Maternal Age Birth Weight Research Articles

Phenotype-genotype correlations and the efficacy of growth hormone treatment in Korean children with Prader-Willi syndrome

Purpose : Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS is a complex genetic disorder caused by the deletion of the paternally derived 15q11-13 region or the maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 15 (mUPD(15. In this study we compared phenotypic differences between those patients whose disease was caused by microdeletion and those caused by mUPD(15. In addition a comparison of the efficacy of growth hormone (GH therapy between these two PWS genotypes was analyzed. Methods : Fifty-three patients were diagnosed as having PWS based on molecular and cytogenetic analyses and clinical features. Data that included maternal age birth weight a feeding problem in the neonatal period cryptorchidism de- velopmental delay or mental retardation short stature hypopigmentation changes in height weight and body mass indexes (BMI before and after GH treatment were obtained by a retrospective review of medical records. The data from the patients with microdeletion were compared with those from the patients with mUPD(15. Results : Of the 53 patients with genetically confirmed PWS 39 cases had microdeletion and 14 mUPD(15. Maternal ages were significantly higher in the mUPD(15 group and hypopigmentation and a feeding problem in the neonatal period were more frequent in the microdeletion group. Growth hormone was administered to 20 patients (14 with microdeletion 6 with mUPD(15). There were no differences between the two groups in height velocity weight and height SDS and BMI after GH therapy. Conclusion : Phenotype and genotype correlations were observed in Korean PWS patients such as more advanced maternal ages in the mUPD(15 group and more feeding problems and hypopigmentations in the microdeletion group. Further long-term prospective studies are needed to correlate other aspects of th ep henotypes.(Korean J Pediatr 2008;51:315-

Birth weight, maternal age, and parity among the african population of uganda.

Data on birth weight maternal age and parity was obtained for 1528 maternities at Mulago Hospital Kampala between December 1956 and Septe mber 1957. The babies had a mean birth weight of 6.57 pounds + or - .03 for total births and a mean birth weight of 6.59 + or - .03 pounds for live births. Stillborn babies were significantly lighter at birth (6.24 + or - .164 pounds). Mean age and parity were similar among mothers having live babies and those with stillbirths. Male stillbirths significantly outnumbered female (66 males 38 females; .025 less than p less than .01). Both the stillbirth rate and the twinning rate was much the same among the ethnic groups represented and both were higher than in Europe. There is a definite trend for mean birth weight to increase with parity for a given maternal age; at constant parity however maternal age has no clear effect on birth weight except that very young mothers have lighter babies. Non-Bantu babies were lighter than Bantu babies although their mothers had equal or superior nutritional status. This may be related to the fact that African children have less weight per unit stature than European children which seems to be a genetic trait perhaps a climatic adaptation. There is need for detailed studies on the growth of African children. It may be that the mothers with the lightest babies will have children with the smallest per unit weight.