The effect of breastfeeding on the BMI of Hispanic preschool children

The American Academy of Pediatrics and World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4-6 months of life to reduce risk of obesity in pre-school children. Previous research has indicated a high rate of obesity among Hispanic children in the northeastern United States. There is also a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of exclusive breastfeeding in preventing obesity among preschool Hispanic children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if there was an association between exclusive breastfeeding and obesity among pre-school Hispanic children enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Education Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in a metropolitan area of mid-Atlantic region between the years 2004 and 2009. This retrospective secondary analysis of data for 4454 Hispanic children compared the body mass index (BMI) at 36-59 months of age for those that were breastfed to those that were not breastfed using the Student’s t-test. Duration of exclusive breastfeeding was examined for any correlation with BMI for the cohort of breastfeeding women using Pearson’s correlation analysis. Results revealed that the BMI for 1181 breastfed children was not statistically different from the non-breastfed children (16.97 vs. 17.04). However, there was a statistically significant inverse relationship between duration of breastfeeding and BMI among children of breastfeeding mothers (r = -.75, p < .05). These results make an important contribution to the existing literature and can enhance social change initiatives by encouraging practitioners to educate Hispanic mothers on the positive effects of exclusive breastfeeding the first 4 months of life which could help minimize obesity prevalence among children

Pecan yields and nut quality as influenced by soil trenching and tree pruning

Trenching and pruning applications were placed on mature Wichita pecan trees in Maricopa, Arizona in 1998. Yield and nut quality data from the test are presented. Unfortunately, the cool, favorable growing weather minimized quality degradation during the growing season and confounded the test. Data presented probably do not reflect the true benefits of the treatments.Arizona Citrus Research Counci

Performance of mature pecan varieties in the low desert 1997 and 1998

Mature pecan trees at Picacho, Arizona were evaluated for variety performance during 1997-98. Total average yield per tree, percent kernel and percent viviparity were observed. During 1997, a severe viviparity year, only Bradley, Cheyenne, Souix and Tejas showed viviparity values of 20% or lower. Tejas did not return an acceptable percent kernel leaving Bradley, Cheyenne and Souix as potential varieties able to withstand low desert growing conditions on a regular basis. In 1998, the cool growing season confounded the test and no conclusions were drawn from the data.Arizona Citrus Research Counci

Title: efficacy of a food parenting intervention for mothers with low income to reduce preschooler’s solid fat and added sugar intakes: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Few interventions have shown efficacy to influence key energy balance behaviors during the preschool years. Objective A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was used to evaluate the efficacy of Food, Fun, and Families (FFF), a 12 week authoritative food parenting intervention for mothers with low-income levels, to reduce preschool-aged children’s intake of calories from solid fat and added sugar (SoFAS). Methods Mothers were randomly assigned to receive FFF (n = 59) or to a delayed treatment control (n = 60). The primary outcome was children’s daily energy intake from SoFAS at the end of the 12 week intervention, controlling for baseline levels, assessed by 24-h dietary recalls. Secondary outcomes included children’s daily energy intake, children’s BMI z-scores, and meal observations of maternal food parenting practices targeted in FFF (e.g. providing guided choices). Results Participating mothers were predominantly African American (91%), with 39% educated beyond high school and 66% unemployed. Baseline demographics and child SoFAS intakes did not differ by group. Lost to follow-up was 13% and did not differ between groups. At post-intervention, FFF children consumed ~ 94 kcal or 23% less daily energy from SoFAS than children in the control group, adjusting for baseline levels (307.8 (95%CI = 274.1, 341.5) kcal vs. 401.9 (95%CI = 369.8, 433.9) kcal, FFF vs. control; p < 0.001). FFF mothers also displayed a greater number of authoritative parenting practices when observed post-intervention with their child at a buffet-style meal (Wilcoxon z = − 2.54, p = 0.012). Neither child total daily energy intake nor BMI z-scores differed between groups post-intervention. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the initial efficacy of an authoritative food parenting intervention for families with low-income to reduce SoFAS intake in early childhood. Additional research is needed to evaluate longer-term effects on diet and growth. Trial registration Retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: #NCT03646201

Genetic predisposition to hypertension is associated with preeclampsia in European and Central Asian women

Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy, affecting both maternal and fetal health. In genome-wide association meta-analysis of European and Central Asian mothers, we identify sequence variants that associate with preeclampsia in the maternal genome at ZNF831/20q13 and FTO/16q12. These are previously established variants for blood pressure (BP) and the FTO variant has also been associated with body mass index (BMI). Further analysis of BP variants establishes that variants at MECOM/3q26, FGF5/4q21 and SH2B3/12q24 also associate with preeclampsia through the maternal genome. We further show that a polygenic risk score for hypertension associates with preeclampsia. However, comparison with gestational hypertension indicates that additional factors modify the risk of preeclampsia. Studies to identify maternal variants associated with preeclampsia have been limited by sample size. Here, the authors meta-analyze eight GWAS of 9,515 preeclamptic women, identifying five variants associated with preeclampsia and showing that genetic predisposition to hypertension is a major risk factor for preeclampsia.Peer reviewe