Allergic diseases have increased rapidly during the past few decades, and both environmental and genetic factors appear to play a role. For example, observational studies have found associations between maternal fish intake during pregnancy and protection against allergic disease in their offspring (1). Oily fish is rich in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), and several a...

Iron metabolism during pregnancy is biased toward maintaining the fetal supply, even at the cost of anemia in the mother. The mechanisms regulating this are not well understood. Here, we examine iron deficiency and supplementation on the hierarchy of iron supply and the gene expression of proteins that regulate iron metabolism in the rat. Dams were fed iron-deficient diets for 4 wk, mated, and ...

OBJECTIVE To review the effect of calcium supplementation during pregnancy on blood pressure, preeclampsia, and adverse outcomes of pregnancy. DATA SOURCE We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for 1966 to May 1994. We contacted authors of eligible trials to ensure accuracy and completeness of data and to identify unpublished trials. STUDY SELECTION Fourteen randomized trials involving 2459 women w...

INTRODUCTION Hypertension occurs in 6 to 10 percent of pregnancies. It remains one of the most common disorders in pregnancy and the leading causes of maternal and fetal morbidity The changes in blood vessel endothelium have impact on the pathogenesis of hypertension and preeclampsia. AIM The aim of this study was to establish endothelin- 1 and lipids peroxides content in blood during hyperte...

BACKGROUND Low birth weight and subsequent rapid child growth are associated with later blood pressure levels. The role of maternal and child nutrition in this association remains unclear. METHODS We studied 450 men and women (ages 21-29 years) born during a randomized trial of protein-energy supplementation (Atole) vs low energy/no protein supplementation (Fresco) in pregnancy and early chil...

Vitamin A is important for both development and maintenance of adult brain homeostasis. However, excessive vitamin A exposure has been linked to cognitive impairments and may induce congenital defects, including neuronal malformations. Recently, we demonstrated that vitamin A supplementation is able to alter behavioral parameters and induce a pro-oxidant state in hippocampus and striatum of adu...

OBJECTIVE This meta-analysis was performed to assess whether arginine supplementation could reduce preeclampsia or eclampsia incidence and improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, and to evaluate the safety of L-arginine supplementation. METHODS The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2011), MEDLINE (1980-2011) and Embase (1980-2011) were searched through July ...

Smoking during pregnancy leads to decreased pulmonary function and increased respiratory illness in offspring. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that many effects of smoking during pregnancy are mediated by nicotine. We now report that vitamin C supplementation can prevent some of the effects of maternal nicotine exposure on pulmonary function of offspring. Timed-pregnant rhesus monkey...

There is intense interest in the role of vitamin D in the development of asthma and allergies. However, studies differ on whether a higher vitamin D intake or status in pregnancy or at birth is protective against asthma and allergies. To address this uncertainty, the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART) was developed. VDAART is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial...

Although iron and zinc deficiencies are known to occur together and also appear to be high in Ghana, a few supplementation studies addressed this concurrently in pregnancy. In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 600 pregnant women in Ghana were randomly assigned to receive either a combined supplement of 40 mg of zinc as zinc gluconate and 40 mg of iron as ferrous sulphate or 40 mg of ...