Animals ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Female ; Gravidity ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy

The weights at birth of 4767 children born in the Tari area between 1979 and 1986 were analyzed after the children had been allocated to seven environmental zones. The environments differ in the quality of land from which the staple food, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), is produced. Mean birthweight varies significantly by environment. Women do much of the day-to-day agricultural work. It is argued that women living in the poorer quality environments produce less food, suffer chronic malnourishment and have lighter babies as a result. From time to time, however, El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events can result in sharp and severe shortages in food in both favoured and poorer environments. The cause is complex and involves rainfall and women's work rates. These food shortages cause decreases in mean birthweight of up to 285 g for one or more years and an increase in the rate of low-weight births, even in the best environments. The implications for the long-term improvement of health are raised.
Birth Weight ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects ; Infant Mortality ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects ; Rural Population ; Papua New Guinea

Atopic dermatitis(AD)is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disease in children. The disease is characterized by dryness, chronic eczema-like lesions and obvious itching, seriously affecting the quality of life of children and their families. The pathogenesis of AD is not yet to be clear, and it might be the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to induce skin barrier impairment and immune system dysfunction. In recent years, the role of maternal factors or intrauterine environment exposure on childhood allergic diseases has been attracted attention, and the hypothesis that allergic diseases originate from the fetal period has been postulated. Maternal exposures called "early life exposure", such as nutritional factors during pregnancy (folate, vitamin D, vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acid) and tobacco exposure, home environmental exposure may be related with childhood atopic dermatitis. This article would focus on the recent research about maternal nutritional factors and family environmental exposure during pregnancy on offspring's atopic dermatitis.
Child ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Quality of Life ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Family

Atopic dermatitis(AD)is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disease in children. The disease is characterized by dryness, chronic eczema-like lesions and obvious itching, seriously affecting the quality of life of children and their families. The pathogenesis of AD is not yet to be clear, and it might be the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to induce skin barrier impairment and immune system dysfunction. In recent years, the role of maternal factors or intrauterine environment exposure on childhood allergic diseases has been attracted attention, and the hypothesis that allergic diseases originate from the fetal period has been postulated. Maternal exposures called "early life exposure", such as nutritional factors during pregnancy (folate, vitamin D, vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acid) and tobacco exposure, home environmental exposure may be related with childhood atopic dermatitis. This article would focus on the recent research about maternal nutritional factors and family environmental exposure during pregnancy on offspring's atopic dermatitis.
Child ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Quality of Life ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Family

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of maternal staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) administration during pregnancy on CD3⁺ TCR Vβ8⁺T cells of adult offspring rats.

METHODSPregnant maternal rats at gestational day (GD) 16 were injected intravenously with 15 µg SEB in 0.2 ml PBS (SEB group), and the control rats receive the same volume of PBS. Flow cytometry was used to determine the levels of CD3⁺ TCR Vβ8⁺T cells in both the thymus and peripheral blood of adult offspring rats and the response of these cells to a secondary SEB administration.

RESULTSMaternal SEB administration during pregnancy significantly decreased the percentages of CD3⁺TCR Vβ8⁺T cells in the thymus in adult female (1.760-2.714) and male (1.098-2.088) offspring rats (P<0.05). The change of CD3⁺TCR Vβ8⁺T cells in the peripheral blood was similar to that in the thymus. In the control adult offspring rats, SEB administration at adulthood significantly reduced the percentages of CD3⁺TCR Vβ8⁺T cells in both the thymus and peripheral blood (P<0.05). But in SEB group, a secondary SEB administration in adult offspring rats significantly increased the percentage of CD3⁺TCR Vβ8⁺T cells in the peripheral blood (P<0.05) but not in the thymus (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONMaternal SEB administration during pregnancy can change the response of CD3⁺ TCR Vβ8⁺T cells of adult offspring rats to a secondary SEB administration.

Animals ; Enterotoxins ; adverse effects ; Female ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of lead exposure at different levels in utero on the teeth eruption and enamel development of rat offsprings.

METHODS27 pregnant SD rats were divided into three groups randomly: high level lead group (HLG), low level lead group (LLG) and control group with nine rats in each group. The three groups from the gestation day to the end of the gestation were given either deionized water in control group or deionized water containing 200 mg/L Pb2+ as lead acetate through drinking method in high level lead experimental group and 50 mg/L Pb2+ as lead acetate through drinking method in low level lead experimental group. The incisors of newborn rats were marked at the level of the gingival papilla on the 26th day after birth. On the 36th day, the incisors of newborn rats were marked again at the same level. Then the rat offsprings were killed and their blood was collected for lead analysis. The mandible incisors of rat offspring were separated and the content of Pb in incisors was determined by using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric method. The teeth of rat offspring were observed and the distance between two marks were measured by means of stereomicroscope. The ratio of calcium to phosphate of enamel of rat offspring was compared by electron probe microanalyses.

RESULTSThe level of blood lead in 200 mg/L, 50 mg/L treated rat offspring groups was higher than that in control group. The tooth lead of 200 mg/L, 50 mg/L treated rat offspring groups [(77.3 +/- 6.3), (27.8 +/- 4.5) microg/g] were higher than the control [(6.6 +/- 0.8) microg/g, P < 0.01]. Compared with the control group, the teeth of lead exposure experimental groups were smaller and severity of attrition was obvious and pulpal perforations were often observed. These appearances was more distinct in rats of high level lead experimental group. The incisors of lead-treated rat offspring erupted [(0.25 +/- 0.08), (0.30 +/- 0.09) mm/d] more slowly than control ones [(0.39 +/- 0.09) mm/d, P < 0.01]. The ratio of calcium to phosphate (Ca/P) decreased with the increase of lead exposure. It was found that Ca/P in lead exposure experimental groups (1.68 +/- 0.54), (1.37 +/- 0.47) was significantly lower than that in the control group (2.14 +/- 0.33).

CONCLUSIONLead exposure in utero affects the normal eruption of teeth and enamel formation and the degree was related with the lead exposure level.

Animals ; Enamel Organ ; drug effects ; Female ; Lead ; adverse effects ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tooth Eruption ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between pesticide exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes in famers.

METHODSA search was conducted to collect the articles about the relationship between pesticide exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes published worldwide from 1990 to February 2012. Meta-analysis was performed on the collected articles using RevMan 4.2 software.

RESULTSTwelve articles were collected. Compared with the controls, the pesticide-exposed famers showed a combined odds ratio (OR) for spontaneous abortion of 1.52 (95%CI: 1.04 ∼ 2.21; P = 0.03), a combined OR for premature birth of 1.33 (95%CI: 1.09 ∼ 1.61; P = 0.005), a combined OR for dead fetus of 1.22 (95%CI: 1.16 ∼ 1.29; P < 0.01), a combined OR for stillbirth of 1.90 (95%CI: 0.58 ∼ 6.28; P = 0.29), a combined OR for birth defect of 2.02 (95%CI: 0.84 - 4.69; P = 0.12), a combined OR for low birth weight of 1.62 (95%CI: 0.60 ∼ 4.39; P = 0.34), a combined OR for neonatal death of 2.18 (95%CI: 0.54 ∼ 8.88; P = 0.28), and a combined OR for delayed conception of 1.43 (95%CI: 0.93 ∼ 2.18; P = 0.1). Pesticide exposure increased the risks for spontaneous abortion, premature birth, and dead fetus, but was not significantly associated with stillbirth, birth defect, low birth weight, neonatal death, and delayed conception.

CONCLUSIONPesticide exposure can cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in farmers, increasing the risks of spontaneous abortion, premature birth, and dead fetus.

Agriculture ; Female ; Humans ; Maternal Exposure ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Rural Population

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between parental exposure to chemicals and the risk of childhood acute leukemia.

METHODSAn exploratory case-control study was conducted among 201 new cases of childhood acute leukemia under 15 years old who went to 3 children's hospitals in Shanghai, China from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010, as well as 201 sex- and age-matched children (as controls) who went to the child health care clinic or department of orthopedics in the above hospitals. A survey was performed by face-to-face interviews with children's mothers.

RESULTSThe risk factors for childhood acute leukemia might include maternal exposure to total chemicals (diesel oil, gasoline, paints, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers) from 3 months before pregnancy to the end of pregnancy (OR = 2.9, 95%CI = 1.1 ∼ 7.8), paternal exposure to insecticides (OR = 10.1, 95%CI = 1.2 ∼ 82.9) and chemical fertilizers (OR = 9.5, 95%CI = 1.1 ∼ 79.6) within 3 months before pregnancy, maternal working experiences in agriculture and forestry before pregnancy (OR = 8.4, 95%CI = 1.4 ∼ 50.2) and in spinning, leather processing, decoration, and vehicle repair before pregnancy (OR = 3.0, 95%CI = 1.2 ∼ 7.9) and during pregnancy (OR = 3.2, 95%CI = 1.1 ∼ 9.6), and paternal working experiences in agriculture and forestry (OR = 9.6, 95%CI = 2.1-44.8) and in spinning, leather processing, decoration, and vehicle repair (OR = 2.3, 95%CI = 1.1-5.0).

CONCLUSIONParental exposure to chemicals may increase the risk of childhood acute leukemia in their offspring.

Acute Disease ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; etiology ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVECryptorchidism is the most common urogenital congenital malformations in males, which increases male infertility and testicular tumors. It is necessary to identify its risk factors.

METHODSA hospital-based case-control study was conducted. Cases were 99 boys with cryptorchidism with two matched controls per case were randomly selected. Both cases and controls were interviewed with a uniformed questionnaire by face to face. Conditional logistic regression model was used for univariable and multivariate analysis by SAS6.12 computer software was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and their 95 per cent confidence internals (95% CI).

RESULTSMultiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that cryptorchidism was positively associated with maternal common cold accompanied fever in the first trimester (OR = 9.37, 95% CI: 2.25 - 39.09), with threatened abortion in the first and/or second trimester (OR = 4.66, 95% CI: 2.02 - 10.74), maternal preeclampsia during pregnancy (OR = 16.33, 95% CI: 1.40 - 191.20), paternal exposure to pesticides occupationally (OR = 12.79, 95% CI: 2.90 - 56.43), neonatal low birth weight (OR = 5.77, 95% CI: 1.39 - 23.98), and maternal age under 24 years (OR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.29 - 4.06).

CONCLUSIONSThe risk factors of cryptorchidism were maternal common cold accompanied fever in the first trimester, threatened abortion in the first and/or second trimester, maternal preeclampsia during pregnancy, paternal exposure to pesticides occupationally, neonatal low birth weight, maternal age under 24 years.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptorchidism ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Paternal Exposure ; adverse effects ; Pesticides ; adverse effects ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Risk Factors

To investigate the effects of maternal exposure to 13 chemicals mixture (CM) during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome and health status of maternal/offspring mice. C57BL/6 pregnant mice were given drinking water containing carbaryl dimethoate glyphosate methomyl methyl parathion triadimefon aspartame sodium benzoate calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate ethylparaben butylparaben bisphenol A and acacia gum The effects of CM exposure on pregnancy outcome, health status of dams/offspring, levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines in dams/offspring and emotional related behaviors of offspring were evaluated. CM exposure during pregnancy had no significant effect on pregnancy outcome, liver function, body weight of the dams in late pregnancy and uterine/ovarian weight after delivery, however, it led to an increase in maternal serum IFN-γ level （<0.05）. CM exposure during pregnancy had no significant effect on the liver function of offspring, but increased the serum IFN-γ, prefrontal cortex IFN-γ, and TNF-α and hippocampus IFN-γ levels in the offspring（all <0.01）. In addition, the offspring of CM group showed significant abnormal emotion-related (autism-like) behaviors in adulthood, especially in male offspring. Low dose CM exposure during pregnancy may induce inflammation status in dams/offspring, and lead to autism-like behaviors in offspring, indicating the potential effects of low dose CM exposure on human maternal and infant health.
Adult ; Animals ; Autistic Disorder/chemically induced* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced*