569: Effect of maternal nicotine exposure on reward-seeking behavior in the offspring

reward-seeking behavior in the offspring Karin Fox, Monica Longo, Phyllis Orise, Sonja Stutz, Noelle Anastasio, Julio Mateus, Kathryn Cunningham, George Saade The University of Texas Medical Branch, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Galveston, TX, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Addiction Research, Galveston, TX OBJECTIVE: Human studies suggest that children of mothers who smoke in pregnancy are at increased risk for nicotine and drug addiction later in life. We hypothesized that nicotine exposure in utero programs the offspring for drug seeking behavior and lowers the threshold for addiction later in life. The aim of this study was to determine if fetal exposure to nicotine alters behavioral phenotype, particularly reward-seeking behavior, later in life. STUDY DESIGN: C57Bl/CJ female mice were randomized to receive 200mcg/ml nicotine in water or water alone from 2 weeks prior to breeding, through pregnancy and weaning at 21 days postpartum. After weaning, offspring were given water and standard chow ad libitum. Beginning on postnatal day 40, offspring were subjected to a standardized behavioral test battery, including elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), and forced swim (FS) tests to assess anxiety, locomotor activity and depression. A two-bottle choice (2BC) test using sucrose at varying concentrations was performed to assess reward-seeking behavior. Student-t, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc multiple comparison tests were used for statistical analysis as appropriate (significance: P 0.05). RESULTS: No differences were noted in offspring weight at birth. Nicotine-exposed male offspring spent significantly more time in the open arm of the maze compared with the unexposed male offspring (fig. 1). In contract, nicotine-exposed females spent significantly less time compared to unexposed female offspring (Fig. 1). There were no significant differences overall in OF and FS tests between nicotineexposed offspring and controls. Nicotine-exposed mice preferred higher sucrose concentrations compared with controls on day 4 of the 2BC (Fig. 2). CONCLUSION: Developmental nicotine exposure alters offspring behavioral phenotypes, particularly anxiety-like and reward-seeking behavior, and this effect is gender-specific. These findings indicate that maternal nicotine exposure has the potential to increase the risk for addiction in the offspring later in life. 570 Maternal mortality in New York City 1995-2003: disparities and risk factors Katherine H. Campbell, Dena Goffman, Anna K. Sfakianaki, Christian M. Pettker, Edmund F. Funai, David A. Savitz, Heather S. Lipkind Yale University, Ob/Gyn & Reprod Sci., New Haven, CT, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bronx, NY, Brown University, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Providence, RI OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to identify maternal co-morbidities, pregnancy complications, and other risk factors associated with maternal mortality during peripartum hospitalizations. STUDY DESIGN: Live birth data for 1995-2003 from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene were linked to maternal and newborn hospital discharge data from the New York State Statewide planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS). Delivery hospitalizations with a diagnosis of maternal death were identified and compared to the surviving population. We examined the associations between maternal mortality and maternal demographics, comorbidities, and hospital diagnoses. RESULTS: From 1995-2003 there were 1,084,882 singleton births in New York City and 152 maternal deaths at time of delivery hospitalization. When compared to white women, black women had significantly increased odds of dying during delivery hospitalization (OR 3.4; 95% CI 2.1-5.7). Various maternal co-morbidities were significantly associated with maternal mortality including cardiovascular disease (OR 38.1; 95 % CI 26.8 54.1), HIV/AIDS (OR 10.4; 95 % CI 4.6 23.7), pregestational diabetes (OR 5.4, 95 % CI 2.2 13.1), chronic hypertension (OR 11.4; 95% CI 7.3 17.7), and preeclampsia (OR 10.4; 95% CI 7.3 15.0) (Table 1). Women who died were more likely to have an ICD-9 diagnosis indicating significant medical intervention including cesarean delivery (OR 10.2; 95% CI 6.8-15.3) and hysterectomy (OR 243.5 95% CI 154.6-383.7). Interestingly, uterine rupture was not associated with maternal mortality (OR 1.0 95% CI 0.9-1.0). CONCLUSION: This study supports the well known association between race and maternal mortality, with a disproportionate number of black women incurring mortality at time of delivery and identifies maternal co-morbidities associated with maternal mortality. When risk markers for maternal mortality are identified, systems can be developed to provide more effective and efficient obstetrical care. www.AJOG.org Epidemiology, Infectious Disease, Intrapartum Fetal Assessment, Operative Obstetrics, Obstetric Quality & Safety, Public Health-Global Health PosterSessionIV