Breastfeeding undernutrition changes iBAT-involved thermogenesis protein expression and leads to a lean phenotype in adult rat offspring

Early maternal undernutrition induces sex-related metabolic changes in adult offspring

Nutritional status during the developmental periods leads to predisposition to several diseases and comorbidities, highlighting metabolic and reproductive changes throughout adult life, and in the next generations. One of the experimental models used to induce undernutrition is litter size expansion, which decreases the availability of breast milk to pups and delays development. This work evaluated the effects of maternal undernutrition induced by litter size expansion, a maternal undernutrition preconception model, on the metabolic and reproductive alterations of the offspring. For this, metabolic and reproductive parameters were evaluated in male and female offspring of female rats reared in normal (NL - 10 pups: 5 males and 5 females) and large (LL - 16 pups: 8 males and 8 females) litters. Male and female offspring of LL mothers presented higher food intake than the offspring of NL mothers. Male offspring from undernourished females showed reduced body weight from lactation to adulthood, nasoanal distance in childhood, increased nasoanal distance, and decreased Lee index in adult life, while female offspring showed decreased nasoanal distance in childhood. The male offspring from LL mothers showed increased insulin plasma levels and glucose tolerance, and reduced triglycerides plasma levels, without changes in the female offspring. These results indicate that neonatal undernutrition in females predisposes their male and female offspring to develop metabolic alterations, without reproductive repercussions, and male offspring seems to be more susceptible to present these metabolic changes than females. Thus, there are sexual differences in the metabolic responses of the offspring elicited by maternal preconceptional undernutrition.

Effect of IMB Model Combined with Spousal Support Breastfeeding Intervention on PBSES Score and Breastfeeding Rate of Primipara with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Objective

To analyze the effects of the info-motivation-behavior skills (IMB) model combined with spousal support breastfeeding intervention on breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (PBSES) scores and breastfeeding rate of primiparas with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Methods

Seventy-four first-term pregnant women and 74 of their spouses were selected as the traditional control group by the convenience sampling method from July to September 2021 in obstetrics department of Shenzhen Third People's Hospital. 74 pregnant women with their first child and 74 spouses who had their first child checked during October to December 2021 were classified as the IMB model group. The traditional control group was applied with conventional intervention management mode, and the IMB model group was applied with intervention management mode based on IMB theory on the basis of the traditional control group. The self-efficacy scores of breastfeeding before and after intervention during pregnancy and during hospitalization were compared between the two groups, and the self-efficacy scores of paternal support for breastfeeding were compared. The exclusive breastfeeding rate of infants within 6 months and the maternal breastfeeding knowledge level of the two groups were compared, and the correlation between maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy score and feeding knowledge level was analyzed.

Results

After pregnancy intervention, PBSES and FBSES-SF scores were significantly increased in both groups, and scores of scales in the IMB model group increased significantly than the traditional control group (all P < 0.05). The BSES-SF and FBSES-SF scores of the IMB model group increased significantly than the traditional control group at 3 days after delivery and at discharge (P < 0.05), and the scores of each scale at discharge in both groups increased significantly than those at 3 days after delivery (P < 0.05). The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the IMB model group was 94.59% (70/74), and that in the traditional control group was 78.38% (58/74). There was a significant difference (χ2 = 8.325, P = 0.004). At discharge, the score of maternal breastfeeding knowledge increased significantly in both groups, and the score of the IMB model group increased significantly than that of the traditional control group (all P < 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between PBSES score, FBSES-SF score, and maternal feeding knowledge level, which showed positive correlation (all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The self-efficacy of prenatal breastfeeding in pregnant women with HBV is low, and the application of the IMB model combined with the intervention mode of spy-supported breastfeeding has positive effects on the improvement of maternal breastfeeding efficiency, breastfeeding health knowledge level, and postpartum breastfeeding rate, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.