BACKGROUND The rising population of individuals identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) calls for further investigation of its underlying etiology. A disturbance in the fetal steroid hormone environment may be a mechanism in which environmental and genetic risk factors interact. The mother, fetus, and placenta collectively create the fetal steroid environment. Prepregnancy BMI and pre...

BACKGROUND Low-carbohydrate diets (LCDs) have been vastly popular for weight loss. The association between a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unknown. OBJECTIVE We aimed to prospectively examine the association of 3 prepregnancy low-carbohydrate dietary patterns with risk of GDM. DESIGN We included 21,411 singleton pregnancies in the N...

Obesity is one of the most common and ignored public health problems according to World Health Organisation (WHO). Labour complications occur more frequently in women with increased prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), for example, gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy induced hypertension, fetal macrosomia and labour complications. Objectives: The aim of this study was evaluation of pregnanc...

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM) on perinatal outcome in a setting where influences of maternal age and obesity would be minimal. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A case-control study was done to compare the outcome of pregnancy in 65 women with GDM and 153 women with normal carbohydrate metabolism matched for age, height, and prepregnancy weight. RESULTS The...

This study examines the risk of depression, suicidal ideation, and lower self-esteem following an abortion versus a delivery, with and without adjusting for important correlates. Using the National Comorbidity Survey, we tested how first pregnancy outcome (abortion vs. delivery) related to subsequent major depression, suicidal ideation, and self-esteem. Models controlling for risk factors, such...

BACKGROUND Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) during fetal development can increase the risk of adverse health effects during childhood. Maternal characteristics and physiological changes during gestation, such as gestational weight gain (GWG), may have an influence in the overall burden of POPs in neonates. However, the associations between GWG and POP concentrations are still no...

OBJECTIVE Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and is associated with a substantially elevated risk of adverse health outcomes for both mothers and offspring. Physical activity may contribute to the prevention of GDM and thus is crucial for dissecting the vicious circle involving GDM, childhood obesity, and adulthood obesity, and diabetes. The...

OBJECTIVE Overweight early in life may contribute to cardiovascular disease mortality through progression to later life obesity or through a cumulative effect of excess weight. Few studies have investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) before middle age and cardiovascular disease mortality in women. Using the Child Health and Development Studies cohort of 11,006 pregnant women...

OBJECTIVE Maternal smoking has been associated with a reduction in newborn birth weight. We sought to estimate how the pattern of maternal smoking throughout pregnancy influences newborn size. METHODS One hundred sixty pregnant smoking women were enrolled in a prospective study. We collected data on maternal age, education, prepregnancy body mass index, and parity, as well as alcohol and illi...