Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound that has adverse health outcomes in adults when exposed during the perinatal period. However, its effect on cardiovascular function remains to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of daily administration of BPA to pregnant mice from gestational days 11 to 19 on cardiometabolic outcomes in the adult offspring. Prenatal BPA exposure resulted in altered growth trajectory and organ size, increase adiposity and impaired glucose homeostasis in male and female offspring. In addition, these BPA offspring exhibited raised systolic blood pressure, and in the males this was accompanied by impaired vascular tone. The aortas in females, but not in males, from the BPA group also showed reduced estrogen receptor gene expression. These results indicate that prenatal exposure to BPA increased susceptibility of the offspring to developing cardiovascular and metabolic dysfunction later in life.

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, is characterized by prolonged maternal stress, undernutrition and dehydration. Maternal stress and malnutrition of pregnancy are linked to poor neonatal outcome and associated with poor adult health, and we recently showed that in utero exposure to HG may lead to increased risks of psychological and behavioral disorders in the offspring. In addition, we have shown familial aggregation of HG, which is strong evidence for a genetic component to the disease. In this study, we compare the rates of psychological and behavioral disorders in 172 adults with and 101 adults without a sibling with HG. The rate of emotional/behavioral disorders is identical (15%) in both groups. The results suggest that the etiology of HG is not likely to include genetic factors associated with emotional and behavioral disorders. In addition, this study provides evidence that the increased incidence of psychological/behavioral disorders among offspring of women with HG is attributable to the HG pregnancy itself, rather than to confounding genetic factors linked to HG.

Postnatal and antenatal depression present significant public health concerns. Current opinion on the use of these terms is noted. Previous research findings demonstrate that detrimental effects of untreated maternal depression/anxiety are potentially severe and impact on the whole family; longer-term effects on child development are described. Australia has responded to such overwhelming empirical evidence by the implementation of the National Perinatal Depression Initiative. Key objectives and a brief overview of the work in progress of this Initiative are offered.

Early environmental influences on later-life health and mortality are well recognized in the doubling of life expectancy since 1800. To further define these relationships, we analyzed the associations between early-life mortality and both the estimated mortality level at age 40 and the exponential acceleration in mortality rates with age characterized by the Gompertz model. Using mortality data from 630 cohorts born throughout the 19th and early 20th century in nine European countries, we developed a multilevel model that accounts for cohort and period effects in later-life mortality. We show that early-life mortality, which is linked to exposure to infection and poor nutrition, predicts both the estimated cohort mortality level at age 40 and the subsequent Gompertz rate of mortality acceleration during aging. After controlling for effects of country and period, the model accounts for the majority of variance in the Gompertz parameters (about 90% of variation in the estimated level of mortality at age 40 and about 78% of variation in the Gompertz slope). The gains in cohort survival to older ages are entirely due to large declines in adult mortality level, because the rates of mortality acceleration at older ages became faster. These findings apply to cohorts born in both the 19th century and the early 20th century. This analysis defines new links in the developmental origins of adult health and disease in which effects of early-life circumstances, such as exposure to infections or poor nutrition, persist into mid-adulthood and remain evident in the cohort mortality rates from ages 40 to 90.

Maternal weight gain and pattern of weight gain during pregnancy influence the ultimate outcome of pregnancy. Pregravid body mass index (BMI), maternal dietary intake, maternal height and age all determine the weight gain during pregnancy. The study was taken up with an objective to observe maternal weight gain and its pattern in pregnancy in women from an upper income group and to find out their association with pregnancy outcome. 180 normal primiparous pregnant Indian women (20–35 years) from an upper income group were recruited between the 10th and 14th weeks of pregnancy and were followed up throughout their pregnancy to record total and trimester-wise weight gain. Neonatal birth weights were recorded. The results showed that mothers with high pregravid BMI gained more weight during pregnancy than the recommended weight gain; in addition, weight gain in the first trimester was significantly correlated with birth weight of the neonates (P = 0.019). Significant correlation was found between weight gain in the third trimester and birth weight of the neonate irrespective of maternal BMI. The rate of weight gain was significantly correlated with neonatal birth weights irrespective of maternal pregravid BMI (P = 0.022) and as per its categories (P = 0.027). Thus, overall it can be concluded that adequate maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy is important for adequate weight gain by the mother and can result in better outcome of pregnancy. The rate of weight gain is also an important contributing factor.