Relación entre la función motora y el rendimiento cognitivo / Relationship between motor function and cognitive performance

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Atherogenic lipid profile of Brazilian near-term newborns.

Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in Brazil. Recent studies have shown that low birth weight and preterm birth are linked to a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to compare the levels of lipids and apolipoproteins and atherogenic indexes between term and near-term newborn infants. A sample of umbilical cord blood was obtained from 135 newborns (66 males) divided into two groups: 25 near-term neonates (35-36.6 weeks of gestational age) and 110 term neonates (37-42 weeks of gestational age). The total cholesterol concentrations were higher in the near-term neonates than in the term group (94.04 +/- 8.02 vs 70.42 +/- 1.63 mg/dl, P < 0.01), due to an increase in the LDL-cholesterol fraction in the near-term group (57.76 +/- 6.39 vs 34.38 +/- 1.29 mg/dl, P < 0.001). The atherogenic indexes (total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I) were higher in the near-term group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.05, respectively). The gestational age of the newborns was inversely correlated with total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, and also with the total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol indexes. These findings demonstrate that the lipid profile is worse in the group of near-term neonates compared with the term group. Future studies are needed to determine if this atherogenic profile in near-term neonates can affect body metabolism, increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases in adult life.

Atherogenic lipid profile of Brazilian near-term newborns

Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in Brazil. Recent studies have shown that low birth weight and preterm birth are linked to a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to compare the levels of lipids and apolipoproteins and atherogenic indexes between term and near-term newborn infants. A sample of umbilical cord blood was obtained from 135 newborns (66 males) divided into two groups: 25 near-term neonates (35-36.6 weeks of gestational age) and 110 term neonates (37-42 weeks of gestational age). The total cholesterol concentrations were higher in the near-term neonates than in the term group (94.04 ± 8.02 vs 70.42 ± 1.63 mg/dl, P < 0.01), due to an increase in the LDL-cholesterol fraction in the near-term group (57.76 ± 6.39 vs 34.38 ± 1.29 mg/dl, P < 0.001). The atherogenic indexes (total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I) were higher in the near-term group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.05, respectively). The gestational age of the newborns was inversely correlated with total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, and also with the total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol indexes. These findings demonstrate that the lipid profile is worse in the group of near-term neonates compared with the term group. Future studies are needed to determine if this atherogenic profile in near-term neonates can affect body metabolism, increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases in adult life.

Does maternal smoking influence leptin levels in term, appropriate-for-gestational-age newborns?

OBJECTIVES: Leptin, a hormone produced in adipose tissue and the placenta, is correlated with neonatal growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on cord blood leptin concentrations in term, appropriate-for-gestational-age infants. METHODS: Two groups of term, appropriate-for-gestational-age newborns were selected: 19 infants of smoking mothers and 91 infants of non-smoking mothers. Neonatal anthropometric measurements were taken and leptin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Leptin concentrations were similar (p=0.915) between the groups. Leptin levels correlated only with ponderal index (p < 0.01) and gestational age of the newborns (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that maternal smoking during pregnancy does not affect cord blood leptin levels in term, appropriate-for-gestational-age infants.

[Birth weight and hospital mortality among liveborn infants, 1975-1996]. / Peso ao nascer e mortalidade hospitalar entre nascidos vivos, 1975-1996.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the trend of birth weight and hospital mortality rate of newborns, in a maternity hospital of Campinas, SP. METHODS: A total of 215,435 births of a maternity hospital in Campinas, S. Paulo State, Brazil, was studied between 1976 and 1996. Information was collected from registration files and annual reports of medical care. All the newborns from that period were included. The causes of death that occurred before the discharge, regardless the age, were analyzed. For data analysis, Epi info 6.01 method was used. RESULTS: Birth weight distribution remained the same for the 22 years period studied. Low birth weight was seen in about 9% of newborns, and accounted for 82% of hospital deaths in 1996. Below average weight was observed in about 24% of the newborns. We could notice an improvement in survival for those who had a birth weight between 1,000 g and 1,999 g. In 1975, 13.3% of those with weights between 1,000 g and 1,499 g survived and 73.8% of those who weighed between 1,500 g and 1,999 g. In 1996, survival rates increased to 69. 1% and 87.7% respectively. Hospital mortality rate among infants whose weight was below 1,000 g remained high, between 78.9% and 100%, even in the 90's. There was a reduction of hospital mortality rates from 17 to 11 per thousand live births. CONCLUSIONS: There was not any change in the distribution of birth weight despite improvements in life conditions of Campinas population. The decrease in mortality rates is due to improvement in health care which is very expensive. There is a need of other studies to allow why birth weight distribution remained the same.

[Is adolescent pregnancy a risk factor for low birth weight?] / A gravidez na adolescência é fator de risco para o baixo peso ao nascer?

OBJECTIVE: This paper was designed to study the pregnancy in adolescence as a risk factor for low birth weight.METHODOLOGY: A case-control study was designed, including 354 mothers whose babies' weight was less than 2.5 kg and another group of the same size, with babies of 3.0 kg or more. All deliveries took place at Maternidade de Campinas, and all mothers were interviewed and compared. Besides mother's age, other variables that could offer risk of low birth weight were also evaluated. A multiple logistic regression analysis was applied, to control possible influences of these variables.RESULTS: Adolescents accounted for 22.9% of the mothers whose babies had low birth weight. The risk of low birth weight among this group (OR=0.72; 95%IC=0.45-1.14; p=0.16) was not considered greater when compared with that of mothers between 20 and 34 years old (before and after correction for income, marital status, educational level, race, previous pregnancies, prenatal assistance, exposure to smoking and caffeine, arterial hypertension, weight prior to pregnancy and employment). Complementary analysis showed that pregnancy in adolescence is a protection factor against intrauterine growth retardation (OR=0.24; 95%IC =0.10-0.56; p= 0.001).CONCLUSION: In this population, pregnancy in adolescence did not represent a greater risk for occurrence of low birth weight, when others factors like psychosocial, pre-gestational risks, smoking and poor prenatal care were controlled for.

[Weight gain of very-low-birth-weight newborns]. / Evolução ponderal de recém-nascidos de muito baixo peso.

The objective of this investigation was to study weight changes at the postnatal period of 61 very-low-birth-weight newborns who survived out of 114 alive newborns from October 93 to October 94. They were grouped according to their birth-weight (750-999 g, 1000-1249 g, 1250-1499 g), gestational age (<30 weeks, 30-31 weeks, 32-33 weeks, > or = 34 weeks) and adequacy of weight for gestational age (AGA, SGA). The weight variation was expressed in percentage according to the birth-weight and in g/kg/day. In all groups there was an initial loss of weight within the first five days of life. The groups which were smaller than 1250 g and younger than 30 weeks presented the greatest loss of weight and the longest period to recover it. The recovery of birth occurred similarly in all groups, with an average of 15 g/kg/day. The difference between the SGA and the AGA may be attributed to the groups' different gestational ages. Being aware of the way the newborns grow will permit early detection of deviations which may affect their quality of life.