Malgorzata Szczuko

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are very common condition. The aim of this study is to evaluate the implications of the mode of pregnancy termination and early infant feeding on the incidence of gastrointestinal disorders and atopic dermatitis at birth and 3, 6, and 12 months of age. Methods: This study included 82 pregnant women and their newborns born at term. All newborns were examined at birth and 3, 6, and 12 months of age according to the ROME IV criteria. Results: In children born after cesarean section, the incidence of regurgitation was significantly higher. In children fed mostly or exclusively with formula, dry skin with allergic features was observed more often compared to breastfed children, but this relation was statistically significant only at the age of 12 months. The use of antibiotic therapy increased the risk of allergic skin lesions by almost seven times at 3 months of life. Gastrointestinal disorders in the form of regurgitation, colic, and constipation occur within the period of up to 12 months of the child’s life and may be related to the mode of the termination of pregnancy via cesarean section and the use of artificial feeding or antibiotic therapy. The occurrence of atopic dermatitis in infants at 12 months of life is correlated with the mode of the termination of pregnancy after cesarean section. Conclusions: One of the risk factors for the occurrence of atopic dermatitis and gastrointestinal disorders in the period up to 12 months of the child’s life may be a cesarean section and the use of formula feeding or antibiotic therapy.

Background: Pregnancy is a physiological state during which inflammation occurs. This complex biological response is necessary for the implantation process as well as delivery. In turn, its suppression during gestation favors the normal course of the pregnancy. Therefore, the presence of pro-resolving mediators, EPA and DHA derivatives, The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the levels of anti-inflammatory resolvins and their precursors in different trimesters of pregnancy with consideration of the women’s weight, including overweight and obese women before pregnancy. Methods: A total of 78 women participated in this study; the mean age and BMI before pregnancy were 32.3 ± 5.52 and 27.73 ± 6.13, respectively. The patients were divided into two groups, considering their BMI before pregnancy. The extraction of eicosanoids was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. The levels of all studied parameters showed statistically significant differences between the study group (SG) and the control group (CG) in the different trimesters of pregnancy. Over the course of pregnancy, the levels of protection (PDX), maresin, resolvins (RvD1, RvE1), and their precursors differed in relation to the trimester of pregnancy and the division into groups considering the correct body weight before pregnancy. Results: Overweight or obese women had significantly lower levels of RvE1 in the third trimester and their precursors compared to normal-weight women. While the levels of PDX and RvD1 were significantly higher, this may be due to both a lower intake of products rich in omega-3 fatty acids by obese women and an increased need of obese women’s bodies to quench chronic inflammatory processes associated with obesity. Conclusions: Both EPA and DHA derivatives are involved in calming down inflammation during pregnancy, which was observed.