• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.66-71
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• 1997

To investigate the effect of several factors on serum lipids in maternal and infants umbilical cord blood, 111 cases of newborn infants and women delivered of a child who had delivered at hospital located in Chung-Ju city from Feb. 1, 1996 to Aug. 31, 1996 were studied. The gestational ages of cases were 37 to 42 weeks and the average maternal ages were 28.1$\pm$4.25 years old without any other medical or obstetric problems. No relationships between maternal consumption of coffee and maternal serum lipid levels were observed. However, serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in infants'umbilical cord were significantly increased in proportion to increasing maternal consumption of coffee. The other factors such as alcohol drinking habits and residency affected maternal serum lipid levels and not serum lipid levels in infants' umbilical cord. Delivery frequency showed very little or no effects on serum lipid levels in both maternal blood and infant's umbilical cord blood. In conclusion, maternal consumption of coffee significantly correlated with increasement of serum lipid levels in infants'umbilical cord.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the folate nutritional status of Korean pregnant women and to investigate the relation between folate levels of maternal-umbilical cord blood, placenta tissue, and pregnancy outcomes. The study subjects consisted of 25 pregnant women who have had normal term deliveries. Dietary folate intakes of the pregnants were estimated by semi quantitative frequency questionnaire and the serum and placenta tissue folate level was measured by microbiological analysis. The total folate intakes of the pregnant women was 655.6 ${\mu}$g/d, which was 131.1% of the Korean RDA for pregnants. Maternal serum folate level was 16.18ng/ml, which was significantly lower than that of umbilical cord blood (34.98ng/ml, p<0.05). Mean folate concentration of the placental tissue was 998.0ng/ml, which was the highest compared to maternal and umbilical cord serum level. Umbilical cord serum folate level and placental tissue folate level were highly influenced by maternal serum folate level. The umbilical cord folate levels of the infant group whose birth weight was higher than 3500g were significantly higher than the group whose birth weight was less than 3500g (p<0.05). The placental folate level was significantly higher in maternal group who showed desirable weight gain during pregnancy (11 - 14kg). In conclusion, the birth weigt was related to the umbilical cord folate level and the maternal weight gain was affected by the placental folate level.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.840-847
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• 2000

This study was out to evaluate the folate nutritional status of Korean pregnant women and to investigate the relationship between serum folate levels of maternal-umbilical cord blood and pregnancy outcomes. Folate intakes of the pregnants was estimated by dietary folate intakes obtained from semiquantitative frequency questionnaire and supplementary folate intakes. The serum folate levels in both maternal blood and umbilical cord of 29 pregnant women at delivery and 13 nonpregnant controls were measured by redioimmunoassay. The total folate intakes(dietary and supplementary)of the pregnant women was 465. 4$\mu\textrm{g}$/d which was 93% of the Korean RDA for folate. Maternal mean serum folate levels of the pregnants was 6.1$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, significantly lower than that of nonpregnant women(8.9ng/ml). Mean serumfolate level of umbilical cord blood was 14.2ng/ml, which was 2.3 folds higher than that of maternal blood. This finding indicates that the uptake of folate in the fetus may be due to an active placental transport mechanism. Maternal serum folate level correlated positively with that of umbilical cord blood, showing that folate concentration of umbilical cord blood is affected by maternal status. There was no significant correlation between the serum folate levels in maternal-umbilical cord blood and the pregnancy outcomes.(Korean J Nutrition 33(8) : 840-847, 2000)

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.459-466
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• 1998

To investigate the effect of coffee consumption during pregnancy on serum lipids in maternal and infants` umbilical cord blood, 76 cases of newborn infants and women delivered o f a child who had delivered at hospital located in Chung-Ju city from Feb. 1, 1996 to Aug. 31, 1996 were studied. The gestational ages of cases were 37 to 42 weeks and the average maternal ages were $28.3{\pm}4.63$ years old without any other medical or obstetric problems. Infants` Apgar scores and birth weights were decreased by above 3 cups per day of coffee consumption during pregnancy. No relationships between coffee consumption during pregnancy and maternal serum lipid levels were observed. However, serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in infants` umbilical cord were significantly increased with increasing coffee consumption during pregnancy. In contrary to coffee consumption, alcohol drinking habits affected maternal serum lipid levels but not serum lipid levels in infants` umbilical cord blood. Coffee consumption during pregnancy increased caffeine concentration in infants` umbilical cord blood. These results suggest that caffeine from maternal consumption of coffee can easily pass to the fetus and significantly affect serum lipids levels in infants` umbilical cord blood rather than those in maternal blood.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1263-1269
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• 1998

The maintenance of adequate folate levels in the umbilical cord blood is esential for supplying tissue requirements of fetal growth. However, there is data on folate levels in the cord blood of Korean infant. The present investigation was undertaken to determine folate levels in cord blood and aassess relationships between folate levels and pregnancy outcomes. Dietary and supplementary folate intake was obtained from thirty subjects who were in the third trimester fo pregancy . The umbilical cord blood was drawn at delivery and pregnancy outcomes for the subjects were collected from their medical records. Erythrocyte and plasma folate levels in the cord blood were analyzed. The subjects were divided into two groups ; high folate (HF, $\geq$654ng/ml) and low folate (LF, <654ng/ml) groups according to erythrocyte folate levels in cord blood. Dietary folate intake and the amount of supplemental folates were not significantly different between the two experimental groups. However, infant birth weight (3540$\pm$295g) and placental weight(910$\pm$85g) for the HF group were significantly higher(p=0.0041 and p=0.109, respectively) than those for the LF group, which were 3127 $\pm$419g and 823$\pm$80g , respectively. Although it was not significant, the gestational weight gain for the HF group was 2.8kg higher than that for the LF group. Thus, the erythrocyte folate level in the cord blood was significantly related to infant birth weight and placental weight. These results confirm that a high erythrocyte folate level in the umbilical cord blood promotes both fetal and placental growth and improves gestational weight gain as well.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.348-356
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify correlations between the status of the umbilical cord and neonatal health status. Methods: In total, 172 newborns were enrolled who were admitted to the newborn nursery with a gestational age of 35 weeks or older and a body weight of 2 kg or above. Data were collected on the basic personal information of the newborns, the diameter and soft tissue status of the umbilical cord, and neonatal health status after birth. Analyses were performed using t-test, analysis of variance, χ² test, and Fisher exact test. Results: Umbilical cord diameter exhibited a statistically significant difference by sex (t=2.71, p=.007). A thin umbilical cord diameter was associated with a 1-minute Apgar score less than 8 points (t=2.47, p=.015) and with being transferred to the intensive care unit (t=2.45, p=.015). Poor soft tissue status of the umbilical cord was associated with a 1-minute Apgar score of less than 8 points (χ²=16.68, p<.001) and with oxygen being supplied (χ²=4.81, p=.028). Conclusion: Assessing the umbilical cord diameter and status in newborns is an important tool for evaluating neonatal health status after birth, and this point also underscores the importance of professionals' careful observations in the newborn nursery.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentration of vitamin B6 in 16 pregnant-infant pairs and 15 nonpregnant women and to investigate the relationships between vitamin B6 status of maternal-umbilical cord plasma and pregnancy outcomes. dietary intake was obtained from semiquantitative frequency questionnaire. The daily mean energy and protein intakes were higher than the recommended dietary allowance, while daily vitamin B6 was only 74% of RDA in pregnant and 73% of RDA in nonpregnant women. The main sources of vitamin B6 were vegetables and fruits in pregnant women, while cereal and starch in nonpregnant women. The plasma PLP and PL levels of pregnant women were 14.85nmol/l and 20.56nmol/l, significantly lower than those of nonpregnant women. the PLP/PL ratios of pregnant and nonpregnant women were 1.65 and 0.33, indicating that the levels of vitamin B6 was altered during pregnancy. The PLP and PL levels of umbilical cord plasma were 63.55nmol/l and 32.25nmol/l, respectively. The vitamin B6 levels of umbilical cord plasma were significantly higher than that of maternal plasm. This finding indicates that the uptake of vitamin B6 in the fetus may be due to an active placental transport mechanism. The PLP level of maternal plasma correlated positively with that of umbilical cord plasma, showing the PLP concentration of umbilical cord plasma is affected by maternal vitamin B6 status. The maternal plasma PL level showed a positive correlation to infant birth weight. The positive association has bee also found between plasma PL level of umbilical cord and Apgar 1 min score.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1036-1041
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• 2003

Ecological studies have indicated that the essential fatty acids in maternal and umbilical cord blood samples are associated with gestational length and birth weight. The objectives of this study were to examine serum fatty acid concentration, particularly $\omega$3 fatty acids, in maternal and umbilical cord blood and to investigate the relationship of serum fatty acid levels in the blood of the mother and of the umbilical cord. Subjects consisted of 30 full-term and 30 pre-term mothers and neonates of both groups. Serum levels of fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography. The concentration of total saturated fatty acids in pre-term pregnant women was significantly higher than that of the full-term group (p<0.05), however, the maternal level of $\omega$3 fatty acids in the pre-term group was significantly lower than that of the full-term pregnant women (p<0.05), Moreover, the concentrations of $\alpha$-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in full-term pregnant women were significantly higher than those of the pre-term group. In umbilical cord blood, the levels of total $\omega$3 fatty acid and arachidonic acid were significantly lower in the pre-term group than in the full-term group (p<0.05). Based on the coefficient of correlation between serum fatty acids in the mother and the umbilical cord, it turned out that in the full-term group, the newborn's umbilical cord serum fatty acids were not influenced by the levels of serum fatty acids in the mother. However, in the pre-term group, it seems to have positive correlations in terms of the levels of SFA, MUFA, PUFA and $\alpha$-linolenic acid. This study suggests that a lower status of $\omega$3 fatty acids in maternal and umbilical cord blood probably is a risk factor for pre-term birth.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2003

The number of umbilical cord blood transplantation is increasing worldwide as it has expanded the ability of the transplantaion community to meet the growing needs of their patients. Clinical data over the last decade show promising results in transplantation using both related as well as unrelated cord bloods. Cord blood banks are essential for the clinical use for transplantation and are now established around the world with the major efforts to standardize banking in collection, processing and distribution of cord blood for providing the highest quality stem cells for the patients. In Korea, Medipost, Histostem and some regional cord blood banks were established some years ago and collected thousands of cord blood for public but it had some limitations and was not expanded as the cord blood transplantation was not covered by medical insurance. Recently with the change in the policy of medical insurance to cover the cord blood transplantation, several venture companies are showing great interests in cord blood banking and trying to establish private cord blood banks in Korea. This review article discusses the current status of cord blood transplantaion and also the clincial use of stem cells from cord blood.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.426-432
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• 2001

Vitamin B(sub)12(cobalamin) is an essential nutrient in human and it is particularly important during pregnancy. Nevertheless very few studies have reported, concerning vitamin B(sub)12 in relation with reproduction. This study was conducted to evaluate the vitamin B(sub)12 nutrition status of Korean pregnant women and to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin B(sub)12 levels of maternal-umbilical cord blood and pregnancy outcomes. Dietary vitamin B(sub)12 intakes of the pregnants were estimated by semiquantitative frequency questionnaire. Serum vitamin B(sub)12 levels in both maternal blood and umbilical cord blood of 30 pregnant women at delivery were measured by radioimmunoassay. Mean vitamin B(sub)12 intake was 3.3$\pm$1.4$\mu\textrm{g}$/d which was 125.8% of the Korean RDA(2.6$\mu\textrm{g}$) for vitamin B(sub)12 level of umbilical cord blood was 607.8$\pm$282.9pg/ml, more than two fold of maternal vitamin B(sub)12 level 268.6$\pm$97.8pg/ml. This finding indicates that fetal uptake of vitamin B(sub)12 in the fetus may be due to an active transport mchanism across the placenta. Umbilical cord blood vitamin B(sub)12 levels were highly correlated with maternal levels($r^2$=0.548, p<0.001), showing that fetal vitamin B(sub)12 level is affected by maternal status. However there was no significant correlation between the serum vitamin B(sub)12 levels in maternal-umbilical cord blood and the pregnancy outcomes except for the birth weight. Maternal-umbilical serum vitamin B(sub)12 levels were the highest in the group of birth weight 3.0-3.5kg, and the lowest in the group of birthweight below 3.0kg. (Korean J Nutrition 34(4) : 426~432, 2001)