High cotinine levels are persistent during the first days of life in newborn second hand smokers.

a b s t r a c t Background: Despite the adverse effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on the newborn's health are well-known, in the pediatric population, a high prevalence exists that is very much affected by second hand smoke (SHS). This study aims to investigate the impact of maternal smoking habits during preg- nancy on cotinine levels in newborns during the first days of life. The high association between cotinine concentration in maternal and umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been previously reported, but the levels of blood cotinine that remain in infants born to smokers is unknown. Methods: Cotinine concentration was measured in UCB, in maternal and newborn peripheral blood. Dat…

Associations of Birth Weight and Postnatal Weight Gain With Cardiometabolic Risk Parameters at 5 Years of Age

The present prospective study assessed the impact of birth weight (BW) and postnatal weight gain on blood pressure and metabolic profile during the first 5 years of life. One hundred thirty-nine newborns (63 women) born at term after uncomplicated pregnancies and in the absence of perinatal illness were included. Subjects were divided according to size at birth in small, appropriate, and large for gestational age. After the initial evaluation on the second day of life, infants were followed up at 6 months and 2 and 5 years. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured at each visit and metabolic assessment was performed at 5 years of age. Among the BW groups, mothers did not d…

Assessment of ten trace elements in umbilical cord blood and maternal blood: association with birth weight

Background Trace elements are an essential nutritional component for humans and inadequate tissue-concentrations may have a significant effect on fetal size. Objective To measure ten trace elements in blood samples from mothers and their newborns, and assess their association with anthropometric characteristics at birth. The effects of other factors on fetal growth, such as biologic characteristics of the infant and mother, were analysed. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Hospital general, University of Valencia, Spain. Healthy pregnant women, and their full-term infants were selected (n = 54 paired samples). Infants were grouped according to birth weight: small for gesta…

Metabolomic profiling in blood from umbilical cords of low birth weight newborns

AbstractBackgroundLow birth weight has been linked to an increased risk to develop obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension in adult life, although the mechanisms underlying the association are not well understood. The objective was to determine whether the metabolomic profile of plasma from umbilical cord differs between low and normal birth weight newborns.MethodsFifty healthy pregnant women and their infants were selected. The eligibility criteria were being born at term and having a normal pregnancy. Pairs were grouped according to their birth weight: low birth weight (LBW, birth weight < 10thpercentile, n = 20) and control (control, birth weight between the 75th-90thpercentiles, n…

First-year blood pressure increase steepest in low birthweight newborns.

The present research has been undertaken prospectively to study the impact of birthweight and growth pattern on blood pressure changes from birth through the first year of life.Parents of newborns born at term (gestational age37 weeks) after uncomplicated pregnancies and in the absence of perinatal illness were randomly invited to allow their children to participate in the study. One hundred and forty-nine (84 male and 65 female) newborns were included in the present analysis. The newborns were divided into four groups according to birthweight:2500 g (n = 23); 2500-2999 g (n = 39); 3000-3500 g (n = 48); and3500 g (n = 39).At birth systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly low…

DNA methylation patterns in newborns exposed to tobacco in utero

[Background] Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a major risk factor for adverse health outcomes. The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of in utero tobacco exposure on DNA methylation in children born at term with appropriate weight at birth.

Steep blood pressure increase in low birth weight newborns

Procedure to consistently obtain endothelial and smooth muscle cell cultures from umbilical cord vessels

The prenatal history of an individual can be responsible to some extent for the occurrence of several diseases later in life. Thus, low birth weight has been related to an increased risk of developing hypertension or type 2 diabetes. The molecular and cellular basis of this increased risk could be found in body fluids and cell types that can be obtained just after birth. To get this unique information, a methodology was developed to consistently obtain cultures of 4 cell types, endothelial and smooth muscle cells from both the vein and the arteries present in the umbilical cord of an individual. From 21 umbilical cords processed, 82 of the 84 possible cell cultures were obtained. The cell c…

Blood pressure and obesity exert independent influences on pulse wave velocity in youth.

The objective was to analyze pulse wave velocity (PWV) in normotensive, high-normal, and hypertensive youths by using aortic-derived parameters from peripheral recordings. The impact of obesity on vascular phenotypes was also analyzed. A total of 501 whites from 8 to 18 years of age were included. The subjects were divided according to BP criteria: 424 (85%) were normotensive, 56 (11%) high-normal, and 21 (4%) hypertensive. Obesity was present in 284 (56%) and overweight in 138 (28%). Pulse wave analysis using a SphygmoCor device was performed to determine central blood pressure (BP), augmentation index, and measurement of PWV. Among the BP groups, differences appeared in age, sex, and hei…