Background and Aim: Low birth-weight is known to be associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk similar to that seen with major environmental risk factors, such as cigarette smoking or hypertension. Much epidemiological evidence has linked low birth-weight with hypertriglyceridaemia. Method: We measured aortic wall thickness by ultrasonography and lipid profile in 40 newborn babies with intrauterine growth restriction and 40 controls. Results: Maximum and mean aortic intima-media thickness were significantly higher in the babies with intrauterine growth retardation (0.58 ± 0.06, 0.52 ± 0.03 mm, respectively) than in controls (0.44 ± 0.05, 0.40 ± 0.03 mm, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, respectively), more so after adjustment for birth-weight (maximum intima-media thickness: 0.23 ± 0.03 mm/kg vs. 0.12 ± 0.02 mm/kg, p < 0.0001; mean intima-media thickness: 0.21 ± 0.02 mm/kg vs. 0.11 ± 0.01 mm/kg, p < 0·0001). Serum triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the intrauterine growth retardation group (48.9 ± 14.8 mg/dl) compared with the control group (32.5 ± 9.8 mg/dl, p < 0.0001). The mean body mass index, prepregnancy weight, weight gain during pregnancy, maternal LDL cholesterol level and, height of the mothers were significantly lower in the intrauterine growth retardation group compared with the control group. For maximum aIMT, significant associations included the ponderal index (p = <0.01), length (p = 0.01) and serum triglyceride levels of infants (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Newborn babies with growth restriction have significant maximum aortic thickening with hypertriglyceridaemia, suggesting that prenatal events might predispose to later cardiovascular risk.

Background The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) represents an ongoing major global health crisis with a potentially unprecedented death toll and socio-economic impact in the modern era. Measures taken to reduce the rate of transmission are too unprecedented, but are deemed necessary. The extensive strain on public health services has meant that individual agency is increasingly called for. To support this, there is a need to review policy and procedure governing the food and commerce industries in particular. Additionally, it is necessary to convey a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of relevant diet and lifestyle factors to both healthcare practitioners and the general public. Scope and approach To our knowledge, a review of possible additional measures for healthcare proffesionals, which includes the possible nutritional management COVID-19 pandemic does not yet exist. Key Findings and Conclusions: This review identifies i) changing trends in consumer awareness and purchasing patterns in response to COVID-19, and their potential future implications for the food and food-commerce industry ii) problematic elements of policy relevant to the outbreak of COVID-19, including the handling of wild-life and food-commerce, ii) newly emergent technologies in food science which represent viable and cost-effective means to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus, such as anti-microbial packaging, iii) important nutritional considerations with regard to coronavirus disease prevention and management, including nutrition in early infancy, and the role of select micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), phytochemicals and probiotics in conferring protection against both viral infection and pathogenicity.

A total of 88 infants with sepsis and gestational ages ranging from 32 to <37 weeks were enrolled consecutively. The effect of ET with fresh, whole blood and IVIG on immunoglobulin G and M levels was monitored over a 24-hour period. ET was performed on 33 infants, 33 infants received IVIG and 22 infants served as controls. There were nine deaths (27%) in the IVIG group, seven (21%) in the ET group and nine (41%) in the control group (p>0.05). IgG levels rose significantly 12 hours after administration of IVIG (p<0.01). There were no differences between the initial and 24-hour IgG levels in the IVIG group. IgG levels did not change significantly in the ET and control groups. IgM levels rose significantly 12 hours after ET and elevated IgM levels persisted for over 24 hours.

Congenital brucellosis is rare. A premature infant with transplacentally acquired congenital brucellosis and pulmonary involvement is described.