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Biomedical subjects

O Basso

Publications and source records attributed to O Basso.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Using infertile patients in epidemiologic studies on subfecundity and embryonal loss.

Subfecundity is a frequent and serious problem that may sometimes be preventable, but we need to know more about its determinants. Different epidemiologic designs are available. The best of these use prospectively collected data from the population, but they are time consuming, expensive and often hampered by low-participation rates. Most patients undergoing infertility treatment are closely monitored for clinical reasons, making it feasible to use secondary data to study the period from conception to implantation and pregnancy. In spite that infertility patients are highly selected, there are specific exposure-effect relations that can be studied in cohorts of infertility patients. These patients offer a potentially useful setting for studying exposures that operate late in fertilization, whereas the designs may be inadequate to identify exposures that cause reduced sperm counts, anovulation and total occlusion. The clinical sampling and the treatment set limitations for what can be studied. In certain situations, infertile patients can, however, provide useful epidemiologic evidence for learning about the causes of subfecundity.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2004

Having children with different men and subsequent cancer risk. A nationwide study in Denmark.

The more men by whom a woman has children, the more diverse will be the foetal antigens of paternal origin introduced into her bloodstream, and we investigated whether this has an impact on subsequent cancer risks. By using population registries we identified 64704 women who had children with at least two different partners from 1973 to 1996 in Denmark. We compared their cancer incidence with that of women who during the same time period had at least two births with no indication of partner change, adjusting for age, parity, socioeconomic factors and residence. The overall cancer incidence was more than 50% higher in women with two or more partners. Women having children with multiple partners had a higher incidence of cancer of the cervix and corpus uteri, a lower incidence of melanoma but a similar incidence of breast and ovarian cancer. Uncontrolled differences in lifestyle factors may explain the higher cancer risk associated with having multiple partners. The strong protective effect for melanoma was unexpected and deserves further study.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Pre-eclampsia and febrile convulsions.

An association between pre-eclampsia and febrile convulsions has been reported, but the association may not be causal. We compared the risk of febrile convulsions in 14 974 children who had been exposed to pre-eclampsia in fetal life with that of 39 210 unexposed children. Children exposed to pre-eclampsia had a slightly increased risk of febrile convulsions, but the association was apparently caused by a shorter gestation in pre-eclamptic women.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2002

Do parents of children with congenital malformations have a higher cancer risk? A nationwide study in Denmark.

To investigate whether parents of children with congenital malformations more often developed cancer after birth of the child, a population-based case-control study in Denmark was undertaken. By linking the Cancer Registry with the Central Population Registry, we identified 8783 cancer patients having their first child born between 1977 and 1995 before the cancer was diagnosed. Parents of 41 206 firstborn children of a 10% random sample of newborns from the Birth Registry between 1980 and 1995 were identified as controls. We obtained malformation diagnoses of children of cases and controls by linking to the Hospital Discharge Registry. We estimated the association between malformation and cancer by using logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age at birth and sex of child. We found no increased risk of cancer in parents having children with malformations in general, but a higher cancer risk in parents of children born with cleft lip/palate, odds ratio (OR) for all cancer=1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.0-3.2), OR for lymphomas=4.2 (1.3-13.5) and OR for leukaemia=8.1 (2.0-33.7). This association was not restricted to cancer cases diagnosed shortly after birth of the child. Our results suggest a common genetic association between these diseases, but further studies are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Febrile convulsions and sudden infant death syndrome.

It has been suggested that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and febrile convulsions are related aetiologically. We compared the risk of SIDS in 9877 siblings of children who had had febrile convulsions with that of 20 177 siblings of children who had never had febrile convulsions. We found no support for the shared susceptibility hypothesis.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2001

The anatomy of the patellar tendon.

The morphology of the attachment of the patellar tendon, its bundle orientation, the differential fascicles length and the position of the apex of the patella were assessed in 22 cadaveric human knees. The patellar apex was 39+/-6% of the width of the tendon from its medial edge. The bulk of tendon was attached to the distal two-thirds of the anterior aspect of the patella. In six cases tendon fibres originated from the posterior surface of the apex of the patella, forming a ridge on the back of tendon. This may represent an anatomical variant accounting for the increased tendon thickness noted on MRI, both incidentally and during assessment for patellar tendonitis. Fascicles were parallel in the sagittal plane but converged in the frontal plane toward their tibial attachment. When bone-patellar tendon-bone (B-PT-B) grafts were harvested, as for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the grafts narrowed distally. When harvesting B-PT-B, the oblique orientation of the fibres in the coronal plane must be borne in mind.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

The outcome of intra-articular debris, following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, radio-opacities were noted on the post-operative radiographs in 40 of 50 consecutive cases. There was no correlation between the presence of these opacities and post-operative knee pain, joint effusion, arthrofibrosis or knee recovery. In 12 cases undergoing a subsequent radiograph between 3 and 18 months post-operatively, opacities were noted in only one case.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Indicators of fetal growth and infectious disease in childhood--a birth cohort with hospitalization as outcome.

We evaluated the association between indicators of fetal growth and hospitalization with infectious disease during childhood in a cohort of 10,400 newborns. The cohort was based on children born to mothers who at about 36 weeks of gestation attended the midwife centres in Odense and Aalborg, Denmark for a routine examination. Women were recruited to the study from April 1984 to April 1987. After linkage with the National Hospital Registry, the first hospitalization with infectious disease from 6 months up to 12 years of age was identified. The cumulative incidence of hospitalization with infectious disease during follow-up was 18.9%. Preterm birth was associated with an increased risk of being hospitalized with infections during childhood (incidence rate ratio: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.33-2.10); low birth weight had a similar association, but only in preterm birth. Reduced birth length related to the head was correlated with an increased risk of hospitalization with infections. The effect of gestational age was mainly seen in the period close to the time of birth, but the children who were short at birth appeared to remain at increased risk throughout the age interval under analysis. In conclusion, the study suggests that preterm birth was the main factor underlying the association between low birth weight and the increased risk of hospitalization with infectious disease during childhood. However, it could not explain the increased risk in children who were short at birth.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Higher risk of pre-eclampsia after change of partner. An effect of longer interpregnancy intervals?

Epidemiologic studies have shown that pre-eclampsia is mainly a disease of first pregnancy, possibly associated with primipaternity. The interpregnancy interval, which is strongly associated with change of partner, has received little attention. In this study, based on Danish hospital records, we evaluated whether the interpregnancy interval may confound or modify the paternal effect on pre-eclampsia. We studied the outcome of the second birth in a cohort of Danish women with pre-eclampsia in the previous birth (8,401 women) and in all women with pre-eclampsia in second (but not first) birth together with a sample of women with two births (26,596 women). A long interpregnancy interval was associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia in women with no previous pre-eclampsia when the father was the same. We estimated the risk of pre-eclampsia in second birth according to paternal change in different models. Although partner change was associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia in women with no history of pre-eclampsia, this effect disappeared after adjustment for the interpregnancy interval. We saw, however, different results when we stratified on the length of the interval. Our results indicate that the interval between births should be taken into consideration when studying the effect of changing partner on pre-eclampsia.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Sex ratio and twinning in women with hyperemesis or pre-eclampsia.

We examined twinning and fetal gender in births of women with a hospital diagnosis of pre-eclampsia or hyperemesis. We also investigated sex ratio in infants whose mothers had had hyperemesis or pre-eclampsia in a different pregnancy. From all the hospitalized cases in Denmark between 1980 and 1996 we extracted 6,227 births with hyperemesis and 24,764 with pre-eclampsia. Twins were more frequent in pregnancies with either condition. The male to female sex ratio was 1.04 (95%CI = 1.02-1.05) in the reference population, 0.87 (95% CI = 0.82-0.91) in births with hyperemesis, and 1.10 (95% CI = 1.07-1.12) in births with pre-eclampsia. Women with pre-eclampsia had slightly more males also in non-affected pregnancies.

Denmark↗
PubMed2001

Maternal prenatal lifestyle factors and infectious disease in early childhood: a follow-up study of hospitalization within a Danish birth cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether maternal prenatal lifestyle factors were associated with the risk of hospitalization with infectious disease during early childhood and whether a possible association was modified by fetal growth reduction. METHODS: The study was based on a birth cohort of 10 400 newborns whose mothers attended the midwife centers in Odense and Aalborg, Denmark, from April 1984 to April 1987 at approximately the 36th week of gestation. Information on hospitalization with infectious disease was extracted from the National Hospital Discharge Registry, and newborns were followed up to the end of 1996. RESULTS: Among 6022 children who were hospitalized at least once, 31.4% (n = 1892) were hospitalized with infectious diseases. The cumulative incidence rate of hospitalization with infections in children from the age of 6 months to 12 years was 18.9%. The incidence rate ratio in children born to mothers smoking during pregnancy was 1.24 (95% confidence interval: 1.13-1.36) compared with those of nonsmoking mothers. Mothers whose body mass index was <18 kg/m(2) were more likely to give birth to infants who were hospitalized with infectious disease (incidence rate ratio: 1.29; 95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.59). The increased risk was present in children only up to the age of 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that maternal smoking during pregnancy and a low prepregnancy body mass index are associated with a higher risk of hospitalization with infectious disease during early childhood. These associations are independent of fetal growth indicators.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed2001

Choice and chance: determinants of short interpregnancy intervals in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: It is still unclear whether short interpregnancy intervals are a marker for women at risk of poor pregnancy outcome or a direct risk factor for poor perinatal outcomes. The study objective was to identify risk factors associated with short interpregnancy intervals in Denmark. METHODS: From a cohort of pregnant women in a geographically defined area in Denmark (n=11,288) and using register linkage, we identified 5756 multiparous mothers who completed a detailed interview on social behavior during pregnancy. We restricted our analysis to 2904 mothers who had an interpregnancy interval of less than 37 months. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR) of having a short interval as a function of a number of determinants. RESULTS: About 4.8% of the mothers had an interpregnancy interval less than 9 months. Short interpregnancy intervals were more likely to occur in an unplanned pregnancy (OR=2.9, 95% CI: 2.2-3.9), to follow irregular menstruation (OR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.5) and to occur in older (OR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.5) and high parity mothers (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.1). Poor housing, smoking and low social status were also associated with short interpregnancy interval CONCLUSION: Short interpregnancy intervals may be a marker for women at risk and these risk factors differ among populations. They also appear to be a result of choice (e.g. in older women). Biological factors also play a significant role in determining short interpregnancy intervals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Birthweight and semen characteristics.

A correlation between birthweight and sperm counts in adult life was anticipated because impaired fetal growth could impair replication of Sertoli cells produced in fetal life. Furthermore, it was expected that males born with a high birthweight might have impaired sperm production as they are expected to have been exposed to higher levels of oestrogen in fetal life. We examined these predictions by including midwives records for 296 Danish males that had taken part in studies on male fecundity for other reasons. The study provided no support for these expectations. If anything, males born with a birthweight of 3000-3999 g had slightly lower sperm counts and more abnormal spermatozoa.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed2000

Time to pregnancy as a correlate of fecundity: differential persistence in trying to become pregnant as a source of bias.

BACKGROUND: Subfecundity is a frequent and often serious problem and it is important to identify its preventable determinants and to monitor fecundity over time. Since follow-up studies are difficult and expensive to conduct, time to pregnancy (TTP) in pregnant women is often used as a surrogate measure of fecundity. TTP data can be retrieved at low costs and they need no valid population registry as a source for sampling. While TTP may serve as a valid surrogate measure in many situations, its validity rests upon a number of assumptions. We have analysed one of these overlooked assumptions, the importance of persistence in trying to become pregnant. METHODS: By means of computer simulations we estimated bias caused by differences in persistence in pregnancy attempts. We investigated whether the assumptions made in the simulation were realistic by using empirical data from a European study. RESULTS: The mean waiting time to pregnancy and other estimates of subfecundity (or infertility) strongly depend upon the persistence of couples in pursuing a pregnancy. We show that even moderate changes in the planning behaviour considerably modify the waiting time distribution. Empirical data confirm that persistence in trying to become pregnant is age-related. CONCLUSIONS: Persistence in pregnancy attempts affects outcome measures of subfecundity in studies based upon TTP in pregnant women. It is likely that the length of time during which couples keep trying to become pregnant is influenced by a number of factors which would probably change over time or be different between populations to be compared.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Handedness and mortality: a follow-up study of Danish twins born between 1900 and 1910.

The declining prevalence of left-handed individuals with increasing age has led to two main avenues of hypotheses; the association is due either (1) to a birth cohort effect and/or an age effect caused by a switch to right-handedness with advancing age or (2) to mortality selection that reduces survival in left-handed individuals, or both. It is uncertain whether a cohort or age effect can explain the decline in age-related prevalence, and conflicting evidence exists in favor of the mortality hypothesis. We compared mortality in a subgroup of 118 opposite-handed twin pairs by counting in how many instances the right-handed twin died first. There was no evidence of differential survival between right-handed and non-right-handed individuals in the entire 1900-1910 cohort. With respect to the number of right-handed twins who died first, there was no material disadvantage among those who were not right-handed. In 60% (95% confidence interval = 49.0-71.5%) of dizygotic pairs, the right-handed twins died first. In 50% of monozygotic pairs, right-handed twins died first. The prevalence of not being right-handed was higher among males (9.2%) than females (6.5%); there was a similar frequency of non-right-handedness in monozygotic (8.0%) and dizygotic (7.8%) twins. We did not find evidence of excess mortality among non-right-handed adult twins in this follow-up study.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed1999

Recurrence risk of congenital anomalies--the impact of paternal, social, and environmental factors: a population-based study in Denmark.

The authors investigated the recurrence risk of congenital anomalies as a function of changes in genetic and environmental factors in single births following the birth of a child with an anomaly. The study is a population-based historical follow-up using the Danish Medical Birth registry, hospital discharge diagnoses, and Statistic Denmark's Fertility Database. The investigators identified 8,671 women who gave birth to a child with a diagnosed malformation between 1980 and 1992 and had a subsequent birth. Following the birth of an affected infant, 474 (5.5%) women gave birth to another child with a malformation, 155 of which (1.8%) were similar to the malformation of the older sib or half sib. When the father changed between the two births, the risk of a similar anomaly was significantly reduced (odds ratio (OR) = 0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11, 0.65). Higher social status at enrollment was associated with a lower recurrence risk (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.45, 0.99, for the middle status group and OR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.30, 0.81, for the highest status group), independently of partner change. A rise in social status between the two births was marginally associated with a decline in the recurrence risk. No variation in the recurrence risk associated with change of municipality or occupation was seen.

Cohort Studies↗