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M Persaud

Publications and source records attributed to M Persaud.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Murphy's Law and the pregnant medical doctor: is pregnancy outcome worse?

The 'Murphy's Law' concept that doctors have a higher incidence of adverse pregnancy outcome is often quoted anecdotally but has never been scientifically tested. A group of medical doctors (n =52) were prospectively matched closely with a group of non-doctors (n =52) and pregnancy outcome was recorded. There were no differences noted in pregnancy outcome between the two groups. Whilst a much larger number of doctors is probably required to show a statistically significant difference, this first small study shows no clinically relevant difference between the two groups. The perception of Murphy's Law and the pregnant medical doctor would appear to be a myth.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Leptin concentrations in maternal serum and cord blood: relationship to maternal anthropometry and fetal growth.

OBJECTIVE: To determine 1. the relationship between maternal serum leptin concentrations and maternal anthropometry and 2. the relationship between cord serum leptin concentrations at birth and neonatal anthropometry. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of fetal growth in low-risk pregnancies. SETTING: University teaching hospital. SAMPLE: Thirty-nine women and their babies taking part in a fetal growth study. METHODS: Blood was taken from the women between 10-20 weeks of gestation and from the umbilical cord of their babies at delivery. Serum leptin was measured by radio-immunoassay. Maternal anthropometric measurements were recorded at booking. Neonatal anthropometric measurements were recorded within 48 hours after delivery. Linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between serum leptin concentrations and anthropometric measures and multiple regression analysis then applied to determine which variables remained independently associated with leptin. RESULTS: The median (range) leptin concentration in maternal serum was 11.8 ng/mL (1.7-39.7) and in cord blood was 4.2 ng/mL (0.6-21.4). Maternal leptin levels correlated with maternal weight, body mass index, midarm circumference and skinfold thickness, but not with birthweight, placental weight or maternal height. Body mass index and midarm circumference remained significant after multiple regression analysis. Cord leptin levels correlated with birthweight, birthlength, placental weight and skinfold thickness but not with ponderal index. Birthweight and subscapular skinfold thickness remained significant after multiple regression analysis. Cord leptin concentrations did not correlate with maternal leptin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that there are very strong associations between maternal leptin and maternal adiposity in pregnancy, and between cord leptin at delivery and birthweight, as well as other anthropometric markers of fetal growth.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

A comparison of two solid phase systems for antibody detection.

Two solid phase methods of antibody detection, Capture-R (CR) and Capture-R Ready-Screen (RS), were compared to determine their acceptability for use in prenatal antibody screening. Ninety-six serum samples, screened using a saline antiglobulin test, were coded and tested by CR and RS at two laboratory sites using a blinded study design. Thirty of the samples were free of antibody, and 66 samples contained antibody. Parallel testing was also performed in both laboratories on 648 prenatal samples. The sensitivity and specificity of CR, based on the 96 previously screened samples, was 95 percent and 90 percent, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity of RS was 90 percent and 89 percent, respectively. Antibodies detected only by CR included anti-K(1), -Ch(2), -Jka(1), -Lea(1), -Fya(1), -Mca(1), and -e(1). Antibodies detected only by RS included anti-Jka(5) and -E(1). The sensitivity and specificity of CR for the 648 prenatal samples was 100 percent for each, while the sensitivity and specificity of RS was 97 percent and 100 percent, respectively. Both CR and RS are acceptable techniques for prenatal antibody screening.

Journal Article↗