AIMS To study the association between gestational age and birth weight and the risk of clinically verified hyperkinetic disorder. METHODS Nested case-control study of 834 cases and 20 100 controls with incidence density sampling. RESULTS Compared with children born at term, children born with gestational ages of 34-36 completed weeks had a 70% increased risk of hyperkinetic disorder (rate r...

BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence has associated maternal exposure to air pollution with adverse effects on fetal growth; however, the existing literature is inconsistent. OBJECTIVES We aimed to quantify the association between maternal exposure to particulate air pollution and term birth weight and low birth weight (LBW) across 14 centers from 9 countries, and to explore the influence of...

OBJECTIVE We examined the extent to which differences in hospital-level cesarean delivery rates in Massachusetts were attributable to hospital-level, rather than maternal, characteristics. METHODS Birth certificate and maternal in-patient hospital discharge records for 2004-06 in Massachusetts were linked. The study population was nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex births (NTSV) (n = 80...

OBJECTIVE This study explores the associations between lifestyle factors and late and moderate preterm birth (LMPT: 32(+0)-36(+6) weeks' gestation), a relatively under-researched group. STUDY DESIGN A population-based case-cohort study was undertaken involving 922 LMPT and 965 term (37+ weeks' gestation) singleton live and stillbirths born between 1 September 2009 and 31 December 2010 to wome...

BACKGROUND Some studies have suggested that particulate matter (PM) levels during pregnancy may be associated with birth weight. Road traffic is a major source of fine PM (PM with aero-dynamic diameter < 2.5 microm; PM(2.5)). OBJECTIVE We determined to characterize the influence of maternal exposure to atmospheric pollutants due to road traffic and urban activities on offspring term birth wei...

AIMS To examine the effect of trimester specific and pregnancy average total trihalomethane (TTHM) exposure on infant birth weight, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth retardation in term births, as well as gestational age and preterm delivery in all births. METHODS Cross sectional analysis of 56 513 singleton infants born to residents of Massachusetts during 1990. City specific aggrega...

We examined the relationship between birth weight and mother's residence near a hazardous waste landfill. Twenty-five years of birth certificates (1961-1985) were collected for four towns. Births were grouped into five 5-year periods corresponding to hypothesized exposure periods (1971-1975 having the greatest potential for exposure). From 1971 to 1975, term births (37-44 weeks gestation) to pa...

In this paper we explore whether mental representations about birth (birth-related mindsets) assessed during pregnancy can predict labour and in the sense that perception of as a natural (rather than medical) event increases probability low-intervention birth. Birth, turn, might affect short-term long-term psychological well-being. These assumptions were tested longitudinal study (N = 311), spa...

Background Low birth weight is one of the most important health indicators in evaluating pregnancy care worldwide. We aimed to evaluate the effect of cell phones used in pregnancy on fetal growth and preterm labor. Materials and Methods The search process included screening the rel...

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...