The influence of diet and physical activity on bone density of children aged 5-7 years: The Belfast HAPO family study.

Objective: Osteoporosis is a global health issue, and modifiable behavioural factors need to be identified in childhood to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in later life. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of diet and physical activity on bone density of children aged 5-7 years participating in the Belfast Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Family study.

Design And Methods: Pregnant women were recruited to the Belfast centre of the HAPO study at 24-32 weeks gestation.

Use of health services and unmet needs among adults with cerebral palsy in Ireland.

Aim: To describe use of health services, unmet needs relating to health services, and identify factors associated with service use among adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in Ireland.

Method: Data relating to demographics, secondary diagnoses, current use of health services and assistive devices, and unmet needs for both were obtained on adults with CP from the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with service use.

Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy.

Congenital malformations and perinatal mortality rates remain severalfold higher in pregnant women with type 1 diabetes than in the background population, and still only a minority of women plan their pregnancy. Optimizing glycemic control is the accepted goal, but remains challenging, and must be constantly balanced against the risks of hypoglycemia. Recent advances including Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems, Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion, Closed Loop Devices and very Fast Acting Insulin Aspart analogs offer new possibilities to increase glucose time in target in selected, motivated patients, however their relative roles and indication for use require further elucidation.

Factors associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in older people in Europe: the EUREYE study.

Background/objectives: We aimed to describe serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations in older Europeans and to investigate associations between 25OHD and lifestyle factors, including dietary intake and supplement use.

Subjects/methods: Men and women aged ≥ 65 years were recruited from seven centres across north to south Europe. Serum 25OHD and 25OHD concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in 4495 samples and total 25OHD (25OHD + 25OHD) was adjusted for season of blood collection.

Maternal Lipids at 28 Weeks' Gestation and Offspring Adiposity at Age 5 to 7 Years.

Context: Obesity is a global epidemic, and there is a focus on identifying markers of obesity in children with a view to prevention.

Objective: We aimed to examine prospectively the association of maternal fasting lipids with adiposity in 5- to 7-year-old offspring in a large observational study.

Design: Pregnant women (1612) were recruited to the Belfast center of the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study in a large tertiary maternity hospital at an average of 28 weeks' gestation.

Maternal vitamin D and neonatal anthropometrics and markers of neonatal glycaemia: Belfast Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study.

Vitamin D deficiency is a common occurrence globally, and particularly so in pregnancy. There is conflicting evidence regarding the role of vitamin D during pregnancy in non-skeletal health outcomes for both the mother and the neonate. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of maternal total 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) with neonatal anthropometrics and markers of neonatal glycaemia in the Belfast centre of the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study.