Changes in Total Number of Births and Birth Size during the 1995-2013: The Reflection of Socio-Economic Fluctuations in Lithuania?

The aim of the study was to examine changes of total number of births and birth weight of Lithuanian newborns during the 1995–2013 in relation to the national and regional socio-economic welfare and governmental maternity support. The present results were based on Lithuanian Medical Data of Births Register. Only data of single newborns of identifiable sex, whose mothers were citizens of Lithuania, were included into the present analysis, and total number of analysed cases was N=597091. The total number of births dramatically decreased during the 1995-2002, slightly increased in the 2007-2009, and decreased again in the 2010-2013. Diminishing index was in line with increase of unemployment rate and decline of total Lithuanian population. Increase in number of births was estimated only in the 2007-2009, when maternity benefits were increased very evidently. The significant differences of mean birth weight by year were observed: the decrease in boys’ weight was detected in the 2001-2003, and the decrease in girls’ weight was detected in the 1995-1996 and in the 2001-2003 (p<0.05). However, the increase in weight of both sexes was observed in the 2008-2010 (right after raised maternal allowance). The prevalence of low and suboptimal birth weight was the highest in the 2002 and the lowest – in the 2008-2010 years. The obvious regional differences in changes of total number of births and birth weight were estimated

Regional references vs. international standards for assessing weight and length by gestational age in Lithuanian neonates

INTRODUCTION: There is no global consensus as to which standards are the most appropriate for the assessment of birth weight and length. The study aimed to compare the applicability of regional and global standards to the Lithuanian newborn population by sex and gestational age, based on the prevalence of small or large for gestational age (SGA/LGA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis was performed on neonatal length and weight data obtained from the Lithuanian Medical Birth Register from 1995 to 2015 (618,235 newborns of 24-42 gestational weeks). Their distributions by gestation and sex were estimated using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS), and the results were compared with the INTERGROWTH-21st (IG-21) standard to evaluate the prevalence of SGA/LGA (10th/90th centile) at different gestational ages. RESULTS: The difference in median length at term between the local reference and IG-21 was 3 cm-4 cm, while median weight at term differed by 200 g. The Lithuanian median weight at term was higher than in IG-21 by a full centile channel width, while the median length at term was higher by two channel widths. Based on the regional reference, the prevalence rates of SGA/LGA were 9.7%/10.1% for boys and 10.1%/9.9% for girls, close to the nominal 10%. Conversely, based on IG-21, the prevalence of SGA in boys/girls was less than half (4.1%/4.4%), while the prevalence of LGA was double (20.7%/19.1%). DISCUSSION: Regional population-based neonatal references represent Lithuanian neonatal weight and length much more accurately than the global standard IG-21 which provides the prevalence rates for SGA/LGA that differ from the true values by a factor of two

Neonatal head circumference by gestation reflects adaptation to maternal body size: comparison of different standards

Neonatal head circumference (HC) not only represents the brain size of Homo sapiens, but is also an important health risk indicator. Addressing a lack of comparative studies on head size and its variability in term and preterm neonates from different populations, we aimed to examine neonatal HC by gestation according to a regional reference and a global standard. Retrospective analysis of data on neonatal HC obtained from the Lithuanian Medical Birth Register from 2001 to 2015 (423 999 newborns of 24-42 gestational weeks). The varying distribution by gestation and sex was estimated using GAMLSS, and the results were compared with the INTERGROWTH-21st standard. Mean HC increased with gestation in both sexes, while its fractional variability fell. The 3rd percentile matched that for INTERGROWTH-21st at all gestations, while the 50th and 97th percentiles were similar up to 27 weeks, but a full channel width higher than INTERGROWTH-21st at term. INTERGROWTH-21st facilitates the evaluation of neonatal HC in early gestations, while in later gestations, the specific features of neonatal HC of a particular population tend to be more precisely represented by regional references

Changes in Total Number of Births and Birth Size during the 1995-2013: The Reflection of Socio-Economic Fluctuations in Lithuania?

The aim of the study was to examine changes of total number of births and birth weight of Lithuanian newborns during the 1995–2013 in relation to the national and regional socio-economic welfare and governmental maternity support. The present results were based on Lithuanian Medical Data of Births Register. Only data of single newborns of identifiable sex, whose mothers were citizens of Lithuania, were included into the present analysis, and total number of analysed cases was N=597091. The total number of births dramatically decreased during the 1995-2002, slightly increased in the 2007-2009, and decreased again in the 2010-2013. Diminishing index was in line with increase of unemployment rate and decline of total Lithuanian population. Increase in number of births was estimated only in the 2007-2009, when maternity benefits were increased very evidently. The significant differences of mean birth weight by year were observed: the decrease in boys’ weight was detected in the 2001-2003, and the decrease in girls’ weight was detected in the 1995-1996 and in the 2001-2003 (p<0.05). However, the increase in weight of both sexes was observed in the 2008-2010 (right after raised maternal allowance). The prevalence of low and suboptimal birth weight was the highest in the 2002 and the lowest – in the 2008-2010 years. The obvious regional differences in changes of total number of births and birth weight were estimated

A De Novo 8q22.2q22.3 Interstitial Microdeletion in a Girl with Developmental Delay and Congenital Defects

Background and Objectives: Only nine patients with interstitial de novo 8q22.2q22.3 microdeletions have been reported to date. The objective of this report is to present clinical features of a new patient with an 8q22.2q22.3 microdeletion, to compare her phenotype to other previously reported patients, and to further expand the phenotype associated with this microdeletion. Materials and Methods: We describe an 8½-year-old girl with developmental delay, congenital hip dysplasia, a bilateral foot deformity, bilateral congenital radioulnar synostosis, a congenital heart defect, and minor facial anomalies. Results: Chromosomal microarray analysis revealed a 4.9 Mb deletion in the 8q22.2q22.3 region. De novo origin was confirmed by real-time PCR analysis. Conclusions: Microdeletions in the 8q22.2q22.3 region are characterized by moderate to severe intellectual disability, seizures, distinct facial features and skeletal abnormalities. In addition to one already reported individual with an 8q22.2q22.3 microdeletion and unilateral radioulnar synostosis, this report of a child with bilateral radioulnar synostosis provides additional evidence, that radioulnar synostosis is not an incidental finding in individuals with an 8q22.2q22.3 microdeletion. Additional patients with similar microdeletions would be of a great importance for more accurate phenotypic description and further analysis of the genotypic-phenotypic relationship

Adolescence – a transition to adulthood: Proceedings of the 24th Aschauer Soiree, held at Jurata, Poland, November 5th 2016

Eighteen scientists met at Jurata, Poland, to discuss various aspects of the transition from adolescence to adulthood. This transition is a delicate period facing complex interactions between the adolescents and the social group they belong to. Social identity, group identification and identity signalling, but also stress affecting basal salivary cortisol rhythms, hypertension, inappropriate nutrition causing latent and manifest obesity. Moreover, in developing and under-developed countries, parasitosis causing anaemia thereby impairing growth and development, are issues to be dealt with during this period of the human development. In addition, some new aspects of the association between weight, height and head circumference in the newborns were discussed, as well as intrauterine head growth and head circumference as health risk indicators