306 research outputs found
Risk factors for first trimester miscarriage--results from a UK-population-based case-control study.
No full textOBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between biological, behavioural and lifestyle risk factors and risk of miscarriage. DESIGN: Population-based case-control study. SETTING: Case-control study nested within a population-based, two-stage postal survey of reproductive histories of women randomly sampled from the UK electoral register. POPULATION: Six hundred and three women aged 18-55 years whose most recent pregnancy had ended in first trimester miscarriage (<13 weeks of gestation; cases) and 6116 women aged 18-55 years whose most recent pregnancy had progressed beyond 12 weeks (controls). METHODS: Women were questioned about socio-demographic, behavioural and other factors in their most recent pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: First trimester miscarriage. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding, the following were independently associated with increased risk: high maternal age; previous miscarriage, termination and infertility; assisted conception; low pre-pregnancy body mass index; regular or high alcohol consumption; feeling stressed (including trend with number of stressful or traumatic events); high paternal age and changing partner. Previous live birth, nausea, vitamin supplementation and eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily were associated with reduced risk, as were feeling well enough to fly or to have sex. After adjustment for nausea, we did not confirm an association with caffeine consumption, smoking or moderate or occasional alcohol consumption; nor did we find an association with educational level, socio-economic circumstances or working during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that advice to encourage a healthy diet, reduce stress and promote emotional wellbeing might help women in early pregnancy (or planning a pregnancy) reduce their risk of miscarriage. Findings of increased risk associated with previous termination, stress, change of partner and low pre-pregnancy weight are noteworthy, and we recommend further work to confirm these findings in other study populations
Preliminary results from the The National Women's Health Study- a population-based survey of miscarriage and infertility in the UK [Abstract]
No full textSelf-reported ill health in male UK Gulf War veterans: a retrospective cohort study.
No full textBACKGROUND: Forces deployed to the first Gulf War report more ill health than veterans who did not serve there. Many studies of post-Gulf morbidity are based on relatively small sample sizes and selection bias is often a concern. In a setting where selection bias relating to the ill health of veterans may be reduced, we: i) examined self-reported adult ill health in a large sample of male UK Gulf War veterans and a demographically similar non-deployed comparison group; and ii) explored self-reported ill health among veterans who believed that they had Gulf War syndrome. METHODS: This study uses data from a retrospective cohort study of reproduction and child health in which a validated postal questionnaire was sent to all UK Gulf War veterans (GWV) and a comparison cohort of Armed Service personnel who were not deployed to the Gulf (NGWV). The cohort for analysis comprises 42,818 males who responded to the questionnaire. RESULTS: We confirmed that GWV report higher rates of general ill health. GWV were significantly more likely to have reported at least one new medical symptom or disease since 1990 than NGWV (61% versus 37%, OR 2.7, 95% CI 2.5-2.8). They were also more likely to report higher numbers of symptoms. The strongest associations were for mood swings (OR 20.9, 95%CI 16.2-27.0), memory loss/lack of concentration (OR 19.6, 95% CI 15.5-24.8), night sweats (OR 9.9, 95% CI 6.5-15.2), general fatigue (OR 9.6, 95% CI 8.3-11.1) and sexual dysfunction (OR 4.6, 95%CI 3.2-6.6). 6% of GWV believed they had Gulf War syndrome (GWS), and this was associated with the highest symptom reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Increased levels of reported ill health among GWV were confirmed. This study was the first to use a questionnaire which did not focus specifically on the veterans' symptoms themselves. Nevertheless, the results are consistent with those of other studies of post-Gulf war illness and thus strengthen overall findings in this area of research. Further examination of the mechanisms underlying the reporting of ill health is required
Young children’s wellbeing:conceptualising, assessing and supporting wellbeing
No full text© 2018, The Author(s). The attached document (embargoed until 18/11/2020) is an author produced version of a chapter published in EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES: A STUDENT'S GUIDE uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available at the publisher's website. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it
Miscarriage, stillbirth and congenital malformation in the offspring of UK veterans of the first Gulf war.
No full textOBJECTIVES: To assess whether the offspring of UK veterans of the first Gulf war are at increased risk of fetal death or congenital malformation. METHOD: This was a retrospective reproductive cohort study of UK Gulf war veterans and a demographically similar comparison group who were in service at the time but were not deployed to the Gulf. Reproductive history was collected by means of a validated postal questionnaire between 1998 and 2001. RESULTS: In all, 27 959 pregnancies reported by men and 861 pregnancies reported by women were conceived after the first Gulf war and before November 1997. The risk of reported miscarriage was higher among pregnancies fathered by Gulf war veterans than by non-Gulf war veterans (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.5). Stillbirth risk was similar in both groups. Male Gulf war veterans reported a higher proportion of offspring with any type of malformation than the comparison cohort (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.7). Examination by type of malformation revealed some evidence for increased risk of malformations of the genital system, urinary system (renal and urinary tract), and 'other' defects of the digestive system, musculo-skeletal system, and non-chromosomal (non-syndrome) anomalies. These associations were weakened when analyses were restricted to clinically confirmed conditions. There was little or no evidence of increased risk for other structural malformations, specific syndromes, and chromosomal anomalies. Among female veterans, no effect of Gulf war service was found on the risk of miscarriage. The numbers of stillbirths and malformations reported by women were too small to allow meaningful analyses. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence for a link between paternal deployment to the Gulf war and increased risk of stillbirth, chromosomal malformations, or congenital syndromes. Associations were found between fathers' service in the Gulf war and increased risk of miscarriage and less well-defined malformations, but these findings need to be interpreted with caution as such outcomes are susceptible to recall bias. The finding of a possible relationship with renal anomalies requires further investigation. There was no evidence of an association between risk of miscarriage and mothers' service in the gulf
The National Women's Health Study: assembly and description of a population-based reproductive cohort.
No full textBACKGROUND: Miscarriage is a common event but is remarkably difficult to measure in epidemiological studies. Few large-scale population-based studies have been conducted in the UK. METHODS: This was a population-based two-stage postal survey of reproductive histories of adult women living in the United Kingdom in 2001, sampled from the electronic electoral roll. In Stage 1 a short "screening" questionnaire was sent to over 60,000 randomly selected women in order to identify those aged 55 and under who had ever been pregnant or ever attempted to achieve a pregnancy, from whom a brief reproductive history was requested. Stage 2 involved a more lengthy questionnaire requesting detailed information on every pregnancy (and fertility problems), and questions relating to socio-demographic, behavioural and other factors for the most recent pregnancy in order to examine risk factors for miscarriage. Data on stillbirth, multiple birth and maternal age are compared to national data in order to assess response bias. RESULTS: The response rate was 49% for Stage 1 and 73% for the more targeted Stage 2. A total of 26,050 questionnaires were returned in Stage 1. Of the 17,748 women who were eligible on the grounds of age, 27% reported that they had never been pregnant and had never attempted to conceive a child. The remaining 13,035 women reported a total of 30,661 pregnancies. Comparison of key reproductive indicators (stillbirth and multiple birth rates and maternal age at first birth) with national statistics showed that the data look remarkably similar to the general population. CONCLUSIONS: This study has enabled the assembly of a large population-based dataset of women's reproductive histories which appears unbiased compared to the general UK population and which will enable investigation of hard-to-measure outcomes such as miscarriage and infertility
Dramatic reduction in triplet and higher order births in England and Wales.
No full textThe proportion of multiple births has increased markedly since 1980 in England and Wales. A major contribution to this trend is thought to be the widespread introduction of assisted reproductive technologies. Despite a continuing (but slower) upward trend in twin maternities, analysis of recent data shows that the rate of triplet and higher order births in England and Wales has declined by one-quarter since 1998. This probably reflects both voluntary and statutory regulation of treatment regimes. This downward trend will help alleviate the high burden of perinatal morbidity and mortality associated with multiple births
Lifetime prevalence of infertility and infertility treatment in the UK: results from a population-based survey of reproduction.
No full textBACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of infertility and the use of infertility treatment among women aged 40-55 years. METHODS: Population-based postal questionnaire survey of UK women. Over 60,000 women randomly sampled from the 2001 electoral roll were sent a questionnaire, and those aged 55 years and under who had ever been pregnant or tried to achieve a pregnancy (n = 6584) were asked to provide a reproductive history. RESULTS: Overall, 2.4% of women aged 40-55 years had unresolved infertility with no pregnancies, and a further 1.9% had been pregnant but not achieved a live birth. The prevalence of unresolved fertility did not differ among birth cohorts. Sixteen percent of women reported ever consulting a doctor because of infertility and 8% reported receiving treatment to conceive. Across the whole sample, 4.2% of women reported that they had achieved at least one pregnancy as a result of treatment. Compared with earlier birth cohorts, women born later were more likely to report consultations (18% versus 13%) and treatment (9% versus 6%) for infertility, and pregnancies as a result of infertility treatment (6.7% versus 2.7%). Among those who reported medical consultations, women born more recently first consulted at a later age compared with those born earlier. CONCLUSIONS: Although both the number of women seeking medical care for infertility and the proportion reporting pregnancies as a result of infertility treatment has increased, there is no evidence to support an overall increase in unresolved infertility over the past 15 years. The vast majority of women aged 40-55 who reported difficulties conceiving did have a child, or children, at some point in their lives
Thoughts on convict management : and other subjects connected with the Australian penal colonies
No full textThis copy was presented to Sir Alfred Stephen, Attorney General of Tasmania, by the author
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