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Objective To assess whether neonatal morbidities evident by the time of hospital discharge are associated with subsequent cerebral palsy (CP) or death. Study Design This is a secondary analysis of data from a multicenter placebo-controlled trial of magnesium sulfate for the prevention of CP. The association between prespecified intermediate neonatal outcomes (n = 11) and demographic and clinical factors (n = 10) evident by the time of discharge among surviving infants (n = 1889) and the primary outcome of death or moderate/severe CP at age 2 (n = 73) was estimated, and a prediction model was created. Results Gestational age in weeks at delivery (odds ratio [OR]: 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67–0.83), grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (OR: 5.3, CI: 2.1–13.1), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) (OR: 46.4, CI: 20.6–104.6), and male gender (OR: 2.5, CI: 1.4–4.5) were associated with death or moderate/severe CP by age 2. Outcomes not significantly associated with the primary outcome included respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, seizure, necrotizing enterocolitis, neonatal hypotension, 5-minute Apgar score, sepsis, and retinopathy of prematurity. Using all patients, the receiver operating characteristic curve for the final prediction model had an area under the curve of 0.84 (CI: 0.78–0.89). Using these data, the risk of death or developing CP by age 2 can be calculated for individual surviving infants. Conclusion IVH and PVL were the only neonatal complications evident at discharge that contributed to an individual infant's risk of the long-term outcomes of death or CP by age 2. A model that includes these morbidities, gestational age at delivery, and gender is predictive of subsequent neurologic sequelae. Key Points Factors known at hospital discharge are identified which are independently associated with death or CP by age 2. A model was created and validated using these findings to counsel parents. The risk of death or CP can be calculated at the time of hospital discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of mild gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and obesity with metabolic and cardiovascular markers 5 to 10 years after pregnancy. Study Design This was a secondary analysis of 5- to 10-year follow-up study of a mild GDM treatment trial and concurrent observational cohort of participants ineligible for the trial with abnormal 1-hour glucose challenge test only. Participants with 2-hour glucose tolerance test at follow-up were included. The primary exposures were mild GDM and obesity. The outcomes were insulinogenic index (IGI), 1/homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and cardiovascular markers vascular endothelial growth factor, (VEGF), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), cluster of differentiation 40 ligand (CD40L), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), and suppression of tumorgenesis 2 (ST-2). Multivariable linear regression estimated the association of GDM and obesity with biomarkers. Results Of 951 participants in the parent study, 642 (68%) were included. Lower 1/HOMA-IR were observed in treated and untreated GDM groups, compared with non-GDM (mean differences, −0.24 and −0.15; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], −0.36 to −0.12 and −0.28 to −0.03, respectively). Lower VCAM-1 (angiogenesis) was observed in treated GDM group (mean difference, −0.11; 95% CI, −0.19 to −0.03). GDM was not associated with IGI or other biomarkers. Obesity was associated with lower 1/HOMA-IR (mean difference, −0.42; 95% CI, −0.52 to −0.32), but not other biomarkers. Conclusion Prior GDM and obesity are associated with more insulin resistance but not insulin secretion or consistent cardiovascular dysfunction 5 to 10 years after delivery. Key Points Mild GDM increases the risk of insulin resistance 5 to 10 years postpartum but not pancreatic dysfunction. Obesity increases the risk of insulin resistance 5 to 10 years postpartum but not pancreatic dysfunction. Neither mild GDM nor obesity increased the risk of cardiovascular dysfunction 5 to 10 years postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with HIV (PWH) have a high burden of medical comorbidities, potentially putting them at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, HIV care delivery has been restructured and the impact on HIV outcomes is unknown. The objectives of this study were first, to examine the risk of severe COVID-19 among PWH, using a definition incorporating clinical risk factors, and second, to examine the pandemic's impact on HIV care. We used data from the DC Cohort, a large cohort of people receiving HIV care in Washington, DC. We found that a high proportion of participants across all age groups qualified as increased (58%) or high risk (34%) for severe COVID-19. Between 2019 and 2020, encounters increased (17.7%, increasing to 23.5% of active DC Cohort participants had an encounter) while laboratory utilization decreased (14.4%, decreasing to 11.4% of active DC Cohort participants had an HIV RNA test performed). Implications of our work include the importance of protecting vulnerable people with HIV from acquiring COVID-19 and potentially manifesting severe complications through strategies including vaccination. Additionally, acknowledging that HIV service delivery will likely be changed long-term by the pandemic, adaptation is required to ensure continued progress towards 90-90-90 goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective  The long-term impact of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) exposure on offspring health is an emerging research area. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between a maternal diagnosis of HDP (gestational hypertension and preeclampsia) and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring. Study Design  This was a secondary analysis of two parallel multicenter clinical trials of thyroxine therapy for subclinical hypothyroid disorders in pregnancy. Women with singleton nonanomalous gestations diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism or hypothyroxinemia were randomized to thyroxine therapy or placebo. The primary outcome was child intelligence quotient (IQ) at 5 years of age. Secondary outcomes included several neurodevelopmental measures, including the Bayley-III cognitive, motor, and language scores at 12 and 24 months, Differential Ability Scales-II (DAS-II) scores at 36 months, the Conners' rating scales-revised at 48 months, and scores from the Child Behavior Checklist at 36 and 60 months. Thyroxine therapy did not influence neurodevelopment in either of the primary studies. Associations between neurodevelopment outcomes and maternal HDP were examined using univariable and multivariable analyses. Results  A total of 112 woman–child dyads with HDP were compared with 1,067 woman–child dyads without HDP. In univariable analysis, mean maternal age (26.7 ± 5.9 vs. 27.8 ± 5.7 years, p  = 0.032) and the frequency of nulliparity (45.5 vs. 31.0%, p  = 0.002) differed significantly between the two groups. Maternal socioeconomic characteristics did not differ between the groups. After adjusting for potential confounders, there were no significant differences in any primary or secondary neurodevelopment outcome between offspring exposed to HDP and those unexposed. However, when dichotomized as low or high scores, we found higher rates of language delay (language scores <85: −1 standard deviation) at 2 years of age among offspring exposed to HDP compared with those unexposed (46.5 vs. 30.5%, adjusted odds ratio = 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.44–3.42). Conclusion  In this cohort of pregnant women, HDP diagnosis was associated with language delay at 2 years of age. However, other long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring were not associated with HDP. Key Points No differences were found in neurodevelopment between offspring exposed to HDP and controls. Higher rates of language delay at 2 years of age were found in offspring exposed to HDP. The results did not differ when analysis was stratified by preterm birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored virological outcomes of two-drug (2DRs) and three-drug (3DRs) antiretroviral regimens in adults with HIV in the DC Cohort. We analyzed 310 treatment-experienced adults with sustained HIV RNA ≤50 copies/mL at baseline, 53 of whom switched to 2DRs and 257 continued 3DRs. Adults on 2DRs and 3DRs had similar demographics (median age 53.3 years, 76.8% cisgender male, 76.1% Black). Adults on 2DRs had more participants with ≥2 comorbidities (62.3% vs. 42.8%, p = .019), had a longer time since HIV diagnosis (median years 20.4 vs. 13.2, p = .017), and received the regimen of interest for a shorter duration (median years 1.3 vs. 3.3, p < .001) compared with adults on 3DRs. Adults receiving 2DRs had a higher, although nonsignificant, risk for virological failure (two consecutive HIV RNA ≥50 copies/mL) at 24 months follow-up than adults on 3DRs (6.7% vs. 1.7%, respectively; p = .10). Future analysis of the effectiveness of 2DRs is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the long-term usage of single and repeat courses of antenatal corticosteroids on children are examined. The courses are found to improve several neonatal outcomes in infants, though they increase the risk of intrauterine growth restriction.

Intramuscular injections of vitamin A three times a week for several weeks appears to improve lung function in extremely-low-birth-weight babies. These infants have a high risk of lung diseases caused by extreme prematurity. Researchers randomly assigned 807 such infants to receive intramuscular shots of vitamin A or a placebo. Only 55% of the infants who received vitamin A died or developed lung disease compared to 62% of those who received placebo.

Objective  We sought to determine if there is an association between fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels and a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women with and without metabolic dysfunction, defined as a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes (T2DM), 5 to 10 years following participation in a multiple cohort GDM study. Study Design  At 5 to 10 years after index pregnancy, women underwent a follow-up visit and were categorized as having no metabolic syndrome, metabolic syndrome, or T2DM. FGF21 levels were compared between women who did and did not have a history of GDM using multivariable linear regression. Results  Among 1,889 women, 950 underwent follow-up and 796 had plasma samples analyzed (413 GDM and 383 non-GDM). Total 30.7% of women had been diagnosed with T2DM or metabolic syndrome. Overall, there was no difference in median FGF21 levels in pg/mL between the prior GDM and non-GDM groups (p  = 0.12), and the lack of association was observed across all three metabolic categories at follow-up (p for interaction = 0.70). Conclusion  There was no association between FGF21 levels and prior history of mild GDM in women with and without metabolic dysfunction 5 to 10 years after the index pregnancy (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00069576, original trial). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giving pregnant women in premature labor phenobarbital just prior to delivery does not appear to reduce the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in the baby. Researchers gave phenobarbital or a placebo intravenously to 610 women who were in premature labor and expected to deliver within 24 hours. They continued to receive oral phenobarbital once a day if they did not deliver within 24 hours. Ultrasound scans of the baby following its birth revealed that intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 23% of the infants in both groups. Phenobarbital also did not reduce infant mortality.

The effect of vitamin A deficiency on the immune response of children was examined in 236 Indonesian children. Normal and mildly xeophthalmic children were randomly assigned to groups receiving either vitamin A supplements or placebo and were immunized with diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine two weeks after treatment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbert assay measurement of immunoglobulin synthesis showed that normal and xerophthalic children who received vitamin A supplements had higher immunoglobulin G response to tetanus than those with unsupplemented diets. This indicates a relative immune depression in vitamin A-deficient subjects.

Objective: To evaluate whether breastfeeding and its duration are associated with a reduced risk of low IQ scores or other neurodevelopmental problems.Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of two parallel multicenter, double-blinded randomized controlled trials in which participants with a singleton pregnancy and either subclinical hypothyroidism or hypothyroxinemia were treated with thyroxine or placebo. Our primary outcome was a low IQ score (less than 85 on the WPPSI-III [Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence III] at age 5 years). Secondary outcomes included performance measures on other validated neurodevelopmental tests. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate the association between breastfeeding and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Stepwise backward proceeding linear and logistic regression models were used to develop the final adjusted models.Results: Of the 772 participants studied, 614 (80%) reported breastfeeding. Of these, 31% reported breastfeeding for less than 4 months, 19% for 4-6 months, 11% for 7-9 months, 15% for 10-12 months and 23% for more than 12 months. IQ scores were available for 756 children; mean age-5 scores were higher with any breastfeeding (96.7±15.1) than without (91.2±15.0, mean difference 5.5, 95% CI 2.8-8.2), and low IQ scores were less frequent with any breastfeeding (21.5%) than with no breastfeeding (36.2%, odds ratio 0.48, 95% CI 0.33-0.71). In adjusted analyses, breastfeeding remained associated with reduced odds of low IQ score (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.62, 95% CI 0.41-0.93), and each additional month of breastfeeding was associated with lower odds of a low IQ scores (aOR 0.97, 95% CI 0.939-0.996). No significant associations between breastfeeding and other neurodevelopmental outcomes were identified in adjusted analyses.Conclusion: Breastfeeding and its duration are associated with lower odds of low IQ score at age 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]