Background Previous research has found that maternal stress during pregnancy increases the risk of offspring asthma. However, whether this association is consistent with a causal interpretation has never been tested. The objective is to determine whether there is a critical exposure period for maternal depression or anxiety on offspring asthma or whether cumulative exposure is most important, a...

passive smoking was long overlooked by those in the medical and legal professions as being harmful to one's health, but in recent years the negative effect of passive smoking has come to the fore in the media and laws have been changed so that less people are obliged to unwillingly suffer from passive smoking, particularly in the workplace and in indoor settings. to study the effects of environ...

This study examined the direct and indirect associations between maternal cocaine use during pregnancy and mother-toddler aggression in an interactive context at 2 years of child age. We hypothesized that in addition to direct effects of cocaine exposure on maternal and child aggression, the association between maternal cocaine use and mother-toddler aggression may be indirect via higher matern...

Maternal exposure to increased synthetic glucocorticoids (GC) during pregnancy is known to disturb fetal development and increase the risk of long-term disease. Maternal exposure to elevated levels of natural GC is likely to be common yet is relatively understudied. The placenta plays an important role in regulating fetal exposure to maternal GC but is itself vulnerable to maternal insults. Thi...

BACKGROUND Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) during childhood and in utero exposure to maternal smoking are associated with adverse effects on lung growth and development. METHODS A study was undertaken of the associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy, exposure to ETS, and pulmonary function in 3357 school children residing in 12 Southern California communities. Curre...

Impaired onset of maternal behavior in first generation rat dams was previously correlated with rearing by cocaine-treated dams and prenatal cocaine exposure. Pup-induced maternal behavior in non-lactating rats has not been examined with regard to cocaine exposure and rearing conditions. First generation male and female juveniles and young adult males reared by cocaine-treated or control dams a...

In this review, we critically assess recent evidence from human studies regarding the potential implications of exposure to maternal diabetes in-utero for long-term adiposity, cardiometabolic outcomes, and cognitive ability of the offspring. Evidence supports a direct causal role for exposure to maternal diabetes in utero in determining offspring long-term greater adiposity and adverse cardiome...

OBJECTIVE Limited data exist on the association between in utero exposure to maternal diabetes and obesity and type 2 diabetes in diverse youth. These associations were explored in African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white youth participating in the SEARCH Case-Control Study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 79 youth with type 2 diabetes and 190 nondiabetic control youth aged 1...

It has been estimated that 20% of pregnant women suffer from depression and it is well-documented that maternal depression can have long-lasting effects on the child. Currently, common treatment for maternal depression has been the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications (SSRIs) which are used by 2-3% of pregnant women in the Nordic countries and by up to 10% of pregnant women in the...

BACKGROUND The preferential response to mother's voice in the fetus and term newborn is well documented. However, the response of preterm neonates is not well understood and more difficult to interpret due to the intensive clinical care and range of medical complications. AIM This study examined the physiological response to maternal sounds and its sustainability in the first month of life in...