PurposeExtensive research suggests that maternal prenatal distress is reliably related to perinatal and child health outcomes—which may persist into adulthood. However, basic questions remain ...regarding mechanisms involved. To better understand these mechanisms, we developed the Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development (UPSIDE) cohort study, which has several distinguishing features, including repeated assessments across trimesters, analysis of multiple biological pathways of interest, and incorporation of placental structure and function as mediators of child health outcomes.ParticipantsWomen with normal risk pregnancies were recruited at <14 weeks gestation. Study visits occurred in each trimester and included extensive psychological, sociodemographic, health behaviour and biospecimen collection. Placenta and cord blood were collected at birth. Child visits (ongoing) occur at birth and 1, 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months of age and use standard anthropometric, clinical, behavioural, biological and neuroimaging methods to assess child physical and neurodevelopment.Findings to dateWe recruited 326 pregnancies; 294 (90%) were retained through birth. Success rates for prenatal biospecimen collection were high across all trimesters (96%–99% for blood, 94%–97% for urine, 96%–99% for saliva, 96% of placentas, 88% for cord blood and 93% for buccal swab). Ninety-four per cent of eligible babies (n=277) participated in a birth examination; postnatal visits are ongoing.Future plansThe current phase of the study follows children through age 4 to examine child neurodevelopment and physical development. In addition, the cohort participates in the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes programme, a national study of 50 000 families examining early environmental influences on perinatal outcomes, neurodevelopment, obesity and airway disease. Future research will leverage the rich repository of biological samples and clinical data to expand research on the mechanisms of child health outcomes in relation to environmental chemical exposures, genetics and the microbiome.
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous and persistent environmental contaminants that may act as endocrine disruptors in utero, but the specific endocrine pathways are unknown.
We ...examined associations between maternal serum PFAS and sex steroid hormones at three time points during pregnancy.
Pregnant women participating in the Understanding Pregnancy Signals and Infant Development (UPSIDE) study contributed biospecimens, questionnaire, and medical record data in each trimester (n = 285). PFAS (including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)) were analyzed in second-trimester serum samples by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Total testosterone TT, free testosterone fT, estrone E1, estradiol E2, and estriol E3) were measured by LC-MS/MS in serum samples from each trimester. Linear mixed models with random intercepts were used to examine associations between log-transformed PFAS concentrations and hormone levels, adjusting for covariates, and stratifying by fetal sex. Results are presented as the mean percentage difference (Δ%) in hormone levels per ln-unit increase in PFAS concentration.
In adjusted models, PFHxS was associated with higher TT (%Δ = 20.0, 95%CI: 1.7, 41.6), particularly among women carrying male fetuses (%Δ = 15.3, 95%CI: 1.2, 30.7); this association strengthened as the pregnancy progressed. PFNA (%Δ = 7.9, 95%CI: 3.4, 12.5) and PFDA (%Δ = 7.2, 95%CI: 4.9, 9.7) were associated with higher fT, with associations again observed only in women carrying male fetuses. PFHxS was associated with higher levels of E2 and E3 in women carrying female fetuses (%Δ = 13.2, 95%CI: 0.5, 29.1; %Δ = 17.9, 95%CI: 3.2, 34.8, respectively). No associations were observed for PFOS and PFOA.
PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA may disrupt androgenic and estrogenic pathways in pregnancy in a sex-dependent manner.
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•Detectable levels were very low for shorter chain PFAS including PFBS and PFHpA.•PFOA and PFOS had minimal impact in maternal sex steroid hormones.•PFHxS, PFNA, and PFDA may exert androgenic effects.•Associations between PFAS and maternal sex steroid hormones differed by fetal sex.
Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly used to reduce parental stress and to enhance dyadic interactions between parents and children. Prior reviews examining the effects of MPBs for ...parents have assessed restricted target populations, limited outcomes measures, and have relied on uncontrolled studies. This systematic and meta-analytic review quantified the efficacy of MBPs for parents using comprehensive intrapersonal and interpersonal outcome measures and methodologically robust studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effect of MBPs on parents were identified, data were extracted, and assessed for risk of bias by two independent reviewers. Twenty studies (
n
= 1003) were included in the analyses. Programs had moderate effects for general stress (Hedge’s
g
= 0.410), internalizing psychological symptoms (Hedge’s
g
= 0.519), and well-being (Hedge’s
g
= 0.588). Small-to-moderate effects were observed for combined mindfulness (Hedge’s
g
= 0.295), parenting stress (Hedge’s
g
= 0.284), and parenting behavior (Hedge’s
g
= 0.299). Effects were not significant for parental interactions with children, marital outcomes, self-compassion, emotion regulation, general mindfulness, and mindful parenting. Subgroup analyses revealed that populations with medical conditions (Hedge’s
g
= 1.203) benefited more from MBPs compared to populations with psychological symptoms (Hedge’s
g
= 0.452). Furthermore, parents showed greater improvement on well-being when both parents and children engaged in mindfulness training (Hedge’s
g
= 0.838) compared to parents alone (Hedge’s
g
= 0.700). Results support the efficacy of MBPs in improving intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes for parents. Diversity within the programs may contribute towards non-significant changes in general mindfulness and mindful parenting. Future studies should use standardized mindfulness-based parenting programs to enhance methodological rigor.
A growing body of research supports the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in incarcerated populations; however, treatment effectiveness remains unclear. This meta-analysis of 22 studies ...(N = 2,265, 75% male) quantified the effectiveness of MBIs in incarcerated populations on key psychological outcomes and criminogenic needs. Results from pre–post studies indicated MBIs had a small to moderate effect on all outcomes, but this was not supported by controlled studies. Studies with older participants, more females, and longer treatment length demonstrated slightly greater effects. Results from pre–post analyses demonstrated significant reductions in psychological outcomes (depression, anxiety, and stress) and criminogenic needs (impulsivity, self-dysregulation, anger, substance use behavior, and attitude). However, only depression and anxiety were significantly reduced in controlled studies. Although findings offer preliminary support of the efficacy of MBIs in targeting psychological health in incarcerated populations, further controlled studies are required to examine criminogenic outcomes and recidivism rates after treatment.
Displaced at Home Rhoda Ann Kanaaneh, Isis Nusair / Rhoda Ann Kanaaneh, Isis Nusair
2010, 2010-10-01, 20100101
eBook
Most media coverage and research on the experience of Palestinians focuses on those living in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, while the sizable minority of Palestinians living within Israel rarely ...garners significant academic or media attention. Offering a rich and multidimensional portrait of the lived realities of Palestinians within the state of Israel, Palestinians in Israel Revisited gathers a group of Palestinian women scholars who present unflinching critiques of the complexities and challenges inherent in the lives of this understudied but important minority within Israel. The essays here engage topics ranging from internal refugees and historical memory to women's sexuality and the resistant possibilities of hip hop culture among young Palestinians. Unique in the collection is sustained attention to gender concerns, which have tended to be subordinated to questions of nationalism, statehood, and citizenship. The first collection of its kind in English, Palestinians in Israel Revisited presents on-the-ground examples of the changing political, social and economic conditions of Palestinians in Israel, and examines how global, national, and local concerns intersect and shape their daily lives.
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