This study aimed to evaluate the impact of selected pregnancy pathologies statistically depending on overweight/obesity and excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy on women who gave birth in the years 2013–2015 at the Second Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University Hospital in Bratislava, Slovakia. In a retrospective study, we analyzed data gathered from the sample, which consisted of 7122 women. Our results suggest a statistically significant, higher risk for the groups of women with overweight and obesity and gestational hypertension (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 15.3; 95% CI 9.0−25.8 for obesity), preeclampsia (AOR = 3.4; 95% CI 1.9−6.0 for overweight and AOR = 13.2; 95% CI 7.7−22.5 for obesity), and gestational diabetes mellitus (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.2−2.9 for overweight and AOR = 2.4; 95% CI 1.4−4.0 for obesity). A higher incidence of pregnancies terminated by cesarean section was observed in the group of obese women. Gestational weight gain above IOM (Institute of Medicine) recommendations was associated with a higher risk of pregnancy terminated by C-section (AOR = 1.2; 95% CI 1.0−1.3), gestational hypertension (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.0−2.7), and infant macrosomia (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.3−2.1). Overweight and obesity during pregnancy significantly contribute to the development of pregnancy pathologies and increased incidence of cesarean section. Systematic efforts to reduce weight before pregnancy through prepregnancy dietary counseling, regular physical activity, and healthy lifestyle should be the primary goal.

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Abstract Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is one of the greatest and the most frequent environmental toxic exposures presenting a high risk to children and to their mothers as well. The aim of the study was to find determinants of the household ETS in the sample of pregnant women living in the household with smokers and to assess their physical and mental health. The survey was distributed to women being seen for follow-up at the obstetric/gynecology departments in hospitals and at gynecological out-patient departments in Bratislava, Slovakia. The medical outcomes short form-12 (SF-12) was included to quantify the mental and physical health of mothers. From the total sample of 617 women, 35.5% (219) were pregnant, 88.6% of them (194) non-smokers, 27.8% (54) lived with a smoking partner, the average mental component summary (MCS) score was 50.8±9.1 and physical component summary (PCS) score was 41.6±10.3. The average age was 31.3±5.1 years. In the sample of 309 non-pregnant non-smoking mothers 23% (71) lived with a smoking partner; the average age was 31.7±4.8 years. The average PCS score was 47.8±8.7 and MCS score 49.1±9. Non-smoking, pregnant women living with a smoker have fewer years of education (p=0.0003) and lower MCS scores (48.50±9.8) (p=0.03). Non-smoking, non-pregnant women living with a smoker are older (p=0.0042), with lower income (p=0.0145), have fewer years of education (p=0.002) and lower PCS score (45±9.1) (p=0.0056). Multivariate analyses revealed the decrease of MCS score in pregnant women and the decrease of PCS score in non-pregnant women living with a smoker. Our results show that living with a smoker is independently associated with worse physical and mental health in a selected sample of Slovak women, which represents an important argument for intervention in families.

Objective: In this study, we examined the relationships between perimenopausal symptoms, biochemical parameters, and markers of oxidative stress in women in perimenopause and compared them with those of premenopausal women.Methods: Sixty-two women (age, 53.2 T 5.7 y) with perimenopausal symptoms were recruited to participate in our study. The control group consisted of 18 women without perimenopausal symptoms (age, 40 T 5 y).Clinical perimenopausal symptoms were evaluated via the questionnaire of the Menopausal Rating Scale. Our participants were checked for basic biochemical parameters. The oxidative status of our samples was determined through the examination of lipoperoxides, 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) levels, and the total antioxidant status (TAS).Results: Perimenopausal women had higher total cholesterol values and lower paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity compared to reference values. Other biochemical parameters as well as 8-oxoG levels were unchanged compared with those of healthy control women. Lipoperoxide levels were significantly increased compared with those of premenopausal women. We found an indirect correlation between PON1 arylesterase (PON1 A) activity and lipoperoxide levels, between PON1 A activity and atherogenic index, between age and TAS, and between age and 8-oxoG levels. DNA repair ability and the total antioxidant status of women in perimenopause were significantly increased compared with women in premenopause. Hypercholesterolemic women had significantly increased lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol levels when compared with normocholesterolemic individuals, but these values were still within the reference range. Normocholesterolemic women had significantly decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, below the reference range. We found no correlations between perimenopausal symptoms and biochemical parameters or oxidative stress markers.Conclusions: We found that women in perimenopause are under increased oxidative stress manifested by reduced PON1 A activity and elevated lipoperoxidation, DNA repair ability, and TAS. Nutritional antioxidant supplementation may be an effective approach in improving menopausal symptoms.

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