Influence of Maternal Infection and Pregnancy Complications on Cord Blood Telomere Length

Table 2

Telomere length of mothers with different demographics and clinical diagnoses.

		Telomere length ( ratio)		Comparison^#
		Mean (SD)
	N (%)	Yes	No	value
Demographics
Baby sex—male	392 (52.1%)	14.65 (5.94)	15.41 (6.55)	0.100
Parents being single/divorced	58 (7.7%)	15.28 (4.44)	15.02 (6.42)	0.757
Mothers received education from junior secondary school or below	89 (11.8%)	15.45 (5.85)	14.99 (6.30)	0.508
Mothers being full-time worker	524 (69.6%)	15.09 (6.31)	14.94 (6.12)	0.762
Maternal history of risk behaviors
Ever smoked	88 (11.7%)	15.28 (4.83)	15.01 (6.42)	0.701
Ever consumed alcoholic drink	226 (30.0%)	15.00 (5.53)	15.06 (6.54)	0.902
Ever engaged in drug abuse	2 (0.3%)	15.98 (4.66)	15.04 (6.25)	0.831
Clinical diagnoses
Maternal health complication during pregnancy
Any type of maternal infection	231 (30.7%)	14.31 (5.14)	15.32 (6.69)	0.043
Group B streptococcus carrier	160 (21.2%)	14.11 (4.62)	15.25 (6.60)	0.042
Other types of infection (e.g., chorioamnionitis, vaginosis)	96 (12.7%)	14.38 (5.62)	15.10 (6.33)	0.292
Anaemia	226 (30.0%)	14.93 (6.11)	15.04 (6.31)	0.829
Hypertension	45 (6.0%)	14.14 (6.68)	15.06 (6.22)	0.345
Any one of the above diagnoses	342 (45.4%)	15.05 (6.20)	15.31 (6.61)	0.638
Any two of the above diagnoses	78 (10.4%)	13.53 (4.45)	15.31 (6.61)	0.005
Complication at or after delivery
Unspecific complications	366 (48.6%)	14.78 (5.81)	15.25 (6.66)	0.288
Low birthweight	39 (5.2%)	15.16 (5.09)	15.00 (6.31)	0.869
Neonatal jaundice	91 (12.1%)	14.31 (5.02)	15.04 (6.30)	0.419
Any one of the above diagnoses	411 (54.6%)	14.82 (6.00)	15.36 (6.69)	0.265
Any two of the above diagnoses	50 (6.6%)	14.47 (5.48)	15.36 (6.69)	0.375
Maternal infection x unspecific complications at delivery	148 (19.7%)	13.83 (4.54)	15.30 (6.59)	0.002
	13 (1.7%)	13.94 (2.86)	15.03 (6.29)	0.534
	21 (2.8%)	12.39 (6.71)	15.08 (6.22)	0.045

^#Comparison was conducted using independent -test; ; .