Perinatal factors associated with subsequent diabetes mellitus in the child: record linkage study

WSTĘP. W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono raport dotyczący związku między czynnikami okołoporodowymi a późniejszą cukrzycą u potomstwa przed ukończeniem 30. roku życia. MATERIAŁ I METODY. Analizie poddano sprzężone szpitalne dane statystyczne, porównując czynniki okołoporodowe u 518 osób przyjętych do szpitala z powodu cukrzycy z takimi samymi czynnikami u 292 845 innych chorych w określonej populacji, w południowej Anglii w latach 1963-1999. WYNIKI. Cukrzyca występowała znacznie częściej u dzieci matek chorych na cukrzycę niż u innych (OR: 6,42; 95% CI: 4,18-9,86). Nie stwierdzono znamiennego związku z masą urodzeniową lub wiekiem ciążowym oddzielnie. Cukrzyca występowała częściej u osób w wyższym kwintylu masy urodzeniowej dla wieku ciążowego w porównaniu z połączonymi najniższymi 4 kwintylami (OR: 1,33; 95% CI: 1,08-1,64), jednak nie stwierdzono zgodnego gradientu rosnącej częstości występowania cukrzycy w najniższych 4 kwintylach. Nie dowiedziono znamiennego związku między cukrzycą a wiekiem matki, liczbą porodów, statusem społecznym, paleniem tytoniu w ciąży, sposobem porodu lub jakimkolwiek innym badanym czynnikiem okołoporodowym. Wszystkie wyniki były podobne, gdy analizę ograniczono do chorych na cukrzycę w wieku poniżej 15 lat. WNIOSKI. Wykazano silny związek między występowaniem cukrzycy u dzieci - głównie, jeśli nie całkowicie, typu 1 - a stwierdzeniem tej choroby u matek. Cukrzyca występowała nieznacznie częściej w najcięższym kwintylu masy urodzeniowej dla wieku ciążowego niż w innych kwintylach. Nie zaobserwowano znamiennego związku między występowaniem cukrzycy a innymi badanymi czynnikami okołoporodowymi.AIMS. To report on associations between perinatal factors and the subsequent development of diabetes mellitus under the age of 30 years in the offspring. METHODS. Analysis of linked hospital statistical records, comparing perinatal factors relating to the birth of 518 people admitted to hospital for diabetes with the same factors in 292 845 others, in a defined population in southern England from 1963 to 1999. RESULTS. Diabetes mellitus was much more common in children of mothers with diabetes than in others (OR: 6.42; 95% CI: 4.18&#8211;9.86). There was no significant association with birthweight or gestational age separately. Diabetes was more common in those in the highest quintile of 'birthweight for gestational age' compared with the lowest four quintiles combined (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.08-1.64), but there was no consistent gradient of increasing frequency of diabetes across the lowest four quintiles. There were no significant associations between diabetes and mothers' age, parity, social class, or smoking during pregnancy, or between babies' mode of delivery or any other perinatal factors investigated. All results were similar when the analysis was confined to diabetes in people aged < 15 years. CONCLUSIONS. We found a strong association between diabetes in the child - mainly, if not entirely type 1 diabetes - and maternal diabetes. Diabetes was slightly more common in the heaviest quintile of birthweight for gestational age than in other quintiles. There were no significant associations between diabetes and the other perinatal factors studied

"A different world" exploring and understanding the climate of a recently re-rolled sexual offender prison

Understanding how sexual offenders experience prison and its environment is important because such experiences can impact on rehabilitation outcomes. The purpose of this research investigation was to explore the rehabilitative and therapeutic climate of a recently re-rolled sexual offender prison. The research took a mixed methods approach and consisted of quantitative and qualitative phases. There were differences between prisoners and staff on their perception of the prison climate and for prisoner and staff relationships. The qualitative results helped to explain the quantitative findings and added a more nuanced understanding of the experience of the prison, the nature of prisoner and staff relationships and the opportunities for personal growth within the prison. The study has important implications for prisons that co-locate sexual offenders and want to provide an environment conducive to rehabilitation

Maternal and neonatal risk factors for childhood type 1 diabetes: a matched case-control study

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Maternal and perinatal factors associated with hospitalised infectious mononucleosis in children, adolescents and young adults: record linkage study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is current interest in the role of perinatal factors in the aetiology of diseases that occur later in life. Infectious mononucleosis (IM) can follow late primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and has been shown to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis and Hodgkin's disease. Little is known about maternal or perinatal factors associated with IM or its sequelae.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated perinatal risk factors for hospitalised IM using a prospective record-linkage study in a population in the south of England. The dataset used, the Oxford record linkage study (ORLS), includes abstracts of birth registrations, maternities and in-patient hospital records, including day case care, for all subjects in a defined geographical area. From these sources, we identified cases of hospitalised IM up to the age of 30 years in people for whom the ORLS had a maternity record; and we compared perinatal factors in their pregnancy with those in the pregnancy of children who had no hospital record of IM.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our data showed a significant association between hospitalised IM and lower social class (p = 0.02), a higher risk of hospitalised IM in children of married rather than single mothers (p < 0.001), and, of marginal statistical significance, an association with singleton birth (p = 0.06). The ratio of observed to expected cases of hospitalised IM in each season was 0.95 in winter, 1.02 in spring, 1.02 in summer and 1.00 in autumn. The chi-square test for seasonality, with a value of 0.8, was not significant.</p> <p>Other factors studied, including low birth weight, short gestational age, maternal smoking, late age at motherhood, did not increase the risk of subsequent hospitalised IM.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Because of the increasing tendency of women to postpone childbearing, it is useful to know that older age at motherhood is not associated with an increased risk of hospitalised IM in their children. We have no explanation for the finding that children of married women had a higher risk of IM than those of single mothers. Though highly significant, it may nonetheless be a chance finding. We found no evidence that such perinatal factors as birth weight and gestational age, or season of birth, were associated with the risk of hospitalised IM.</p

‘It Doesn’t Matter What You’ve Done You’re Accepted Here’: A Multi-Site Qualitative Exploration of the Experiences of Being Incarcerated in Prisons for Individuals with Sexual Convictions

There has been a great deal of research that has focused on the treatment of individuals with sexual convictions and, while contested, there is an evidence case for intervention with such groups. However, there has been much less empirical research exploring the experiences and perspectives of the prison environment within which treatment takes place. This is important, particularly, for this client group, as they often face multiple stigmas in prison. It has also been argued that the context of treatment is important for outcome. This chapter details a qualitative analysis of 48 interviews with individuals with sexual convictions across three different prison sites. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the perspectives of individuals with sexual convictions across three prison sites, each only housing such populations, that is, adult males convicted of sexual offences. The research found the importance of ‘experienced safety’ in allowing individuals to contemplate change. The research also revealed how participants were making meaning and achieving purpose within the prison. This is important, as research has found that finding meaning within prison and accepting positive experiences can help erode some of the negative life experiences offenders may have been through. Importantly, the results of this study serve as a reminder that cultivating meaningful relationships with individuals requires carefully balancing of a number of roles

Functionalized stimuli-responsive nanocages from photocleavable block copolymers

The light-induced formation of pH and temperature-responsive poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate](PDMAEMA) nanocages is demonstrated here. The strategy is based on the self-assembly in aqueous solutions of a photocleavable poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-hv-poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] block copolymer (PtBAhv-PDMAEMA, where -hv- is the photocleavable junction) into spherical micelles, followed by first PDMAEMA crosslinking by a bis-iodo compound and then by UV light irradiation. The exposure to light induces the cleavage of the junction between the PtBA core and the cross-linked PDMAEMA shell of the micelles. The PtBA block is then extracted to obtain the desired nanocages. The size change of the nanocages in response to pH and temperature is investigated by dynamic light scattering. Finally, the ability to functionalize the internal cavity of the nanocages is demonstrated