Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
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Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol · Mar 2012
Do hypertensive diseases of pregnancy disrupt neurocognitive development in offspring?
The current study sought to determine whether hypertensive diseases of pregnancy (gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia) are associated with neurocognitive outcomes in middle childhood. Participants were members of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Data were available for 1389 children (675 females; mean age = 10.59 years; SD = 0.19). ⋯ Gestational hypertension (without pre-eclampsia) reduced offspring PPVT-R scores by 1.71 points [95% CI -3.39, -0.03] and pre-eclampsia led to a reduction of 3.53 points [95% CI -8.41, 1.35], although this latter association did not achieve statistical significance. There was no effect of the two- (P = 0.99) or three-level (P = 0.92) predictor variable on RCPM scores. Maternal hypertensive diseases of pregnancy are a risk factor for a small reduction in offspring verbal ability.
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Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol · Jan 2012
Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and their neonates in spring time in western Turkey.
Although Turkey is located in a sunny region, vitamin D deficiency is still a serious health problem in pregnant women and their infants, especially among the low socio-economic status Turkish population. This study was carried out in order to measure serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] concentrations of the pregnant women in the last trimester and in their neonates at delivery and to determine the factors associated with maternal serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Among the patients visiting the Ege Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in the period March to May 2008, 258 healthy pregnant women ≥37 weeks of gestation were included in this study. ⋯ This study showed that, despite a sunny environment, vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent among the mothers and their neonates. This is generally due to the life style and nutritional status of the mothers. These findings suggest that much more effective vitamin D prophylaxis programmes should be implemented for pregnant women as well as for their babies.
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Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol · Jan 2012
Infant care practices related to sudden infant death syndrome in South Asian and White British families in the UK.
In the UK, infants of South Asian parents have a lower rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than White British infants. Infant care and life style behaviours are strongly associated with SIDS risk. This paper describes and explores variability in infant care between White British and South Asian families (of Bangladeshi, Indian or Pakistani origin) in Bradford, UK (the vast majority of which were Pakistani) and identifies areas for targeted SIDS intervention. ⋯ Night-time infant care therefore differed significantly between South Asian and White British families. South Asian infant care practices were more likely to protect infants from the most important SIDS risks such as smoking, alcohol consumption, sofa-sharing and solitary sleep. These differences may explain the lower rate of SIDS in this population.
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Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol · Jul 2011
Changes in health professionals' knowledge, attitudes and practice following provision of educational resources about prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
We provided health professionals in Western Australia (WA) with educational resources about prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and assessed changes in their knowledge, attitudes and practice concerning fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Following our 2002 survey of health professionals in WA, we developed and distributed educational resources to 3348 health professionals in WA in 2007. Six months later we surveyed 1483 of these health professionals. ⋯ Health professionals surveyed in 2007 have increased their knowledge, changed their attitudes and practice about FAS, and altered the advice they give to pregnant women about alcohol consumption since our survey in 2002. It is essential that we build on this change and continue to support health professionals' knowledge, attitudes and practice about the prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The educational resources for health professionals may be ordered as hard copies and downloaded from the internet http://www.ichr.uwa.edu.au/alcoholandpregnancy.
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Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol · May 2011
Perinatal mortality in relation to birthweight and gestational age: a registry-based comparison of Northern Norway and Murmansk County, Russia.
The objective was to explore how perinatal mortality relates to birthweight, gestational age and optimal perinatal survival weight for two Arctic populations employing an existing and a newly established birth registry. A medical birth registry for all births in Murmansk County of North-West Russia became operational on 1st January 2006. Its primary function is to provide useful information for health care officials pertinent to improving perinatal care. ⋯ The odds ratio (OR) of risk of mortality (Northern Norway as the reference group) was higher for all gestational ages in Murmansk County, but the largest risk difference occurred among term deliveries (OR 2.45, 95% confidence interval 1.45, 4.14) which hardly changed on adjustment for maternal age, parity and gestation. Proportionately, more babies were born near (± 500 g) the optimal perinatal survival weight in Murmansk County (67.2%) than in Northern Norway (47.6%). The observed perinatal mortality was higher in Murmansk County at all birthweight strata and at gestational ages between weeks 25 and 42, but the adjusted risk difference was most significant for term deliveries.