Breast milk (BM) hormones have been hypothesised as a nutritional link between maternal and infant metabolic health. This study aimed to evaluate hormone concentrations in BM of women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and the relationship between maternal factors, BM hormones and infant growth. We studied ninety-six nulliparous women with (n 48) and without GDM and their exclusively breastfed term singletons. Women with GDM received dietary therapy or insulin injection for euglycaemia during pregnancy. Hormone concentrations in BM, maternal BMI and infant growth were longitudinally evaluated on postnatal days 3, 42 and 90. Mothers with GDM had decreased concentrations of adiponectin (P colostrum < 0·001; P mature-milk = 0·009) and ghrelin (P colostrum = 0·011; P mature-milk < 0·001) and increased concentration of insulin in BM (P colostrum = 0·047; P mature-milk = 0·021). Maternal BMI was positively associated with adiponectin (β = 0·06; 95 % CI 0·02, 0·1; P = 0·001), leptin (β = 0·16; 95 % CI 0·12, 0·2; P < 0·001) and insulin concentrations (β = 0·06; 95 % CI 0·02, 0·1; P < 0·001), and inversely associated with ghrelin concentration in BM (β = -0·08; 95 % CI -0·1, -0·06; P < 0·001). Among the four hormones, adiponectin was inversely associated with infant growth in both the GDM (β weight-for-height = -2·49; 95 % CI -3·83, -1·15; P < 0·001; β head-circumference = -0·39; 95 % CI -0·65, -0·13; P = 0·003) and healthy groups (β weight-for-height = -1·42; 95 % CI -2·38, -0·46; P = 0·003; β head-circumference = -0·15; 95 % CI -0·27, -0·03; P = 0·007). Maternal BMI and GDM are important determinants of BM hormone concentrations. Milk-borne adiponectin is determined by maternal metabolic status and plays an independent down-regulating role in early infant growth.

Aims/IntroductionThe present meta‐analysis was carried out to assess the association between exposure to the level of atmospheric particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5; fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) and type 2 diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Materials and MethodsWe searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science databases to obtain articles according to the responding literature search strategies. Among a total of 279 identified articles, 55 were reviewed in depth, of which 10 articles (11 cohort studies) satisfied the inclusion criteria. Only cohort studies that disclosed the association between PM2.5 and type 2 diabetes mellitus or GDM were included in this article. A fixed‐effects model was selected if P > 0.1 and I 2 < 50%; otherwise, a random‐effects model would be used to calculate the total effect value. Subgroup analysis was further carried out according to the types of diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes mellitus and GDM). The relative risk was used to estimate the association between PM2.5 and diabetes mellitus.ResultsThe positive associations between PM2.5 and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus were found in the long‐term exposure period (relative risk 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.10–1.43), which showed that with every 10‐μg/m3 increase in PM2.5, the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus would increase by 25% in the long‐term exposure. Although the significant associations were not identified between maternal exposure to PM2.5 and GDM in the first trimester, the second trimester and the entire pregnancy periods, we could conclude that maternal exposure to PM2.5 in the entire pregnancy period would be more likely to lead to developing GDM (relative risk 1.162, 95% confidence interval 0.806–1.675) than the other two periods.ConclusionsLong‐term exposure to PM2.5 would be more likely to lead to developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, but more studies would be required to confirm the association between PM2.5 and GDM. It might be a wise to take effective measures to reduce PM2.5 exposure in vulnerable populations, especially for pregnant women.

Women in early pregnancy with HNBP more likely develop total preeclampsia, early preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia, compared to those with optimal blood pressure. HNBP contribute more to early preeclampsia than severe preeclampsia. Our study provided robust epidemiological evidences for monitoring HNBP in early pregnancy to reduce the risks of preeclampsia.

Objective To investigate maternal and neonatal outcomes after different intrapartum interventions for vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) in mainland China. Methods A retrospective study was performed on 143 VBAC cases from Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital between January 2015 and November 2016. These cases were divided into two groups on the basis of different intrapartum interventions. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared. Results The durations of the first stage and total labor after oxytocin were significantly longer than those before oxytocin use. The proportion of operative vaginal delivery with oxytocin was significantly higher than that without oxytocin (43.9% vs. 11.8%). The times of the first stage, second stage, and total labor with analgesia were significantly longer than those without analgesia (548.4±198.1 vs. 341.8±233.0 minutes, 52.0±38.9 vs. 36.0± 29.1 minutes, and 606.3±212.1 vs. 387.3±233.0 minutes, respectively). Postpartum hemorrhage and operative vaginal delivery occurred significantly more frequently in women with epidural analgesia than in those without epidural analgesia (29.7% vs. 12.3 and 35.1% vs. 16.0%, respectively). Conclusions Induction can increase the rate of operative vaginal delivery in VBAC. Oxytocin and epidural analgesia may increase the risk of operative vaginal delivery, and may be associated with a prolonged duration of labor.

Background:In the mainland of China, the trial of labor after cesarean section is still a relatively new technique. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of labor onset, oxytocin use, and epidural anesthesia on maternal and neonatal outcomes for vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) in a tertiary hospital in China.Methods:This was a retrospective study carried out on 212 VBAC cases between January 2015 and June 2017 in Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University. Relevant data were acquired on a form, including maternal age, gravidity and parity, body mass index before pregnancy, weight gain during pregnancy, type of labor onset, gestational age, the use of oxytocin and epidural anesthesia, birth mode, the duration of labor, and neonatal weight. The factors affecting maternal and neonatal outcomes for cases involving VBAC, especially with regards to postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and fetal distress, were evaluated by univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression.Results:Data showed that 36 women (17.0%) had postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and 51 cases (24.1%) featured fetal distress. Normal delivery took place for 163 infants (76.9%) while 49 infants (23.1%) underwent operative vaginal deliveries with forceps. There were 178 cases (84.0%) of spontaneous labor and 34 cases (16.0%) required induction. Oxytocin was used in 54 cases (25.5%) to strengthen uterine contraction, and 65 cases (30.7%) received epidural anesthesia. The rate of normal delivery in cases involving PPH was significantly lower than those without PPH (61.1% vs. 80.1%; χ2 = 6.07, P = 0.01). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the intrapartum administration of oxytocin (odds ratio [OR] = 2.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07–5.74; P = 0.04) and birth mode (OR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.18–0.87; P = 0.02) was significantly associated with PPH in VBAC cases. Operative vaginal delivery occurred more frequently in the group with fetal distress than the group without (49.0% vs. 14.9%, χ2 = 25.36, P = 0.00). Multivariate logistic analysis also revealed that the duration of total labor (OR = 1.01; 95% CI = 1.00–1.03; P = 0.04) and the gestational week of delivery (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.05–1.11; P = 0.00) were significantly associated with fetal distress in VBAC.Conclusions:The administration of oxytocin during labor and birth was identified as a protective factor for PPH in VBAC while birth mode was identified as a risk factor. Finally, the duration of total labor and the gestational week of delivery were identified as risk factors for fetal distress in cases of VBAC. This information might help obstetricians provide appropriate interventions during labor and birth for VBAC.

Background Preeclampsia is an idiopathic disease during pregnancy. This study explores the correlation between HLA-A polymorphism and the onset of preeclampsia. Methods The Illumina HiSeq2500 sequencing platform was used to genotyping HLA-A allele in venous blood DNA of 50 preeclampsia pregnant women and 48 normal pregnant women and umbilical cord blood DNA of their children of Han nationality in China. The frequencies and distributions of alleles and genotypes among the mothers and their children were compared between the two groups. The differences of frequencies and distributions of genotypes were compared between the two groups according to the mothers’ genotype compatibility. Results Twenty HLA-A alleles were detected in preeclampsia pregnant women and normal pregnant women; 21 HLA-A alleles were found in preeclampsia group fetuses and 22 HLA-A alleles in control group fetuses. There was no statistical difference in the HLA-A genes’ frequency between the two groups of pregnant women and their fetuses. When the sharing antigen was 1, the number of maternal-fetal pairs in the preeclampsia group was more than that in the control group; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The frequency of neither mother nor fetus carrying the HLA-A * 24: 02 gene in the preeclampsia group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). HLA-A gene homozygosity in fetuses of early-onset preeclampsia group was substantially higher than that of the control group (P = 0.0148); there is no significant difference in pregnant women’s genes homozygosity between early-onset preeclampsia group and the control group. Conclusions HLA-A * 24: 02 may be a susceptibility gene for early preeclampsia.

Background:The pulmonary surfactant especially lipids in amniotic fluid can reflect the development stage of fetal lung maturity (FLM). However, the conventional lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio method by thin layer chromatography (TLC) is insufficient and inconvenient for FLM prediction in clinical practice. Methods:The amniotic fluid samples were collected from the pregnant women in labor or undergoing amniocentesis and analyzed for its lipid contents with the liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) method and the lamellar body count (LBC) method. To reveal the lipidomic profiling of different FLM stages, three groups of amniotic fluid samples including 8 from premature group (gestational week (GW) < 37), 10 from mature group (GW < 37), and 10 from mature group (GW > 38) were compared with the control group (n = 6) of 18 GWs separately. Results:In the FLM prediction study, the sensitivity of the LC-HRMS method and LBC method was 91% and 73%, respectively; the specificity was 100% and 95%, respectively. The most significant metabolic pathway was linoleic acid metabolism between the premature group and the control group. Both glycerophospholipid metabolism and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor biosynthesis were enriched in the mature groups. In search of potential FLM prediction markers in amniotic fluid, 8 phosphatidylcholines, 1 sphingomyelin, and 1 phosphatidylethanolamine were significantly increased in the mature groups compared with the premature group.Conclusion: An efficient LC-HRMS method for L/S ratio in predicting FLM was established. The linoleic acid metabolism may play an important role in the fetal lung development. K E Y W O R D S amniotic fluid, FLM, L/S ratio, LC-HRMS, lipidomicsThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Background Wiedemann-Rautenstrauch syndrome (WRS) is a rare autosomal recessive neonatal progeroid disorder characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, short stature, a progeroid appearance, hypotonia, and mental impairment. Case presentation A 6-year-old patient, who initially presented with multiple postnatal abnormalities, facial dysplasia, micrognathia, skull appearance, hallux valgus, and congenital dislocation of the hip, was recruited in this study. The patient was initially diagnosed with progeria. The mother of the patient had abnormal fetal development during her second pregnancy check-up, and the clinical phenotype of the fetus was similar to that of the patient. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) of the patient was performed, and POLR3B compound heterozygous variants—c.2191G > C:p.E731Q and c.3046G > A:p.V1016M—were identified in the patient. Using Sanger sequencing, we found that the phenotypes and genotypes were segregated within the pedigree. These two variants are novel and not found in the gnomAD and 1000 Genomes databases. The two mutation sites are highly conserved between humans and zebrafish. Conclusions Our study not only identified a novel WRS-associated gene, POLR3B, but also broadened the mutational and phenotypic spectra of POLR3B. Furthermore, WES may be useful for identifying rare disease-related genetic variants.