This paper explores how observed and unobserved parental investments compensate for low birth weight. Controlling for family fixed effects, which encompass unobserved parental investment, we find birth weight positively correlates with math and reading scores and these estimates are considerably larger in magnitude than estimates derived from models that do not control for family fixed effects....

The analysis focused on model fitting of 2 ewe reproductive traits, litter size, and days to lambing (interval between the introduction of the ram into the flock and the subsequent parturition of the ewes). The experimental data set of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona flock was used, including 1,598 records of litter size and 1,699 records of days to lambing from 376 Ripollesa ewes between...

A performance data set from 376 Ripollesa purebred ewes of the experimental flock of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona was analyzed using a bivariate Bayesian threshold-linear model. The data set contained 1,598 litter size records and 1,699 days-to-lambing records. The model included the additive genetic effect of each animal and 3 nongenetic sources of variation: ewe age, year of lambing,...

BACKGROUND Hispanics in the U.S. have higher fertility than non-Hispanic Whites but it is not clear why this difference exists nor whether fertility levels reflect the preferences of individuals in these groups. Understanding racial-ethnic differences in fertility is important for understanding American fertility more broadly since the majority of births in the U.S. are to non-White women. OB...

Intensively reared piglets may face many early life challenges and these may affect behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between piglets' early life circumstances and their behavioral response in a backtest. Here, 992 piglets of 14 d of age were subjected to a backtest, in which they were restrained for 1 min in a supine position. The number of struggles in the ...

Reproductive and early life-history traits can be considered aspects of either offspring or maternal phenotype, and their evolution will therefore depend on selection operating through offspring and maternal components of fitness. Furthermore, selection at these levels may be antagonistic, with optimal offspring and maternal fitness occurring at different phenotypic values. We examined selectio...

BACKGROUND A web-based inventory was developed as a voluntary registry of Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort studies, with the objective to foster collaboration and sharing of research tools among cohort study groups as a means to enrich research in maternal and child health across Canada. DESCRIPTION Information on existing birth cohort studies conducted in Canada exclusively or as part of ...

Few studies have examined the effects of both prenatal and postnatal growth on hypertension. We report on hypertension in 2003 people aged 62 years who were randomly selected from the Helsinki birth cohort and examined in a clinic. Their heights and weights had been recorded serially up to age 11 years. A total of 644 had already been diagnosed with hypertension. Compared with normotensive peop...

This study aimed to evaluate effect of stage of feed restriction on performance and productivity of pregnant does. New Zealand white female rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. Control group was provided daily with 185 g of food increased to 200 g from the 15th day of gestation. R(1) was offered daily a restricted amount of food (60% restriction, 111 g) for the first half of pregnan...

BACKGROUND Disparity exists in maternal and infant birth outcomes of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women giving birth in the United Kingdom (UK) compared to the majority. There is therefore a need to reconsider existing maternity service provision to ensure culturally competent services. The purpose of this scoping review was to ascertain what specific maternity interventions have been imple...