In utero exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, micro-RNA profiles, and fetal growth: a pilot study protocol.

Background: The developing fetus is particularly vulnerable to the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Molecular fingerprints of EDCs can be identified via microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles and may be etiologically implicated in the developmental origin of disease (DOHaD). Methods/design: This pilot study includes pregnant women at high risk (smoking at conception), and low risk (non-smoking at conception) for SGA birth (birthweight<10th percentile for gestational age). We have randomly selected 12 mothers (3 high-risk SGA birth, 3 low-risk SGA birth, 3 high-risk non-SGA birth, 3 low-risk non-SGA birth), with EDC measurements from gestational week 17. All offspring are female. We aim to test the stability of our samples (maternal serum, cord blood, placenta tissue), observe the differential expression of miRNA profiles over time (gestational weeks 17, 25, 33, 37, birth), and study the consistency between maternal EDC measures and miRNA expression profiles across our repeated measures. Expected impact of the study for Public Health: Results from this pilot study will inform the development of a larger cohort wide analysis, and will impact the current state of knowledge in the fields of public health, epigenetics, and the DOHaD.

Metformin's effect on first-year weight gain: a follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of metformin medication in pregnant women with polycystic ovary syndrome on weight gain during pregnancy and after delivery and the impact on growth of the offspring are essentially unexplored. METHODS: This is a follow-up study of a randomized controlled trial (The Metformin treatment in pregnant PCOS women study), conducted in 11 secondary care centers. Women with PCOS were randomized to metformin (2000 mg daily) or placebo from first trimester to delivery. Questionnaires were sent to 256 participants 1 year postpartum. Maternal weight development in pregnancy and the first year after delivery and offspring anthropometry at birth and weight 1 year postpartum were registered. RESULTS: Women randomized to metformin gained less weight during pregnancy compared with those in the placebo group. In the newborns, there was no difference between the 2 groups in weight or length. One year postpartum, women who used metformin in pregnancy lost less weight and their infants were heavier than those in the placebo group (10.2 ± 1.2 kg vs 9.7 ± 1.1 kg, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Women randomized to metformin were heavier in the first trimester, gained less weight in pregnancy, and lost less weight in the first year postpartum compared with women randomized to placebo. Children exposed to metformin weighed more at 1 year of age.

Being born small for gestational age reduces white matter integrity in adulthood: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Being born small for gestational age (SGA) (birth weight <10th percentile) is connected to decreased white matter (WM) integrity in newborns and increased prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in adulthood. The aims of this study were to investigate whether being born SGA at term affects WM integrity in young adulthood and to explore possible relationships between fractional anisotropy (FA) and pre- and perinatal factors and cognitive and psychiatric outcomes in adulthood in SGA and controls. METHODS: Diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics were conducted to test for voxelwise differences in FA in SGAs (n = 46) and controls (n = 57) at 18-22 y. RESULTS: As compared with controls SGAs had reduced FA in ventral association tracts and internal/external capsules. In the SGAs, no relationship was found between FA and intrauterine head growth in the third trimester, although total intelligence quotient was negatively correlated to FA. In controls, a positive correlation was found between FA and brain growth in the third trimester and maternal smoking. No relationship was found between FA and psychiatric measures in SGAs or controls. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that being born SGA leads to reduced WM integrity in adulthood, and suggest that different factors modulate the development of WM in SGA and control groups.