Maternal obesity is associated with obesity and metabolic disorders in offspring. However, intervention strategies to reverse or ameliorate the effects of maternal obesity on offspring health are limited. Following maternal undernutrition, taurine supplementation can improve outcomes in offspring, possibly via effects on glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion. The effects of taurine in media...

The purpose of this study was to characterize the disposition of zidovudine in the maternal-fetal-amniotic fluid unit in vivo. Zidovudine was administered as a constant-rate infusion or a bolus dose to the dam, fetus and amniotic cavity (bolus dose only) of the near-term pigtailed macaque model. A fetal-maternal plasma steady-state concentration ratio of 0.76 +/- 0.06 suggested that the drug wa...

BACKGROUND Recent studies show that preterm birth is associated with hypertension in later life. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) during pregnancy influences fetal growth and development. In the current study, we investigated the impact of fetal as well as maternal angiotensin (1-7) [Ang (1-7)] and angiotensin II (Ang II) plasma concentrations on the risk of preterm birth. METHODS Three hun...

Separate 24-h maternal and fetal infusions of valproic acid (VPA) were administered to five pregnant sheep at 125 to 138 days gestation (term approximately 145 days) to determine maternal-fetal disposition. The pharmacokinetics of VPA were also investigated in five newborn 1-day-old lambs after a 6-h drug infusion. Plasma, urine, and amniotic and fetal tracheal fluid samples were analyzed for V...

BACKGROUND Selenium is found in soils and is essential for human antioxidant defense and immune function. In Malawi, low soil selenium and dietary intakes coupled with low plasma selenium concentrations in HIV infection could have negative consequences for the health of HIV-infected mothers and their exclusively breastfed infants. OBJECTIVE We tested the effects of lipid-based nutrient supple...

Invasive methods for prenatal diagnosis include chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis that entail the risk of fetal loss and mortality. During pregnancy, fetal cells including fetal DNA crossed the placenta and within maternal peripheral blood those valuable sources of the sex and genetics information fetuses. It is demonstrated fetal DNA in plasma and serum from healthy pregnant wo...

Low birth weight is a key determinant in the risk of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period and during childhood. This unmatched case-control study in Hamadan, Islamic Republic of Iran, compared the characteristics of mothers of low- and normal-birth-weight infants. Maternal sociodemographic data, pregnancy history, anthropometric data and cord plasma zinc level were collected from 134 ...

BACKGROUND Essential fatty acids (EFAs) in umbilical cord blood samples are associated with attained birth weight in premature infants and low-birth-weight neonates. OBJECTIVE The objective was to investigate relations between the EFA composition of cord and maternal plasma phospholipids and birth weight in term neonates. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study in 627 singletons born at ter...

Background: Iron deficiency anemia is a major nutritional problem throughout the world. The incidence of anemia is especially high during pregnancy and lactation due to an increase in the need for iron. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anemia in the first and second trimester of pregnancy and determine of demographic and laboratory factors that can effect on prevalence of anemi...