Obesity and Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Pregnant Mothers
Condition: Healthy
MeSH terms: Inflammation
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      To date very little research has been conducted on pregnant mothers. Research shows that
      mothers with obesity and gestational diabetes have children who have a higher risk of later
      developing obesity and diabetes compared to children born to non-obese mothers but the
      mechanisms are not known. The maternal environment may place these babies at greater risk and
      it is possible that fat tissue (adipose tissue) releases many chemicals (adipokines and
      inflammatory cytokines) which may have an impact on the baby. Mothers who have greater
      amounts of adipose tissue most likely release these adipokines into the baby and it may
      affect the baby's body composition and/or health.

      This project will establish if there is a relationship between obesity and adipose tissue
      inflammation in pregnant mothers, and if there is a link between inflammation and the child's
      body composition.

      We will recruit mothers with low risk pregnancies already schedule for a C section at about
      36 wk. We will do initial testing at 36 wk, adipose tissue collection at delivery, and
      conduct post testing at 1 month postpartum on the mother and the baby.
    

Detailed description: 
      Study 1 Visit 1: Sign consent form, age, height, weight, and completion of questionnaires
      (e.g. food record). Consent will allow the investigators to gain access to medical record to
      record pregnancy-related health information on the mother (e.g., prenatal care including but
      not limited to maternal vital signs, clinical documents and fetal well-being - such as #
      pregnancies; reason for scheduled C-section; starting body weight and weight gain during
      pregnancy; BP throughout pregnancy; glucose challenge test (GCT) and glucose tolerance test
      (GTT) results; disease history; medications; pregnancy complications). The investigators will
      also access any fetal monitoring (e.g., including any cardiac ultrasounds that may have been
      performed.) Screening fasting bloods - glucose, insulin, HbA1c, blood lipids, CRP,
      inflammatory cytokine panel (TNFa, IL-6, IL-4, IL-13), adipokines (adiponectin, leptin), and
      sex hormones (e.g., estradiol, testosterone, progesterone). The investigators will also
      perform a limited ultrasound to assess fetal cardiac function and adiposity at this time.
      Subjects will be given a physical activity monitor to wear for 7 days.

      Visit 2: C-section: At this visit during the C-section, a sample (~1000 mg/depot) of omental
      and subcutaneous fat samples will be taken for assessment of inflammatory genes/proteins.
      Cord blood (~15 ml) for assessment of inflammatory genes/proteins.

      Visit 3: 1 month post-partum Mother: Resting blood pressure, fasting blood sample (glucose,
      insulin, HbA1c, blood lipids, CRP, inflammatory cytokine panel (TNFa, IL-6, IL-4, IL-13),
      adipokines (adiponectin, leptin)), sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone), and
      body composition measurement. Completion of questionnaires. Subjects will be given a physical
      activity monitor to wear for 7 days.

      Study 2 Women will only be recruited to complete the C-section as described above They will
      have the option to have the baby measured in the pea pod and to wear a physical activity
      monitor for a week in the month before delivery.
    

Intervention name(s): pregnant mothers
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): we will be collecting data on a cohort of pregnant mothers
Observational model: Cohort
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Recruiting from women who will deliver their babies at Women and Children's hospital in
        Columbia, MO