Information bias in epidemiological studies with a special focus on obstetrics and gynecology

Identifying Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Among Children in New York State Medicaid Managed Care

Persons who contract COVID-19 are at risk of developing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). The objective of this study was to describe the incidence of PASC in a pediatric Medicaid population. Using a retrospective cohort of children enrolled in New York State Medicaid Managed Care we compared incident diagnoses between children with a positive laboratory test for SARS-CoV-2 in 2021 to children without a positive test in 2021 and children with a viral respiratory diagnosis in 2019. Logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios using the Cohen's d statistic to assess the strength of associations. Most unadjusted incidence of clinical outcomes were less than 1% for all cohorts. Relative to the 2021 comparison cohort, significant increases among SARS-CoV-2 cases were observed in sequela of infectious disease conditions, general signs and symptoms, and pericarditis and pericardial disease and for the 2019 comparison, sequela of infectious disease conditions and suicidal ideation. However, associations were mostly determined to be weak or marginal. In this low socioeconomic status pediatric population, incidence of new clinical sequelae was low with mostly weak or marginal increases associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Though the incidence was low, some outcomes may be severe. Observed associations may have been impacted by pandemic behavior modification including social distancing policies.

Evaluating the impact of a trial of labor after cesarean section on labor duration: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Cesarean section (C-section) rates are increasing globally, and repeated C-sections are associated with increased maternal morbidity. Trial of labor after C-section (TOLAC) is an approach to reduce the recurrence of C-sections. However, limited research exists on the impact of cesarean scars on labor duration in TOLAC, considering the termination of labor through C-section and selection bias. This study aimed to investigate the impact of cesarean scars on labor duration in TOLAC participants, accounting for potential confounding factors and biases.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included 2,964 women who attempted vaginal birth at a single center in Japan from 2012 to 2021. The study categorized participants into TOLAC (n = 187) and non-TOLAC (n = 2,777) groups. Propensity scores were calculated based on 14 factors that could influence labor duration, and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for labor duration, with and without IPTW adjustment. Sensitivity analyses used propensity score matching, bootstrapping, and interval censoring to address potential biases, including recall bias in the reported onset of labor.

RESULTS

The unadjusted HR for labor duration in the TOLAC group compared to the non-TOLAC group was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.70-0.98, P = 0.027), indicating a longer labor duration in the TOLAC group. After adjusting for confounding factors using IPTW, the HR was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.74-1.30, P = 0.91), suggesting no significant difference in labor duration between the groups. Sensitivity analyses using propensity score matching, bootstrapping, and interval censoring yielded consistent results. These findings suggested that the apparent association between TOLAC and longer labor duration was because of confounding factors rather than TOLAC itself.

CONCLUSIONS

After adjusting for confounding factors and addressing potential biases, cesarean scars had a limited impact on labor duration in TOLAC participants. Maternal and fetal characteristics may have a more substantial influence on labor duration.

The diagnostic accuracy of cardiac ultrasound for acute myocardial ischemia in the emergency department: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chest pain is responsible for millions of visits to the emergency department (ED) annually. Cardiac ultrasound can detect ischemic changes, but varying accuracy estimates have been reported in previous studies. We synthetized the available evidence to yield more precise estimates of the accuracy of cardiac ultrasound for acute myocardial ischemia in patients with chest pain in the ED and to assess the effect of different clinical characteristics on test accuracy.

METHODS

A systematic search for studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of cardiac ultrasound for myocardial ischemia in the ED was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, LILACS, Web of Science, two trial registries and supplementary methods, from inception to December 6th, 2022. Prospective cohort, cross-sectional, case-control studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included data on diagnostic accuracy were included. Risk of bias was assessed with the QUADAS-2 tool and a bivariate hierarchical model was used for meta-analysis with paired Forest and SROC plots used to present the results. Subgroup analyses was conducted on clinically relevant factors.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies were included, with 5043 patients. The overall summary sensitivity was 79.3% (95%CI 69.0-86.8%) and specificity was 87.3% (95%CI 79.9-92.2%), with substantial heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses showed increased sensitivity in studies where ultrasound was conducted at ED admission and increased specificity in studies that excluded patients with previous heart disease, when the target condition was acute coronary syndrome, or when final chart review was used as the reference standard. There was very low certainty in the results based on serious risk of bias and indirectness in most studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac ultrasound may have a potential role in the diagnostic pathway of myocardial ischemia in the ED; however, a pooled accuracy must be interpreted cautiously given substantial heterogeneity and that important patient and test characteristics affect its diagnostic performance.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42023392058).

Pesticide exposure and rhinitis: A cross-sectional study among farmers in Pitsanulok, Thailand

Background

Pesticide exposure has been suspected as a cause of rhinitis, a common disease that affects the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between pesticide use and rhinitis prevalence among farmers in Phitsanulok province, Thailand.

Methods

Data on historical pesticide use and rhinitis were collected by an in-person interview questionnaire. Data from 9,649 participants were included in the analysis. The association between pesticide exposure and rhinitis was determined by multiple variable logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounding factors.

Results

The study found an association between pesticide exposure and the prevalence of rhinitis. The association was consistent across various types of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and molluscicides) and individual pesticides. Some of the relationships were in a dose-response pattern. This finding was new as previous studies often reported the association of only a few specific pesticides.

Conclusions

The results from this large cross-sectional study supports existing literature on the potential effects of pesticides on rhinitis. In addition, the analysis showed that the rhinitis effect might be in fact related to the properties of the types of pesticides rather than individual chemical toxicity. The impact of pesticides on rhinitis should receive more attention from public health and other organizations responsible for the farmers' health.

Using an Online Panel to Crosswalk Alternative Measures of Alcohol Use As Fielded in Two National Samples

Introduction

Accurate estimation of the health effects of drinking is hampered by inconsistent phrasing of questions about alcohol use in commonly-used health surveys (e.g., HRS, NYLS79), and measurement error in brief self-reports of drinking. We fielded an online survey to a diverse pool of respondents, assessing two versions of alcohol use questions. We used the measurement survey responses to evaluate correspondence across question versions and create a crosswalk between versions of alcohol questions from two different nationally representative studies of middle-aged adults. The measurement model can also be used to incorporate measurement error correction.

Methods

Respondents to two measurement survey platforms (Centiment and Qualtrics) were asked drinking frequency and quantity questions as phrased in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS: average days per week drank in the last 3 months; quantity consumed on days drank in the last 3 months) and differently phrased questions from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79: days drank in last 30 days, average quantity consumed on days drank). The order in which respondents encountered different versions of the questions was randomized. From these questions, we derived measures of average weekly alcohol consumption. In the online panel data, we regressed responses to the HRS question on responses to the NLSY question and vice versa to create imputation models. HRS (n=14,639) and NLSY79 (n=7,069) participants aged 50-59 self-rated their overall health (range 0-4, 0=excellent and 4=poor). NLSY79 or HRS participants' responses to the alcohol question from the other survey were multiply imputed (k=30) using the measurement model from the measurement survey participant data (k=30). We regressed self-rated health on each alcohol measure and estimated covariate-adjusted coefficients from observed and imputed versions of the questions.

Results

The measurement survey (n=2,070) included respondents aged 50+; 64.8% female; 21.4% Hispanic, 23.95% Black, 27.1% White, and 27.6% another ("Other") self-reported racial/ethnic identity. Associations of observed alcohol question responses with self-reported health were slightly smaller than associations of imputed responses for frequency of alcohol use and consumption on days when alcohol was used. For example, using the HRS version of the frequency of alcohol use (days per week), the estimate for the observed question in HRS respondents was ꞵ =-0.045 [-0.055,-0.036]; and the estimate for the imputed version of the HRS question in NLSY79 respondents was ꞵ=-0.051 [-0.065,-0.037]. The estimated effect of average drinks per week was substantially larger for the imputed version of the measure (ꞵ for the observed question in HRS=-0.002 [-0.004,0.001], ꞵ for the imputed version of the HRS measure in NLSY79 respondents=-0.02 [-0.027,-0.012]). Patterns were similar when using the NLSY79 versions of questions as reported in NLSY79 and imputed for HRS respondents. For example, the estimated effect of average drinks per week was substantially larger for the imputed version of the NLSY79 question (ꞵ for the observed question in NLSY79=-0.006 [-0.01,-0.002], ꞵ for the imputed version of the HRS question in NLSY79 respondents=-0.019 [-0.027,-0.01]).

Conclusions

Measurement inconsistencies and imperfect reliability are major challenges in estimating effects of alcohol use on health. Collecting additional data using online panels is a feasible and flexible approach to quantifying measurement differences. This approach may enable measurement error corrections, improve meta-analyses, and promote evidence triangulation.

Rosiglitazone Does Not Affect the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwanese Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Human studies on the effect of rosiglitazone on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are still lacking. We investigated whether rosiglitazone might affect IBD risk by using the reimbursement database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to enroll a propensity-score-matched cohort of ever users and never users of rosiglitazone. The patients should have been newly diagnosed with diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2006 and should have been alive on 1 January 2007. We then started to follow the patients from 1 January 2007 until 31 December 2011 for a new diagnosis of IBD. Propensity-score-weighted hazard ratios were estimated with regards to rosiglitazone exposure in terms of ever users versus never users and in terms of cumulative duration and cumulative dose of rosiglitazone therapy for dose-response analyses. The joint effects and interactions between rosiglitazone and risk factors of psoriasis/arthropathies, dorsopathies, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/tobacco abuse and the use of metformin were estimated by Cox regression after adjustment for all covariates. A total of 6226 ever users and 6226 never users were identified and the respective numbers of incident IBD were 95 and 111. When we compared the risk of IBD in ever users to that of the never users, the estimated hazard ratio (0.870, 95% confidence interval: 0.661-1.144) was not statistically significant. When cumulative duration and cumulative dose of rosiglitazone therapy were categorized by tertiles and hazard ratios were estimated by comparing the tertiles of rosiglitazone exposure to the never users, none of the hazard ratios reached statistical significance. In secondary analyses, rosiglitazone has a null association with Crohn's disease, but a potential benefit on ulcerative colitis (UC) could not be excluded. However, because of the low incidence of UC, we were not able to perform detailed dose-response analyses for UC. In the joint effect analyses, only the subgroup of psoriasis/arthropathies (-)/rosiglitazone (-) showed a significantly lower risk in comparison to the subgroup of psoriasis/arthropathies (+)/rosiglitazone (-). No interactions between rosiglitazone and the major risk factors or metformin use were observed. We concluded that rosiglitazone has a null effect on the risk of IBD, but the potential benefit on UC awaits further investigation.

Ambient temperature and major structural anomalies: A retrospective study of over 2 million newborns

BACKGROUND

Maternal exposure to ambient heat may be associated with congenital anomalies, but evidence is still limited.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to estimate the association between maternal exposure to ambient heat during the 3-12 weeks post-conception (critical window of organogenesis) and risk of total and various diagnostic categories of major structural anomalies among live singleton births in the contiguous United States (US).

METHODS

We included data on 2,352,529 births with the first day of critical developmental windows falling within months of May through August from 2000 to 2004 across 525 US counties. We used a validated spatial-temporal model to estimate daily county-level population-weighted temperature. We used logistic regression to estimate the association between ambient temperature and risk of diagnostic categories of anomalies during the critical window after adjusting for individual and county-level factors. We conducted subgroup analysis to identify potential susceptible subpopulations.

RESULTS

A total of 29,188 anomalies (12.4 per 1000 births) were recorded during the study period. Maternal exposure to extreme heat (> 95th percentile) was associated with higher risk of total anomalies, central nervous system anomalies, and other uncategorized anomalies with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.05 (95 % CI: 1.00, 1.11), 1.17 (95 % CI: 1.01, 1.37), and 1.16 (95 % CI: 1.04, 1.29) compared with minimum morbidity temperature, respectively. The associations were homogeneous across subgroups defined by maternal age, maternal race/ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, and parity, but were more pronounced among mothers residing in more socially vulnerable counties and births with multiple anomalies.

CONCLUSIONS

Among US live singleton births, maternal exposure to ambient heat may be associated with higher risk of total anomalies, central nervous system anomalies, and other uncategorized anomalies. We suggest additional research is carried out to better understand the relations between maternal heat exposure and congenital anomalies in the presence of global warming.

Depressive symptoms and risk of incident cardiometabolic multimorbidity in community-dwelling older adults: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). However, the relationship between depressive symptoms and cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine whether depressive symptoms were associated with an increased risk of incident CMM in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 6663 participants who were free of CMM at baseline from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10 (CESD-10). Incident CMM refers to the coexistence of ≥2 CMDs (heart disease, stroke, or diabetes). Multivariable logistic regressions and restricted cubic splines were performed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and incident CMM.

RESULTS

The median CESD-10 score at baseline was 7 (IQR: 3 to 12). Over 4 years of follow-up, 309 participants (4.6 %) developed CMM. After adjusting for sociodemographic, behavioral, and traditional clinical risk factors, a higher frequency of depressive symptoms was associated with an increased risk of incident CMM (per 9-point higher CESD-10 score OR: 1.73; 95 % CI: 1.48-2.03). The association between the CESD-10 score and incident CMM was more obvious in women (OR: 2.02; 95 % CI: 1.63-2.51) than in men (OR: 1.16; 95 % CI: 0.86-1.56) (P_interaction = 0.005).

LIMITATIONS

Heart diseases and stroke were determined based on self-reported physician diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher frequency of depressive symptoms at baseline increased the risk of incident CMM within four years among middle-aged and older individuals in China.

Association of birth by cesarean section with academic performance and intelligence in youth: A cohort study

INTRODUCTION

It is suggested that birth by elective cesarean section (CS) reduces the risk of birth-related infant mortality and injury. Other studies suggest an increased risk of somatic immune-related diseases among children born by CS such as asthma, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. The WHO Statement on Cesarean Section Rates 2015 described an increase in CS globally. The statement concluded that the effects of CS on social and psychological outcomes remain unclear and that more research is needed to fully understand the effects of CS, including effects on cognition and intelligence in the child. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between delivery by CS (elective and acute) and school performance and intelligence in youth.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This cohort study included all Danish live-born children in 1978-2000. We retrieved data regarding pregnancies, births, parents, school grades, and intelligence of the children from Danish registers and performed multiple imputations to avoid discarding data. The final cohort after exclusion comprised 1 408 230 children. Associations between CS and school graduation, grades, conscription attendance, and conscription intelligence scores were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic and linear regressions.

RESULTS

Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI of graduating from lower (LSE) and upper (USE) secondary education and of attending conscription were significantly lower in the CS group: LSE graduation: 0.87 (0.84-0.89), USE graduation: 0.93 (0.92-0.94), attending conscription: 0.95 (0.93-0.98). The CS group had significantly lower grade point averages (GPA) in LSE with adjusted differences in mean total GPA of -0.090 (-0.10 to -0.007), and mean core subject GPA of -0.098 (-0.11 to -0.08), in USE with total GPA difference of -0.091 (-0.11 to -0.075) and lower mean intelligence scores of -0.36 (-0.46 to -0.27) in adjusted linear models. A sub-analysis revealed lower chances of graduating LSE and USE when born by acute rather than elective CS.

CONCLUSIONS

Chances of LSE and USE graduation and of attending conscription were significantly lower for children born by CS. However, even significant differences in mean GPAs and intelligence scores were very small, so performances when graduating school and attending conscription were comparable regardless of delivery mode.

Pioglitazone Has a Null Association with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Pioglitazone shows potential benefits in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in preclinical studies, but its effect in humans has not been researched. We used a nationwide database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance to investigate whether pioglitazone might affect IBD risk. We enrolled 12,763 ever users and 12,763 never users matched on a propensity score from patients who had a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2008. The patients were alive on 1 January 2009, and they were followed up for a new diagnosis of IBD until 31 December 2011. Propensity score-weighted hazard ratios were estimated, and the interactions between pioglitazone and major risk factors of IBD (i.e., psoriasis, arthropathies, dorsopathies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/tobacco abuse, and any of the above) and metformin were investigated. At the end of the follow-up, 113 ever users and 139 never users were diagnosed with IBD. When compared to never users, the hazard ratio for ever users was 0.809 (95% confidence interval: 0.631-1.037); and none of the hazard ratios for ever users categorized by tertiles of cumulative duration and cumulative dose reached statistical significance. No interactions with major risk factors or metformin were observed. Our findings suggested a null effect of pioglitazone on IBD.

Klausen T, K. Danielsen A, Thomsen T, Bentin-Ley U, B. Knudsen U, Laursen S, R. Petersen M, Haahr K, Petersen K, Lemmen JG, Hindkjær J, Kirk J, Fedder J, J. Almind G, Hnida C, Troest B, B. Povlsen B, Zedeler A, Gabrielsen A, Larsen T, S. Kesmodel U. Is paternal age associated with transfer day, developmental stage, morphology, and initial hCG-rise of the competent blastocyst leading to live birth? A multicenter cohort study

In this study we investigated whether age of men undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment was associated with day of transfer, stage, morphology, and initial hCG-rise of the competent blastocyst leading to a live birth? The design was a multicenter historical cohort study based on exposure (age) and outcome data (blastocyst stage and morphology and initial hCG-rise) from men whose partner underwent single blastocyst transfer resulting in singleton pregnancy/birth. The ART treatments were carried out at sixteen private and university-based public fertility clinics. We included 7246 men and women, who between 2014 and 2018 underwent controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) or Frozen-thawed Embryo Transfer (FET) with a single blastocyst transfer resulting in singleton pregnancy were identified. 4842 men with a partner giving birth were included, by linking data to the Danish Medical Birth Registry. We showed that the adjusted association between paternal age and transfer day in COS treatments was OR 1.06, 95% CI (1.00;1.13). Meaning that for every increase of one year, men had a 6% increased probability that the competent blastocyst was transferred on day 6 compared to day 5. Further we showed that the mean difference in hCG values when comparing paternal age group 30–34, 35–39 and 40–45 with the age group 25–29 in those receiving COS treatment, all showed significantly lower adjusted values for older men. In conclusion we hypothesize that the later transfer (day 6) in female partners of older men may be due to longer time spent by the oocyte to repair fragmented DNA of the sperm cells, which should be a focus of future research in men.

Metformin’s effects on varicocele, erectile dysfunction, infertility and prostate-related diseases: A retrospective cohort study

Objectives: To investigate the risk of varicocele, erectile dysfunction (ED), infertility, prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer associated with metformin use.

Materials and methods: A total of 261,838 males, mean age 52.39 years (SD: 11.39), with a new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus in 1999–2009 were identified from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance. Among them, 175,171 were metformin initiators [metformin (+)] and 86,667 were non-metformin initiators [metformin (−)] in the initial 12-month prescriptions of antidiabetic drugs. Follow-up started after the initial 12-month prescriptions. Outcomes were followed up until 31 December 2011. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) hazard ratios comparing metformin (+) to metformin (−) were estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment-weighting using propensity scores.

Results: The median follow-up time ranged 5.55–6.82 years in metformin (−) and 4.36–5.17 years in metformin (+) for different outcomes in ITT analyses. The respective median follow-up time in PP analyses ranged 2.20–2.61 years in metformin (−) and ranged 3.99–4.65 years in metformin (+). In the ITT analyses, for metformin (−), the incidence rates (per 100,000 person-years) of varicocele, ED, infertility, prostatitis, BPH and prostate cancer were 26.42, 455.89, 22.82, 590.23, 4226.19, and 141.69, respectively; and the respective incidence rates for metformin (+) were 25.65, 488.10, 32.60, 510.30, 3685.66, and 116.57. The hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) comparing metformin (+) to metformin (−) in the ITT analyses were 0.960 (0.784–1.174) for varicocele, 1.077 (1.026–1.130) for ED, 1.368 (1.116–1.676) for infertility, 0.887 (0.849–0.927) for prostatitis, 0.883 (0.868–0.899) for BPH and 0.878 (0.802–0.961) for prostate cancer. The hazard ratios for the respective outcomes in the PP analyses were 0.845 (0.662–1.078), 1.350 (1.264–1.441), 1.396 (1.078–1.808), 0.800 (0.756–0.846), 0.875 (0.855–0.895), and 0.613 (0.548–0.686).

Conclusion: Metformin use in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a neutral effect on varicocele, a higher risk of sexual dysfunction (ED and infertility) and a reduced risk of prostate-related health (prostatitis, BPH and prostate cancer).

Comparison of the predictive ability of clinical frailty scale and hospital frailty risk score to determine long-term survival in critically ill patients: a multicentre retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is the most commonly used frailty measure in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The hospital frailty risk score (HFRS) was recently proposed for the quantification of frailty. We aimed to compare the HFRS with the CFS in critically ill patients in predicting long-term survival up to one year following ICU admission.

METHODS

In this retrospective multicentre cohort study from 16 public ICUs in the state of Victoria, Australia between 1st January 2017 and 30th June 2018, ICU admission episodes listed in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database registry with a documented CFS, which had been linked with the Victorian Admitted Episode Dataset and the Victorian Death Index were examined. The HFRS was calculated for each patient using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes that represented pre-existing conditions at the time of index hospital admission. Descriptive methods, Cox proportional hazards and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) were used to investigate the association between each frailty score and long-term survival up to 1 year, after adjusting for confounders including sex and baseline severity of illness on admission to ICU (Australia New Zealand risk-of-death, ANZROD).

RESULTS

7001 ICU patients with both frailty measures were analysed. The overall median (IQR) age was 63.7 (49.1-74.0) years; 59.5% (n = 4166) were male; the median (IQR) APACHE II score 14 (10-20). Almost half (46.7%, n = 3266) were mechanically ventilated. The hospital mortality was 9.5% (n = 642) and 1-year mortality was 14.4% (n = 1005). HFRS correlated weakly with CFS (Spearman's rho 0.13 (95% CI 0.10-0.15) and had a poor agreement (kappa = 0.12, 95% CI 0.10-0.15). Both frailty measures predicted 1-year survival after adjusting for confounders, CFS (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.21-1.31) and HFRS (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15). The CFS had better discrimination of 1-year mortality than HFRS (AUROC 0.66 vs 0.63 p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Both HFRS and CFS independently predicted up to 1-year survival following an ICU admission with moderate discrimination. The CFS was a better predictor of 1-year survival than the HFRS.

Association of Apgar score at 5 minutes with academic performance and intelligence in youth: A cohort study

INTRODUCTION

The Apgar score is routinely given at childbirth worldwide. A low Apgar score at 5 minutes is a strong predictor for neonatal death. Scores below 7 have been associated with higher risks of later neurologic disability. Few studies have assessed the association between Apgar score and school performance and intelligence. The existing literature points towards a possible association between Apgar score and later cognitive function, but the contradictions call for further investigation to fully understand the potential association. This study aimed to examine the possible association between Apgar score at 5 minutes and academic performance and intelligence in youth.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study is a cohort study. The cohort consists of all Danish liveborn children in 1978-2000 (n = 1 450 681). Data regarding pregnancies, births, parents, school grades, and intelligence of the children were retrieved from different Danish registers. Multiple imputations were performed to avoid discarding data. After exclusion, the final cohort consisted of 1 005 241 children. Associations between Apgar score at 5 minutes and school graduation, grades and attendance, and intelligence scores from conscription were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic and linear regressions.

RESULTS

No association was found between Apgar score and graduating primary school. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of graduating upper secondary education and attending conscription were significantly lower for children with scores below 7 compared with 7-10: graduating upper secondary education: Apgar 0-3: aOR 0.79 (95% CI 0.67-0.93), Apgar 4-6: aOR 0.86 (95% CI 0.81-0.93), attending conscription: Apgar 0-3: aOR 0.73 (95% CI 0.59-0.91), Apgar 4-6: aOR 0.73 (95% CI 0.66-0.80). The Apgar 4-6 group had significantly lower total mean primary school grade average: -0.13 (95% CI -0.21 to -0.054) and lower mean intelligence scores at conscription: -0.57 (95% CI -1.09 to -0.058). All other differences remained insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

Performances when graduating school and attending conscription were overall equal regardless of Apgar score at 5 minutes. Chances of graduating primary school were the same irrespective of the score, but chances of graduating upper secondary education and attending conscription were significantly lower with scores below 7. The results suggest that children with scores below 7 may fail to appear at upper secondary education and conscription, but if they do, they perform equally to anyone else.

Pioglitazone and Risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Pioglitazone’s effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has rarely been studied.

Purpose

This retrospective observational study investigated whether the use of pioglitazone would affect the risk of COPD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Patients and Methods

The Taiwan’s National Health Insurance database was used to enroll 9487 matched pairs of ever users and never users of pioglitazone based on propensity score from a cohort of 350,536 patients. The enrolled patients had a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus between 1999 and 2008 and were not having a diagnosis of COPD before January 1, 2009. They were then followed up for COPD, starting from January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2011. Diagnosis of COPD was based on the codes of 491 for chronic bronchitis and 492 for emphysema based on the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios. The interactions between pioglitazone and COPD risk factors including pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and tobacco abuse were also investigated.

Results

In 9487 never users and 9487 ever users of pioglitazone, the case numbers of incident COPD were 359 and 295, respectively. The respective incidence rates of COPD were 1484.73 and 1167.61 per 100,000 person-years. The overall hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for COPD that compared ever to never users was 0.778 (0.667–0.908). The hazard ratios for the tertiles of cumulative duration of pioglitazone therapy (cutoffs: <11.0, 11.0–19.6 and >19.6 months) to never users were 0.904 (0.729–1.121), 0.727 (0.578–0.914) and 0.715 (0.570–0.896), respectively. No interactions between pioglitazone and COPD risk factors including pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and tobacco abuse were noted.

Conclusion

Pioglitazone use is associated with a significantly lower risk of COPD.

Vaccination against tuberculosis, polio and hepatitis B at birth in Podor health district, Northern Senegal: cross-sectional study of vaccination coverage and its associated factors

BACKGROUND

In Senegal, studies focusing specifically on vaccination coverage with the Bacille de Calmette et Guérin (BCG) vaccine, the birth dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV zero dose) and the birth dose of hepatitis B (HepB-BD) vaccine are insufficient. This study aimed to highlight vaccination coverages with birth doses and factors associated with timely vaccination in Podor health district.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out from June 19 to 22, 2020. The study population consisted of children aged 12 to 23 months of which 832 were included. A stratified two-stage cluster survey was carried out. The sources of data were home-based records (HBR), health facility registries (HFR) and parental recalls. Timely vaccination refers to any vaccination that has taken place within 24 h after birth. Descriptive analyzes, the chi-square test and logistic regression were performed.

RESULTS

The crude vaccination coverages with BCG, OPV zero dose and HepB-BD were 95.2%, 88.3% and 88.1%, respectively. Vaccination coverages within 24 h after birth were estimated at 13.9%, 30% and 42.1%, respectively. The factors associated with timely HepB-BD are delivery in a health facility (AOR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.02-2.40), access to television (AOR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.16-2.29), weighing (AOR = 3.92; 95% CI = 1.97-8.53) and hospitalization of the newborn immediately after birth (AOR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.28-0.62).

CONCLUSION

Timely administration of birth doses is a challenge in the Podor health district. The solutions would be improving geographic access to health facilities, involving community health workers, raising awareness and integrating health services.

Developmental stage and morphology of the competent blastocyst are associated with sex of the child but not with other obstetric outcomes: a multicenter cohort study

STUDY QUESTION

Are transfer day, developmental stage and morphology of the competent blastocyst in pregnancies leading to live birth associated with preterm birth, birthweight, length at birth and sex of the child?

SUMMARY ANSWER

A high score in blastocyst developmental stage and in trophectoderm (TE) showed a significant association with the sex of the child, while no other associations with obstetric outcomes were observed.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

The association between blastocyst assessment scores and obstetric outcomes have been reported in small single-center studies and the results are conflicting.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Multicenter historical cohort study based on exposure data (transfer day (blastocyst developmental stage reached by Day 5 or Day 6)) blastocyst developmental stage (1-6) and morphology (TE and inner cell mass (ICM): A, B, C)) and outcome data (preterm birth, birthweight, length at birth, and sex of the child) from women undergoing single blastocyst transfer resulting in a singleton pregnancy and live birth.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Data from 16 private and university-based facilities for clinical services and research were used. A total of 7246 women, who in 2014-2018 underwent fresh-embryo transfer with a single blastocyst or frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with a single blastocyst resulting in a singleton pregnancy were identified. Linking to the Danish Medical Birth Registry resulted in a total of 4842 women with a live birth being included. Cycles with pre-implantation genetic testing and donated gametes were excluded. The analyses were adjusted for female age (n = 4842), female BMI (n = 4302), female smoking (n = 4290), parity (n = 4365), infertility diagnosis (n = 4765), type of treatment (n = 4842) and center (n = 4842); some analyses additionally included gestational age (n = 4368) and sex of the child (n = 4833).

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

No statistically significant associations between blastocyst assessment scores (transfer day, developmental stage, TE, ICM) and preterm birth (8.3%) or birthweight (mean 3461.7 g) were found. The adjusted association between blastocysts with a TE score of C and a TE score of A and length at birth (mean 51.6 cm) were statistically significant (adjusted mean difference 0.4 cm (95% CI: 0.02; 0.77)). Blastocysts transferred with developmental stage score 5 compared to blastocysts transferred with score 3 had a 34% increased probability of being a boy (odds ratio (OR) 1.34 (95% CI: 1.09; 1.64). Further, TE score B blastocysts compared to TE score A blastocysts had a 31% reduced probability of being a boy (OR 0.69 (95% CI: 0.60; 0.80)).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

It is possible that some residual confounding remains.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Blastocyst selection during ART does not appear to introduce any negative effects on obstetric outcome. Therefore, clinicians and patients can be reassured that the assessment scores of the selected blastocyst will not in themselves pose a risk of preterm birth or affect birthweight and the length at birth.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

Unrestricted grant from Gedeon Richter Nordics AB, Sweden. None of the authors have any competing interest to declare.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Metformin and primary bone cancer risk in Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

The effect of metformin on primary bone cancer risk has not been researched. This retrospective cohort study investigated the risk of primary bone cancer between metformin initiators and non-metformin initiators in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

A total of 673,532 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus and had been prescribed antidiabetic drugs for 2 or more times during 1999-2009 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance. Metformin initiators and non-metformin initiators were defined according to the prescriptions of antidiabetic drugs within the initial 12 months. The patients were then followed up until December 31, 2011 for the incidence of primary bone cancer. Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment-weighting using propensity scores was used to estimate hazard ratios in intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses.

RESULTS

In the intention-to-treat analysis, the respective incidence rates were 10.56 and 12.90 per 100,000 person-years in 453,532 metformin initiators and 220,000 non-metformin initiators and the hazard ratio for initiators versus non-initiators was 0.830 (95% confidence interval 0.686-1.004, P-value = 0.0551). In the per-protocol analysis, the incidence rates were 7.58 and 11.77 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, and the hazard ratio was 0.615 (95% confidence interval 0.468-0.808, P-value = 0.0005). Subgroup analyses with regards to sex and age (<60 and ≥60 years) showed that the significantly lower risk associated with metformin use was only observed in men aged ≥60 years in the per-protocol analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

A significantly lower risk of primary bone cancer can be observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who adhere to metformin treatment. This benefit can only be observed in men aged ≥60 years.

Quantifying the influence of bias in reproductive and perinatal epidemiology through simulation

PURPOSE

The application of simulated data in epidemiological studies enables the illustration and quantification of the magnitude of various types of bias commonly found in observational studies. This was a review of the application of simulation methods to the quantification of bias in reproductive and perinatal epidemiology and an assessment of value gained.

METHODS

A search of published studies available in English was conducted in August 2020 using PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus. A gray literature search of Google and Google Scholar, and a hand search using the reference lists of included studies was undertaken.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine papers were included in this study, covering information (n = 14), selection (n = 14), confounding (n = 9), protection (n = 1), and attenuation bias (n = 1). The methods of simulating data and reporting of results varied, with more recent studies including causal diagrams. Few studies included code for replication.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there has been an increasing application of simulation in reproductive and perinatal epidemiology since 2015, overall this remains an underexplored area. Further efforts are required to increase knowledge of how the application of simulation can quantify the influence of bias, including improved design, analysis and reporting. This will improve causal interpretation in reproductive and perinatal studies.

Complications of facial cosmetic botulinum toxin A injection: analysis of the UK Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency registry and literature review

BACKGROUND

Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection is one of the most frequently undertaken procedures in aesthetic medicine. The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the government body in the United Kingdom (UK) mandated to ensure that the provision and administration of medicines is safe. We analyzed adverse events of facial cosmetic BoNT-A injections reported to the MHRA and assessed whether the incidence of reported adverse events in this government registry is comparable to published retrospective and prospective studies.

METHODS

A freedom of information (FOI) request was submitted to the MHRA to obtain recorded complications of BoNT- A. Complications reported to the MHRA between 1991 and 2020 were analyzed. Only cases with BoNT-A where the indication was specified as for facial cosmetics were included in the analysis. Additionally, the literature was reviewed on adverse events of facial cosmetic BoNT- A injections, and a statistical meta-analysis of complication rates was carried out.

RESULTS

A total of 188 adverse events of aesthetic BoNT-A injections were reported to the MHRA. The literature search resulted in 30 studies and a total of 17,352 injection sessions, where the complication rate was 16% (95% CI = 8% to 25%). Frequent adverse events included localized skin reactions such as bruising with an incidence of 5% (95% CI = 3% to 7%), headache in 3% (95% CI = from 1% to 5% ), and facial paresis in 2% (95% CI = 1% to 3%) of injection sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first paper to obtain and evaluate data on adverse events of BoNT-A from the MHRA. An estimate of the likely complication rate of aesthetic BoNT-A in the UK, according to the MHRA database, is significantly lower than the rate recorded from our meta-analysis of the international literature. This suggests that the MHRA may be underestimating the adverse events of aesthetic BoNT-A treatment, which would have implications for patient safety and informed consent. Therefore, legislative changes may be required to ensure more robust reporting of aesthetic BoNT-A in the UK.

Bias in Self-reported Prepregnancy Weight Across Maternal and Clinical Characteristics

OBJECTIVES

Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are known determinants of maternal and child health; calculating both requires an accurate measure of prepregnancy weight. We compared self-reported prepregnancy weight to measured weights to assess reporting bias by maternal and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among pregnant women using electronic health records (EHR) data from Kaiser Permanente Northwest, a non-profit integrated health care system in Oregon and southwest Washington State. We identified women age ≥ 18 years who were pregnant between 2000 and 2010 with self-reported prepregnancy weight, ≥ 2 measured weights between ≤ 365-days-prior-to and ≤ 42-days-after conception, and measured height in their EHR. We compared absolute and relative difference between self-reported weight and two "gold-standards": (1) weight measured closest to conception, and (2) usual weight (mean of weights measured 6-months-prior-to and ≤ 42-days-after conception). Generalized-estimating equations were used to assess predictors of misreport controlling for covariates, which were obtained from the EHR or linkage to birth certificate.

RESULTS

Among the 16,227 included pregnancies, close agreement (± 1 kg or ≤ 2%) between self-reported and closest-measured weight was 44% and 59%, respectively. Overall, self-reported weight averaged 1.3 kg (SD 3.8) less than measured weight. Underreporting was higher among women with elevated BMI category, late prenatal care entry, and pregnancy outcome other than live/stillbirth (p < .05). Using self-reported weight, BMI was correctly classified for 91% of pregnancies, but ranged from 70 to 98% among those with underweight or obesity, respectively. Results were similar using usual weight as gold standard. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Accurate measure of prepregnancy weight is essential for clinical guidance and surveillance efforts that monitor maternal health and evaluate public-health programs. Identification of characteristics associated with misreport of self-reported weight can inform understanding of bias when assessing the influence of prepregnancy BMI or GWG on health outcomes.

Alcohol drinking and risks of total and site-specific cancers in China: A 10-year prospective study of 0.5 million adults

Alcohol drinking is associated with increased risks of several site‐specific cancers, but its role in many other cancers remains inconclusive. Evidence is more limited from China, where cancer rates, drinking patterns and alcohol tolerability differ importantly from Western populations. The prospective China Kadoorie Biobank recruited >512 000 adults aged 30 to 79 years from 10 diverse areas during 2004 to 2008, recording alcohol consumption patterns by a standardised questionnaire. Self‐reported alcohol consumption was estimated as grams of pure alcohol per week based on beverage type, amount consumed per occasion and drinking frequency. After 10 years of follow‐up, 26 961 individuals developed cancer. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) relating alcohol consumption to incidence of site‐specific cancers. Overall, 33% (n = 69 734) of men drank alcohol regularly (ie, ≥weekly) at baseline. Among male current regular drinkers, alcohol intake showed positive dose‐response associations with risks of cancers in the oesophagus (655 events; HR = 1.98 [95%CI 1.79‐2.18], per 280 g/wk), mouth and throat (236; 1.74 [1.48‐2.05]), liver (573; 1.52 [1.31‐1.76]), colon‐rectum (575; 1.19 [1.00‐1.43]), gallbladder (107; 1.60 [1.16‐2.22]) and lung (1017; 1.25 [1.10‐1.42]), similarly among never‐ and ever‐regular smokers. After adjustment for total alcohol intake, there were greater risks of oesophageal cancer in daily drinkers than nondaily drinkers and of liver cancer when drinking without meals. The risks of oesophageal cancer and lung cancer were greater in men reporting flushing after drinking than not. In this male population, alcohol drinking accounted for 7% of cancer cases. Among women, only 2% drank regularly, with no clear associations between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. Among Chinese men, alcohol drinking is associated with increased risks of cancer at multiple sites, with certain drinking patterns (eg, daily, drinking without meals) and low alcohol tolerance further exacerbating the risks.

What's new?

A comprehensive assessment of the role of alcohol in cancer aetiology is needed in China, where cancer rates, drinking patterns, and alcohol tolerability differ from those in the West. In this large prospective study, regular alcohol drinkers had increased risks of cancers in several sites previously considered to be alcohol‐related (i.e., oesophagus, mouth and throat, liver and colon‐rectum) as well as in the lung and gallbladder. Certain drinking patterns (e.g., drinking daily or without meals) and low alcohol tolerance further exacerbated the risks. The findings suggest that lowering population‐levels of alcohol consumption is an important strategy for cancer prevention.

Educational note: addressing special cases of bias that frequently occur in perinatal epidemiology

The epidemiologic study of pregnancy and birth outcomes may be hindered by several unique and challenging issues. Pregnancy is a time-limited period in which severe cohort attrition takes place between conception and birth and adverse outcomes are complex and multi-factorial. Biases span those familiar to epidemiologists: selection, confounding and information biases. Specific challenges include conditioning on potential intermediates, how to treat race/ethnicity, and influential windows of prolonged, seasonal and potentially time-varying exposures. Researchers studying perinatal outcomes should be cognizant of the potential pitfalls due to these factors and address their implications with respect to formulating questions of interest, choice of an appropriate analysis approach and interpretations of findings given assumptions. In this article, we catalogue some of the more important potential sources of bias in perinatal epidemiology that have more recently gained attention in the literature, provide the epidemiologic context behind each issue and propose practices for dealing with each issue to the extent possible.

Metformin Use Is Associated With a Lower Incidence of Hospitalization for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The effect of metformin on the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) requires confirmation. This retrospective cohort study compared the incidence of hospitalization for AF in ever and never users of metformin.

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999–2005 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. Analyses were conducted in both an unmatched cohort of 173,398 ever users and 21,666 never users and in a propensity score-matched cohort of 21,662 pairs of ever and never users. They were free from a diagnosis of AF before January 1, 2006 and were followed up until December 31, 2011. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score.

Results: A total of 303 ever users and 86 never users in the unmatched cohort and 56 ever users and 86 never users in the matched cohort developed hospitalization for AF during follow-up. The respective incidence rates were 37.72 and 92.45 per 100,000 person-years in the unmatched cohort and were 56.98 and 92.46 per 100,000 person-years in the matched cohort. The hazard ratio for ever vs. never users was 0.405 (95% confidence interval: 0.319–0.515) in the unmatched cohort and 0.617 (0.441–0.864) in the matched cohort. Hazard ratios for the tertiles of cumulative duration of metformin therapy vs. never users showed a dose-response effect. The findings were consistent in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion: Metformin use is associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for AF in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Chronic Metformin Therapy is Associated with a Lower Risk of Hemorrhoid in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Metformin has anti-inflammatory property and reduces the risk of varicose vein in our previous study.

Aim: To investigate the risk of hemorrhoid, another common disease involving the hemorrhoidal venous plexus, in ever vs. never users of metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: This is a population-based retrospective cohort study. Patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus during 1999–2005 were enrolled from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance. All patients who were alive on January 1, 2006 were followed up until December 31, 2011. Analyses were conducted in both an unmatched cohort of 152,347 ever users and 19,523 never users and in 19,498 propensity score (PS)-matched pairs of ever and never users. Traditional Cox regression and Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using the PS were used to estimate hazard ratios.

Results: New-onset hemorrhoid was diagnosed in 8,211 ever users and 2025 never users in the unmatched cohort and in 1,089 ever users and 2022 never users in the matched cohort. The hazard ratio for ever vs. never users derived from the traditional Cox regression was 0.464 (95% confidence interval: 0.440–0.488) in the unmatched cohort; and was 0.488 (0.453–0.525) in the matched cohort. In the IPTW models, the hazard ratio was 0.464 (0.442–0.487) in the unmatched cohort and was 0.492 (0.457–0.530) in the matched cohort. A dose-response pattern was observed while comparing the tertiles of cumulative duration, cumulative dose and defined daily dose of metformin therapy to never users in all analyses. A risk reduction of approximately 40–50% was consistently observed in various sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion: Chronic therapy with metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with a lower risk of hemorrhoid.

Sex Differences in Early Cognitive Development After Prenatal Exposure to Opioids

Objective

Prenatal opioid exposure has been linked with impaired cognitive development, with boys potentially at elevated risk. In the present study, we examined cognitive and language development of children prenatally exposed to opioids, with an additional focus on sex differences.

Methods

A sample of 378 children (n = 194 girls and n = 184 boys) aged 1.2–42.8 months was drawn from the Danish Family Outpatient Clinic database. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley-III cognitive and language scales, and substance exposure was determined with urine screening and/or verbal report. Children exposed to opioids (n = 94) were compared to children with no prenatal substance exposure (n = 38), and children exposed to alcohol (n = 131) or tobacco (n = 115). Group and sex differences were investigated with separate linear mixed models for each Bayley scale, controlling for concurrent cannabis exposure.

Results

There were significantly reduced scores in opioid-exposed boys compared to boys with no prenatal substance exposure, but no difference between opioid-exposed and nonexposed girls. Additionally, alcohol-exposed boys had lower cognitive scores than nonexposed boys, and alcohol-exposed girls had lower scores on both scales compared to opioid-exposed girls. There were otherwise no significant differences according to group, sex, or scale.

Conclusions

The present findings indicate poorer cognitive and language development in boys after prenatal opioid exposure. As academic performance is rooted in cognitive functioning, long-term follow-up might be necessary for exposed children.

Metformin Use Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

AIM

Our aim was to compare the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] between ever users and never users of metformin.

METHODS

Patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus from 1999 to 2005 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance. A total of 340 211 ever users and 24 478 never users who were free from IBD on January 1, 2006 were followed up until December 31, 2011. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression incorporating the inverse probability of treatment weighting using a propensity score.

RESULTS

New-onset IBD was diagnosed in 6466 ever users and 750 never users. The respective incidence rates were 412.0 and 741.3 per 100 000 person-years and the hazard ratio for ever vs never users was 0.55 [95% confidence interval: 0.51-0.60]. A dose-response pattern was observed while comparing the tertiles of cumulative duration of metformin therapy to never users. The respective hazard ratios for the first [<26.0 months], second [26.0-58.3 months] and third [>58.3 months] tertiles were 1.00 [0.93-1.09], 0.57 [0.52-0.62] and 0.24 [0.22-0.26]. While patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs [OADs] without metformin were treated as a reference group, the hazard ratios for patients treated with OADs with metformin, with insulin without metformin [with/without other OADs] and with insulin and metformin [with/without other OADs] were 0.52 [0.42-0.66], 0.95 [0.76-1.20] and 0.50 [0.40-0.62], respectively.

CONCLUSION

A reduced risk of IBD is consistently observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have been treated with metformin.

Vildagliptin Has a Neutral Association With Dementia Risk in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Animal studies suggested that vildagliptin might exert a beneficial effect on cognitive function. The present study evaluated whether the use of vildagliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus might affect dementia risk.

METHODS

The database of Taiwan's National Health Insurance was used to enroll an unmatched cohort and a propensity score-matched-pair cohort of ever and never users of vildagliptin from patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus during 2002-2014. The patients should be alive on January 1, 2015 and were followed up for dementia diagnosis until December 31, 2016. Unadjusted and multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for vildagliptin ever versus never users, for cumulative duration and cumulative dose of vildagliptin therapy categorized into tertiles versus never users, and for cumulative duration and cumulative dose treated as continuous variables.

RESULTS

There were 355610 never users and 43196 ever users in the unmatched cohort and 40489 never users and 40489 ever users in the matched cohort. In the unmatched cohort, unadjusted HR (95% CI) was 0.929 (0.683-1.264) and the multivariate-adjusted HR (95% CI) was 0.922 (0.620-1.372). In the matched cohort, the unadjusted HR (95% CI) was 0.930 (0.616-1.402) and the multivariate-adjusted HR (95% CI) was 0.825 (0.498-1.367). None of the analyses conducted for cumulative duration and cumulative dose was significant, either being treated as tertile cutoffs or as continuous variables, in either the unmatched cohort or the matched cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a neutral effect of vildagliptin on dementia risk.

Study design synopsis: Bias can cast a dark shadow over studies

The study of free-living populations is important to generate knowledge related to the epidemiology of disease and other health outcomes. These studies are unable to provide the same level of control as is possible in laboratory studies and thus are susceptible to certain errors. The primary categories of study errors are random and systematic. Random errors cause imprecision and can be quantified using statistical methods including the calculation of confidence intervals. Systematic errors cause bias, which is typically difficult to quantify within the context of an individual study. The three main categories of systematic errors are selection, information, and confounding bias. Selection bias occurs when enrolled animals are not representative of the target population of interest in respect to characteristics important to the primary study objective. Information bias occurs when data collected from enrolled animals deviates from the true value. Information bias is most damaging when errors vary among comparison groups. Both selection and information bias are prevented through the application of good study design procedures. Researchers should select study animals after careful consideration of the primary study objective and desired target population. Investigators can reduce information bias through standardised data collection procedures and the use of blinding. Confounding bias occurs when the measured association between a predictor and an outcome ignores the influential effect of an additional variable. Confounding is common and analysts must implement the appropriate statistical adjustments to reduce the associated bias. All studies will have some errors and biased data with high precision are the most damaging to the validity of study conclusions. Authors can facilitate the critical evaluation of their research by providing text related to the limitations and potential sources of bias within the discussion section of their manuscripts.

Association between women's age and stage, morphology, and implantation of the competent blastocyst: a multicenter cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To study if the age of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment associates with stage, morphology, and implantation of the competent blastocyst.

DESIGN

Multicenter historical cohort study based on exposure (age) and outcome data (blastocyst stage and morphology and initial human chorionic gonadotrophin [hCG] rise) from women undergoing single blastocyst transfer resulting in singleton pregnancy/birth.

SETTING

Sixteen private and university-based facilities.

PATIENT(S)

In this study, 7,246 women who, between 2014 and 2018, underwent controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) or frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with a single blastocyst transfer resulting in singleton pregnancy were identified. Linking data to the Danish Medical Birth Registry resulted in a total of 4,842 women with a live birth being included.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

The competent blastocyst development stage (1-6), inner cell mass (A, B, C), trophectoderm (A, B, C), and initial serum hCG value.

RESULT(S)

Adjusted analysis of age and stage in COS treatments showed that for every 1-year increase in age there was a 5% reduced probability of the competent blastocyst assessed as being in a high stage at transfer. Comparison between hCG values in women 18-24 years and 25-29 years in both COS and FET showed significantly lower levels in the youngest women.

CONCLUSION(S)

The initial hCG rise was influenced by the age of the woman, with an identical pattern for hCG values in COS and FET treatments. In COS, the competent blastocyst had a reduced stage with increasing women's age.

Delineating colorectal cancer distribution, interaction, and risk prediction by environmental risk factors and serum trace elements

The burden of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing worldwide especially in developing countries. This phenomenon may be attributable to lifestyle, dietary and environmental risk factors. We aimed to determine the level of 25 trace elements, their interaction with environmental risk factors, and subsequently develop a risk prediction model for CRC (RPM CRC). For the discovery phase, we used a hospital-based case-control study (CRC and non-CRC patients) and in the validation phase we analysed pre-symptomatic samples of CRC patients from The Malaysian Cohort Biobank. Information on the environmental risk factors were obtained and level of 25 trace elements measured using the ICP-MS method. CRC patients had lower Zn and Se levels but higher Li, Be, Al, Co, Cu, As, Cd, Rb, Ba, Hg, Tl, and Pb levels compared to non-CRC patients. The positive interaction between red meat intake ≥ 50 g/day and Co ≥ 4.77 µg/L (AP 0.97; 95% CI 0.91, 1.03) doubled the risk of CRC. A panel of 24 trace elements can predict simultaneously and accurate of high, moderate, and low risk of CRC (accuracy 100%, AUC 1.00). This study provides a new input on possible roles for various trace elements in CRC as well as using a panel of trace elements as a screening approach to CRC.

Trick or treat? - when children with childhood food allergies lead parents into unhealthy food choices

BACKGROUND

This study examines the relationships between childhood food allergy and parental unhealthy food choices for their children across attitudes towards childhood obesity as mediators and parental gender, income and education as potential moderators.

METHODS

We surveyed parents with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 12 living in Canada and the United States. We received 483 valid responses that were analysed using structural equation modelling approach with bootstrapping to test the hypothetical path model and its invariance across the moderators.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that pressure to eat fully mediated the effects of childhood food allergy and restriction on parental unhealthy food choices for their children. Finally, we found that parental gender moderated the relationship between childhood food allergy and the pressure to eat.

CONCLUSIONS

The paper contributes to the literature on food allergies among children and the marginalisation of families with allergies. Our explorative model is a first of its kind and offers a fresh perspective on complex relationships between variables under consideration. Although our data collection took place prior to Covid-19 outbreak, this paper bears yet particular significance as it casts light on how families with allergies should be part of the priority groups to have access to food supply during crisis periods.

Salpingectomie bilatérale aux fins de contraception permanente : série de cas et facteurs limitant le changement de pratique

OBJECTIVE

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the Society of Gynaecologic Oncology of Canada (GOC) recommend complete removal of the fallopian tubes as a permanent contraceptive method because of its association with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer. Currently, many women are not offered bilateral salpingectomy as an alternative to tubal ligation for permanent contraception.

METHOD

As part of a quality improvement initiative, we reviewed all cases of sterilization performed at our university centre between 1 January and 31 December 2018. A literature review of the clinical and ethical considerations that prevent clinicians from offering bilateral salpingectomy as permanent contraception is also presented.

RESULTS

The records of 111 women who underwent tubal sterilization were reviewed. Of these, 31.5% underwent bilateral salpingectomy; 46.8% underwent tubal fulguration; 12.6% underwent clip ligation; and 9.1% underwent tubal implant ligation (Essure). According to the information on file, only 36.3% of women were offered bilateral salpingectomy, and of these, 83.8% chose this method.

CONCLUSION

Bilateral salpingectomy should be offered to all women seeking permanent contraception. The benefits and very low risks associated with this procedure should make it a first choice option.

Relationship between a uterine fibroid diagnosis and the risk of adverse obstetrical outcomes: a cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to investigate the association between clinically significant uterine fibroids and preterm birth, caesarean section (CS), postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), placental abruption, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and uterine rupture.

METHODS, PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A historical cohort study based on data from the Danish National Birth Cohort, the Danish National Patient Registry and the Danish National Birth Registry (DNBR). The final study population consisted of 92 696 pregnancies and was divided into four groups for comparison. Group 1: pregnancies of women without a fibroid diagnosis code or fibroid operation code; group 2: pregnancies of women with a fibroid diagnosis code before pregnancy, during pregnancy or up to 1 year after delivery, and no fibroid operation code before pregnancy; group 3: pregnancies of women with a fibroid diagnosis code given more than 1 year after delivery; and group 4: pregnancies of women with a fibroid operation code given before pregnancy.

RESULTS

A diagnosis of fibroids before pregnancy yielded an increased risk of preterm birth (gestational age (GA) ≤37 weeks) (OR 2.27 (1.30─3.96)) and extreme preterm birth (GA 22+0─27+6 weeks, OR 20.09 (8.04─50.22)). The risk of CS was increased (OR 1.83 (1.23─2.72)) for women with a fibroid diagnosis code given before pregnancy; significantly increased risk of elective CS (OR 1.92 (1.11─3.32)), but not acute CS (OR 1.54 (0.94─2.52)). The risks of PPH, placental abruption or IUGR were not increased in any of the groups.

CONCLUSION

We found a strong association between clinically significant uterine fibroids and preterm birth, and an association between clinically significant uterine fibroids and CS. In contrast, no association between clinically significant uterine fibroids and PPH, placental abruption or IUGR was seen.

Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index, Gestational Weight Gain, and Risk of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Taiwan: A Population-Based Birth Cohort Study

Epidemiological studies have shown that maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with increased risk of perinatal outcomes. However, the evidence of such associations in Asian populations is limited. We conducted a secondary data analysis to investigate the relationships of prepregnancy BMI and GWG with the risks of adverse perinatal outcomes, including gestational diabetes (GDM), gestational hypertension (GHTN), preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW), and macrosomia. We categorized prepregnancy BMI by the WHO classification and GWG by the Institute of Medicine guidelines. We performed adjusted logistic regression models to estimate the odds ratios of adverse perinatal outcomes. A total of 19,052 women were included; prepregnancy overweight and obesity were associated with a greater risk of GDM, GHTN, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, preterm birth, and macrosomia. Women with excessive GWG had a greater risk of GHTN, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, and macrosomia. In conclusion, regardless of the range of GWG during pregnancy, maternal prepregnancy BMI is significantly associated with the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in Taiwan. Public health attention regarding obesity reduction before conception and prenatal counseling for optimal GWG is needed to mitigate the risk of poor perinatal outcomes.

Metformin reduces risk of varicose veins in patients with type 2 diabetes

AIM

This population-based retrospective cohort study compared the incidence of varicose veins in an unmatched cohort and a cohort of 1:1 propensity score (PS)-matched pairs of ever and never users of metformin in type 2 diabetes patients.

METHODS

Patients with new-onset type 2 diabetes during 1999 to 2005 were enrolled from Taiwan's National Health Insurance and followed until December 31, 2011. Analyses were conducted in an unmatched cohort of 123 710 ever users and 15 095 never users and in 15 088 PS-matched pairs of ever users and never users. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox proportional hazards model incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting using the PS.

RESULTS

New-onset varicose veins were diagnosed in 126 never users and 633 ever users in the unmatched cohort and in 126 never users and 80 ever users in the matched cohort. The respective incidences were 191.36 and 110.04 per 100 000 person-years in the unmatched cohort and 191.41 and 115.81 per 100 000 person-years in the matched cohort. The hazard ratio for ever versus never users in the unmatched cohort was 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.69) and was 0.60 (0.45-0.80) for the matched cohort. In the unmatched cohort, the hazard ratios for the first, second, and third tertiles of cumulative duration were 1.03 (0.83-1.28), 0.55 (0.44-0.69), and 0.29 (0.23-0.37), respectively. The respective hazard ratios in the matched cohort were 0.97 (0.65-1.43), 0.79 (0.55-1.15), and 0.24 (0.13-0.42).

CONCLUSION

Metformin use is associated with a lower risk of varicose veins in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Term spontaneous trial of labor in nulliparous women of short stature: A hospitals-based cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To study the mode of delivery in a well selected cohort of short nulliparous women.

STUDY DESIGN

Hospitals-based cohort study between 2010-2018. The threshold (150 cm, i.e 2,3°p), for the short stature was chosen before the analysis by corresponding to - 2SD of the average population size distribution of all women who delivered over the same period: 2010-2018. Were included nulliparous women with a heigh ≤ 150 cm in term spontaneous labor with a single livung fetus in vertex presentation without malformation. Exclusion criteria were: multiparous, scarred uterus, twin pregnancy, induced labor, preterm delivery (< 37 W P), non-vertex pregnancy, medical termination of pregnancy, stillbirth, severe fetal malformations, pre-labor cesarean, and late dating ultrasound. The main outcome was the mode of delivery. Univariate and multivariate analysis adjusted on potential confounding variable were performed to investigate the risk of intrapartum CS.

RESULTS

178 nulliparous women were included. The mean height was 148 cm. The rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery, operative vaginal delivery a nd intrapartum CS were :35,4 %, 35,4 % and 29,2 % respectively. Intrapartum CS was performed during the first stage labor in 15 (28, 8 %) women and during the second stage in 37 (71, 2 %) women. An arrest of labor was significantly more frequent in the active labor than the early labor stage: 62,1 % vs. 33.3 % (p = 0, 02). In univarate analysis were associated with intrapartum CS : Gestational diabetes, birthweight> 3,5 kg, individual adjusted birthweight >90°p, occiput posterior, oxytocin use, cephalic circumference. After adjustment on birthplace and overweight (BMI over 25), only a birthweight > 3,5 kg remains associated with the risk of intrapartum CS (aOR4.3 ;95 %CI 1.96-10.2).

CONCLUSION

An attempt of vaginal birth is a reasonable option for short stature women. Maternal height could be included in the selection criteria for planned birth center or home birth. The customized gestational-related optimal weigh could be useful to identify large of gestational age fetus.

Screening for Lifetime History of Traumatic Brain Injury Among Older American and Irish Adults at Risk for Dementia: Development and Validation of a Web-Based Survey

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an established risk factor for dementia but mechanisms are uncertain. Accurate TBI exposure classification is critical for cognitive aging research studies seeking to discover mechanisms and treatments of post-TBI dementia. Brief TBI screens, commonly used in epidemiological studies of cognitive aging, are insensitive, leading to exposure mis-classification. Comprehensive TBI interviews, while more sensitive, may be impractical.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop and validate a scalable, self-administered, comprehensive, web-based, TBI exposure survey for use in international cognitive aging research.

METHODS

We adapted a gold-standard comprehensive TBI interview (the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method; OSU TBI-ID) into a self-administered web-based survey for older adults (Older Adult modification of the OSU TBI-ID; OA OSU TBI-ID). We assessed reliability of our web-based survey versus the gold-standard interview among 97 older adults with normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In addition, we assessed sensitivity of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set (NACC UDS) brief TBI screen versus the interview among 70 older adults with normal cognition.

RESULTS

Our OA OSU TBI-ID web-based survey had good to excellent reliability versus the interview (κ 0.66-0.73; ICCs 0.68-0.81) even among the sub-set with MCI (κ 0.74-0.88; ICCs 0.76-0.85), except for several age-at-injury variables. The NACC UDS brief TBI screen missed 50% of TBI exposures identified using the OSU TBI-ID interview.

CONCLUSION

The OSU TBI-ID interview and web-based survey may facilitate more accurate TBI exposure classification in cognitive aging research thereby accelerating discovery of targetable mechanisms of post-TBI dementia.

Alcohol Intake in Early Pregnancy and Spontaneous Preterm Birth: A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Limited research has addressed whether maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. In the current study, we examined how alcohol binge drinking and weekly alcohol intake in early pregnancy were associated with spontaneous preterm birth in a contemporary cohort of Danish women.

METHODS

We included 15,776 pregnancies of 14,894 women referred to antenatal care at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, between 2012 and 2016. Self-reported alcohol intake in early pregnancy was obtained from a Web-based questionnaire completed prior to the women's first visit at the department. Information on spontaneous preterm birth was extracted from the Danish Medical Birth Register. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of spontaneous preterm birth according to self-reported alcohol binge drinking and weekly intake of alcohol in early pregnancy were derived from Cox regression.

RESULTS

Women reporting 1, 2, and ≥ 3 binge drinking episodes had an aHR for spontaneous preterm birth of 0.88 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.14), 1.34 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.82), and 0.93 (95% CI 0.62 to 1.41), respectively, compared to women with no binge drinking episodes. Women who reported an intake of ≥ 1 drink per week on average had an aHR for spontaneous preterm birth of 1.09 (95% CI 0.63 to 1.89) compared to abstainers. When restricting to nulliparous women or cohabiting women with ≥ 3 years of higher education, this estimate was 1.28 (95% CI 0.69 to 2.40) and 1.20 (95% CI 0.67 to 2.15), respectively.

CONCLUSION

We found no evidence that maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth, neither for alcohol binge drinking nor for a low average weekly intake of alcohol.

Alcohol Intake in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Up to 19 Years of Age: A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children beyond 5 years of age. We examined the association between alcohol binge drinking and weekly alcohol intake in early pregnancy and the risk of ADHD in children followed from birth to 19 years of age.

METHODS

We included 48,072 children born between 1998 and 2012, whose mothers participated in the Aarhus Birth Cohort. Maternal alcohol intake was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire completed in early pregnancy. ADHD diagnoses were retrieved from the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register and the Danish National Patient Register. Crude hazard ratio and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of ADHD according to alcohol binge drinking or weekly intake of alcohol were calculated using the Cox regression.

RESULTS

Compared to children of women with no binge drinking episodes, we observed an aHR for ADHD of 0.91 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.08), 0.73 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.96), and 0.77 (95% CI 0.57 to 1.06) among children of women reporting 1, 2, and 3 or more binge drinking episodes, respectively. Among children of women drinking <1 drink per week, 1 drink per week, 2 drinks per week, and 3 or more drinks per week, we observed an aHR for ADHD of 0.87 (95% CI 0.74 to 1.03), 0.63 (95% CI 0.40 to 0.98), 1.30 (95% CI 0.89 to 1.92), and 0.78 (95% CI 0.38 to 1.59), respectively, when compared to children of women not drinking on a weekly basis.

CONCLUSION

We found no evidence that binge drinking or low alcohol intake in early pregnancy was associated with the risk of ADHD in children.

Low-to-moderate alcohol consumption and success in fertility treatment: a Danish cohort study

STUDY QUESTION

Does female weekly alcohol intake and binge drinking impact the chance of a successful fertility treatment?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Low-to-moderate weekly alcohol drinking and binge drinking were not associated with the chance of achieving a clinical pregnancy or a live birth among women and couples undergoing medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatments.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Alcohol consumption is common among women of reproductive age, even though health authorities advise women trying to conceive to abstain from drinking. A growing number of couples struggle with infertility, but it is unknown whether low-to-moderate levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol binge drinking impair success in fertility treatment.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

Cohort study with prospectively collected exposure information including 1708 women and potential partners undergoing fertility treatment at the public fertility clinic, Aarhus University Hospital, 1 January 2010 to 31 August 2015. In total, data on 1511 intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles, 2870 in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles and 1355 frozen embryo transfer cycles.

PARTTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Exposure to weekly average alcohol intake was assessed from questionnaires completed by participants before the start of treatment. Outcome measures are the achievement of a clinical pregnancy and live birth in consecutive treatment cycles in the Danish national health registries, enabling complete follow-up. A modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to evaluate associations between a weekly average alcohol intake and MAR outcomes, adjusting for female age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, coffee consumption, chronic diseases, level of education, and cycle number. When evaluating the association between binge drinking in the month prior to baseline and MAR outcomes the analyses were further adjusted for average weekly alcohol consumption.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Low-to-moderate average weekly alcohol intake was not statistically significantly associated with the chance of achieving a clinical pregnancy or a live birth following IUI or IVF/ICSI treatment cycles. Compared to women abstaining from alcohol, the adjusted relative risks for achieving a live birth among those reporting 1–2, 3–7, and &gt;7 drinks per week were 1.00 (95% CI 0.66; 1.53), 1.20 (0.76; 1.91), and 1.48 (0.56; 3.93), respectively, among women initiating IUI treatments. Among those initiating IVF/ICSI treatments, the chance for achieving a live birth among those reporting 1–2, 3–7, and &gt;7 drinks per week were 1.00 (0.83; 1.21), 0.95 (0.75; 1.20), and 0.89 (0.53; 1.51), respectively. The chance of achieving a live birth in the first IUI or IVF/ICSI treatment cycle was unrelated to the number of binge drinking episodes in the month preceding baseline.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The risk of non-differential exposure misclassification, confounding, or chance cannot be ruled out. In addition, due to the low number of women reporting an intake of &gt;7 drinks/week, the potential effect of high alcohol consumption should be interpreted with caution.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Although it remains unsettled if and how alcohol affects female reproduction, our results indicate that is not necessary to abstain from alcohol when striving for a successful outcome following fertility treatment.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

J.L. is supported by a fully financed Ph.D. scholarship from Aarhus University and has received funds from the A.P. Møller foundation. The funding sources had no involvement in the conduct of the article. Dr Kesmodel reports personal fees from MSD and Ferring Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare and all have completed the ICMJE disclosure form.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Not relevant.

Are Low-to-Moderate Average Alcohol Consumption and Isolated Episodes of Binge Drinking in Early Pregnancy Associated with Facial Features Related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 5-Year-Old Children?

BACKGROUND

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) typically is observed among individuals with high prenatal alcohol exposures (PAE), but exposure histories obtained in clinical diagnostic settings are often inaccurate. The present analysis used the Lifestyle During Pregnancy Study (LDPS) to assess the potential effects of low-to-moderate average weekly alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy on facial features associated with FAS among children 5 years of age.

METHODS

The analysis is a prospective follow-up study of 670 women and their children sampled from the LDPS cohort based on maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The 4-Digit Code FAS Facial Photographic Analysis Software was used to measure the magnitude of expression of the 3 diagnostic facial features of FAS from standardized digital photographs. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of presenting with the FAS/partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) facial phenotypes relative to different patterns of prenatal alcohol exposure.

RESULTS

Ten children presented with the FAS/PFAS facial phenotypes. None of the children sampled met the central nervous system (CNS) criteria for FAS or PFAS at age 5 years. All remained at risk for PFAS since some types of CNS dysfunction associated with this diagnosis may only be assessed at older ages. The FAS/PFAS facial phenotypes were 8.5-fold more likely among children exposed to an average of 1 to 4 drinks/wk and 2.5-fold more likely among children with a single binge exposure in gestational weeks 3 to 4 compared to children with no such exposures. The magnitude of expression of the FAS facial phenotype was significantly correlated with all other diagnostic features of FAS: growth deficiency, microcephaly, and measures of CNS dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that low-to-moderate levels of PAE or isolated binge exposures may place some fetuses at risk for FAS/PFAS. Thus, conservative advice is still for women to abstain from alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Impact of female daily coffee consumption on successful fertility treatment: a Danish cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether female coffee consumption affects the chance of achieving a clinical pregnancy and a live birth among women and couples receiving medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment.

DESIGN

Cohort study with prospectively collected exposure data.

SETTING

Public fertility clinic.

PATIENT(S)

A total of 1,708 women and potential partners undergoing fertility treatment, contributing with 1,511 intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles, 2,870 in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, and 1,355 frozen embryo transfer cycles.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Clinical pregnancy and live birth in consecutive treatment cycles in the Danish national health registries, enabling complete follow-up, and estimation of the cumulative chance of live birth for three consecutive treatment cycles.

RESULT(S)

Among women receiving IVF or ICSI treatment, coffee consumption did not seem to affect the chance of achieving a clinical pregnancy and a live birth. Women treated with IUI who had a daily coffee consumption of 1-5 cups were more likely to achieve a clinical pregnancy (adjusted relative risk 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.11) and live birth (adjusted relative risk 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-2.21) compared with the reference group of coffee abstainers.

CONCLUSION(S)

Women consuming 1-5 cups versus none had a 1.5-fold higher probability of achieving a pregnancy or a live birth when receiving IUI. No associations were found, however, between women's daily coffee consumption and achieving a pregnancy or a live birth from IVF/ICSI.

Conservative treatment of rectosigmoid endometriosis: A prospective study

INTRODUCTION

Deep infiltrating endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain. However, some patients have limited problems that may be controlled by medical treatment, so avoiding the potentially severe complications of major surgery. This approach requires detailed knowledge on quality of life and clinical symptoms over time. The aim of the study was to monitor these parameters in patients with rectosigmoid endometriosis treated with oral contraceptives, oral gestagens, and/or the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device. Moreover, nodule size measurements performed with transvaginal sonography were correlated to severity of symptoms.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Conservatively treated patients on oral contraceptives, oral gestagens, or the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device underwent transvaginal sonography and answered a self-administered questionnaire regarding clinical symptoms and quality of life (Short Form 36 and Endometriosis Health Profile 30) at baseline, and 6 and 12 months later.

RESULTS

Eighty women completed the follow up. Scores of quality of life were comparable to normative data for Danish women of similar age and did not change with time. No association between change in size of the rectosigmoid nodule and change in symptoms was seen.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports that simple treatment with oral contraceptives, oral gestagens, or the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device represents a viable therapeutic approach to rectosigmoid Deep infiltrating endometriosis, provided that proper selection of patients in need of surgery exists.