Purpose: A recent meta-analysis finds reduced risk of preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks gestational age) during the initial stage of COVID-19 in which infection rates remained relatively low but many societies imposed restrictions on movement. None of this work, however, examines sex-specific responses despite much literature on other ambient "shocks" which would predict male sensitivity. We use a conception cohort approach to explore potential sex-specific PTB responses in France, a country which imposed a lockdown in Spring 2020.
Methods: We applied interrupted time series methods using national data in France for 207 weeks among 1403,284 males and 1341,359 females conceived from 19 Jan 2016 to 6 Jan 2020.
Results: For males in utero, the 1st COVID-19 societal lockdown corresponds with a - 0.60 per 100 conception reduction in PTB cases per week, for 12 consecutive weeks (95% confidence interval [CI]: -.36, -.84). For females in utero, the PTB reduction is smaller (-0.40 reduction per 100 conceptions, for 10 consecutive weeks, 95% CI: -.15, -.61). A formal test of sex differences in the PTB response indicates a stronger reduction in male (vs. female) PTB during the lockdown (p = .001).
Conclusions: Explanations for the counterintuitive reduction in PTB during COVID-19 among cohorts in utero during Spring 2020 should consider mechanisms that disproportionately affect males.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.01.008 | DOI Listing |
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Health Sciences University, Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital,
Bursa, Turkiye.
Objective: To compare the inflammatory markers between therapeutic and emergency cerclage and assess the predictive role of inflammatory markers for the latency period.
Study Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital, Turkiye, from January 2016 to September 2022.
BMC Pediatr
January 2025
Department of Neonatology, Al Wakra Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most common cause of neonatal early onset sepsis in term infants and a major cause of late onset sepsis in both term and preterm infants.
Aim: To estimate the incidence of GBSS among neonates born in Qatar between July 2015 and June 2020 (5 years). A secondary aim was to describe the outcomes of the affected babies.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Neonatal health is dependent on early risk stratification, diagnosis, and timely management of potentially devastating conditions, particularly in the setting of prematurity. Many of these conditions are poorly predicted in real-time by clinical data and current diagnostics. Umbilical cord blood may represent a novel source of molecular signatures that provides a window into the state of the fetus at birth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPediatr Res
January 2025
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Modena, Via del Pozzo, 41124, Modena, Italy.
Background: Our aim was to develop a quantitative model for immediately estimating the risk of death and/or brain injury in late-onset sepsis (LOS) in preterm infants, based on objective and measurable data available at the time sepsis is first suspected (i.e., time of blood culture collection).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioelectrochemistry
January 2025
Tongzhou Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Beijing, No. 124, Yuqiao Middle Road, Tongzhou District, Beijing 101101 PR China. Electronic address:
Cystatin C (Cys-C) is emerging as a critical biomarker for assess gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a condition that significantly impacts maternal and fetal health. In this study, we developed a novel label-free electrochemical immunosensor designed for point-of-care applications, offering lower reagent consumption and rapid detection of Cys-C in pregnant women with GDM. Compared to traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), the sensor demonstrates enhanced sensitivity, reduced reagent usage, and faster detection.
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