Extensive Study of Breast Milk and Infant Growth: Protocol of the Cambridge Baby Growth and Breastfeeding Study (CBGS-BF)

Growth and nutrition during early life have been strongly linked to future health and metabolic risks. The Cambridge Baby Growth Study (CBGS), a longitudinal birth cohort of 2229 mother–infant pairs, was set up in 2001 to investigate early life determinant factors of infant growth and body composition in the UK setting. To carry out extensive profiling of breastmilk intakes and composition in relation to infancy growth, the Cambridge Baby Growth and Breastfeeding Study (CBGS-BF) was established upon the original CBGS. The strict inclusion criteria were applied, focusing on a normal birth weight vaginally delivered infant cohort born of healthy and non-obese mothers. Crucially, only infants who were exclusively breastfed for the first 6 weeks of life were retained in the analysed study sample. At each visit from birth, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and then at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, longitudinal anthropometric measurements and blood spot collections were conducted. Infant body composition was assessed using air displacement plethysmography (ADP) at 6 weeks and 3 months of age. Breast milk was collected for macronutrients and human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) measurements. Breast milk intake volume was also estimated, as well as sterile breastmilk and infant stool collection for microbiome study.     

Prenatal development of the pulmonary surfactant system and the influence of hypoxia

Pulmonary surfactant fulfils diverse functions at the lung air-liquid interface of all air-breathing vertebrates. Neurohormonal regulation of surfactant synthesis and secretion is highly conserved among non-mammalian amniotes. Although the pattern of surfactant lipid maturation is similar among species, the onset and completion differ dramatically. These differences are apparently not determined by phylogeny, but may relate to the timing of development of relative hypoxia as an embryo develops, which is related to birthing strategy. We have proposed that hypoxia is an evolutionary drive for differential surfactant development among species. In mammalian and non-mammalian models, hypoxia induces fetal growth restriction. Depending on the timing of the insult, this may be associated with an acceleration or deceleration of surfactant development. The hypoxic effect may be mediated via hormonal and growth factors, such as glucocorticoids and VEGF. However, the multifactorial nature of mammalian growth restriction models complicates the mechanistic interpretations. Hence, less complex oviparous animal models are required, in which hypoxia can be isolated from maternal influences.     

Reduced language lateralization in first-episode medication-naive schizophrenia

Diminished functional lateralization in language-related areas is found in chronic schizophrenia. It is not clear at what stage of illness these abnormalities in lateralization arise, or whether they are affected by medication. In addition, it is hypothesized that reduced language lateralization is related to positive symptoms of schizophrenia, but studies addressing this issue have yielded contradictory results. In this study we used functional MRI to measure language lateralization in 35 first-episode medication-naive schizophrenia patients and 43 matched healthy controls. Subjects performed three language tasks: a paced verb generation task, an antonym generation task, and a semantic decision task. Lateralization Index (LI) was calculated, using a relative threshold technique, in seven Regions of Interest (ROIs), including the main language-related areas and their contralateral homologues. In addition, we investigated whether language lateralization was correlated with psychotic symptoms. Across all ROIs, LI was significantly reduced in patients (p<0.001) compared to controls. Post-hoc tests revealed that this reduction was most prominent in the inferior frontal gyrus (part of Broca's area) (p=0.003) and the superior temporal gyrus (part of Wernicke's area) (p<0.001). LI was not correlated with the positive subscale of the PANSS, nor with hallucinations or disorganization. This is the first study to report reduced LI at the onset of schizophrenia, before medical treatment is initiated.     

Dimensions of the craniocervical junction in longitudinal analysis of normal growth

Introduction  

Abnormal configuration of the craniocervical junction in the form of basilar impression or invagination, with often-associated platybasia, is a clinically significant cause of neurological symptoms particularly in patients with inherited diseases affecting the connective tissue. To better understand the course of development of these basilar abnormalities and further define their diagnostic criteria in children, we analysed longitudinally changes in the vertical dimensions of the craniocervical junction and in the flexion of the anterior skull base in normal growing individuals.     

Multi-center clinical evaluation of the Access AMH assay to determine AMH levels in reproductive age women during normal menstrual cycles

Background

AMH is widely used for assessing ovarian reserve, and it is particularly convenient, because it is thought to have minimal variability throughout the menstrual cycle. However, studies assessing the stability of AMH over the menstrual cycle have been conflicting.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine whether AMH levels vary across the normal menstrual cycle.

Design

A multi-center, prospective cohort study conducted at three US centers.

Methods

Fifty females with regular menstrual cycles aged 18–45 underwent serial venipuncture every 3–5 days starting in the early follicular phase and lasting up to 10 collections. AMH was tested using the Access 2 immunoassay system.

Results

Age-adjusted mixed-effect models utilizing data from 384 samples from 50 subjects demonstrated a within subject standard deviation of 0.81 (95% CI 0.75–0.88) with a coefficient of variation of 23.8% across the menstrual cycle and between subject standard deviation of 2.56 (95% CI 2.13–3.21) with a coefficient of variation of 75.1%. Intra-class correlation (ICC) of AMH across the menstrual cycle was 0.91.

Conclusion

Overall, AMH levels, using the automated Access AMH assay, appear to be relatively stable across the menstrual cycle. Fluctuations, if any, appear to be small, and therefore, clinicians may advise patients to have AMH levels drawn at any time in the cycle.

     

Nasal douches for diseases of the nose and the paranasal sinuses—a comparative in vitro investigation

Nasal douches are applied in great number of diseases of the nose and the paranasal sinuses. For this purpose, many different kinds of nasal douching systems have been introduced into the market. The aim of this study was to examine the irrigation characteristics of the current nasal douching systems. In this context, 26 nasal douching systems were compared regarding irrigation volume, irrigation duration, flow rate and pressure and course of the irrigation stream. The following procedure was applied: First, the spontaneous flow through the nasal douche was measured, then the flow under compression. Finally, these procedures were repeated using a nose model. Furthermore, we asked the manufacturers for information concerning possible cleaning and disinfection techniques. Douching period and flow rate highly depend on physical parameters: distance between liquid column and outlet (hydrostatic pressure) and form and size of the outlet (energy loss because of friction/turbulence). A weak irrigation stream was found in spontaneous release of the douching system when both douching pressure and flow rate offered low values. The douching of the nose model showed that the incompressible nasal douches only reached the lower nasal passage. Only the compressible nasal douching systems led to a diffuse moisturization as well as to a perfusion of the entire nasal cavity. Systematic evaluation of the different recommended cleaning and disinfection methods of the nasal douching systems is still missing. Nasal douches are often recommended in many diseases of the nose and the paranasal sinuses. In this comparative in vitro study, physical parameters and material properties of the nasal douching systems were examined for the first time. For irrigation of the whole nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, compressible douching systems are recommended which have a minimum output pressure of 120 mbar, a good connection of the outlet to the nostril with a possible insertion into the nasal vestibule and an irrigation stream which is directed upwards (45°). The material should be transparent, easy to clean and disinfect and should not contain harmful elements.