engleski

Maternal Homocisteine Level in Relation to Newborns` Anthropometry – a Preliminary Report from the CRIBS Study

Homocysteine is an amino acid involved in several key metabolic processes. In the general population hyperhomocysteinaemia is an indicator of vascular disease, while in normal pregnancy homocysteine blood levels falls. The objective of this study was to examine associations of homocisteine in pregnant women with possible predisposing factors (older age, smoking status, physical inactivity, hypertension), pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, small/normal/large for gestational age) and newborns` anthropometry (measures z- standardized according to WHO). Fasting homocisteine concentration, taken between 22nd and 26th week of gestation, were determined in 116 women, participants in the CRoatian Islands` Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS). Homocisteine below than referent range (3.4- 20.4 µmol/L) was determined in 19 women (16.4%) while its concentration in others was within the referent range. None of the investigated predisposing factors was significantly associated with predicting homocisteine level, nor were pregnancy outcomes. Newborns of mothers with homocisteine <3.2 µmol/L had significantly higher BMI-for-age (p=0.028) and weight-for-length (p=0.038), in comparison with mothers whose homocisteine concentrations were within normal range. Other investigated anthropometric measures also showed a tendency of inverse correleation with homocisteine levels, although borderly significant. In the CRIBS sample, lowered concentration of homocisteine in pregnancy indicates a possibility of increased neonatal size.

CRIBS, pregnancy, homocisteine, biomarker, newborns` anthropometry

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