH) cookers, which are major sources of IF-EMFs, during pregnancy and preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational-age (SGA), and birth weight, using data from a prebirth cohort study in Japan. Study participants were 1,565 mothers with singleton pregnancies and the babies born from these pregnancies. Read More

Clin Epigenetics 2021 Apr 12;13(1):78. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Background: Prenatal symptoms of depression (PND) and anxiety affect up to every third pregnancy. Children of mothers with mental health problems are at higher risk of developmental problems, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms together with other factors such as genetic and environmental. We investigated DNA methylation in cord blood in relation to PND, taking into consideration a history of depression, co-morbidity with anxiety and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) use, and stratified by sex of the child. Read More

J Neonatal Perinatal Med 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Division of Neonatology, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, MI, USA.

Background: Pregnant mothers with opioid dependency commonly receive maintenance treatment of opioid (OMT), either as buprenorphine (BMT) or methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). We investigated, whether OMT adversely affects standardized neonatal anthropometric outcomes and whether BMT is potentially safer than MMT in this regard.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of mother infant dyad, with and without OMT. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Mar;9(5):426

Fourth Department of Liver Disease (Difficult & Complicated Liver Diseases and Artificial Liver Center), Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) includes a group of genetic autosomal recessive disorders that predominantly affects young children and results in early-onset progressive liver damage. Variations in have been shown to cause PFIC3. However, the association between genotype and clinical manifestations remains unclear. Read More

Nutr Res Pract 2021 Apr 11;15(2):160-172. Epub 2020 Sep 11.

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Korea.

Background/objectives: Nutritional status and food intake during pregnancy and lactation can affect fetal programming. In the current metabolic syndrome epidemic, high-fructose diets have been strongly implicated. This study investigated the effect of maternal high-fructose intake during pregnancy and lactation on the development of metabolic syndrome in adult offspring. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2021 Mar 17;157:105352. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.

Objective: Exposure to stress in pregnancy has been shown to affect fetal development with short- and long-term physiological and behavioral consequences for the offspring. Although social support is known to lower perceived stress, no prior study has investigated the buffering role of social support in the context of prenatal stress effects on infant temperament. The aim of this study was to examine interactive effects of prenatal stress and social support on several dimensions of infant temperament at 9 months postpartum. Read More

Fertil Res Pract 2021 Apr 10;7(1). Epub 2021 Apr 10.

1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology 'Alexandra' General Hospital, Molecular Biology Unit, Division of Human Reproduction and Recurrent Abortions, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 80, Vasilissis Sofias Ave., 11528, Athens, Greece.

Background: Promoter region SNPs in TNF-α have been studied in association with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) occurrence in various populations. Among them, -238G > A, -308G > A and - 376G > A have been frequently investigated for their potential role in recurrent abortions. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the correlation among TNF-α 238, TNF-α 308 and TNF-α 376 polymorphisms and recurrent pregnancy loss risk in Greek women. Read More

Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2021 Apr 9;19(1):55. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, No.157 Jingliu Road, Jinan, 250021, China.

Background: Thin endometrial thickness (EMT) has been suggested to be associated with reduced incidence of pregnancy rate after in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) treatment, but the effect of thin endometrium on obstetric outcome is less investigated. This study aims to determine whether EMT affects the incidence of obstetric complications in fresh IVF/ICSI-embryo transfer (ET) cycles.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study collecting a total of 9266 women who had singleton livebirths after fresh IVF/ICSI-ET treatment cycles at the Center for Reproductive Medicine Affiliated to Shandong University between January 2014 and December 2018. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2021 Apr 9;21(1):284. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

Background: Sleep disorders, which are among the foremost important medical care issues, are prevalent in pregnancy. The present study is a meta-analysis of the prevalence of insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy. This study aims to systematically review the overall prevalence of insomnia in the third trimester of pregnancy through conducting a meta-analysis. Read More

Asian J Androl 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Center of Reproductive Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.

Damage to sperm DNA was proposed to play an important role in embryonic development. Previous studies focused on outcomes after fresh embryo transfer, whereas this study investigated the influence of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) on laboratory and clinical outcomes after frozen embryo transfer (FET). This retrospective study examined 381 couples using cleavage-stage FET. Read More