Skalny, Anatoly V.; Tinkov, Alexey A.; Bohan, Tatiana G.; Shabalovskaya, Marina B.; Terekhina, Olga; Leshchinskaia, Svetlana B.; Agarkova, Lyubov A.; Notova, Svetlana V.; Skalnaya, Margarita G. and Kovas, Yulia. 2018. Toxicological and nutritional status of trace elements in hair of women with in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy and their 9-month-old children. Reproductive Toxicology, 82, pp. 50-56. ISSN 0890-6238 [Article]

The aim of the present study was to investigate hair essential trace elements and mineral levels in 105 pregnant normal-weight (control) and 55 overweight and obese women in the third trimester of pregnancy, as well as in their children at the age of 9 months. The hair essential trace elements and mineral levels were assessed using inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Overweight pregnant women had significantly reduced Cr (-24%; p = 0.047) and Zn (-13%; p = 0.008) content, as well as elevated hair Na and K levels as compared to the controls. Children from overweight and obese mothers had lower hair Mo (-18%; p = 0.017), Se (-8%; p = 0.043), and V (-24%; p = 0.028) levels, as well as elevated Sr content (19%; p = 0.025). Correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between maternal and child hair levels of Co (r = 0.170; p=0.038), Cu (r = 0.513; p<0.001), Mn (r = 0.240; p=0.003), and Na (r = 0.181; p=0.027) in the whole sample. Pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) positively correlated with maternal hair K (r = 0.336; p<0.001) and Na (r = 0.212; p=0.008), and negatively correlated with V (r =-0.204; p=0.011) and Zn (r =-0.162; p=0.045) levels. The results indicate that impaired trace element and mineral metabolism may play a role in the link between maternal obesity, complications of pregnancy and child's postnatal development. Hypothetically, dietary improvement may be used as a tool to reduce these risks. However, further experimental and clinical studies are required to investigate the relationship between obesity and trace element metabolism in pregnancy.

The duration of current pulses of runaway electrons generated during the formation of a nanosecond discharge in air in a sharply inhomogeneous electric field was measured using measuring equipment with a bandwidth of 50 GHz. The influence of the gas pressure and the shape of a cathode on the duration of the RE current pulses is investigated. Current pulses with full width at half maximum of 16–28 ps were recorded, depending on the conditions.

Background. Psychological tension in the family, along with stress and mental and physical illness, are linked to the reproductive health of parents, as well as to the outcomes of infertility treatments and pregnancy overall.Objective. To compare stress and negative affect (depression, irritability, and anxiety) in families with induced pregnancies (in-vitro fertilization, IFV) vs. natural pregnancies. The relationship between negative affect and stress in pregnant women was explored in both groups. Finally, the study investigated links between negative affect and partner relationships.Design. The sample included 308 women and 278 men from couples with natural conception, and 131 women and 102 men from couples with an IVF pregnancy.Results. Relatively low levels of negative affective states and stress were found in families with both natural and induced pregnancies. Moderate correlations were found between women's negative affect and their stress level in both groups. Significant correlations were found in both groups between negative psychological states of the spouses, as well as between negative psychological states and warmth/hostility in marital relations.Conclusion. The results suggest that psychological states, stress levels, and links between psychological states and quality of family relations are similar in families with IVF and those with natural pregnancies. Further longitudinal research is needed to explore the direction of causal links between the psychological states of the spouses, and between their psychological states and the quality of family relations.

The article describes some characteristics of the internal image of pregnancy in women with a possible miscarriage during a complicated pregnancy. The study involved 230 women from three groups: those with an extragenital pathology, those with an HIV infection, and those with an IVF pregnancy. The experiment employed the following psychological methods: The Beck Depression Inventory; Self-Assessment of Psychological States (H. Aysenk); The Questionnaire of reproductive motives "My Pregnancy" (O. Magdenko); The Semantic Differential Scale (C. Osgud), which reveals the attitude of women towards such concepts as "Me myself", "My Pregnancy", "My Child", "My Future"; the "Quality of Life" Questionnaire (SF-26). The authors indentified the common and specific characteristics of the internal image of pregnancy for each group. On the level of bodily experience, all the women experienced a sense of restrictions during physical exercise and social contacts. For the extragenital pathology group, the pro-life choice was connected with achieving a new social status. The HIV group revealed a depressive state related to pregnancy. For the IVF group, pregnancy was connected with unfulfilled needs: in love, care, attention, acceptance, desire to change their lives, overcome past failures, etc. The results can be used in psychological practice in antenatal clinics, maternity homes, centers of reproductive technologies, and AIDS prevention and treatment centers.