Background Epigenetic aging is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality and may be a mechanistic link between early-life exposures, such as maternal dietary characteristics during pregnancy, and risk of adult disease. Objectives We sought to determine the early-life risk factors for newborn epigenetic aging, specifically maternal dietary macronutrient intake, and whether epigenetic aging is associated with cardiovascular health markers in the newborn. Methods Epigenetic age acceleration of 169 newborns was measured from saliva using the Horvath age calculator. Maternal diet during pregnancy was assessed using food-frequency questionnaires. Results Newborns with positive age acceleration were more likely to be female and have greater body fatness. Maternal intakes of saturated fat [6.2 wk epigenetic age acceleration (95% CI: 1.0, 11.3) per 5% of energy; P = 0.02] and monounsaturated fat [12.4 wk (95% CI: 4.2, 20.5) per 5% of energy; P = 0.003] were associated with higher epigenetic age acceleration in the newborn. The strongest association of individual fatty acids were for palmitoleic acid (25.3 wk; 95% CI: 11.4, 39.2; P = 0.0004), oleic acid (2.2 wk; 95% CI: 0.8, 3.6; P = 0.002), and palmitic acid (2.9 wk; 95% CI: 1.0, 4.9; P = 0.004) per 1% of energy intake. Vitamin D supplementation was associated with lower epigenetic age acceleration (−8.1 wk; 95% CI: −14.5, −1.7; P = 0.01). Epigenetic age acceleration was associated with aortic intima-media thickness in preterm infants [1.0 µm (95% CI: 0.2, 1.8) per week of epigenetic age acceleration; P = 0.01], but not among those born at term (P = 0.78). Epigenetic age acceleration was not associated with heart rate variability in either preterm or term born infants (both P > 0.2). Conclusions This study provides evidence of maternal dietary characteristics that are associated with epigenetic aging in the offspring. Prospective intervention studies are required to determine whether such associations are causal.

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We present a unique case of bowel obstruction with a hiatus hernia causing atypical chest pain with dynamic ST-segment elevation in a regional Australian emergency department. The ST elevation only resolved after nasogastric decompression of the bowel obstruction. Early thrombolysis of presumed myocardial infarction led to upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding that could have been avoided with timely diagnosis. An extensive review of literature, in addition to our case report, suggests bowel obstruction is a differential diagnosis for patients who have inferior pattern ST elevation but normal troponin presenting with atypical chest pain, nausea, vomiting and previous abdominal surgery.

The literature describes multiple approaches for the repair of stenosed branch pulmonary arteries. Regardless of the technique, restenosis is undesirably and notoriously common. We describe a case of severe left pulmonary artery stenosis repaired with a novel technique in consideration of factors leading to restenosis. The native main pulmonary artery was transected and turned down to create a direct anastomosis with the left pulmonary artery. The child had a normal sized main pulmonary artery with tricuspid atresia and pulmonary atresia with ductus arteriosus feeding the severely stenosed left pulmonary artery. Our novel technique resulted in hemodynamically gratifying results with a tension free tissue-tissue anastomosis with potential for growth.