Eun-Ae Park

Influence of maternal serum levels of vitamins C and E during the second trimester on birth weight and length

Objective: It has been known that maternal oxidative stress during pregnancy plays an important role in fetal growth. However, the association between antioxidant vitamin levels and birth outcomes is not conclusive. We investigated the relationship between maternal serum levels of vitamins C and E during the second trimester and birth weight and length.Design: Prospective cohort study.Setting: Outpatient-clinic of obstetrics, Ewha Womans University Hospital, South Korea.Subjects and methods: The study subjects were 239 healthy, pregnant women who visited an obstetric clinic for antenatal care, and their singleton live births, in Seoul, Korea, between August 2001 and March 2003. We measured the levels of vitamins C and E in maternal serum during the period 24–28 gestational weeks. Each woman was interviewed for dietary intake by trained interviewers during the second trimester.Results: The serum concentration of maternal vitamin C during the second trimester was significantly associated with birth weight and length in the group of full-term deliveries. An increase of 1 μg/ml in the serum vitamin C level increased the birth weight by 27.2 g and the birth length by 0.17 cm. When we considered the levels of vitamins C and E together in the relationship with birth weight and length, we found that the heaviest birth weight and the longest birth length belonged to the group of upper vitamin C/upper vitamin E. However, dietary intake estimated by 24-h recall method was not a predictor of the levels of serum vitamins C and E.Conclusion: We found that maternal serum vitamin C levels during the second trimester were positively correlated with birth weight and length in full-term babies. We also found that birth weight and length were highest when the levels of both vitamins C and E were high. Our results indicate the importance of antioxidant nutrient balance for pregnant women who are exposed to various oxidants through food, drinking water, or inhaled air.

The Association Between Fetal and Postnatal Growth Status and Serum Levels of Uric Acid in Children at 3 Years of Age

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest that uric acid plays a causal role in the development of hypertension in relation to birth weight. The aim of the study was to elucidate the effect of prenatal and/or postnatal growth status on serum uric acid levels in children at 3 years of age. METHODS A total of 178 children from the birth cohort at Ewha Womans University Hospital were followed. Anthropometric characteristics, blood pressure, and serum uric acid were measured at 3 years of age. RESULTS The level of serum uric acid was significantly higher in hypertensive children (3.8 mg/dl) than in nonhypertensive children (3.4 mg/dl). Preterm birth and lower placental weight were the preterm factors significantly associated with increased serum uric acid in early childhood. In addition, current weight, body mass index, and change-in-weight s.d. score from birth to current were also associated with serum uric acid level. Both the first- and fourth-quartile groups for weight and weight gain presented higher levels of serum uric acid. We found that the highest uric acid level belonged to the group of preterm or low birth weight (LBW) and higher change in weight s.d. score. Children who were born at full term or with a normal birth weight and lower change in weight s.d. score had the lowest serum uric acid levels. CONCLUSION Preterm birth and a subsequent high rate of postnatal weight gain are risk factors for increased serum uric acid levels in early childhood.

Concentration of cord serum adiponectin in normal and gestational diabetic pregnancies

목적: 이번 연구의 목적은 정상임신군과 임신성 당뇨임신군의 비교를 통해 자궁내 환경의 차이가 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도에 어떠한 영향을 주는지 알아보고자 하는 것이다. 연구방법: 2004년 1월부터 2009년 6월까지 이화여자대학교 목동병원 산부인과에서 35주 이후에 분만한 정상 산모군 204명과 임신성 당뇨로 진단받은 산모 204명을 대상으로 하여 연구를 시행하였다. 임신성 당뇨로 진단받은 204명의 산모 중에서 118명은 식이조절만으로 혈당을 조절하였고, 나머지 86명은 임신 기간 동안 인슐린을 투여 받았다. 분만 시 제대정맥혈액을 채취하여 원심분리 후, 효소면역측정법 (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)을 사용하여 제대혈액내 adiponectin의 농도를 측정하였다. 결과: 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도는 정상임신군에 비해 임신성 당뇨로 진단받은 임신군에서 더 높은 수치를 나타내었다(P = 0.02). 정상임신군과 임신성 당뇨임신군 모두에서 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도는 남아에 비해 여아가 높은 수치를 보였다(P = 0.04, P = 0.03). 정상임신군에서 임신 주수와 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도는 유의한 양의 상관관계를 보였다(r = 0.2374, P = 0.0129). 출생 시 주수와 성별을 보정한 경우, 정상 임신군에서 출생 시 체중과 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도는 유의한 연관성이 없었다(P > 0.05). 임신성 당뇨를 진단받았던 임신군에서, 식이 조절만으로 혈당을 관리한 군과 인슐린 치료를 받은 군의 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도는 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다(P > 0.05). 결론: 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도가 정상임신 및 임신성 당뇨임신군 사이에서 차이를 보이고, 성별 간 두형태성을 나타내는 것은 이들의 자궁내 환경이 다르기 때문이라고 생각된다. 임신성 당뇨임신군 및 여아에서 높은 제대혈내 adiponectin 농도를 보이는 것은, 이들의 증가된 지방 축적도를 반영한 결과라 할 수 있을 것이다.