Search Results (3)

Background: Probiotic supplementation for very preterm infants is a common practice in many neonatal units. Assessing the effects of early postnatal exposure to probiotics on long-term neurodevelopment, growth, and atopy-related outcomes is important. Extremely preterm (EP: <28 weeks) infants enrolled in our previously reported randomized trial (SiMPro) comparing short-term effects of single (SS: B. breve M-16V) versus triple-strain (TS: B. breve M-16V, B. longum subsp. infantis-M63, B. longum subsp. longum-BB536) probiotic provided a unique opportunity to study this issue. Methods: This follow-up study assessed the five-year outcomes of SiMPro trial infants, including neurodevelopment (cognition (Full Scale Intelligence Quotient/ FSIQ using WPPSI-IV), behavior (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), executive function (BRIEF–P)), growth (anthropometry) and blood pressure (BP). Atopy-related outcomes were evaluated at six to seven years using the ISAAC questionnaire. A linear mixed model was used for longitudinal outcomes. Impairment indicators were modeled using logistic regression and adjusted for Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) centiles. Results: Follow-up rates (SS: 89.2% versus TS: 95%), neurodevelopmental outcomes [severe impairment (FSIQ < 70): SS: 7.4% versus TS: 4.3%; p = 0.68], growth, BMI, and BP were comparable between the SS and TS groups. The total difficulty score or BRIEF–P executive indices, disability rates (none: 66.7% versus 55.4%), and atopy-related outcomes were comparable between groups. Conclusions: Both TS and SS Bifidobacterium probiotic formulations were safe, with comparable neurodevelopmental, growth, and atopy-related outcomes at school age. Full article

Antenatal depression affects 10–20% of pregnant women, with notable adverse outcomes for the neonates. Limited studies have indicated a potential link between exposure to phthalate metabolites and depression. The association between phthalate metabolites and depression in pregnant women is unknown. We sought to evaluate the association of exposure to phthalate metabolites with depression severity score in US pregnant women. This cross-sectional study used data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 2005–2018 on pregnant adults who completed urinary profiles that examined 12 common phthalate metabolites. Linear and quantile sum regressions were used to evaluate the association between depressive symptoms (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9) and concentrations of phthalate metabolites. A total of 208 women were included in the analysis. These women’s mean (SD) age was 27.42 (5.78) years. We found that all the phthalates were associated with PHQ-9 scores except for mono (carboxyoctyl) and mono-isononyl phthalate. Similar results were observed with the association of high levels of phthalates with mild, moderate, and severe depression (PHQ-9 >4 vs. ≤4). All the phthalate metabolites remained significantly associated with depression scores in the adjusted analysis. Among all considered phthalate metabolites, a combination of MCNP, MBP, MiBP, MnBP, and MEHP contributed to the strongest association with higher depression scores. The relative importance was similar for MCNP (weight = 0.32) and MBP (weight = 0.31), followed by MiBP (weight = 0.12), MnBP (weight = 0.08), MEHP (0.07), and MEP (weight = 0.04) for depression scores. Our findings suggest that pregnant women with high exposure to phthalates are more likely to have higher depressive symptom scores. Full article

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of bisphenol (BP) exposure on pregnancy and neonatal life. We have (a) determined BP (BPA and BPS) concentration levels in a group of newborns and their mothers; (b) identified factors, habits, and devices possibly responsible for BP uptake; and (c) determined the effect of BP exposure. No significant correlations were detected between maternal and neonatal BP concentration levels. In newborns, positive correlations between pacifier use and BPS total (p = 0.04) and free BPS (p = 0.03) concentrations were detected. A significant correlation was also found between oral glucose administration and concentration levels of free BPA (p < 0.05). Our study points to a central role of lifestyle, hospital procedures, and neonatal devices in inducing BP exposure, especially during the perinatal period. This is the first report of BP contamination in newborns due to widely non-alimentary products designed for newborn care, such as glucose-solution containers for BPA and pacifiers for BPS. Further studies are advocated in order to clarify both the impact of other BP forms on human health and development, as well as potential BPA exposure sources during neonatal and childhood life. Full article