Stephanie Vachon , Rajiv Devanagondi , Andrew Dylag , Hongyue Wang , Gloria Pryhuber
{"title":"The effectiveness of pulmonary hypertension screening in infants born preterm","authors":"Stephanie Vachon , Rajiv Devanagondi , Andrew Dylag , Hongyue Wang , Gloria Pryhuber","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To determine if pulmonary hypertension (PH) screening in at-risk infants born preterm reduces morbidity and/or NICU length of stay.</div></div><div><h3>Study design</h3><div>This single-center retrospective cohort chart review compared infants born <32 weeks gestational age (GA) before and after the implementation of an updated PH screening guideline. Screening eligibility and PH diagnosis were determined by applying the standardized criteria to patients in both epochs. NICU and post-discharge outcomes were determined by chart review.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Pre- (<em>N</em> = 513) and post-screening (<em>N</em> = 544) epochs had similar gestational age and demographic characteristics. More echocardiograms were obtained in post-screening infants resulting in more PH diagnoses (11.5 % vs. 16.5 %, <em>p</em> = 0.02) at a younger median post-natal age [day of life 73 (28–193) vs. 55 (28–212), median and range, <em>p</em> = 0.01]. PH+ infants in the post-screen epoch were discharged at a younger median post-natal age [127 (49–407) vs 113.5 (46–433) days, p = 0.02] and corrected GA [43.6 (36.7–87.4) vs 41.7 (36.6–64.9) weeks, <em>p</em> = 0.03].</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>PH screening protocol with multidisciplinary team involvement may be associated with increased detection of PH in at risk infants yet a shorter NICU stay in infants with PH.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106342"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jinfeng Hou (侯金凤), Mengying Cui (崔梦莺), Yi Wang (王佚), Zhenhua Guo (郭振华), Wei Feng (冯伟), Wei Liu (刘伟)
{"title":"Exploring congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in preterm and low weight infants: A Western China perspective","authors":"Jinfeng Hou (侯金凤), Mengying Cui (崔梦莺), Yi Wang (王佚), Zhenhua Guo (郭振华), Wei Feng (冯伟), Wei Liu (刘伟)","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106341","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106341","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics of congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (CHPS) patients with different gestational ages and admission weights.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>The clinical records of CHPS patients between 2008 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were classified into two main groups: premature group and full-term group. Moreover, they were further divided into two subgroups based on their admission weight, namely the ≤3 kg group and the >3 kg group.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The median age at the onset of the disease for premature infants was found to be later than that for full-term infants, with values of 29.00 days and 22.00 days respectively (P = 0.015). In terms of the proportion of patients with dehydration, it was significantly higher in the premature infants group compared to the full-term infants group, reaching 45.83 % and 25.30 % respectively (P = 0.026). Regarding the median pyloric muscle thickness, it was 0.45 (0.43–0.515) cm in the weight ≤3 kg group and 0.48 (0.43-0.53) cm in the weight >3 kg group, with a significant difference (P = 0.028).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>There are distinct differences in the clinical characteristics of CHPS patients with different gestational ages at birth and admission weights. Premature infants show a later onset age and a higher proportion of dehydration. Additionally, the pyloric muscle thickness is also related to the admission weight of infants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106341"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679125","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Public health measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: Mothers' perceptions of emotional and physical closeness with their preterm infant before, during, and after the NICU stay","authors":"Valérie Lebel , Paméla Hamel-Hilaréguy , Sharmin Zahin , Francine de Montigny","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106343","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106343","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic have been shown to affect parents' physical and emotional closeness with their preterm infant in the NICU. However, no study has explored the effects of these restrictions on new mothers' perinatal trajectory.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To explore mothers' perceptions regarding the impact of public health measures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic on their emotional and physical closeness to their preterm infant before, during, and after their NICU hospitalization.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This qualitative descriptive study included 14 mothers who gave birth to a preterm infant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mothers participated in semi-structured Zoom interviews conducted between May 2021 and January 2022.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Analysis of the mothers' narratives revealed that COVID-19 restrictions affected emotional and physical closeness throughout their perinatal experience. The main theme identified in mothers' accounts of the pregnancy period was “inconsistency and ignorance”. For the childbirth period, the main theme was “loneliness and disconnected contact”. During hospitalization, the emerging theme was “missed opportunities for physical and emotional closeness”. In the post-hospitalization period, mothers described the theme “connecting more versus struggling to connect due to poor mental health”.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>According to mothers, public health measures affected their emotional and physical bond with their infants before, during, and after their NICU stay. In the event of another pandemic, it would be crucial to reassess the implemented public health measures and provide support to parents through their entire perinatal experience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106343"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144679124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Durations of first and second stage of labour and perinatal outcome","authors":"Mia Elida Larsen Ersdal , Ketil Størdal , Yuda Munyaw , Paschal Mdoe , Estomih Mduma , Hege Langli Ersdal , Jørgen Erland Linde","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106340","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106340","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate the duration of active first and second stage of labour, specifically the new alert values recommended by the World Health Organisation in 2018, in relation to intrapartum stillbirths and 24-h newborn outcome (i.e. 24-h perinatal outcome).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A prospective observational study including deliveries at Haydom Lutheran Hospital in rural Tanzania between March 2013 through November 2018. Information about labour, delivery and newborn characteristics/outcome was recorded on data collection forms by trained data collectors, observing every delivery. Of 22,199 deliveries 12,481 were included. Exclusion criteria were: missing time variables, caesarean section, multiples and antepartum stillbirths. Logistic regression was used to model whether duration of labour was associated with risk of adverse outcome. Our main outcome measure was 24-h perinatal outcome.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>24-h postpartum, 454 (3.6 %) newborns were dead (intrapartum stillbirths <em>n</em> = 118, newborn deaths <em>n</em> = 63) or admitted to Neonatal Unit (<em>n</em> = 273). Duration of first stage was categorised: <6 (<em>n</em> = 900), 6- < 12 (<em>n</em> = 9204), and ≥ 12 h (<em>n</em> = 2377), with no significant relation to adverse perinatal outcome for either group (<em>p</em> = 0.431).</div><div>Duration of second stage was categorised: <1 (<em>n</em> = 12,342) and ≥ 1 h (<em>n</em> = 139). Duration ≥1 h was associated with adverse perinatal outcome, OR 3.38 (95 % CI 1.95–5.88) when adjusted for foetal heart rate during labour and before delivery, gestational age and birth weight.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Duration of first stage was not associated with adverse outcome. Second stage ≥1 h was associated with adverse outcome by more than a three-fold. Our findings are not in accordance with the new recommendations from the World Health Organisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106340"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The influence of physical, psychological and sociocultural factors on cognitive performance: A nationwide cross-sectional analysis in 10–12-year-old Danish children","authors":"Rune Rasmussen Lind , Thomas Rostgaard Andersen , Mikkel Malling Beck , Mads Madsen , Esben Elholm Madsen , Jesper Lundbye-Jensen , Svend Sparre Geertsen , Peter Krustrup , Malte Nejst Larsen","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106339","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106339","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To assess the associations between exercise capacity, body composition, demographic characteristics, well-being dimensions, and leisure-time sports background with cognitive performance in children aged 10–12 years.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional study was conducted with 2470 Danish schoolchildren aged 10–12. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Cogstate Brief Battery, measuring psychomotor function, attention, working memory, and visual learning. Exercise capacity was evaluated using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 Children's Test (YYIR1C). Body composition, including BMI, fat percentage, and muscle mass percentage, was assessed with bioelectrical impedance analysis. Well-being was measured using a modified KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire, and demographic characteristics and leisure-time sports background data were collected via self-reports. Linear mixed regression models were applied, adjusting for school-class as a random effect.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Higher exercise capacity was significantly associated with better cognitive performance across all domains (<em>p</em> < 0.05). Boys exhibited faster reaction times in psychomotor function, attention, and working memory tasks (<em>p</em> < 0.001), while no sex differences were observed in visual learning (<em>p</em> = 0.684). School well-being positively correlated with attention and working memory performance, but no associations were found with other well-being dimensions. Body composition (BMI, fat percentage, muscle mass) and leisure-time sports background were not associated with cognitive performance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Exercise capacity, but not body composition or sports participation, emerged as a key predictor of cognitive performance. These findings suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness, rather than body composition or sports background, is a general predictor of cognitive performance in children. School well-being and sex also influenced cognitive test performance, highlighting the importance of considering both physical and psychological factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106339"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Longitudinal effects of gestational age on academic performance in children born preterm","authors":"Jamie Mahurin-Smith , Stephen Petrill","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106329","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106329","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate longitudinal changes in reading and math performance among children born prematurely.</div></div><div><h3>Study design</h3><div>We evaluated data from across an 8-year period for 768 participants in the Western Reserve Reading and Math Project (WRRMP). We assessed their performance on Woodcock-Johnson math and reading subtests as a function of gestational age and parental education.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>On the reading comprehension, word identification, and applied math subtests, gestational age was associated with performance decrements, while parental education was linked to improved performance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Preterm birth continues to predict lower standardized test scores for reading and math across the time period of this longitudinal dataset; higher levels of parent education partially offset these effects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106329"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping the effects of nurses' developmental care education on infants and families in a surgical neonatal intensive care unit: An observational study","authors":"Nadine Griffiths , Annabel Webb , Sharon Laing , Kaye Spence , Himanshu Popat , Lynn Sinclair","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106327","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106327","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developmental care (DC) mitigates the impact of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stressors on infants and their families. However, the effect of variable exposure to DC-educated nurses on infant and parent outcomes remains unclear. Social network analysis (SNA), which maps relationships and interaction patterns, was used to evaluate the influence of nurse DC education in a surgical NICU (sNICU). In this prospective observational study, 45 infants >34 weeks' gestation, their parents, and sNICU nurses participated. We examined associations between nurse DC education levels and infants' behavioural and physiological responses during caregiving, nurses' perceptions of infant behaviour, and parents' perceptions of nurse support. Nearly one-third of infants received care from DC-educated nurses for less than half of their hospital admission. Exposure to nurses without DC education was associated with higher odds of infant inconsolability [OR: 11.30 (1.32; 96.56), <em>p</em> = .027], increased requirement for support during caregiving (<em>p</em> = .032) and reduced parental perception of emotional support from nurses [Mean Difference − 0.16 (−0.31; −0.01), <em>p</em> = .043]. Decreased continuity of care (repeat nurse allocation) significantly increased the likelihood of parental depression at 4 months corrected gestational age [OR: 1.93 (1.02; 3.66), <em>p</em> = .044]. These findings highlight the immediate and longer-term effects of DC education and consistent caregiving exposure on parent and infant outcomes. Based on these findings integrating evidence-based DC education and promoting continuity of care in sNICUs should be prioritised to optimise developmental outcomes and support emotional wellbeing during a critical period of infant and family adaptation within and beyond the NICU.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106327"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144563916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lara Quinten , Giancarlo Natalucci , Mark Adams , Cristina Borradori-Tolsa , Myriam Bickle-Graz , Sebastian Grunt , the Swiss Neonatal Network and Follow-up Group
{"title":"Incidence, subtypes and severity of cerebral palsy in infants born extremely preterm in Switzerland: A retrospective study comparing two time periods","authors":"Lara Quinten , Giancarlo Natalucci , Mark Adams , Cristina Borradori-Tolsa , Myriam Bickle-Graz , Sebastian Grunt , the Swiss Neonatal Network and Follow-up Group","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106328","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106328","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In 2011, the Swiss Society of Neonatology issued new guidelines for the care of preterm infants at the limit of viability leading to higher survival of infants born <28 weeks of gestation. It is unclear whether and how these recommendations affected the prevalence and severity of cerebral palsy (CP).</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To investigate whether the prevalence, severity, and subtypes of CP in extremely preterm infants differ in two successive birth cohorts.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Retrospective, population-based analysis of prospectively collected data on infants born <28 weeks of gestation. CP prevalence, subtypes (Surveillance of cerebral palsy in Europe – SCPE classification), and severity (Gross Motor Function Classification System - GMFCS) assessed at 2 years corrected were compared between the two birth cohorts (2006–2011 and 2012–2017).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 3244 registered infants, 2090 survived, of whom 1764 were followed up (84 %). Mortality was 38 % for the first period and 33 % for the second (<em>p</em> = 0.003) and 112 were diagnosed with CP. CP prevalence was 34.5 per 1000 live births (37.0 for 2006–2011 and 32.4 for birth-years 2012–2017, <em>p</em> = 0.476). A trend towards more bilateral spastic CP (2006–2011: 32 % and 2012–2017: 50 %, <em>p</em> = 0.055) and more severe cases (2006–2011: 14.3 % and 2012–2017: 24.9 %, <em>p</em> = 0.154) was observed in the second period. CP severity was associated with cystic periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) (OR 3.4, 95 %-CI 1.1–10.3, <em>p</em> = 0.033) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (OR 5.5, 95 % CI 1.2–25.1, <em>p</em> = 0.028) but not with other neonatal morbidities.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These results suggest that the greater number of bilateral forms and severe cases of CP could be due to the higher number of surviving infants in the 2011–2017 cohort. PVL and NEC are the factors mostly associated with severe cases of CP in Switzerland.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"209 ","pages":"Article 106328"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Babette Steigelmann , Nienke H. Van Dokkum , Arend F. Bos , Elisabeth M.W. Kooi , Kirsten R. Heineman
{"title":"Crying behavior and emotional-behavioral outcomes in high-risk very preterm infants: A prospective cohort study","authors":"Babette Steigelmann , Nienke H. Van Dokkum , Arend F. Bos , Elisabeth M.W. Kooi , Kirsten R. Heineman","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106326","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106326","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Regulatory problems (RPs), including excessive crying (EC), sleeping, and feeding difficulties, affect 5–20 % of infants. Their association with later behavioral and emotional problems remains unclear, particularly in preterm populations at elevated neurodevelopmental risk.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This prospective observational study included 329 high-risk very preterm infants (gestational age <30 weeks and/or birthweight <1000 g). Parental reports of crying behavior (hours/day) were collected at three and six months corrected age. Emotional and behavioral outcomes were assessed using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) at 12 months and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 24 months. Univariable and multivariable linear regressions were conducted, correcting for perinatal risk factors and maternal trait anxiety.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 329 infants (56 % male; mean gestational age 28 weeks), 42 (13 %) exhibited EC (≥3 h/day) at three months of age. Crying behavior was associated with higher BITSEA problem scores in univariable analysis (<em>β</em> = 0.187, <em>p</em> = 0.009), but not in multivariable analysis (<em>β</em> = 0.157, <em>p</em> = 0.215). No significant associations were observed between crying behavior and CBCL internalizing or externalizing scores in univariable (<em>β</em> = 0.066, <em>p</em> = 0.459; <em>β</em> = 0.038, <em>p</em> = 0.672) or multivariable analysis (<em>β</em> = 0.301, <em>p</em> = 0.052; <em>β</em> = 0.202, <em>p</em> = 0.222). Maternal trait anxiety was significantly associated with higher BITSEA problem scores (<em>β</em> = 0.353, <em>p</em> = 0.006).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In very preterm infants, crying behavior was not associated with emotional or behavioral problems, offering reassurance to families. Further studies should explore its influence on other developmental domains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 106326"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144501373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alex Claiborne , Filip Jevtovic , Ericka M. Biagioni , Breanna Wisseman , Dylan Steen , Kara Kern , Brittany Roenker , Lindsey Rossa , Caitlyn Ollmann , James Devente , Perrie F. O'tierney-Ginn , Tomoko Kaneko-Tarui , George A. Kelley , Joseph A. Houmard , Nicholas T. Broskey , Linda E. May
{"title":"Prenatal exercise regulates influence of parental body mass index on birth outcomes","authors":"Alex Claiborne , Filip Jevtovic , Ericka M. Biagioni , Breanna Wisseman , Dylan Steen , Kara Kern , Brittany Roenker , Lindsey Rossa , Caitlyn Ollmann , James Devente , Perrie F. O'tierney-Ginn , Tomoko Kaneko-Tarui , George A. Kelley , Joseph A. Houmard , Nicholas T. Broskey , Linda E. May","doi":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2025.106313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Offspring body mass index is often higher in parents with overweight or obesity, thereby increasing the risk of obesity later in life. As data has shown that exercise during pregnancy reduces gestational weight gain and offspring adiposity, we believe the intergenerational risk of obesity could be reduced.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to test the influence of paternal and maternal overweight or obesity on neonatal body mass index and other birth measures, and whether exercise during pregnancy would improve outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Prenatal exercise (aerobic, resistance, or combination) was provided as a supervised exercise intervention throughout pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy body mass index was reported by mothers and fathers at enrollment. Gestational age (GA), neonatal resting heart rate (rHR), morphometrics (body circumferences, weight-to-length, body mass index), Apgar, and reflex scores were obtained at birth. Independent samples <em>t</em>-tests assessed the effect of exercise, while one-way ANOVA was used to detect group differences. Pearson product-moment correlations tested the intergenerational relationship of body mass index.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Birth outcomes were obtained for 220 women (CON: 62, AE: 68, RE: 39, AERE: 51). Women participated in exercise for an average of 17 weeks during pregnancy. Birth weight tended to be higher in offspring born to 1 or 2 parents with overweight or obesity (<em>p</em> = .07), thereby increasing birth weight-length ratio (<em>p</em> = .05). BMI was reduced for neonates born to exercising mothers (<em>p</em> = .08) and fathers with OB.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These data suggest exercise during pregnancy could prevent the intergenerational cycle of obesity from parent to offspring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11435,"journal":{"name":"Early human development","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 106313"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}