Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
07:36
Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
Maternal lipids and small for gestational age birth at term
Michael S Kramer1, Susan R Kahn, Mourad Dahhou
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The Journal of Pediatrics
|July 2, 2013
Summary
Mothers of small for gestational age (SGA) infants have higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and apolipoprotein A-1 levels. This may indicate placental transport issues affecting fetal development.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Maternal lipid profiles are crucial for fetal development.
- Small for gestational age (SGA) infants are at increased risk for adverse outcomes.
- Understanding the maternal factors contributing to SGA is essential for improving infant health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare maternal lipid and lipoprotein concentrations in mothers of SGA infants versus controls.
- To investigate the association between maternal HDL and apolipoprotein A-1 levels and SGA.
- To explore potential mechanisms linking maternal lipid metabolism to fetal growth restriction.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study nested within a prospective cohort of 5337 pregnant women.
- SGA cases (n=323) were term infants below the 10th percentile birth weight; controls (n=671) were between the 25th-75th percentiles.
- Maternal plasma analyzed for HDL and low-density lipoprotein particles using nuclear magnetic resonance and apolipoprotein A-1 and C-II using turbidimetric methods.
Main Results:
- Mothers of SGA infants had significantly higher concentrations of total HDL particles, medium and small HDL particles, and apolipoprotein A-1 compared to controls.
- A dose-response relationship was observed between HDL particle and apolipoprotein A-1 levels and SGA.
- Elevated levels showed significant adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for SGA.
Conclusions:
- Higher HDL particle and apolipoprotein A-1 concentrations in mothers of SGA infants suggest potential placental transport defects.
- These maternal lipid alterations may impair cholesterol transfer to the fetus.
- Further research is needed to confirm the role of placental lipid transport in fetal growth.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
01:28Development of the Oral Microbiota
The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
01:07Teratogenicity
The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...