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Biomedical subjects

E R Boersma

Publications and source records attributed to E R Boersma.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Obstetrical condition and neonatal neurological outcome in Dominica, the Caribbean. A comparative study.

Risk factors during pregnancy and delivery and neurological morbidity of newborns were assessed in a birth cohort in Dominica, the Caribbean. The data were compared with two reference groups, one from Grenada, the Caribbean, and the other from Groningen, the Netherlands. Despite variations in cultural and socio-economic situation, the similarities in obstetrical conditions, neonatal neurological morbidity and perinatal relationships between the three groups were more striking than the differences. The Dominican group showed a significantly higher rate of preterm births than the two other groups. Preterm birth was associated with a significant increase in neurological deviancy. In general motility and muscle tone were found to be lower in the Caribbean region than in the Netherlands.

Apgar Score↗
PubMed1991

Vitamin E, lipid fractions, and fatty acid composition of colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk: an international comparative study.

Triglycerides, cholesterol, fatty acid composition, and tocopherols were determined in colostrum, transitional milk, and mature milk in St Lucia. With progress of lactation, triglycerides and percentage medium-chain fatty acids increased whereas tocopherols, cholesterol, and percentage long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased. These changes reflect augmented de novo synthesis of fatty acids (8:0, 10:0, 12:0, and 14:0) in the mammary gland and a tendency of increasing fat-globule size as milk matures. Transitional and mature milks, but particularly colostrum, contained higher concentrations of components considered to be derived from the fat-globule membrane (cholesterol, tocopherols, percentage long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) compared with those reported for Western countries. Percentage medium-chain fatty acids in mature milk was two to three times higher than in developed countries. Differences from data from studies in Western countries are discussed in relation to analytical methods and possible consequences for lipid digestion, lipid absorption, growth, and brain development.

Black People↗
PubMed1990

Neonatal neurological morbidity in relation to obstetrical and social conditions in Grenada (Caribbean).

Neonatal morbidity, in particular neurological morbidity is a more relevant measure of the effectiveness of obstetrical care than perinatal mortality. Neurological morbidity was assessed in a birth cohort in Grenada, and appeared to be lower than in a reference group examined in Groningen, the Netherlands, in 1975-1978. Perinatal mortality, however, was higher. The results support the thesis that some children may have died who, if they would have survived, would have been neurologically abnormal. It is concluded that whereas a decrease in perinatal deaths is an essential goal in Grenada, a concomitant increase in morbidity should be carefully avoided.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Weight loss in full-term negroid infants: relationship to body water compartments at birth?

The possible influence of the body fluid compartments at birth on postnatal weight loss was studied in normal term negroid infants when on a standardized oral fluid, sodium and energy regimen during the first three days of life. Measurements of plasma volume (PV), total body water (TBW), and extracellular water (ECW) were performed simultaneously on vaginally-born infants on the first day of life, by using a triple indicator (Evans blue, deuterium oxide and sucrose) single injection dilution technique. PV was 54 +/- 7 ml/kg (N = 9), TBW was 751 +/- 50 ml/kg (N = 13) and ECW was 311 +/- 61 ml/kg (N = 13) (mean +/- S.D.). Postnatal weight loss (3.7% of birth weight) occurred during the first two days. The postnatal weight loss was not related to any of the body water compartments. However, there was a highly significant correlation with the (cumulative) urine water excretion (r = 0.833, P less than 0.001 on day 1, with similar values for days 1 and 2).

Black People↗
PubMed1990

A carbohydrate-rich diet not only leads to incorporation of medium-chain fatty acids (6:0-14:0) in milk triglycerides but also in each milk-phospholipid subclass.

We isolated phospholipid (PL) subclasses from milk of women in Dominica and Belize. Fatty acid (FA) compositions of PLs and total lipids were determined. In the total-lipid fraction Dominican milk showed higher relative amounts of medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MC-SAFAs; 6:0-14:0) and 22:6n-3 and lower amounts of long-chain saturated fatty acids (LC-SAFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). There was a positive relationship between the MC-SAFA content in total lipids and total PLs. Incorporation of MC-SAFAs in PLs occurred at the expense of LC-SAFAs, MUFAs, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and long-chain PUFAs with greater than or equal to 20 carbon atoms (LC-PUFAs greater than or equal to C20). Previous studies from Western countries revealed low amounts of MCSAFAs and high amounts of PUFAs and LC-PUFAs greater than or equal to C20 in milk PLs. Our data show that carbohydrate-rich diets give rise to incorporation of MC-SAFAs in PLs at the expense of PUFAs and LC-PUFAs greater than or equal to C20. The data are discussed in relation to the presumed origin of fat-globule membrane phospholipids.

Belize↗
PubMed1989

Conjoined twins and abdominal pregnancy.

Abdominal pregnancy is rare; conjoined twins are also rare. The diagnosis of abdominal pregnancy is easily missed and often not made until near full-term. Similarly conjoined twins are not diagnosed until late in gestation or during parturition. In this case, the diagnosis of conjoined twins and abdominal pregnancy was only made during laparotomy.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1987

Simultaneous quantification of total medium- and long-chain fatty acids in human milk by capillary gas chromatography with split injection.

Four different quantification methods for the capillary gas chromatographic determination of medium-chain fatty acids (6:0-12:0) and myristic acid in human milk samples, using a split injector, were compared. Odd-carbon-numbered fatty acids (5:0-17:0) were added as internal standards. Each medium-chain fatty acid and myristic acid was calculated on the basis of: the peak area of the internal standard with one methylene group less; the peak area of the internal standard with one methylene group more; half the sum of the peak areas of the internal standards with one methylene group less and more (bracketting method); the peak area of 17:0. The peak-area ratio of each analyte and 17:0 in a standard was found to be subject to an unacceptably high coefficient of variation. From the methods using internal standards with one methylene group more and less, the bracketting method was found to be the best, resulting in recoveries close to 100%, with the lowest coefficients of variation. The method was applied for the determination of the fatty acid composition of mature milk samples of 47 Curaçaoan women.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of the fatty acid composition of human milk from mothers in Tanzania, Curacao and Surinam.

Fatty acid composition of mature human milk from Curacao (Netherlands Antilles), Surinam and Tanzania was determined by capillary gas chromatography. In the Curacaoan samples the cholesterol and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol concentrations were also determined. Remarkable differences were found in the fatty acid composition of breastmilk fat from the three countries. The differences in the levels of medium chain fatty acids between Curacao and Tanzania, and between Curacao and Surinam were significant. The mean sum of the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and linolenic acid showed the highest values in Curacao (16.1 g per cent). Mean values for Tanzania and Surinam were 14.9 and 12.7, respectively. The mean level of the docosahexaenoic acid was higher in the Curacaoan and Surinam samples compared with that from Tanzania. In the Curacaoan breastmilk samples the concentrations of cholesterol and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol were about twice as high as those reported for Western countries.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1986

Neonatal pemphigus vulgaris: transplacental transmission of antibodies.

A male infant with skin lesions was born to a 28-year-old mother who was under treatment for pemphigus vulgaris (PV), diagnosed eight years earlier. Circulating IgG class pemphigus antibody was found in the infant's blood, and deposition of IgG in the intercellular spaces of the epidermis was seen. The infant's lesions resolved within three weeks, and pemphigus antibody titer became negative by seven weeks. The pathogenetic role of PV antibodies and the risk for a fetus of a mother suffering from PV are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Changes in fatty-acid composition of body fat before and after birth in Tanzania: an international comparative study.

Changes in the fatty-acid composition of human adipose tissue before birth and during infancy and childhood were studied in Tanzania and compared with data for British and Dutch infants in relation to their diet. From the 32nd to the 37th week of gestation in Tanzania the proportion in the body fat of the unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid tended to rise, suggesting an adequate supply of this essential fatty acid from the mother to the fetus. At term 2.5% of the total fatty acids of the body fat was linoleic acid, which corresponded with values in Dutch newborn infants but was significantly higher than those in British infants. During infancy in Tanzania the composition of the fat showed a dramatic increase in the proportions of the saturated fatty acids lauric acid and myristic acid, which did not occur in Dutch and British infants. The proportion of linoleic acid increased to 8%. These changes were a reflection of the fatty-acid composition of the fat in the human milk that the infants received. During weaning (1-2 years of age) the fatty-acid composition changed only slightly. The specific fatty-acid composition of the fat in Tanzanian breast milk may have a beneficial influence on the extent of intestinal absorption in the newborn child.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1979

Factors associated with low birth weight in the population of Dar es Slaaam, Tanzania.

Factors associated with low birthweight in Dar es Salaam have been evaluated. The incidence of low birthweight is higher among female infants and infants belonging to parents of a low socioeconomic status. Primiparity, short stature of the mother, a multiple pregnancy, "toxaemia" of pregnancy are some of the factors influencing the growth velocity of the foetus leading to an increased indidence of small-for-dates infants. Low maternal age and antepartum haemorrhage mainly affect the duration of gestation and lead to a preponderance of preterm appropriate-for-gestational-age infants. However, in 66% of the mothers with low birthweight infants no associated maternal complication of the pregnancy could be detected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Intrauterine growth of live-born Tanzanian infants.

The incidence of low birthweight infants, the effect of intrauterine growth retardation on anthropometric measurements, and local standards of intrauterine growth curves for weight, crown-heel length and head circumference together with curves of body measurement ratios of weight/length, weight/head circumference and weight/length x head circumference are presented for the population of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Acomparison is made with a standard composed for a Caucasian community with completely different socio-economic and nutritional status. From 28 to 34 weeks of gestation weight gain in Dar es Salaam foetuses was reduced, while length and head circumference were relatively less affected. However, an increased intrauterine growth velocity was recorded from 34 to 38 weeks of gestation.

Anthropometry↗