Race, acute stress trigger exaggerated inflammatory response

In a study of white and African American women, both pregnant and non-pregnant, Christian's team found that African American women showed stronger inflammatory response to acute psychological stress.

"Statistically, African-Americans have a higher incidence of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. If women are comparing themselves to others in their community who have serious illnesses, then they may think that they are doing pretty good in comparison," said Christian. "Understanding this point of view gives clinicians opportunities to probe a little more during prenatal visits."

Christian notes that more research is needed to better understand the complex relationship between such diverse factors like inflammation, race and pregnancy, but says that her research has a very basic message about maternal mental health that applies to all women.

"Women who are very conscientious about their health behaviors, such as taking prenatal vitamins and avoiding alcohol, may not take the same time to focus on their emotional well-being," said Christian.

"I would tell an expecting mother to work with her doctors to proactively address life stressors. That way she can not only enjoy her pregnancy and prepare for the new baby, but she may ultimately improve her pregnancy outcomes and help her developing baby."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140205091530.htm

Obesity during pregnancy is risk factor for long-term cardiovascular morbidity

 February 3, 2014

Science Daily/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Obesity during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for long-term cardiovascular morbidity, and these complications tend to occur at a younger age. Researchers concluded that obese pregnant patients might benefit from cardiovascular risk screening that could lead to early detection and secondary prevention of cardiovascular morbidity.

Obesity is considered a chronic disease with a dramatic increase in its prevalence worldwide during the last two decades. Close to one-third of women of childbearing age are classified as obese, and an additional 25 percent of women in this age group are classified as overweight. Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is a significant risk factor for adverse obstetrical and perinatal outcomes.

The objective of this study, titled "Obesity in Pregnancy; What's Next? Long-term cardiovascular morbidity in a follow-up period of more than a decade," was to investigate whether obesity in pregnancy is an independent risk factor for long-term subsequent maternal cardiovascular morbidity during a follow-up period of more than a decade.

During the period of study, 46,688 women who delivered were recruited, and of that number, 1221 were found to suffer from obesity. Ten years later, these patients had higher rates of simple cardiovascular events, non-invasive diagnostic procedures, and total number of cardiovascular-related hospitalizations.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140203084529.htm

Women 35 and older are at decreased risk to have anatomically abnormal child

- February 3, 2014

Science Daily/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine

In a new study, researchers report that women ages 35 and older are at a decreased risk of having a child with a major congenital malformation, after excluding chromosomal abnormalities.

In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in New Orleans, researchers will report that women ages 35 and older are at a decreased risk of having a child with a major congenital malformation, after excluding chromosomal abnormalities.

Advanced maternal age, traditionally defined as 35 and older, is a well-established risk factor for having a child with a chromosomal abnormality, such as Down syndrome. However, little information is available regarding the association between advanced maternal age and the risk for having a child with a major congenital malformation -- a physical defect present at birth that can involve different parts of the body, including but not limited to the heart, brain, kidney, bones or intestinal track.

"As more women are choosing to delay childbearing, they are faced with many increased pregnancy risks," said Katherine R. Goetzinger M.D., M.S.C.I., one of the study's researchers. "Findings from this study may provide some reassurance for these women regarding the likelihood of having an anatomically normal child."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140203084521.htm

Cannabis during pregnancy endangers fetal brain development

January 27, 2014

Science Daily/Karolinska Institutet

The consumption of Cannabis during pregnancy can impair the development of the fetus' brain with long-lasting effects after birth. Cannabis is particularly powerful to derail how nerve cells form connections, potentially limiting the amount of information the affected brain can process, new research shows.

An increasing number of children suffer from the consequences of maternal drug exposure during pregnancy, and Cannabis is one of the most frequently used substances. This motivated the study, published in the EMBO Journal, conducted in mice and human brain tissue, to decipher the molecular basis of how the major psychoactive component from Cannabis called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC affects brain development of the unborn fetus.

The study highlights that consuming Cannabis during pregnancy clearly results in defective development of nerve cells of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that orchestrates higher cognitive functions and drives memory formation. In particular, THC negatively impacts if and how the structural platform and conduit for communication between nerve cells, the synapses and axons, will develop and function.

"Even if THC only would cause small changes its effect may well be sufficient to sensitize the brain to later stressors or diseases to provoke neuropsychiatric illnesses in those affected in the future," says Professor Harkany. "This concerns also the medical use of Cannabis, which should be avoided during pregnancy."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140127093140.htm

Moms favor daughters in dairy study

January 23, 2014

Science Daily/Kansas State University Research and Extension

Sorry, boys. In the end, mothers favor daughters –- at least when it comes to Holstein dairy cows and how much milk they produce for their offspring, according to a new study. The research may have implications for humans.

A study of 2.39 million lactation records from 1.49 million dairy cows showed that cows produce significantly more milk for daughters than for sons across lactation, said Barry Bradford, associate professor in K-State’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. He, along with Katie Hinde in Harvard’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Abigail Carpenter, K-State graduate student and John Clay, with Dairy Records Management Systems collaborated on the study.

“Our results provide the first direct evidence that the sex of a gestating fetus can influence milk production,” Bradford said. “One possible explanation is that a daughter is able to let her mom know, in advance, that she expects to receive more milk than her brothers.”

Implications for humans

“Well no study has yet systematically addressed differences in milk for sons and daughters in terms of both composition and yield,” said Hinde. “But in the last couple years there have been a handful of studies among humans reporting differences in milk composition between sons and daughters.

Humans have a very invasive placenta that would allow fetal hormones to pass into maternal circulation and possibly influence mammary gland development. But it hasn’t yet been systematically studied.”

“This research in cows demonstrates that the fetus can influence the milk the mother produces during lactation and limited evidence suggests that similar processes may be operating in humans,” she added.

“Such a finding has potential implications for nutrition management of babies in neonatal intensive care units and selection of donor milks. And such research can inform infant formulas tailored more specifically to the physiological needs of sons and daughters.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140123221910.htm

Obesity in mothers alters babies' weight through brain rewiring

- January 23, 2014

Science Daily/Cell Press

Obese mothers are more likely to have children with metabolic disorders, but the underlying reasons for this effect have been unclear. A new study reveals that the offspring of mouse mothers on a high-fat diet are predisposed to obesity and diabetes because of abnormal neuronal circuits in the hypothalamus.

The findings suggest that mothers who consume a large amount of fat during the third trimester may be putting their children at risk for lifelong obesity.

"Our study suggests that expecting mothers can have major impact on the long-term metabolic health of their children by properly controlling nutrition during this critical developmental period of the offspring," says study author Tamas Horvath of the Yale University School of Medicine.

More than one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese and thus are at risk for long-term health problems such as type 2 diabetes. Studies in humans have shown that mothers who are obese or have diabetes put their children at risk for metabolic problems, but researchers have not previously identified the exact brain circuits mediating this effect, known as metabolic programming. Moreover, past studies failed to pinpoint the most critical stage of pregnancy during which maternal nutrition has the greatest impact on offspring health.

"Given that gestational diabetes frequently manifests during the third trimester, our results point toward the necessity of more intensified screening of mothers for altered glucose metabolism, as well as tightly controlled antidiabetic therapy if any alterations are detected during this critical period," Brüning says.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140123125524.htm

Fetal exposure to nicotine increases long-term risk of obesity

- January 16, 2014

Science Daily/University of Western Ontario

Many women are encouraged to quit smoking when they become pregnant using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) whether as gum, transdermal patches, nasal spray or lozenges. But new research has shown that nicotine from either smoking or NRT causes a wide range of long-term adverse reactions for the offspring, including an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome by influencing the liver to produce more triglycerid

"We knew smoking was bad during pregnancy. But the problem is one fifth of pregnant women in Canada continue to smoke, and 30 prospective studies have shown us that that babies born to smoking mothers have a 47 per cent increase in the odds of becoming overweight.

And here's the interesting thing, that's even after adjusting for mom's diet and socioeconomic status," says Hardy, an assistant professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Physiology and Pharmacology "Our studies were designed to find if there is a biological basis between nicotine exposure from either NRT or smoking, and obesity and metabolic syndrome later in the offspring's life."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140116150848.htm

Maternal stress hormones, maternal smoking increase daughter's risk of nicotine dependence

- January 9, 2014

Science Daily/Elsevier

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to numerous negative outcomes, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, and increased risk for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and nicotine use in offspring.

Despite this extensive literature, it is estimated that 13%-30% of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant. Now, a new 40-year longitudinal study provides strong evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life -- but only for daughters.

Smoking during pregnancy is linked to numerous negative outcomes, including low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome, and increased risk for attention deficit disorder, conduct disorder, and nicotine use in offspring. Despite this extensive literature, it is estimated that 13%-30% of women in the United States continue to smoke while pregnant.

Now, a new 40-year longitudinal study, published in Biological Psychiatry, provides strong evidence that prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones predicts nicotine dependence later in life -- but only for daughters. It also confirms previous research that babies born to moms who smoked when pregnant have an increased risk of nicotine addiction in adulthood.

The findings revealed that in female but not male offspring, elevated prenatal cortisol exposure and exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy were associated with increased rates of nicotine dependence as adults. No links were found between elevated prenatal testosterone exposure and adult nicotine dependence. There were also no findings among male offspring.

"Our findings highlight the particular vulnerability of daughters to long-term adverse outcomes following maternal stress and smoking during pregnancy. We don't yet know why this is, but possible mechanisms include sex differences in stress hormone regulation in the placenta and adaptation to prenatal environmental exposures," added Stroud.

"Also, cortisol and nicotine may affect developing male and female brains differently. Furthermore, if daughters of smoking mothers are more likely to grow up nicotine dependent, the result is dangerous cycle of intergenerational transmission of nicotine addiction."

"These new data may help us to focus our attention on individuals at greatest risk for later smoking," said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "It is interesting that female, but not male, offspring seemed to be at greatest risk. Sex differences in the vulnerability to smoking are important and merit further study."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140109091934.htm

Peanut and tree nut allergy incidence lower among children whose mothers ate them during pregnancy

December 23, 2013

Science Daily/Boston Children's Hospital

Women need not fear that eating peanuts during pregnancy could cause their child to develop a peanut allergy, according to new research. The study shows increased peanut consumption by pregnant mothers who weren't nut allergic was associated with lower risk of peanut allergy in their offspring.

"Our study showed increased peanut consumption by pregnant mothers who weren't nut allergic was associated with lower risk of peanut allergy in their offspring," says the study's senior author Michael Young, MD, of Boston Children's Division of Allergy and Immunology. "Assuming she isn't allergic to peanuts, there's no reason for a woman to avoid peanuts during pregnancy."

Previously, women had been advised to avoid highly allergenic foods such as peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy and while nursing, and that their children should avoid peanuts until 3 years of age.

The goal of these recommendations, despite a lack of supporting research, was to minimize early allergen exposure and sensitization, thereby reducing the risk of developing childhood peanut allergy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed these recommendations in 2000. However, from 1997 to 2007, the number of peanut allergy cases in the U.S. tripled, leading the medical community to reexamine its recommendations. Based on the lack of evidence supporting early dietary avoidance, the AAP rescinded the recommendation in 2008.

Young and team found that the rate of peanut allergy was significantly lower among children in the study whose mothers ate peanuts during the peri-pregnancy period. Although this is a substantial finding, the data demonstrate only an association between maternal diet and the risk of peanut allergy in children.

"The data are not strong enough to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Therefore, we can't say with certainty that eating more peanuts during pregnancy will prevent peanut allergy in children. But we can say that peanut consumption during pregnancy doesn't cause peanut allergy in children," Young says. "By linking maternal peanut consumption to reduced allergy risk we are providing new data to support the hypothesis that early allergen exposure increases tolerance and reduces risk of childhood food allergy."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131223181813.htm

Brain Connections May Explain Why Girls Mature Faster

Dec. 19, 2013 —

http://images.sciencedaily.com/2013/12/131219131153-large.jpg

Science Daily/Newcastle University

Newcastle University scientists have discovered that as the brain re-organizes connections throughout our life, the process begins earlier in girls which may explain why they mature faster during the teenage years.

As we grow older, our brains undergo a major reorganization reducing the connections in the brain. Studying people up to the age of 40, scientists led by Dr Marcus Kaiser and Ms Sol Lim at Newcastle University found that while overall connections in the brain get streamlined, long-distance connections that are crucial for integrating information are preserved.

The researchers suspect this newly-discovered selective process might explain why brain function does not deteriorate -- and indeed improves -during this pruning of the network. Interestingly, they also found that these changes occurred earlier in females than in males.

The researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the loss of white matter fibers between brain regions is a highly selective process -- a phenomenon they call preferential detachment. They show that connections between distant brain regions, between brain hemispheres, and between processing modules lose fewer nerve fibers during brain maturation than expected. The researchers say this may explain how we retain a stable brain network during brain maturation.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131219131153.htm