Maternal Function Research Articles

LPCAT1 levels in the placenta, the maternal plasma and the fetal plasma do not predict fetal lung responses to glucocorticoids in a sheep model of pregnancy

IntroductionLysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) is important for saturated phosphatidylcholine (Sat-PC) production in the lung. Sat-PC is a critical component of pulmonary surfactant, which maintains low alveolar surface tension, facilitating respiration. Previous studies have reported an association between maternal and fetal LPCAT1 levels and neonatal lung function. Using a sheep model of pregnancy, we investigated a potential correlation between glucocorticoid-induced lung maturation and LPCAT1 mRNA and/or protein levels in the fetal lung, the placenta, the fetal plasma, and the maternal plasma. MethodsEighty seven single pregnant ewes received maternal intramuscular injections of betamethasone. A sub-group of five animals had both maternal and fetal catheters installed to allow for sequential sampling from both plasma compartments. Lambs were surgically delivered under terminal anaesthesia between 2 and 8 days after initial ANS treatment, at a gestational age of 121–123 days. Lambs were ventilated for 30 min to determine functional lung maturation before being euthanized for necropsy and sample collection. Fetal lung, placenta, and fetal and maternal plasma samples were used to analyse LPCAT1 gene expression and protein levels. ResultsThe expression of LPCAT1 mRNA in the fetal lung was significantly corelated to Sat-PC levels at 8 days (R2 = 0.23, p < 0.001) and lung maturation status overall (gas exchange efficiency as determined by measurements of lamb PaCO2 during ventilation, R2 = 0.20, p < 0.001). Similarly, fetal lung LPCAT1 mRNA was also significantly correlated with the individual durability of ANS effects on fetal lung maturation (R2 = 0.20, p < 0.001). Although ANS therapy altered LPCAT1 mRNA expression in the placenta, observed changes were independent of fetal lung maturation outcomes. Neither maternal nor fetal plasma LPCAT1 levels were changed by ANS therapy over the period, including in analysis of serial maternal and fetal samples from chronically catheterised animals. DiscussionLPCAT1 expression in the fetal lung was associated with the durability of glucocorticoid effects on fetal lung maturation. However, LPCAT1 expression in the placenta, the fetal plasma, and the maternal plasma was neither associated with, nor predictive of fetal lung maturation after glucocorticoid treatment in a sheep model of pregnancy.

Maternal psychological functioning mediates the association between infant behavior and subsequent child psychological functioning

Symptoms of psychopathology that onset during childhood are often more severe, chronic, and difficult to treat than symptoms that first appear later in life. Maternal psychological symptoms are associated with the development of psychological symptoms in children. However, less research focuses on whether children’s behaviors may presage maternal psychological difficulties that, in turn, contribute to the child’s own psychological functioning. Identifying psychological difficulties in families and intervening in early life may lower risk for intergenerational transmission of subsequent psychological symptoms. Even at non-clinical or normative levels, exploring transactional models of parent-child behavior and psychological functioning may provide insight into the development of later psychological difficulties or symptoms within families. Thus, the current study examined whether difficult infant behavior (e.g., fussiness, unpredictability) is associated with future maternal psychological difficulties and subsequently, the child’s own psychological functioning in early childhood. The current sample includes 847 dyads from a multi-wave birth cohort in England (‘Born in Bradford’), who identified as predominantly non-White (62.2%) and socioeconomically diverse. Mothers reported on their child’s behaviors at 6 months, their own psychological functioning during pregnancy and at 18 months postpartum, and their child’s psychological functioning at age 3. Results of a mediation model revealed that the association between infant behavior at 6 months and child psychological functioning at 3 years is partially explained by maternal psychological functioning at 18 months, even after accounting for psychological difficulties during pregnancy, maternal age at birth, child sex, family income, and ethnicity. Post-hoc exploratory analyses revealed that the association between infant behavior, maternal psychological functioning, and subsequent child psychological functioning was significant for Pakistani British families but not White British families. These findings provide preliminary evidence that infant behaviors (e.g., temperament) may presage future maternal psychological difficulties and subsequent child psychological functioning, above and beyond previous maternal psychological functioning. Importantly, these results highlight infant behavior as a potential catalyst for later psychological difficulties within families.

Family and Spousal Support Are Associated with Higher Levels of Maternal Functioning in a Study of Iranian Postpartum Women

Postpartum maternal functioning is a multidimensional concept defined as how a woman manages her daily activities and emotional health after giving birth. This study aimed to determine the predictors of postpartum maternal functioning. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 564 women within one to four months after giving birth (with registered medical records in health centers of Tabriz, Iran) from 2020-2021. The participants were selected based on the cluster sampling method, and data were collected using a standard questionnaire inclusive of sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics, obstetric history, and Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF). The adjusted general linear model was employed to estimate the effect of each independent variable (sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics) on the dependent variable (maternal functioning). The mean total score of maternal functioning was 93.1 (±SD = 14.8) out of 120. Based on the adjusted generalized linear model (GLM), "spouse support" and "family support" were strong predictors of maternal functioning. The total score of maternal functioning in women with moderate (B: -4.44; 95% CI: -7.71 to -1.17; p < 0.001) and low (B: -4.77; 95% CI: -8.90 to -1.47; p < 0.001) spousal support was significantly lower compared to women who received a high level of spousal support. Additionally, this score in women with moderate (B: -5.22; 95% CI: -8.56 to -1.87; p < 0.001) and low (B: -3.90; 95% CI: -7.31 to -0.48; p < 0.001) family support was significantly lower compared to women who received a high level of family support. Study results suggest that receiving support from both a spouse and family members can improve maternal functioning.

Maternal imprinting and determinants of neonates' immune function in the SEPAGES mother-child cohort.

Immune function in pregnancy is influenced by host-specific and environmental factors. This may impact fetal immune development, but the link between maternal and neonatal immune function is still poorly characterized. Here, we investigate the relationship between maternal and neonatal immune function, and identify factors affecting the association between maternal and child cytokine secretion. In the French prospective cohort SEPAGES, blood samples were obtained from pregnant women (n=322) at gestational week 20 ± 4 and from their child at birth (n=156). Maternal and cord blood cytokine and chemokine (CK) levels were measured at baseline in all subjects and after T cell or dendritic cell activation with phytohemagglutinin or R848 (in total 29 and 27 measures in maternal and cord blood samples, respectively). Associations between environmental, individual factors and CK level were estimated by linear regression modeling. The maternal-cord blood CK relations were assessed by Pearson correlation and regression models. We observed that pregnant women and neonates displayed specific CK secretion profiles in the innate and adaptive compartments at baseline and upon activation. Activation of T cells in cord blood induced high levels of IL-2, but low levels of IFNγ, IL-13 or IL-10, in comparison to maternal blood samples. Elsewhere, neonatal innate immune responses were characterized by low production of IFNα, while productions of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNFα were higher than maternal responses. Strong correlations were observed between most CK after activation in maternal and cord blood samples. Strikingly, a statistical association between global mother and child cytokine profiles was evidenced. Correlations were observed between some individual CK of pregnant women and their children, both at baseline (MCP1, RANTES) and after activation with R848 (IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10). We looked for factors which could influence cytokine secretion in maternal or cord blood, and found that leucocyte counts, maternal age, pre-conception BMI, smoking and season were associated with the levels of several CK in mothers or children. Our study reveals in utero immune imprinting influencing immune responses in infants, opening the way to investigate the mechanisms responsible for this imprinting. Whether such influences have long lasting effects on children health warrants further investigation.

Temperament and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children: The Moderating Role of Maternal Reflective Functioning

ABSTRACT Parental Reflective Functioning (PRF) describes parents’ capacity to reflect on their child’s and their own mental states in the context of their relationship with the child. This study investigated the moderating role of PRF in the relationship between children’s temperament and internalizing and externalizing problems among 357 Iranian mothers (M = 37.34, SD = 5.29) and their children (M = 7.26, SD = 2.96; 48.7% girls). The instruments were the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and Child Behavior Checklist. The results showed that effortful control was negatively correlated with pre-mentalizing, internalizing, and externalizing problems and positively correlated with certainty and interest and curiosity. Negative affectivity was positively associated with pre-mentalizing, internalizing, and externalizing problems. Moreover, surgency/extraversion showed a negative correlation only with internalizing problems. Findings of regression analyses revealed that pre-mentalizing moderated the relationship between effortful control and internalizing and externalizing problems, and between negative affectivity and externalizing. In addition, certainty moderated the relationship between surgency/extraversion and internalizing. However, the interest and curiosity subscale indicated no moderating effect on the relationship between children’s temperament and emotional and behavioral problems. These findings highlight the significance of the role of PRF and a child’s temperament in emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Maternal executive function, authoritarian attitudes, and hostile attribution bias as interacting predictors of harsh parenting.

Executive function (EF) plays a key role in healthy development and human functioning across multiple domains, including socially, behaviorally, and in the self-regulation of cognition and emotion. Prior research has associated lower levels of maternal EF with harsher and more reactive parenting, and mothers' social cognitive attributes like authoritarian child-rearing attitudes and hostile attribution biases also contribute to harsh parenting practices. There have been few studies that explore the intersection of maternal EF and social cognitions. The present study addresses this gap by testing whether the relationship between individual differences in maternal EF and harsh parenting behaviors is statistically moderated separately by maternal authoritarian attitudes and hostile attribution bias. Participants were 156 mothers in a socioeconomically diverse sample. Multi-informant and multimethod assessments of harsh parenting and EF were utilized, and mothers self-reported on their child-rearing attitudes and attribution bias. Harsh parenting was negatively associated with maternal EF and hostile attribution bias. Authoritarian attitudes significantly interacted with EF (and the attribution bias interaction was marginally significant) in prediction of variance in harsh parenting behaviors. Commensurate with social information processing theory, EF and social cognitive attributes play critical and distinct roles in the causes of harsh caregiving practices. Findings elucidate that reforming parental social cognitions, in addition to targeting EF, may be effective prevention and intervention methods for yielding more positive parenting behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in early pregnancy, risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, potential pathways, and influencing factors in pregnant women: A nested case-control study

Although previous studies have reported an association between maternal serum perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk, results have been inconsistent. Few studies have focused on the combined effects of emerging and legacy PFASs on glucose homeostasis while humans are always exposed to multiple PFASs simultaneously. Moreover, the potential pathways by which PFAS exposure induces GDM are unclear. A total of 295 GDM cases and 295 controls were enrolled from a prospective cohort of 2700 pregnant women in Shanghai, China. In total, 16 PFASs were determined in maternal spot serum samples in early pregnancy. We used conditional logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to examine individual and joint effects of PFAS exposure on GDM risk and oral glucose tolerance test outcomes. The mediating effects of maternal serum biochemical parameters, including thyroid and liver function were further assessed. Maternal perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure was associated with an increased risk of GDM (odds ratio (OR) = 1.68; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.10, 2.57), consistent with higher concentrations in GDM cases than controls. Based on mediation analysis, an increase in the free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine ratio partially explained the effect of this association. For continuous glycemic outcomes, positive associations were observed between several PFASs and 1-h and 2-h glucose levels. In BKMR, PFAS mixture exposure showed a positive trend with GDM incidence, although the CIs were wide. These associations were more pronounced among women with normal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Mixed PFAS congeners may affect glucose homeostasis by increasing 1-h glucose levels, with perfluorononanoic acid found to be a main contributor. Exposure to PFASs was associated with increased risk of GDM and disturbance in glucose homeostasis, especially in normal weight women. The PFAS-associated disruption of maternal thyroid function may alter glucose homeostasis.

Maternal depression, alcohol use, and transient effects of perinatal paraprofessional home visiting in South Africa: Eight-year follow-up of a cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundSouth African mothers confront synergistic challenges from depression, alcohol use, and HIV/AIDS. The importance of maternal functioning for child development motivates interventions, yet long-term outcomes seldom are tracked. Furthermore, little is known about trajectories and the role of social-cultural factors in maternal depression and alcohol use across parenthood in low- and middle-income countries. MethodsWe examined maternal outcomes at 5- and 8-years’ post-birth, from the Philani Intervention Program (PIP), a randomized controlled trial of a prenatally-initiated home visiting intervention lasting through 6 months' post-birth which yielded some benefits for children and mothers through 3 years. Longitudinal Bayesian mixed-effects models assessed intervention effects for maternal depression and alcohol use from pre-birth through 8 years post-birth. We plotted trajectories of depression and alcohol use and analyzed their relationship over time. ResultsMaternal benefits appeared limited and intervention outcomes differed at 5 and 8 years. Reduced depression in PIP versus standard care (SC) mothers at 3 years disappeared by 5 and 8 years. Depression prevalence declined from 35.1% prenatally to 5.5% at 8 years, independent of intervention or alcohol use. Alcohol use in both groups rebounded from a post-birth nadir; fewer PIP than SC mothers drank alcohol and reported problematic use at 5 but not 8 years. HIV+ prevalence did not differ by condition and increased from 26% to 45% over the reported period. ConclusionsDissipation of early child benefits from home visiting by age 8 years likely reflects lack of durable change in maternal behaviors compounded by social-cultural factors and cumulative effects of community deprivation. High prenatal rates warrant screening and treatment for depression in standard antenatal care. Low-and-middle income countries may need sustained interventions, including alcohol use reduction, to capitalize on initial gains from targeted interventions and address community social-cultural factors. HIV/AIDS continues to spread in this population.

Expression of IkappaB Family in the Ovine Liver during Early Pregnancy.

During normal pregnancy, there is a dynamic regulation of the maternal immune system, including the liver, to accommodate the presence of the allogeneic foetus in the uterus. However, it was unclear that the expression of the IkappaB (IκB) family was regulated in the ovine maternal liver during early pregnancy. In this study, sheep livers were collected at day 16 of the oestrous cycle (NP16), and days 13, 16 and 25 of gestation (DP13, DP16 and DP25), and RT-qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to analyse the expression of the IκB family, including B cell leukemia-3 (BCL-3), IκBα, IκBβ, IκBε, IKKγ, IκBNS and IκBζ. The results revealed that expression of BCL-3, IκBβ, IκBε and IKKγ peaked at DP16, and the expression of IκBα was increased during early pregnancy. In addition, the expression of IκBζ peaked at DP13 and DP16, and IκBNS peaked at DP13. IκBβ and IKKγ proteins were located in the endothelial cells of the proper hepatic arteries and portal veins, and hepatocytes. In conclusion, early pregnancy changed the expression of the IκB family, suggesting that the modulation of the IκB family may be related to the regulation of maternal hepatic functions, which may be favourable for pregnancy establishment in sheep.

Maternal executive functioning is associated with infant sustained attention, but not executive functioning, in a sex-specific manner

Parental executive functioning (EF) is considered one key contributing source, via direct and indirect routes, of inter-individual variation in offspring EF. The current study investigated the unexplored associations between maternal EF and infant EF as well as its precursor, sustained attention. Ninety-seven mother-infant-dyads from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study participated. Maternal EF was assessed using selected measures from the Cogstate test battery. At 8 months, infants completed Lab-TAB Blocks and modified A-not-B tasks. A modest but robust link between maternal EF and infant attention was revealed in girls. There was no association between mother and infant EF in either sex at 8 months. Notable directions for future research, and potential underlying mechanisms of sex differences are discussed.

Maternal mental health and the behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder: Unidirectional and bidirectional effects

BackgroundWhile transactional theories of development posit that child and parent functioning are reciprocally linked, few autism family studies have examined if and how differing domains of child behavior and parental mental health may mutually affect one another over time. MethodData was collected over three time-points spanning four years from a sample of 119 mothers of children with ASD (aged 7–11 years at baseline). Cross-lagged structural equation models tested whether child problem or prosocial behavior was reciprocally related to three domains of maternal mental health: depressed mood, anger, and positive emotional well-being. ResultsFindings provided mixed support for bidirectionality as reciprocal relationships were found only in models examining relations between maternal depressed mood and child problem and prosocial behavior. Apart from these two bidirectional relationships, all other significant cross-lagged effects were unidirectional and parent-driven, with prior levels of maternal mental health impacting later child behavior rather than the reverse. ConclusionStudy results add to the limited evidence base concerning directionality of parent-child effects in autism family research. Given the intertwined nature of child and maternal functioning found in this study, there is clearly a need for additional family-based interventions that target both parents and their autistic children.

Early Pregnancy Regulates Expression of IkappaB Family in Ovine Spleen and Lymph Nodes.

Early pregnancy modulates the maternal immune system, including the spleen and lymph nodes, which participate in maternal innate and adaptive immune responses. Methods: Ovine spleens and lymph nodes were sampled at day 16 of the estrous cycle, and at days 13, 16 and 25 of gestation, and qRT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to analyze the expression of the IκB family, including BCL-3, IκBα, IκBβ, IκBε, IKKγ, IκBNS and IκBζ. Early pregnancy induced expression of BCL-3, IκBα, IκBε, IKKγ and IκBζ, and expression of BCL-3, IκBβ and IκBNS peaked at day 16 of pregnancy in the spleen. However, early pregnancy suppressed the expression of BCL-3 and IκBNS, but stimulated the expression of IκBβ and IκBζ, and expression levels of IκBα, IκBβ, IκBε and IKKγ peaked in lymph nodes at days 13 and/or 16 of pregnancy. Early pregnancy changed the expression of the IκB family in the maternal spleen and lymph node in a tissue-specific manner, suggesting that the modulation of the IκB family may be involved in regulation of maternal functions of the spleen and lymph nodes, which are necessary for the establishment of maternal immune tolerance during early pregnancy in sheep.

Hypochondriacal fear of breast cancer – a failure of the dual maternal functions: “mother-of-the-infant” and “censorship of the lover”

ABSTRACT Fain’s theoretical conceptualisation of the ‘Censorship of the Lover’ (1971) offers a framework to investigate the unrepresented traumatic aspects of the hypochondriacal fear of breast cancer. The failure of the maternal role to function as both the mother-of-the-infant and the lover-of-the-father creates considerable deficits in the primal psychosomatic tie. The authors aim to draw attention on to the importance of the mother-of-the-infant facet of the dual maternal function. The threatening repetitive scenario experienced by the hypochondriacal patient is considered as a form of pathological autoerotism, indicating an insufficient construction of psychic bisexuality, and, subsequently, of sexual identity. The hypochondriacal fear of breast cancer constitutes a positive hallucination whereas the denial of the healthy breast represents a negative hallucination (Green, 1993). The topos of the body onto which the fear of death is projected implies the existence of underlying associations related to the subject’s history. The complexities surrounding such acute hypochondriacal anxieties are demonstrated in the analysis of a female patient, during which the analytic dyad was called upon to disclose and construct different levels of meaning in order to enhance the capacity for mentalization.

Iodine status in pregnant women in northern Spain. Effect of iodised salt and iodine supplements on thyroid function

IntroductionIodine deficiency is linked to thyroid dysfunction, particularly in pregnant women. The objective of this study was to ascertain the iodine levels of women in the second trimester of pregnancy, analysing the influence of iodine ingestion on urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and maternal thyroid function. MethodsA prospective observational study of pregnant women from Health Area IV of Asturias (northern Spain) recruited before 13 weeks of gestation between May and June 2017. A questionnaire on iodine intake was completed at the first visit, and urine and serum samples were collected at baseline and again during the second trimester. UIC, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) obtained in the second trimester of gestation were analysed and related to iodine intake. Thyroid autoimmunity was also analysed in half of the pregnant women at baseline. ResultsA total of 241 pregnant women were studied. Of these, 56.7% used iodised salt, 46.7% consumed ≥2 servings of dairy products daily and 88.1% took iodine supplements. Median UIC was 191μg/l (135.3–294μg/l), with 68.1% of the women having UIC ≥150μg/l. Only iodised salt consumption provided protection against iodine deficiency (odds ratio 0.35 [0.20–0.63], p=0.001). In women with no autoimmune thyroid disease (n=88), mean levels of TSH were lower in those that consumed iodised salt than in those that did not (respectively, 2.08±0.89mIU/l vs. 2.56±1.02mIU/l, p=0.025). In women with autoimmune thyroid disease (n=30), mean levels of TSH were higher in those that took iodine supplements than in those that did not (respectively, 2.97±1.25mIU/l vs. 1.16±0.41mIU/l, p=0.002). ConclusionsThe pregnant women studied from Health Area IV in Asturias maintain adequate nutritional iodine status in the second trimester of gestation. In our sample, only the consumption of iodised salt was associated with adequate iodine nutrition, without affecting maternal thyroid function. Most of the women used iodine supplements, which was linked to higher levels of TSH in pregnant women with autoimmune thyroid disease.

The central role of perceived control for reducing anxiety among mothers of NICU hospitalized preterm babies

IntroductionMothers of preterm babies that were hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), might react with anxiety due to the extremely challenging circumstances. From maternal point of view, after a sudden, high-risk and traumatic birth that has recently occurred, their fragile preterm babies are in an intimidating medical environment, separated from them and are at high-risk of morbidity and mortality. Those circumstances, accompanied by great uncertainty, provoke perceptions of control such as locus of control and maternal self-efficacy, which are both known as central in evoking anxiety.ObjectivesThe proposed presentation examines the mediating effect of maternal self-efficacy in the association between locus of control and anxiety, among mothers of hospitalized babies in the NICU, above and beyond gestational age and mothers’ socio-economic status.MethodsThe participants in the present study were 128 Israeli mothers of 208 NICU hospitalized preterm babies. They completed self-report questionnaires regarding their background variables, internal locus of control, maternal self-efficacy, and anxiety.ResultsThe analysis showed that while gestational age and mothers’ socio-economic status were controlled, internal locus of control had a significant and positive effect on maternal self-efficacy, and that maternal self-efficacy had a significant and negative effect on mothers’ anxiety. Finally, the direct negative effect of internal locus of control on anxiety decreased with the inclusion of maternal self-efficacy. Altogether, the model explains 26.2% of the variance in maternal anxiety.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate the central role of senses of control in reducing the levels of anxiety experienced by mothers while their preterm babies are NICU hospitalized. fessionals’ interventions with preterm mothers should focus on supporting and encouraging perceptions of internal control as well as promote positive self-perception regarding their ability to succeed in mothers’ tasks. Higher internal perception of control will lead to higher maternal confidence in their ability to perform as mother, which in turn will reduce their anxiety levels. These outcomes may potentially benefit not only the preterm mothers themselves, but also their babies through higher levels of maternal engagement and responsibility as well as through better maternal functioning and subjective well-being. These will impact infants in the short and long run, in terms of physical, cognitive and emotional development.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

A Scoping Review of Iodine and Fluoride in Pregnancy in Relation to Maternal Thyroid Function and Offspring Neurodevelopment.

Iodine (I), an essential nutrient, is important for thyroid function and therefore growth and development. Fluoride (F), also an essential nutrient, strengthens bones and teeth, and prevents childhood dental caries. Both severe and mild-to-moderate I deficiency and high F exposure during development are associated to decreased intelligence quotient with recent reports associating high levels of F exposure during pregnancy and infancy to low intelligence quotient. Both F and I are halogens, and it has been suggested that F may interfere with the role of I in thyroid function. We provide a scoping review of the literature on I and F exposure dur pregnancy and their individual effects on thyroid function and offspring neurodevelopment. We first discuss I intake and status in pregnancy and the relationship to thyroid function and offspring neurodevelopment. We follow with the F in pregnancy and offspring neurodevelopment. We then review the interaction between I and F on thyroid function. We searched for, and found only one study that assessed both I and F in pregnancy. We conclude more studies are needed.

Productivity energy level of cows of Gray Ukrainian breeds and their reproductive qualities

We have studied the reproductive abilities of the animals and the development of the offspring during the post-sucking period on cows of the Gray Ukrainian breed in the 1st–3rd lactations. To evaluate the cows and the offspring, in addition to traditional signs, indicators of net energy of body maintenance and net energy of growth were introduced, as integrated indicators of the state of the organism, which depend to a greater extent on the origin than on the conditions of keeping. We have established that the researched population of animals of the Gray Ukrainian breed in the ecological and fodder conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine shows excellent maternal instincts, reproductive function and small foetus rate not lower than the standard for the breed, almost equal distribution of offspring by sex. The yield of calves per 100 cows is 97–98%, live weight of calves at birth is 25–26 kg for heifers and 27–28 kg for bulls; high milk yield: the weaning live weight at 8 months of age is 200 kg for heifers and 230 kg for bulls, the service period of cows for 1–3 lactation period is 155–91 days, the intercalving period is 433–371 days, the small foetus coefficient is 0.54–0.49, net energy for maintaining vital activity in cows is 40–45 MJ and in newborn calves — 4.5–4.6 MJ, the net energy of growth of young calves when weaned from their mothers is 19–20 MJ and for the entire period of suckling is 3800–4900 MJ. In the section of lactations, correlational dependences were established between the net energy of maintaining cows and their offspring, which makes it possible to carry out more purposeful selection and selection of animals for further breeding and preservation of the herd of this breed.

Neurobiology and neuroimaging of the maternal brain

IntroductionThe epidemiology of psychiatric disorders of the perinatal period and their mainly thymic dimension are now well established. However, the underlying physiopathology remains uncertain and poorly explored.ObjectivesThe purpose of this presentation is to explore the current knowledge in terms of neurobiology/neuroimaging underlying the modifications in maternal brain functioning and the links with perinatal psychiatric disorders.MethodsA narrative review of the current international literature was carried out.ResultsResults of the current studies suggest that during pregnancy and the postpartum period, hormones and sensory interactions with the offspring relate to complex structural and functional changes in the brain. This reproduction-related brain plasticity embraces various areas implicated in maternal caregiving, primarily regions involved in reward/motivation, salience/threat detection, emotional regulation, and social cognition such as the ability to empathize and infer the mental state of the baby. Some structural irregularities and differences in activation patterns potentially involved in the triggering of disorders are starting to be identified.ConclusionsThe survival of newborns is largely dependent on the mother, and her brain appears to have evolved to support mother-infant bonding and sensitive care. Brain research offers a growing scientific understanding of the neural correlates of these disorders and opens a window to their prevention and treatment.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Model selection for maternal hypertensive disorders with symmetric hierarchical Dirichlet processes

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occur in about 10% of pregnant women around the world. Though there is evidence that hypertension impacts maternal cardiac functions, the relation between hypertension and cardiac dysfunctions is only partially understood. The study of this relationship can be framed as a joint inferential problem on multiple populations, each corresponding to a different hypertensive disorder diagnosis, that combines multivariate information provided by a collection of cardiac function indexes. A Bayesian nonparametric approach seems particularly suited for this setup, and we demonstrate it on a dataset consisting of transthoracic echocardiography results of a cohort of Indian pregnant women. We are able to perform model selection, provide density estimates of cardiac function indexes and a latent clustering of patients: these readily interpretable inferential outputs allow to single out modified cardiac functions in hypertensive patients, compared to healthy subjects, and progressively increased alterations with the severity of the disorder. The analysis is based on a Bayesian nonparametric model that relies on a novel hierarchical structure, called symmetric hierarchical Dirichlet process. This is suitably designed so that the mean parameters are identified and used for model selection across populations, a penalization for multiplicity is enforced, and the presence of unobserved relevant factors is investigated through a latent clustering of subjects. Posterior inference relies on a suitable Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm, and the model behaviour is also showcased on simulated data.

Child witness to domestic violence: how to get out of the violence ?

If the child witness does not suffer physical violence in his flesh, growing up in a context of conjugal violence is not without damage for his subjective construction. The violence frightens them, makes them anxious and insecure, and confronts them with the question of death, which cannot be represented or symbolized. Trauma and a possible identification with the aggressor are born from this. Violence affects the toddler in his investments and in the links he weaves with his parents. Parents, whose protective maternal function is weakened and whose paternal function is failing.