Other articles by Manon van Eijsden on PubMed

• Can Whole-blood Samples Be Stored over 24 Hours Without Compromising Stability of C-reactive Protein, Retinol, Ferritin, Folic Acid, and Fatty Acids in Epidemiologic Research? Clinical Chemistry. Jan, 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 15613719
• Trans Fatty Acids and Birth Outcome: Some First Results of the MEFAB and ABCD Cohorts Atherosclerosis. Supplements. May, 2006  |   Pubmed ID: 16713386 Using data from two longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohorts in the Netherlands, the potential influence of trans fatty acids (TFA) on fetal development was investigated by multiple regression analysis. After adjustment for a large number of potential confounders, birth length (BL) and head circumference (HC) were significantly and negatively related to the C18:1trans concentration in phospholipids isolated from umbilical plasma (HC), umbilical arterial walls (HC and BL), or umbilical venous walls (BL). A significant and negative relationship was also observed between birth weight and the C18:1trans concentration in maternal plasma phospholipids at early pregnancy, but this attenuated upon correction for potential confounders. These results indicate that TFA may compromise fetal development.
• Stress and Emotional Problems During Pregnancy and Excessive Infant Crying Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP. Dec, 2007  |   Pubmed ID: 18091087 There is evidence that stress and emotional problems during pregnancy are related to adverse health outcomes of the child at birth and in later life. The aim of this study was to determine the association between stress and emotional problems during pregnancy and excessive infant crying.
• Maternal N-3, N-6, and Trans Fatty Acid Profile Early in Pregnancy and Term Birth Weight: a Prospective Cohort Study The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Apr, 2008  |   Pubmed ID: 18400711 Maternal n-3, n-6, and trans fatty acids are claimed to affect fetal growth, yet evidence is limited.
• Ethnic Differences in Term Birthweight: the Role of Constitutional and Environmental Factors Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. Jul, 2008  |   Pubmed ID: 18578750 It is not clear to what extent ethnic differences in the term birthweight distribution are constitutional or pathological. This study explored term birthweight heterogeneity between ethnic groups and the explanatory role of constitutional and environmental factors. As part of a prospective cohort study, the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, 8266 pregnant women filled out a questionnaire during early pregnancy. Ethnic groups were categorised as: native Dutch group; first and second generation Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish, Moroccan, Ghanaian and other non-Dutch groups. Only singleton livebirths with >or=37.0 weeks of gestation and with complete data were included for analysis (n = 7118). We performed linear regression analyses to estimate the association between ethnicity and, for gestational age, standardised birthweight at term, adjusted for constitutional (fetal gender, parity, maternal age, maternal height) and environmental (education, cohabitation status, maternal body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, depression, work stress) determinants respectively. Mean birthweight ranged from 3223 g (second generation Surinamese newborns) to 3548 g (Dutch newborns). Adjustment for constitutional factors substantially reduced the ethnic differences in birthweight, while adjustment for environmental factors provided little additional explanation. Surinamese [first generation: regression coefficient (b) = -98.3 g, P < 0.001; second generation: b = -159.3 g, P < 0.001], first generation Antillean (b = -102.0 g, P = 0.037), and Ghanaian newborns (b = -120.7 g, P = 0.001) remained significantly smaller than Dutch newborns after adjustment for all determinants. Term birthweight differences between Dutch newborns and Turkish, Moroccan and other non-Dutch newborns were largely explained by constitutional rather than environmental determinants, limiting the need for prevention. Surinamese, Antillean and Ghanaian (mainly black) newborns remained unexplainably smaller after adjustment, leaving the possibility of either unknown constitutional or pathological underlying mechanisms.
• Association Between Short Interpregnancy Intervals and Term Birth Weight: the Role of Folate Depletion The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Jul, 2008  |   Pubmed ID: 18614735 Maternal folate depletion has been proposed as a primary explanation for the excess risk of fetal growth restriction associated with short interpregnancy intervals.
• Ethnic Differences in Early Pregnancy Maternal N-3 and N-6 Fatty Acid Concentrations: an Explorative Analysis The British Journal of Nutrition. Jun, 2009  |   Pubmed ID: 18983717 Ethnicity-related differences in maternal n-3 and n-6 fatty acid status may be relevant to ethnic disparities in birth outcomes observed worldwide. The present study explored differences in early pregnancy n-3 and n-6 fatty acid composition of maternal plasma phospholipids between Dutch and ethnic minority pregnant women in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with a focus on the major functional fatty acids EPA (20 : 5n-3), DHA (22 : 6n-3), dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA; 20 : 3n-6) and arachidonic acid (AA; 20 : 4n-6). Data were derived from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) cohort (inclusion January 2003 to March 2004). Compared with Dutch women (n 2443), Surinamese (n 286), Antillean (n 63), Turkish (n 167) and Moroccan (n 241) women had generally lower proportions of n-3 fatty acids (expressed as percentage of total fatty acids) but higher proportions of n-6 fatty acids (general linear model; P < 0.001). Ghanaian women (n 54) had higher proportions of EPA and DHA, but generally lower proportions of n-6 fatty acids (P < 0.001). Differences were most pronounced in Turkish and Ghanaian women, who, by means of a simple questionnaire, reported the lowest and highest fish consumption respectively. Adjustment for fish intake, however, hardly attenuated the differences in relative EPA, DHA, DGLA and AA concentrations between the various ethnic groups. Given the limitations of this observational study, further research into the ethnicity-related differences in maternal n-3 and n-6 fatty acid patterns is warranted, particularly to elucidate the explanatory role of fatty acid intake v. metabolic differences.
• Early Growth Patterns and Cardiometabolic Function at the Age of 5 in a Multiethnic Birth Cohort: the ABCD Study BMC Pediatrics. 2009  |   Pubmed ID: 19317894 The relation between fetal growth retardation and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in later life has been demonstrated in many studies. However, debate exists around the potential independent role of postnatal growth acceleration. Furthermore, it is unknown whether a potential effect of growth acceleration on cardiovascular and metabolic function is confined to certain time frames.The present study assesses the (predictive) role of prenatal and postnatal growth on 5 components of cardiovascular and metabolic function in children aged 5. The potential association of timing of postnatal growth acceleration with these outcomes will be explored.
• First-trimester Working Conditions and Birthweight: a Prospective Cohort Study American Journal of Public Health. Aug, 2009  |   Pubmed ID: 19542045 We investigated the relationship between women's first-trimester working conditions and infant birthweight.
• [Congenital Anomalies in Amsterdam: Results of the 'Amsterdam-Born Children and Their Development' Study] Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde. 2009  |   Pubmed ID: 19900335 To describe the prevalence of congenital anomalies in children born in Amsterdam and to analyse potential differences between groups based on risk factors such as ethnicity and maternal age.
• Maternal Early Pregnancy Vitamin D Status in Relation to Fetal and Neonatal Growth: Results of the Multi-ethnic Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Cohort The British Journal of Nutrition. Jul, 2010  |   Pubmed ID: 20193097 Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy may account for reduced fetal growth and for altered neonatal development. The present study explored the association between maternal vitamin D status measured early in pregnancy and birth weight, prevalence of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants and postnatal growth (weight and length), as well as the potential role of vitamin D status in explaining ethnic disparities in these outcomes. Data were derived from a large multi-ethnic cohort in The Netherlands (Amsterdam Born Children and their Development (ABCD) cohort), and included 3730 women with live-born singleton term deliveries. Maternal serum vitamin D was measured during early pregnancy (median 13 weeks, interquartile range: 12-14), and was labelled 'deficient' ( or= 50 nmol/l). Six ethnic groups were distinguished: Dutch, Surinamese, Turkish, Moroccan, other non-Western and other Western. Associations with neonatal outcomes were analysed using multivariate regression analyses. Results showed that compared with women with adequate vitamin D levels, women with deficient vitamin D levels had infants with lower birth weights ( - 114.4 g, 95 % CI - 151.2, - 77.6) and a higher risk of SGA (OR 2.4, 95 % CI 1.9, 3.2). Neonates born to mothers with a deficient vitamin D status showed accelerated growth in weight and length during the first year of life. Although a deficient vitamin D status influenced birth weight, SGA risk and neonatal growth, it played a limited role in explaining ethnic differences. Although vitamin D supplementation might be beneficial to those at risk of a deficient vitamin D status, more research is needed before a nationwide policy on the subject can be justified.
• Cardio-metabolic Risk in 5-year-old Children Prenatally Exposed to Maternal Psychosocial Stress: the ABCD Study BMC Public Health. 2010  |   Pubmed ID: 20470407 Recent evidence, both animal and human, suggests that modifiable factors during fetal and infant development predispose for cardiovascular disease in adult life and that they may become possible future targets for prevention. One of these factors is maternal psychosocial stress, but so far, few prospective studies have been able to investigate the longer-term effects of stress in detail, i.e. effects in childhood. Therefore, our general aim is to study whether prenatal maternal psychosocial stress is associated with an adverse cardio-metabolic risk profile in the child at age five.
• Maternal Depressive Symptoms, Serum Folate Status, and Pregnancy Outcome: Results of the Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Study American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dec, 2010  |   Pubmed ID: 20833384 The objective was to explore whether different levels of depressive symptoms in pregnant women and their serum folate status combined were associated with the gestational age and birthweight of their offspring.
• Traffic-related Air Pollution and Pregnancy Outcomes in the Dutch ABCD Birth Cohort Study Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Jan, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 20798012 There is growing evidence for an adverse effect of maternal exposure to air pollution on pregnancy outcomes. As European data on this topic are limited, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal exposure to traffic-related air pollution during different periods of pregnancy on preterm birth and fetal growth.
• Cohort Profile: the Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development (ABCD) Study International Journal of Epidemiology. Oct, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 20813863
• Validation of Self-reported Folic Acid Use in a Multiethnic Population: Results of the Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Study Public Health Nutrition. Nov, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 21324228 To assess folic acid supplementation rates and validate the self-reporting of folic acid supplement use among pregnant women in a multiethnic cohort.
• Maternal Vitamin B-12 and Folate Status During Pregnancy and Excessive Infant Crying Early Human Development. Apr, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 21324613 The etiology of excessive infant crying is largely unknown. We hypothesize that excessive infant crying may have an early nutritional origin during fetal development.
• The Role of Infant Feeding Practices in the Explanation for Ethnic Differences in Infant Growth: the Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Study The British Journal of Nutrition. Nov, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 21679484 Rapid early growth in infants may influence overweight and CVD in later life. Both rapid growth and these disease outcomes disproportionately affect some ethnic minorities. We determined ethnic differences in growth rate (Δ standard deviation scores, ΔSDS) during the first 6 months of life and assessed the explanatory role of infant feeding. Data were derived from a multiethnic cohort for the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study (The Netherlands). Growth data (weight and length) of 2998 term-born singleton infants with no fetal growth restriction were available for five ethnic populations: Dutch (n 1619), African descent (n 174), Turkish (n 167), Moroccan (n 232) and other non-Dutch (n 806). ΔSDS for weight, length and weight-for-length between 4 weeks and 6 months were defined using internal references. Infant feeding pattern (breast-feeding duration, introduction of formula feeding and complementary feeding) in relation to ethnic differences in growth rate was examined by multivariate linear regression. Results showed that the growth rate was higher in almost all ethnic minorities, with β between 0·07 and 0·41 for ΔSDS weight and between 0·12 and 0·42 for ΔSDS length, compared with ethnic Dutch infants. ΔSDS weight-for-length was similar across groups, except for Moroccan infants (β 0·25, P 
• Maternal Triglyceride Levels During Early Pregnancy Are Associated with Birth Weight and Postnatal Growth The Journal of Pediatrics. Nov, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 21705016 To investigate whether randomly sampled maternal total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) levels during early pregnancy are associated with birth weight (BW) and postnatal growth.
• Overweight at Age Two Years in a Multi-ethnic Cohort (ABCD Study): the Role of Prenatal Factors, Birth Outcomes and Postnatal Factors BMC Public Health. 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 21806791 Childhood overweight/obesity is a major public health problem worldwide which disproportionally affects specific ethnic groups. Little is known about whether such differences already exist at an early age and which factors contribute to these ethnic differences. Therefore, the present study assessed possible ethnic differences in overweight at age 2 years, and the potential explanatory role of prenatal factors, birth outcomes and postnatal factors.
• The Effectiveness of a Perinatal Education Programme on Smoking, Infant Care, and Psychosocial Health for Ethnic Turkish Women Midwifery. Jun, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 21632158 antenatal programmes might be effective in preventing unhealthy lifestyles, poor maternal infant care practices, and poor psychosocial health in ethnic minority women, but there are few evidence-based interventions. For this reason an antenatal education programme, called 'Happy Mothers, Happy Babies' (HMHB) was systematically designed for ethnic Turkish women in the Netherlands.
• The Relation of Maternal Job Strain and Cortisol Levels During Early Pregnancy with Body Composition Later in the 5-year-old Child: the ABCD Study Early Human Development. Jun, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22018696 Prenatal exposure to maternal stress may program the fetal HPA axis, potentially leading to altered metabolism in later life, associated with adiposity and diabetes.
• Prenatal Stress and Balance of the Child's Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System at Age 5-6 Years PloS One. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22272345 Autonomic nervous system (ANS) misbalance is a potential causal factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. The ANS may be programmed during pregnancy due to various maternal factors. Our aim is to study maternal prenatal psychosocial stress as a potential disruptor of cardiac ANS balance in the child.
• Ethnic Differences in Weight Retention After Pregnancy: the ABCD Study European Journal of Public Health. Dec, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22315462 Postpartum weight retention contributes to the development of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age and is more pronounced in ethnic minority groups. This study examined ethnic differences in postpartum weight retention and the explanatory role of socio-economic status (SES), mental health and lifestyle.
• Suboptimal Maternal Vitamin D Status and Low Education Level As Determinants of Small-for-gestational-age Birth Weight European Journal of Nutrition. Feb, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22350924 PURPOSE: This study aimed firstly to investigate the contribution of maternal 25(OH) vitamin D to the association of maternal education and small-for-gestational-age birth weight (SGA) and secondly to examine whether the contribution of 25(OH) vitamin D differs by overweight, season, and maternal smoking. METHODS: Logistic regression analysis was carried out in this study, using data of 2,274 pregnant women of Dutch ethnicity from the ABCD study, a population-based cohort study in the Netherlands. Maternal 25(OH) vitamin D was measured in early pregnancy. Stratified analyses were conducted for overweight, season of blood sampling, and smoking. RESULTS: Low-educated women had lower 25(OH) vitamin D levels compared to high-educated women, and women in the lowest 25(OH) vitamin D quartile had a higher risk of SGA offspring. In addition, low-educated women had a higher risk of SGA offspring (OR 1.95 [95% CI: 1.20-3.14]). This association decreased with 7% after adjustment for 25(OH) vitamin D (OR 1.88 [95% CI 1.16-3.04]). In stratified analyses, adjustment for 25(OH) vitamin D resulted in a decrease in OR of about 17% in overweight women and about 15% in women who conceived in wintertime. CONCLUSIONS: 25(OH) vitamin D appears to be a modifiable contributor to the association between low maternal education and SGA offspring, particularly in overweight women and women who conceived in the winter period. In those women, increasing the intake of vitamin D, either through dietary adaptation or through supplementation in order to achieve the recommendation, could be beneficial.
• Educational Inequalities in Perinatal Outcomes: the Mediating Effect of Smoking and Environmental Tobacco Exposure PloS One. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22590643 Socioeconomic status (SES) is adversely associated with perinatal outcomes. This association is likely to be mediated by tobacco exposure. However, previous studies were limited to single perinatal outcomes and devoted no attention to environmental tobacco exposure. Therefore, this study aimed firstly to explain the role of maternal smoking in the association between maternal education and preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA), and secondly to explain whether environmental tobacco smoke mediates these associations further.
• Infant Nutrition in Relation to Eating Behaviour and Fruit and Vegetable Intake at Age 5 Years The British Journal of Nutrition. May, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22717117 Infant nutrition may influence eating behaviour and food preferences in later life. The present study explores whether exclusive breast-feeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods are associated with children's eating behaviour and fruit and vegetable intake at age 5 years. Data were derived from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study, a prospective birth cohort in the Netherlands, and included 3624 children. During infancy, data on infant nutrition were collected. Child eating behaviour (satiety responsiveness, enjoyment of food, slowness in eating and food responsiveness) was assessed with the Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire; and fruit and vegetable intake was calculated from a validated child FFQ. Both questionnaires were filled in by the mothers after their child turned 5 years. Exclusive breast-feeding duration was not associated with later eating behaviour, although longer exclusive breast-feeding was significantly associated with a higher vegetable intake at age 5 years. Compared with the introduction of solid foods at age 6 months, introduction before the age of 4 months was associated with less satiety responsiveness at age 5 years (β - 0·09; 95 % CI - 0·16, - 0·02). Introducing solid foods after 6 months was associated with less enjoyment of food (β - 0·07; 95 % CI - 0·12, - 0·01) and food responsiveness (β - 0·04; 95 % CI - 0·07, - 0·01). Introducing solid foods before the age of 4 months was associated with a higher fruit intake compared with introduction at 6 months. These findings suggest that prolonged breast-feeding and introduction of solid foods between 4 and 6 months may lead to healthier eating behaviour and food preferences at age 5 years.
• [Guideline 'Overweight' Rather General] Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22759712 Recently, the guideline for prevention, screening and intervention in respect of overweight in children for the Youth Health Care practice has been published in an abbreviated form in NTvG. Childhood overweight is an important public health problem that requires preventive actions from early age onwards, especially in immigrant groups. Although this guideline provides a basis for (preventive) actions within Youth Health Care, the author argues that a community based approach including specific prevention and intervention strategies for ethnic groups is needed for successful implementation.
• Psychosocial Stress During Pregnancy is Related to Adverse Birth Outcomes: Results from a Large Multi-ethnic Community-based Birth Cohort European Journal of Public Health. Jul, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22850187 BACKGROUND: Prevalence rates of psychosocial stress during pregnancy are substantial. Evidence for associations between psychosocial stress and birth outcomes is inconsistent. This study aims to identify and characterize different clusters of pregnant women, each with a distinct pattern of psychosocial stress, and investigate whether birth outcomes differ between these clusters. METHODS: Latent class analysis was performed on data of 7740 pregnant women (Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study). Included constructs were depressive symptoms, state anxiety, job strain, pregnancy-related anxiety and parenting stress. RESULTS: Five clusters of women with distinct patterns of psychosocial stress were objectively identified. Babies born from women in the cluster characterized as 'high depression and high anxiety, moderate job strain' (12%) had a lower birth weight, and those in the 'high depression and high anxiety, not employed' cluster (15%) had an increased risk of pre-term birth. CONCLUSIONS: Babies from pregnant women reporting both high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms are at highest risk for adverse birth outcomes.
• Socioeconomic Inequalities in Lipid and Glucose Metabolism in Early Childhood in a Population-based Cohort: the ABCD-Study BMC Public Health. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22852830 Socioeconomic inequalities in cardiovascular disease are pervasive, yet much remains to be understood about how they originate. The objective of this study was to explore the relations of socioeconomic status to lipid and glucose metabolism as indicators of cardiovascular health in 5-6 year olds. Additionally to explore the explanatory role of maternal factors, birth outcome, and child factors.
• Maternal Early-pregnancy Vitamin D Status is Associated with Maternal Depressive Symptoms in the Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development Cohort Psychosomatic Medicine. Sep, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22879429 To examine low maternal vitamin D status as a potential risk factor for high levels of depressive symptoms in a pregnant population.
• Ethnic Differences in Cardiometabolic Risk Profile at Age 5-6 Years: the ABCD Study PloS One. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22916294 To examine ethnic differences in cardiometabolic risk profile in early age, and explore whether such differences can be explained by differences in body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC).
• The Association Between Prenatal Psychosocial Stress and Blood Pressure in the Child at Age 5-7 Years PloS One. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22927987 Prenatal maternal stress could have permanent effects on the offspring's tissue structure and function, which may predispose to cardiovascular diseases. We investigated whether maternal psychosocial stress is a prenatal factor affecting the blood pressure (BP) of offspring.
• Maternal Lipid Profile During Early Pregnancy and Pregnancy Complications and Outcomes: the ABCD Study The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Nov, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22933545 Elevated lipid levels during late pregnancy are associated with complications and adverse outcome for both mother and newborn. However, it is inconclusive whether a disturbed lipid profile during early pregnancy has similar negative associations.
• Association Between Body Size and Blood Pressure in Children from Different Ethnic Origins Cardiovascular Diabetology. 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 23126496 To assess associations between body size and blood pressure in children (5-6 years) from different ethnic origins.
• Explaining Socioeconomic Inequalities in Childhood Blood Pressure and Prehypertension: the ABCD Study Hypertension. Jan, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23129697 Much remains to be understood about the socioeconomic inequalities in hypertension that continue to exist. We investigated the association of socioeconomic status with blood pressure and prehypertension in childhood. In a prospective cohort, 3024 five- to six-year-old children had blood pressure measurements and available information on potential explanatory factors, namely birth weight, gestational age, smoking during pregnancy, pregnancy-induced hypertension, familial hypertension, maternal body mass index, breastfeeding duration, domestic tobacco exposure, and body mass index. The systolic and diastolic blood pressures of children from mid-educated women were 1.0-mm Hg higher (95% CI, 0.4-1.7) and 0.9-mm Hg higher (95% CI, 0.3-1.4), and the blood pressures of children with low-educated women were 2.2-mm Hg higher (95% CI, 1.4-3.0) and 1.7-mm Hg higher (95% CI, 1.1-2.4) compared with children with high-educated women. Children with mid- (odds ratio, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.18-1.92) or low-educated mothers (odds ratio, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.35-2.42) were more likely to have prehypertension compared with children with high-educated mothers. Using path analyses, birth weight, breastfeeding duration, and body mass index were determined as having a role in the association of maternal education with offspring blood pressure and prehypertension. The socioeconomic gradient in hypertension appears to emerge from childhood as the results show a higher blood pressure and more prehypertension in children from lower socioeconomic status families. Socioeconomic disparities could be reduced by improving 3 factors in particular, namely birth weight, breastfeeding duration, and body mass index, but other factors might also play a role.
• The Association Between Interpregnancy Interval and Birth Weight: What is the Role of Maternal Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Status? BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23351191 The objective of this study was to evaluate the mediating role of maternal early pregnancy plasma levels of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in the association of interpregnancy interval (IPI) with birth weight and smallness for gestational age (SGA) at birth.
• Maternal Cell Phone and Cordless Phone Use During Pregnancy and Behaviour Problems in 5-year-old Children Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. May, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23386674 A previous study found an association between maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 7. Together with cell phones, cordless phones represent the main exposure source of radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields to the head. Therefore, we assessed the association between maternal cell phone and cordless phone use during pregnancy and teacher-reported and maternal-reported child behaviour problems at age 5.
• Maternal Hypothyroxinemia in Early Pregnancy Predicts Reduced Performance in Reaction Time Tests in 5- to 6-year-old Offspring The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Apr, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23408575 Context: Overt hypothyroidism in pregnant women is associated with poorer neurodevelopment in their children. Findings from studies investigating the effect of less severe impairments in the maternal thyroid function on cognitive functioning in offspring are difficult to interpret for a number of reasons, including lack of objective cognitive tests, preschool age at assessment, and small sample sizes. Objective: We aimed to assess the effect of the maternal thyroid status in early pregnancy on their offspring's cognitive performance at 5 to 6 years of age. Design and Participants: This was a prospective study that included the data of 1765 healthy 5- to 6-year-old children from the Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study. Maternal serum free T4 and TSH were obtained at a median gestational age of 90 (interquartile range, 83 to 100) days. Main Outcome Measures: Cognitive performance was tested using a computerized assessment program that measured response speed, response speed stability, visuomotor skills, response selection, and response inhibition. Results: Maternal hypothyroxinemia (ie, maternal free T4 in the lowest 10% of distribution) was associated with a 41.3 (95% confidence interval, 20.3-62.4) ms slower response speed in a simple reaction time task. In this test, it was also associated with a decreased stability in response speed. The relations found persisted after adjustment for family background and perinatal conditions. The effect of hypothyroxinemia on these outcomes was dependent on its interaction with TSH level. Conclusions: Lower maternal free T4 concentration at the end of the first trimester predicted slower response speed and decreased stability in response speed in offspring at 5 to 6 years of age.
• Preterm Birth and Small for Gestational Age in Relation to Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy: Stronger Associations Among Vulnerable Women? Results from Two Large Western-European Studies BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23433310 Inconsistent data on the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and a range of pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth (PTB) and small for gestational age (SGA) raise new questions. This study aimed to assess whether the association between low-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and PTB and SGA differs according to maternal education, maternal mental distress or maternal smoking.
• Smoking Overrules Many Other Risk Factors for Small for Gestational Age Birth in Less Educated Mothers Early Human Development. Apr, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23578734 BACKGROUND: Although there is convincing evidence for the association between small for gestational age (SGA) and socioeconomic status (SES), it is not known to what extent explanatory factors contribute to this association. AIM: To examine to what extent risk factors could explain educational inequalities in SGA. STUDY DESIGN: In this study fully completed data were available for 3793 pregnant women of Dutch origin from a population-based cohort (ABCD study). Path-analysis was conducted to examine the role of explanatory factors in the relation of maternal education to SGA. RESULTS: Low-educated pregnant women had a higher risk of SGA offspring compared to the high-educated women (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.35-2.89). In path-analysis, maternal cigarette smoking and maternal height explained this association. Maternal age, hypertension, chronic disease, late entry into antenatal care, neighborhood income, underweight, environmental cigarette smoking, drug abuse, alcohol use, caffeine intake, fish intake, folic acid intake, anxiety, and depressive symptoms did not play a role in the association between maternal education and SGA birth. CONCLUSION: Among a large array of potential factors, the elevated risk of SGA birth among low-educated women appeared largely attributable to maternal smoking and to a lesser extent to maternal height. To reduce educational inequalities more effort is required to include low-educated women especially in prenatal intervention programs such as smoking cessation programs instead of effort into reducing other SGA-risk factors, though these factors might still be relevant at the individual level.