Environmental and occupational exposure, life-style factors and pregnancy outcome in arctic and subarctic populations of Norway and Russia

The study was initiated because of the public fear of adverse reproductive health and pregnancy outcomes in the Russian-Norwegian border zone in the vicinity of the nickel producing industry in the Kola Peninsula. The original objective was to assess health conditions of delivering women and their outcomes in the general population in the Russian- Norwegian arctic area, including assessment of essential and toxic elements. In the course of the study, the health of an occupationally exposed population of female nickel industry workers and children living in the Kola Peninsula also became an important issue. Material: In the period April 1994 - June 1994 maternal information, delivery information, as well as maternal and neonatal blood and urine samples, were collected for approximately 50 deliveries in each of the cities Arkhangelsk, Nikel, and Monchegorsk in Russia; the three Norwegian study centers were Kirkenes, Hammerfest and Bergen

Analysis of maternal serum vitamin D concentrations at birth in women presenting with spontaneous preterm birth: A case-control study

Vitamin D is a potent immune system modulator; its deficiency correlates with increased susceptibility to infections. We evaluated the status of maternal serum vitamin D in women with spontaneous preterm birth. In this case-control study, the maternal serum concentration of vitamin D (25OH D) was measured in 95 women delivering preterm and 92 women having a term birth. Vitamin D sufficiency was found in 79% of the mothers who delivered preterm and 80.4% of the mothers who had term birth (p=0.822). There was a negative correlation between maternal serum concentration of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D and maternal age in the preterm birth group (p=0.043). In conclusion, there was no difference in maternal serum concentrations of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D between women delivering preterm compared to those having term birth. Maternal serum concentration of 25 Hydroxyvitamin D is not associated with occurrence of preterm birth. Keywords: Preterm birth, vitamin D, preterm delivery, 25 Hydroxyvitamin D, prematureLa vitamine D est un puissant modulateur du système immunitaire; sa carence est corrélée à une sensibilité accrue aux infections. Nous avons évalué le statut de la vitamine D sérique maternelle chez les femmes ayant une naissance prématurée spontanée. Dans cette étude cas-témoins, la concentration sérique maternelle de vitamine D (25OH D) a été mesurée chez 95 femmes ayant accouche avant terme et 92 femmes ayant une naissance à terme. Une suffisance en vitamine D a été trouvée chez 79% des mères qui ont accouché prématurément et 80,4% des mères qui ont eu un accouchement à terme (p = 0,822). Il y avait une corrélation négative entre la concentration sérique maternelle de 25 hydroxyvitamine D et l'âge maternel dans le groupe des naissances prématurées (p= 0,043). En conclusion, il n'y avait aucune différence dans les concentrations sériques maternelles de 25 Hydroxyvitamine D entre les femmes ayant accouché avant terme et celles ayant une naissance à terme. La concentration sérique maternelle de 25 hydroxyvitamine D n'est pas associée à la survenue d'un accouchement prématuré. Mots-clés: Naissance prématurée, vitamine D, accouchement prématuré, 25 hydroxyvitamine D, prématuré

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes among Adolescents in Northwest Russia: A Population Registry-Based Study

Published version licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Source at: http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020261 This study aimed to assess whether adolescents have an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) compared to adult women. We used data on 43,327 births from the population-based Arkhangelsk County Birth Registry, Northwest Russia, for 2012–2014. The perinatal outcomes included stillbirth, preterm birth (<37 and <32 weeks), low and very low birthweight, 5 min Apgar score <7 and <4, perinatal infections, and the need for neonatal transfer to a higher-level hospital. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to assess the associations between age and APO. Altogether, 4.7% of deliveries occurred in adolescents. Both folic acid intake and multivitamin intake during pregnancy were more prevalent in adults. Adolescents were more likely to be underweight, to smoke, and to have infections of the kidney and the genital tract compared to adult women. Compared to adults, adolescents were at lower risk of low birthweight, a 5 min Apgar score <7, and need for neonatal transfer. Adolescents had no increased risk of other APO studied in the adjusted analysis, suggesting that a constellation of other factors, but not young age per se, is associated with APO in the study setting

Plasma levels of apolipoprotein-E in residents of the European North of Russia

Background: Apolipoprotein-E (apoE) is one of the metabolically active apoproteins and plays an important role in lipid metabolism. However, there are no data on levels of apoE in residents of the North in spite of the fact that specific features of lipid metabolism in the northerners are described. The present work was designed to study plasma levels of apoE in residents of the European North of Russia. Methods: A total of 937 native residents of the European North of Russia (463 men and 474 women) aged 13–60 years were included in the study. ApoE concentrations in the blood plasma were measured by immunoturbidimetric method. Results: Plasma levels of apoE in residents of the European North of Russia were low. ApoE concentrations below the defined normal values were detected in 57.0% of the men and in 59.2% of the women. The mean plasma levels of apoE did not significantly differ in men and women (2.80 mg/dl vs 2.87 mg/dl). Plasma apoE concentrations in residents of the European North of Russia changed with age. Plasma levels of apoE decreased from 13 to 21 years in men and from 13 to 35 years in women and then increased in both sexes (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The limits of variation of plasma apoE levels in residents of the European North of Russia shift towards lower values. Plasma levels of apoE below normal values were observed in approximately half of investigation subjects

Prevalence of smoking before and during pregnancy and changes in this habit during pregnancy in Northwest Russia: a Murmansk county birth registry study

Publisher's version, source: http://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-016-0144-x.BACKGROUND Smoking during pregnancy leads to adverse maternal and birth outcomes. However, the prevalence of smoking among women in Russia has increased from  20 % in the 2000s. We conducted a registry-based study in Murmansk County, Northwest Russia. Our aims were twofold: (i) assess the prevalence of smoking before and during pregnancy; and (ii) examine the socio-demographic factors associated with giving up smoking or reducing the number of cigarettes smoked once pregnancy was established. METHODS This study employs data from the population-based Murmansk County Birth Registry (MCBR) collected during 2006–2011. We used logistic regression to investigate associations between women’s socio-demographic characteristics and changes in smoking habit during pregnancy. To avoid departure from uniform risk within specific delivery departments, we employed clustered robust standard errors. RESULTS Of all births registered in the MCBR, 25.2 % of the mothers were smokers before pregnancy and 18.9 % continued smoking during pregnancy. Cessation of smoking during pregnancy was associated with education, marital status and parity but not with maternal age, place of residence, and ethnicity. Women aged ≤ 20–24 years had higher odds of reducing the absolute numbers of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy than those aged ≥ 30–34 years. Moreover, smoking nulliparae and pregnant women who had one child were more likely to reduce the absolute numbers of cigarettes smoked per day compared to women having ≥ 2 children. CONCLUSIONS About 25.0 % of smoking women in the Murmansk County in Northwest Russia quit smoking after awareness of the pregnancy, and one-third of them reduced the number cigarettes smoked during pregnancy. Our study demonstrates that women who have a higher education, husband, and are primiparous are more likely to quit smoking during pregnancy. Maternal age and number of children are indicators that influence reduction in smoking during pregnancy. Our findings are useful in identifying target groups for smoking intervention campaigns

Prenatal exposure to aluminum and status of selected essential trace elements in rural South African women at delivery

Abstract: This study sought to evaluate the in utero exposure to aluminum and status of selected trace elements in South African women at delivery since aluminum is known to be toxic in all developmental stages even at low concentrations. Serum aluminum was negatively correlated with aluminum in urine, both uncorrected and corrected for creatinine, which suggests the retention of aluminum in body stores. Serum copper and zinc levels were found to be high in this study population. Serum copper levels were negatively correlated with aluminum in serum (β = −0.095; p = 0.05). There was a marginal negative correlation between aluminum levels in serum and manganese levels in whole blood (β = −0.087; p = 0.08). Copper levels in maternal serum were negatively correlated with birth weight and the length of neonates. There were a number of positive correlations between maternal characteristics and birth outcomes. Mothers who consumed root vegetables frequently appeared to be protected from aluminum retention and increased body burden since their serum aluminum levels were found to be significantly lower. The findings of the current study can be used as a baseline for further research on aluminum exposure and its associated interactions and outcomes in vulnerable populations

Effectiveness of a training intervention in increasing the use of misoprostol in postabortion care in Malawi : A quasi-experimental study

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Effect of Smoking Behavior before and during Pregnancy on Selected Birth Outcomes among Singleton Full-Term Pregnancy: A Murmansk County Birth Registry Study

Source at https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080867 .The aim of our study was to assess associations between smoking behavior before and during pregnancy and selected adverse birth outcomes. This study is based on the Murmansk County Birth Registry (MCBR). Our study includes women who delivered a singleton pregnancy after 37 weeks of gestation (N = 44,486). Smoking information was self-reported and assessed at the first antenatal visit during pregnancy. We adjusted for potential confounders using logistic regression. The highest proportion of infants with low values of birth weight, birth length, head circumference, ponderal index and of the Apgar score at 5 min was observed for women who smoked both before and during pregnancy. We observed a dose-response relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy and the odds of the aforementioned adverse birth outcomes; neither were there significant differences in their occurrences among non-smokers and those who smoked before but not during pregnancy. Moreover, smoking reduction during pregnancy relative to its pre-gestation level did not influence the odds of the adverse birth outcomes. Our findings emphasize a continued need for action against tobacco smoking during pregnancy

Risk Factors for hypospadias in Northwest Russia: A Murmansk County Birth Registry Study

Source at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214213. Background - Hypospadias is the most common congenital anomaly of the penis, but its causes are mainly unknown. Of the risk factors identified, the most plausible are hormonal and genetic. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for hypospadias in Northwest Russia based on registry data. Methods - The study population included male infants registered in the Murmansk County Birth Registry between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011 (n = 25 475). These infants were followed-up for 2 years using the Murmansk Regional Congenital Defects Registry to identify cases of hypospadias not diagnosed at birth. We used logistic regression analysis to examine the contributions of hypospadias risk factors. Results - Out of 25 475 male infants born during the study period, 148 had isolated hypospadias. The overall prevalence rate was 54.2 (95% CI 53.6–54.8) per 10 000 male infants. Those born to mothers with preeclampsia (OR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.03–2.66) or infant birthweight < 2500 g (OR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.18–3.60) exhibited increased risk for hypospadias. Maternal age, smoking during pregnancy, folic acid intake during pregnancy or hepatitis B surface antigen positivity did not associate with increased risk of hypospadias. Conclusions Combining data from a birth registry with those from a congenital defects registry provided optimal information about the prevalence of hypospadias and its association with low infant birthweight and preeclampsia. These factors have in common changes in hormone levels during pregnancy, which in turn may have contributed to hypospadias development