Synopsis
Pregnancy presents a unique opportunity in the life course to improve women's long‐term health. Postpregnancy interventions, breastfeeding, and optimal nutrition prevent the development of ...chronic diseases.
A myriad of maternal and neonatal complications can result from delivery of a large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infant. LGA birth rates have increased in many countries since the late 20th century, ...partially due to a rise in maternal body mass index, which is associated with LGA risk. The objective of the current study was to develop LGA prediction models for women with overweight and obesity for the purpose of clinical decision support in a clinical setting. Maternal characteristics, serum biomarkers and fetal anatomy scan measurements for 465 pregnant women with overweight and obesity before and at approximately 21 weeks gestation were obtained from the PEARS (Pregnancy Exercise and Nutrition with smart phone application support) study data. Random forest, support vector machine, adaptive boosting and extreme gradient boosting algorithms were applied with synthetic minority over-sampling technique to develop probabilistic prediction models. Two models were developed for use in different settings: a clinical setting for white women (AUC-ROC of 0.75); and a clinical setting for women of all ethnicity and regions (AUC-ROC of 0.57). Maternal age, mid upper arm circumference, white cell count at the first antenatal visit, fetal biometry and gestational age at fetal anatomy scan were found to be important predictors of LGA. Pobal HP deprivation index and fetal biometry centiles, which are population-specific, are also important. Moreover, we explained our models with Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) to improve explainability, which was proven effective by case studies. Our explainable models can effectively predict the probability of an LGA birth for women with overweight and obesity, and are anticipated to be useful to support clinical decision-making and for the development of early pregnancy intervention strategies to reduce pregnancy complications related to LGA.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Low-dose aspirin has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction in at-risk populations. Its role in low-risk populations is as yet unknown. Novel ...preeclampsia screening tests are emerging that can predict the risk of the development of preeclampsia from as early as 11 weeks of gestation. It may be more efficacious, acceptable, and cost-effective to prescribe low-dose aspirin to all pregnant women from the first trimester as opposed to performing a screening test in the first instance. There is variation in opinion: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests the use of aspirin only in women who are at risk of preeclampsia, based on patient history; the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, UK, and the US Preventative Services Task Force recommend the use of low-dose aspirin if there is 1 major or 2 moderate risk factors. This point-counterpoint discussion shall address (1) controversies regarding the real impact of low-dose aspirin; (2) controversies in the actual guidelines among the different national societies; (3) controversies regarding emerging preeclampsia screening tests in terms of cost-effectiveness and efficacy, and (4) points in favor of the provision of universal vs screened-positive women.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), a common pregnancy complication associated with many maternal and neonatal consequences, is increased in mothers with overweight and obesity. Interventions ...initiated early in pregnancy can reduce the rate of GDM in these women, however, untargeted interventions can be costly and time-consuming. We have developed an explainable machine learning-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) to identify at-risk women in need of targeted pregnancy intervention. Maternal characteristics and blood biomarkers at baseline from the PEARS study were used. After appropriate data preparation, synthetic minority oversampling technique and feature selection, five machine learning algorithms were applied with five-fold cross-validated grid search optimising the balanced accuracy. Our models were explained with Shapley additive explanations to increase the trustworthiness and acceptability of the system. We developed multiple models for different use cases: theoretical (AUC-PR 0.485, AUC-ROC 0.792), GDM screening during a normal antenatal visit (AUC-PR 0.208, AUC-ROC 0.659), and remote GDM risk assessment (AUC-PR 0.199, AUC-ROC 0.656). Our models have been implemented as a web server that is publicly available for academic use. Our explainable CDSS demonstrates the potential to assist clinicians in screening at risk patients who may benefit from early pregnancy GDM prevention strategies.
Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of noncentral placental cord insertion on birthweight discordance in twins. Study Design We performed a multicenter, prospective trial ...of twin pregnancies. Placental cord insertion was documented as central, marginal, or velamentous according to a defined protocol. Association of the placental cord insertion site with chorionicity, birthweight discordance, and growth restriction were assessed. Results Eight hundred sixteen twin pairs were evaluated; 165 pairs were monochorionic, and 651 pairs were dichorionic. Monochorionic twins had higher rates of marginal ( P = .0068) and velamentous ( P < .0001) placental cord insertion. Noncentral placental cord insertion was more frequent in smaller twins of discordant pairs than control pairs (29.8% vs 19.1%; P = .004). Velamentous placental cord insertion in monochorionic twins was associated significantly with birthweight discordance (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–9.4) and growth restriction (odds ratio, 4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–14.3). Conclusion Noncentral placental cord insertion contributes to birthweight discordance in monochorionic twin pregnancies. Sonographic delineation of placental cord insertion may be of value in antenatal assessment of twin pregnancies.
A breastfeeding‐friendly city is one where there is an enabling environment to support breastfeeding throughout the first 2 years or more of a child's life. Indicators of a breastfeeding‐friendly ...city have yet to be identified. What are the indicators or criteria used to define breastfeeding friendliness in a geographic area such as a city and the settings within, which we have classified as community, healthcare and workplace? Three major databases and grey literature were searched. Records were screened to identify publications describing criteria such as indicators or descriptions of a breastfeeding‐friendly setting, defined as ‘criteria‐sets’. These criteria‐sets were then categorized and summarized by settings. The search up to 2 September 2021 found 119 criteria‐sets from a range of settings: geographic locations (n = 33), community entities (n = 24), healthcare facilities (n = 28), workplaces (n = 28) and others (n = 6). Overall, 15 community, 22 healthcare and 9 workplace related criteria were extracted from the criteria‐sets. Criteria that were consistently present in all settings were policy, training & education, skilled breastfeeding support and physical infrastructure. Some criteria‐sets of geographic locations contained criteria only from a single setting (e.g., the presence of breastfeeding‐friendly cafes). Criteria‐sets were present for all settings as defined in this review, but few were actual indicators. Specifically, there were no existing indicators of a breastfeeding‐friendly city. Several common components of the criteria‐sets were identified, and these could be used in developing indicators of a breastfeeding‐friendly city. Future studies should determine which of these are important and how each can be measured.
We found many different criteria used to describe a breastfeeding‐friendly setting, including cities. However, few were actual indicators. Several common criteria were identified, and these could be used to develop indicators of a breastfeeding‐friendly city.
Key messages
There were many different criteria used to describe a breastfeeding‐friendly setting, including cities, but few were actual measurable indicators.
Several common criteria were identified such as policy, training & education, skilled breastfeeding support, and physical infrastructure.
These could be further developed into indicators of a breastfeeding‐friendly city.
Adverse family-based lifestyle factors in the preconception period, pregnancy and early-childhood are major risk factors for childhood obesity and there is a growing consensus that early life ...interventions to prevent overweight and obesity in children are required. However, results from recent systematic reviews of preconception and pregnancy interventions have demonstrated mixed success. Therefore, this protocol presents a study aiming to summarise and evaluate complex preconception and pregnancy intervention components, process evaluation components, and authors’ statements, with a view to improving our understanding regarding their success and informing design or adaptation of more effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity. A scoping review will be conducted, using the frameworks of the JBI and Arksey and O’Malley. A two-step approach will be used to identify relevant literature: (1) systematic searches will be conducted in the databases PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL to identify all eligible preconception and pregnancy trials with offspring data; and (2) CLUSTER searches will be conducted to find linked publications to eligible trials (follow-ups, process evaluation publications). Two researchers will independently select studies, chart, and synthesise data. A qualitative thematic analysis will be performed in which statements related to process evaluation components and authors’ interpretations will be coded as “reasons”. A descriptive analysis will be performed to evaluate intervention complexity using a complex intervention framework (AHRQ series; Medical Research Council guidance). The results of this study, which will be discussed with an expert group as part of a consultation stage, aim to identify gaps and inform the design or adaptation of future preconception and pregnancy interventions and approaches to potentially increase success rates. We expect that our results, which will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, will be of interest to researchers, families, and practitioners concerned with good preconception and prenatal care, and healthy child outcomes.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Children who experienced intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) may be at increased risk for adverse developmental outcomes in early childhood. The objective of this study was to carry out a ...systematic review of neurodevelopmental outcomes from 6 months to 3 years after IUGR.
PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Maternity and Infant Care, and CINAHL databases were searched by using the search terms intrauterine, fetal, growth restriction, child development, neurodevelopment, early childhood, cognitive, motor, speech, language. Studies were eligible for inclusion if participants met specified criteria for growth restriction, follow-up was conducted within 6 months to 3 years, methods were adequately described, non-IUGR comparison groups were included, and full English text of the article was available. A specifically designed data extraction form was used. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using well-documented quality-appraisal guidelines.
Of 731 studies reviewed, 16 were included. Poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes after IUGR were described in 11. Ten found motor, 8 cognitive, and 7 language delays. Other delays included social development, attention, and adaptive behavior. Only 8 included abnormal Doppler parameters in their definitions of IUGR.
Evidence suggests that children are at risk for poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes following IUGR from 6 months to 3 years of age. The heterogeneity of primary outcomes, assessment measures, adjustment for confounding variables, and definitions of IUGR limits synthesis and interpretation. Sample sizes in most studies were small, and some examined preterm IUGR children without including term IUGR or AGA comparison groups, limiting the value of extant studies.
During pregnancy, changes occur to influence the maternal gut microbiome, and potentially the fetal microbiome. Diet has been shown to impact the gut microbiome. Little research has been conducted ...examining diet during pregnancy with respect to the gut microbiome. To meet inclusion criteria, dietary analyses must have been conducted as part of the primary aim. The primary outcome was the composition of the gut microbiome (infant or maternal), as assessed using culture-independent sequencing techniques. This review identified seven studies for inclusion, five examining the maternal gut microbiome and two examining the fetal gut microbiome. Microbial data were attained through analysis of stool samples by 16S ribosomal RNA gene-based microbiota assessment. Studies found an association between the maternal diet and gut microbiome. High-fat diets (% fat of total energy), fat-soluble vitamins (mg/d) and fibre (g/d) were the most significant nutrients associated with the gut microbiota composition of both neonates and mothers. High-fat diets were significantly associated with a reduction in microbial diversity. High-fat diets may reduce microbial diversity, while fibre intake may be positively associated with microbial diversity. The results of this review must be interpreted with caution. The number of studies was low, and the risk of observational bias and heterogeneity across the studies must be considered. However, these results show promise for dietary intervention and microbial manipulation in order to favour an increase of health-associated taxa in the gut of the mother and her offspring.
The in-utero environment affects fetal development; it is vital to understand how maternal diet during pregnancy influences childhood body composition. While research indicates that triglycerides in ...hyperglycaemic women may increase birth weight, little is known about this relationship in euglycemic women. This study examines the relationship between maternal blood lipid status and infant adiposity up to 2 years of age.
Data from 331 mother-child pairs from the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study was analysed. Maternal dietary intakes were recorded and fasting blood lipids, leptin and HOMA were measured in early and late pregnancy and cord blood. Infant anthropometric measurements and skin-fold thicknesses were recorded at birth, 6 months and 2 years. Correlation and regression analyses were used to explore associations between maternal blood lipid status and infant adiposity.
All maternal blood lipids increased significantly during pregnancy. Maternal dietary fat intake was positively associated with total cholesterol levels in early pregnancy. Late pregnancy triglycerides were positively associated with birth weight (P = 0.03) while cord blood triglycerides were negatively associated with birth weight (P = 0.01). Cord HDL-C was negatively associated with infant weight at 6 months (P = 0.005). No other maternal blood lipids were associated with infant weight or adiposity up to 2 years of age.
Maternal and fetal triglycerides were associated with birth weight and cord HDL-C with weight at 6 months. Thus, maternal lipid concentrations may exert in-utero influences on infant body composition. There may be potential to modulate infant body composition through alteration of maternal diet during pregnancy.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK