Previous research documented that white-tailed deer body mass and antler size varied across physiographic regions of Mississippi. Deer from regions with greater soil fertility had greater body mass and antler size; however, this information is known only for individuals 6 months of age and older. I monitored birth mass and skeletal size of fawns produced by bred, adult, female white-tailed deer transplanted from the Delta, Thin Loess (Loess), and Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) soil regions to fawn in the Mississippi State University Rusty Dawkins Memorial Deer Unit. I evaluated the effect of soil region of origin, litter size, and fawn gender on mass and size of fawns at birth. Birth mass was not as variable as mass of older animals, but LCP fawns were lighter and shorter than loess and/or delta fawns. Twins were lighter and shorter than singletons. Males were heavier than females. Differences between regional birth dates within the pens and estimated regional birth dates based on a fetal growth curve raises questions about the wide-spread application of this method of estimating deer breeding and fawning dates.

Undernutrition and oxidative stress in fetal life and infancy may lead to adverse health outcomes in the offspring. We studied nutrition and oxidative parameters in pregnancy and their associations with birth anthropometry and metabolic status in the children. In Matlab in rural Bangladesh, women were randomized to either early (Early) invitation to food supplementation or to start at their own liking (Usual). Women were also allocated to either; 1) 60 mg iron and 400 µg folic acid (Fe60F), 2) multiple micronutrients including 30 mg iron and folic acid (MMS), or 3) 30 mg iron and folic acid (Fe30F). Micronutrients (hemoglobin, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin B-12) were assessed in pregnancy week 14, lipid peroxidation in week 14 and 30, and DNA oxidation in week 19. The offspring were assessed for anthropometric measurements at birth and metabolic status at 4.5 years. Micronutrient deficiencies were common with zinc and vitamin B-12 deficiency being most prevalent. Anemia was present in approximately one third of women, however, iron deficiency was uncommon seen in only 2%. Maternal Early food supplementation group resulted in an improved lipid status in the children at 4.5 years compared to Usual food group. Prenatal use of MMS lowered the children’s glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, and growth factors compared to Fe60F.   Lipid peroxidation in early pregnancy was associated with size at birth and insulin and HOMA-IR levels in the children. Lipid peroxidation in late pregnancy, however, was associated with the children’s lipid status. Both increasing lipid peroxidation and increasing DNA oxidation was associated with decreasing IGF-1 levels.  The beneficial effects of an Early start of food supplementation show that an improved prenatal nutrition may have lasting effects in the offspring and highlights the importance of early timing food supplementation. Use of MMS, however, resulted in lower insulin levels, which, considering the already low level of insulin in these children, may be a cause of concern. MMS also resulted in growth factors indicative of slower growth and further research appears to be needed before scaling up the use of MMS. Oxidative parameters in pregnancy were associated with longer-term outcomes in the offspring, suggesting that oxidative stress may be involved in the development of later metabolic disease.

Background: In Nigeria, there is an escalating incidence of hypertension, its complications and other cardiovascular risks, likely to have their origins in early life. Malaria is still hyperendemic, with pregnant women at increased risk, with associated consequences of maternal anemia and high rates of delivering low birth-weight babies. Aims and Hypothesis: In this study, we have tested the hypothesis that malaria in pregnancy will not only enhance the risk of small birth size and poor infant growth, but will also generate higher blood pressures in infancy and beyond. We also tested the hypothesis that metabolic markers in pregnant mothers affected by malaria would relate to infant birth size. Thus the aims of this project were: 1) to define relationships between the type of malaria exposure and birth size, 2) to characterize the association between maternal and cord metabolic biomarkers and birth size on the background of prenatal malaria exposure and 3) to examine the effect prenatal malaria exposure on first year growth and whether higher blood pressure (BP) is generated. Methods: Healthy pregnant women were recruited and followed at Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, Ibadan. Anthropometric, BP, and biomarkers (lipids, glucose, insulin and TNFα) measurements were obtained in the mothers at booking. Birth size and growth at 3 and 12 months along with biomarkers (as above) and IGF-I measures in cord blood were assessed in the infants. Blood films for malaria parasites were taken throughout pregnancy including delivery and in all babies. Women were grouped to distinguish between the timing of malaria parasitaemia (either during pregnancy only or during pregnancy and at delivery) and the severity of malaria infection (low vs high parasite load). At birth, 436 mother-baby pairs were measured. 467 maternal samples were obtained for metabolic profile and 187 cord blood samples. 318 babies were all followed from birth to 3 and 12 months. Results: Malaria parasitaemia was found in 48% of the women, associated with younger maternal age, being primigravid and a lower haematocrit. Babies of mothers with high parasitaemia through pregnancy had the smallest birth growth parameters compared with those without malaria (weight, length, and head circumference were smaller by 300g, 1.1cm and 0.7cm respectively, all p≤0.005) but their systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) adjusted for weight were higher than those with low parasitaemia by 1.7 and 1.4 mmHg/kg respectively. SBPs were lowest in babies of mothers with malaria at delivery implying an acute effect on the babies’ circulation. Mothers with malaria had significantly lower lipids (except triglycerides) but higher TNFa, effect not seen in cord blood. Cord IGF-I was significantly lower in babies whose mothers had malaria. Significant determinants of birth size were maternal total cholesterol, LDL- cholesterol, insulin, malarial status and cord insulin and IGF-I. Babies exposed to maternal malaria remained smaller at 1 year, most marked in boys, whose SBP adjusted for weight at 3 and 12 months was higher than those not exposed. Change in SBP over the first year was greater in boys than girls while the change in girls was greater in those exposed to maternal malaria than those not exposed (18.7 vs 12.7 mmHg, 95% CI 1-11, p=0.02). 11% of boys ( > twice expected) had BP >95th percentile (hypertensive, US criteria) of whom 68% had maternal malaria exposure. Gender, maternal malaria exposure and weight change were all independently associated with increased change in BP to 1 year. Conclusion: Intrauterine exposure to malaria appears not only to have an important impact on birth size but also gender-dependent effects on growth and changes in infant BP. These findings have potential implications for cardiovascular health in sub-Saharan Africa and may contribute to the global burden of hypertension.

Objectives: To study the effects of prenatal zinc and vitamin A supplementation on birthsize, neonatal morbidity, infant mortality, and growth in children up to two years of age. Subjects and Methods: From September 1995 to December 1999 pregnant women inPurworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia with gestational age <17 weeks (n=2173) wererecruited to and participated in a community-based, individually randomized, placebo controlled,double blinded study aiming to evaluate the impact of supplementation (vitamin A,zinc, vitamin A + zinc) during pregnancy on maternal morbidity and pregnancy outcomes. Weanalyzed secondary data from that study regarding birth size, neonatal morbidity and infantmortality of the 1956 infants born alive. A subsample of infants (n=343) was followed until 2years of age concerning growth, feeding practices and morbidity. Outcomes were tested usingthe chi-square test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Cox’s proportional hazard function. Results: Birth weights in the zinc [mean ±Standard deviation (SD): 3.16 ± 0.52 kg], vitaminA (3.08 ± 0.46 kg) or the combined vitamin A and zinc (3.10 ± 0.59) groups did not differ fromplacebo (3.09 ± 0.50 kg) after adjustment for maternal pre-pregnancy weight, weight gainduring pregnancy, and parity (P=0.70). Birth lengths of infants born to mothers supplementedwith zinc or vitamin A were in average 0.3 cm and 0.2 cm longer than those in the placebogroup after adjustment for maternal height, pre-pregnancy weight, weight gain during pregnancy,and parity (P=0.04). The impact of prenatal supplementation on infant mortality andneonatal morbidity was not significant. There was a small effect of prenatal vitamin A supplementationon postnatal growth in height-for-age z-score (HAZ). The absolute differencesbetween the vitamin A only and vitamin A + zinc groups at 3 and 9 months were 0.34 SD and0.37 SD, respectively, and the absolute difference between the vitamin A only and zinc onlygroups at 18 months was 0.31 SD. Defining growth faltering as downward crossing of ≥2 majorpercentile lines, 50-75% of the children were faltering within 9 months of age, whereas 17%and 8% were <-2 SD for growth in weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) and HAZ, respectively.Prenatal supplementation did not reduce the prevalence of growth faltering. Conclusions: Prenatal vitamin A and zinc demonstrates a small but significant impact onbirth length, but it does not have any protective effect on infant mortality and neonatal morbidity.Prenatal vitamin A supplementation had a small but significant effect on postnatallength growth until 18 months of age, but no effect on weight gain, growth rate and it did notreduce the prevalence of growth faltering. / Tujuan: meneliti pengaruh suplementasi zink dan vitamin A pada masa prenatal terhadapukuran tubuh bayi baru lahir, morbiditas neonatal, kematian bayi, dan pertumbuhan anaksampai dengan umur dua tahun Subjek dan Metode: Dari bulan September 1995 sampai dengan Desember 1999 ibu hamildi Kabupaten Purworejo, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia dengan umur kehamilan <17 minggu(n=2173) diikutsertakan ke dalam penelitian berbasis komunitas, teracak, menggunakankontrol plasebo dan buta ganda yang bertujuan mengevaluasi pengaruh suplementasi vitaminA, zink, dan kombinasi vitamin A dan zink selama kehamilan terhadap morbididitas ibu danhasil kehamilan. Kami menganalisis data sekunder dari penelitian ini dan mengevaluasi ukurantubuh bayi waktu lahir, morbiditas neonatal, dan kematian bayi dari 1956 bayi yang lahirhidup. Sebagian dari subjek (n=343) diikuti sampai dengan umur dua tahun untuk mengetahuipertumbuhan, cara pemberian makan, dan morbiditasnya. Data dianalisis dengan chi-squaretest, ANOVA, ANCOVA, dan Cox’s proportional hazard function. Hasil: Berat badan lahir pada kelompok zink [mean ±standar deviasi (SD): 3.16 ± 0.52 kg],vitamin A (3.08 ± 0.46 kg) atau kombinasi vitamin A dan zink (3.10 ± 0.59) tidak berbedasecara bermakna dibandingkan dengan plasebo (3.09 ± 0.50 kg) setelah dikontrol oleh beratbadan ibu sebelum hamil, pertambahan berat badan selama hamil, dan paritas (P=0,70).Panjang lahir dari kelompok ibu yang disuplementasi dengan vitamin A atau zink 0,2 cm danrata-rata 0,3 cm lebih panjang dibanding kelompok plasebo setelah dikontrol oleh tinggi badanibu, berat badan ibu sebelum hamil, pertambahan berat selama hamil, dan paritas (P=0,04). Pengaruh suplementasi selama masa prenatal terhadap kematian bayi dan morbiditas neonataltidak bermakna. Suplementasi masa prenatal mempunyai efek yang lemah terhadap pertumbuhanyang diukur dengan indikator tinggi badan menurut umur (HAZ). Perbedaan absolutpanjang badan anak antara kelompok vitamin A dan kombinasi vitamin A dan zink pada umur3 dan 9 bulan adalah 0,34 SD dan 0,37 SD; dan perbedaan absolut antara kelompok vitaminA dengan zink pada umur 18 bulan adalah 0,31 SD. Dengan menggunakan kriteria growthfaltering sebagai penurunan garis pertumbuhan memotong ≥ 2 persentil major, 50-75% anakmengalami growth faltering pada umur 9 bulan, dan hanya 17% dan 8% yang terdeksi mengalamigrowth faltering bila digunakan kriteria WAZ dan HAZ <- 2SD. Suplementasi vitaminA dan zink pada masa prenatal tidak menurunkan prevalensi growth faltering. Kesimpulan: Suplementasi vitamin A dan zink pada masa prenatal menunjukkan adanyapengaruh lemah tetapi bermakna terhadap panjang lahir, tetapi tidak menunjukkan efekprotektif terhadap kematian bayi dan morbiditas neonatal. Suplementasi vitamin A pada masaprenatal mempunyai efek lemah tetapi bermakna terhadap pertumbuhan panjang badansampai dengan umur 18 bulan, tetapi tidak disertai pengaruh terhadap kenaikan berat badan,laju pertumbuhan dan tidak menurunkan prevalensi growth faltering.