Birth Weight Children Research Articles

The Prevalence of Gender-Based Violence against Women in South Africa : A Call for Action

The prevalence of gender-based violence in South Africa is an intense and widespread problem that impacts almost every aspect of life. This call for states’ intervention in the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. Reports show that intimate partner violence and sexual coercion are the most common forms of GBV globally, and these are the types of violence that are explored in this paper. GBV has serious consequences for women’s health, such as homicides, suicides, AIDS-related deaths as well as physical injuries, chronic pain syndrome, gastrointestinal disorders, complications during pregnancy, miscarriage and low birth-weight of children. GBV also poses significant costs for the economies of both developed and developing countries alike, including low productivity and earnings, and low accumulation of human and social capital. Findings from literature show that violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health, and may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in some settings. The study called on the government to take imperative actions to address gender-based violence (GBV). It recommended the implementation of a more strategic plan having recognized the detrimental impact of GBV on the victims and the general society.

Prenatal PM2.5 exposure and neurodevelopment at 2 years of age in a birth cohort from Mexico city.

Recent studies have reported that air pollution exposure may have neurotoxic properties. To examine longitudinal associations between prenatal particles less than 2.5μm in diameter (PM2.5) exposure and neurodevelopment during the first two years of children's life. Analysis was conducted in PROGRESS, a longitudinal birth cohort between 2007 and 2013 in Mexico City. We used satellite data to predict daily PM2.5 concentrations at high spatial resolution. Multivariate mixed-effect regression models were adjusted to examine cognitive, language and motor scores in children up to 24 months of age (n=740) and each trimester-specific and whole pregnancy exposure to PM2.5. Models adjusted by child sex, gestational age, birth weight, smoking and mother's IQ, showed that each increase of 1μg/m3 of PM2.5 was associated with a decreased language function of -0.38 points (95% CI: -0.77, -0.01). PM2.5 exposure at third trimester of pregnancy contributed most to the observed association. Our findings suggest that language development up to 24 months of age may be particularly sensitive to PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy.

Increased obstetric and neonatal risks in artificial cycles for frozen embryo transfers?

Research questionWhat are the obstetric and neonatal risks for women conceiving via frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) during a modified natural cycle compared with an artificial cycle method. DesignA follow-up study to the ANTARCTICA randomized controlled trial (RCT) (NTR 1586) conducted in the Netherlands, which showed that modified natural cycle FET (NC-FET) was non-inferior to artificial cycle FET (AC-FET) in terms of live birth rates. The current study collected data on obstetric and neonatal outcomes of 98 women who had a singleton live birth. The main outcome was birthweight; additional outcomes included hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, premature birth, gestational diabetes, obstetric haemorrhage and neonatal outcomes including Apgar scores and admission to the neonatal ward or the neonatal intensive care unit and congenital anomalies. ResultsData from 82 out of 98 women were analysed according to the per protocol principle. There was no significant difference in the birthweights of children born between groups (mean difference –124 g [–363 g to 114 g]; P = 0.30). Women who conceived by modified NC-FET have a decreased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy compared with AC-FET (relative risk 0.27; 95% CI 0.08–0.94; P = 0.031). Other outcomes, such as rates of premature birth, gestational diabetes or obstetric haemorrhage and neonatal outcomes, were not significantly different. ConclusionsThe interpretation is that modified NC-FET is the preferred treatment in women with ovulatory cycles undergoing FET when the increased risk of obstetrical complications and potential neonatal complications in AC-FET are considered.

Gestational weight gain and childhood body mass index across three generations: Results from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort.

Gestational weight gain (GWG) has been associated with the accumulation of body fat in offspring, but little is known about the intergenerational relationship. To assess the effect of GWG in grandmothers and mothers on the child's body mass index (BMI). This is a sub-study nested in the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort at 22 years follow-up visit. We calculated the BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) and evaluated overweight (>2 SD in ≤5 years of age and >1 SD for >5 years of age for BAZ). Grandmothers' and mothers' GWG were calculated as the difference between weight in the beginning of pregnancy and the last recorded weight before delivery. We standardized the GWG by adjusting for pre-gestational BMI. We also categorized GWG as adequate, excessive, or insufficient, in accordance with the Institute of Medicine (2009). Linear and logistic regressions stratified by child's age (≤2 years; 2.01-5 years; >5 years) were used. Structural equations were modelled to calculate the total, indirect, and direct effects of grandmothers' and mothers' GWG on children's BAZ. Nine hundred and forty-six out of 1113 children evaluated were 5 years of age or under. There was an indirect effect (through maternal birthweight, maternal pre-gestational BMI, maternal GWG, and child birthweight) of grandmother GWG on grandchild BAZ, from 2.01 to 5 years of age [β = 0.12 95% CI: 0.04-0.20 (P < 0.01)]. Maternal GWG directly increased the child's BAZ at >5 years of age [β = 0.34 95% CI: 0.15-0.53 (P < 0.001)]. GWG's effect on BMI does seem to be transmitted across three generations. Managing this will require health education during the gestational period for women and their families.

Predictors of recurrent strictures after oesophageal atresia repair

Background: Anastomotic strictures continue to complicate the outcome after oesophageal atresia (OA) repair. Multiple variables contribute to the development of strictures, and oesophageal dilatations are the mainstay of treatment. We aim to analyse the factors that impact the timing for initiation of oesophageal dilatations, the duration, frequency, and success of the dilatation regimen for OA. Methods: It was a retrospective review of data (13-year) of children who underwent repair for Gross type C OA (OA with distal tracheo-oesophageal fistula). The delayed anastomosis was performed for long gap OA. Leaks were clinically obvious or identified on contrast swallow. Strictures that were symptomatic underwent oesophageal dilatations. Results: The data of 72 children were analysed. The stricture rate was 37.5%. Ten had delayed repair, out of which 50% developed strictures compared to 35.5% who had a primary repair (P=0.48). There was no statistical difference in the mean birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) of children who developed strictures compared to those with no strictures (2.74kg vs 2.63Kg; P =0.548; 37.4 weeks vs 37.3 weeks; P=0.9). Children that underwent a delayed repair required significantly more dilatation sessions (12 vs 2 median sessions; P =0.001) and had a significantly prolonged duration of treatment (610 vs 63 median days; P = 0.013). There was a significant negative correlation between the GA and BW and the number of dilatation sessions required (P=0.03 and P=0.02, respectively). Linear regression revealed that delayed repair was the most important factor related to the number of dilatation sessions required (p &lt;0.001); this was followed by lower GA or BW (p = 0.0265) and early onset of dilatations (p=0.0471). Conclusions: The early onset of oesophageal dilatation for oesophageal strictures or when they occur in premature babies or those that have had a delayed repair, it should be anticipated that they would be refractory or recurrent.

Low Birth Weight Prevalence in Children Diagnosed with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Dubai.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of low birth weight and other perinatal risk factors in children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. This is one of the first studies in the Arabian Gulf region focused on the contribution of these factors toward the development of various disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and other mental disorders. This descriptive study was based on qualitative data analysis. We reviewed retrospective information from the electronic medical records of 692 patients in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The prevalence of low birth weight in children with mental disorders was significantly higher as compared to the general population (16% vs 6% respectively). Furthermore, other risk factors, including high birth weight and preterm birth were noted to have a significant association with neurodevelopmental disorders. Future research on the impact of perinatal risk factors will contribute to advancement of early intervention guidelines.

Birth weight of indigenous children in Brazil: results of the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition.

Birth weight is an important predictor of perinatal, infant, and preschool-age children morbimortality. However, information about indigenous children's birth weight is still scarce. This study aimed to analyze the birth weight of indigenous children based on data from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition, Brazil (2008-2009). This is the first study to address indigenous children's birth weight based on a nationwide representative sample. Mean birth weights and the respective standard deviations were calculated according to geopolitical region, sex, type of birth, and birthplace. The chi-square test was used to analyze differences in proportions, and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests in means, considering sample design and data normality. We found no records on birth weight in the researched documents for 26.7% of the 6,128 sampled children. The mean birth weight for the 3,994 children included in the analyses was 3,201g (standard deviation - SD ± 18.6g), regardless of sex, type of birth, and birthplace. The prevalence of low birth weight was 7.6% (n = 302) and was significantly higher among girls. Boys presented significantly higher mean birth weight than girls, regardless of the geopolitical region. Low birth weight was slightly less frequent among indigenous children when compared to Brazilian children in general. Our study indicates the need to improve prenatal care and the quality of consultation records for indigenous women as a strategy to promote safe pregnancy and childbirth.

Study on the Factors of Hyperactivity in Preschool Children

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the influencing factors of hyperactivity in preschool children, and to explore effective suggestions for coping with hyperactivity in preschool children, 680 3-6 year old preschool children in three kindergartens in X City were selected as the subjects of the investigation. According to the Conner ADHD Rating Scale (CTRS) and self-made questionnaire of influencing factors, it is distributed to kindergarten teachers and parents of young children to analyze and evaluate the behavior of preschool children. The survey results show that there are many factors influencing the hyperactivity tendency of preschool children, and it is basically found that children's gender, age, birth weight and other aspects have a certain impact on their hyperactivity tendency. At the same time, preschool children's hyperactivity tends to have a significant impact on aspects such as lifestyle, feeding habits, and family environment. Therefore, if the preschool children's tendency to hyperactivity is reduced, it is necessary to strengthen the coordination and cooperation of all parties. Parents need to take scientific precautions in all aspects of early childhood education and living environment to minimize the incidence of preschool children’s bad behavior.

Child's weight as a risk factor for early childhood caries

Was to reveal possible correlation between child's birth weight, BMI at examination, dental caries prevalence and intensity. The study comprised 220 healthy children aged 3-6 born mature and attending nursery schools in Khimky city (Moscow region, Russia). Data on birth weight were extracted from a healthcare reports database, current height and weight were measured and BMI was calculated and interpreted according to WHO criteria. Calibrated pediatric dentists performed oral examination registering the dmft index. Children suffering from dental caries at the age of 3-6, have lower birth weight and struggle to put it on later in life. This results in higher proportion of children with underweight. Among children with caries 69.2% had BMI lower than 15th percentile, and 28.3% had very low IMT (lower than 5th percentile) vs 5.6% in the group without caries (p<0.05). The mechanisms and the direction of this correlation are unclear. There is a necessity for further investigations on the role of various factors associated with body weight and alimentary status in the development of the early childhood caries.

Associations between Prenatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances, Hypomethylation of &lt;i&gt;MEST&lt;/i&gt; Imprinted Gene and Birth Outcomes

In utero perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exposures have been linked to adverse birth outcomes, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Epigenetic regulations such as changes in DNA methylation profiles in mesoderm-specific transcript (MEST) imprinted gene may provide a potential mechanism of the prenatal exposure effects of PFASs on fetal growth. The aim of the study was to investigate the prenatal exposure effects of PFASs to DNA methylation changes at MEST imprinted gene involved in fetal growth. A total of four hundred and eighty-six mother-infant pairs were included in the analyses from Taiwan Birth Panel Study (TBPS), collecting from 2004 to 2005 in four hospitals in Taipei city and New Taipei City. PFASs were measured by UPLC-MS/MS in cord blood. DNA methylation levels of MEST gene were measured from cord blood. Univariable and multivariable linear regressions were performed to estimate the associations between prenatal PFASs exposures, MEST DNA methylation levels, and the child birth outcomes. Mediation analysis was performed to examine the potential pathway of MEST methylation in the relationship between PFASs and birth outcomes. We found that higher prenatal exposures to perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS) was significantly associated with lower methylation levels at 5 CpG sites of MEST promoter region, after considering potential confounding factors. Significant negative associations were also found between MEST methylation levels and child birth weight. Gender difference was observed in the association between PFASs exposure and MEST methylation level. Prenatal PFOS exposure effect on birth weight might be mediated by MEST methylation. In conclusion, our results suggest that prenatal PFASs exposures, especially PFOS, are associated with lower methylation levels at MEST promoter region, which not only leverage the role of imprinted gene for ensuring the integrity of fetal growth but also provide a potential mechanism for evaluating the prenatal exposure effect. Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Taiwan University Higher Education Sprout Project (NTU-110L8810) within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST 103-2633-B-002-013-, MOST 104-2633-B-002-007-) in Taiwan. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare they have no actual or potential competing financial interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval of the study was obtained from the Independent Ethics Committee of National Taiwan University Hospital. Informed consent from the pregnant women was obtained before giving birth.

School Starting Age, Maternal Age at Birth, and Child Outcomes

This paper analyses the effects of maternal school starting age and maternal age-at-birth on children’s short and long-term outcomes using Finnish register data. We exploit a school-starting-age rule for identification. Mothers who are born after the school entry cut-off give birth at higher age, but total fertility and earnings are unaffected. Being born after the cut-off reduces gestation and, hence, child birth weight. The effects on birth weight and gestation are rather small, however, suggesting that the long-run impacts are limited. Accordingly, we find no impacts on longer-term child outcomes, such as educational attainment and adolescent crime rates. Overall, we interpret this evidence as saying that there are no favorable effects of maternal age at birth on child outcomes.

School starting age, maternal age at birth, and child outcomes

This paper analyses the effects of maternal school starting age and maternal age-at-birth on children’s short and long-term outcomes using Finnish register data. We exploit a school-starting-age rule for identification. Mothers who are born after the school entry cut-off give birth at higher age, but total fertility and earnings are unaffected. Being born after the cut-off reduces gestation and, hence, child birth weight. The effects on birth weight and gestation are rather small, however, suggesting that the long-run impacts are limited. Accordingly, we find no impacts on longer-term child outcomes, such as educational attainment and adolescent crime rates. Overall, we interpret this evidence as saying that there are no favorable effects of maternal age at birth on child outcomes.

Telomere length in healthy newborns is not affected by adverse intrauterine environments.

Different intrauterine exposures are associated with different metabolic profiles leading to growth and development characteristics in children and also relate to health and disease patterns in adult life. The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of four different intrauterine environments on the telomere length of newborns. This is a longitudinal observational study using a convenience sample of 222 mothers and their term newborns (>37 weeks of gestational age) from hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), from September 2011 to January 2016. Sample was divided into four groups: pregnant women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (DM) (n=38), smoking pregnant women (TOBACCO) (n=52), mothers with small-for-gestational age (SGA) children due to idiopathic intrauterine growth restriction (n=33), and a control group (n=99). Maternal and newborn genomic DNA were obtained from epithelial mucosal cells. Telomere length was assessed by qPCR, with the calculation of the telomere and single copy gene (T/S ratio). In this sample, there was no significant difference in telomere length between groups (p>0.05). There was also no association between childbirth weight and telomere length in children (p>0.05). For term newborns different intrauterine environments seems not to influence telomere length at birth.

Principal Component Analysis of Birth Weight of Child, Maternal Pregnancy Weight and Maternal Pregnancy Body Mass Index: A Multivariate Analysis

Background: Birth weight, maternal body mass index and maternal weight is perhaps the most important and reliable indicator for neonatal and infant survival as well as their physical growth and mental development. The main objective of this study was identifying the determinants of birth weight, maternal body mass index and maternal weight simultaneously based on Ethiopia demographic health survey 2016 which implemented in statistical package R. Methods: Cross sectional study design was used from Ethiopia demographic health survey 2016. From principal component model shows the total population variance of first two components were 97% of the variation then the two components replace the original three responses variables birth weight, maternal body mass index and maternal weight without much loss of information. Therefore bi-variate linear regression model was used to identify factors that affect the first two principal components of birth weight, maternal body mass index and maternal weight simultaneously. Results: This study shows family size, region, frequency of read newspaper, frequency of watch television and preferred waiting time for birth were statistically significant at 5% level of significance for first principal component. In addition, size of child, region and maternal age group are statistically significant for second principal components of birth weight of child, maternal pregnancy weight and maternal pregnancy body mass index in Ethiopia. Conclusion: From this finding family size, region, frequency of read newspaper, and frequency of watch television, size of child, maternal age group and preferred waiting time were significant predictors of the first two principal components simultaneously. Hence,-intervention should be given to the pregnant during antenatal care for minimizing the risk.

Operation Allied Force: Unintended Consequences of the NATO Bombing on Children's Outcomes

This is the first paper that estimates the causal effect of the NATO's Operation Allied Force in Serbia in 1999, on children who were in the womb during the bombing. We investigate the in utero effect in terms of short-term outcomes, such as birthweight, as well as medium-term outcomes measured by grades of 15-year-old pupils at the end of primary school. Using the birth records of the Serbian Statistical Office, we estimate difference-in-differences models, combined with propensity score matching. We compare the birthweight of children born in the same year (1999) and in the months just before and after the bombing, and children born in the same months of the previous year (1998). We then exploit the data on educational achievement at the end of primary school, provided by the Ministry of Education, to estimate matching models of the effect of the bombing on individual grades. Our findings suggest that children in utero during the bombing were 2pp more likely to be born with a lower than average birthweight. In the medium-term, we find a statistically significant and negative effect (around −1%) of the bombing on maths grades and Serbian language at primary school, and a 1% increase in the probability to enrol on vocational secondary schools. Overall, our results confirm the importance of the negative effects on children in the aftermath of large-scale disasters, and the necessity of policy interventions to mitigate them.

Parental age and risk of depression: A nationwide, population-based case-control study

BackgroundThe global prevalence of depression has increased in recent decades and so has the average age of parenthood. Younger and older parental age have been associated with several mental disorders in their offspring, but the associations for depression have been inconsistent. MethodsThis study comprised 37,682 singleton births in Finland from 1987- 2007. The subjects were living in Finland at the end of 2012 and had a depressive disorder recorded in the Care Register for Health Care. We also randomly identified 148,795 controls from the Population Register. When missing obsevations excluded the sample was Ncases=18,708 and Ncontrols=77,243. The results were adjusted for the parents’ psychiatric history, depression history, marital status and place of birth, the mothers’ maternal socioeconomic status, smoking during pregnancy and previous births and the children's birth weight. ResultsWe found a U-shaped association between offspring depression and the age of both parents. The highest odds of depression occurred when the fathers were aged 50 plus years (adjusted Odds Ratio (ORa) 1.51, 95% CI 1.23-1.86) and the mothers were under 20 (ORa 1.44, 95% CI 1.29-1.60) compared to the reference category of parents aged 25–29 years. LimitationsThe study was limited to depression diagnosed by specialised health care services and had a relatively short follow-up period. Some data were missing and that could lead to risk estimation biases. ConclusionDiagnosed depression was higher among the offspring of younger and older parents. The results suggest that the age of the parent is etiologically associated with offspring depression.

FAKTOR POSITIVE DEVIANCE KARAKTERISTIK KELUARGA MISKIN DENGAN STATUS GIZI ANAK USIA 0-24 BULAN DI WILAYAH KERJA PUSKESMAS MEDAN AMPLAS TAHUN 2019

The critical condition of the growth and development of a child aged 0 – 24 months is called a “critical period” because in this age the child undergoes very fast physical growth and brain development so that he needs good nutrition. Positive deviance is used to explain some factors which influence the growth and good nutrition status of children who live in poor families and in poor environment, where most of them undergo abnormal growth and development with malnutrition condition. &#x0D; The objective of the research was to analyze factors influence the nutrition status of child aged 0 – 24 months by positive deviance in quantitative study with complement qualitative with a survey by cross sectional approach, to collect data of characteristic of family, characteristic of child and the behavior of parent in care the child and its influence to the nutrition status with positive deviance review and to study efforts of parent in order to increase the nutrition status of child aged 0 – 24 months in Amplas Puskesmas. The number of sample in this research for qualitative study is 100 respondents taken by proportional sampling method from 10 villages. The data were analyzed by using bivariate statistic analysis with Chi-square test in confidential level of 95% and multivariate analysis with logistic regression test with OR (CI 95%), and 5 mothers as informant for qualitative data. &#x0D; The result of research showed that based on mother characteristic, child characteristic and mother’s behavior in taking care of child it was found from the results of statistic test that variables of education, occupation, birth weight, knowledge, attitude and interaction of mother and child have influence to the nutrition status of child aged 0 – 24 months from the poor family in AmplasPuskesmas, Districts Medan Amplas 2019 in which the dominant variable is a knowledge of mother with Exp (B) or Odd Ratio (OR) is 11.254 in Confidence Interval 95% in rage of 1.365 up to 52.754. &#x0D; It is recommended to the local health office and Puskesmas to support the society/mothers in pay attention to the nutrition of the child and to increase the role of local posyandu to provide socialization, extension and counseling about the nutrition status of child that related to the nutrition status of child and to increase the knowledge of mother about health issue and how to care the child in order to increase the behavior and attitude of mother in maintain the nutrition status of child not based on education and occupation of the mother.

Effects of responsive caregiving and learning opportunities during pre-school ages on the association of early adversities and adolescent human capital: an analysis of birth cohorts in two middle-income countries

SummaryBackgroundMillions of children globally are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential because of early adversities. We hypothesised that responsive caregiving and learning opportunities, components of nurturing care, at pre-school ages might mitigate the effects of adversities.MethodsWe analysed longitudinal birth cohort data from Brazil (1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort, n=632) and South Africa (Birth to Twenty Plus [Bt20+] Birth Cohort, n=1130) to assess whether responsive caregiving and learning opportunities at pre-school ages (2–4 years) modified associations between cumulative early adversities and adolescent human capital. The cumulative adversities score (range 0–9) included household wealth and crowding; mothers' schooling, height, age, and mental health; and children's birthweight, gestational age, and length at age 12 months. We extracted data on responsive caregiving and learning opportunities from the Early Childhood Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment inventory, assessed at age 4 years (1993 Pelotas cohort) and 2 years (Bt20+ cohort). We examined three human capital indicators: intelligence quotient (IQ) assessed at age 18 years (1993 Pelotas cohort) and 16 years (Bt20+ cohort); psychosocial adjustment assessed at age 15 years and 14 years, respectively; and height assessed at age 18 years and 16 years, respectively. We used linear models with interaction terms between cumulative adversities, and responsive caregiving and learning opportunities, to predict adolescent human capital.FindingsFor each additional Z score of total cumulative adversity, adolescent IQ decreased by 5·89 (95% CI −7·29 to −4·50) points in the 1993 Pelotas cohort (p<0·0001) and 2·69 (–4·52 to −0·86) points in the Bt20+ cohort (p=0·0039). After adjusting for total cumulative adversities, adolescent IQ points increased by 5·47 (95% CI 4·20 to 6·74) with each additional Z score of learning opportunities and by 2·26 (0·93 to 3·59) with each additional Z score of responsive caregiving in the 1993 Pelotas cohort, but not in the Bt20+ cohort (0·86 [–0·12 to 1·83] and 0·65 [–0·32 to 1·61], respectively). Associations between early adversities and IQ were modified by learning opportunities in the 1993 Pelotas cohort (beta coefficient for interaction 1·74, 95% CI 0·43 to 3·04; p=0·0092) and by responsive caregiving in the Bt20+ cohort (2·24, 0·94 to 3·54; p=0·0075). High nurturing environment attenuated the negative effects of early cumulative adversities on IQ.InterpretationEarly nurturing home environments protect young children against effects of early adversities on adolescent IQ, with long-term positive associations on adolescent cognition in two middle-income countries.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Association Between High Birth Weight and Later Central Obesity in 9-Year-Old Schoolchildren.

Background and Objective: Studies have suggested that birth weight (BW) is associated with body mass index (BMI), but its association with waist circumference (WC) in children should be further explored. To determine the association between central obesity (OB) in 9-year-old Argentinean schoolchildren and high BW. Methods: Schoolchildren (n = 2567, 1157 males) aged 8.7 ± 2.1 years from 10 elementary schools in 5 states in Argentina were examined between April 2017 and September 2019. Mothers submitted children's BW information. Pediatricians assessed anthropometric measures and blood pressure (BP). Central OB was defined for children as WC ≥90th percentile for age and gender. Results: The prevalence of overweight (OW) and OB (OW/OB) was 42.7% (1095) and that of central OB was 34.8% (856) in 9-year-old children. The prevalence of low BW (<2500 grams) and high BW (>4000 grams) was 6.6% (n = 169) and 7.4% (n = 190), respectively. BW (3.25 vs. 3.36 kg), weight (31.38 vs. 42.88 kg), BMI (17.29 vs. 22.25 kg/m2), BMI z-scores (z-BMI; 0.25 vs. 1.63), systolic BP (96 vs. 98 mmHg), and diastolic BP (59 vs. 60 mmHg) were significantly lower in 9-year-old children without central OB than in those with central OB, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis using central OB as the dependent variable showed that high BW [odds ratio, 1.98 (95% confidence interval 1.44-2.73)] was associated with central OB, adjusted for age, gender, and systolic and diastolic BP. Conclusion: This study shows that central OB in 9-year-old children was associated with high BW. Future longitudinal studies should be performed to confirm this finding. Clinical Registration number, IATIMET-08102019.

RELATIONSHIP AMONG MATERNAL, PRENATAL AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME IN RANGELI MUNICIPALITY OF NEPAL

Background: The incidence of pregnancy complications may be due to risk factors during pregnancy. Whether maternal parameters like age, gravida/ parity, gestational age, and fetal heart rate have any influence to the delivery outcome and newborn weight is a big quest. A young age at birth is more common in Nepal and carries a less social stigma, and hence enforces this study to understand the impact.&#x0D; Objective and methodology: The objectives of this retrospective study were to evaluate the maternal and prenatal outcomes of pregnancies and the effects of the age of the pregnancy, gravida, gestational age, and newborn weight. Pregnant women giving birth in Rangeli Hospital, Morang (Nepal) in 2019 were retrospectively screened. Pregnant women of all age group were included in this study.&#x0D; Results: Mean maternal age for delivery of child was 22.45 ±0.225 years. 41.9% of study subjects were primigravida (G1), while 58.1% were multi-gravida (G2-4). The mean age of primigravida is 20.57 ±0.025 years. Mean gestational week, fetal heart rate (FHR), and newborn weight were 38.18 ±0.11, 140.91 ±0.43, and 2870.65 ±26.13 g respectively. Almost one-third (32.1%) of the newborn were preterm babies. 20.9% of the newborn child was low birth weight. Spontaneous vaginal delivery was seen in 90.7% of the pregnancy while 7.9% had caesarean section.&#x0D; Conclusion: A significant positive correlation was seen of age with gravida, parity, and newborn weight. Newborn weight was significantly related to gestational age. There is no significant difference between the mean maternal age of mother delivering preterm baby or term-baby. No significant difference in the mean age of the mother or the mean gestational duration between male and female children could be established. Significant mean differences were seen in the maternal age of LBW child and normal birth weight child.