Newborn screening analytes and structural birth defects among 27,000 newborns.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests newborn screening analytes may yield insights into the etiologies of birth defects, yet no effort has evaluated associations between a range of newborn screening analytes and birth defects.

Methods: This population-based study pooled statewide data on birth defects, birth certificates, and newborn screening analytes from Texas occurring between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009. Associations between a panel of thirty-six newborn screening analytes, collected by the statewide Texas Newborn Screening Program, and the presence of a birth defect, defined as at least one of 39 birth defects diagnoses recorded by the Texas Birth Defects Registry, were assessed using regression analysis.

The Effect of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms (PDS) on Maternal Health Practices After Childbirth, Texas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2012-2015.

Objectives: This study examined the contribution of postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) on select maternal health practices among Texas women, using 2012-2015 survey data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

Methods: Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the effect of PDS on postpartum checkups, postpartum dental visits, and use of postpartum birth control. Covariates included maternal age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, and depression before birth.

Identifying Maternal Deaths in Texas Using an Enhanced Method, 2012.

Objective: To more accurately estimate the 2012 maternal mortality ratio for Texas using an enhanced method for identifying maternal deaths.

Methods: This population-based descriptive study used both data matching and record review to verify pregnancy or delivery within 42 days for 147 deaths with obstetric cause-of-death codes, and used data matching alone to identify additional maternal deaths within the same timeframe. Crude maternal mortality ratios were calculated for confirmed maternal deaths overall, by race and ethnicity, and by age.

Family-based exome-wide association study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia among Hispanics confirms role of ARID5B in susceptibility.

We conducted an exome-wide association study of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) among Hispanics to confirm and identify novel variants associated with disease risk in this population. We used a case-parent trio study design; unlike more commonly used case-control studies, this study design is ideal for avoiding issues with population stratification bias among this at-risk ethnic group. Using 710 individuals from 323 Guatemalan and US Hispanic families, two inherited SNPs in ARID5B reached genome-wide level significance: rs10821936, RR = 2.

Novel Gene and Network Associations Found for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using Case-Control and Family-Based Studies in Multiethnic Populations.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, suggesting that germline variants influence ALL risk. Although multiple genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified variants predisposing children to ALL, it remains unclear whether genetic heterogeneity affects ALL susceptibility and how interactions within and among genes containing ALL-associated variants influence ALL risk. Here, we jointly analyzed two published datasets of case-control GWA summary statistics along with germline data from ALL case-parent trios.

Maternal Mortality in Texas.

A commentary on maternal mortality in Texas is provided in response to a 2016 article in by MacDorman et al. While the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force agree that maternal mortality increased sharply from 2010 to 2011, the percentage change or the magnitude of the increase in the maternal mortality rate in Texas differs depending on the statistical methods used to compute and display it. Methodologic challenges in identifying maternal death are also discussed, as well as risk factors and causes of maternal death in Texas.

Family-based exome-wide assessment of maternal genetic effects on susceptibility to childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in hispanics.

Background: Children of Hispanic ancestry have a higher incidence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) compared with other ethnic groups, but to the authors' knowledge, the genetic basis for these racial disparities remain incompletely understood. Genome-wide association studies of childhood ALL to date have focused on inherited genetic effects; however, maternal genetic effects (the role of the maternal genotype on phenotype development in the offspring) also may play a role in ALL susceptibility.

Methods: The authors conducted a family-based exome-wide association study of maternal genetic effects among Hispanics with childhood B-cell ALL using the Illumina Infinium HumanExome BeadChip.

Fluoride exposure in public drinking water and childhood and adolescent osteosarcoma in Texas.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between fluoride levels in public drinking water and childhood and adolescent osteosarcoma in Texas; to date, studies examining this relationship have been equivocal. Using areas with high and low naturally occurring fluoride, as well as areas with optimal fluoridation, we examined a wide range of fluoride levels in public drinking water.

Methods: This was a population-based case-control study, with both cases and controls obtained from the Texas Cancer Registry.

Relationship between vapor intrusion and human exposure to trichloroethylene.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater has the potential to volatilize through soil into indoor air where it can be inhaled. The purpose of this study was to determine whether individuals living above TCE-contaminated groundwater are exposed to TCE through vapor intrusion. We examined associations between TCE concentrations in various environmental media and TCE concentrations in residents.

Genetic, psychosocial, and demographic factors associated with social disinhibition in Mexican-origin youth.

Introduction: The genetic heritability for sensation-seeking tendencies ranges from 40 to 60%. Sensation-seeking behaviors typically manifest during adolescence and are associated with alcohol and cigarette experimentation in adolescents. Social disinhibition is an aspect of sensation-seeking that is closely tied to cigarette and alcohol experimentation.

Prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Texas, 1998-2003.

A prevalence study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was conducted in 3 areas in Texas to enable the state health department to better respond to community concerns regarding the occurrence of ALS and to contribute to national prevalence estimates. The overall ALS point prevalence was lower than previously published US estimates. This study provides ALS prevalence estimates for Texas, including Hispanic populations.

Relationship between prenatal lead exposure and infant blood lead levels.

Recent literature has shown that analyzing newborn dried blood spots (DBS) may be effective in assessing some prenatal environmental exposures, such as exposure to lead. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between prenatal exposure to lead (as measured by newborn DBS results) and blood lead levels (BLLs) in infants 6 months of age or younger, using public health registry data for infants born in Texas from July 2002 through July 2006. The Texas Child Lead Registry (TCLR) was used to identify infants with documented elevated BLLs of 10 μg/dL or higher as well as infants with documented low BLLs.

Updated prevalence estimates of multiple sclerosis in Texas, 1998 to 2003.

The Texas Department of State Health Services extended a prevalence study of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a 19-county area in North Texas to include 3 additional years of data and included a new geographic area with a predominantly Hispanic population (El Paso County). Patients in whom MS was diagnosed by a neurologist, who resided in the study areas, and who had an office visit between 1998 and 2003 were included in the study. The 6-year MS prevalence estimate for the North Texas counties was 71.

Association of paternal age with prevalence of selected birth defects.

Background: Unlike maternal age, the effect of paternal age on birth defect prevalence has not been well examined. We used cases from the Texas birth defect registry, born during 1996-2002, to evaluate the association of paternal age with the prevalence of selected structural birth defects.

Methods: Poisson regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with paternal age for each birth defect, adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, and parity.

Linking teratogen information service and birth defects registry databases to improve knowledge of birth defect status.

Background: Although teratogen information services (TISs) obtain maternal exposure information from their callers, such services often do not know if the pregnancies were affected by a birth defect. This study attempted to improve the completeness of this information for Texas Teratogen Information Service (TTIS) callers by linking their records with the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR) and Texas birth certificates (TBCs).

Methods: A total of 344 expectant mothers called TTIS with expected dates of delivery between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2001.