• 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)

• 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.

• 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.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.

• 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 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.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.289-295
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• 2002

This study was conducted to quantify of micronucleus frequencies in human umbilical cord blood by supravital staining method with acridine orange, and to find some factors that affected on micronucleus frequncies in humans. In this study, we used umbilical cord blood of new born infants that have sufficient reticulocytes compared with adult peripheral blood. The cord bloods were taken after childbirth from 60 normal infants in industrial and coastal region in Korea. The total of 3 ${mu}ell$ cord blood was applied to slide coated with acridine orange, and micronuclei were observed under fluorescent microscopy. Demographic factors and independent variables were collected from mothers by questionnaire. The frequencies of micronuclei in umbilical cord blood of new born infants were 0-5 per 2,000 reticulocytes by supravital staining method, and mean value and standard deviation were 1.75$\pm$0.97. There were no significant difference by the regions, smoking habits of father or mother. However, age of mother showed significant positive correlation with frequencies of micronuclei (p<0.05). Smoking at home by fathers also was found as a significant variable by muliple regression analysis. Therefore, further studies would be needed for genotoxicological evaluation of new born infants by microneuli test using supravital staining method.

• 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)

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.814-821
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to assess the maternal zinc status during pregnancy and to evaluate the relationship between the zinc concentration of maternal, umblical cord blood and placental tissue and pregnancy outcomes. Venous blood samples were drawn from 53 pregnant women just before delivery and the cord blood of their newborn babies was collected immediately after birth. In addition, placental tissues were extracted. We investigated the difference in the concentration of zinc in maternal, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue in two gestational age groups (preform delivery group [PT] and normal term delivery group [NT]) at 34.7 wk and 39.0 wk of mean gestational age, respectively). We also assessed correlations of the zinc concentration of maternal, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue. Lastly, we studied the correlations between the birth weights and the zinc concentration in the maternal, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue. The concentrations of maternal serum zinc and of umbilical cord serum zinc were significantly higher in the PT group (76.9$\pm$37.4 $\mu/dl$, 101.3$\pm$41.4 $\mu/dl$) than in those of the NT group (57.8$\pm$22.4 $\mu/dl$, 80.7$\pm$27.5 $\mu/dl$), respectively (p<0.05). The zinc concentration of the umbilical cord blood was significantly higher than that of the maternal blood in both groups (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the gestational age and the serum zinc concentration in the cord or the maternal serum. Our results showed that there was a negative relationship between the birth weight (r=-0.286) and the maternal serum zinc concentration. Despite there not being a significant difference, there was tendency for the highest concentrations of maternal serum zinc to be associated with the lowest birth weights. These findings support a possible relationship between the maternal zinc status and the pregnancy outcome, and suggest that zinc may play a role in the many biological processes involved in the successful outcome of a pregnancy.

• 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.