Parental smoking and cessation during pregnancy and the risk of childhood asthma

Background: To evaluate the association between maternal and paternal smoking during pregnancy, and asthma among offspring. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based birth retrospective observational birth cohort study in a University-based Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. 39 306 women, delivering between 1989 and 2006, were linked to the national register for asthma reimbursement for their offspring (2641 asthmatics). Pregnancy factors were recorded during pregnancy. Results: The risk of asthma was significantly elevated if both parents smoked (aOR 3.7; 95 % Cl 3.2-4.4) and it remained high in only paternal smoking families (aOR 2.9; 95 % Cl 2.5-3.3) as well as only maternal smoking families (aOR 1.7; 95 % Cl 1.2-2.2). Paternal cessation of smoking during pregnancy seemed to reduce the risk of asthma regardless of maternal smoking (aOR 0.3-0.4). Conclusions: Parental smoking, and especially paternal smoking, was significantly associated with the risk of asthma in offspring and paternal cessation of smoking during pregnancy was associated with a decreased risk of childhood asthma regardless of maternal smoking. The results indicate that both parents should be encouraged to quit smoking during pregnancy, since it is a relatively easy and cheap way to reduce the risk of asthma in offspring.Peer reviewe

Environmental Intolerance, Symptoms and Disability Among Fertile-Aged Women

The purpose was to study the prevalence of environmental intolerance (EI) and its different manifestations, including behavioral changes and disability. Fertile-aged women (n = 680) of the Kuopio Birth Cohort Study were asked about annoyance to 12 environmental factors, symptoms and behavioral changes. We asked how much the intolerance had disrupted their work, household responsibilities or social life. We chose intolerance attributed to chemicals, indoor molds, and electromagnetic fields to represent typical intolerance entities. Of the respondents, 46% reported annoyance to chemicals, molds, or electromagnetic fields. Thirty-three percent reported symptoms relating to at least one of these three EIs, 18% reported symptoms that included central nervous system symptoms, and 15% reported behavioral changes. Indicating disability, 8.4% reported their experience relating to any of the three EIs as at least "somewhat difficult", 2.2% "very difficult" or "extremely difficult", and 0.9% "extremely difficult". Of the latter 2.2%, all attributed their intolerance to indoor molds, and two thirds also to chemicals. As the number of difficulties increased, the number of organ systems, behavioral changes and overlaps of the three EIs also grew. EI is a heterogeneous phenomenon and its prevalence depends on its definition. The manifestations of EI form a continuum, ranging from annoyance to severe disability.Peer reviewe

Etiology, syndrome diagnosis, and cognition in childhood-onset epilepsy: A population-based study

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Maternal socioeconomic status and the risk of asthma among offspring

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Longitudinal Analyses of Diet Quality and Maternal Depressive Symptoms During Pregnancy : The Kuopio Birth Cohort Study

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Academy of Nutrition and DieteticsBackground: Depression and diet quality appear to be associated in the general population. Nevertheless, little is known about their relationship among pregnant females. Objective: The aims of this study were first, to investigate longitudinally whether or not diet quality is associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy; second, to examine whether or not variation in diet quality during pregnancy predicts variation in depressive symptoms; and third, to explore how individual dietary components are associated with depressive symptoms. Design: A longitudinal secondary analysis of the Kuopio Birth Cohort Study in eastern Finland was conducted. Data were collected from pregnant females during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Participants/setting: The participants were 1,362 pregnant females who entered the study between 2012 and 2017. Main outcome measures: Depressive symptoms, as measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depressive Scale during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy were used as continuous variables. Statistical analyses performed: The main analyses consisted of linear mixed model analyses adjusted for potential confounders to longitudinally assess the association between diet quality as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2015, calculated using data from a food frequency questionnaire completed during the first trimester and third trimester, and depressive symptoms during the study period. An exploratory set of linear mixed models was also used to longitudinally assess the associations between selected individual food frequency questionnaire food groups and depressive symptoms. Results: Descriptive analyses revealed that 12.3% of the participants had clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms (ie, Edinburgh Postnatal Depressive Scale score ≥10) during either the first or third trimester. Longitudinal modeling suggested that depressive symptoms in pregnant females tend to remain stable throughout pregnancy. Females with a poorer quality diet already displayed higher levels of depressive symptoms during the first trimester of pregnancy (β = –.038 ± .016; P = 0.022). Variation in diet quality did not predict variation in depressive symptoms over the course of pregnancy (β = –9.741 × 10–5 ± .001; P = 0.869). Conclusions: Females entering pregnancy with a poorer quality diet also displayed higher levels of depressive symptoms compared with females with a higher quality diet at the beginning of pregnancy, and this association remained constant throughout pregnancy. Further research is needed to assess the direction and the potential causality of the observed associations between diet quality and depressive symptoms.Peer reviewe

Caffeine content in newborn hair correlates with maternal dietary intake

Purpose High-maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy may be harmful for perinatal outcomes and future child health, but the level of fetal cumulative exposure has been difficult to measure thus far. Here, we present maternal dietary caffeine intake during the last trimester and its correlation to caffeine content in newborn hair after birth. Methods Maternal third trimester diets and dietary caffeine intake were prospectively collected in Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) using a 160-item food frequency questionnaire (n = 2840). Newborn hair was collected within 48 h after birth and analyzed by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for caffeine (n = 316). Correlation between dietary caffeine intake and neonatal hair caffeine content was evaluated from 203 mother-child pairs. Results Mean dietary caffeine intake was 167 mg/days (95% CI 162-172 mg/days), of which coffee comprised 81%. Caffeine in the maternal diet and caffeine content in newborn hair correlated significantly (r = 0.50; p <0.001). Older, multiparous, overweight women, and smokers had the highest caffeine levels in the maternal diet, as well as in their newborn babies' hair. Conclusion Caffeine exposure, estimated from newborn hair samples, reflects maternal third trimester dietary caffeine intake and introduces a new method to assess fetal cumulative caffeine exposure. Further studies to evaluate the effects of caffeine exposure on both perinatal and postnatal outcomes are warranted, since over 40% of pregnant women consume caffeine more than the current suggested recommendations (European Food Safety Association, EFSA recommendations).Peer reviewe

The dynamic course of peripartum depression across pregnancy and childbirth

Objective Peripartum depression (PPD) pertaining to depression in pregnancy and postpartum is one of the most common complications around childbirth with enduring adverse effects on mother and child health. Although psychiatric symptoms may improve or worsen over time, relatively little is known about the course of PPD symptoms and possible fluctuations Methods We applied a person-centered approach to examine PPD symptom patterns across pregnancy and childbirth. 824 women were assessed at three time points: first trimester (T1), third trimester (T2), and again at eight weeks (T3) postpartum. We assessed PPD symptoms, maternal mental health history, and childbirth variables Results Growth mixture modeling (GMM) analysis revealed four discrete PPD symptom trajectory classes including chronic PPD (1.1%), delayed (10.2%), recovered (7.2%), and resilient (81.5%). Delivery complications were associated with chronic PPD but also with the recovered PPD trajectory class. History of mental health disorders was associated with chronic PPD and the delayed PPD class Conclusion The findings underscore that significant changes in a woman’s depression level can occur across pregnancy and childbirth. While a minority of women experience chronic PDD, for others depression symptoms appear to significantly alleviate over time, suggesting a form of recovery. Our findings support a personalized medicine approach based on the woman’s symptom trajectory. Future research is warranted to identify the mechanisms underlying modifications in PPD symptoms severity and those implicated in recovery.Peer reviewe

The association between gestational diabetes mellitus and postpartum depressive symptomatology : A prospective cohort study

Background: The literature suggests an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and depression, but data on the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and postpartum depressive symptomatology (PPDS) are scarce. Methods: Altogether, 1066 women with no previous mental health issues enrolled in the Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo, www.kubico.fi) were selected for this study. GDM was diagnosed according to the Finnish Current Care Guidelines. Depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during the third trimester of pregnancy and eight weeks after delivery. Additionally, a subgroup of women (n = 505) also completed the EPDS during the first trimester of pregnancy. Results: The prevalence rates of GDM and PPDS in the whole study population were 14.1% and 10.3%, respectively. GDM was associated with an increased likelihood of belonging to the PPDS group (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.23-4.05; adjusted for maternal age at delivery, BMI in the first trimester, smoking before pregnancy, relationship status, nulliparity, delivery by caesarean section, gestational age at delivery, neonatal intensive care unit admission and third-trimester EPDS scores). A significant association between GDM and PPDS was found in the subgroup of women with available data on first-trimester depression (n = 505). Limitations: The participation rate of the KuBiCo study was relatively low (37%). Conclusions: Women with GDM may be at increased risk of PPDS. Future studies should investigate whether these women would benefit from a closer follow-up and possible supportive interventions during pregnancy and the postpartum period to avoid PPDS.Peer reviewe