[Birth conditions and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in adults in the Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohorts of 1982 and 1993]

This study evaluates the association of birth conditions with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in adults using data from two birth cohorts in the city of Pelotas Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. In 1982 and 1993 all births in the city were identified and have been prospectively monitored. In the follow-ups at 30 and 22 years of the 1982 (n = 3,574) and 1993 (n = 3,780) cohorts, respectively, participants were examined, and trained psychologists applied the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). Those individuals who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria were defined as positive for ADHD. Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment was used to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) adjusted for sex, maternal skin color, family income, maternal age, maternal schooling during pregnancy, maternal marital status, parity, and maternal smoking during pregnancy. The prevalence of adult ADHD was 4.4% and 4.5% in the 1982 and 1993 cohorts, respectively. The prevalence of ADHD was higher in those born with lower weight, but no linear trend was observed, and those born with weight between 3,000 and 3,499 grams (PR = 1.40; 95%CI: 1.05-1.86) had the highest risk. For gestational age, we observed an inversely proportional relationship for the presence of ADHD: preterm infants had a 33% higher risk (95%CI: 0.90-1.96) of being considered as having ADHD than those born at 39 or more weeks, but as the confidence interval included nullity, this association may have occurred at random. These results indicate that birth weight and gestational age may be associated with adult ADHD.

COGNITIVE AND SOCIOEMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING AT 4½ YEARS IN CHILDREN BORN TO MOTHERS WHO HAVE RECEIVED TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PROBLEMS WHILE PREGNANT

Cognitive and socioemotional functioning at 4½ years of age were examined in children born to mothers with substance-abuse problems (n = 22) recruited from residential treatment institutions while pregnant, and then compared to children born to mothers with mental health problems (n = 18) and children from a low-risk group (n = 26). No significant group differences in cognitive functioning were found, but the children born to mothers with substance-abuse problems showed more caregiver-reported socioemotional problems than did the low-risk children, like the children born to mothers with mental health problems. Birth weight had an effect on internalizing problems at 4½ years and mediated the relation between group and socioemotional problems, although not when controlling for caregiver education, single parenthood, and anxiety and depression. At 4½ years, 7 children born to mothers with substance-abuse problems were placed in foster care. These children had lower birth weight and higher caregiver-rated internalizing problems. In addition to emphasizing the importance of the quality of the prenatal environment, this study suggests that families with previous substance abuse are in need of long-term follow-up to address socioemotional problems and enhance further positive child cognitive development. The foster-placed children may be in particular need of long-term follow-up.

Birth weight and risk of childhood solid tumors in Brazil: a record linkage between population-based data sets

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the relationship between the development of childhood solid tumors and 1) birth weight and 2) fetal growth, using two Brazilian population-based data sets.

METHODS

A case-cohort study was performed using two population-based data sets, and linkage between the Live Birth Information System (Sistema de Informação sobre Nascidos Vivos, SINASC) and 14 population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) was established. Four controls per case were chosen randomly from the SINASC data set. Tumors were classified as central nervous system (CNS), non-CNS embryonal, and other tumors ("miscellaneous"). Adjustments were made for potential confounders (maternal age, mode of delivery, maternal education, birth order, gestational age, sex, and geographic region). Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using unconditional logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

In a trend analysis, for every 500 g of additional birth weight, the crude OR was 1.12 (CI: 1.00-1.24) and the adjusted OR was 1.02 (CI: 0.90-1.16) for all tumors. For every 1 000 g of additional birth weight, the crude OR was 1.25 (CI: 1.00-1.55) and the adjusted OR was 1.04 (CI: 0.82-1.34) for all tumors. Among children diagnosed after reaching the age of 3 years, in the miscellaneous tumor category, the OR was significantly increased for every additional 500 g and 1 000 g of birth weight.

CONCLUSIONS

The study data suggested that increased birth weight was associated with childhood solid tumor development, especially among children more than 3 years old with "miscellaneous" tumors.

Maternal systemic or cord blood inflammation is associated with birth anthropometry in a Tanzanian prospective cohort

OBJECTIVES

HIV infection is associated with chronic systemic inflammation, with or without antiretroviral therapy. Consequences for foetal growth are not understood, particularly in settings where multiple maternal infections and malnutrition are common. The study was designed to examine maternal systemic circulating and umbilical cord blood cytokine concentrations in relation to birth anthropometry in a Tanzanian prospective cohort.

METHODS

A 9-plex panel of maternal plasma cytokines in HIV-positive (n = 44) and HIV-negative (n = 70) mothers and the same cytokines in umbilical cord blood collected at delivery was assayed. Linear regression modelled associations between maternal or cord blood cytokines and birth anthropometry.

RESULTS

Health indicators (haemoglobin, mid-upper-arm circumference, body mass index) in HIV-positive mothers without considerable immunosuppression did not differ from HIV-negative women. Despite this, HIV-exposed infants had lower birthweight and length. Subgroup analyses indicated that HIV management using HAART was associated with lower plasma TNF-α, as were longer durations of any antiretroviral therapy (≥2 months). Greater maternal plasma TNF-α was associated with earlier delivery (-1.7 weeks, P = 0.039) and lower birthweights (-287 g; P = 0.020), while greater umbilical cord TNF-α (-1.43 cm; P = 0.036) and IL-12p70 (-2.4 cm; P = 0.008) were associated with shorter birth length. Birthweight was inversely associated with cord IL-12p70 (-723 g; P = 0.001) and IFN-γ (-482 g, P = 0.007). Maternal cytokines during pregnancy did not correlate with umbilical cord cytokines at delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

Systemic inflammation identified in maternal plasma or umbilical cord blood was associated with poorer birth anthropometrics in HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed infants. Controlling maternal and/or foetal systemic inflammation may improve birth anthropometry.

Maternal recall of birthweight and birth size in Entebbe, Uganda

OBJECTIVES

To assess the reliability of maternally recalled birthweight and size in Entebbe, Uganda.

METHODS

The study population comprised 404 mothers, who were participants in the Entebbe Mother and Baby Study (EMaBS). Mothers were recruited to EMaBS during antenatal care, maternal characteristics were recorded during pregnancy, and birthweight was recorded at delivery. Four to seven years after delivery, mothers were asked to recall the child's birthweight and size. Their responses were compared with the birthweight recorded in the EMaBS database.

RESULTS

Of 404 interviewed mothers, 303 (75%) were able to give an estimate of birthweight and for 265 of these EMaBS data on recorded birthweights were available. Women who were educated and whose children had low birth order were more likely to be able to give an estimate: 37 (14%) recalled the exact recorded birthweight; a further 52 (20%) were accurate to within 0.1 kg of the recorded weight. On average, mothers overestimated birthweight by 0.06 kg (95% CI: 0.00-0.13 kg, P = 0.04). Recalled and recorded birthweights showed moderate agreement with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.64. Four hundered mothers gave an estimate of birth size: the sensitivity and specificity of recalled birth size for classifying low birthweight were 76% (95% CI: 50-93%) and 70% (95% CI: 65-75%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers' recall of birthweight was not precise but in absence of other data, recall of birthweight and size may have some value in epidemiological studies in these settings.