While there is good evidence that depression negatively impacts mother-to-infant emotional attachment in the postpartum period, the impact of depression in pregnancy on maternal emotions and cognitions about the fetus (often termed “maternal–fetal attachment” or MFA) is unclear. This study compared MFA scores from women meeting clinical criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with scores from nondepressed women. Participants were 161 women enrolled at 23–36 weeks gestation, of whom 65 met criteria for MDD via the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV-TR during their second and/or third trimesters. Cranley’s Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale was administered at 26 and 36 weeks gestation. Generalized linear modeling was used to assess the effect of MDD, anxiety, and antidepressant use on MFA. MDD was negatively related to MFA (LR)=4.58, df=1, p<0.04). Neither anxiety (LR=0.22, p<0.64), nor antidepressant use (LR=0.20, df=1, p<0.66) were related to MFA. Depression severity was negatively related to MFAS scores (B=−0.005, SE=.002, p<0.0012) when including the interaction of MDD group and HRSD scores in the model. This study is the first to demonstrate that clinically defined MDD during pregnancy negatively impacts MFA, suggesting that the basis for poor mother-to-infant attachment in postpartum MDD may have roots in pregnancy.

Mineralization of the fetal mammalian skeleton requires a hypercalcemic gradient across the placenta from mother to fetus. However, the mechanisms responsible for maintaining the placental transport of calcium remain poorly understood. This study aimed to identify calcium and vitamin D regulatory pathway components in ovine endometria and placentae across gestation. Suffolk ewes were bred with fertile rams upon detection of estrus (Day 0). On Days 9, 12, 17, 30, 70, 90, 110, and 125 of pregnancy (n = 3–14/Day), ewes were euthanized and hysterectomized. Calcium abundance was influenced by gestational day in uterine flushings and allantoic fluid (P &lt; 0.05). The expression of S100G, S100A9, S100A12, ATP2B3, ATP2B4, TRPV5, TRPV6, CYP11A1, CYP2R1, CYP24, and VDR mRNAs known to be involved in calcium binding, calcium transport, and vitamin D metabolism were quantified by qPCR. Mediators of calcium and vitamin D signaling were expressed by Day 17 conceptus tissue, and endometria and placentae across gestation. Gestational day influenced the expression of S100G, S100A9, S100A12, TRPV6, VDR, and CYP24 mRNAs in endometria and placentae (P &lt; 0.05). Gestational day influenced endometrial expression of ATP2B3, and placental expression of TRPV5, ATP2B4, and CYP11A1 (P &lt; 0.05). VDR protein localized to the endoderm and trophectoderm (Day 17 conceptus) and was expressed in endometria and placentae throughout gestation. The observed spatiotemporal profile suggests a potential role of calcium and vitamin D in the establishment of pregnancy and regulation of fetal and placental growth, providing a platform for further mechanistic investigation.

No abstract

There was limited support for associations among teacher knowledge, attitudes, and fruit/vegetable intake, and teacher classroom mealtime behavior. Findings showed that teacher mealtime behavior was significantly associated with teacher experience.

Appropriate mineralization of the fetal skeleton requires an excess of phosphate in the fetus compared to the mother. However, mechanisms for placental phosphate transport are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify phosphate regulatory pathways in ovine endometria and placentae throughout gestation. Suffolk ewes were bred with fertile rams upon visual detection of estrus (Day 0). On Days 9, 12, 17, 30, 70, 90, 110, and 125 of pregnancy (n = 3–14/Day), ewes were euthanized and hysterectomized. Phosphate abundance varied across gestational days in uterine flushings, allantoic fluid, and homogenized endometria and placentae (P &lt; 0.05). The expression of mRNAs for sodium-dependent phosphate transporters (SLC20A1 and SLC20A2) and klotho signaling mediators (FGF7, FGF21, FGF23, FGFR1–4, KL, KLB, ADAM10, and ADAM17) were quantified by qPCR. Day 17 conceptus tissue expressed SLC20A1, SLC20A2, KLB, FGF7, FGF21, FGF23, FGFR1, and FGFR2 mRNAs. Both sodium-dependent phosphate transporters and klotho signaling mediators were expressed in endometria and placentae throughout gestation. Gestational day influenced the expression of SLC20A1, ADAM10, ADAM17, FGF21, FGFR1, and FGFR3 mRNAs in both endometria and placentae (P &lt; 0.05). Gestational day influenced endometrial expression of FGF7 (P &lt; 0.001), and placental expression of FGF23 (P &lt; 0.05). Immunohistochemistry confirmed that both FGF23 and KL proteins were expressed in endometria and placentae throughout gestation. The observed spatiotemporal profile of KL-FGF signaling suggests a potential role in the establishment of pregnancy and regulation of fetal growth. This study provides a platform for further mechanistic investigation into the role for KL-FGF signaling in the regulation of phosphate transport at the ovine maternal-conceptus interface.