The pre-pregnancy BMI and the gestational weight gain are two important determinants of pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine obstetric outcomes associated with insufficient gestational weight gain in women with a pre-pregnancy BMI < 18.5 kg/m2. This study was based on observational routinely-collected data from a University Hospital Maternity. The participants were allocated to the group sufficient or insufficient gestational weight gain: ≥ 12.5 kg and < 12.5 kg respectively. Primary outcomes were the adjusted birth weight in percentiles (%) and the proportion of SGA newborns. Secondary outcomes were obstetric and perinatal outcomes. A total of 135 participants with a median age of 28±8 years were included. The adjusted birth weight in percentiles was significantly lower in the insufficient gestational weight gain group (27.2±45.4 vs 42.6±48.8 %; P<0.001). Moreover, the insufficient gestational weight gain is associated with a higher risk of SGA (28.1% vs 11.3%; P=0.017). Our study also showed increased risks of premature rupture of membranes, anaemia and intrauterine growth restriction in women with an insufficient weight gain. Future studies should explore the risk factors associated with insufficient weight gain, in order to develop specific care for underweight pregnant women.

Dispersion tests based on the second order component of smooth test statistics are related to Fisher’s Index of Dispersion test, used for testing for the Poisson distribution when there are no covariates present. Such tests have been recommended in [1] to test for the Poisson distribution when covariates are present. The modified Borel-Tanner (MBT) distribution seems suited to data with extra zeroes, a monotonic decline in counts and longer tails. Here we recommend a dispersion test for the MBT distribution for both when covariates are absent and when they are present.

Porous coatings on prosthetic implants encourage implant fixation. Enhanced fixation may be achieved using a magneto-active porous coating that can deform elastically in vivo on application of an external magnetic field, straining in-growing bone. Such coating, made of 444 ferritic stainless steel fibres, was previously characterised in terms of its mechanical and cellular responses. In this work, co-cultures of human osteoblasts and endothelial cells were seeded into a novel fibrin-based hydrogel embedded in a 444 ferritic stainless steel fibre network. Albumin was successfully incorporated into fibrin hydrogels improving the specific permeability and the diffusion of fluorescently-tagged dextrans without affecting their Young’s modulus. The beneficial effect of albumin was demonstrated by upregulation of osteogenic and angiogenic gene expression. Furthermore, mineralisation, extracellular matrix production and formation of vessel-like structures were enhanced in albumin-enriched fibrin hydrogels compared to fibrin hydrogels. Collectively, the results indicate that the albumin-enriched fibrin hydrogel is a promising bio-matrix for bone tissue engineering and orthopaedic applications.