Association of cerebral palsy with Apgar score in low and normal birthweight infants: population based cohort study

Objectives To assess the association of Apgar score 5 minutes after birth with cerebral palsy in both normal weight and low birthweight children, and also the association with the cerebral palsy subdiagnoses of quadriplegia, diplegia, and hemiplegia

Maternal eating disorders influence sex ratio at birth

We explored sex ratio at birth, defined as the proportion of male live births, in women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified-purging type (EDNOS-P) relative to a referent group in a large population based sample of 38,340 pregnant women in Norway. Poisson regressions were adjusted for mother’s age, pre-pregnancy BMI, lifetime smoking status, maternal education, income, marital status, gestational age, and parity. Lower proportions of male live births were observed in the anorexia and bulimia groups, while binge eating disorder and EDNOS-P were associated with a higher proportion of male births. These data suggest that maternal eating disorders may influence offspring sex and that the direction of effect may vary by eating disorder subtype. If confirmed, this finding could provide evidence in formulating hypotheses regarding the consequences of eating disorders and determinants of sex ratio at birth

Birth outcomes in women with eating disorders in the Norwegian Mother and Child cohort study (MoBa)

We explored the impact of eating disorders on birth outcomes in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)

Important periods of weight development in childhood: a population-based longitudinal study

Background: Identifying important ages for the development of overweight is essential for optimizing preventive efforts. The purpose of the study was to explore early growth characteristics in children who become overweight or obese at the age of 8 years to identify important ages for the onset of overweight and obesity. Methods: Data from the Norwegian Child Growth Study in 2010 (N = 3172) were linked with repeated measurements from health records beginning at birth. Weight and height were used to derive the body mass index (BMI) in kg/m2. The BMI standard deviation score (SDS) for each participant was estimated at specific target ages, using a piecewise linear mixed effect model. Results: At 8 years of age, 20.4% of the children were overweight or obese. Already at birth, overweight children had a significantly higher mean BMI SDS than normal weight 8-year-olds (p < .001) and this difference increased in consecutive age groups in infancy and childhood. A relatively large increase in BMI during the first 9 months was identified as important for being overweight at 8 years. BMI SDS at birth was associated with overweight at 8 years of age (OR, 1.8; 1.6–2.0), and with obesity (OR, 1.8; 1.4–2.3). The Odds Ratios for the BMI SDS and change in BMI SDS further increased up to 1 year of age became very high from 2 years of age onwards. Conclusions: A high birth weight and an increasing BMI SDS during the first 9 months and high BMI from 2 years of age proved important landmarks for the onset of being overweight at 8 years of age. The risks of being overweight at 8 years appear to start very early. Interventions to prevent children becoming overweight should not only start at a very early age but also include the prenatal stage

Important periods of weight development in childhood: a population-based longitudinal study

Background: Identifying important ages for the development of overweight is essential for optimizing preventive efforts. The purpose of the study was to explore early growth characteristics in children who become overweight or obese at the age of 8 years to identify important ages for the onset of overweight and obesity. Methods: Data from the Norwegian Child Growth Study in 2010 (N = 3172) were linked with repeated measurements from health records beginning at birth. Weight and height were used to derive the body mass index (BMI) in kg/m2. The BMI standard deviation score (SDS) for each participant was estimated at specific target ages, using a piecewise linear mixed effect model. Results: At 8 years of age, 20.4% of the children were overweight or obese. Already at birth, overweight children had a significantly higher mean BMI SDS than normal weight 8-year-olds (p < .001) and this difference increased in consecutive age groups in infancy and childhood. A relatively large increase in BMI during the first 9 months was identified as important for being overweight at 8 years. BMI SDS at birth was associated with overweight at 8 years of age (OR, 1.8; 1.6–2.0), and with obesity (OR, 1.8; 1.4–2.3). The Odds Ratios for the BMI SDS and change in BMI SDS further increased up to 1 year of age became very high from 2 years of age onwards. Conclusions: A high birth weight and an increasing BMI SDS during the first 9 months and high BMI from 2 years of age proved important landmarks for the onset of being overweight at 8 years of age. The risks of being overweight at 8 years appear to start very early. Interventions to prevent children becoming overweight should not only start at a very early age but also include the prenatal stage

Maternal concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and risk for cerebral palsy (CP) in the child. A case control study

Background Intrauterine conditions may be important in the development of cerebral palsy in the child. The hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is synthesized in the placenta, and hCG plays an important role in placental angiogenesis and development. Thus, maternal hCG concentrations may be an indicator of placental function and thereby the intrauterine environment for the offspring. We studied the associations of maternal concentrations of hCG during pregnancy with cerebral palsy in the child. Methods We performed a case-control study nested within a cohort of 29,948 pregnancies in Norway during 1992–1994. Cases were all women within the cohort who gave birth to a singleton child with cerebral palsy diagnosed before five years of age (n = 63). Controls were a random sample of women with a singleton child without cerebral palsy (n = 182). Results The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for cerebral palsyin the child was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.55–1.10) per log-transformed unit of maternal hCG in the 1 st trimester, and the OR was 1.42 (95% CI: 0.94–2.16) in the 2nd trimester. Thus, women who did not have high hCG concentrations in the 1 st trimester and low hCG concentrations in the 2nd trimester, had increased risk for giving birth to a child with cerebral palsy. Adjustments were made for pregnancy week of serum sampling, maternal age and parity. Conclusions The abnormal hCG concentrations in pregnancies with cerebral palsy in the offspring, could suggest placental factors as causes of cerebral palsy

Maternal concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and risk for cerebral palsy (CP) in the child. A case control study

Background: Intrauterine conditions may be important in the development of cerebral palsy in the child. The hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is synthesized in the placenta, and hCG plays an important role in placental angiogenesis and development. Thus, maternal hCG concentrations may be an indicator of placental function and thereby the intrauterine environment for the offspring. We studied the associations of maternal concentrations of hCG during pregnancy with cerebral palsy in the child. Methods: We performed a case-control study nested within a cohort of 29,948 pregnancies in Norway during 1992–1994. Cases were all women within the cohort who gave birth to a singleton child with cerebral palsy diagnosed before five years of age (n = 63). Controls were a random sample of women with a singleton child without cerebral palsy (n = 182). Results: The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for cerebral palsyin the child was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.55–1.10) per log-transformed unit of maternal hCG in the 1 st trimester, and the OR was 1.42 (95% CI: 0.94–2.16) in the 2nd trimester. Thus, women who did not have high hCG concentrations in the 1 st trimester and low hCG concentrations in the 2nd trimester, had increased risk for giving birth to a child with cerebral palsy. Adjustments were made for pregnancy week of serum sampling, maternal age and parity. Conclusions: The abnormal hCG concentrations in pregnancies with cerebral palsy in the offspring, could suggest placental factors as causes of cerebral palsy