Helle Margrete Meltzer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Helle Margrete Meltzer

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013

BMJ Open, 2018

PurposeEssential to exposome research is the collection of data on many environmental exposures f... more PurposeEssential to exposome research is the collection of data on many environmental exposures from different domains in the same subjects. The aim of the Human Early Life Exposome (HELIX) study was to measure and describe multiple environmental exposures during early life (pregnancy and childhood) in a prospective cohort and associate these exposures with molecular omics signatures and child health outcomes. Here, we describe recruitment, measurements available and baseline data of the HELIX study populations.ParticipantsThe HELIX study represents a collaborative project across six established and ongoing longitudinal population-based birth cohort studies in six European countries (France, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Spain and the UK). HELIX used a multilevel study design with the entire study population totalling 31 472 mother-child pairs, recruited during pregnancy, in the six existing cohorts (first level); a subcohort of 1301 mother-child pairs where biomarkers, omics signature...

Annual Review of Public Health, 2017

The market for organic food products is growing rapidly worldwide. Such foods meet certified orga... more The market for organic food products is growing rapidly worldwide. Such foods meet certified organic standards for production, handling, processing, and marketing. Most notably, the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetic modification is not allowed. One major reason for the increased demand is the perception that organic food is more environmentally friendly and healthier than conventionally produced food. This review provides an update on market data and consumer preferences for organic food and summarizes the scientific evidence for compositional differences and health benefits of organic compared with conventionally produced food. Studies indicate some differences in favor of organic food, including indications of beneficial health effects. Organic foods convey lower pesticide residue exposure than do conventionally produced foods, but the impact of this on human health is not clear. Comparisons are complicated by organic food consumption being strongly correlated ...

The Journal of nutrition, Jul 1, 2017

Background: Severe iodine deficiency in pregnancy has major effects on child neurodevelopment, bu... more Background: Severe iodine deficiency in pregnancy has major effects on child neurodevelopment, but less is known about the potential consequences of mild-to-moderate deficiency and iodine supplement use.Objective: We explored the associations between maternal iodine intake and child neurodevelopment at 3 y of age and the potential impact of maternal intake of iodine from supplements on the same outcomes.Methods: This population-based prospective observational study included 48,297 mother-child pairs recruited during pregnancy from 2002 to 2008. Maternal iodine intake was calculated based on a validated food-frequency questionnaire answered during midpregnancy that covered mean intake since the beginning of pregnancy. Associations between iodine intake and maternal-reported child language and motor development and behavior problems were explored by multivariable regression analyses.Results: In 33,047 mother-child pairs, excluding iodine supplement users, maternal iodine intake was as...

BMC pregnancy and childbirth, Jan 19, 2017

Preterm delivery increases the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies suggest that mat... more Preterm delivery increases the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies suggest that maternal diet may affect the prevalence of preterm delivery. The aim of this study was to assess whether maternal intakes of seafood and marine long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA) from supplements were associated with preterm delivery. The study population included 67,007 women from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. Maternal food and supplement intakes were assessed by a validated self-reported food frequency questionnaire in mid-pregnancy. Information about gestational duration was obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between total seafood, lean fish, fatty fish, and LCn-3PUFA intakes and preterm delivery. Preterm was defined as any onset of delivery before gestational week 37, and as spontaneous or iatrogenic deliveries and as preterm deliv...

Norsk Epidemiologi, 2009

SAMMENDRAGI perioden 1999-2001 vil det bli gjennomført tre kostholdsundersøkelser som til sammen... more SAMMENDRAGI perioden 1999-2001 vil det bli gjennomført tre kostholdsundersøkelser som til sammen skal kartlegge konsum avmatvarer med betydning for inntaket av miljøgifter i Norge, fortrinnsvis kadmium, kvikksølv, PCB og dioksiner.Disse giftene finnes hovedsakelig i krabbe, flatfisk, skjell, gjedde og abbor, lever eller nyre fra vilt og viltvoksendesopp. Fordi gjennomsnittskonsumet er lavt, spørres det ikke spesifikt om disse matvarene i landsdekkende kostholdsundersøkelsersom 'Norkost'. Hensikten med studien er å kunne gi en bedre beskrivelse av eksponeringsfordelingeni befolkningen med tanke på miljøgifter. Fordelingen er antakelig skjev, dvs. et stort antall personerventes å ha et lavt inntak og noen få personer ventes å ha et relativt høyt inntak av de undersøkte stoffene. Eventuelleukjente risikogrupper vil kunne avdekkes, og det er av stor interesse å undersøke hvor stor eksponeringen i deutsatte gruppene er.Del A av undersøkelsen er landsdekkende og omfatter en posta...

Environmental Health Perspectives, 2015

Background: The etiologies of the male urogenital anomalies hypospadias and cryptorchidism remain... more Background: The etiologies of the male urogenital anomalies hypospadias and cryptorchidism remain unclear. It has been suggested that maternal diet and environmental contaminants may affect the risk of these anomalies via placental or hormonal disturbances. Objectives: To examine associations between organic food consumption during pregnancy and prevalence of hypospadias and cryptorchidism at birth. Methods: Our study includes 35,107 women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) who delivered a singleton male infant. Information about use of six groups of organically produced food (vegetables, fruit, bread/cereal, milk/dairy products, eggs and meat) during pregnancy was collected by a food frequency questionnaire. Women who indicated that they sometimes, often, or mostly consumed organic foods in at least one of the six food groups were classified as organic food consumers in analyses. Hypospadias and cryptorchidism diagnoses were retrieved from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (95% CIs) using multiple logistic regression. Results: Seventy-four male newborns were diagnosed with hypospadias (0.2%) and 151 with cryptorchidism (0.4%). Women who consumed any organic food during pregnancy were less likely to give birth to a boy with hypospadias (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.70 based on 21 exposed cases) than women who reported they never or seldom consumed organic food. Associations with specific organic foods were strongest for vegetable (OR=0.36; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.85; 10 exposed cases) and milk/dairy (OR=0.43; 95% CI: 0.17, 1.07; 7 exposed cases) consumption. No substantial association was observed for consumption of organic food and cryptorchidism.

Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 2015

Fish and seafood are main contributors of arsenic (As) in the diet. The dominating arsenical is t... more Fish and seafood are main contributors of arsenic (As) in the diet. The dominating arsenical is the organoarsenical arsenobetaine (AB), found particularly in finfish. Algae, blue mussels and other filter feeders contain less AB, but more arsenosugars and relatively more inorganic arsenic (iAs), whereas fatty fish contain more arsenolipids. Other compounds present in smaller amounts in seafood include trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), trimethylarsoniopropionate (TMAP), dimethylarsenate (DMA), methylarsenate (MA) and sulphur-containing arsenicals. The toxic and carcinogenic arsenical iAs is biotransformed in humans and excreted in urine as the carcinogens dimethylarsinate (DMA) and methylarsonate (MA), producing reactive intermediates in the process. Less is known about the biotransformation of organoarsenicals, but new insight indicates that bioconversion of arsenosugars and arsenolipids in seafood results in urinary excretion of DMA, possibly also producing reactive trivalent arsenic intermediates. Recent findings also indicate that the presystematic metabolism by colon microbiota play an important role for human metabolism of arsenicals. Processing of seafood may also result in transformation of arsenicals.

Public Health Nutrition, 2014

ObjectiveTo examine tracking of body size among children participating in the Norwegian Mother an... more ObjectiveTo examine tracking of body size among children participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) from birth to 7 years of age and additionally to explore child and parental characteristics associated with maintenance of a high body size in this period of life.DesignAnthropometric data at birth and at 1, 3 and 7 years of age were collected by questionnaires addressed to the mother.SettingParticipants were recruited from all over Norway during the period 1999–2008.SubjectsA total of 3771 children had complete anthropometric data at birth and at 1, 3 and 7 years of age; the sample includes children born between 2002 and 2004.ResultsCohen’s weighted kappa pointed to fair (0·36) to moderate (0·43) tracking of body size from birth to 7 years of age. Generalized estimating equations further indicated that children in the highest tertile of ponderal index at birth had nearly one unit higher BMI (kg/m2) at the age of 7 years compared with children in other tertile...

The Journal of Nutrition, 2010

Maternal folate status and smoking are potentially strong risk factors for infant birth size. We ... more Maternal folate status and smoking are potentially strong risk factors for infant birth size. We assessed the association of several folate indicators and smoking with birth outcomes in a subsample of participants in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, consisting of 2934 singleton pregnancies in 2002-2003. Blood plasma folate and cotinine concentrations and self-reported intake of food folate and supplemental folic acid were measured during the second trimester (median 18 wk). Birth outcomes included gestational age, infant birth weight, head circumference, crown-heel length, and small for gestational age (SGA). Mean total dietary folate intake from foods (mean 268.0 mg/d) and supplements (mean 187.7 mg/d) was 455.7 mg/d. Smokers (plasma cotinine $85 nmol/L) had substantially lower supplemental folic acid intake than nonsmokers, but they did not differ regarding folate intake from food only. Nevertheless, smoking was correlated with plasma folate both before and after adjusting for total dietary folate intake (both P , 0.001). We found no significant associations of food folate intake, supplemental folic acid use, total dietary folate intake, or plasma folate with the various birth outcomes after adjustment for potential confounders. Consistent with previous studies, infant birth size was strongly predicted by maternal smoking (adjusted odds ratio for SGA: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.6, 3.3). This study of well-nourished Norwegian pregnant women suggests that dietary folate and plasma folate during the second trimester are not risk factors for infant birth size.

Science of The Total Environment, 2014

• Dioxin-diet score was defined using RRR in a five country population. • Dioxin-diet score was p... more • Dioxin-diet score was defined using RRR in a five country population. • Dioxin-diet score was positively correlated to dioxin-like activity in maternal blood. • Women following a diet high in meat and fish had a higher dioxin-diet score. • High dioxin-diet score was associated with a 121 g reduction in birth weight. • Maternal diet can contribute to foetal exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds.

Public Health Nutrition, 2009

ObjectiveFew biomarkers for dietary intake of various food groups have been established. The aim ... more ObjectiveFew biomarkers for dietary intake of various food groups have been established. The aim of the present study was to explore whether selenium (Se), iodine, mercury (Hg) or arsenic may serve as a biomarker for total fish and seafood intake in addition to the traditionally usedn-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.DesignIntake of fish and seafood estimated by an FFQ was compared with intake assessed by a 4 d weighed food diary and with biomarkers in blood and urine.SettingValidation study in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).SubjectsOne hundred and nineteen women.ResultsTotal fish/seafood intake (median 39 g/d) calculated with the MoBa FFQ was comparable to intake calculated by the food diary (median 30 g/d,rS= 0·37,P< 0·001). Erythrocyte DHA and blood Hg, Se and arsenic concentrations were positively correlated with intake of fish and seafood, but the association for DHA was weakened by the widespread use of supplements. The main finding was the consistent positive ...

Public Health Nutrition, 2010

Objective: First, to describe the prevalence of both full and partial breast-feeding during the f... more Objective: First, to describe the prevalence of both full and partial breast-feeding during the first 6 months; second, to study the associations between selected health service-related factors and cessation of full breast-feeding at three time intervals. Design: Retrospective questionnaires, 6 months after birth.

Public Health Nutrition, 2007

ObjectiveTo validate a new food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for measuring the intake of fruit, ... more ObjectiveTo validate a new food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for measuring the intake of fruit, vegetables and tea reported by women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).DesignIntake of fruits, vegetables and tea estimated by the FFQ was compared with urinary flavonoid excretion, plasma carotenoid concentration and intake measured by a 4-day weighed food diary (FD). The triangular method was applied to calculate FFQ validity coefficients using two independent biomarkers.Setting and subjectsOne hundred and nineteen women participating in MoBa.ResultsThe FFQ estimate of fruit intake was significantly correlated with urine phloretin (r = 0.33), citrus fruit/juice with urine hesperetin (r = 0.44), cooked vegetables with plasma α-carotene (r = 0.37), and tea with urine kaempferol (r = 0.41) (P < 0.01 for all). On average, 60% of the participants fell into the same or adjacent quintiles when classified by FFQ and biomarkers. Significant correlations betw...

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2009

Concerns about reproductive and developmental health risks of exposure to organophosphate (OP) pe... more Concerns about reproductive and developmental health risks of exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA) among the general population are increasing. Six dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), BPA, and fourteen phthalate metabolites were measured in 10 pooled urine samples representing 110 pregnant women who participated in the Norwegian Mother and Child Birth Cohort (MoBa) study in 2004. Daily intakes were estimated from urinary data and compared with reference doses (RfDs) and daily tolerable intakes (TDIs). The MoBa women had a higher mean BPA concentration (4.50 μg/ L) than the pregnant women in the Generation R Study (Generation R) in the Netherlands and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the United States. The mean concentration of total DAP metabolites (24.20 μg/L) in MoBa women was higher than that in NHANES women but lower than that in Generation R women. The diethyl phthalate metabolite mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP) was the dominant phthalate metabolite in all three studies, with the mean concentrations of greater than 300 μg/L. The MoBa and Generation R women had higher mean concentrations of mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) than the NHANES women. The estimated average daily intakes of BPA, chlorpyrifos/chlorpyrfiosmethyl and phthalates in MoBa (and the other two studies) were below the RfDs and TDIs. The higher levels of metabolites in the MoBa participants may have been from intake via pesticide

The British journal of nutrition, 2011

Hyperemesis gravidarum (hyperemesis), characterised by severe nausea and vomiting in early pregna... more Hyperemesis gravidarum (hyperemesis), characterised by severe nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy, has an unknown aetiology. The aim of the present study was to investigate food and nutrient intake before pregnancy and the risk of developing hyperemesis in women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. From 1999 to 2002, a total of 7710 pregnant women answered a FFQ about their diet during the 12 months before becoming pregnant and a questionnaire about illnesses during pregnancy, including hyperemesis. Only women who were hospitalised for hyperemesis were included as cases. Nutrient intakes during the year before pregnancy did not differ between the ninety-nine women who developed hyperemesis and the 7611 who did not. However, the intake of seafood, allium vegetables and water was significantly lower among women who developed hyperemesis than among women in the non-hyperemesis group. Relative risks of hyperemesis were approximated as OR, and confounder contr...

The International journal of eating disorders, 2011

To examine the amount of weight women with eating disorders [anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervo... more To examine the amount of weight women with eating disorders [anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED)] gained during pregnancy and to evaluate the adequacy of total weight gain.

Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2008

We assessed dietary exposure to acrylamide in 119 pregnant Norwegian women. The aim of the study ... more We assessed dietary exposure to acrylamide in 119 pregnant Norwegian women. The aim of the study was to explore three different methods for estimation of long-term intake of acrylamide and whether it is possible by a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to identify pregnant women with high exposure to acrylamide. Acrylamide excreted as mercapturic acid metabolites in 24-h urine was used as an evaluation tool. Food consumption was assessed by an FFQ and by a 4-day weighed food diary (FD). Acrylamide intake was also estimated by a probabilistic approach based on 2 days from the FD. Primarily, acrylamide concentrations reported from analyses of Norwegian foods were used. The dietary exposure to acrylamide estimated as mug/kg bw/day (median and 95 percentile) was 0.48 (0.92) by the FFQ, 0.41 (0.82) by the FD and 0.42 (0.70) by the probabilistic approach. The amount of acrylamide excreted as urinary metabolites (median and 95 percentile) was 0.16 microg/kg bw/24-h (0.50) in non-smokers, corresponding to a dietary exposure of approximately 0.30 microg/kg bw/day (0.91). Linear regression of acrylamide excreted as urinary metabolites identified crisp bread and potato crisps as significant independent predictors, along with cooking oil and onion/garlic. Dietary exposure to acrylamide calculated by FFQ, FD and probabilistic modelling were comparable. The comparison of FFQ acrylamide estimates with levels of urinary acrylamide metabolites showed that the MoBa FFQ was able to identify participants with high dietary acrylamide exposure. Our findings facilitate future studies on acrylamide exposure and health outcomes in the MoBa study.

Environmental Research, 2010

Low iron (Fe) stores may influence absorption or transport of divalent metals in blood. To obtain... more Low iron (Fe) stores may influence absorption or transport of divalent metals in blood. To obtain more knowledge about such associations, the divalent metal ions cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) and parameters of Fe metabolism (serum ferritin, haemoglobin (Hb) and transferrin) were investigated in 448 healthy, menstruating non-smoking women, age 20-55 years (mean 38 years), participating in the Norwegian HUNT 2 study. The study population was stratified for serum ferritin: 257 were iron-depleted (serum ferritin o 12 mg/L) and 84 had iron deficiency anaemia (serum ferritin o 12 mg/L and Hbo 120 g/L). The low ferritin group had increased blood concentrations of Mn, Co and Cd but normal concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb. In multiple regression models, ferritin emerged as the main determinant of Mn, Co and Cd (p o 0.001), while no significant associations with Cu, Zn and Pb were found. Adjusted r 2 for the models were 0.28, 0.48 and 0.34, respectively. Strong positive associations between blood concentrations of Mn, Co and Cd were observed, also when controlled for their common association with ferritin. Apart from these associations, the models showed no significant interactions between the six divalent metals studied. Very mild anaemia (110 r Hbo 120 g/L) did not seem to have any effect independent of low ferritin. Approximately 26% of the women with iron deficiency anaemia had high concentrations of all of Mn, Co and Cd as opposed to 2.3% of iron-replete subjects. The results confirm that low serum ferritin may have an impact on body kinetics of certain divalent metal ions, but not all. Only a fraction of women with low iron status exhibited an increased blood concentration of divalent metals, providing indication of complexities in the body's handling of these metals.

Environment International, 2013

Maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancy has been associated ... more Maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancy has been associated with reduced fetal growth. However, the role of diet, the main source of PAH exposure among non-smokers, remains uncertain. To assess associations between maternal exposure to dietary intake of the genotoxic PAH benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] during pregnancy and birth weight, exploring potential effect modification by dietary intakes of vitamins C, E and A, hypothesized to influence PAH metabolism. This study included 50,651 women in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Dietary B(a)P and nutrient intakes were estimated based on total consumption obtained from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and estimated based on food composition data. Data on infant birth weight were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Multivariate regression was used to assess associations between dietary B(a)P and birth weight, evaluating potential interactions with candidate nutrients. The multivariate-adjusted coefficient (95%CI) for birth weight associated with maternal energy-adjusted B(a)P intake was -20.5g (-31.1, -10.0) in women in the third compared with the first tertile of B(a)P intake. Results were similar after excluding smokers. Significant interactions were found between elevated intakes of vitamin C (&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;85mg/day) and dietary B(a)P during pregnancy for birth weight (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05), but no interactions were found with other vitamins. The multivariate-adjusted coefficients (95%CI) for birth weight in women in the third compared with the first tertile of B(a)P intake were -44.4g (-76.5, -12.3) in the group with low vitamin C intakes vs. -17.6g (-29.0, -6.1) in the high vitamin C intake group. The results suggest that higher prenatal exposure to dietary B(a)P may reduce birth weight. Lowering maternal intake of B(a)P and increasing dietary vitamin C intake during pregnancy may help to reduce any adverse effects of B(a)P on birth weight.