Death Of Offspring Research Articles

When do mothers bury a child? Heterogeneity in the maternal age at offspring loss

The experience of losing a child is increasingly uncommon worldwide but is no less devastating for parents who experience it. An overlooked aspect of this phenomenon is its timing: at which age do bereft parents lose a child and how are these ages at loss distributed? We use demographic methods to explore the mean and variability of maternal age at child loss in 18 countries for the 1850–2000 birth cohorts. We find that the distribution of age of child loss is bimodal, with one component representing young offspring deaths and another representing adult offspring deaths. Offspring loss is transitioning from being a relatively common life event, mostly experienced by young mothers, to a rare one spread throughout the maternal life course. Moreover, there is no evidence of convergence in the variability of age at offspring loss. These results advance the formal demography of kinship and underline the need to support bereaved parents across the life course.

Parental-effect gene-drive elements under partial selfing, or why do Caenorhabditis genomes have hyperdivergent regions?

Self-fertile Caenorhabditis nematodes carry a surprising number of Medea elements, alleles that act in heterozygous mothers and cause death or developmental delay in offspring that don't inherit them. At some loci, both alleles in a cross operate as independent Medeas, affecting all the homozygous progeny of a selfing heterozygote. The genomic coincidence of Medea elements and ancient, deeply coalescing haplotypes, which pepper the otherwise homogeneous genomes of these animals, raises questions about how these apparent gene-drive elements persist for long periods of time. Here I investigate how mating system affects the evolution of Medeas, and their paternal-effect counterparts, peels. Despite an intuition that antagonistic alleles should induce balancing selection by killing homozygotes, models show that, under partial selfing, antagonistic elements experience positive frequency dependence: the common allele drives the rare one extinct, even if the rare one is more penetrant. Analytical results for the threshold frequency required for one allele to invade a population show that a very weakly penetrant allele, one whose effects would escape laboratory detection, could nevertheless prevent a much more penetrant allele from invading under high rates of selfing. Ubiquitous weak antagonistic Medeas and peels could then act as localized barriers to gene flow between populations, generating genomic islands of deep coalescence. Analysis of gene expression data, however, suggest that this cannot be the whole story. A complementary explanation is that ordinary ecological balancing selection generates ancient haplotypes on which Medeas can evolve, while high homozygosity in these selfers minimizes the role of gene drive in their evolution.

P-758 Perinatal deaths to women dispensed clomiphene citrate: A study within a whole of population birth cohort

Abstract Study question Is the risk of stillbirth and neonatal death increased in pregnancies where clomiphene citrate was dispensed 3 months before or after time of conception? Summary answer The risk of stillbirth and/or neonatal death is 45% higher in pregnancies among women dispensed clomiphene citrate compared to unexposed women independent of confounders. What is known already Clomiphene citrate (CC) has been used for ovulation induction since 1967, despite prior evidence of fetotoxicity in humans and animals. CC has since been linked to fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, & congenital anomalies, which are independent risk factors for perinatal death. However, few studies have been large enough to provide data on infrequent adverse events. In high-income countries, maternal obesity is the greatest risk factor for perinatal death followed by advanced maternal age. These factors also contribute to infertility, but can be measured reliably and incorporated into safety studies to estimate patient and treatment effects. Study design, size, duration This is a whole of population cohort study involving 147,524 pregnant women and 242,079 births occurring from July 2003 to December 2015 in South Australia, assembled by linking records from the state-wide perinatal registry with Commonwealth government data on pharmaceutical dispensing. All post-20 week pregnancies have mandatory reporting. Clomiphene citrate dispensing by pharmacists resides in a single national database. Participants/materials, setting, methods Using de-identified pregnancy outcome data in South Australia, the prevalence of stillbirth (>20 weeks gestation) and neonatal death were examined in relation to clomiphene citrate exposure. Women were considered exposed if a prescription for clomiphene citrate was dispensed from three months before the conception window to end of first trimester. Dates for the conception window were derived from gestational age at birth (weeks), in turn based on date of last menstrual period and ultrasound scan. Main results and the role of chance There were 3,458 singleton pregnancies where women were exposed to clomiphene citrate, with 41 stillbirths and neonatal deaths recorded, a prevalence of 11.9 per 1000. For non-exposed pregnancies, the corresponding prevalence was 8.2 per 1000. In singleton pregnancies among women dispensed clomiphene citrate, compared to those without this exposure, stillbirth and neonatal death were increased by 45% (odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06 – 1.98). This association was strengthened after adjustment for maternal characteristics that were potential confounders: age, socio-economic status (based on postcode of residence), Aboriginal ethnicity, born outside Australia in low or middle income country, parity, smoking, pre-existing diabetes or hypertension, pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.16 – 2.18). Obesity data was available from 2007 onwards and a restricted analysis including this variable saw an increased effect (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.19 – 2.72). It is implausible that a further unmeasured patient related factor could reverse this effect. The observed effect is also conservative as there were 200 multiple pregnancies in which women were exposed to clomiphene citrate, which were excluded as the number of deaths in offspring was too infrequent for robust stratified statistical comparisons. Limitations, reasons for caution Data reflect pharmacy dispensing, not consumption, although women are highly motivated to take this drug and over 5% of pregnancies were multiples, consistent with extensive use. Subfertility itself increases the risk of perinatal death and further analyses are underway to distinguish effects of the drug from indication for use. Wider implications of the findings Clomiphene citrate may not be as safe as presumed. This may partly be a consequence of variability in clinical prescribing and supervision, or the known variability in patient response to the drug. Our result is conservative as we excluded twins. It is supported by animal data and basic pharmacology. Trial registration number Not applicable

Parental overproduction allows siblicidal bird to adjust brood size to climate-driven prey variation.

Parental overproduction is hypothesized to hedge against uncertainty over food availability and stochastic death of offspring and to improve brood fitness. Understanding the evolution of overproduction requires quantifying its benefits to parents across a wide range of ecological conditions, which has rarely been done. Using a multiple hypotheses approach and 30 years of data, we evaluated the benefits of overproduction in the Blue-footed booby, a seabird that lays up to three eggs asynchronously, resulting in an aggressive brood hierarchy that facilitates the death of last-hatched chicks under low food abundance. Results support the resource-tracking hypothesis, as low prey abundance (estimated from sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration) led to rapid brood reduction. The insurance hypothesis was supported in broods of three, where last-hatched chicks' survival increased after a sibling's death. Conversely, in broods of two, results suggested that parents abandoned last-hatched chicks following first-hatched chicks' deaths. No direct evidence supported the facilitation hypothesis: the presence of a last-hatched chick during development did not enhance its sibling's fitness in the short or long term. The value of last-hatched offspring to parents, as "extra" or "insurance" varied with indices of food abundance, brood size, and parental age. Ninety percent of overproduction benefits came from enabling parents to capitalize on favorable conditions by fledging additional offspring. Our study provides insight into the forces driving overproduction, explaining the adaptiveness of this apparently wasteful behavior and allowing us to better predict how overproduction's benefits might be modified by ocean warming.

BEREAVED PARENTS OF THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Abstract The loss of a child—no matter their age—is often regarded as one the most tragic forms of loss. Here, we sought to identify sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health profiles of older adults who have experienced offspring death in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Our sample was composed of 2,035 respondents from the 2018 wave of HRS who experienced (n =381) or did not experience (n = 1,654) the loss of a child at any point in their lifetime. In an adjusted logistic regression, we found that both women (OR=1.53, [1.13, 2.09]) and non-Hispanic Black respondents (OR = 1.85; [1.31, 2.61]) had significantly higher odds of experiencing the death of a child. Education was also significantly associated with offspring death: relative to individuals with less than a high school education, high school and college-educated respondents had a 34% and 64% lower likelihood of reporting offspring death, respectively (OR=0.66, [.47, .91]; OR=0.36, [.25, .51]). Lastly, every one unit increase in cognition was associated with a 3% lower likelihood of experiencing the offspring death (OR=0.97, [.94, .99]). Interestingly, bereaved parents were no more likely to experience depression nor report multimorbidity than individuals who had not grieved the loss of a child. These findings highlight a grim picture of premature and untimely death among Black Americans, the power of education, and potential psychological and physiological resilience among this older sub-population of bereaved parents.

Sustainable animal production: exploring the benefits of sperm sexing technologies in addressing critical industry challenges

The sex of the animals is of paramount importance in many animal production systems. This is particularly evident in the production of milk or in breeding programs focused on the production of female animals. In some cases, slaughter or euthanasia of animals of the unwanted sex becomes the only solution, highlighting ethical and economic concerns. As global demand for food continues to rise, the importance of addressing these issues becomes more evident. Reproductive technologies, such as sperm sexing techniques, may hold the key to addressing both animal welfare and the sustainability of animal production. The use of semen enriched with sperm capable of producing offspring of the desired sex can serve as a valuable tool for producers to exert greater control over production outcomes, not only helping to mitigate welfare issues related to the unnecessary premature death of unwanted offspring but also providing a possible ally in the face of stricter animal welfare guidelines. In addition, sexed semen can also contribute to financial gains and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and food waste associated with the less profitable part of the herd. This paper explores the positive impacts that sperm sexing can have on animal welfare, economy, and environment. It also discusses currently available options and strategies for more successful implementation of sexed semen. Partnerships between companies and scientists will be essential to find innovative ways to adapt current production systems and develop sperm sexing technologies that apply to most livestock industries.

Parental exposure to environmental cadmium causes developmental defects in the rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) embryos: The association between ROS-mediated oxidative stress and developmental dysfunction

Cadmium is widely distributed in aquaculture systems. The exposure of parental fish species to cadmium is known to retard of growth and cause death in offspring. However, the potential mechanisms responsible for how parental cadmium exposure effects embryonic development yet to be elucidated. Herein, we investigated the effects of parental cadmium exposure on embryonic developmental abnormalities in rare minnow. Our results demonstrated that significantly increased rates of malformation were recorded in the parental cadmium exposure groups. The most significant impairments and morphological changes were egg condensation and spine curvature malformations. Parental cadmium exposure significantly increased the cadmium content of rare minnow embryos, thus increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Further investigation found that parental cadmium exposure reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and significantly up-regulated the expression of antioxidative genes (gpx-1, cat and mn-sod) and detoxifying metallothionein (MT) in rare minnow embryos. In addition, stress-related genes (hsp70, ccyp1α and jnk) were significantly upregulated while developmental-related genes (wnt8α, vezf1 and mstn) were significantly downregulated in rare minnow embryos. Our analysis revealed that parental cadmium exposure in rare minnow caused developmental abnormalities in embryos via the accumulation of cadmium content which induced oxidative stress and developmental dysfunction. Collectively, our analysis suggested that environmental cadmium may pose a severe threat to the continuation of certain fish species.

Effects of daily exposure to peat smoke on the reproductive and nervous systems in male white rats

Introduction. The regular occurrence of large-scale peat fires is an urgent medical and environmental problem of the modern scientific community. The peat smoke is a complex mixture of pollutants that have a serious impact on air quality and public health. 
 Materials and methods. Adult male rats were exposed to peat smoke for 24 hours, the concentrations of PM2.5 and CO were 0.92±0.08 mg/m3 and 40.8±1.9 mg/m3, respectively. After exposure an open field examination, EEG examination and histological analysis of the testes and brain were performed, after which they were mated with intact females. Postnatal death of offspring in the first week of life, body weight, behaviour and electroencephalography indicators during puberty were evaluated.
 Results. There was showed an increase in motor activity, anxiety, and violation of EEG indicators in rat males exposed to peat smoke. Both an increase in shadow cells and degeneratively altered neurons in the nervous tissue were found. No changes were detected in the testes. Exposure to peat smoke during conception increased stillbirth and mortality of offspring during the first week of life, but did not affect weight gain. Violation of behaviour structure was recorded only in females offspring. An increase in slow-wave activity of the brain in males offspring was revealed.
 Limitations. The study was limited to studying the effects of a single 24-hour exposure to peat smoke on outbred white rats.
 Conclusion. A single peat smoke exposure for 24 hours at a concentration of PM2.5=0.92±0.08 mg/m3 and CO=40.8±1.9 mg/m3 leads to significant morphological and functional changes in the CNS. In the absence of a gonadotoxic effect, peat smoke exposure on males before mating causes specific changes in the behavior and bioelectrical activity of the brain of their offspring.

Delayed in sensorimotor reflex ontogeny, slow physical growth, and impairments in behaviour as well as dopaminergic neuronal death in mice offspring following prenatally rotenone administration.

The environment is varying day by day with the introduction of chemicals such as pesticides, most of which have not been effectively studied for their influence on a susceptible group of population involving infants and pregnant females. Rotenone is an organic pesticide used to prepare Parkinson's disease models. A lot of literature is available on the toxicity of rotenone on the adult brain, but to the best of our knowledge, effect of rotenone on prenatally exposed mice has never been investigated yet. Therefore, the recent work aims to evaluate the toxic effect of rotenone on mice, exposed prenatally. We exposed female mice to rotenone at the dose of 5mg/Kg b.w. throughout the gestational period with oral gavage. We then investigated the effects of rotenone on neonate's central nervous systems as well as on postnatal day (PD) 35 offspring. In the rotenone group, we observed slow physical growth, delays in physical milestones and sensorimotor reflex in neonates and induction of anxiety and impairment in cognitive performances of offspring at PD-35. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed a marked reduction in TH-positive neurons in substantia nigra. Histological examination of the cerebellum revealed a decrease in Purkinje neurons in the rotenone exposed group as compared to the control. The data from the study showed that prenatally exposure to rotenone affects growth, physical milestones, neuronal population and behaviour of mice when indirectly exposed to the offspring through their mother. This study could provide a great contribution to researchers to find out the molecular mechanism and participating signalling pathway behind these outcomes.

The emerging spectrum of fetal acetylcholine receptor antibody-related disorders (FARAD).

In utero exposure to maternal antibodies targeting the fetal acetylcholine receptor isoform (fAChR) can impair fetal movement, leading to arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC). Fetal AChR antibodies have also been implicated in apparently rare, milder myopathic presentations termed fetal acetylcholine receptor inactivation syndrome (FARIS). The full spectrum associated with fAChR antibodies is still poorly understood. Moreover, since some mothers have no myasthenic symptoms, the condition is likely underreported, resulting in failure to implement effective preventive strategies. Here we report clinical and immunological data from a multicentre cohort (n = 46 cases) associated with maternal fAChR antibodies, including 29 novel and 17 previously reported with novel follow-up data. Remarkably, in 50% of mothers there was no previously established myasthenia gravis (MG) diagnosis. All mothers (n = 30) had AChR antibodies and, when tested, binding to fAChR was often much greater than that to the adult AChR isoform. Offspring death occurred in 11/46 (23.9%) cases, mainly antenatally due to termination of pregnancy prompted by severe AMC (7/46, 15.2%), or during early infancy, mainly from respiratory failure (4/46, 8.7%). Weakness, contractures, bulbar and respiratory involvement were prominent early in life, but improved gradually over time. Facial (25/34; 73.5%) and variable peripheral weakness (14/32; 43.8%), velopharyngeal insufficiency (18/24; 75%) and feeding difficulties (16/36; 44.4%) were the most common sequelae in long-term survivors. Other unexpected features included hearing loss (12/32; 37.5%), diaphragmatic paresis (5/35; 14.3%), CNS involvement (7/40; 17.5%) and pyloric stenosis (3/37; 8.1%). Oral salbutamol used empirically in 16/37 (43.2%) offspring resulted in symptom improvement in 13/16 (81.3%). Combining our series with all previously published cases, we identified 21/85 mothers treated with variable combinations of immunotherapies (corticosteroids/intravenous immunoglobulin/plasmapheresis) during pregnancy either for maternal MG symptom control (12/21 cases) or for fetal protection (9/21 cases). Compared to untreated pregnancies (64/85), maternal treatment resulted in a significant reduction in offspring deaths (P < 0.05) and other complications, with treatment approaches involving intravenous immunoglobulin/ plasmapheresis administered early in pregnancy most effective. We conclude that presentations due to in utero exposure to maternal (fetal) AChR antibodies are more common than currently recognized and may mimic a wide range of neuromuscular disorders. Considering the wide clinical spectrum and likely diversity of underlying mechanisms, we propose 'fetal acetylcholine receptor antibody-related disorders' (FARAD) as the most accurate term for these presentations. FARAD is vitally important to recognize, to institute appropriate management strategies for affected offspring and to improve outcomes in future pregnancies. Oral salbutamol is a symptomatic treatment option in survivors.

Exoparasitic Mites – Vectors of Bacterial Symbionts Among Insects

Inherited endosymbiotic bacteria from the genera Rickettsia, Wolbachia and Spiroplasma cause the death of male offspring in ladybirds (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae). As a rule, bacteria are transmitted through the cytoplasm of the mother’s egg to offspring – vertically. In addition to vertical transfer, there is increasing evidence of horizontal transfer of symbionts between unrelated insect taxa. Insect parasites such as mites can be potential vectors of endosymbiotic bacteria. The parasitic mite Coccipolipus hippodamiae (McDaniel Morrill, 1969) (Acarina: Podapolipidae) occurs in natural populations of Coccinellidae. In this work, the ability of C. hippodamiae to become infected with Wolbachia and Spiroplasma from hosts and to spread bacteria among coccinellid beetles was proven for the first time.

Suicidal Ideation, Depression, and Insomnia in Parent Survivors of Suicide: Based on Korean Psychological Autopsy of Adolescent Suicides.

This study aims to evaluate suicidal ideation, depression, and insomnia among parent survivors of adolescents who died by suicide and their relevant risk factors using psychological autopsy results from South Korea. The participants were 42 parent survivors (10 fathers and 32 mothers) of 35 adolescents who died by suicide. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Korean version of the Insomnia Severity Index to evaluate the mental health of the bereaved parents. We used the Korean Psychological Autopsy Checklist for Adolescents, the Korean Beck Depression Inventory, the Korean Version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-II, and the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime-Korean versions to evaluate the mental health of deceased adolescents before their deaths. The results showed that many parent survivors of suicide had developed clinically significant suicidal ideation, depression, and insomnia (75.6%, 73.2%, and 42.9%, respectively). Furthermore, the higher the incidence of traumatic events experienced by the deceased adolescents, the higher the severity of depression and insomnia experienced by surviving parents. We should pay attention that parent survivors of suicide can suffer mental disorders after their offspring's death. In future studies, long-term follow-up studies with larger samples need to generalize our findings and clarify the causal relationship.

Современный статус балобана в России и в Казахстане

Современный статус балобана в России и в Казахстане

Kin networks and opportunities for reproductive cooperation and conflict among hunter-gatherers.

Little is known about the potential for reproductive conflict among hunter-gatherer populations, who are characterized by bilateral kinship ties, flexible residential mobility, and high offspring mortality. To assess the potential for reproductive conflict, we use longitudinal residence and reproductive history data for two bands of South American foragers. Using multilevel logistic regressions (N = 44 women, N = 712 person years), we examine how yearly measures of (i) camp composition, (ii) distribution of female kin and (iii) a woman's position in a female kinship network impact the likelihood of giving birth or experiencing a child's death. We compare conflict models to a demographic model that accounts for the proportion of women giving birth in a given year. Contrary to conflict models, results show that the odds of giving birth increase with the presence of highly related women. However, the odds of experiencing an offspring death are insensitive to the presence of coresident women. Network measures of closeness and centrality in the female kin network also show no significant effect on reproductive outcomes. Furthermore, chances of both births and deaths increase in years when proportionally more women are giving birth. We argue that demographic stochasticity relating to ecological conditions best predicts reproductive outcomes for women. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.

Maternal hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and mortality in offspring from birth to young adulthood: national population based cohort study

ObjectiveTo examine the association of maternal hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) with overall and cause specific mortality in offspring from birth to young adulthood.DesignNationwide population based cohort study.SettingDanish national health...

The changes in the viability parameters of hybrid individuals heterozygous for vestigial &lt;i&gt;Drosophila melanogaster &lt;/i&gt;during long-term directional breeding

The study of the realization of hereditary variability on the background of already existing mutant alleles of certain genes is an important part of biomedical and population investigations, including human diseases. The change in viability parameters in individuals of the wild type Belgorod and in the mutant strain of vestigial Drosophila melanogaster over the course of breeding has been researched. The changes in viability parameters during breeding have been recorded in hybrid individuals heterozygous for vestigial, namely, changes in fertility and embryonic lethality of offspring in hybrid individuals Belgorod × vestigial during direct selection, the presence of regulated cell death in the wing imaginal disc in individuals of the Belgorod and vestigial strains, and in hybrid individuals at the initial stage of breeding and after 30 generations of selection. The wing shape changes in interlinear hybrid individuals at different stages of breeding in relation to wild-type individuals Belgorod have been studied. The research methods are the following: selection, study of the frequency of death of offspring at the embryonic stage of development, fertility study, morphometric analysis of the wing, determination of the presence and location of regulated cell death in the wing imaginal disk, statistical analysis. The marker parameters of the wing sensitive to the presence of the mutant allele vg in the genotype, not associated with change in the intensity of regulated cell death in the wing imaginal disc have been revealed.

Risk of Pregnancy Complications and Low Birth Weight Offsprings in Korean Women With Rheumatic Diseases: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

BackgroundTo determine the risk of pregnancy complications and adverse offspring outcomes in Korean women with rheumatic diseases (RDs).MethodsWomen aged 20–44 years with pregnancies ending in delivery were identified from the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database (2009–2016). Women with RD including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (SPRA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (n = 4,284) were age-matched with controls (n = 26,023). Outcome variables included threatened abortion (TA), preterm birth (PB), preeclampsia/eclampsia (PE/E), intrauterine growth retardation (IGR), urinary tract infection, low birth weight (LBW) offsprings, and offspring death within 1 year of birth.ResultsWomen with RDs had increased risks for cesarean section delivery (odds ratio [OR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4–1.6), TA (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2–1.5), PB (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9–3.2), PE/E (OR, 4.4; 95% CI, 3.3–5.9), and IGR (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 2.0–3.1) than the controls. The risk of pregnancy complications was increased in SLE and SPRA pregnancies but not in AS pregnancies. Offsprings of women with RDs had an increased risk of LBW (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 3.2–4.9). The offspring mortality rate within 1 year of birth was higher in women with RDs (6.2/10,000 persons) than in the controls (4.9/10,000 persons).ConclusionWomen with RDs are at a risk of developing pregnancy complications, and the risk of LBW offsprings and offspring death within 1 year of birth is increased in these women. Therefore, this population requires special attention during their childbearing years.

Family's socioeconomic profile at birth and offspring mortality until midlife – The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study

Family's socioeconomic profile collected prenatally is known to predict offspring mortality during early life, but it remains unclear whether it has the potential to predict offspring mortality until later life. In this study, 12,063 individuals belonging to the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 were followed up from mid-pregnancy for 52 years (570,000 person years). Five distinct socioeconomic profiles were identified by latent class analysis based on mother's marital status, education, and occupation; father's occupation; number of family members; location of residence, room count, and utilities; and family's wealth. The classes were highest status families (15.4% of the population), small families (22.1%), larger families (15.4%), average wealth families (23.4%), and rural families (23.3%). Their associations to offspring mortality, via linkage to national offspring death records, were analysed by Cox regression, stratified by sex and age groups (0—19, 20—38 and 40–52 years). In total, mortality was 9.2% among male and 5.0% among female offspring. Risk for midlife mortality was higher among male offspring from larger families (hazard ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.32—3.63), average wealth families (1.66, 1.02—2.73) and rural families (1.63, 1.00—2.68), relative to offspring from highest status families. It seems that family's socioeconomic profile constructed prenatally has predictive value for midlife mortality among male offspring. Premature mortality of men and women seem to be two distinct phenomena with differing underlying factors as socioeconomic profile was not associated with mortality among female offspring.

The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c relieves hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in gestational diabetes mellitus

The most common complication during pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), can cause adverse pregnancy outcomes and result in the mother and infant having a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. However, existing therapies for GDM remain scant, with the most common being lifestyle intervention and appropriate insulin treatment. MOTS-c, a mitochondrial-derived peptide, can target skeletal muscle and enhance glucose metabolism. Here, we demonstrate that MOTS-c can be an effective treatment for GDM. A GDM mouse model was established by short term high-fat diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) treatment while MOTS-c was administrated daily during pregnancy. GDM symptoms such as blood glucose and insulin levels, glucose and insulin tolerance, as well as reproductive outcomes were investigated. MOTS-c significantly alleviated hyperglycemia, improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and reduced birth weight and the death of offspring induced by GDM. Similar to a previous study, MOTS-c also could activate insulin sensitivity in the skeletal muscle of GDM mice and elevate glucose uptake in vitro. In addition, we found that MOTS-c protects pancreatic β-cell from STZ-mediated injury. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that MOTS-c could be a promising strategy for the treatment of GDM.

A Nation-Wide Swedish Cohort Study on Early Maternal Age at First Childbirth and Risk for Offspring Deaths, Accidents, and Suicide Attempts.

In a sample of over one million Swedish first-born offspring, we examined associations between early maternal age at first childbirth (MAFC; i.e., < 20 and 20-24 vs 25-29years) and offspring non-accidental deaths, accidental deaths, deaths by suicide, non-fatal accidents, and suicide attempts. We included year of birth and several maternal and paternal characteristics as covariates and conducted maternal cousin comparisons to adjust for unmeasured confounding. Early MAFC (e.g., teenage childbearing) was associated with all outcomes, with the most pronounced risk elevation for accidental deaths [Hazard Ratio (HR) < 20 2.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.23, 2.80], suicides (HR < 20 2.08, 95% CI 1.79, 2.41), and suicide attempts (HR < 20 2.85, 95% CI 2.71, 3.00). Adjusting for covariates and comparing cousins greatly attenuated associations (e.g., accidental deaths HR < 20 1.61, 95% CI 1.22, 2.11; suicides HR < 20 1.01, 95% CI 0.69, 1.47; and suicide attempts HR < 20 1.35, 95% CI 1.19, 1.52). A similar pattern emerged for non-accidental deaths and non-fatal accidents. Therefore, results indicated maternal background factors may be largely responsible for observed associations.