Use of Biomarkers in Nutrition Intervention Studies of Children: A Scoping Review.

Obesity in youth is an increasingly prevalent public health concern worldwide. Lifestyle interventions aim to help participants establish healthy habits and reduce obesity-related disease risk by targeting physical activity and dietary habits. Most studies assess weight loss, but biomarkers may enable more rapid and comprehensive assessment of intervention success.

Edinburgh postpartum depression scores are associated with vaginal and gut microbiota in pregnancy.

Background: Prenatal and postpartum depression may be influenced by the composition of host associated microbiomes. As such, the objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the human gut or vaginal microbiomes in pregnancy with prenatal or postpartum depression.

Methods: 140 female participants were recruited at their first prenatal visit and completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to screen for depression and anxiety, in addition the EPDS was completed one month postpartum.

Impacts of Whole-Grain Soft Red, Whole-Grain Soft White, and Refined Soft White Wheat Flour Crackers on Gastrointestinal Inflammation and the Gut Microbiota of Adult Humans.

Consumption of whole-grain wheat has been associated with positive health outcomes, but it remains unclear whether different types of wheat elicit varying effects on the gut microbiome and intestinal inflammation. The objectives of this research were to investigate the effect of two whole-grain wheat flours versus refined wheat flour on the diversity of the human gut microbiota, as well as on butyrate production capacity and gastrointestinal inflammation, using one-week dietary interventions. For this study, 28 participants were recruited, with ages ranging from 18 to 55 years and a mean BMI of 26.

Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity.

Importance: Limited access to healthy foods, resulting from residence in neighborhoods with low food access, is a public health concern. The contribution of this exposure in early life to child obesity remains uncertain.

Objective: To examine associations of neighborhood food access during pregnancy or early childhood with child body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk.

Maternal Body Mass Index Associates with Prenatal Characteristics and Fecal Microbial Communities.

The maternal microbiome plays a vital role in shaping pregnancy outcomes, but there remains a substantial gap in understanding its precise relationships to maternal health, particularly in relation to potential effects of body mass index (BMI) on gut microbial diversity. The aim of this observational study was to assess maternal characteristics in association with pre-pregnancy BMI and to further assess microbial diversity in association with specific maternal characteristics. Eighty-four pregnant women were recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy from various prenatal clinics across the state of Michigan.

Influence of Compost Amendments on Soil and Human Gastrointestinal Bacterial Communities during a Single Gardening Season.

To measure associations between gardening with different compost amendments and the human gut microbiota composition, gardeners (n = 25) were provided with one of three types of compost: chicken manure (CM), dairy manure and plant material (DMP), or plant-based (P). Stool samples were collected before gardening (T1), after compost amendment (T2), and at peak garden harvest (T3). Compost and soil samples were collected.

Host factors are associated with vaginal microbiome structure in pregnancy in the ECHO Cohort Consortium.

Using pooled vaginal microbiota data from pregnancy cohorts (N = 683 participants) in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, we analyzed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences to identify clinical and demographic host factors that associate with vaginal microbiota structure in pregnancy both within and across diverse cohorts. Using PERMANOVA models, we assessed factors associated with vaginal community structure in pregnancy, examined whether host factors were conserved across populations, and tested the independent and combined effects of host factors on vaginal community state types (CSTs) using multinomial logistic regression models. Demographic and social factors explained a larger amount of variation in the vaginal microbiome in pregnancy than clinical factors.

Association of the Infant Gut Microbiome with Temperament at Nine Months of Age: A Michigan Cohort Study.

Though studies in animals and humans link the gut microbiota to brain development and control of behavior, little research has examined this connection in healthy infants. This prospective study could determine associations between infant gut microbiota at 3 months, and infant temperament at 9 months, in a prospective pregnancy cohort (Michigan Archive for Research on Child Health; = 159). Microbiota profiling with 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted on fecal samples obtained at 3 months of age.

Development and evaluation of food preservation lessons for gardeners: application of the DESIGN process.

Objective: This study presents the development and evaluation of food preservation lessons for gardeners.

Design: Lessons were developed using the DESIGN process, a nutrition education program planning framework. This study examines the effectiveness of this curriculum at increasing knowledge of proper food preservation practices and increasing participants' confidence in home food preservation, identifies challenges participants experienced with home food preservation and assesses the perceived influence of home food preservation on vegetable intake and aspects of food security.

Opportunities for Examining Child Health Impacts of Early-Life Nutrition in the ECHO Program: Maternal and Child Dietary Intake Data from Pregnancy to Adolescence.

Background: Longitudinal measures of diet spanning pregnancy through adolescence are needed from a large, diverse sample to advance research on the effect of early-life nutrition on child health. The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, which includes 69 cohorts, >33,000 pregnancies, and >31,000 children in its first 7-y cycle, provides such data, now publicly available.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe dietary intake data available in the ECHO Program as of 31 August, 2022 (end of year 6 of Cycle 1) from pregnancy through adolescence, including estimated sample sizes, and to highlight the potential for future analyses of nutrition and child health.

Associations of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with birth outcomes: Results from three urban birth cohorts in the NIH environmental influences on child health outcomes program.

Studies suggest perinatal infection with SARS-CoV-2 can induce adverse birth outcomes, but studies published to date have substantial limitations. We therefore conducted an observational study of 211 births occurring between January 2020-September 2021 in three urban cohorts participating in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program. Serology was assessed for IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies to nucleocapsid, S1 spike, S2 spike, and receptor-binding domain.

Prenatal physical activity and the gut microbiota of pregnant women: results from a preliminary investigation.

Purpose: To determine whether physical activity (PA), specifically meeting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity PA per week, is associated with gut microbiota composition in pregnant women.

Methods: In an ongoing birth cohort study, questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which provides data on PA variables, were used to determine whether pregnant women met or exceeded the PA recommendations. To profile the composition of gut bacterial microbiota, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on stool samples obtained from pregnant women.

Opportunities for understanding the COVID-19 pandemic and child health in the United States: the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.

Objective: Ongoing pediatric cohort studies offer opportunities to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's health. With well-characterized data from tens of thousands of US children, the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program offers such an opportunity.

Methods: ECHO enrolled children and their caregivers from community- and clinic-based pediatric cohort studies.

Associations between the Gut Microbiota, Urinary Metabolites, and Diet in Women during the Third Trimester of Pregnancy.

Background: Pregnancy causes many metabolic and physiologic changes. However, associations between gut microbiota, dietary intake, and urinary metabolites are poorly characterized in pregnant women.

Objectives: The research objective was to identify dietary and microbial associations with urinary metabolites during pregnancy to elucidate potential biomarkers and microbial targets to improve maternal-fetal health.

Methods in Nutrition & Gut Microbiome Research: An American Society for Nutrition Satellite Session [13 October 2022].

The microbial cells colonizing the human body form an ecosystem that is integral to the regulation and maintenance of human health. Elucidation of specific associations between the human microbiome and health outcomes is facilitating the development of microbiome-targeted recommendations and treatments (e.g.

Effects of aflatoxin on the immune system: Evidence from human and mammalian animal research.

Shortly after its discovery in 1960, aflatoxin - a group of fungal toxins or mycotoxins produced by the fungi and in food crops such as maize, peanuts and tree nuts - was found to cause liver cancer in humans and multiple animal species. Hence, regulations on maximum allowable aflatoxin levels in food worldwide have focused on protecting humans from aflatoxin's carcinogenic effects. However, aflatoxin may also have non-carcinogenic health effects (e.

Role of human milk oligosaccharide metabolizing bacteria in the development of atopic dermatitis/eczema.

Despite affecting up to 20% of infants in the United States, there is no cure for atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema. Atopy usually manifests during the first six months of an infant's life and is one predictor of later allergic health problems. A diet of human milk may offer protection against developing atopic dermatitis.

Impact of sedentary behavior and emotional support on prenatal psychological distress and birth outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Studies have reported mixed findings regarding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on pregnant women and birth outcomes. This study used a quasi-experimental design to account for potential confounding by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: Data were drawn from 16 prenatal cohorts participating in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.

Feasibility of a Food Delivery Intervention during Pregnancy in a Rural US Population: The PEAPOD Pilot Study.

Pregnancy nutrition is important for maternal and child health and may affect the development of the infant gut microbiome. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of implementing a food-based intervention designed to increase fiber intake among pregnant women in a rural setting. Participants were enrolled ( = 27) mid-pregnancy from a prenatal care clinic in rural Michigan, randomized to intervention ( = 13) or usual care ( = 14), and followed to 6 weeks postpartum.

Dietary Intake by Toddlers and Preschool Children: Preliminary Results from a Michigan Cohort.

Identifying the consumption patterns of toddlers and preschool children is critical to evaluating their potential for healthy development and future heath trajectories. The purpose of this longitudinal cohort study was to describe breastfeeding, nutritional trends, and dietary diversity in 12-to-36-month-old children in a Michigan cohort. Mothers completed surveys when their children were 12 ( = 44), 24 ( = 46) and 36 months old ( = 32).

Perinatal Outcomes during versus Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Role of Maternal Depression and Perceived Stress: A Report from the ECHO Program.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on perinatal outcomes while accounting for maternal depression or perceived stress and to describe COVID-specific stressors, including changes in prenatal care, across specific time periods of the pandemic.

Study Design: Data of dyads from 41 cohorts from the National Institutes of Health Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program ( = 2,983) were used to compare birth outcomes before and during the pandemic ( = 2,355), and a partially overlapping sample ( = 1,490) responded to a COVID-19 questionnaire. Psychosocial stress was defined using prenatal screening for depression and perceived stress.

Impact of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation during Breastfeeding on Infant Serum Vitamin D Levels: A Narrative Review of the Recent Evidence.

Vitamin D supplementation for breastfed infants is recommended due to low levels of vitamin D in human milk and the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The relationship between maternal vitamin D supplementation while breastfeeding and infant serum vitamin D levels is beginning to be described. A literature review was conducted that investigated the impact of maternal supplementation, with at least 4000 IU of vitamin D, on infant serum vitamin D levels.