BACKGROUND The appropriateness of an individual's intra uterine growth is now considered an important determinant of both short and long term outcomes, yet currently used measures have several shortcomings. This study demonstrates a method of assessing appropriateness of intrauterine growth based on the estimation of each individual's optimal newborn dimensions from routinely available perinata...

BACKGROUND Many studies have shown that low birthweight is associated with increased risk of heart disease in adulthood. It is controversial whether this association is caused by genetic or non-genetic factors, and whether life course exposures, such as adult overweight, could modify the association. We have studied the association of head circumference at birth with later deaths from coronary ...

BACKGROUND Natural disasters increase the level population stress, including pregnant women, who can experience prenatal maternal stress, affecting the fetus and triggering perinatal complications, such as low birth weight, smaller head circumference, etc. However, little is known about effects of earthquake on perinatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of earthquake occurred on Feb...

BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure during pregnancy might have trimester-specific effects on fetal growth. OBJECTIVE We prospectively evaluated the associations of maternal air pollution exposure with fetal growth characteristics and adverse birth outcomes in 7,772 subjects in the Netherlands. METHODS Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter < 10 μm (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) l...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between proportionality of fetal and placental growth measured at birth and the risk for congenital cerebral palsy (CP). STUDY DESIGN We identified all live-born singletons born in Denmark between 1995 and 2003 and followed them from 1 year of age until December 31st, 2008. Information on four indices of fetal growth: ponderal index, head circumference...

BACKGROUND Adolescent pregnancy and childbirth are associated with increased risk and challenges for both mothers and birth outcomes. OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations of growth change over time with parenting factors and to compare the differences between children born to adolescent and adult mothers in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS The dataset retrieved from Taiwan birth cohort st...

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of early educational experience at age 8 years on child growth status. The Infant Health and Development Program has shown positive impacts to age 8 years on intelligence and adaptive functioning of larger preterm infants. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. SETTING Home and center based. PARTICIPANTS Three hundred seventy-seven intervention (INT) and 608 n...

The head circumference of a long-stay population with schizophrenia was compared with that of a population with dementia, matched for sex and year of birth. Schizophrenics had a smaller head circumference, even after correction for height and weight. This confirms earlier but inconclusive and controversial reports, and might be taken as supporting a neurodevelopmental hypothesis of the aetiolog...

To estimate the effect of maternal zinc deficiency on pregnancy outcomes, we conducted a zinc supplementation trial in an urban shantytown in Lima, Peru, a population with habitual low zinc intakes. Beginning at 10-24 wk gestation, 1295 mothers were randomly assigned to receive prenatal supplements containing 60 mg iron and 250 (g folate, with or without 15 mg zinc. Women were followed up month...