We study the effects of lockdown on the children's white blood cell profile
Conditions
Interventions
Group 1: Between January 2021 and August 2022, pregnant women in the third trimester upon presentation to the hospital will be recruited. When recruiting, a distinction is made between “lockdown pregn
Sponsors
Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes, Klinik für Allgemeine Pädiatrie und Neonatologie
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Female
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Between January 2021 and January 2022, pregnant women in the third trimester upon presentation to the hospital will be recruited. When recruiting, a distinction is made between “lockdown pregnant women” and “control pregnant women”. "Lockdown pregnant women" are women who have spent the majority of their pregnancy during the lockdown due to SARS-CoV-2 in isolation or at a distance, with increased hygiene and an everyday mask. The "lockdown" samples will be collected from January 2021 until the increased hygiene measures, the distance rules and the mask requirement are lifted. From January 2022, the control samples will then be collected over an identical period of time. Using questionnaires, demographic data and personal, family and social anamnesis of the mothers are collected. Umbilical cord blood is taken when the child is born. The samples are analyzed in the laboratory of general pediatrics and neonatology at the Saarland University Hospital. The following patient groups are to be recruited (gender share evenly distributed): 1. Mothers with an upcoming caesarean section (n = 50) 2. Umbilical cord blood samples a. Premature babies (gestational age <37 weeks) (n = 50) b. Full-term children (gestational age 37 + 0 to 42 + 0 weeks of gestation) (n = 50)
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: Exclusion criteria are chronic diseases of the mother and infections or antibiotic therapy in the last trimester of pregnancy. Children who were born before the completion of the 28th week of pregnancy or who developed perinatal infections will also be excluded from participation in the study. Birth without caesarean section.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Using questionnaires, the epidemiological data will be collected with a focus on microbial exposure and stress as well as the development of allergic diseases, socio-economic factors and family history at birth and at the age of 6 months, 2 and 5 years. In addition, umbilical cord samples from lockdown and non-lockdown newborns are processed. In the long term, the question should be answered whether the immune regulation in the umbilical cord blood is already suitable for predicting a later development of an allergic disease. It is also assumed that prenatal stress influences the course of pregnancy and immune adaptations during pregnancy. Therefore, this work aims to investigate the relationship between perceived maternal stress and the frequencies of the leukocyte repertoire and cytokines in the newborn. Acute psychosocial stress experienced by the mother during pregnancy was selected as stress, which is an increasing factor for pregnant women during lockdown and has negative effects on the maintenance of pregnancy and on fetal development. | — |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Public ContactSybelle Goedicke-Fritz
Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes Universität des Saarlandes Klinik für Allgemeine Pädiatrie und Neonatologie
Outcome results
None listed