Phadiatop Infant in the Diagnosis of Atopy in Children with Allergy-Like Symptoms

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Ragnhild Halvorsen

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective. Allergy-like symptoms such as wheezing and eczema are common in young children and an early diagnosis is important to initiate correct management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Phadiatop Infant, an in vitro test for determination of early sensitisation to food and inhalant allergens. Patients and Methods. The study was conducted, retrospectively, using frozen sera from 122 children (median age 2.7 years admitted to the hospital with suspected allergic symptoms. The doctor's diagnosis atopic/nonatopic was based on routinely used procedures such as clinical evaluation, SPT, total and allergen-specific IgE antibodies. The performance of Phadiatop Infant was evaluated in a blinded manner against this diagnosis. Results. Eighty-four of the 86 children classified as atopic showed a positive Phadiatop Infant test. Thirty-six were classified as nonatopic, 32 of who had a negative test. With a prevalence of atopy of 70% in this population, this gives a sensitivity of 98%, a specificity of 89%, and a positive and negative predictive value of 95% and 94%, respectively. Conclusion. The results from the present study suggest that Phadiatop Infant could be recommended as a complement to the clinical information in the differential diagnosis on IgE-mediated disease in young children with allergy-like symptoms.

Borderline Personality Disorder in the perinatal period: early infant and maternal outcomes.

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Blankley, Gaynor; Galbally, Megan; Snellen, Martien; Power, Josephine; Lewis, Andrew J

2015-12-01

This study examines pregnancy and early infant outcomes of pregnant women with a clinical diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder presenting for obstetric services to a major metropolitan maternity hospital in Victoria, Australia. A retrospective case review of pregnancy and early infant outcomes on 42 women who had been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder via psychiatric assessment using DSM-IV-R criteria was undertaken. Outcomes were compared with a control group of 14,313 consisting of women and infants of non-affected women from the same hospital over the same period of time. Women presenting for obstetric services with a clinical diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder experienced considerable psychosocial impairment. They anticipated birth as traumatic and frequently requested early delivery. High comorbidity with substance abuse was found and high rates of referral to child protective services. Mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder were significantly more likely to have negative birth outcomes such as lowered Apgar scores, prematurity and special care nursery referral when compared with controls. These findings offer preliminary evidence to be considered by clinicians in developing treatments and services for the perinatal care of women with Borderline Personality Disorder and their infants. Further research is required in order to develop evidence informed clinical guidelines for the management of women with Borderline Personality Disorder and their infants. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

T lymphocytes among HIV-infected and -uninfected infants: CD4/CD8 ratio as a potential tool in diagnosis of infection in infants under the age of 2 years

OpenAIRE

Bikoue Arsene; Gwanzura Christine; Tobaiwa Ocean; Rusakaniko Simbarashe; Nathoo Kusum J; Katzenstein David A; Zijenah Lynn S; Nhembe Margaret; Matibe Petronella; Janossy George

2005-01-01

Abstract Background Serologic tests for HIV infection in infants less than 18 months do not differentiate exposure and infection since maternally acquired IgG antibodies may be detected in infants. Thus, the gold standard for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection in infants under the age of 2 years is DNA or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. There is an urgent need to evaluate alternative and cost effective laboratory methods for early diagnosis of infant HIV-1 infection as well as iden...

Early brain development in infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorder.

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Hazlett, Heather Cody; Gu, Hongbin; Munsell, Brent C; Kim, Sun Hyung; Styner, Martin; Wolff, Jason J; Elison, Jed T; Swanson, Meghan R; Zhu, Hongtu; Botteron, Kelly N; Collins, D Louis; Constantino, John N; Dager, Stephen R; Estes, Annette M; Evans, Alan C; Fonov, Vladimir S; Gerig, Guido; Kostopoulos, Penelope; McKinstry, Robert C; Pandey, Juhi; Paterson, Sarah; Pruett, John R; Schultz, Robert T; Shaw, Dennis W; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Piven, Joseph

2017-02-15

Brain enlargement has been observed in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the timing of this phenomenon, and the relationship between ASD and the appearance of behavioural symptoms, are unknown. Retrospective head circumference and longitudinal brain volume studies of two-year olds followed up at four years of age have provided evidence that increased brain volume may emerge early in development. Studies of infants at high familial risk of autism can provide insight into the early development of autism and have shown that characteristic social deficits in ASD emerge during the latter part of the first and in the second year of life. These observations suggest that prospective brain-imaging studies of infants at high familial risk of ASD might identify early postnatal changes in brain volume that occur before an ASD diagnosis. In this prospective neuroimaging study of 106 infants at high familial risk of ASD and 42 low-risk infants, we show that hyperexpansion of the cortical surface area between 6 and 12 months of age precedes brain volume overgrowth observed between 12 and 24 months in 15 high-risk infants who were diagnosed with autism at 24 months. Brain volume overgrowth was linked to the emergence and severity of autistic social deficits. A deep-learning algorithm that primarily uses surface area information from magnetic resonance imaging of the brain of 6-12-month-old individuals predicted the diagnosis of autism in individual high-risk children at 24 months (with a positive predictive value of 81% and a sensitivity of 88%). These findings demonstrate that early brain changes occur during the period in which autistic behaviours are first emerging.

Use of mobile phones and text messaging to decrease the turnaround time for early infant HIV diagnosis and notification in rural Zambia: an observational study.

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Sutcliffe, Catherine G; Thuma, Philip E; van Dijk, Janneke H; Sinywimaanzi, Kathy; Mweetwa, Sydney; Hamahuwa, Mutinta; Moss, William J

2017-03-08

Early infant diagnosis of HIV infection is challenging in rural sub-Saharan Africa as blood samples are sent to central laboratories for HIV DNA testing, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation. Simple technologies to rapidly deliver results to clinics and notify mothers of test results would decrease many of these delays. The feasibility of using mobile phones to contact mothers was evaluated. In addition, the first two years of implementation of a national short message service (SMS) reporting system to deliver test results from the laboratory to the clinic were evaluated. The study was conducted in Macha, Zambia from 2013 to 2015 among mothers of HIV-exposed infants. Mothers were interviewed about mobile phone use and willingness to be contacted directly or through their rural health center. Mothers were contacted according to their preferred method of communication when test results were available. Mothers of positive infants were asked to return to the clinic as soon as possible. Dates of sample collection, delivery of test results to the clinic and notification of mothers were documented in addition to test results. Four hundred nineteen mothers and infants were enrolled. Only 30% of mothers had ever used a mobile phone. 96% of mobile phone owners were reached by study staff and 98% of mothers without mobile phones were contacted through their rural health center. Turnaround times for mothers of positive infants were approximately 2 weeks shorter than for mothers of negative infants. Delivery of test results by the national SMS system improved from 2013 to 2014, with increases in the availability of texted results (38 vs. 91%) and arrival of the texted result prior to the hardcopy report (27 vs. 83%). Texted results arriving at the clinic before the hardcopy were received a median of 19 days earlier. Four discrepancies between texted and hardcopy results were identified out of 340 tests. Mobile phone and text messaging technology has the

Visual search performance in infants associates with later ASD diagnosis

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C.H.M. Cheung

2018-01-01

Full Text Available An enhanced ability to detect visual targets amongst distractors, known as visual search (VS, has often been documented in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD. Yet, it is unclear when this behaviour emerges in development and if it is specific to ASD. We followed up infants at high and low familial risk for ASD to investigate how early VS abilities links to later ASD diagnosis, the potential underlying mechanisms of this association and the specificity of superior VS to ASD. Clinical diagnosis of ASD as well as dimensional measures of ASD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD and anxiety symptoms were ascertained at 3 years. At 9 and 15 months, but not at age 2 years, high-risk children who later met clinical criteria for ASD (HR-ASD had better VS performance than those without later diagnosis and low-risk controls. Although HR-ASD children were also more attentive to the task at 9 months, this did not explain search performance. Superior VS specifically predicted 3 year-old ASD but not ADHD or anxiety symptoms. Our results demonstrate that atypical perception and core ASD symptoms of social interaction and communication are closely and selectively associated during early development, and suggest causal links between perceptual and social features of ASD. Keywords: Visual search, Visual attention, ASD, ADHD, Infant, Familial risk

Reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV: findings from an early infant diagnosis program in south-south region of Nigeria

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Anoje Chukwuemeka

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early diagnosis of HIV in infants provides a critical opportunity to strengthen follow-up of HIV-exposed children and assure early access to antiretroviral (ARV treatment for infected children. This study describes findings from an Early Infant Diagnosis (EID program and the effectiveness of a prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT intervention in six health facilities in Cross-River and Akwa-Ibom states, south-south Nigeria. Methods This was a retrospective study. Records of 702 perinatally exposed babies aged six weeks to 18 months who had a DNA PCR test between November 2007 and July 2009 were reviewed. Details of the ARV regimen received to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT, breastfeeding choices, HIV test results, turn around time (TAT for results and post test ART enrolment status of the babies were analysed. Results Two-thirds of mother-baby pairs received ARVs and 560 (80% babies had ever been breastfed. Transmission rates for mother-baby pairs who received ARVs for PMTCT was 4.8% (CI 1.3, 8.3 at zero to six weeks of age compared to 19.5% (CI 3.0, 35.5 when neither baby nor mother received an intervention. Regardless of intervention, the transmission rates for babies aged six weeks to six months who had mixed feeding was 25.6% (CI 29.5, 47.1 whereas the transmission rates for those who were exclusively breastfed was 11.8% (CI 5.4, 18.1. Vertical transmission of HIV was eight times (AOR 7.8, CI: 4.52-13.19 more likely in the sub-group of mother-baby pairs who did not receive ARVS compared with mother-baby pairs that did receive ARVs. The median TAT for test results was 47 days (IQR: 35-58. A follow-up of 125 HIV positive babies found that 31 (25% were enrolled into a paediatric ART program, nine (7% were known to have died before the return of their DNA PCR results, and 85 (67% could not be traced and were presumed to be lost-to-follow-up. Conclusion Reduction of MTCT of HIV is possible with

T lymphocytes among HIV-infected and -uninfected infants: CD4/CD8 ratio as a potential tool in diagnosis of infection in infants under the age of 2 years

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Bikoue Arsene

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Serologic tests for HIV infection in infants less than 18 months do not differentiate exposure and infection since maternally acquired IgG antibodies may be detected in infants. Thus, the gold standard for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection in infants under the age of 2 years is DNA or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. There is an urgent need to evaluate alternative and cost effective laboratory methods for early diagnosis of infant HIV-1 infection as well as identifying infected infants who may benefit from cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and/or initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Methods Whole blood was collected in EDTA from 137 infants aged 0 to 18 months. DNA polymerase chain reaction was used as the reference standard for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection. T-cell subset profiles were determined by flow cytometry. Results Seventy-six infants were DNA PCR positive while 61 were negative. The median CD4 counts of PCR negative infants were significantly higher than those of the PCR positive infants, p . The median CD4/CD8 ratio and the %CD4 of the PCR positive infants were both significantly lower than those of the negative infants, p . The CD4/CD8 ratio had a >98% sensitivity for diagnosis of HIV-1 infection and a specificity of >98%. Conclusion The CD4/CD8 ratio appears useful in identifying HIV-infected infants. The development of lower cost and more robust flow cytometric methods that provide both CD4/CD8 ratio and %CD4 may be cost-effective for HIV-1 diagnosis and identification of infants for cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and/or highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Challenges Facing Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV among Infants

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

Department of Community Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo. *For correspondence: .... are infected with HIV have a better prognosis ... Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is recommended for infants .... addition, NGOs should scale up EID trainings to allow ..... Journal of Acquired Immune.

Diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis caused by Epstein-Barr virus in infants.

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Dohno, Sumitaka; Maeda, Akihiko; Ishiura, Yoshihito; Sato, Tetsuya; Fujieda, Mikiya; Wakiguchi, Hiroshi

2010-08-01

The diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis (IM) is usually on serologic tests. The responses of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (anti-EBV) antibodies are weak in infants. The authors encountered some IM infants in whom anti-EBV antibodies were undetectable during early stage, although EBV genome was found in their blood. The aim of the present study was therefore to clarify the frequency of anti-EBV-antibody negative IM cases. The EBV serostatus of 104 IM children diagnosed on Sumaya criteria was retrospectively studied. The EBV genome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured. The anti-viral capsid antigen-IgM (anti-VCA-IgM)-positive rate in the acute phase was only 25% in infants but 80% in patients ≥ 4 years of age. Twenty percent of the infants were negative for all anti-EBV antibodies and required repeated serologic tests. For infants, the significant rise in anti-VCA-IgG was the most sensitive marker. Three seronegative infants with IM symptoms, with circulating EBV genome during acute phase, were eventually considered as having IM on anti-VCA-IgG seroconversion thereafter. To diagnose IM in infants the serologic test alone in the acute phase is not sensitive enough. It is proposed that the EBV genome be evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells when infants presenting with IM symptoms are negative for anti-EBV antibodies during the acute phase. © 2010 Japan Pediatric Society.

Parental psychological distress and quality of life after a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of congenital anomaly: a controlled comparison study with parents of healthy infants.

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Fonseca, Ana; Nazaré, Bárbara; Canavarro, Maria Cristina

2012-04-01

Parental early adjustment to a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of congenital anomaly has been studied mainly within a pathological and deterministic perspective, giving us an inadequate view of the impact of the diagnosis. Adopting a comprehensive approach on parental adjustment, we aimed to characterise the impact of the diagnosis on psychological distress and quality of life, in the early postdiagnosis stage. The effects of gender and the timing of the diagnosis were also examined. In this cross-sectional study, 42 couples with healthy infants and 42 couples whose infants were prenatal or postnatally diagnosed with a congenital anomaly responded to the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and to the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief instrument. In the early postdiagnosis stage, parents whose infants were diagnosed with a congenital anomaly presented higher levels of psychological distress than did the parents of healthy infants (F(2,79) = 6.23, p = .003), although they displayed similar levels of quality of life (F(4,78) = 0.62, p = .647). Mothers reported more adjustment difficulties than fathers in both groups. Receiving the diagnosis in the prenatal period was associated with higher maternal psychological quality of life (Z = -2.00, p = .045). The occurrence of a diagnosis of congenital anomaly during the transition to parenthood adds to an accumulation of stress-inducing events and manifests itself in psychopathological symptoms. Maintaining a positive evaluation of well-being may be understood as a parental resource to deal with the diagnosis. The importance of adopting a comprehensive perspective on parental adjustment is highlighted. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Clinical characterization and diagnosis of cystic fibrosis through exome sequencing in Chinese infants with Bartter-syndrome-like hypokalemia alkalosis.

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Qiu, Liru; Yang, Fengjie; He, Yonghua; Yuan, Huiqing; Zhou, Jianhua

2018-03-09

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal autosomal-recessive disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. CF is characterized by recurrent pulmonary infection with obstructive pulmonary disease. CF is common in the Caucasian population but is rare in the Chinese population. The symptoms of early-stage CF are often untypical and may sometimes manifest as Bartter syndrome (BS)-like hypokalemic alkalosis. Therefore, the ability of doctors to differentiate CF from BS-like hypokalemic alkalosis in Chinese infants is a great challenge in the timely and accurate diagnosis of CF. In China, sporadic CF has not been diagnosed in children younger than three years of age to date. Three infants, who were initially admitted to our hospital over the period of June 2013 to September 2014 with BS-like hypokalemic alkalosis, were diagnosed with CF through exome sequencing and sweat chloride measurement. The compound heterozygous mutations of the CFTR gene were detected in two infants, and a homozygous missense mutation was found in one infant. Among the six identified mutations, two are novel point mutations (c.1526G > C and c.3062C > T) that are possibly pathogenic. The three infants are the youngest Chinese patients to have been diagnosed with sporadic CF at a very early stage. Follow-up examination showed that all of the cases remained symptom-free after early intervention, indicating the potential benefit of very early diagnosis and timely intervention in children with CF. Our results demonstrate the necessity of distinguishing CF from BS in Chinese infants with hypokalemic alkalosis and the significant diagnostic value of powerful exome sequencing for rare genetic diseases. Furthermore, our findings expand the CFTR mutation spectrum associated with CF.

Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Early Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment

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S. A. Perepelitsa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available to improve treatment results in premature infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS, by establishing developmental mechanisms and elaborating methods for its early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Material and methods. The paper analyzes the results of a clinical observation and laboratory, instrumental, immunological, morphological, and radiological studies of 320 premature neonates at 26—35 weeks gestational age. The following groups of neonates were identified: 1 40 premature neonatal infants without NRDS and with the physiological course of an early neonatal period (a comparison group; 2 190 premature neonates with severe NRDS in whom the efficiency of therapy with exogenous surfactants, such as surfactant BL versus curosurf, was evaluated; 3 90 premature newborn infants who had died from NRDS at its different stages. Results. The poor maternal somatic, obstetric, and gynecological histories in the early periods of the current pregnancy create prerequisites for its termination, favor the development of severe acute gestosis, and cause abnormal placental changes. Each gestational age is marked by certain placental changes that promote impaired uterineplacentalfetal blood flow and premature birth. Alveolar and bronchial epithelial damages, including those ante and intranatally, microcircula tory disorders play a leading role in the tanatogenesis of NRDS. Intranatal hypoxia and amniotic fluid aspiration are one of the important factors contributing to alveolar epithelial damage and NRDS in premature neonates. Exogenous surfactants prevent the development of hyaline membranes and are useful in the normalization of ventilation-perfusion relationships and lung biomechanical properties. Conclusion. This study could improve the diagnosis and treatment of NRDS, which assisted in reducing the duration of mechanical ventilation from 130±7.6 to 65±11.6 hours, the number of complications (the incidence of intragastric

Factors associated with long turnaround time for early infant diagnosis of HIV in Myanmar.

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Thiha, Soe; Shewade, Hemant Deepak; Philip, Sairu; Aung, Thet Ko; Kyaw, Nang Thu Thu; Oo, Myo Minn; Kyaw, Khine Wut Yee; Wint War, May; Oo, Htun Nyunt

2017-01-01

A previous review of early infant diagnosis (EID) using polymerase chain reaction technology (PCR) under integrated HIV care (IHC) program in Myanmar revealed a low uptake of timely (within 6 to 8 weeks of babies' age) EID and a long turnaround time (TAT) of receiving results. This study aimed to determine the proportion and factors associated with the composite outcome of a long TAT (≥7 weeks; from sample collection to receipt of result by mother) or nonreceipt of result among HIV-exposed babies whose blood samples were collected for PCR at mother's CD4 count of 100-350 cells/mm 3 at enrollment [adjusted RR (0.95 confidence intervals, CI): 0.8 (0.7, 0.9)] had a 20% lower risk of long TAT or nonreceipt of results when compared with ≥350 cells/mm 3 . Distance between ART center and PCR facility ≥105 km [adjusted RR (0.95 CI): 1.2 (1.1, 1.4)], when compared with mother was high. Point-of-care testing for EID may reduce TAT/nonreceipt of results by the mother. Health system, laboratory, and logistic factors such as sample transportation, laboratory procedures, and result dispatching associated with long TAT should be further explored.

Infant and dyadic assessment in early community-based screening for autism spectrum disorder with the PREAUT grid

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Crespin, Graciela; Laznik, Marie-Christine; Cherif Idrissi El Ganouni, Oussama; Sarradet, Jean-Louis; Bauby, Colette; Dandres, Anne-Marie; Ruiz, Emeline; Bursztejn, Claude; Xavier, Jean; Falissard, Bruno; Bodeau, Nicolas; Cohen, David; Saint-Georges, Catherine

2017-01-01

Background The need for early treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) necessitates early screening. Very few tools have been prospectively tested with infants of less than 12 months of age. The PREAUT grid is based on dyadic assessment through interaction and shared emotion and showed good metrics for predicting ASD in very-high-risk infants with West syndrome. Methods We assessed the ability of the PREAUT grid to predict ASD in low-risk individuals by prospectively following and screening 12,179 infants with the PREAUT grid at four (PREAUT-4) and nine (PREAUT-9) months of age. A sample of 4,835 toddlers completed the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) at 24 months (CHAT-24) of age. Children who were positive at one screening (N = 100) were proposed a clinical assessment (including the Children Autism Rating Scale, a Developmental Quotient, and an ICD-10-based clinical diagnosis if appropriate) in the third year of life. A randomly selected sample of 1,100 individuals who were negative at all screenings was followed by the PMI team from three to five years of age to identify prospective false negative cases. The clinical outcome was available for 45% (N = 45) of positive children and 52.6% (N = 579) of negative children. Results Of the 100 children who screened positive, 45 received a diagnosis at follow-up. Among those receiving a diagnosis, 22 were healthy, 10 were diagnosed with ASD, seven with intellectual disability (ID), and six had another developmental disorder. Thus, 50% of infants positive at one screening subsequently received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis. The PREAUT grid scores were significantly associated with medium and high ASD risk status on the CHAT at 24 months (odds ratio of 12.1 (95%CI: 3.0–36.8), p screening instruments increased the Se but not PPV estimates [PREAUT and CHAT combined: Se = 67.9 to 77.7%, PPV = 19.0 to 28.0%]. Conclusions The PREAUT grid can contribute to very early detection of ASD and its combination with the

Family History of Early Infant Death Correlates with Earlier Age at Diagnosis But Not Shorter Time to Diagnosis for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

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Anderson Dik Wai Luk

2017-07-01

Full Text Available BackgroundSevere combined immunodeficiency (SCID is fatal unless treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Delay in diagnosis is common without newborn screening. Family history of infant death due to infection or known SCID (FH has been associated with earlier diagnosis.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify the clinical features that affect age at diagnosis (AD and time to the diagnosis of SCID.MethodsFrom 2005 to 2016, 147 SCID patients were referred to the Asian Primary Immunodeficiency Network. Patients with genetic diagnosis, age at presentation (AP, and AD were selected for study.ResultsA total of 88 different SCID gene mutations were identified in 94 patients, including 49 IL2RG mutations, 12 RAG1 mutations, 8 RAG2 mutations, 7 JAK3 mutations, 4 DCLRE1C mutations, 4 IL7R mutations, 2 RFXANK mutations, and 2 ADA mutations. A total of 29 mutations were previously unreported. Eighty-three of the 94 patients fulfilled the selection criteria. Their median AD was 4 months, and the time to diagnosis was 2 months. The commonest SCID was X-linked (n = 57. A total of 29 patients had a positive FH. Candidiasis (n = 27 and bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG vaccine infection (n = 19 were the commonest infections. The median age for candidiasis and BCG infection documented were 3 months and 4 months, respectively. The median absolute lymphocyte count (ALC was 1.05 × 109/L with over 88% patients below 3 × 109/L. Positive FH was associated with earlier AP by 1 month (p = 0.002 and diagnosis by 2 months (p = 0.008, but not shorter time to diagnosis (p = 0.494. Candidiasis was associated with later AD by 2 months (p = 0.008 and longer time to diagnosis by 0.55 months (p = 0.003. BCG infections were not associated with age or time to diagnosis.ConclusionFH was useful to aid earlier diagnosis but was overlooked by clinicians and not by parents. Similarly, typical clinical features of

Implementing services for Early Infant Diagnosis (EID of HIV: a comparative descriptive analysis of national programs in four countries

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Wade Abdoulaye

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a significant increase in survival for HIV-infected children who have early access to diagnosis and treatment. The goal of this multi-country review was to examine when and where HIV-exposed infants and children are being diagnosed, and whether the EID service is being maximally utilized to improve health outcomes for HIV-exposed children. Methods In four countries across Africa and Asia existing documents and data were reviewed and key informant interviews were conducted. EID testing data was gathered from the central testing laboratories and was then complemented by health facility level data extraction which took place using a standardized and validated questionnaire Results In the four countries reviewed from 2006 to 2009 EID sample volumes rose dramatically to an average of >100 samples per quarter in Cambodia and Senegal, >7,000 samples per quarter in Uganda, and >2,000 samples per quarter in Namibia. Geographic coverage of sites also rapidly expanded to 525 sites in Uganda, 205 in Namibia, 48 in Senegal, and 26 in Cambodia in 2009. However, only a small proportion of testing was done at lower-level health facilities: in Uganda Health Center IIs and IIIs comprised 47% of the EID collection sites, but only 11% of the total tests, and in Namibia 15% of EID sites collected >93% of all samples. In all countries except for Namibia, more than 50% of the EID testing was done after 2 months of age. Few sites had robust referral mechanisms between EID and ART. In a sub-sample of children, we noted significant attrition of infants along the continuum of care post testing. Only 22% (Senegal, 37% (Uganda, and 38% (Cambodia of infants testing positive by PCR were subsequently initiated onto treatment. In Namibia, which had almost universal EID coverage, more than 70% of PCR-positive infants initiated ART in 2008. Conclusions While EID testing has expanded dramatically, a large proportion of PCR- positive infants are

Socioeconomic status, infant feeding practices and early childhood obesity.

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Gibbs, B G; Forste, R

2014-04-01

Children from low socioeconomic households are at greater risk of obesity. As breastfeeding can protect against child obesity, disadvantaged infants are less likely to breastfeed relative to more advantaged children. Whether infant feeding patterns, as well as other maternal characteristics mediate the association between social class and obesity has not been established in available research. Examine the impact of infant feeding practices on child obesity and identify the mechanisms that link socioeconomic status (SES) with child obesity. Based on a nationally representative longitudinal survey (ECLS-B) of early childhood (n = 8030), we examine how breastfeeding practices, the early introduction of solid foods and putting an infant to bed with a bottle mediate the relationship between social class and early childhood obesity relative to the mediating influence of other maternal characteristics (BMI, age at birth, smoking, depression and daycare use). Infants predominantly fed formula for the first 6 months were about 2.5 times more likely to be obese at 24 months of age relative to infants predominantly fed breast milk. The early introduction of solid foods (obesity. Unhealthy infant feeding practices were the primary mechanism mediating the relationship between SES and early childhood obesity. Results are consistent across measures of child obesity although the effect size of infant feeding practices varies. The encouragement and support of breastfeeding and other healthy feeding practices are especially important for low socioeconomic children who are at increased risk of early childhood obesity. Targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers for breastfeeding support and for infant-led feeding strategies may reduce the negative association between SES and child obesity. The implications are discussed in terms of policy and practice. © 2013 The Authors. Pediatric Obesity © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Visual search performance in infants associates with later ASD diagnosis.

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Cheung, C H M; Bedford, R; Johnson, M H; Charman, T; Gliga, T

2018-01-01

An enhanced ability to detect visual targets amongst distractors, known as visual search (VS), has often been documented in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Yet, it is unclear when this behaviour emerges in development and if it is specific to ASD. We followed up infants at high and low familial risk for ASD to investigate how early VS abilities links to later ASD diagnosis, the potential underlying mechanisms of this association and the specificity of superior VS to ASD. Clinical diagnosis of ASD as well as dimensional measures of ASD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptoms were ascertained at 3 years. At 9 and 15 months, but not at age 2 years, high-risk children who later met clinical criteria for ASD (HR-ASD) had better VS performance than those without later diagnosis and low-risk controls. Although HR-ASD children were also more attentive to the task at 9 months, this did not explain search performance. Superior VS specifically predicted 3 year-old ASD but not ADHD or anxiety symptoms. Our results demonstrate that atypical perception and core ASD symptoms of social interaction and communication are closely and selectively associated during early development, and suggest causal links between perceptual and social features of ASD. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infant pain-related negative affect at 12 months of age: early infant and caregiver predictors.

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Din Osmun, Laila; Pillai Riddell, Rebecca; Flora, David B

2014-01-01

To examine the predictive relationships of early infant and caregiver variables on expressed pain-related negative affect duration at the 12-month immunization. Infants and their caregivers (N = 255) were followed during immunization appointments over the first year of life. Latent growth curve modeling in a structural equation modeling context was used. Higher levels of initial infant pain reactivity at 2 months and caregiver emotional availability averaged across 2, 4, and 6 months of age were related to larger decreases in the duration of infant negative affect over the first 6 months of life. Longer duration of infant negative affect at 2 months and poorer regulation of infant negative affect over the first 6 months of life predicted longer durations of infant negative affect by 12 months. Infant negative affect at 12 months was a function of both infant factors and the quality of caregiver interactive behaviors (emotional availability) in early infancy.

The radiographic diagnosis of early attacking congenital syphilis of bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji Yaping; Zhuge Moyi

2005-01-01

Objective: To explore the method of radiological diagnosis of early attacking congenital syphilis. Methods: Seven cases of early attacking congenital syphilis of bone were retrospectively analyzed, diagnosed serologically, and were taken X-rays of the long bones. Results: Bone radiographs abnormalities were identified in 6 of 7 cases. Five cases suffered periotities, six cases metaphysitis, and three cases combined with diaphysitis. Seven cases had swollen soft tissue. The vertebraes, craniums and epiphysitis were not found abnormal in 7 cases. Diffusion, multiple and symmetric metaphysitis, periosteitis and osteitis were the radiological characters of congenital syphilis of bone. Conclusion: Radiography can affirm the diagnose of early attacking congenital syphilis and definite the arrange and depth. Radiographs of the extremities should be routinely taken in suspected infants. (authors)

Uptake and performance of prevention of mother-to-child transmission and early infant diagnosis in pregnant HIV-infected women and their exposed infants at seven health centres in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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Girma, Marshet; Wendaferash, Rahel; Shibru, Hailu; Berhane, Yemane; Hoelscher, Michael; Kroidl, Arne

2017-06-01

To assess the uptake of WHO-recommended PMTCT procedures in Ethiopia's health services. Prospective observational study of HIV-positive pregnant mothers and their newborns attending PMTCT services at seven health centres in Addis Ababa. Women were recruited during antenatal care and followed up with their newborns at delivery, Day 6 and Week 6 post-partum. Retention to PMCTC procedures, self-reported antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence and HIV infant outcome were assessed. Turnaround times of HIV early infant diagnosis (EID) procedures were extracted from health registers. Of 494 women enrolled, 4.9% did not complete PMTCT procedures due to active denial or loss to follow-up. HIV was first diagnosed in 223 (45.1%) and ART initiated in 321 (65.0%) women during pregnancy. ART was initiated in a median of 1.3 weeks (IQR 0-4.3) after HIV diagnosis. Poor self-reported treatment adherence was higher post-partum than during pregnancy (12.5% vs. 7.0%, P = 0.002) and significantly associated with divorced/separated marital status (RR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.8), low family income (RR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.1), low CD4 count (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-3.0) and ART initiation during delivery (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.6). Of 435 infants born alive, 98.6% received nevirapine prophylaxis. The mother-to-child HIV transmission rate was 0.7% after a median of 6.7 weeks (IQR 6.4-10.4), but EID results were received for only 46.6% within 3 months of birth. High retention in PMTCT services, triple maternal ART and high infant nevirapine prophylaxis coverage were associated with low mother-to-child HIV transmission. Declining post-partum ART adherence and challenges of EID linkage require attention. © 2017 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Safety of routine early MRI in preterm infants

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Plaisier, Annemarie; Feijen-Roon, Monique; Heemskerk, Anneriet M.; Dudink, Jeroen; Raets, Marlou M.A.; Govaert, Paul; Starre, Cynthia van der; Lequin, Maarten H.

2012-01-01

Cerebral MRI performed on preterm infants at term-equivalent 30 weeks' gestational age (GA) is increasingly performed as part of standard clinical care. We evaluated safety of these early MRI procedures. We retrospectively collected data on patient safety of preterm infants who underwent early MRI scans. Data were collected at fixed times before and after the MRI scan. MRI procedures were carried out according to a comprehensive guideline. A total of 52 infants underwent an MRI scan at 30 weeks' GA. Although no serious adverse events occurred and vital parameters remained stable during the procedure, minor adverse events were encountered in 26 infants (50%). The MRI was terminated in three infants (5.8%) because of respiratory instability. Increased respiratory support within 24 h after the MRI was necessary for 12 infants (23.1%) and was significantly associated with GA, birth weight and the mode of respiratory support. Hypothermia (core temperature < 36 C) occurred in nine infants (17.3%). Temperature dropped significantly after the MRI scan. Minor adverse events after MRI procedures at 30 weeks GA were common and should not be underestimated. A dedicated and comprehensive guideline for MRI procedures in preterm infants is essential. (orig.)

Safety of routine early MRI in preterm infants

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Plaisier, Annemarie; Feijen-Roon, Monique; Heemskerk, Anneriet M.; Dudink, Jeroen [Erasmus Medical Centre - Sophia, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Erasmus Medical Centre - Sophia, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Raets, Marlou M.A.; Govaert, Paul [Erasmus Medical Centre - Sophia, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Starre, Cynthia van der [Erasmus Medical Centre - Sophia, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Erasmus Medical Centre - Sophia, Intensive Care, Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Lequin, Maarten H. [Erasmus Medical Centre - Sophia, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

2012-10-15

Cerebral MRI performed on preterm infants at term-equivalent 30 weeks' gestational age (GA) is increasingly performed as part of standard clinical care. We evaluated safety of these early MRI procedures. We retrospectively collected data on patient safety of preterm infants who underwent early MRI scans. Data were collected at fixed times before and after the MRI scan. MRI procedures were carried out according to a comprehensive guideline. A total of 52 infants underwent an MRI scan at 30 weeks' GA. Although no serious adverse events occurred and vital parameters remained stable during the procedure, minor adverse events were encountered in 26 infants (50%). The MRI was terminated in three infants (5.8%) because of respiratory instability. Increased respiratory support within 24 h after the MRI was necessary for 12 infants (23.1%) and was significantly associated with GA, birth weight and the mode of respiratory support. Hypothermia (core temperature < 36 C) occurred in nine infants (17.3%). Temperature dropped significantly after the MRI scan. Minor adverse events after MRI procedures at 30 weeks GA were common and should not be underestimated. A dedicated and comprehensive guideline for MRI procedures in preterm infants is essential. (orig.)

Infant and dyadic assessment in early community-based screening for autism spectrum disorder with the PREAUT grid.

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Bertrand Olliac

Full Text Available The need for early treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD necessitates early screening. Very few tools have been prospectively tested with infants of less than 12 months of age. The PREAUT grid is based on dyadic assessment through interaction and shared emotion and showed good metrics for predicting ASD in very-high-risk infants with West syndrome.We assessed the ability of the PREAUT grid to predict ASD in low-risk individuals by prospectively following and screening 12,179 infants with the PREAUT grid at four (PREAUT-4 and nine (PREAUT-9 months of age. A sample of 4,835 toddlers completed the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT at 24 months (CHAT-24 of age. Children who were positive at one screening (N = 100 were proposed a clinical assessment (including the Children Autism Rating Scale, a Developmental Quotient, and an ICD-10-based clinical diagnosis if appropriate in the third year of life. A randomly selected sample of 1,100 individuals who were negative at all screenings was followed by the PMI team from three to five years of age to identify prospective false negative cases. The clinical outcome was available for 45% (N = 45 of positive children and 52.6% (N = 579 of negative children.Of the 100 children who screened positive, 45 received a diagnosis at follow-up. Among those receiving a diagnosis, 22 were healthy, 10 were diagnosed with ASD, seven with intellectual disability (ID, and six had another developmental disorder. Thus, 50% of infants positive at one screening subsequently received a neurodevelopmental diagnosis. The PREAUT grid scores were significantly associated with medium and high ASD risk status on the CHAT at 24 months (odds ratio of 12.1 (95%CI: 3.0-36.8, p < 0.001, at four months and 38.1 (95%CI: 3.65-220.3, p < 0.001, at nine months. Sensitivity (Se, specificity, negative predictive values, and positive predictive values (PPVs for PREAUT at four or nine months, and CHAT at 24 months, were similar [PREAUT-4

Infant Attention and Early Childhood Executive Function

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Cuevas, Kimberly; Bell, Martha Ann

2014-01-01

Individual differences in infant attention are theorized to reflect the speed of information processing and are related to later cognitive abilities (i.e., memory, language, and intelligence). This study provides the first systematic longitudinal analysis of infant attention and early childhood executive function (EF; e.g., working memory,…

On the Question of the Diagnosis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

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L. L. Nisevich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS is one of the leading causes of postneonatal mortality of infants in most developed countries. This paper presents data on terminology and on the study of SIDS in developed countries, and also examines problems of SIDS diagnostic inRussia in comparison with the results of own researches, analyzes risk factors, which are universal as for SIDS, and also for perinatal and infant death in general. The large variability of SIDS diagnosis in Russia suggests that this diagnosis often does not comply with international standard: post-mortem examination of community-acquired sudden death cases is often carried out by a forensic expert, but not by a children's pathologist, and they do not use virological and microbiological methods of investigation. In some cases, there is no infant's record or case record from children's polyclinic.

Early feeding and neonatal hypoglycemia in infants of diabetic mothers

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Leandro Cordero

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To examine the effects of early formula feeding or breast-feeding on hypoglycemia in infants born to 303 A1-A2 and 88 Class B-RF diabetics. Methods: Infants with hypoglycemia (blood glucose < 40 mg/dL were breast-fed or formula-fed, and those with recurrences were given intravenous dextrose. Results: Of 293 infants admitted to the well-baby nursery, 87 (30% had hypoglycemia, corrected by early feeding in 75 (86%, while 12 (14% required intravenous dextrose. In all, 98 infants were admitted to the newborn intensive care unit for respiratory distress (40%, prematurity (33% or prevention of hypoglycemia (27%. Although all newborn intensive care unit patients received intravenous dextrose, 22 (22% had hypoglycemia. Of 109 hypoglycemia episodes, 89 (82% were single low occurrences. At discharge, 56% of well-baby nursery and 43% of newborn intensive care unit infants initiated breast-feeding. Conclusions: Hypoglycemia among infants of diabetic mothers can be corrected by early breast-feeding or formula feeding.

Early feeding and neonatal hypoglycemia in infants of diabetic mothers

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Ramesh, Shilpa; Hillier, Kirsty; Giannone, Peter J; Nankervis, Craig A

2013-01-01

Objectives: To examine the effects of early formula feeding or breast-feeding on hypoglycemia in infants born to 303 A1-A2 and 88 Class B-RF diabetics. Methods: Infants with hypoglycemia (blood glucose < 40 mg/dL) were breast-fed or formula-fed, and those with recurrences were given intravenous dextrose. Results: Of 293 infants admitted to the well-baby nursery, 87 (30%) had hypoglycemia, corrected by early feeding in 75 (86%), while 12 (14%) required intravenous dextrose. In all, 98 infants were admitted to the newborn intensive care unit for respiratory distress (40%), prematurity (33%) or prevention of hypoglycemia (27%). Although all newborn intensive care unit patients received intravenous dextrose, 22 (22%) had hypoglycemia. Of 109 hypoglycemia episodes, 89 (82%) were single low occurrences. At discharge, 56% of well-baby nursery and 43% of newborn intensive care unit infants initiated breast-feeding. Conclusions: Hypoglycemia among infants of diabetic mothers can be corrected by early breast-feeding or formula feeding. PMID:26770697

Reducing mortality in HIV-infected infants and achieving the 90-90-90 target through innovative diagnosis approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Essajee, Shaffiq; Vojnov, Lara; Penazzato, Martina; Jani, Ilesh; Siberry, George K; Fiscus, Susan A; Markby, Jessica

2015-01-01

Despite significant gains in access to early infant diagnosis (EID) over the past decade, most HIV-exposed infants still do not get tested for HIV in the first two months of life. For those who are tested, the long turnaround time between when the sample is drawn and when the results are returned leads to a high rate of loss to follow-up, which in turn means that few infected infants start antiretroviral treatment. Consequently, there continues to be high mortality from perinatally acquired HIV, and the ambitious goals of 90% of infected children identified, 90% of identified children treated and 90% of treated children with sustained virologic suppression by 2020 seem far beyond our reach. The objective of this commentary is to review recent advances in the field of HIV diagnosis in infants and describe how these advances may overcome long-standing barriers to access to testing and treatment. Several innovative approaches to EID have recently been described. These include point-of-care testing, use of SMS printers to connect the central laboratory and the health facility through a mobile phone network, expanding paediatric testing to other entry points where children access the health system and testing HIV-exposed infants at birth as a rapid way to identify in utero infection. Each of these interventions is discussed here, together with the opportunities and challenges associated with scale-up. Point-of-care testing has the potential to provide immediate results but is less cost-effective in settings where test volumes are low. Virological testing at birth has been piloted in some countries to identify those infants who need urgent treatment, but a negative test at birth does not obviate the need for additional testing at six weeks. Routine testing of infants in child health settings is a useful strategy to identify exposed and infected children whose mothers were not enrolled in programmes for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Facility-based SMS

Infant formula and early childhood caries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saudamini Girish More

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC is increasing worldwide. Impaired oral health could have a negative impact on the overall health of infants. ECC can continue to deteriorate the growth and development of the child in preschool stage. Feeding practices largely influence the occurrence of ECC. Infant formula is commonly used as supplements or substitutes for breast milk up to the first 2 years of age. The dietary sugars such as lactose and sucrose, present in the infant formula, could act as a favorable substrate and change the oral microflora. Infant formula constitutes of various minerals which are known to affect tooth mineralization including iron, fluoride, and calcium. A number of in vitro, animal, and human studies have been conducted to understand their effect on oral environment and microbiota. Exploring the scientific literature for different types of infant formula and their role in the etiopathogenesis of dental caries could give us an insight into the cariogenic potential of infant formula. Furthermore, this could be source of information for health practitioners as they are the ones who are first sought by parents for advice related to infant feeding.

New prediction model for diagnosis of bacterial infection in febrile infants younger than 90 days.

Science.gov (United States)

Vujevic, Matea; Benzon, Benjamin; Markic, Josko

2017-01-01

Vujevic M, Benzon B, Markic J. New prediction model for diagnosis of bacterial infection in febrile infants younger than 90 days. Turk J Pediatr 2017; 59: 261-268. Due to non-specific clinical presentation in febrile infants, extensive laboratory testing is often carried out to distinguish simple viral disease from serious bacterial infection (SBI). Objective of this study was to compare efficacy of different biomarkers in early diagnosis of SBI in infants Pediatrics, University Hospital Centre Split with suspicion of having SBI were included in this study. Retrospective cohort analysis of data acquired from medical records was performed. Out of 181 enrolled patients, SBI was confirmed in 70. Most common diagnosis was urinary tract infection (68.6%), followed by pneumonia (12.9%), sepsis (11.4%), gastroenterocolitis (5.7%) and meningitis (1.4%). Male gender was shown to be a risk factor for SBI in this population (p=0.008). White blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were confirmed as the independent predictors of SBI, with CRP as the best one. Two prediction models built by combining biomarkers and clinical variables were selected as optimal with sensitivities of 74.3% and 75.7%, and specificities of 88.3% and 86%. Evidently, CRP is a more superior biomarker in diagnostics of SBI comparing to WBC and ANC. Prediction models were shown to be better in predicting SBI than independent biomarkers. Although both showed high sensitivity and specificity, their true strength should be determined using validation cohort.

Premature Infant Care in the Early 20th Century.

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Prescott, Stephanie; Hehman, Michelle C

The complex early history of infant incubators provides insight into challenges faced by medical professionals as they promoted care for premature infants in the early 20th century. Despite their absence from the narrative to date, nurses played vital roles in the development of neonatal care. Working in many different settings, from incubator-baby shows to the first hospital unit designed specifically for premature infants, nurses administered quality care and promoted advanced treatment for these newborns. Copyright © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early social communication in infants with fragile X syndrome and infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Laura J; Brady, Nancy C; McCary, Lindsay; Rague, Lisa; Roberts, Jane E

2017-12-01

Little research in fragile X syndrome (FXS) has prospectively examined early social communication. To compare early social communication in infants with FXS, infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASIBs), and typically developing (TD) infants. Participants were 18 infants with FXS, 21 ASIBs, and 22 TD infants between 7.5-14.5 months. Social communication was coded using the Communication Complexity Scale during the administration of Autism Observation Scale for Infants. Descriptively different patterns were seen across the three groups. Overall infants with FXS had lower social communication than ASIBs or TD infants when controlling for nonverbal cognitive abilities. However, infants with FXS had similar levels of social communication as ASIBs or TD infants during peek-a-boo. No differences were observed between ASIBs and TD infants. For all infants, higher social communication was related to lower ASD risk. Findings provide insight into the developmental course of social communication in FXS. The dynamic nature of social games may help to stimulate communication in infants with FXS. Language interventions with a strong social component may be particularly effective for promoting language development in FXS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Invasive Candidiasis Among Premature Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Matthew S.; Benjamin, Daniel K.; Smith, P. Brian

2015-01-01

Invasive candidiasis is a leading infectious cause of morbidity and mortality in premature infants. Improved recognition of modifiable risk factors and antifungal prophylaxis have contributed to the recent decline in the incidence of this infection among infants. Invasive candidiasis typically occurs in the first six weeks of life and presents with non-specific signs of sepsis. Definitive diagnosis relies on growth of Candida in blood culture or cultures from other normally sterile sites, but this may identify fewer than half of cases. Improved diagnostics are needed to guide initiation of antifungal therapy in premature infants. PMID:25677999

Early brain enlargement and elevated extra-axial fluid in infants who develop autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Mark D; Nordahl, Christine W; Young, Gregory S; Wootton-Gorges, Sandra L; Lee, Aaron; Liston, Sarah E; Harrington, Kayla R; Ozonoff, Sally; Amaral, David G

2013-09-01

Prospective studies of infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder have provided important clues about the early behavioural symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, however, is not currently made until at least 18 months of age. There is substantially less research on potential brain-based differences in the period between 6 and 12 months of age. Our objective in the current study was to use magnetic resonance imaging to identify any consistently observable brain anomalies in 6-9 month old infants who would later develop autism spectrum disorder. We conducted a prospective infant sibling study with longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging scans at three time points (6-9, 12-15, and 18-24 months of age), in conjunction with intensive behavioural assessments. Fifty-five infants (33 'high-risk' infants having an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder and 22 'low-risk' infants having no relatives with autism spectrum disorder) were imaged at 6-9 months; 43 of these (27 high-risk and 16 low-risk) were imaged at 12-15 months; and 42 (26 high-risk and 16 low-risk) were imaged again at 18-24 months. Infants were classified as meeting criteria for autism spectrum disorder, other developmental delays, or typical development at 24 months or later (mean age at outcome: 32.5 months). Compared with the other two groups, infants who developed autism spectrum disorder (n = 10) had significantly greater extra-axial fluid at 6-9 months, which persisted and remained elevated at 12-15 and 18-24 months. Extra-axial fluid is characterized by excessive cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space, particularly over the frontal lobes. The amount of extra-axial fluid detected as early as 6 months was predictive of more severe autism spectrum disorder symptoms at the time of outcome. Infants who developed autism spectrum disorder also had significantly larger total cerebral volumes at both 12-15 and 18-24 months of age. This is the first magnetic

Reducing mortality in HIV-infected infants and achieving the 90–90–90 target through innovative diagnosis approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Essajee, Shaffiq; Vojnov, Lara; Penazzato, Martina; Jani, Ilesh; Siberry, George K; Fiscus, Susan A; Markby, Jessica

2015-01-01

Introduction Despite significant gains in access to early infant diagnosis (EID) over the past decade, most HIV-exposed infants still do not get tested for HIV in the first two months of life. For those who are tested, the long turnaround time between when the sample is drawn and when the results are returned leads to a high rate of loss to follow-up, which in turn means that few infected infants start antiretroviral treatment. Consequently, there continues to be high mortality from perinatally acquired HIV, and the ambitious goals of 90% of infected children identified, 90% of identified children treated and 90% of treated children with sustained virologic suppression by 2020 seem far beyond our reach. The objective of this commentary is to review recent advances in the field of HIV diagnosis in infants and describe how these advances may overcome long-standing barriers to access to testing and treatment. Discussion Several innovative approaches to EID have recently been described. These include point-of-care testing, use of SMS printers to connect the central laboratory and the health facility through a mobile phone network, expanding paediatric testing to other entry points where children access the health system and testing HIV-exposed infants at birth as a rapid way to identify in utero infection. Each of these interventions is discussed here, together with the opportunities and challenges associated with scale-up. Point-of-care testing has the potential to provide immediate results but is less cost-effective in settings where test volumes are low. Virological testing at birth has been piloted in some countries to identify those infants who need urgent treatment, but a negative test at birth does not obviate the need for additional testing at six weeks. Routine testing of infants in child health settings is a useful strategy to identify exposed and infected children whose mothers were not enrolled in programmes for the prevention of mother

Trends in Patent Ductus Arteriosus Diagnosis and Management for Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Samantha; Profit, Jochen; Gould, Jeffrey B; Lee, Henry C

2017-04-01

To examine yearly trends of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) diagnosis and treatment in very low birth weight infants. In this retrospective cohort study of very low birth weight infants (<1500 g) between 2008 and 2014 across 134 California hospitals, we evaluated PDA diagnosis and treatment by year of birth. Infants were either inborn or transferred in within 2 days after delivery and had no congenital abnormalities. Intervention levels for treatment administered to achieve ductal closure were categorized as none, pharmacologic (indomethacin or ibuprofen), both pharmacologic intervention and surgical ligation, or ligation only. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess risk factors for PDA diagnosis and treatment. PDA was diagnosed in 42.8% (12 002/28 025) of infants, with a decrease in incidence from 49.2% of 4205 infants born in 2008 to 38.5% of 4001 infants born in 2014. Pharmacologic and/or surgical treatment was given to 30.5% of patients. Between 2008 and 2014, the annual rate of infants who received pharmacologic intervention (30.5% vs 15.7%) or both pharmacologic intervention and surgical ligation (6.9% vs 2.9%) decreased whereas infants who were not treated (60.5% vs 78.3%) or received primary ligation (2.2% vs 3.0%) increased. There is an increasing trend toward not treating patients diagnosed with PDA compared with more intensive treatments: pharmacologic intervention or both pharmacologic intervention and surgical ligation. Possible directions for future study include the impact of these trends on hospital-based and long-term outcomes. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Early diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis in newborn infants using IgG subclasses against two Toxoplasma gondii recombinant proteins

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Carlos Henryque de Souza e Silva

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the utility of ELISA-based testing of total IgG (IgGt antibodies and its subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 against soluble (STAg and recombinant (rSAG1 and rMIC3 antigens of Toxoplasma gondii for diagnosing congenital toxoplasmosis. Sera from 217 newborns initially testing positive for specific IgM in filter paper dried blood spots were tested for specific IgM and IgG by ELFA-VIDAS®. Congenital toxoplasmosis was confirmed in 175 and ruled out in 42 infants. The validity of the ELISA tests was determined using the persistence of IgG antibodies (ELFA-VIDAS® kit at the end of 12 months, which is considered the reference test for the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis. The frequency of positivity with IgGt against STAg, rSAG1 and rMIC3 was found in 97.2%, 96.3% and 80.2%, respectively, of the newborns with confirmed congenital toxoplasmosis. IgG1 reacted with all three antigens, while IgG3 and IgG4 reacted preferentially with rMIC3. Higher mean values of reactivity (sample optical density/cut-off were found for all subclasses when using rMIC3. All of the antigens showed high sensitivity and low specificity in detecting anti-T. gondii IgGt and IgG1 and low sensitivity and high specificity in detecting IgG3 and IgG4. In conclusion, the combined detection of IgG antibody subclasses against recombinant toxoplasmic antigens may be useful for the early diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.

Acute rib fracture diagnosis in an infant by US: a matter of child protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelloff, Jennifer; Spivey, Maria; Hulett, Rebecca

2009-01-01

Rib fractures in infants and children are highly specific for inflicted injury in the absence of a major accidental injury or underlying bone disorder. We present a 9-week-old infant diagnosed with an acute rib fracture by US at the site where physicians palpated chest wall crepitus when no rib fractures had been visualized on the skeletal survey, including oblique views of the ribs. Based on the US diagnosis of the acute rib fracture the infant was taken into protective custody. Follow-up skeletal survey 2 weeks later revealed healing fractures of the left 6th and 7th posterolateral ribs and right 7th, 8th and 9th anterolateral ribs. We were unable to locate previous reports describing the diagnosis of rib fractures in infants by US. (orig.)

Acute rib fracture diagnosis in an infant by US: a matter of child protection

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Kelloff, Jennifer; Spivey, Maria [Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Section on Child Abuse and Neglect, St. Louis Children' s Hospital, One Children' s Place, Box 8116, St. Louis, MO (United States); Hulett, Rebecca [Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, St. Louis Children' s Hospital, St. Louis, MO (United States)

2009-01-15

Rib fractures in infants and children are highly specific for inflicted injury in the absence of a major accidental injury or underlying bone disorder. We present a 9-week-old infant diagnosed with an acute rib fracture by US at the site where physicians palpated chest wall crepitus when no rib fractures had been visualized on the skeletal survey, including oblique views of the ribs. Based on the US diagnosis of the acute rib fracture the infant was taken into protective custody. Follow-up skeletal survey 2 weeks later revealed healing fractures of the left 6th and 7th posterolateral ribs and right 7th, 8th and 9th anterolateral ribs. We were unable to locate previous reports describing the diagnosis of rib fractures in infants by US. (orig.)

Early CPAP versus surfactant in extremely preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Finer, Neil N; Carlo, Waldemar A; Walsh, Michele C; Rich, Wade; Gantz, Marie G; Laptook, Abbot R; Yoder, Bradley A; Faix, Roger G; Das, Abhik; Poole, W Kenneth; Donovan, Edward F; Newman, Nancy S; Ambalavanan, Namasivayam; Frantz, Ivan D; Buchter, Susie; Sánchez, Pablo J; Kennedy, Kathleen A; Laroia, Nirupama; Poindexter, Brenda B; Cotten, C Michael; Van Meurs, Krisa P; Duara, Shahnaz; Narendran, Vivek; Sood, Beena G; O'Shea, T Michael; Bell, Edward F; Bhandari, Vineet; Watterberg, Kristi L; Higgins, Rosemary D

2010-05-27

There are limited data to inform the choice between early treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and early surfactant treatment as the initial support for extremely-low-birth-weight infants. We performed a randomized, multicenter trial, with a 2-by-2 factorial design, involving infants who were born between 24 weeks 0 days and 27 weeks 6 days of gestation. Infants were randomly assigned to intubation and surfactant treatment (within 1 hour after birth) or to CPAP treatment initiated in the delivery room, with subsequent use of a protocol-driven limited ventilation strategy. Infants were also randomly assigned to one of two target ranges of oxygen saturation. The primary outcome was death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia as defined by the requirement for supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks (with an attempt at withdrawal of supplemental oxygen in neonates who were receiving less than 30% oxygen). A total of 1316 infants were enrolled in the study. The rates of the primary outcome did not differ significantly between the CPAP group and the surfactant group (47.8% and 51.0%, respectively; relative risk with CPAP, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 1.05) after adjustment for gestational age, center, and familial clustering. The results were similar when bronchopulmonary dysplasia was defined according to the need for any supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks (rates of primary outcome, 48.7% and 54.1%, respectively; relative risk with CPAP, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.01). Infants who received CPAP treatment, as compared with infants who received surfactant treatment, less frequently required intubation or postnatal corticosteroids for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Pneonatal outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. The results of this study support consideration of CPAP as an alternative to intubation and surfactant in preterm infants. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00233324.) 2010 Massachusetts Medical Society

Precursors of social emotional functioning among full-term and preterm infants at 12 months: Early infant withdrawal behavior and symptoms of maternal depression.

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Moe, Vibeke; Braarud, Hanne Cecilie; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Slinning, Kari; Vannebo, Unni Tranaas; Guedeney, Antoine; Heimann, Mikael; Rostad, Anne Margrethe; Smith, Lars

2016-08-01

This study forms part of a longitudinal investigation of early infant social withdrawal, maternal symptoms of depression and later child social emotional functioning. The sample consisted of a group of full-term infants (N=238) and their mothers, and a group of moderately premature infants (N=64) and their mothers. At 3 months, the infants were observed with the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) and the mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). At 12 months, the mothers filled out questionnaires about the infants' social emotional functioning (Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social Emotional). At 3 months, as we have previously shown, the premature infants had exhibited more withdrawal behavior and their mothers reported elevated maternal depressive symptoms as compared with the full-born group. At 12 months the mothers of the premature infants reported more child internalizing behavior. These data suggest that infant withdrawal behavior as well as maternal depressive mood may serve as sensitive indices of early risk status. Further, the results suggest that early maternal depressive symptoms are a salient predictor of later child social emotional functioning. However, neither early infant withdrawal behavior, nor gestational age, did significantly predict social emotional outcome at 12 months. It should be noted that the differences in strength of the relations between ADBB and EPDS, respectively, to the outcome at 12 months was modest. An implication of the study is that clinicians should be aware of the complex interplay between early infant withdrawal and signs of maternal postpartum depression in planning ports of entry for early intervention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth].

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Hui; Yang, Chuan-Zhong; Li, Huan; Wen, Wei; Huang, Fang-Fang; Huang, Zhi-Feng; Shi, Yu-Ping; Yu, Yan-Liang; Chen, Li-Lian; Yuan, Rui-Qin; Zhu, Xiao-Yu

2017-06-01

To investigate the fat emulsion tolerance in preterm infants of different gestational ages in the early stage after birth. A total of 98 preterm infants were enrolled and divided into extremely preterm infant group (n=17), early preterm infant group (n=48), and moderate-to-late preterm infant group (n=33). According to the dose of fat emulsion, they were further divided into low- and high-dose subgroups. The umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth were collected. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines. The extremely preterm infant and early preterm infant groups had a significantly lower content of long-chain acylcarnitines in the umbilical cord blood and dried blood filter papers within 3 days after birth than the moderate-to-late preterm infant group (Pemulsion subgroup had a significantly higher content of short-, medium-, and long-chain acylcarnitines than the high-dose fat emulsion subgroup among the extremely preterm infants (Pemulsion subgroups within 3 days after birth. Compared with moderate-to-late preterm infants, extremely preterm infants and early preterm infants have a lower capacity to metabolize long-chain fatty acids within 3 days after birth. Early preterm infants and moderate-to-late preterm infants may tolerate high-dose fat emulsion in the early stage after birth, but extremely preterm infants may have an insufficient capacity to metabolize high-dose fat emulsion.

The relation of infant attachment to attachment and cognitive and behavioural outcomes in early childhood.

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Ding, Yan-hua; Xu, Xiu; Wang, Zheng-yan; Li, Hui-rong; Wang, Wei-ping

2014-09-01

In China, research on the relation of mother-infant attachment to children's development is scarce. This study sought to investigate the relation of mother-infant attachment to attachment, cognitive and behavioural development in young children. This study used a longitudinal study design. The subjects included healthy infants (n=160) aged 12 to 18 months. Ainsworth's "Strange Situation Procedure" was used to evaluate mother-infant attachment types. The attachment Q-set (AQS) was used to evaluate the attachment between young children and their mothers. The Bayley scale of infant development-second edition (BSID-II) was used to evaluate cognitive developmental level in early childhood. Achenbach's child behaviour checklist (CBCL) for 2- to 3-year-olds was used to investigate behavioural problems. In total, 118 young children (73.8%) completed the follow-up; 89.7% of infants with secure attachment and 85.0% of infants with insecure attachment still demonstrated this type of attachment in early childhood (κ=0.738, pInfants with insecure attachment collectively exhibited a significantly lower mental development index (MDI) in early childhood than did infants with secure attachment, especially the resistant type. In addition, resistant infants were reported to have greater social withdrawal, sleep problems and aggressive behaviour in early childhood. There is a high consistency in attachment development from infancy to early childhood. Secure mother-infant attachment predicts a better cognitive and behavioural outcome; whereas insecure attachment, especially the resistant attachment, may lead to a lower cognitive level and greater behavioural problems in early childhood. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of negative maternal affective states and infant temperament in early interactions between infants with cleft lip and their mothers.

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Montirosso, Rosario; Fedeli, Claudia; Murray, Lynne; Morandi, Francesco; Brusati, Roberto; Perego, Guenda Ghezzi; Borgatti, Renato

2012-03-01

The study examined the early interaction between mothers and their infants with cleft lip, assessing the role of maternal affective state and expressiveness and differences in infant temperament. Mother-infant interactions were assessed in 25 2-month-old infants with cleft lip and 25 age-matched healthy infants. Self-report and behavioral observations were used to assess maternal depressive symptoms and expressions. Mothers rated infant temperament. Infants with cleft lip were less engaged and their mothers showed more difficulty in interaction than control group dyads. Mothers of infants with cleft lip displayed more negative affectivity, but did not report more self-rated depressive symptoms than control group mothers. No group differences were found in infant temperament. In order to support the mother's experience and facilitate her ongoing parental role, findings highlight the importance of identifying maternal negative affectivity during early interactions, even when they seem have little awareness of their depressive symptoms.

Early neurological signs in preterm infants with unilateral intraparenchymal echodensity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cioni, G; Bos, AF; Einspieler, C; Ferrari, F; Martijn, A; Paolicelli, PB; Rapisardi, G; Roversi, MF; Prechtl, HFR

2000-01-01

The aim of the study was to document the early developmental course of neurological signs in a group of preterm infants at risk for hemiplegia due to unilateral intraparenchymal echodensity (UIPE). Sixteen preterm infants with UIPE and sixteen controls were given serial neurological examinations,

Pompe Disease: Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment Make a Difference

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Yin-Hsiu Chien

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Pompe disease (glycogen storage disease type II or acid maltase deficiency is a lysosomal disorder in which acid α-glucosidase (GAA deficiencies lead to intralysosomal accumulation of glycogen in all tissues; most notably in skeletal muscles. Both the patient's age at the onset of Pompe disease symptoms and the rate of deterioration caused by the disease can vary considerably. In classical infant-onset Pompe disease (IOPD, symptoms start very early in life, and death occurs soon afterward if the disease remains untreated. In later-onset Pompe disease, symptoms are slower to appear, and patients often progress to wheelchair confinement and eventual respiratory failure. A diagnosis can be made by screening for GAA in dried blood samples, followed either by GAA assessment in lymphocytes or in fibroblasts or by the genetic analysis of mutations. Treatment by enzyme replacement therapy (ERT with alglucosidase alfa was approved for human use in 2006. In classical IOPD, treatment significantly lengthens survival and improves motor development and cardiac function. The sooner ERT begins, the better are the results. Newborn screening aims to take advantage of different technologies for diagnosing and treating newborns early on and it yields better outcomes. However, newborns diagnosed early and other long-term survivors may encounter fresh problems, making up a new phenotype of IOPD patients. Further modifications of the treatment, such as a decrease in immune responses to ERT, a higher dosage, a better uptake formulation, and gene therapy delivered locally or systemically are being explored.

Association between Infant Feeding and Early Postpartum Infant Body Composition: A Pilot Prospective Study

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Alex Kojo Anderson

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Research studies have produced conflicting results of the impact of breastfeeding on overweight/obesity. This study evaluated the impact of infant feeding on infant body composition. There were two groups of mother-infant pairs (exclusive breastfeeding [EBF; n=27] and mixed feeding [MF; n=13] in this study. At baseline, participants were similar in their demographic characteristics except prepregnancy weight, where MF mothers tended to be heavier than their EBF counterparts (67.3 kg versus 59.9 kg; P=.034. Infant birth weight was slightly higher among the MF group than their EBF counterparts (3.5 kg versus 3.4 kg, although the differences were not statistically significant. At 3 months postpartum, mean infant FMI (4.1 kg/m2 versus 3.8 kg/m2 and percent body fat (24.4% versus 23.1% were slightly higher among EBF infants than MF infants. In terms of growth velocity, EBF infants gained weight faster than their MF counterparts, although the differences were not statistically significant. The findings from this study suggest that EBF may promote faster weight gain and increase in both fat mass index (FMI and percent body fat in the early postpartum period in addition to the numerous health benefits enjoyed by the infant and the mother who exclusively breastfeeds her newborn.

[Integrative parent-infant psychotherapy for early regulatory and relationship disorders].

Science.gov (United States)

Papousek, Mechthild; de Chuquisengo, Ruth Wollwerth

2006-01-01

The author introduces both the concept and practice of Integrative Parent-Infant Psychotherapy (IPI-P), a treatment specifically designed for the most frequent developmental problems and psychological needs of infants and their parents. Based on growing knowledge from interdisciplinary infancy research, both basic and clinical, IPI-P has been developed and practised in the "Munich Interdisciplinary Research and Intervention Program" for early regulatory and relationship disorders since the early nineties. Preverbal parent-infant communication represents both the port of entry into the system and the main focus of diagnostics, developmental counselling, interaction guidance, or psychodynamic psychotherapy of distorted communication and distressed/disordered relationships. The method of videomicroanalysis during video-feedback with the parent has proven particularly efficient--while observing, reliving and working through brief episodes of recorded parent-infant interaction. The author illustrates the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with excerpts from psychotherapy of a toddler with an age-specific regulatory disorder in the context of severely distressed primary relationships.

BUILDING A WORKFORCE COMPETENCY-BASED TRAINING PROGRAM IN INFANT/EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL HEALTH.

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Priddis, Lynn E; Matacz, Rochelle; Weatherston, Deborah

2015-01-01

This article describes findings from a project conducted in Western Australia (Mental Health Commission WA, 2015) that investigated the education and training needs of the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health (I/ECMH) workforce. We examined international training programs and models of delivery in infant mental health, including a review of the current training available in Australia. Data collected from over 60 interviews were analyzed, and a staged delivery model for I/ECMH training and supervision that aligned with the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (2014) Competency Guidelines was recommended. These findings led to the purchase of the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (2014) for use in Western Australia. In a very short time, use of the Michigan Competency Framework by the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health West Australian Branch Incorporated has begun to change the training and education opportunities for upskilling the infant and early childhood workforce in Western Australia. It has resulted in a map to guide and develop training in the I/ECMH field for individual practitioners and professionals as well as for workplaces that will ultimately benefit Western Australian infants, young children, and their families during the perinatal period and in the early years. © 2015 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Early communicative behaviors and their relationship to motor skills in extremely preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Benassi, Erika; Savini, Silvia; Iverson, Jana M; Guarini, Annalisa; Caselli, Maria Cristina; Alessandroni, Rosina; Faldella, Giacomo; Sansavini, Alessandra

2016-01-01

Despite the predictive value of early spontaneous communication for identifying risk for later language concerns, very little research has focused on these behaviors in extremely low-gestational-age infants (ELGAmotor development. In this study, communicative behaviors (gestures, vocal utterances and their coordination) were evaluated during mother-infant play interactions in 20 ELGA infants and 20 full-term infants (FT) at 12 months (corrected age for ELGA infants). Relationships between gestures and motor skills, evaluated using the Bayley-III Scales were also examined. ELGA infants, compared with FT infants, showed less advanced communicative, motor, and cognitive skills. Giving and representational gestures were produced at a lower rate by ELGA infants. In addition, pointing gestures and words were produced by a lower percentage of ELGA infants. Significant positive correlations between gestures (pointing and representational gestures) and fine motor skills were found in the ELGA group. We discuss the relevance of examining spontaneous communicative behaviors and motor skills as potential indices of early development that may be useful for clinical assessment and intervention with ELGA infants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Limitations of ultrasonography for diagnosing white matter damage in preterm infants.

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Debillon, T; N'Guyen, S; Muet, A; Quere, M P; Moussaly, F; Roze, J C

2003-07-01

To compare the accuracy of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing white matter abnormalities in preterm infants and to determine the specific indications for MRI. Prospective cohort study. A neonatal intensive care unit in France. All preterm infants (diagnosis. Statistical analysis was performed to determine which early imaging study best predicted the term MRI findings. The early US and MRI findings (79 infants) correlated closely for severe lesions (cystic periventricular leucomalacia and parenchymal infarction; kappa coefficient = 0.86) but not for moderate lesions (non-cystic leucomalacia and parenchymal punctate haemorrhages; kappa = 0.62). Overall, early MRI findings predicted late MRI findings in 98% of patients (95% confidence interval (CI) 89.5 to 99.9) compared with only 68% for early US (95% CI 52.1 to 79.2). US is highly effective in detecting severe lesions of the white matter in preterm infants, but MRI seems to be necessary for the diagnosis of less severe damage. MRI performed at about the third week of life is highly predictive of the final diagnosis at term.

Infant titi monkey behavior in the open field test and the effect of early adversity.

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Larke, Rebecca H; Toubiana, Alice; Lindsay, Katrina A; Mendoza, Sally P; Bales, Karen L

2017-09-01

The open field test is commonly used to measure anxiety-related behavior and exploration in rodents. Here, we used it as a standardized novel environment in which to evaluate the behavioral response of infant titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus), to determine the effect of presence of individual family members, and to assess how adverse early experience alters infant behavior. Infants were tested in the open field for 5 days at ages 4 and 6 months in four successive 5 min trials on each day. A transport cage, which was situated on one side of the open field, was either empty (non-social control) or contained the father, mother, or sibling. Infant locomotor, vocalization, and exploratory behavior were quantified. Results indicated that age, sex, social condition, and early experience all had significant effects on infant behavior. Specifically, infants were generally more exploratory at 6 months and male infants were more exploratory than females. Infants distinguished between social and non-social conditions but made few behavioral distinctions between the attachment figure and other individuals. Infants which had adverse early life experience demonstrated greater emotional and physical independence, suggesting that early adversity led to resiliency in the novel environment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Breastfeeding duration and early parenting behaviour: the importance of an infant-led, responsive style.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Amy; Arnott, Bronia

2014-01-01

Popular parenting literature promotes different approaches to caring for infants, based around variations in the use of parent-led routines and promoting infant independence. However, there is little empirical evidence of how these early behaviours affect wider parenting choices such as infant feeding. Breastfeeding often requires an infant-led approach, feeding on demand and allowing the infant to regulate intake whilst conversely formula feeding is open to greater caregiver manipulation. The infant-led style associated with breastfeeding may therefore be at odds with philosophies that encourage strict use of routine and independence. The aim of this study was to explore the association between early parenting behaviours and breastfeeding duration. Five hundred and eight mothers with an infant aged 0-12 months completed a questionnaire examining breastfeeding duration, attitudes and behaviours surrounding early parenting (e.g. anxiety, use of routine, involvement, nurturance and discipline). Participants were attendees at baby groups or participants of online parenting forums based in the UK. Formula use at birth or short breastfeeding duration were significantly associated with low levels of nurturance, high levels of reported anxiety and increased maternal use of Parent-led routines. Conversely an infant-led approach characterised by responding to and following infant cues was associated with longer breastfeeding duration. Maternal desire to follow a structured parenting approach which purports use of Parent-led routines and early demands for infant independence may have a negative impact upon breastfeeding duration. Increased maternal anxiety may further influence this relationship. The findings have important implications for Health Professionals supporting new mothers during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Early neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely preterm infants.

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Rogers, Elizabeth E; Hintz, Susan R

2016-12-01

Infants born at extreme preterm gestation are at risk for both death and disability. Although rates of survival have improved for this population, and some evidence suggests a trend toward decreased neuromotor impairment over the past decades, a significant improvement in overall early neurodevelopmental outcome has not yet been realized. This review will examine the rates and types of neurodevelopmental impairment seen after extremely preterm birth, including neurosensory, motor, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. We focus on early outcomes in the first 18-36 months of life, as the majority of large neonatal studies examining neurodevelopmental outcomes stop at this age. However, this early age is clearly just a first glimpse into lifetime outcomes; the neurodevelopmental effects of extreme prematurity may last through school age, adolescence, and beyond. Importantly, prematurity appears to be an independent risk factor for adverse development, but this population demonstrates considerable variability in the types and severity of impairments. Understanding both the nature and prevalence of neurodevelopmental impairment among extremely preterm infants is important because it can lead to targeted interventions that in turn may lead to improved outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positive predictive value of the infant respiratory distress syndrome diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Registry

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Thygesen SK

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Sandra Kruchov Thygesen, Morten Olsen, Christian Fynbo ChristiansenDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkBackground: Infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS is the most common respiratory disease in preterm infants, and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Valid data on IRDS are important in clinical epidemiological research.Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the positive predictive value (PPV of the IRDS diagnosis registered in the population-based Danish National Patient Registry according to the International Classification of Diseases, 8th and 10th revisions.Methods: Between January 1, 1977 and December 31, 2008, we randomly selected three patients per year, 96 in total, who were registered with an IRDS diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Registry and living in the northern part of Denmark. Data on the infants included information on the presence of predefined clinical symptoms. We defined IRDS as the presence of at least two of four clinical symptoms (tachypnea, retractions or nasal flaring, grunting, and central cyanosis, which had to be present for more than 30 minutes. Using medical record review as the reference standard, we computed the positive predictive value of the registered IRDS diagnosis including 95% confidence intervals (CIs.Results: We located the medical record for 90 of the 96 patients (94%, and found an overall PPV of the IRDS diagnosis of 81% (95% CI 72%–88%. This did not vary substantially between primary and secondary diagnoses. The PPV was higher, at 89% (95% CI 80%–95%, for preterm infants born before 37 weeks of gestation.Conclusion: The PPV of the IRDS diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Registry is reasonable when compared with symptoms described in the corresponding medical records. The Danish National Patient Registry is a useful data source for studies of IRDS, particularly if restricted to preterm infants

Cord Blood Acute Phase Reactants Predict Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis in Preterm Infants.

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Leena B Mithal

Full Text Available Early onset sepsis (EOS is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants, yet diagnosis remains inadequate resulting in missed cases or prolonged empiric antibiotics with adverse consequences. Evaluation of acute phase reactant (APR biomarkers in umbilical cord blood at birth may improve EOS detection in preterm infants with intrauterine infection.In this nested case-control study, infants (29.7 weeks gestation, IQR: 27.7-32.2 were identified from a longitudinal cohort with archived cord blood and placental histopathology. Patients were categorized using culture, laboratory, clinical, and antibiotic treatment data into sepsis groups: confirmed sepsis (cEOS, n = 12; presumed sepsis (PS, n = 30; and no sepsis (controls, n = 30. Nine APRs were measured in duplicate from cord blood using commercially available multiplex immunoassays (Bio-Plex Pro™. In addition, placental histopathologic data were linked to biomarker results.cEOS organisms were Escherichia coli, Streptococcus agalactiae, Proteus mirabilis, Haemophilus influenzae and Listeria monocytogenes. C-reactive protein (CRP, serum amyloid A (SAA, haptoglobin (Hp, serum amyloid P and ferritin were significantly elevated in cEOS compared to controls (p<0.01. SAA, CRP, and Hp were elevated in cEOS but not in PS (p<0.01 and had AUCs of 99%, 96%, and 95% respectively in predicting cEOS. Regression analysis revealed robust associations of SAA, CRP, and Hp with EOS after adjustment for covariates. Procalcitonin, fibrinogen, α-2-macroglobulin and tissue plasminogen activator were not significantly different across groups. Placental acute inflammation was associated with APR elevation and was present in all cEOS, 9 PS, and 17 control infants.This study shows that certain APRs are elevated in cord blood of premature infants with EOS of intrauterine origin. SAA, CRP, and Hp at birth have potential diagnostic utility for risk stratification and identification of infants with EOS.

Advances in the early diagnosis of congenital hip dysplasia by real-time sonography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brockmann, W.P.; Wilmsdorf, H.v.; Weh, L.; Korn, U.

1984-05-01

Twenty-four infants and children aged five days to three years had their hips examined by ultrasound, and in 17 the findings were compared with the radiographic appearances. Real-time sonography, because of its flexibility, is a suitable screening method for the early diagnosis of hip dysplasia. It has the typical characteristics of a screening method: so far there have been no false negative findings. False positive results are rare, but cannot be completely excluded. The patients examined so far were mostly abnormal, and a final assessment of false positive findings will have to await larger clinical material, including normals. 6 figs.

NEONATAL MORBIDITY AND EARLY OUTCOME OF VERY PRETERM INFANTS

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Heljić Suada

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Although the mortality rate for preterm infants and the gestational age-specific mortality rate have dramatically improved over the last 3 to 4 decades, infants born preterm remain vulnerable to many complications, including respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, a compromised immune system, cardiovascular disorders, hearing and vision problems, and brain lesions.The aim is to determine mortality and morbidity rates and selected outcome variables for preterm infant’s < 30 weeks’ gestation, who were admitted to the NICU. Patients and methods: This study enrolled 102 infants with gestational age less than 30 weeks’ gestation, hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Hospital, Clinical University Center Sarajevo, from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2010. Parameters taken at admission were: birth weight, gestational age, Apgar score, excess base and CRIB score. Early outcome is considered as a survival at discharge or common preterm morbidities presented during hospitalizationResults: The mean BW of evaluated preterm infants was 1086 ± 250 g, the mean GA27.89 ± 1.97, Apgar score 5.41 ± 1.76, excess base at admission 6.39 ± 1.74 and mean CRIB score 3.72 ± 3.16. The overall survival rate was 70.5%. Selected outcomes at discharge were: RDS with 70.5% infants treated with natural surfactant, PDA treated with NSAIDS (23.5%, brain injury ( ≥ grade 3 IVH or PVL 16.6%, NEC Bell stages II or III 9.8%, BPD 25/72 (33.3% of infants who survived to 36 weeks postmenstrual age. In 38 (37.2% infants, episodes of infections were noticed (one or more episodes in 25 infants, half of them were caused by Gram positive bacteria, most frequent coagulasa negative staphylococci. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the mostfrequent organism among Gram negative bacteria. One patient had invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. In 5 infants (4.9% early onset of sepsis was documented. Conclusion: Very preterm

Breastfeeding Duration and Early Parenting Behaviour: The Importance of an Infant-Led, Responsive Style

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Amy; Arnott, Bronia

2014-01-01

Background Popular parenting literature promotes different approaches to caring for infants, based around variations in the use of parent-led routines and promoting infant independence. However, there is little empirical evidence of how these early behaviours affect wider parenting choices such as infant feeding. Breastfeeding often requires an infant-led approach, feeding on demand and allowing the infant to regulate intake whilst conversely formula feeding is open to greater caregiver manipulation. The infant-led style associated with breastfeeding may therefore be at odds with philosophies that encourage strict use of routine and independence. The aim of this study was to explore the association between early parenting behaviours and breastfeeding duration. Methods Five hundred and eight mothers with an infant aged 0–12 months completed a questionnaire examining breastfeeding duration, attitudes and behaviours surrounding early parenting (e.g. anxiety, use of routine, involvement, nurturance and discipline). Participants were attendees at baby groups or participants of online parenting forums based in the UK. Results Formula use at birth or short breastfeeding duration were significantly associated with low levels of nurturance, high levels of reported anxiety and increased maternal use of Parent-led routines. Conversely an infant-led approach characterised by responding to and following infant cues was associated with longer breastfeeding duration. Discussion Maternal desire to follow a structured parenting approach which purports use of Parent-led routines and early demands for infant independence may have a negative impact upon breastfeeding duration. Increased maternal anxiety may further influence this relationship. The findings have important implications for Health Professionals supporting new mothers during pregnancy and the postpartum period. PMID:24533046

Breastfeeding duration and early parenting behaviour: the importance of an infant-led, responsive style.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Brown

Full Text Available Popular parenting literature promotes different approaches to caring for infants, based around variations in the use of parent-led routines and promoting infant independence. However, there is little empirical evidence of how these early behaviours affect wider parenting choices such as infant feeding. Breastfeeding often requires an infant-led approach, feeding on demand and allowing the infant to regulate intake whilst conversely formula feeding is open to greater caregiver manipulation. The infant-led style associated with breastfeeding may therefore be at odds with philosophies that encourage strict use of routine and independence. The aim of this study was to explore the association between early parenting behaviours and breastfeeding duration.Five hundred and eight mothers with an infant aged 0-12 months completed a questionnaire examining breastfeeding duration, attitudes and behaviours surrounding early parenting (e.g. anxiety, use of routine, involvement, nurturance and discipline. Participants were attendees at baby groups or participants of online parenting forums based in the UK.Formula use at birth or short breastfeeding duration were significantly associated with low levels of nurturance, high levels of reported anxiety and increased maternal use of Parent-led routines. Conversely an infant-led approach characterised by responding to and following infant cues was associated with longer breastfeeding duration.Maternal desire to follow a structured parenting approach which purports use of Parent-led routines and early demands for infant independence may have a negative impact upon breastfeeding duration. Increased maternal anxiety may further influence this relationship. The findings have important implications for Health Professionals supporting new mothers during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Recent psychological explanations of infant development and scales of early mental development

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Maja Zupančič

2002-12-01

Full Text Available This paper reviews early infant measures based on standardised scales of development – both traditional ones and those based on Piaget's sensory-motor theory – and assesses their validity in predicting later mental development. The extremely low predictive power of test scores based on these measures in infancy has provided additional support for discontinuity theories of mental development from infancy to childhood. Conversely, the constructs implicit in earlier measures have been thoroughly criticised, and the search for valid measures of infant development that would reflect a construct similar to mental abilities in childhood has begun. At the outset, research was mostly influenced by the information processing theory. Two broad measures of information processing have been shown to be the most relevant indicators of an infant's mental development, namely habituation and dishabituation. Recent mental scales, such as the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, thus include items that measure the efficiency of an infant's information processing. Examples of such items are presented and interpreted, as are items reflecting the development of object permanence, the only early sensory-motor measure that shows better predictive effectiveness when compared to traditional developmental test scores. Several newly-developed indicators of infants' mental development, which utilize other measures than those derived from the information-processing approach, are surveyed (understanding causal relations, joint attention behaviours, representation of number, and their possible application within the context of potential items for early mental scales is discussed. Finally, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, currently one of the best measures of early development, and presently undergoing a standardisation procedure in Slovenia, is evaluated, with analyses of some items from the Mental scale presented within the text.

Early psychomotor development of low-risk preterm infants: Influence of gestational age and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Romeo, Domenico M; Brogna, Claudia; Sini, Francesca; Romeo, Mario G; Cota, Francesco; Ricci, Daniela

2016-07-01

The influence of gestational age and gender in the neurodevelopment of infants during the first year of age is not yet fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to identify the early occurrence of neurodevelopmental differences, between very preterm, late preterm and term born infants and the possible influence of the gender on the neurodevelopment in early infancy. A total of 188 low-risk infants, 69 very preterms, 71 late-preterms, and 48 term infants were assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12 months corrected age using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE). At two years of age infants performed the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The main results indicate that both very preterms and late-preterms showed significant lower global scores than term born infants at each evaluation (p development of infants assessed during the first 2 years of life. Copyright © 2016 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can very early music interventions promote at-risk infants' development?

Science.gov (United States)

Virtala, Paula; Partanen, Eino

2018-04-30

Music and musical activities are often a natural part of parenting. As accumulating evidence shows, music can promote auditory and language development in infancy and early childhood. It may even help to support auditory and language skills in infants whose development is compromised by heritable conditions, like the reading deficit dyslexia, or by environmental factors, such as premature birth. For example, infants born to dyslexic parents can have atypical brain responses to speech sounds and subsequent challenges in language development. Children born very preterm, in turn, have an increased likelihood of sensory, cognitive, and motor deficits. To ameliorate these deficits, we have developed early interventions focusing on music. Preliminary results of our ongoing longitudinal studies suggest that music making and parental singing promote infants' early language development and auditory neural processing. Together with previous findings in the field, the present studies highlight the role of active, social music making in supporting auditory and language development in at-risk children and infants. Once completed, the studies will illuminate both risk and protective factors in development and offer a comprehensive model of understanding the promises of music activities in promoting positive developmental outcomes during the first years of life. © 2018 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of The New York Academy of Sciences.

Stability of Early Risk Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preterm Infants

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Yaari, Maya; Yitzhak, Neta; Harel, Ayelet; Friedlander, Edwa; Bar-Oz, Benjamin; Eventov-Friedman, Smadar; Mankuta, David; Gamliel, Ifat; Yirmiya, Nurit

2016-01-01

Stability and change in early autism spectrum disorder risk were examined in a cohort of 99 preterm infants (?34 weeks of gestation) using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 and 12 months and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule--Toddler Module at 18 months. A total of 21 infants were identified at risk by the Autism Observation…

Early colonization of functional groups of microbes in the infant gut.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Van T; Lacroix, Christophe; Braegger, Christian P; Chassard, Christophe

2016-07-01

The colonization of the infant gut is crucial for early life development. Although the composition and diversity of the infant gut microbiota (GM) has been well described at a taxonomic level, functional aspects of this ecosystem remain unexplored. In the infant gut, lactate is produced by a number of bacteria and plays an important role in the trophic chain of the fermentation process. However, little is known about the lactate-utilizing bacteria (LUB) community in infants and their impact on gut health. By combining culture-based and molecular methods, we intensively studied LUB in fecal samples of 40 healthy infants on both taxonomic and functional levels. We demonstrated metabolic cross-feeding of lactate and identified keystone species specified for lactate utilization. The interactions of such species and their metabolic outcome could have direct impacts on infant health, either beneficial (production of short chain fatty acids) or detrimental (accumulation of hydrogen or hydrogen sulfide). We identified mode of delivery as a strong determinant for lactate-producing and -utilizing bacteria levels. These findings present the early establishment of GM with a novel perspective and emphasize the importance of lactate utilization in infancy. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Toward Improving Early Diagnosis of Congenital Chagas Disease in an Endemic Setting.

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Messenger, Louisa A; Gilman, Robert H; Verastegui, Manuela; Galdos-Cardenas, Gerson; Sanchez, Gerardo; Valencia, Edward; Sanchez, Leny; Malaga, Edith; Rendell, Victoria R; Jois, Malasa; Shah, Vishal; Santos, Nicole; Abastoflor, Maria Del Carmen; LaFuente, Carlos; Colanzi, Rony; Bozo, Ricardo; Bern, Caryn

2017-07-15

Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi transmission is now estimated to account for 22% of new infections, representing a significant public health problem across Latin America and internationally. Treatment during infancy is highly efficacious and well tolerated, but current assays for early detection fail to detect >50% of infected neonates, and 9-month follow-up is low. Women who presented for delivery at 2 urban hospitals in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia, were screened by rapid test. Specimens from infants of infected women were tested by microscopy (micromethod), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and immunoglobulin (Ig)M trypomastigote excreted-secreted antigen (TESA)-blots at birth and 1 month and by IgG serology at 6 and 9 months. Among 487 infants of 476 seropositive women, congenital T. cruzi infection was detected in 38 infants of 35 mothers (7.8%). In cord blood, qPCR, TESA-blot, and micromethod sensitivities/specificities were 68.6%/99.1%, 58.3%/99.1%, and 16.7%/100%, respectively. When birth and 1-month results were combined, cumulative sensitivities reached 84.2%, 73.7%, and 34.2%, respectively. Low birthweight and/or respiratory distress were reported in 11 (29%) infected infants. Infants with clinical signs had higher parasite loads and were significantly more likely to be detected by micromethod. The proportion of T. cruzi-infected infants with clinical signs has fallen since the 1990s, but symptomatic congenital Chagas disease still represents a significant, albeit challenging to detect, public health problem. Molecular methods could facilitate earlier diagnosis and circumvent loss to follow-up but remain logistically and economically prohibitive for routine screening in resource-limited settings. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Early expressive and receptive language trajectories in high-risk infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julie Longard

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background & aims In response to limited research on early language development in infants at high risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, the current prospective study examined early expressive and receptive language trajectories in familial high-risk (HR infants who were and were not later diagnosed with ASD (HR-ASD and HR-N, respectively, and low-risk (LR controls with no family history of ASD. Methods Participants were 523 children (371 HR siblings, 56% boys; 152 LR controls, 52% boys followed from age 6 or 12 months to 36 months. Based on independent, best-estimate clinical diagnoses at 36 months, HR participants were classified as HR-ASD (n = 94; 69% boys, or HR-N (n = 277; 52% boys; the sample also included 152 LR controls (52% boys. Expressive and receptive language trajectories were examined based on corresponding domain standard scores on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning ( MSEL at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. In the combined sample of HR and LR infants, semi-parametric group-based modeling was used to identify distinct trajectories in MSEL standard scores. Results A 3-group solution provided optimal fit to variation in both expressive and receptive language, with the following patterns of scores: (1 inclining from average to above average, (2 stable-average, and (3 declining from average to well below average. For both expressive and receptive language, membership in these trajectories was related to 3-year diagnostic outcomes. Conclusions Although HR-ASD, HR-N, and LR control infants were in each trajectory group, membership in the declining trajectory (expressive and/or receptive was associated with an ASD diagnosis. Implications Evidence of declining trajectories in either expressive or receptive language may be a risk marker for ASD in a high-risk sample.

Diagnosis and management of cow's milk protein allergy in infants.

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De Greef, Elisabeth; Hauser, Bruno; Devreker, Thierry; Veereman-Wauters, Gigi; Vandenplas, Yvan

2012-02-01

Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is frequently suspected in infants with a variety of symptoms. A thorough history and careful clinical examination are necessary to exclude other underlying diseases and to evaluate the severity of the suspected allergy. Care should be taken to diagnose CMPA adequately to avoid an unnecessary diet. We make recommendations based on systematic literature searches using the best-available evidence from PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and bibliographies. Skin prick tests, patch tests and serum specific IgE are only indicative of CMPA. Breastfed infants have a decreased risk of developing CMPA; an elimination diet for the mother is indicated if CMPA is confirmed. If a food challenge is positive in formula fed infants, an extensively hydrolysed formula and cow's milk-free diet is recommended. If symptoms do not improve, an amino acid based formula should be considered. In severe CMPA with life-threatening symptoms, an amino-acid formula is recommended. Elimination diet by a double-blind placebo controlled food challenge is the gold standard for diagnosis. Elimination of the offending allergen from the infants' diet is the main treatment principle.

Early urinary biomarkers of acute kidney injury in preterm infants.

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Hanna, Mina; Brophy, Patrick D; Giannone, Peter J; Joshi, Mandar S; Bauer, John A; RamachandraRao, Satish

2016-08-01

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the neonatal intensive care setting is multifactorial and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study evaluates the utility of novel urinary biomarkers to predict the development and/or severity AKI in preterm infants. We performed a case-control study on a prospective cohort of preterm infants (<32 wk), to compare seven urine biomarkers between 25 infants with AKI and 20 infants without AKI. Infants with AKI had significantly higher neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) (median, control (CTRL) vs. AKI; 0.598 vs. 4.24 µg/ml; P < 0.0001). In contrast, urinary epidermal growth factor (EGF) levels were significantly lower in infants who developed AKI compared to controls (median, CTRL vs. AKI; 0.016 vs. 0.006 µg/ml; P < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) for NGAL for prediction of stage I AKI on the day prior to AKI diagnosis (day-1) was 0.91, and for the prediction of stage II/III, AKI was 0.92. Similarly, urine EGF was a predictor of renal injury on day -1 (AUC: 0.97 for stage I and 0.86 for stage II/III AKI). Urinary biomarkers may be useful to predict AKI development prior to changes in serum creatinine (SCr) in preterm infants.

Disclosure of Diagnosis in Early Recognition of Psychosis.

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Blessing, Andreas; Studer, Anna; Gross, Amelie; Gruss, L Forest; Schneider, Roland; Dammann, Gerhard

2017-10-01

There is a debate concerning risks and benefits of early intervention in psychosis, especially concerning diagnosis disclosure. The present study reports preliminary findings on self-reported locus of control and psychological distress after the disclosure of diagnosis in an early recognition center. We compared the ratings of the locus of control and psychological distress before and after communication of diagnosis. The study included individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) (n = 10), schizophrenia (n = 9), and other psychiatric disorders (n = 11). Results indicate greater endorsement of the internal locus of control in individuals with ARMS after communication of diagnosis in contrast to the other groups. Our results suggest that disclosure of diagnosis in an early recognition center leads to a reduction of psychological distress and increased feelings of control over one's health. Persons with ARMS seem to particularly benefit from disclosure of diagnosis as part of early intervention.

Usefulness of the Bayley scales of infant and toddler development,third edition, in the early diagnosis of language disorder.

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Torras-Mañá, Montserrat; Guillamón-Valenzuela, Montserrat; Ramírez-Mallafré, Ariadna; Brun-Gasca, Carme; Fornieles-Deu, Albert

2014-01-01

Language disorder (LD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, and early diagnosis has an impact on speech therapy practice. The aim of this work is to test the usefulness of the Cognitive and Language scales of the Bayley-III in the early diagnosis of LD. In a longitudinal study, a clinical sample of 187 children with diagnostic hypothesis of communication disorders at 4.5 years was assessed with the Bayley-III before age 3.5 years and subsequently with other scales of different psychological and psycholinguistic functions. The results indicate that children with LD scored significantly lower than their control groups in all subtests and compounds of the Bayley-III. Additionally, low scores on the Language composite in the Bayley-III predicted lower scores in the Auditory-vocal Channel of the ITPA. A significant correlation was obtained between the Cognitive Scale of the Bayley-III and the General Cognitive Scale of the MSCA and the Mental Processing Composite of the K-ABC. We can draw the conclusion that the Cognitive and Language scales of the Bayley-III are a useful instrument for early diagnosis of LD, and can also discriminate more severe forms of LD.

Effects of Early Sensory Stimulation on the Premature Infant as Measured by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

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Stone, Kathy Kees; And Others

Looking beyond the overall effectiveness of sensory stimulation, this study aimed to identify specific aspects of infant behavior most responsive to early stimulation. Subjects were 65 premature infants with a birth weight of less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces and a gestational age under 37 weeks. Experimental group members had completed a multimodal…

Very early feeding in stable small for gestational age preterm infants: a randomized clinical trial.

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Arnon, Shmuel; Sulam, Daniella; Konikoff, Fred; Regev, Rivka H; Litmanovitz, Ita; Naftali, Timna

2013-01-01

To examine the effect of initiating very early feeding on time-to-reach full feeding in stable, small for gestational age (SGA) preterm infants. Preterm infants with gestational age below 37 weeks and birth weight below the 10(th) percentile were randomly allocated to a very early (within 24 hours of birth) feeding regimen or delayed (after 24 hours of birth) feeding. All infants had in utero evidence of absent or reverse diastolic flow. Infants unable to start early feeding were excluded. Time-to-reach full feeding, feeding progression, and related morbidity were compared. Electrogastrography (EGG) was used to measure pre- and postprandial gastric motility on the second and seventh day after feeding initiation. Sixty infants were included in the study, 30 in each group. Infants included in the very early feeding regimen achieved full enteral feeding sooner than controls (98±80-157 vs. 172±123-261 hours of age, respectively; p= 0.004) and were discharged home earlier (p=0.04). No necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was documented in both study groups. Gastric motility was improved at day seven after feeding initiation in both study groups, with no difference between groups. Stable SGA preterm infants on a very early feeding regimen achieved full enteral feeding and were discharged home significantly earlier than those on a delayed regimen, with no excess morbidity. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Neonatal morbidity and early outcome of very preterm infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heljić Suada

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Although the mortality rate for preterm infants and the gestational age-specific mortality rate have dramatically improved over the last 3 to 4 decades, infants born preterm remain vulnerable to many complications, including respiratory distress syndrome, chronic lung disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, a compromised immune system, cardiovascular disorders, hearing and vision problems, and brain lesions. The aim is to determine mortality and morbidity rates and selected outcome variables for preterm infant’s grade 3 IVH or PVL 16.6%, NEC Bell stages II or III 9.8%, BPD 25/72 (33.3% of infants who survived to 36 weeks postmenstrual age. In 38 (37.2% infants, episodes of infections were noticed (one or more episodes in 25 infants, half of them were caused by Gram positive bacteria, most frequent coagulasa negative staphylococci. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent organism among Gram negative bacteria. One patient had invasive candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. In 5 infants (4.9% early onset of sepsis was documented. Conclusion: Very preterm infants remain very vulnerable group of population, and interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality of preterm babies include tertiary interventions such as regionalized care, transportation in uterus, and treatment with antenatal steroids.

76 FR 12978 - Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-09

... and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation will meet for its first session on Wednesday... Administration for Children and Families Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home...: Advisory Committee on the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Evaluation. Date and...

Paternal involvement and early infant neurodevelopment: the mediation role of maternal parenting stress.

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Kim, Minjeong; Kang, Su-Kyoung; Yee, Bangsil; Shim, So-Yeon; Chung, Mira

2016-12-12

Father-child interactions are associated with improved developmental outcomes among infants. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has addressed the effects of paternal involvement on the neurodevelopment of infants who are less than 6 months of age, and no study has reported how maternal parenting stress mediates the relationship between paternal involvement and infant neurodevelopment during early infancy. This study investigates the direct and indirect relationship between paternal involvement and infant neurodevelopment at 3-4 months of age. The indirect relationship was assessed through the mediating factor of maternal parenting stress. The participants were recruited through the Sesalmaul Research Center's website from April to June 2014. The final data included 255 mothers and their healthy infants, who were aged 3-4 months. The mothers reported paternal involvement and maternal parenting stress by using Korean Parenting Alliance Inventory (K-PAI) and Parenting Stress Index (PSI), respectively. Experts visited the participants' homes to observe infant neurodevelopment, and completed a developmental examination using Korean version of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire II (K-ASQ II). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used for data analysis. Infants' mean ages were 106 days and girls accounted for 46.3%. The mean total scores (reference range) of the K-PAI, PSI, and the K-ASQ II were 55.5 (17-68), 45.8 (25-100), and 243.2 (0-300), respectively. Paternal involvement had a positive relationship with K-ASQ II scores (β = 0.29, p parenting stress was negatively related with K-ASQ II scores (β = -0.32, p parenting stress mediated the relationship between paternal involvement and early infant neurodevelopment (Z = 3.24, p parenting stress (β = -0.25, p parenting stress partially mediates that association. This result emphasizes the importance of fathers' involvement and mothers' parenting stress on early infant

[Prenatal cerebrovascular accidents diagnosed in the early infant stage: a series of 10 patients].

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Pina-Jover, María; Martinez-Del Villar, María; Lillo-Laguna, Lucía; Jadraque-Rodriguez, Rocío; Martinez-Pastor, Pedro; Jover-Cerda, Jenaro; Gomez-Gosalvez, Francisco

2013-07-01

INTRODUCTION. A foetal or prenatal cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is defined as an ischaemic, thrombotic or arterial or venous haemorrhagic event that occurs between the 14th week of gestation and the onset of labour. PATIENTS AND METHODS. We report a retrospective study of a series of 10 patients suffering from a, presumably foetal, stroke that went unnoticed during the pregnancy and was diagnosed in the early infant stage. The symptoms and the age at which they were identified are highlighted. RESULTS. None of the 10 patients studied presented any relevant events in the mothers' medical history, but there were four threats of a preterm birth that were solved using the usual means and without the occurrence of any alterations that later affected the foetus. The studies that led to the diagnosis were carried out between the sixth and ninth months of life, and the reason for visiting was reported by the family as being a lower degree of mobility on one side of the body with respect to the other. Two patients presented thrombophilia. With a mean follow-up time of six years, all the patients have an associated infantile cerebral palsy, a third of them have epilepsy and 75% have learning difficulties or intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS. When CVA are not detected in the prenatal period, it is important in primary care to look for and detect the warning signs of the psychomotor development of the infant at an early stage in order to begin a study of the case and to undertake rehabilitation as early as possible.

Resting heart rate in infants and toddlers: variations associated with early infant diet and the omega 3 fatty acid DHA

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Although early postnatal nutrition can have long-term effects on developmental processes, the influence of infant diet on the maturation of cardiac development has not been documented. To study this relationship we recorded resting heart-rate (HR) in awake, healthy infants and toddlers exclusively b...

Early discharge with tube feeding at home for preterm infants is associated with longer duration of breast feeding.

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Meerlo-Habing, Z E; Kosters-Boes, E A; Klip, H; Brand, P L P

2009-07-01

Mothers of preterm infants are more likely to discontinue breast feeding early than mothers of term infants. We evaluated the effect of early discharge with tube feeding of preterm infants under close supervision by paediatric nurse specialists on the duration of breast feeding. Case-control study. Medium/high-care neonatal unit of a large district general hospital. Preterm infants (paediatric nurse specialists or regular follow-up of preterm infants discharged with oral feeding. Duration of breast feeding assessed by telephone interview 6 months after birth. There were 50 preterm infants in the early discharge group and 78 in the control group. Mothers in the early discharge group continued to breast feed longer than mothers in the control group (log rank test, p = 0.028). Four months after discharge, 63% of preterm infants in the control group were fed formula compared to 36% in the early discharge group (95% CI for difference 9% to 43%, p = 0.04). The relative risk of breast feeding cessation 6 months after birth in the early discharge group compared to the control group was 0.63 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.96). After adjustment for smoking, gestational age and birth weight, this relative risk was 0.67 (95% CI 0.43 to 1.05). Close supervision and follow-up by paediatric nurse specialists of preterm infants discharged early with tube feeding appears to increase duration of breast feeding. A randomised controlled trial to confirm these findings is warranted.

Worth the Wait? The Effect of Early Term Birth on Maternal and Infant Health

OpenAIRE

Buckles, Kasey; Guldi, Melanie

2016-01-01

Early term birth is defined as birth at 37 or 38 weeks gestation. While infants born early term are not considered premature, the medical literature suggests that they have an increased risk of serious adverse health outcomes compared to infants born at term (39 or 40 weeks). Despite these known harms, we document a rise in early term births in the United States from 1989 to the mid-2000's, followed by a decline in recent years. We posit that the recent decline in early term births has been d...

Predictors of Diagnosis of Child Psychiatric Disorder in Adult-Infant Social-Communicative Interaction at 12 Months

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Marwick, H.; Doolin, O.; Allely, C. S.; McConnachie, A.; Johnson, P.; Puckering, C.; Golding, J.; Gillberg, C.; Wilson, P.

2013-01-01

To establish which social interactive behaviours predict later psychiatric diagnosis, we examined 180 videos of a parent-infant interaction when children were aged one year, from within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Sixty of the videos involved infants who were later diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder at…

Metabonomics reveals metabolite changes in biliary atresia infants.

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Zhou, Kejun; Xie, Guoxiang; Wang, Jun; Zhao, Aihua; Liu, Jiajian; Su, Mingming; Ni, Yan; Zhou, Ying; Pan, Weihua; Che, Yanran; Zhang, Ting; Xiao, Yongtao; Wang, Yang; Wen, Jie; Jia, Wei; Cai, Wei

2015-06-05

Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare neonatal cholestatic disorder caused by obstruction of extra- and intra-hepatic bile ducts. If untreated, progressive liver cirrhosis will lead to death within 2 years. Early diagnosis and operation improve the outcome significantly. Infants with neonatal hepatitis syndrome (NHS) present similar symptoms, confounding the early diagnosis of BA. The lack of noninvasive diagnostic methods to differentiate BA from NHS greatly delays the surgery of BA infants, thus deteriorating the outcome. Here we performed a metabolomics study in plasma of BA, NHS, and healthy infants using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Scores plots of orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis clearly separated BA from NHS and healthy infants. Eighteen metabolites were found to be differentially expressed between BA and NHS, among which seven (l-glutamic acid, l-ornithine, l-isoleucine, l-lysine, l-valine, l-tryptophan, and l-serine) were amino acids. The altered amino acids were quantitatively verified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed the network of "Cellular Function and Maintenance, Hepatic System Development and Function, Neurological Disease" was altered most significantly. This study suggests that plasma metabolic profiling has great potential in differentiating BA from NHS, and amino acid metabolism is significantly different between the two diseases.

Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants.

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Moore, E R; Anderson, G C; Bergman, N

2007-07-18

Mother-infant separation postbirth is common in Western culture. Early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) begins ideally at birth and involves placing the naked baby, covered across the back with a warm blanket, prone on the mother's bare chest. According to mammalian neuroscience, the intimate contact inherent in this place (habitat) evokes neurobehaviors ensuring fulfillment of basic biological needs. This time may represent a psychophysiologically 'sensitive period' for programming future behavior. To assess the effects of early SSC on breastfeeding, behavior, and physiological adaptation in healthy mother-newborn dyads. Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's and Neonatal Group's Trials Registers (August 2006), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2006, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1976 to 2006). Randomized and quasi-randomized clinical trials comparing early SSC with usual hospital care. We independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information. Thirty studies involving 1925 participants (mother-infant dyads), were included. Data from more than two trials were available for only 8-of-64 outcome measures. We found statistically significant and positive effects of early SSC on breastfeeding at one to four months postbirth (10 trials; 552 participants) (odds ratio (OR) 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08 to 3.07), and breastfeeding duration (seven trials; 324 participants) (weighted mean difference (WMD) 42.55, 95% CI -1.69 to 86.79). Trends were found for improved summary scores for maternal affectionate love/touch during observed breastfeeding (four trials; 314 participants) (standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.52, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.98) and maternal attachment behavior (six trials; 396 participants) (SMD 0.52, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.72) with early SSC. SSC infants cried for a shorter length of time (one trial; 44 participants) (WMD -8.01, 95% CI -8.98 to -7.04). Late preterm infants had

Mother-infant interaction in schizophrenia: transmitting risk or resilience? A systematic review of the literature.

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Davidsen, Kirstine Agnete; Harder, Susanne; MacBeth, Angus; Lundy, Jenna-Marie; Gumley, Andrew

2015-12-01

The parent-infant relationship is an important context for identifying very early risk and resilience factors and targets for the development of preventative interventions. The aim of this study was to systematically review studies investigating the early caregiver-infant relationship and attachment in offspring of parents with schizophrenia. We searched computerized databases for relevant articles investigating the relationship between early caregiver-infant relationship and outcomes for offspring of a caregiver with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Studies were assessed for risk of bias. We identified 27 studies derived from 10 cohorts, comprising 208 women diagnosed with schizophrenia, 71 with other psychoses, 203 women with depression, 59 women with mania/bipolar disorder, 40 with personality disorder, 8 with unspecified mental disorders and 119 non-psychiatric controls. There was some evidence to support disturbances in maternal behaviour amongst those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and there was more limited evidence of disturbances in infant behaviour and mutuality of interaction. Further research should investigate both sources of resilience and risk in the development of offspring of parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and psychosis. Given the lack of specificity observed in this review, these studies should also include maternal affective disorders including depressive and bipolar disorders.

Early identification and intervention in cerebral palsy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herskind, Anna; Greisen, Gorm; Nielsen, Jens Bo

2015-01-01

Infants with possible cerebral palsy (CP) are commonly assumed to benefit from early diagnosis and early intervention, but substantial evidence for this is lacking. There is no consensus in the literature on a definition of 'early', but this review focuses on interventions initiated within...

Factors Influencing Time-to-diagnosis of Biliary Atresia.

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Harpavat, Sanjiv; Lupo, Philip J; Liwanag, Loriel; Hollier, John; Brandt, Mary L; Finegold, Milton J; Shneider, Benjamin L

2018-06-01

Diagnosing biliary atresia (BA) quickly is critical, because earlier treatment correlates with delayed or reduced need for liver transplantation. However, diagnosing BA quickly is also difficult, with infants usually treated after 60 days of life. In this study, we aim to accelerate BA diagnosis and treatment, by better understanding factors influencing the diagnostic timeline. Infants born between 2007 and 2014 and diagnosed with BA at our institution were included (n = 65). Two periods were examined retrospectively: P1, the time from birth to specialist referral, and P2, the time from specialist referral to treatment. How sociodemographic factors associate with P1 and P2 were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models. In addition, to better characterize P2, laboratory results and early tissue histology were studied. P1 associated with race/ethnicity, with shorter times in non-Hispanic white infants compared to non-Hispanic black and Hispanic infants (P = 0.007 and P = 0.004, respectively). P2 associated with referral age, with shorter times in infants referred after 30, 45, or 60 days of life (P P2 in infants referred ≤30 days is that aminotransferase levels were normal or near-normal. However, despite reassuring laboratory values, tissue histology in early cases showed key features of BA. Our findings suggest 2 opportunities to accelerate BA diagnosis and treatment. First, to achieve prompt referrals for all races/ethnicities, universal screening strategies should be considered. Second, to ensure efficient evaluations independent of age, algorithms designed to detect early features of BA can be developed.

Infant communication and subsequent language development in children from low-income families: the role of early cognitive stimulation.

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Cates, Carolyn Brockmeyer; Dreyer, Benard P; Berkule, Samantha B; White, Lisa J; Arevalo, Jenny A; Mendelsohn, Alan L

2012-09-01

To explore the relationship between early cognitive stimulation in the home, 6-month infant communication, and 24-month toddler language in a low-socioeconomic status sample. Longitudinal analyses of mother-child dyads participating in larger study of early child development were performed. Dyads enrolled postpartum in an urban public hospital. Cognitive stimulation in the home at 6 months was assessed using StimQ-lnfant, including provision of toys, shared reading, teaching, and verbal responsivity. Early infant communication was assessed at 6 months including the following: (1) Emotion and eye gaze (Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scale DP-CSBS DP), (2) Communicative bids (CSBS DP), and (3) Expression of emotion (Short Temperament Scale for Infants). Toddler language was assessed at 24 months using the Preschool Language Scale-4, including the following: (1) expressive language and (2) auditory comprehension. Three hundred twenty families were assessed. In structural equation models, cognitive stimulation in the home was strongly associated with early infant communication (β = 0.63, p cognitive stimulation on 24-month language was mediated through early impacts on infant communication (Indirect β = 0.28, p =.001). Reading, teaching, availability of learning materials, and other reciprocal verbal interactions were all related directly to infant communication and indirectly to language outcomes. The impact of early cognitive stimulation on toddler language is manifested through early associations with infant communication. Pediatric primary care providers should promote cognitive stimulation beginning in early infancy and support the expansion and dissemination of intervention programs such as Reach Out and Read and the Video Interaction Project.

Early Caffeine and Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation in Preterm Infants: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaro, Cynthia M; Bello, Jose A; Jain, Deepak; Ramnath, Alexandra; D'Ugard, Carmen; Vanbuskirk, Silvia; Bancalari, Eduardo; Claure, Nelson

2018-05-01

To evaluate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial the effect of early caffeine on the age of first successful extubation in preterm infants. Preterm infants born at 23-30 weeks of gestation requiring mechanical ventilation in the first 5 postnatal days were randomized to receive a 20 mg/kg loading dose followed by 5 mg/kg/day of caffeine or placebo until considered ready for extubation. The placebo group received a blinded loading dose of caffeine before extubation. Infants were randomized to receive caffeine (n = 41) or placebo (n = 42). Age at first successful extubation did not differ between early caffeine (median, 24 days; IQR, 10-41 days) and control groups (median, 20 days; IQR, 9-43 days; P = .7). An interim analysis at 75% enrollment showed a trend toward higher mortality in 1 of the groups and the data safety and monitoring board recommended stopping the trial. Unblinded analysis revealed mortality did not differ significantly between the early caffeine (9 [22%]) and control groups (5 [12%]; P = .22). Early initiation of caffeine in this group of premature infants did not reduce the age of first successful extubation. A nonsignificant trend toward higher mortality in the early caffeine group led to a cautious decision to stop the trial. These findings suggest caution with early use of caffeine in mechanically ventilated preterm infants until more efficacy and safety data become available. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01751724. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Etiological diagnosis reduces the use of antibiotics in infants with bronchiolitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ângela Esposito Ferronato

2012-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Acute bronchiolitis is a leading cause of infant hospitalization and is most commonly caused by respiratory syncytial virus. Etiological tests are not required for its diagnosis, but the influence of viral screening on the therapeutic approach for acute bronchiolitis remains unclear. METHODS: A historical cohort was performed to assess the impact of viral screening on drug prescriptions. The study included infants up to one year of age who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis. Virus screening was performed using immunofluorescence assays in nasopharyngeal aspirates. The clinical data were obtained from the patients' medical records. Therapeutic changes were considered to be associated with viral screening when made within 24 hours of the release of the results. RESULTS: The frequency of prescriptions for beta agonists, corticosteroids and antibiotics was high at the time of admission and was similar among the 230 patients. The diagnosis of pneumonia and otitis was associated with the introduction of antibiotics but did not influence antibiotics maintenance after the results of the virus screening were obtained. Changes in the prescriptions were more frequent for the respiratory syncytial virus patients compared to patients who had negative viral screening results (p =0.004, especially the discontinuation of antibiotics (p<0.001. The identification of respiratory syncytial virus was associated with the suspension of antibiotics (p= 0.003, even after adjusting for confounding variables (p = 0.004; however, it did not influence the suspension of beta-agonists or corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: The identification of respiratory syncytial virus in infants with bronchiolitis was independently associated with the discontinuation of antibiotics during hospitalization

Etiological diagnosis reduces the use of antibiotics in infants with bronchiolitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferronato, Ângela Esposito; Gilio, Alfredo Elias; Ferraro, Alexandre Archanjo; Paulis, Milena de; Vieira, Sandra E

2012-09-01

Acute bronchiolitis is a leading cause of infant hospitalization and is most commonly caused by respiratory syncytial virus. Etiological tests are not required for its diagnosis, but the influence of viral screening on the therapeutic approach for acute bronchiolitis remains unclear. A historical cohort was performed to assess the impact of viral screening on drug prescriptions. The study included infants up to one year of age who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis. Virus screening was performed using immunofluorescence assays in nasopharyngeal aspirates. The clinical data were obtained from the patients' medical records. Therapeutic changes were considered to be associated with viral screening when made within 24 hours of the release of the results. The frequency of prescriptions for beta agonists, corticosteroids and antibiotics was high at the time of admission and was similar among the 230 patients. The diagnosis of pneumonia and otitis was associated with the introduction of antibiotics but did not influence antibiotics maintenance after the results of the virus screening were obtained. Changes in the prescriptions were more frequent for the respiratory syncytial virus patients compared to patients who had negative viral screening results (p =0.004), especially the discontinuation of antibiotics (p<0.001). The identification of respiratory syncytial virus was associated with the suspension of antibiotics (p= 0.003), even after adjusting for confounding variables (p = 0.004); however, it did not influence the suspension of beta-agonists or corticosteroids. The identification of respiratory syncytial virus in infants with bronchiolitis was independently associated with the discontinuation of antibiotics during hospitalization.

Intestinal Integrity Biomarkers in Early Antiretroviral-Treated Perinatally HIV-1-Infected Infants.

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Koay, Wei Li A; Lindsey, Jane C; Uprety, Priyanka; Bwakura-Dangarembizi, Mutsa; Weinberg, Adriana; Levin, Myron J; Persaud, Deborah

2018-05-12

Biomarkers of intestinal integrity (intestinal fatty acid binding protein (iFABP) and zonulin), were compared in early antiretroviral-treated, HIV-1-infected (HIV+; n=56) African infants and HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU; n=53) controls. Despite heightened inflammation and immune activation in HIV+ infants, iFABP and zonulin levels at three months of age were not different from those in HEU infants, and largely not correlated with inflammatory and immune activation biomarkers. However, zonulin levels increased, and became significantly higher in HIV+ compared to HEU infants by five months of age despite ART-suppression. These findings have implications for intestinal integrity biomarker profiling in perinatal HIV-1 infection.

Early intervention for vulnerable infants and their families: an emerging agenda.

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Kruskal, M O; Thomasgard, M C; Shonkoff, J P

1989-12-01

Early childhood development is a complex dynamic process that begins at birth and unfolds in a transactional manner as infants interact with their environment. Children are highly adaptive organisms with powerful homeostatic mechanisms; consequently, most high-risk infants do well. Environmental factors are powerful mediators in this process, and a supportive and responsive environment may alleviate many early developmental insults, while a deficient environment can exacerbate developmental weaknesses. Available data suggest that appropriately designed early intervention services can be effective in facilitating both child and family adaptation for a variety of target groups. However, many important questions remain unanswered. For example, although interventions have been shown to improve cognitive function, effects in other important areas such as social and emotional functioning and family coping have not been well studied. Information about the impact of family variables is also incomplete as is our knowledge about which services work best for which children and families. Finally, the influence of protective factors in the child and in the environment requires further exploration. The perinatologist can make several critical contributions to the comprehensive care of high risk infants beyond their medical management. He or she can play a pivotal role in identifying those neonates who need early intervention on the basis of their biologic vulnerability, their environmental risk factors, or both. Perinatologists are also in the best position to facilitate early entry into an appropriate service system and can be important collaborators in providing comprehensive services and long-term follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis pilot of the early diagnosis of congenital hyperthyroidism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres J, E.J.; Higuera R, B.O.; Sanchez de E, R.; Lema I, A.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this article is to inform the results of the Pilot Study on the early diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism, in a population of 11303 newborn, born over one year in Santa fe de Bogota. The disease was diagnosed in six neonates, who are currently under treatment and continuos medical supervision. Besides, a deficiency of Thyroxin-Binding-Globulin (TBG) was found in two newborns. The Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and Immunoradiometric Assay (IRMA) methodologies were employed in the screening test to quantify the Thyroxin hormone (T4) in umbilical cord blood samples and to determine the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in blood obtained in the heel prick at 24 hours of life of the newborn. Samples were collected in a filter paper Schleicher and Schuell 903 (SS 903). Reagent kits locally developed according to the required standards of specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the RIA and IRMA methodologies were also used. When results of the screening test either for total T4 were less than 6.5 ug/dl, or TSH were greater than 25 uUI/ml, the infants were recalled and the diagnosis was confirmed by measurement of serum TSH and total T4. The statistical analysis allows the adjustment of the cut-off point for total T4 and TSH in newborn according to the gestation phase and the sampling time, which can be used in future screening programs

Infant Feeding Practices and the Effect of Early Complementary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine infant feeding practices and the effect of early complementary feeding on the nutritional status of children in Makada Community, Sabon Gari Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out.

Stages of syphilis in South China - a multilevel analysis of early diagnosis.

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Wong, Ngai Sze; Huang, Shujie; Zheng, Heping; Chen, Lei; Zhao, Peizhen; Tucker, Joseph D; Yang, Li Gang; Goh, Beng Tin; Yang, Bin

2017-01-31

Early diagnosis of syphilis and timely treatment can effectively reduce ongoing syphilis transmission and morbidity. We examined the factors associated with the early diagnosis of syphilis to inform syphilis screening strategic planning. In an observational study, we analyzed reported syphilis cases in Guangdong Province, China (from 2014 to mid-2015) accessed from the national case-based surveillance system. We categorized primary and secondary syphilis cases as early diagnosis and categorized latent and tertiary syphilis as delayed diagnosis. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify the factors associated with early diagnosis. We also examined the factors associated with early diagnosis at the individual and city levels in multilevel logistic regression models with cases nested by city (n = 21), adjusted for age at diagnosis and gender. Among 83,944 diagnosed syphilis cases, 22% were early diagnoses. The city-level early diagnosis rate ranged from 7 to 46%, consistent with substantial geographic variation as shown in the multilevel model. Early diagnosis was associated with cases presenting to specialist clinics for screening, being male and attaining higher education level. Cases received syphilis testing in institutions and hospitals, and diagnosed in hospitals were less likely to be in early diagnosis. At the city-level, cases living in a city equipped with more hospitals per capita were less likely to be early diagnosis. To enhance early diagnosis of syphilis, city-specific syphilis screening strategies with a mix of passive and client/provider-initiated testing might be a useful approach.

Growth of Korean preterm infants in a family-centered tradition during early infancy: the influence of health risks, maternal employment, and the sex of infants.

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Ahn, Youngmee; Sohn, Min; Lee, Sangmi

2014-10-01

The physical growth of mild preterm infants (maternal employment status, and the infant sex. There were four noteworthy findings on growth variation in Korean mild preterm infants during early infancy: (i) the secular trend of intrauterine growth; (ii) the cumulative adverse effects of four risk factors; (iii) the possible burden of maternal employment if insufficient support; and (iv) the possibility of the cultural favoritism to male infants regardless of the modern industrialized society. The study suggests that, in a modern society, while mild preterm infants could sustain typical fetal growth, the early postnatal growth may vary based on health risks and sociocultural circumstances related to child-bearing and -rearing practices surrounding them. © 2013 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2013 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Early neonatal deaths associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants ≥2500 g in Brazil,

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Maria Fernanda Branco de Almeida

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To assess the annual burden of early neonatal deaths associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants weighing ≥2500 g in Brazil from 2005 to 2010. Methods: The population study enrolled all live births of infants with birth weight ≥2500 g and without malformations who died up to six days after birth with perinatal asphyxia, defined as intrauterine hypoxia, asphyxia at birth, or meconium aspiration syndrome. The cause of death was written in any field of the death certificate, according to International Classification of Diseases,10th Revision (P20.0, P21.0, and P24.0. An active search was performed in 27 Brazilian federative units. The chi-squared test for trend was applied to analyze early neonatal mortality ratios associated with perinatal asphyxia by study year. Results: A total of 10,675 infants weighing ≥2500 g without malformations died within six days after birth with perinatal asphyxia. Deaths occurred in the first 24 h after birth in 71% of the infants. Meconium aspiration syndrome was reported in 4076 (38% of these deaths. The asphyxia-specific early neonatal mortality ratio decreased from 0.81 in 2005 to 0.65 per 1000 live births in 2010 in Brazil (p < 0.001; the meconium aspiration syndrome-specific early neonatal mortality ratio remained between 0.20 and 0.29 per 1000 live births during the study period. Conclusions: Despite the decreasing rates in Brazil from 2005 to 2010, early neonatal mortality rates associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants in the better spectrum of birth weight and without congenital malformations are still high, and meconium aspiration syndrome plays a major role.

An umbilical polyp in an infant.

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Swanson, David L; Pakzad, Betty

2005-10-01

The persistence at birth of the omphalomesenteric (vitelline) duct may result in life-threatening consequences. Early identification of this congenital anomaly is essential for prompt surgical treatment to eliminate the risk of prolapse and herniation. A neonatal umbilical polyp may indicate the presence of an omphalomesenteric duct remnant. We describe the diagnosis and surgical treatment of an infant with an umbilical polyp. We also present an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of vitelline duct remnants and their associated anomalies.

Can Biomarkers Help the Early Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Weidong Le; Jie Dong; Song Li; Amos D.Korczyn

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with progressive loss of dopamine neurons.PD patients usually manifest a series of motor and non-motor symptoms.In order to provide better early diagnosis and subsequent disease-modifying therapies for PD patients,there is an urgent need to identify sensitive and specific biomarkers.Biomarkers can be divided into four categories:clinical,imaging,biochemical,and genetic.Ideal biomarkers not only improve our understanding of PD pathogenesis and progression,but also provide benefits for early risk evaluation and clinical diagnosis of PD.Although many efforts have been made and several biomarkers have been extensively investigated,few if any have been found useful for early diagnosis.Here,we summarize recent developments in the discovered biomarkers of PD and discuss their merits and limitations for the early diagnosis of PD.

Gut Microbiome Developmental Patterns in Early Life of Preterm Infants: Impacts of Feeding and Gender.

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Xiaomei Cong

Full Text Available Gut microbiota plays a key role in multiple aspects of human health and disease, particularly in early life. Distortions of the gut microbiota have been found to correlate with fatal diseases in preterm infants, however, developmental patterns of gut microbiome and factors affecting the colonization progress in preterm infants remain unclear. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to explore day-to-day gut microbiome patterns in preterm infants during their first 30 days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU and investigate potential factors related to the development of the infant gut microbiome. A total of 378 stool samples were collected daily from 29 stable/healthy preterm infants. DNA extracted from stool was used to sequence the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene region for community analysis. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs and α-diversity of the community were determined using QIIME software. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum, accounting for 54.3% of the total reads. Result showed shift patterns of increasing Clostridium and Bacteroides, and decreasing Staphylococcus and Haemophilus over time during early life. Alpha-diversity significantly increased daily in preterm infants after birth and linear mixed-effects models showed that postnatal days, feeding types and gender were associated with the α-diversity, p< 0.05-0.01. Male infants were found to begin with a low α-diversity, whereas females tended to have a higher diversity shortly after birth. Female infants were more likely to have higher abundance of Clostridiates, and lower abundance of Enterobacteriales than males during early life. Infants fed mother's own breastmilk (MBM had a higher diversity of gut microbiome and significantly higher abundance in Clostridiales and Lactobacillales than infants fed non-MBM. Permanova also showed that bacterial compositions were different between males and females and between MBM and non-MBM feeding types

Early Childhood Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Infants Exposed to Infectious Syphilis In Utero.

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Verghese, Valsan P; Hendson, Leonora; Singh, Ameeta; Guenette, Tamara; Gratrix, Jennifer; Robinson, Joan L

2018-06-01

There are minimal neurodevelopmental follow-up data for infants exposed to syphilis in utero. This is an inception cohort study of infants exposed to syphilis in utero. We reviewed women with reactive syphilis serology in pregnancy or at delivery in Edmonton (Canada), 2002 through 2010 and describe the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with and without congenital syphilis. There were 39 births to women with reactive syphilis serology, 9 of whom had late latent syphilis (n = 4), stillbirths (n = 2) or early neonatal deaths (n = 3), leaving 30 survivors of which 11 with and 7 without congenital syphilis had neurodevelopmental assessment. Those with congenital syphilis were all born to women with inadequate syphilis treatment before delivery. Neurodevelopmental impairment was documented in 3 of 11 (27%) infants with congenital syphilis and one of 7 (14%) without congenital syphilis with speech language delays in 4 of 11 (36%) with congenital syphilis and 3 of 7 (42%) without congenital syphilis. Infants born to mothers with reactive syphilis serology during pregnancy are at high risk for neurodevelopmental impairment, whether or not they have congenital syphilis, so should all be offered neurodevelopmental assessments and early referral for services as required.

Respiratory mechanics in ventilated preterm infants : early determinants and outcome

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snepvangers, Dimphn Adriana Cornelia Maria

2003-01-01

The studies in this thesis show that in the current surfactant era, the majority of ventilated preterm infants are still suffering from respiratory morbidity and substantial respiratory function abnormalities throughout the early years of life. Since respiratory function testing during mechanical

Infant temperament moderates relations between maternal parenting in early childhood and children's adjustment in first grade.

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Stright, Anne Dopkins; Gallagher, Kathleen Cranley; Kelley, Ken

2008-01-01

A differential susceptibility hypothesis proposes that children may differ in the degree to which parenting qualities affect aspects of child development. Infants with difficult temperaments may be more susceptible to the effects of parenting than infants with less difficult temperaments. Using latent change curve analyses to analyze data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care, the current study found that temperament moderated associations between maternal parenting styles during early childhood and children's first-grade academic competence, social skills, and relationships with teachers and peers. Relations between parenting and first-grade outcomes were stronger for difficult than for less difficult infants. Infants with difficult temperaments had better adjustment than less difficult infants when parenting quality was high and poorer adjustment when parenting quality was lower.

The early emergence of sociomoral evaluation: infants prefer prosocial others.

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Van de Vondervoort, Julia W; Hamlin, J Kiley

2018-04-01

Humans readily evaluate third-parties' prosocial and antisocial acts. Recent evidence reveals that this tendency emerges early in development-even preverbal infants selectively approach prosocial others and avoid antisocial ones. Rather than reflecting attraction toward or away from low-level characteristics of the displays or simple behavioral rules, infants are sensitive to characteristics of both the agents and recipients of prosocial and antisocial acts. Specifically, infants' preferences require that the recipients of positive and negative acts be social agents with clear unfulfilled goals, who have not previously harmed others. In addition, prosocial and antisocial agents must act intentionally, in the service of positive and negative goals. It is an open question whether these prosocial preferences reflect self-interested and/or moral concerns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vitamin K deficiency bleeding and early infant male circumcision in Africa.

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Plank, Rebeca M; Steinmetz, Tara; Sokal, David C; Shearer, Martin J; Data, Santorino

2013-08-01

Early infant (1-60 days of life) male circumcision is being trialed in Africa as a human immunodeficiency virus prevention strategy. Postcircumcision bleeding is particularly concerning where most infants are breastfed, and thus these infants are at increased risk of vitamin K deficiency bleeding. During a circumcision trial, one infant bled for 90 minutes postprocedure. After discovering he had not received standard prophylactic vitamin K, we gave 2 mg phytomenadione (vitamin K1) intramuscularly; bleeding stopped within 30 minutes. Vitamin K's extremely rapid action is not commonly appreciated. Neonatal vitamin K has been shown to be cost-effective. To increase availability and promote awareness of its importance, especially in low-resource settings where blood products and transfusions are limited, vitamin K should be included in the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines for Children.

Early dyadic patterns of mother-infant interactions and outcomes of prematurity at 18 months.

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Forcada-Guex, Margarita; Pierrehumbert, Blaise; Borghini, Ayala; Moessinger, Adrien; Muller-Nix, Carole

2006-07-01

With the increased survival of very preterm infants, there is a growing concern for their developmental and socioemotional outcomes. The quality of the early mother-infant relationship has been noted as 1 of the factors that may exacerbate or soften the potentially adverse impact of preterm birth, particularly concerning the infant's later competencies and development. The first purpose of the study was to identify at 6 months of corrected age whether there were specific dyadic mother-infant patterns of interaction in preterm as compared with term mother-infant dyads. The second purpose was to examine the potential impact of these dyadic patterns on the infant's behavioral and developmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age. During a 12-month period (January-December 1998), all preterm infants who were compliance, difficult, and passivity). At 18 months, behavioral outcomes of the children were assessed on the basis of a semistructured interview of the mother, the Symptom Check List. The Symptom Check List explores 4 groups of behavioral symptoms: sleeping problems, eating problems, psychosomatic symptoms, and behavioral and emotional disorders. At the same age, developmental outcomes were evaluated using the Griffiths Developmental Scales. Five areas were evaluated: locomotor, personal-social, hearing and speech, eye-hand coordination, and performance. Among the possible dyadic patterns of interaction, 2 patterns emerge recurrently in mother-infant preterm dyads: a "cooperative pattern" with a sensitive mother and a cooperative-responsive infant (28%) and a "controlling pattern" with a controlling mother and a compulsive-compliant infant (28%). The remaining 44% form a heterogeneous group that gathers all of the other preterm dyads and is composed of 1 sensitive mother-passive infant; 10 controlling mothers with a cooperative, difficult, or passive infant; and 10 unresponsive mothers with a cooperative, difficult, or passive infant. Among the term control

Early diagnosis of the Spondyloarthropathies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Naranjo, Luis Alonso; Londono, John D; Valle, Rafael Raul

2005-01-01

Spondyloarthropathies are a cluster of chronic inflammatory diseases that primarily include ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis; arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel diseases and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathies. The most common subgroups of spondyloarthropathies are ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy. The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is mainly based on unequivocal radiographic sacroiliitis of at least grade 2 bilaterally or grade 3 unilaterally. How ever, in the early phase of disease, conventional radiographs are often too insensitive to show sacroiliitis and it usually takes several years for definite radiographic sacroiliitis to evolve. Thus, the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is a commonly delayed by 8 to 11 years after the onset of symptoms. As a result, diagnosing axial spondyloarthropathy in the absence of radiographic sacroiliitis is very difficult to rheumatologists. In the early phase of disease, HLA B27 test and magnetic resonance imaging of sacroiliac joints may be helpful to the early diagnosis. In the presence of chronic low back pain the probability of axial spondyloarthropathy is about 5% and is about 14% if the back pain is inflammatory. The presence of = 3 features of spondyloarthropathy (heel pain, uveitis, dactylitis, positive family history, alternating buttock pain, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, asymmetrical arthritis, positive response to anti-inflammatory drugs) increase the probability of axial spondyloarthropathy to 90%. Both, the positive HLA B27 and magnetic resonance imaging with signs of sacroiliitis increase the probability of spondyloarthropathy, particularly in patients without spondyloarthropathies features or with only 1 or 2 features. Since ankylosing spondylitis in association with psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease is often HLA B27 negative, this test is of limited value under theses circumstances. Is important to consider that

Holding the baby: early mother-infant contact after childbirth and outcomes.

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Redshaw, Maggie; Hennegan, Julie; Kruske, Sue

2014-05-01

to describe the timing, type and duration of initial infant contact and associated demographic and clinical factors in addition to investigating the impact of early contact on breastfeeding and maternal health and well being after birth. data from a recent population survey of women birthing in Queensland, Australia were used to describe the nature of the first hold and associated demographic characteristics. Initial comparisons, with subsequent adjustment for type of birthing facility and mode of childbirth, were used to assess associations between timing, type and duration of initial contact and outcomes. Further analyses were conducted to investigate a dose-response relationship between duration of first contact and outcomes. women who had an unassisted vaginal birth held their infant sooner, and for longer than women who had an assisted vaginal birth or caesarean and were more satisfied with their early contact. Multivariate models showed a number of demographic and clinical interventions contributing to timing, duration and type of first contact with type of birthing facility (public/private), area of residence, and assisted birth as prominent factors. For women who had a vaginal birth; early, skin-to-skin, and longer duration of initial contact were associated with high rates of breastfeeding initiation and breastfeeding at discharge, but not breastfeeding at 13 weeks. Some aspects of early contact were associated with improved maternal well being. However, these associations were not found for women who had a caesarean birth. With longer durations of first contact, a dose-response effect was found for breastfeeding. results of the study provide a description of current practice in Queensland, Australia and factors impacting on early contact. For vaginal births, findings add to the evidence in support of early skin-to-skin contact for an extended period. It is suggested that all research in this area should consider the effects of early contact separately for

Alterations in human milk leptin and insulin are associated with early changes in the infant intestinal microbiome.

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Lemas, Dominick J; Young, Bridget E; Baker, Peter R; Tomczik, Angela C; Soderborg, Taylor K; Hernandez, Teri L; de la Houssaye, Becky A; Robertson, Charles E; Rudolph, Michael C; Ir, Diana; Patinkin, Zachary W; Krebs, Nancy F; Santorico, Stephanie A; Weir, Tiffany; Barbour, Linda A; Frank, Daniel N; Friedman, Jacob E

2016-05-01

Increased maternal body mass index (BMI) is a robust risk factor for later pediatric obesity. Accumulating evidence suggests that human milk (HM) may attenuate the transfer of obesity from mother to offspring, potentially through its effects on early development of the infant microbiome. Our objective was to identify early differences in intestinal microbiota in a cohort of breastfeeding infants born to obese compared with normal-weight (NW) mothers. We also investigated relations between HM hormones (leptin and insulin) and both the taxonomic and functional potentials of the infant microbiome. Clinical data and infant stool and fasting HM samples were collected from 18 NW [prepregnancy BMI (in kg/m(2)) obese (prepregnancy BMI >30.0) mothers and their exclusively breastfed infants at 2 wk postpartum. Infant body composition at 2 wk was determined by air-displacement plethysmography. Infant gastrointestinal microbes were estimated by using 16S amplicon and whole-genome sequencing. HM insulin and leptin were determined by ELISA; short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured in stool samples by using gas chromatography. Power was set at 80%. Infants born to obese mothers were exposed to 2-fold higher HM insulin and leptin concentrations (P obesity may adversely affect the early infant intestinal microbiome, HM insulin and leptin are independently associated with beneficial microbial metabolic pathways predicted to increase intestinal barrier function and reduce intestinal inflammation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01693406. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Prognosis of psychomotor and mental development in premature infants by early cranial ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Yang; Sun, Fu-qiang; Li, Yue-qin; Que, Sheng-shun; Yang, Su-yan; Xu, Wen-jing; Yu, Wen-hong; Chen, Jun-hua; Lu, Ya-jie; Li, Xin

2015-04-09

It is of high incidence of brain injuries in premature infants, so it is necessary to diagnose and treat the brain injury early for neonatal clinical practice. We are aimed to investigate the relationship between early postnatal cranial ultrasonography and psychomotor and mental development in prematrue infants at the age of 12 months. Two-hundred and eight premature infants were selected and underwent follow-up from January, 2007 to November, 2012. Cranial ultrasonography was performed on them. The developmental outcomes of these premature infants at the age of 12 months were assessed by the psychomotor developmental index (PDI) scale and mental development index (MDI). The relationship between ultrasonic gray-scale value and PDI and MDI was analyzed. The worse prognosis for psychomotor and mental development was associated with the gestational age, Apgar score(1 min), gender, chorioamnionitis, duration of mechanical ventilation and duration of mechanic ventilation. The differences between the prognosis of psychomotor and mental development, and peri-intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) and periventricular white matter damage (PWMD), were statistically significant (Ppsychomotor development and mental development (Ppsychomotor and mental development for premature infants. The higher grade of PIVH and PWMD was associated with the worse prognosis of psychomotor and mental development.

Mother-to-infant transmission of intestinal bifidobacterial strains has an impact on the early development of vaginally delivered infant's microbiota.

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Hiroshi Makino

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Bifidobacterium species are one of the major components of the infant's intestine microbiota. Colonization with bifidobacteria in early infancy is suggested to be important for health in later life. However, information remains limited regarding the source of these microbes. Here, we investigated whether specific strains of bifidobacteria in the maternal intestinal flora are transmitted to their infant's intestine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from healthy 17 mother and infant pairs (Vaginal delivery: 12; Cesarean section delivery: 5. Mother's feces were collected twice before delivery. Infant's feces were collected at 0 (meconium, 3, 7, 30, 90 days after birth. Bifidobacteria isolated from feces were genotyped by multilocus sequencing typing, and the transitions of bifidobacteria counts in infant's feces were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Stains belonging to Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, were identified to be monophyletic between mother's and infant's intestine. Eleven out of 12 vaginal delivered infants carried at least one monophyletic strain. The bifidobacterial counts of the species to which the monophyletic strains belong, increased predominantly in the infant's intestine within 3 days after birth. Among infants delivered by C-section, monophyletic strains were not observed. Moreover, the bifidobacterial counts were significantly lower than the vaginal delivered infants until 7 days of age. CONCLUSIONS: Among infants born vaginally, several Bifidobacterium strains transmit from the mother and colonize the infant's intestine shortly after birth. Our data suggest that the mother's intestine is an important source for the vaginal delivered infant's intestinal microbiota.

Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Stenting in Tetralogy of Fallot Infants With Risk Factors for Early Primary Repair.

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Sandoval, Juan Pablo; Chaturvedi, Rajiv R; Benson, Lee; Morgan, Gareth; Van Arsdell, Glen; Honjo, Osami; Caldarone, Christopher; Lee, Kyong-Jin

2016-12-01

Tetralogy of Fallot with cyanosis requiring surgical repair in early infancy reflects poor anatomy and is associated with more clinical instability and longer hospitalization than those who can be electively repaired later. We bridged symptomatic infants with risk factors for early primary repair by right ventricular outflow tract stenting (stent). Four groups of tetralogy of Fallot with confluent central pulmonary arteries were studied: stent group (n=42), primary repair (aged 3mo group; n=45). Stent patients had the smallest pulmonary arteries with a median (95% credible intervals) Nakata index (mm 2 /m 2 ) of 79 (66-85) compared with the early-PA 139 (129-154), early-PS 136 (121-153), and surg>3mo 167 (153-200) groups. Only stent infants required unifocalization of aortopulmonary collaterals (17%). Stent and early-PA infants had younger age and lower weight than early-PS infants. Stent infants had the most multiple comorbidities. Stenting allowed deferral of complete surgical repair to an age (6 months), weight (6.3 [5.8-7.0] kg), and Nakata index (147 [132-165]) similar to the low-risk surg>3mo group. The 3 early treatment groups had similar intensive care unit/hospital stays and high reintervention rates in the first 12 months after repair, compared with the surg>3mo group. Right ventricular outflow tract stenting of symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot with poor anatomy (small pulmonary arteries) and adverse factors (multiple comorbidities, low weight) relieves cyanosis and defers surgical repair. This allowed pulmonary arterial and somatic growth with clinical results comparable to early surgical repair in more favorable patients. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Early neurodevelopment in very low birth weight infants with mild intraventricular hemorrhage or those without intraventricular hemorrhage

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Il Rak Choi

2012-11-01

Full Text Available &lt;B&gt;Purpose:&lt;/B&gt; This study aimed to assess early development in very low birth weight (VLBW infants with mild intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH or those without IVH and to identify the perinatal morbidities affecting early neurodevelopmental outcome. &lt;B&gt;Methods:&lt;/B&gt; Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II was used for assessing neurological development in 49 infants with a birth weight &lt;1,500 g and with low grade IVH (?#167;rade II or those without IVH at a corrected age of 12 months. &lt;B&gt;Results:&lt;/B&gt; Among the 49 infants, 19 infants (38.8% showed normal development and 14 (28.6% showed abnormal mental and psychomotor development. Infants with abnormal mental development (n=14 were mostly male and had a longer hospitalization, a higher prevalence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD, and were under more frequent postnatal systemic steroid treatment compared with infants with normal mental development (n=35, P&lt;0.05. Infants with abnormal psychomotor development (n=29 had a longer hospitalization and more associated PDA compared to infants with normal psychomotor development (n=20, P&lt;0.05. Infants with abnormal mental and psychomotor development were mostly male and had a longer hospitalization and a higher prevalence of PDA and BPD compared to infants with normal mental and psychomotor development (n=19, P&lt;0.05. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, a longer duration of hospitalization and male gender were found to be significant risk factors. &lt;B&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/B&gt; Approximately 62% of VLBW infants with low grade IVH or those without IVH had impaired early development.

Breast Milk Lipidome Is Associated with Early Growth Trajectory in Preterm Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Moyon, Thomas; Antignac, Jean-Philippe; Qannari, El Mostafa; Croyal, Mikaël; Soumah, Mohamed; David-Sochard, Agnès; Billard, Hélène; Legrand, Arnaud; Boscher, Cécile; Darmaun, Dominique; Rozé, Jean-Christophe

2018-01-01

Human milk is recommended for feeding preterm infants. The current pilot study aims to determine whether breast-milk lipidome had any impact on the early growth-pattern of preterm infants fed their own mother’s milk. A prospective-monocentric-observational birth-cohort was established, enrolling 138 preterm infants, who received their own mother’s breast-milk throughout hospital stay. All infants were ranked according to the change in weight Z-score between birth and hospital discharge. Then, we selected infants who experienced “slower” (n = 15, −1.54 ± 0.42 Z-score) or “faster” (n = 11, −0.48 ± 0.19 Z-score) growth; as expected, although groups did not differ regarding gestational age, birth weight Z-score was lower in the “faster-growth” group (0.56 ± 0.72 vs. −1.59 ± 0.96). Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry lipidomic signatures combined with multivariate analyses made it possible to identify breast-milk lipid species that allowed clear-cut discrimination between groups. Validation of the selected biomarkers was performed using multidimensional statistical, false-discovery-rate and ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) tools. Breast-milk associated with faster growth contained more medium-chain saturated fatty acid and sphingomyelin, dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA)-containing phosphethanolamine, and less oleic acid-containing triglyceride and DGLA-oxylipin. The ability of such biomarkers to predict early-growth was validated in presence of confounding clinical factors but remains to be ascertained in larger cohort studies. PMID:29385065

Stages of syphilis in South China – a multilevel analysis of early diagnosis

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Ngai Sze Wong

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early diagnosis of syphilis and timely treatment can effectively reduce ongoing syphilis transmission and morbidity. We examined the factors associated with the early diagnosis of syphilis to inform syphilis screening strategic planning. Methods In an observational study, we analyzed reported syphilis cases in Guangdong Province, China (from 2014 to mid-2015 accessed from the national case-based surveillance system. We categorized primary and secondary syphilis cases as early diagnosis and categorized latent and tertiary syphilis as delayed diagnosis. Univariate analyses and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify the factors associated with early diagnosis. We also examined the factors associated with early diagnosis at the individual and city levels in multilevel logistic regression models with cases nested by city (n = 21, adjusted for age at diagnosis and gender. Results Among 83,944 diagnosed syphilis cases, 22% were early diagnoses. The city-level early diagnosis rate ranged from 7 to 46%, consistent with substantial geographic variation as shown in the multilevel model. Early diagnosis was associated with cases presenting to specialist clinics for screening, being male and attaining higher education level. Cases received syphilis testing in institutions and hospitals, and diagnosed in hospitals were less likely to be in early diagnosis. At the city-level, cases living in a city equipped with more hospitals per capita were less likely to be early diagnosis. Conclusions To enhance early diagnosis of syphilis, city-specific syphilis screening strategies with a mix of passive and client/provider-initiated testing might be a useful approach.

Early diagnosis of breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semiglazov, V.F.

1989-01-01

Modern data are presentd on epidemology etiopathogensis and statistics of breast cancer. Home and international clinical and histological classifications is given. Much attention is paid to the methods for early diagnosis of pretumor diseases and breast cancer: clinical roentgenomammography, thrmography and computerized tomomammography. The role of self-examination in cancer early detection has been analyzed. Special attention is paid to system of detection of minimal and unpalpable form of breast cancer, screening of these tumors. 113 refs.; 60 figs.; 6 tabs

Early diagnosis of lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scherrer, M.

1982-01-01

Unanimity does not exist about the utility and organisation of screening procedures for early diagnosis of lung cancer. We describe a low cost structue of screening, requiring only a minimum of compliance from the elderly smoker and ex-smoker. At 4 months interval, radiographs, sputum cytologies and eventual fiberbronchoscopies are realized in all that elderly smokers and ex-smokers which begin to present one of the first early lung cancer signs or symptoms (loss of weight, hemoptoe, thoracic pain and others). (orig.) [de

Event-free survival of infants and toddlers enrolled in the HR-NBL-1/SIOPEN trial is associated with the level of neuroblastoma mRNAs at diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrias, Maria V; Parodi, Stefano; Tchirkov, Andrei; Lammens, Tim; Vicha, Ales; Pasqualini, Claudia; Träger, Catarina; Yáñez, Yania; Dallorso, Sandro; Varesio, Luigi; Luksch, Roberto; Laureys, Genevieve; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; Canete, Adela; Pöetschger, Ulrike; Ladenstein, Ruth; Burchill, Susan A

2018-07-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether levels of neuroblastoma mRNAs in bone marrow and peripheral blood from stage M infants (≤12 months of age at diagnosis, MYCN amplified) and toddlers (between 12 and 18 months, any MYCN status) predict event-free survival (EFS). Bone marrow aspirates and peripheral blood samples from 97 infants/toddlers enrolled in the European High-Risk Neuroblastoma trial were collected at diagnosis in PAXgene ™ blood RNA tubes. Samples were analyzed by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction according to standardized procedures. Bone marrow tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or paired-like homeobox 2b (PHOX2B) levels in the highest tertile were associated with worse EFS; hazard ratios, adjusted for age and MYCN status, were 1.5 and 1.8 respectively. Expression of both TH and PHOX2B in the highest tertile predicted worse outcome (p = 0.015), and identified 20 (23%) infants/toddlers with 5-year EFS of 20% (95%CI: 4%-44%). Prognostic significance was maintained after adjusting for over-fitting bias (p = 0.038), age and MYCN status. In peripheral blood, PHOX2B levels in the highest tertile predicted a two-fold increased risk of an event (p = 0.032), and identified 23 (34%) infants/toddlers with 5-year EFS of 29% (95%CI: 12%-48%). Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis confirmed the prognostic value of combined TH and PHOX2B in bone marrow and of PHOX2B in peripheral blood during the first year of follow-up. High levels of bone marrow TH and PHOX2B and of peripheral blood PHOX2B at diagnosis allow early identification of a group of high-risk infant and toddlers with neuroblastoma who may be candidates for alternative treatments. Integration with additional biomarkers, as well as validation in additional international trials is warranted. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Diagnosis of early stomach cancer (Lecture)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinner, M.G.

1989-01-01

Problems concerning diagnosis of early stomach cancer using X-ray and endoscopic investigation techniques are stated. Classification of early stomach cancer suggested by the Japan Endoscopy Society and division system of early stomach cancer into two main foms: depth (erosive-ulcerous) one and elevated (polypoid) one-is presented X-ray and endoscopic investigation techniques are shown to be high efficiency concerning revealingation of stomach mucous variations using biopsy, which allow to determine for certain whother the process is benign or malignant one

Early postnatal diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis by combining light microscopy, acidified glycerol lysis test and eosin-5'-maleimide binding assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Andres, Oliver; Eber, Stefan; Speer, Christian P

2015-12-01

Exact diagnosis of hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is widely considered unreliable around birth. However, early postnatal diagnosis at the beginning of congenital hemolysis may be essential for managing neonatal anemia and hemolytic icterus, identifying those at high risk for severe hyperbilirubinemia, irreversible kernicterus, or sudden need for red cell transfusion. We analyzed 37 blood samples from neonates or infants up to six weeks of life that had been collected in-house or shipped to our laboratory due to suspected red cell membrane disorder. By combining assessment of red cell morphology, acidified glycerol lysis test (AGLT), and eosin-5'-maleimide (EMA) binding assay, we were able to clearly exclude HS in 22 and confirm HS in 10 patients, of which one had undergone red cell transfusion prior to blood sampling. Assessment of red cell morphology and normal test results allowed diagnosis of infantile pyknocytosis or Heinz body anemia in three neonates. Re-evaluation of five patients with inconsistent results of AGLT and EMA binding led to confirmation of HS in two cases. Automated analysis of hematologic parameters revealed elevated proportion of hyperdense cells to be a highly significant indicator for HS in neonatal infants. We showed that assessment of red cell morphology in combination with AGLT and EMA binding assay is a reliable basis for confirming or rejecting suspected diagnosis of HS even in neonates. Our data underline the necessity for blood sampling and laboratory exploration in suspected red cell membrane or enzyme defects at the earliest occasion.

Fish oil supplementation in early infancy modulates developing infant immune responses.

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D'Vaz, N; Meldrum, S J; Dunstan, J A; Lee-Pullen, T F; Metcalfe, J; Holt, B J; Serralha, M; Tulic, M K; Mori, T A; Prescott, S L

2012-08-01

Maternal fish oil supplementation during pregnancy has been associated with altered infant immune responses and a reduced risk of infant sensitization and eczema. To examine the effect of early postnatal fish oil supplementation on infant cellular immune function at 6 months of age in the context of allergic disease. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial (ACTRN12606000281594), 420 infants of high atopic risk received fish oil [containing 280 mg docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and 110 mg eicosapentanoic acid (EPA)] or control oil daily from birth to 6 months. One hundred and twenty infants had blood collected at 6 months of age. Fatty acid levels, induced cytokine responses, T cell subsets and monocyte HLA-DR expression were assessed at 6 months of age. Infant allergies were assessed at 6 and 12 months of age. DHA and EPA levels were significantly higher in the fish oil group and erythrocyte arachidonic acid (AA) levels were lower (all P acid (PUFA) levels and associated with lowered allergen-specific Th2 responses and elevated polyclonal Th1 responses. Our results add to existing evidence of n-3 PUFA having immunomodulatory properties that are potentially allergy-protective. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Tolerance to early human milk feeding is not compromised by indomethacin in preterm infants with persistent ductus arteriosus.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellander, M; Ley, D; Polberger, S; Hellström-Westas, L

2003-09-01

Early human milk feeding is beneficial for gut and brain development. Persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and indomethacin may compromise enteral function in preterm infants. For many years enteral milk feedings have continued in preterm infants receiving indomethacin for PDA. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this strategy is efficient in terms of risks and tolerance to early enteral feeding. This retrospective study included 64 inborn infants of respiratory morbidity; 90.6% versus 50% of controls needed mechanical ventilation (p = 0.000). Case infants received human milk from a median (range) age of 4.0 h (1.5-27.5), and controls from 5.3 h (2.0-38.0) (p = 0.092). The first dose of indomethacin was given at a mean age of 1.7 d (1.0). There were no differences between the two groups in feeding volumes or gastric residuals on days 1 to 7. Mean (SD) feeding volume on day 7 was 64 ml/kg (31) in case infants and 76 ml/kg (30) in controls (p = 0.23). Four infants developed necrotizing enterocolitis: two case infants and two controls (p = 1.00). Early enteral feeding with human milk, starting within the first hours of life, seems to be as well tolerated in preterm infants treated with indomethacin for PDA as in their matched controls.

Magnetic resonance imaging for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhl, M.; Allmann, K.H.; Hauer, M.P.; Laubenberger, J.; Kempis, J. v.; Langer, M.

1997-01-01

Nuclear magnetic resonance tomography (MRI) represents essential progress in the diagnostic means for evaluation of lesions of the muskuloskeletal system. The imaging of bone joints including material and structures like cartilage, tendons, ligaments, effusions, pannus, cortical bone and marrow offers essential advantages for diagnosis, differential diagnosis, follow-up control and detection of local complications in rheumatics radiology. The review article discusses the achievements of MRI for detection of early signs of rheumatoid arthritis and the current indications for MRI examination for early diagnosis. (Orig./AJ) [de

Surgical treatment for cervicomedullary compression among infants with achondroplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimony, Nir; Ben-Sira, Liat; Sivan, Yakov; Constantini, Shlomi; Roth, Jonathan

2015-05-01

Achondroplasia is the most common form of dwarfism. Respiratory failure is responsible for most deaths among these children and is often related to cervicomedullary compression (CMC). We present our experience with early cervicomedullary decompression in infants with achondroplasia. Data was retrospectively collected for infants with achondroplasia who underwent CMC decompression between 1998 and 2013. Data included presurgical and postsurgical neurological examinations, MRI scans, and sleep study results. Ten infants were included. Ages at surgery were 4 to 23 months (12.5 ± 6.88 months). All infants displayed neurological findings prior to surgery, although often subtle. All infants underwent a foramen magnum opening with a wide C1 laminectomy. Following surgery, seven patients (70 %) demonstrated improved neurological status, and one displayed neurological deterioration. Seven patients demonstrated improved sleep quality 1 year after surgery. These patients had a good or improved neurological status following surgery. Preoperative radiological findings included abnormal hyperintense T2 changes in all children (improved following surgery in six children), brainstem distortion in four children (improved in all), and diminished cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces at the level of the foramen magnum in eight children (improved in seven). One child with extensive preoperative T2 changes accompanied by neurological and respiratory decline, deteriorated following surgery, and remains chronically ventilated. Infants with achondroplasia are prone to neurological and respiratory symptoms. We believe that early diagnosis and early surgery for decompression of the foramen magnum and C1 lamina can alleviate respiratory symptoms, improve neurological status, and perhaps prevent sudden infant death in this population.

Role of spinal ultrasound in diagnosis of meningitis in infants younger than 6 months

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nepal, Pankaj; Sodhi, Kushaljit Singh; Saxena, Akshay Kumar; Bhatia, Anmol; Singhi, Sunit; Khandelwal, Niranjan

2015-01-01

Highlights: •This was a prospective study to evaluate role of spinal ultrasound (US) in 60 infants (<6 months of age) with clinically suspected meningitis. •On ultrasound examination, we evaluated echogenicity and /or trabeculations in the posterior subarachnoid space and spinal cord pulsations. •Results of spinal US were evaluated in correlation with cerebrospinal fluid analysis. •Results of our study show presence of echogenicity/trabeculations in posterior subarachnoid space or abnormal pulsations of spinal cord and nerve roots are significantly associated with meningitis with a high specificity and positive predictive value in its diagnosis. •Spinal ultrasound can be used as a radiation free imaging modality to detect meningitis. -- Abstract: Background: Spinal ultrasound (US) can detect changes in CSF echogenicity and decreased cord pulsations which reflect the inflammatory changes in meningitis. Till date, there is no published data about the prospective accuracy of spinal US in meningitis. Objective: To assess accuracy of spinal US in diagnosis of meningitis in infants younger than 6 months. Methods: This was an institute ethics committee approved prospective study carried out in infants less than 6 months of age with clinical suspicion of meningitis who presented to pediatric emergency unit. 60 infants each in study and control group were enrolled. US of thoraco-lumbar spine were performed prior to lumbar puncture in all cases. We looked for the presence of echogenicity or trabeculations in posterior subarachnoid space and for presence or absence of spinal cord and nerve root pulsations on real time ultrasound. The results of spinal US were evaluated in correlation with cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Follow up ultrasounds were done in infants who showed abnormal findings after the initiation of treatment and findings compared with initial results. Results: The study group comprised of 40 boys and 20 girls with mean age of 47.85 days. The control

Role of spinal ultrasound in diagnosis of meningitis in infants younger than 6 months

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nepal, Pankaj, E-mail: pankaj-123@live.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Sodhi, Kushaljit Singh, E-mail: sodhiks@gmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Saxena, Akshay Kumar, E-mail: fatakshay@yahoo.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Bhatia, Anmol, E-mail: anmol_bhatia26@yahoo.co.in [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Singhi, Sunit, E-mail: sunit.singhi@gmail.com [Department of Pediatrics, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India); Khandelwal, Niranjan, E-mail: khandelwaln@hotmail.com [Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Sector-12, Chandigarh 160012 (India)

2015-03-15

Highlights: •This was a prospective study to evaluate role of spinal ultrasound (US) in 60 infants (<6 months of age) with clinically suspected meningitis. •On ultrasound examination, we evaluated echogenicity and /or trabeculations in the posterior subarachnoid space and spinal cord pulsations. •Results of spinal US were evaluated in correlation with cerebrospinal fluid analysis. •Results of our study show presence of echogenicity/trabeculations in posterior subarachnoid space or abnormal pulsations of spinal cord and nerve roots are significantly associated with meningitis with a high specificity and positive predictive value in its diagnosis. •Spinal ultrasound can be used as a radiation free imaging modality to detect meningitis. -- Abstract: Background: Spinal ultrasound (US) can detect changes in CSF echogenicity and decreased cord pulsations which reflect the inflammatory changes in meningitis. Till date, there is no published data about the prospective accuracy of spinal US in meningitis. Objective: To assess accuracy of spinal US in diagnosis of meningitis in infants younger than 6 months. Methods: This was an institute ethics committee approved prospective study carried out in infants less than 6 months of age with clinical suspicion of meningitis who presented to pediatric emergency unit. 60 infants each in study and control group were enrolled. US of thoraco-lumbar spine were performed prior to lumbar puncture in all cases. We looked for the presence of echogenicity or trabeculations in posterior subarachnoid space and for presence or absence of spinal cord and nerve root pulsations on real time ultrasound. The results of spinal US were evaluated in correlation with cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Follow up ultrasounds were done in infants who showed abnormal findings after the initiation of treatment and findings compared with initial results. Results: The study group comprised of 40 boys and 20 girls with mean age of 47.85 days. The control

The extended Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT Extend Program: a cluster-randomized controlled trial of an early intervention to prevent childhood obesity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen J. Campbell

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding how we can prevent childhood obesity in scalable and sustainable ways is imperative. Early RCT interventions focused on the first two years of life have shown promise however, differences in Body Mass Index between intervention and control groups diminish once the interventions cease. Innovative and cost-effective strategies seeking to continue to support parents to engender appropriate energy balance behaviours in young children need to be explored. Methods/Design The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT Extend Program builds on the early outcomes of the Melbourne InFANT Program. This cluster randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of an extended (33 versus 15 month and enhanced (use of web-based materials, and Facebook® engagement, version of the original Melbourne InFANT Program intervention in a new cohort. Outcomes at 36 months of age will be compared against the control group. Discussion This trial will provide important information regarding capacity and opportunities to maximize early childhood intervention effectiveness over the first three years of life. This study continues to build the evidence base regarding the design of cost-effective, scalable interventions to promote protective energy balance behaviors in early childhood, and in turn, promote improved child weight and health across the life course. Trial registration ACTRN12611000386932 . Registered 13 April 2011.

Functional constipation in infants: Diagnosis and therapy in practice

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A. A. Kamalova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As of now, constipation in children, especially in babies during the first years of life, is a common complaint during a visit to a pediatrician and a gastroenterologist. Despite the fact that the current guidelines for the management of this patient group have been elaborated, there has been no consensus of opinion among parents and specialists regarding the therapy and prevention of constipation in children so far. The article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of functional constipation in children. The authors give their own observations and experience with the rectal suppositories Glycelax® pediatric in the therapy of proctogenic and mixed constipation in infants.

Early corticosteroid treatment does not affect severity of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in extreme low birth weight preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulzebos, Christian V; Bos, Arend F; Anttila, Eija; Hallman, Mikko; Verkade, Henkjan J

2011-02-01

To determine the relationship between early postnatal dexamethasone (DXM) treatment and the severity of hyperbilirubinemia in extreme low birth weight (ELBW) preterm infants. In 54 ELBW preterm infants, total serum bilirubin concentrations (TSB) and phototherapy (PT) data during the first 10 days were evaluated retrospectively. ELBW infants had participated in a randomized controlled trial of early DXM treatment which aimed to assess effects on chronic lung disease. Infants had been treated with DXM (0.25 mg/kg twice daily at postnatal day 1 and 2) or with placebo (normal saline). Analysis was performed on an intention to treat basis. Twenty-five Infants had been randomized into the DXM group; 29 into the placebo group. Mean (±SD) TSB [120 (±19) μmol/L vs. 123 (±28) μmol/L, DXM versus placebo, respectively] and maximum TSB [178 (±23) μmol/L vs. 176 (±48), DXM versus placebo, respectively] concentrations were similar. TSB concentrations peaked 30 h earlier in the DXM group (p ≤ 0.05). The need for PT as well as the duration of PT was similar in both groups. Early DXM treatment does not affect the severity of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in ELBW preterm infants. Our results seem compatible with the concept that factors other than bilirubin conjugation capacity are important for the pathophysiology of neonatal jaundice in ELBW preterm infants. © 2010 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica © 2010 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

Predictors for early diagnosis of cerebral palsy from national registry data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Granild-Jensen, Jakob Bie; Rackauskaite, Gija; Flachs, Esben Meulengracht

2015-01-01

AIM: As early intervention is important in cerebral palsy (CP), an early diagnosis is desirable. The aim of this study was to establish the median diagnostic age of CP and to identify predictors of an early diagnosis in a population-based cohort. METHOD: Using the Danish National Cerebral Palsy...... of motor disability, cerebral ultrasonography results, epilepsy, gestational age, and degree of cognitive impairment. RESULTS: We found the overall median corrected diagnostic age of CP to be 11 months. Early diagnosis was associated with the type of CP, presence of epilepsy, a high degree of motor...... disability, and abnormalities in the cerebral ultrasonography. The gestational age was not associated with the diagnostic age. INTERPRETATION: The median diagnostic age implies that half of the Danish children with CP will be able to enter an early intervention program before 1 year of age. A late diagnosis...

Maternal self-confidence during the first four months postpartum and its association with anxiety and early infant regulatory problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Matthies, Lina Maria; Wallwiener, Stephanie; Müller, Mitho; Doster, Anne; Plewniok, Katharina; Feller, Sandra; Sohn, Christof; Wallwiener, Markus; Reck, Corinna

2017-11-01

Maternal self-confidence has become an essential concept in understanding early disturbances in the mother-child relationship. Recent research suggests that maternal self-confidence may be associated with maternal mental health and infant development. The current study investigated the dynamics of maternal self-confidence during the first four months postpartum and the predictive ability of maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, and early regulatory problems in infants. Questionnaires assessing symptoms of depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and early regulatory problems (Questionnaire for crying, sleeping and feeding) were completed in a sample of 130 women at three different time points (third trimester (T1), first week postpartum (T2), and 4 months postpartum (T3). Maternal self-confidence increased significantly over time. High maternal trait anxiety and early infant regulatory problems negatively contributed to the prediction of maternal self-confidence, explaining 31.8% of the variance (R=.583, F 3,96 =15.950, pself-confidence, regulatory problems in infants, and maternal mental distress. There is an urgent need for appropriate programs to reduce maternal anxiety and to promote maternal self-confidence in order to prevent early regulatory problems in infants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A delayed diagnosis of unsuspected retinoblastoma in an in vitro fertilisation infant with retinopathy of prematurity

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Tian Tian; Xun-Da Ji; Qi Zhang; Jie Peng; Pei-Quan Zhao

2016-01-01

Dear Editor,Iam Dr.Tian Tian,from the Department of Ophthalmology,Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai,China.I write to present a rare case report of a delayed diagnosis of unsuspected retinoblastoma(RB)in an in vitro fertilisation(IVF)infant with retinopathy of prematurity.The simultaneous presentation of RB and prematurity of retinopathy(ROP)in an IVF infant is very rare.The relationship between RB and IVF is still indeterminate and mechanisms that lead to ocular or systemic abnormalities

Early elective cesarean delivery before 36 weeks vs late spontaneous delivery in infants with gastroschisis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadidi, Ahmed; Subotic, Ulrike; Goeppl, Maximilian; Waag, Karl-L

2008-07-01

The aim of this study is to assess the value of early elective cesarean delivery for patients with gastroschisis in comparison with late spontaneous delivery. Analysis of infants with gastroschisis admitted between 1986 and 2006 at a tertiary care center was performed. The findings were analyzed statistically. Eighty-six patients were involved in the study. This included 15 patients who underwent emergency cesarean delivery (EM CD group) because of fetal distress and/or bowel ischemia. The remaining 71 patients born electively were stratified into 4 groups. The early elective cesarean delivery (ECD) group included 23 patients born by ECD before 36 weeks; late vaginal delivery (LVD) group included 23 patients who had LVD after 36 weeks; 24 patients had LCD after 36 weeks because of delayed diagnosis that resulted in late referral; and 1 patient had early spontaneous vaginal delivery (EVD group) before 36 weeks. The mean time to start oral feeding, incidence of complications, and primary closure were significantly better in the ECD group than in the LVD group. The duration of ventilation and the length of stay were shorter in ECD group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Elective cesarean delivery before 36 weeks allows earlier enteral feeding and is associated with less complications and higher incidence of primary closure (statistically significant).

Urinary Metabolite Profiles in Premature Infants Show Early Postnatal Metabolic Adaptation and Maturation

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Sissel J. Moltu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Early nutrition influences metabolic programming and long-term health. We explored the urinary metabolite profiles of 48 premature infants (birth weight < 1500 g randomized to an enhanced or a standard diet during neonatal hospitalization. Methods: Metabolomics using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR was conducted on urine samples obtained during the first week of life and thereafter fortnightly. Results: The intervention group received significantly higher amounts of energy, protein, lipids, vitamin A, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid as compared to the control group. Enhanced nutrition did not appear to affect the urine profiles to an extent exceeding individual variation. However, in all infants the glucogenic amino acids glycine, threonine, hydroxyproline and tyrosine increased substantially during the early postnatal period, along with metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (succinate, oxoglutarate, fumarate and citrate. The metabolite changes correlated with postmenstrual age. Moreover, we observed elevated threonine and glycine levels in first-week urine samples of the small for gestational age (SGA; birth weight < 10th percentile for gestational age as compared to the appropriate for gestational age infants. Conclusion: This first nutri-metabolomics study in premature infants demonstrates that the physiological adaptation during the fetal-postnatal transition as well as maturation influences metabolism during the breastfeeding period. Elevated glycine and threonine levels were found in the first week urine samples of the SGA infants and emerged as potential biomarkers of an altered metabolic phenotype.

Early Pregnancy Diagnosis in Bovines: Current Status and Future Directions

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Ashok K. Balhara

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An early and accurate diagnosis of reproductive dysfunctions or aberrations is crucial to better reproductive management in livestock. High reproductive efficiency is a prerequisite for high life-time production in dairy animals. Early pregnancy diagnosis is key to shorten the calving interval through early identification of open animals and their timely treatment and rebreeding so as to maintain a postpartum barren interval close to 60 days. A buffalo, the most important dairy animal in the Indian subcontinent, is known for problems related to high calving interval, late puberty, and high incidence of anestrus. Lack of reliable cow-side early pregnancy diagnosis methods further aggravates the situation. Several methods of pregnancy diagnosis are being practiced in bovine species, yet none qualifies as the ideal pregnancy diagnosis method due to the inherent limitations of sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, speed, and ease of performing the test. The advancement of molecular techniques like proteomics and their applications in animal research has given a new hope to look for pregnancy biomarker molecules in these animals. This review attempts to examine common pregnancy diagnosis methods available for dairy animals, while assessing the usefulness of the modern technologies in detecting novel pregnancy markers and designing future strategies for research in this area.

Gut Microbiome Developmental Patterns in Early Life of Preterm Infants: Impacts of Feeding and Gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Cong, Xiaomei; Xu, Wanli; Janton, Susan; Henderson, Wendy A; Matson, Adam; McGrath, Jacqueline M; Maas, Kendra; Graf, Joerg

2016-01-01

Gut microbiota plays a key role in multiple aspects of human health and disease, particularly in early life. Distortions of the gut microbiota have been found to correlate with fatal diseases in preterm infants, however, developmental patterns of gut microbiome and factors affecting the colonization progress in preterm infants remain unclear. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to explore day-to-day gut microbiome patterns in preterm infants during their first 30 days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and investigate potential factors related to the development of the infant gut microbiome. A total of 378 stool samples were collected daily from 29 stable/healthy preterm infants. DNA extracted from stool was used to sequence the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene region for community analysis. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and α-diversity of the community were determined using QIIME software. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum, accounting for 54.3% of the total reads. Result showed shift patterns of increasing Clostridium and Bacteroides, and decreasing Staphylococcus and Haemophilus over time during early life. Alpha-diversity significantly increased daily in preterm infants after birth and linear mixed-effects models showed that postnatal days, feeding types and gender were associated with the α-diversity, pPermanova also showed that bacterial compositions were different between males and females and between MBM and non-MBM feeding types. In conclusion, infant postnatal age, gender and feeding type significantly contribute to the dynamic development of the gut microbiome in preterm infants.

Early intervention studies in infants and preschool children with cystic fibrosis: Are we ready?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S. Stick; H.A.W.M. Tiddens (Harm); P. Aurora (Paul); P. Gustafsson (Per); S. Ranganathan (Surabhi); P. Robinson; M. Rosenfeld (Margaret); P.D. Sly; F. Ratjen (Felix)

2013-01-01

textabstractCystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease starts early in life and progresses even in the absence of clinical symptoms. Therefore, sensitive outcome measures to quantify and track these early abnormalities in infants and young children are needed; both for clinical care and interventional

[Diagnosis of pulmonary hemorrhage of the newborn infants using lung ultrasonography].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, J; Fu, W; Chen, S W; Wang, Y

2017-01-02

Objective: To investigate the accuracy and reliability of lung ultrasound in diagnosis of pulmonary hemorrhage of the newborn infants. Method: From January 2014 to May 2016, 142 neonates from the Army General Hospital of the Chinese PLA were enrolled in the study. They were divided into two groups: a study group of 42 neonates, who were diagnosed with pulmonary hemorrhage according to their medical history, clinical manifestations and chest X-ray findings, and a control group of 100 neonates with no lung disease. All subjects underwent bedside lung ultrasound in a quiet state in a supine, lateral or prone posture, performed by a single experienced physician. The ultrasound findings were compared between the two groups.Fisher's exact test was uesd for comparison between two groups. Result: The lung ultrasound main findings associated with pulmonary hemorrhage included: (1) Shred sign: which was seen in 40 patients(95%). (2) Lung consolidation with air bronchograms: which were seen in 35 patients(83%). (3) Pleural effusion: which was seen in 34 infants(81%), pleurocentesis confirmed that the fluid was really bleeding.(4)Atelectasis: which was seen in 14 cases(33%). (5) Pleural line abnormalities and disappearing A-lines with an incidence of 100%. (6) Alveolar-interstitial syndrome: 5 patients(12%)had the main manifestations of alveolar-interstitial syndrome. The above signs were not seen in normal controls (all P hemorrhage, which is suitable for routine application for the diagnosis of pulmonary hemorrhage in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Early X-ray diagnosis of coxarthrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lingg, G.; Nebel, G.

1982-01-01

Radiological and pathological comparisons on specimen of femurhead and neck at autopsy have shown a statistical relationship between osteophytosis of the femoral head and ulcerations of the joint cartilage. Especially there are highly significant relationships between the length of osteophytes and the diameter of the ulcera. The 'plaque'-sign shows to be a very sensitive indicator of early arthrosis. So there exist semiquantitative parameters for the X-ray diagnosis of early coxarthrosis. (orig.) [de

Predictors for early introduction of solid food among Danish mothers and infants: an observational study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kronborg, Hanne; Foverskov, Else; Væth, Michael

2014-01-01

introduced to solid food. Full breastfeeding at five weeks was the most influential predictor for later introduction of solid food (OR = 2.52 CI: 1.93-3.28). Among infant factors male gender, increased gestational age at birth, and higher birth weight were found to be statistically significant predictors......BACKGROUND: Early introduction of complementary feeding may interfere with breastfeeding and the infant's self-controlled appetite resulting in increased growth. The aim of the present study was to investigate predictors for early introduction of solid food. METHODS: In an observational study...... Danish mothers filled in a self-administered questionnaire approximately six months after birth. The questionnaire included questions about factors related to the infant, the mother, attachment and feeding known to influence time for introduction of solid food. The study population consisted of 4503...

Comparative Genetic Variability in HIV-1 Subtype C vpu Gene in Early Age Groups of Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Uma; Gupta, Poonam; Gupta, Sunil; Venkatesh, S; Husain, Mohammad

2018-01-01

Identifying the genetic variability in vertically transmitted viruses in early infancy is important to understand the disease progression. Being important in HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, vpu gene, isolated from young infants was investigated to understand the viral characteristics. Blood samples were obtained from 80 HIV-1 positive infants, categorized in two age groups; acute (6-18 months). A total of 77 PCR positive samples, amplified for vpu gene, were sequenced and analyzed. 73 isolates belonged to subtype C. Analysis of heterogeneity of amino acid sequences in infant groups showed that in the sequences of acute age group both insertions and deletions were present while in the early age group only deletions were present. In the acute age group, a deletion of 3 residues (RAE) in the first alfa helix in one sequence and insertions of 1-2 residues (DM, GH, G and H) in the second alfa helix in 4 sequences were observed. In the early age group, deletion of 2 residues (VN) in the cytoplasmic tail region in 2 sequences was observed. Length of the amino terminal was observed to be gradually increasing with the increasing age of the infants. Protein Variation Effect Analyzer software showed that deleterious mutations were more in the acute than the early age group. Entropy analysis revealed that heterogeneity of the residues was comparatively higher in the sequences of acute than the early age group. Mutations observed in the helixes may affect the conformation and lose the ability to degrade CD4 receptors. Heterogeneity was decreasing with the increasing ages of the infants, indicating positive selection for robust virion survival. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

High-Quality Interactions with Infants: Relationships with Early-Childhood Practitioners' Interpretations and Qualification Levels in Play and Routine Contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Degotardi, Sheila

2010-01-01

This study investigated factors related to the quality of early-childhood practitioners' interactions with infants in play and routine contexts. Participants were 24 practitioners working with 9-20-month-old infants in long day-care infant programmes. Video-recordings of their interactions with a nominated infant during play and in routine…

Autism: cause factors, early diagnosis and therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Shreya; Acharya, U Rajendra; Adeli, Hojjat; Bairy, G Muralidhar; Adeli, Amir

2014-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobiological disorder characterized by neuropsychological and behavioral deficits. Cognitive impairment, lack of social skills, and stereotyped behavior are the major autistic symptoms, visible after a certain age. It is one of the fastest growing disabilities. Its current prevalence rate in the U.S. estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 1 in 68 births. The genetic and physiological structure of the brain is studied to determine the pathology of autism, but diagnosis of autism at an early age is challenging due to the existing phenotypic and etiological heterogeneity among ASD individuals. Volumetric and neuroimaging techniques are explored to elucidate the neuroanatomy of the ASD brain. Nuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neuroimaging biomarkers can help in the early diagnosis and treatment of ASD. This paper presents a review of the types of autism, etiologies, early detection, and treatment of ASD.

Early physiotherapy ad modum Vojta or Bobath in infants with suspected neuromotor disturbance.

Science.gov (United States)

d'Avignon, M; Norén, L; Arman, T

1981-08-01

Thirty children with early signs of cerebral neuromotor disturbances according to "Vojta criteria" were followed until the age of thirty-three months to six years. Twelve children were treated with early physiotherapy according to Bobath, ten children were treated according to Vojta and eight constituted a control group. The infants tended for early physical therapy were divided by random into two different groups. The neonatal risk factors, however, proved to be unevenly distributed among the infants in the Vojta- and the Bobath-treated groups - the latter being more heavily burdened in this respect. Vojta has claimed that his method of early physiotherapy is able to prevent the development of cerebral palsy (cp) of "uncomplicated" (but not of "complicated") type. At follow-up we found one child out of nine with "uncomplicated" cp in the Vojta group against three out of six in the Bobath- and two out of six in the control group. These differences, however, are not statistically significant. Further detailed studies with greater groups of children seem necessary to help us to clarify these problems. The psychological aspects of early physiotherapy should be thoroughly considered and this is particularly important in connection with the Vojta method.

Evolution of care indicators after an early discharge intervention in preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Toral-López, Isabel; González-Carrión, María Pilar; Rivas-Campos, Antonio; Lafuente-Lorca, Justa; Castillo-Vera, Josefa; de Casas, Carmen; Peña-Caballero, Manuela

To evaluate the evolution of health outcomes in preterm infants included in an early discharge programme. Controlled, non-randomised trial with an intervention group and a control group children admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves of Granada were included in the study. The intervention group comprised preterm infants admitted to the neonatal unit clinically stable, whose family home was located within 20km. from the hospital. They were discharged two weeks before the established time and a skilled nurse in neonatal care monitored them at home. The control group comprised infants who could not be included in home monitoring due to the distance to the hospital criterion or because their families did not give their consent and who received the usual care until their discharge. The study variables were the outcome indicators of the Nursing Outcomes Classification. Differences were found in the Nursing Outcomes Classification scores in the intervention group compared to the control group. The early discharge of preterm infants followed up at home by an expert nurse in neonatal care is a health service that achieves results in preparating parents for the care of their child, enabling them to learn about the health services, adapt to their new life, and establishbreastfeeding times. It constitutes safe intervention for children and is beneficial to parents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonography in Early Diagnosis of Heterotopic Ossification

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Shan-Hui Lin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We report here the case of a 32-year-old man with a history of traumatic brain injury who presented with swelling of his right thigh. Soft tissue ultrasonography performed 3 days after the onset of symptoms showed a heterogeneous hyperechoic lesion with the formation of cysts and hypervascularity in the right iliopsoas abutting the surface of the femoral bone. This became a diffuse echogenic plaque with a posterior acoustic shadowing 12 days later. A diagnosis of heterotopic ossification was made on the basis of the presence of typical ultrasonographic findings and was confirmed by pathology. We emphasize that an early diagnosis of heterotopic ossification can be made with ultrasonography and can lead to early treatment.

Early participation in a prenatal food supplementation program ameliorates the negative association of food insecurity with quality of maternal-infant interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Frith, Amy L; Naved, Ruchira T; Persson, Lars Ake; Rasmussen, Kathleen M; Frongillo, Edward A

2012-06-01

Food insecurity is detrimental to child development, yet little is known about the combined influence of food insecurity and nutritional interventions on child development in low-income countries. We proposed that women assigned to an early invitation time to start a prenatal food supplementation program could reduce the negative influence of food insecurity on maternal-infant interaction. A cohort of 180 mother-infant dyads were studied (born between May and October 2003) from among 3267 in the randomized controlled trial Maternal Infant Nutritional Interventions Matlab, which was conducted in Matlab, Bangladesh. At 8 wk gestation, women were randomly assigned an invitation time to start receiving food supplements (2.5 MJ/d; 6 d/wk) either early (~9 wk gestation; early-invitation group) or at the usual start time (~20 wk gestation; usual-invitation group) for the government program. Maternal-infant interaction was observed in homes with the use of the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training Feeding Scale, and food-insecurity status was obtained from questionnaires completed when infants were 3.4-4.0 mo old. By using a general linear model for maternal-infant interaction, we found a significant interaction (P = 0.012) between invitation time to start a prenatal food supplementation program and food insecurity. Those in the usual-invitation group with higher food insecurity scores (i.e., more food insecure) had a lower quality of maternal-infant interaction, but this relationship was ameliorated among those in the early-invitation group. Food insecurity limits the ability of mothers and infants to interact well, but an early invitation time to start a prenatal food supplementation program can support mother-infant interaction among those who are food insecure.

Primary hyperoxaluria in infants

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Manel Jellouli

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The infantile form of primary hyperoxaluria type-1 (PH-1 is characterized by a rapid progression to the end-stage renal disease (ESRD due to both increased oxalate load and reduced glomerular filtration rate. In the literature, data on this form are limited. The purpose of this study is to analyze retrospectively the clinical, biological, and radiological features of children who were diagnosed with PH-1 during the 1styear of life. We reviewed the records of all children with PH-1 diagnosed and followed-up at our department between January 1995 and December 2013. Among them, only infants younger than 12 months of age were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Fourteen infants with the median age of two months were enrolled in the study. At diagnosis, 11 patients had ESRD. All patients had nephrocalcinosis and two of them had calculi. The diagnosis was established in nine patients on the basis of the positive family history of PH-1, bilateral nephrocalcinosis, and quantitative crystalluria. In four patients, the diagnosis was made with molecular analysis of DNA. Kidney biopsy contributed to the diagnosis in one patient. During follow-up, two patients were pyridoxine sensitive and preserved renal function. Seven among 11 patients who had ESRD died, four patients are currently undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Children with infantile PH and ESRD are at high risk of early death. Peritoneal dialysis is not a treatment of choice. Combined liver-kidney transplantation is mandatory.

Early x-ray diagnosis of coxarthrosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lingg, G.; Nebel, G.

Radiological and pathological comparisons on specimen of femur head and neck at autopsy have shown a statistical relationship between osteophytosis of the femoral head and ulcerations of the joint cartilage. Especially, there are highly significant relationships between the length of osteophytes and the diameter of the ulcera. The 'plaque'-sign is shown to be a very sensitive indicator of early arthrosis. So there exist semiquantitative parameters for the X-ray diagnosis of early coxarthrosis.

Infant Massage and Quality of Early Mother-Infant Interactions: Are There Associations with Maternal Psychological Wellbeing, Marital Quality, and Social Support?

Science.gov (United States)

Porreca, Alessio; Parolin, Micol; Bozza, Giusy; Freato, Susanna; Simonelli, Alessandra

2016-01-01

Infant massage programs have proved to be effective in enhancing post-natal development of highly risk infants, such as preterm newborns and drug or HIV exposed children. Less studies have focused on the role of infant massage in supporting the co-construction of early adult-child relationships. In line with this lack of literature, the present paper reports on a pilot study aimed at investigating longitudinally the quality of mother-child interactions, with specific reference to emotional availability (EA), in a group of mother-child pairs involved in infant massage classes. Moreover, associations between mother-child EA, maternal wellbeing, marital adjustment, and social support were also investigated, with the hypothesis to find a link between low maternal distress, high couple satisfaction and high perceived support and interactions of better quality in the dyads. The study involved 20 mothers and their children, aged between 2 and 7 months, who participated to infant massage classes. The assessment took place at three stages: at the beginning of massage course, at the end of it and at 1-month follow-up. At the first stage of assessment self-report questionnaires were administered to examine the presence of maternal psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90-R), perceived social support (MSPSS), and marital adjustment (Dyadic Adjustment Scale); dyadic interactions were observed and rated with the Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, 2008) at each stage of data collection. The results showed a significant improvement in the quality of mother-child interactions, between the first and the last evaluation, parallel to the unfolding of the massage program, highlighting a general increase in maternal and child's EA. The presence of maternal psychological distress resulted associated with less optimal mother-child emotional exchanges, while the hypothesis regarding couple satisfaction and social support influence were not confirmed. These preliminary results, if replicated

Early prenatal vitamin D concentrations and social-emotional development in infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Chawla, Devika; Fuemmeler, Bernard; Benjamin-Neelon, Sara E; Hoyo, Cathrine; Murphy, Susan; Daniels, Julie L

2017-12-04

Many pregnant women in the United States have suboptimal vitamin D, but the impact on infant development is unclear. Moreover, no pregnancy-specific vitamin D recommendations have been widely accepted. Given the ubiquitous expression of vitamin D receptors in the brain, we investigated the association between early prenatal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and children's social and emotional development in the Newborn Epigenetic Study, a prospective study of pregnancies from 2009 to 2011 in Durham, North Carolina. We measured 25(OH)D concentrations in first or second trimester plasma samples and categorized 25(OH)D concentrations into quartiles. Covariates were derived from maternal questionnaires. Mothers completed the Infant Toddler Social-Emotional Development Assessment when children were 12-24 months of age. We used multivariable linear regression to evaluate associations between 25(OH)D and specific behavior scores, adjusted for season of blood draw, maternal age, education, parity, smoking, marital status, prepregnancy BMI, and infant gender. We investigated effect-measure modification by race/ethnicity. Of the 218 mother-infant pairs with complete data, Black mothers had much lower 25(OH)D concentrations as compared to White and Hispanic mothers. After adjustment, lower prenatal 25(OH)D was associated with slightly higher (less favorable) Internalizing scores among White children, but lower (more favorable) Internalizing scores among Black and Hispanic children. Lower prenatal 25(OH)D also appears to be associated with higher (less favorable) dysregulation scores, though only among White and Hispanic children. Though imprecise, preliminary results warrant further investigation regarding a role for prenatal vitamin D on children's early social and emotional development.

Integrating nutrition and early child-development interventions among infants and preschoolers in rural India.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez-Rao, Sylvia; Hurley, Kristen M; Nair, Krishnapillai Madhavan; Balakrishna, Nagalla; Radhakrishna, Kankipati V; Ravinder, Punjal; Tilton, Nicholas; Harding, Kimberly B; Reinhart, Greg A; Black, Maureen M

2014-01-01

This article describes the development, design, and implementation of an integrated randomized double-masked placebo-controlled trial (Project Grow Smart) that examines how home/preschool fortification with multiple micronutrient powder (MNP) combined with an early child-development intervention affects child development, growth, and micronutrient status among infants and preschoolers in rural India. The 1-year trial has an infant phase (enrollment age: 6-12 months) and a preschool phase (enrollment age: 36-48 months). Infants are individually randomized into one of four groups: placebo, placebo plus early learning, MNP alone, and MNP plus early learning (integrated intervention), conducted through home visits. The preschool phase is a cluster-randomized trial conducted in Anganwadi centers (AWCs), government-run preschools sponsored by the Integrated Child Development System of India. AWCs are randomized into MNP or placebo, with the MNP or placebo mixed into the children's food. The evaluation examines whether the effects of the MNP intervention vary by the quality of the early learning opportunities and communication within the AWCs. Study outcomes include child development, growth, and micronutrient status. Lessons learned during the development, design, and implementation of the integrated trial can be used to guide large-scale policy and programs designed to promote the developmental, educational, and economic potential of children in developing countries. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

Comprehensive Early Stimulation Program for Infants. Instruction Manual [and] Early Interventionist's Workbook [and] Parent/Caregiver Workbook. William Beaumont Hospital Speech and Language Pathology Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, Altagracia A.; Bottino, Patti M.

This early intervention kit includes a Comprehensive Early Stimulation Program for Infants (CESPI) instruction manual, an early interventionist workbook, and ten parent/caregiver workbooks. The CESPI early intervention program is designed to provide therapists, teachers, other health professionals, and parents with a common-sense, practical guide…

Research progress in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-sha SUN

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease (AD is a kind of central nervous system degenerative disease with higher incidence, which has been paid increasing attention. The pathogenesis is not yet clear though it has been studied a lot. The existing theories focused on amyloid β-protein (Aβ deposit, hyperphosphorylation of tau and cholinergic neuronal loss. There is mainly symptomatic treatment which cannot reverse disease course. So early diagnosis is particularly important for prevention and treatment of AD. The article will review recent advances in the studies of early diagnosis of AD. It may help accurately diagnose the process from mild cognitive impairment (MCI to early AD and give advice on prevention and treatment. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.03.011

The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (INFANT an early intervention to prevent childhood obesity: Cluster-randomised controlled trial

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Campbell Karen

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multiple factors combine to support a compelling case for interventions that target the development of obesity-promoting behaviours (poor diet, low physical activity and high sedentary behaviour from their inception. These factors include the rapidly increasing prevalence of fatness throughout childhood, the instigation of obesity-promoting behaviours in infancy, and the tracking of these behaviours from childhood through to adolescence and adulthood. The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (INFANT aims to determine the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity prevention intervention delivered to first-time parents. The intervention, conducted with parents over the infant's first 18 months of life, will use existing social networks (first-time parent's groups and an anticipatory guidance framework focusing on parenting skills which support the development of positive diet and physical activity behaviours, and reduced sedentary behaviours in infancy. Methods/Design This cluster-randomised controlled trial, with first-time parent groups as the unit of randomisation, will be conducted with a sample of 600 first-time parents and their newborn children who attend the first-time parents' group at Maternal and Child Health Centres. Using a two-stage sampling process, local government areas in Victoria, Australia will be randomly selected at the first stage. At the second stage, a proportional sample of first-time parent groups within selected local government areas will be randomly selected and invited to participate. Informed consent will be obtained and groups will then be randomly allocated to the intervention or control group. Discussion The early years hold promise as a time in which obesity prevention may be most effective. To our knowledge this will be the first randomised trial internationally to demonstrate whether an early health promotion program delivered to first-time parents in their existing social groups

Early diagnosis of osteomyelitis occurred in the jaws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Eun Sook; Na, Seung Mog; Lee, Un Gyeong; Koh, Kwang Joon

1994-01-01

Early diagnosis and treatment of osteomyelitis provide good prognosis and prevent severe complications. Therefore, it is important to early diagnose and treat before the bony changes are observed in conventional radiograms. Authors experienced three cases of early osteomyelitis, and scintigrams were useful to differentiate them from other diseases. The purpose of this report was to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of osteomyelitis occurred in the jaws. The characteristic features were as follows: 1. In clinical examination, the patients complained mild pain and localized swelling in the jaws. 2. In radiographic findings, the conventional radiograms showed relatively mild bony change in the jaws. 3. The more severe periosteal reactions were observed in radiograms in children than in adult patient. 4. It showed marked increased uptake of radioisotopes in all scintigrams. 5. The three phase bone scanning were helpful to differentiate osteomyelitis from soft tissue diseases.

Investigation of Maternal-Infant Attachment In The Early Postpartum Period With Evidence Based Practice

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Asli Gulesen

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Healthy attachment is a key concept in creating a positive environment for the development of the infant after birth. The earlier and the healthier the mother creates a communication and interaction with her baby, a stronger maternal-infant attachment will be developed. The time period immediately after birth is the most convenient time for the initiation of positive mother-infant relationship as it is the most intense period of attachment. The aim of this article was to define mother-infant attachment and to examine the evidence-based practices for midwives and nurses who play a role in the development of this attachment in the early postpartum period. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2013; 12(2.000: 177-182

The Development of Coordinated Communication in Infants at Heightened Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Parladé, Meaghan V.; Iverson, Jana M.

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the extent to which developmental change in coordination of social communication in early infancy differentiates children eventually diagnosed with ASD from those not likely to develop the disorder. A prospective longitudinal design was used to compare 9 infants at heightened risk for ASD (HR) later diagnosed with ASD, to 13 HR infants with language delay, 28 HR infants with no diagnosis, and 30 low risk infants. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analyses revealed that ASD infants exhibited significantly slower growth in coordinations overall and in gestures coordinated with vocalizations, even relative to HR infants with language delay. Disruption in the development of gesture-vocalization coordinations may result in negative cascading effects that negatively impact later social and linguistic development. PMID:25689930

686 mE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ACUTE MENINGITIS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1971-06-26

Jun 26, 1971 ... non-tuberculous meningitis in infants and children admitted during 1967 to The ... The emphasis on early diagnosis, and general therapeutic ... genes (1) and 2 cases of cerebral vein thrombosis yielded .... or paralysis. 7. 8 ..... preparation for yeast forms, unstained or with methylene ... Physical examination.

Effect of Early Intervention to Promote Mother - Infant Interaction and Maternal Sensitivity in Japan: A Parenting Support Program based on Infant Mental Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Komoto, Keiko; Hirose, Taiko; Omori, Takahide; Takeo, Naoko; Okamitsu, Motoko; Okubo, Noriko; Okawa, Hiroji

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effects of the Japanese Early Promotion Program (JEPP), which is based on the Infant Mental Health (IMH) program. The JEPP aims to promote mother-infant interactions by enhancing the mother's ability to respond appropriately her child. Mothers in the JEPP group (n = 15) received support from IMH nurses in a pediatric clinic until their infants reached 12 months of age. The nurses provided positive feedback that emphasized strength of parenting, and assisted the mothers in understanding the construct of their infants. Mother-infant interactions and mother's mental health status were assessed at intake (1-3 months), and at 6, 9, and 12 months of infants' age. The JEPP group data were compared with cross-sectional data of the control group (n = 120). Although JEPP dyads were not found to be significantly different from the control group in general dyadic synchrony, both before and after intervention, JEPP mothers significantly improved their ability to understand their infant's cues and to respond promptly. In the JEPP group, unresponsiveness to infants was reduced in mothers, while infants showed reduced passiveness and enhanced responsiveness to the mother. Furthermore, the intervention reduced the mothers' parenting stress and negative emotions, thereby enhancing their self-esteem.

Early corticosteroid treatment does not affect severity of unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in extreme low birth weight preterm infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hulzebos, Christian V.; Bos, Arend F.; Anttila, Eija; Hallman, Mikko; Verkade, Henkjan J.

Aim: To determine the relationship between early postnatal dexamethasone (DXM) treatment and the severity of hyperbilirubinemia in extreme low birth weight (ELBW) preterm infants. Methods: In 54 ELBW preterm infants, total serum bilirubin concentrations (TSB) and phototherapy (PT) data during the

Morbidity in early Parkinson's disease and prior to diagnosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frandsen, Rune; Kjellberg, Jakob; Ibsen, Rikke

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Nonmotor symptoms are probably present prior to, early on, and following, a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Nonmotor symptoms may hold important information about the progression of Parkinson's disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluated the total early and prediagnostic morbidities in the 3......, poisoning and certain other external causes, and other factors influencing health status and contact with health services. It was negatively associated with neoplasm, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease present significant differences...

Mother-to-Infant Transmission of Intestinal Bifidobacterial Strains Has an Impact on the Early Development of Vaginally Delivered Infant's Microbiota

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Makino, H.; Kushiro, A.; Ishikawa, E.; Kubota, H.; Gawad, A.; Sakai, T.; Oishi, K.; Martin, R.; Ben-Amor, K.; Knol, J.; Tanaka, R.

2013-01-01

Objectives: Bifidobacterium species are one of the major components of the infant's intestine microbiota. Colonization with bifidobacteria in early infancy is suggested to be important for health in later life. However, information remains limited regarding the source of these microbes. Here, we

[Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia: a rare differential diagnosis in hypoproteinemia in infants].

Science.gov (United States)

Möller, A; Kalhoff, H; Reuter, T; Friedrichs, N; Wagner, N

2006-01-01

Congenital intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare disease in childhood, which may already cause protein-losing enteropathy in newborns. This is a case report of an infant with generalized edema and protein-losing enteropathy, in whom intestinal lymphangiectasia was diagnosed at the age of two months. Following repetitive intravenous albumin und gamma globulin infusions, the elimination of long-chain fats from the diet and the substitution with medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) led to an improvement of the protein-losing enteropathy. In newborns with low level of serum protein and edema protein-losing enteropathy caused by congenital lymphangiectasia might be considered as a differential diagnosis.

Neurological outcomes in symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus-infected infants after introduction of newborn urine screening and antiviral treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida, Kosuke; Morioka, Ichiro; Nakamachi, Yuji; Kobayashi, Yoko; Imanishi, Takamitsu; Kawano, Seiji; Iwatani, Sota; Koda, Tsubasa; Deguchi, Masashi; Tanimura, Kenji; Yamashita, Daisuke; Nibu, Ken-Ichi; Funakoshi, Toru; Ohashi, Masanobu; Inoue, Naoki; Iijima, Kazumoto; Yamada, Hideto

2016-02-01

Newborn screening for urinary cytomegalovirus (CMV) and early introduction of antiviral treatment are expected to improve neurological outcomes in symptomatic congenital CMV-infected infants. This cohort study prospectively evaluated neurological outcomes in symptomatic congenital CMV-infected infants following the introduction of hospital-based newborn urinary CMV screening and antiviral treatment. Following institutional review board approval and written informed consent from their parents, newborns were prospectively screened from 2009 to 2014 for urinary CMV-DNA by PCR within 1 week after birth at Kobe University Hospital and affiliated hospitals. CMV-positive newborns were further examined at Kobe University Hospital, and those diagnosed as symptomatic were treated with valganciclovir for 6 weeks plus immunoglobulin. Clinical neurological outcomes were evaluated at age ⩾12 months and categorized by the presence and severity of neurologic sequelae. Urine samples of 6348 newborns were screened, with 32 (0.50%) positive for CMV. Of these, 16 were diagnosed with symptomatic infection and 12 received antiviral treatment. Four infants developed severe impairment (33%), three developed mild impairment (25%), and five developed normally (42%). This is the first Japanese report of neurological assessments in infants with symptomatic congenital CMV infection who received early diagnosis and antiviral treatment. Urinary screening, resulting in early diagnosis and treatment, may yield better neurological outcomes in symptomatic congenital CMV-infected infants. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early diagnosis and research of high myopia with primary open angle glaucoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Guo

2014-04-01

Full Text Available People with high myopia are high risk populations to have primary open angle glaucoma. Clinically, we found that patients with primary open angle glaucoma and high myopia is closely related. So to understand the clinical features of high myopia with primary open angle glaucoma and the importance of early diagnosis, to avoiding missed diagnosis or lower misdiagnosed rate, can help to improve the vigilance and level of early diagnosis of the clinicians. In this paper, high myopia with clinical features of primary open angle glaucoma, and the research progress on the main points of early diagnosis were reviewed.

Diagnosis and early management of acute hyperammonaemia

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Mojca Žerjav Tanšek

2010-02-01

Elevated ammonia concentration is neurotoxic and causes irreversible glial and neuronal damage resulting in cerebral oedema with poor outcome. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial and may considerably improve the clinical course.

Utilizing a Collaborative Learning Model to Promote Early Extubation Following Infant Heart Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahle, William T; Nicolson, Susan C; Hollenbeck-Pringle, Danielle; Gaies, Michael G; Witte, Madolin K; Lee, Eva K; Goldsworthy, Michelle; Stark, Paul C; Burns, Kristin M; Scheurer, Mark A; Cooper, David S; Thiagarajan, Ravi; Sivarajan, V Ben; Colan, Steven D; Schamberger, Marcus S; Shekerdemian, Lara S

2016-10-01

To determine whether a collaborative learning strategy-derived clinical practice guideline can reduce the duration of endotracheal intubation following infant heart surgery. Prospective and retrospective data collected from the Pediatric Heart Network in the 12 months pre- and post-clinical practice guideline implementation at the four sites participating in the collaborative (active sites) compared with data from five Pediatric Heart Network centers not participating in collaborative learning (control sites). Ten children's hospitals. Data were collected for infants following two-index operations: 1) repair of isolated coarctation of the aorta (birth to 365 d) and 2) repair of tetralogy of Fallot (29-365 d). There were 240 subjects eligible for the clinical practice guideline at active sites and 259 subjects at control sites. Development and application of early extubation clinical practice guideline. After clinical practice guideline implementation, the rate of early extubation at active sites increased significantly from 11.7% to 66.9% (p collaborative learning strategy designed clinical practice guideline significantly increased the rate of early extubation with no change in the rate of reintubation. The early extubation clinical practice guideline did not significantly change postoperative ICU length of stay.

PREDICTORS OF INFANT AND TODDLER BLACK BOYS' EARLY LEARNING: SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES AND MINIMIZING RISKS.

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Iruka, Iheoma U

2017-01-01

Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) data set (U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2001), this study examined child, family, and community factors in the early years (infant and toddler years) to predict the cognitive and language outcomes for preschool-age Black boys in relation to Black girls and White boys. Findings indicate that Black children face many challenges, with Black boys experiencing less sensitive parenting as compared to their peers. We live in a highly complex, racialized environment. While there are universal indicators that predict children's preschool outcomes such as strong social positioning and positive parenting, there are, in addition, some indicators that are more beneficial for Black boys' early development, including a stable, less urban home environment with parents engaging in "tough love." © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Supporting meningitis diagnosis amongst infants and children through the use of fuzzy cognitive mapping

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2012-01-01

Background Meningitis is characterized by an inflammation of the meninges, or the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for a positive outcome, yet identifying meningitis is a complex process involving an array of signs and symptoms and multiple causal factors which require novel solutions to support clinical decision-making. In this work, we explore the potential of fuzzy cognitive map to assist in the modeling of meningitis, as a support tool for physicians in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Methods Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) is a method for analysing and depicting human perception of a given system. FCM facilitates the development of a conceptual model which is not limited by exact values and measurements and thus is well suited to representing relatively unstructured knowledge and associations expressed in imprecise terms. A team of doctors (physicians), comprising four paediatricians, was formed to define the multifarious signs and symptoms associated with meningitis and to identify risk factors integral to its causality, as indicators used by clinicians to identify the presence or absence of meningitis in patients. The FCM model, consisting of 20 concept nodes, has been designed by the team of paediatricians in collaborative dialogue with the research team. Results The paediatricians were supplied with a form containing various input parameters to be completed at the time of diagnosing meningitis among infants and children. The paediatricians provided information on a total of 56 patient cases amongst children whose age ranged from 2 months to 7 years. The physicians’ decision to diagnose meningitis was available for each individual case which was used as the outcome measure for evaluating the model. The FCM was trained using 40 cases with an accuracy of 95%, and later 16 test cases were used to analyze the accuracy and reliability of the model. The system produced the results

Maternal buffering beyond glucocorticoids: impact of early life stress on corticolimbic circuits that control infant responses to novelty

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Howell, Brittany R.; McMurray, Matthew S.; Guzman, Dora B.; Nair, Govind; Shi, Yundi; McCormack, Kai M.; Hu, Xiaoping; Styner, Martin A.; Sanchez, Mar M.

2017-01-01

Maternal presence has a potent buffering effect on infant fear and stress responses in primates. We previously reported that maternal presence is not effective in buffering the endocrine stress response in infant rhesus monkeys reared by maltreating mothers. We have also reported that maltreating mothers show low maternal responsiveness and permissiveness/secure-base behavior. Although still not understood, it is possible that this maternal buffering effect is mediated, at least partially, through deactivation of amygdala response circuits when mothers are present. Here we studied rhesus monkey infants that differed in the quality of early maternal care to investigate how this early experience modulated maternal buffering effects on behavioral responses to novelty during the weaning period. We also examined the relationship between these behavioral responses and structural connectivity in one of the underlying regulatory neural circuits: amygdala-prefrontal pathways. Our findings suggest that infant exploration in a novel situation is predicted by maternal responsiveness and structural integrity of amygdala-prefrontal white matter depending on maternal presence (positive relationships when mother is absent). These results provide evidence that maternal buffering of infant behavioral inhibition is dependent on the quality of maternal care and structural connectivity of neural pathways that are sensitive to early life stress. PMID:27295326

Cascading effects of attention disengagement and sensory seeking on social symptoms in a community sample of infants at-risk for a future diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder

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Grace T. Baranek

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recent work suggests sensory seeking predicts later social symptomatology through reduced social orienting in infants who are at high-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD based on their status as younger siblings of children diagnosed with ASD. We drew on extant longitudinal data from a community sample of at-risk infants who were identified at 12 months using the First Year Inventory, and followed to 3–5 years. We replicate findings of Damiano et al. (in this issue that a high-risk infants who go on to be diagnosed with ASD show heightened sensory seeking in the second year of life relative to those who do not receive a diagnosis, and b increased sensory seeking indirectly relates to later social symptomatology via reduced social orienting. We extend previous findings to show that sensory seeking has more clinical utility later in the second year of life (20–24 months than earlier (13–15 months. Further, this study suggests that diminished attention disengagement at 12–15 months may precede and predict increased sensory seeking at 20–24 months. Findings add support for the notion that sensory features produce cascading effects on social development in infants at risk for ASD, and suggest that reduced attention disengagement early in life may set off this cascade. Keywords: Sensory features, Autism, Infants, Social, Longitudinal, Attention, Risk markers

The Red Blood Cell Membrane of Preterm Infants in the Early Neonatal Period

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S. A. Perepelitsa

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to study the nanostructure of red blood cell membranes and erythrocyte index in preterm neonatal infants.Subjects and methods. The trial enrolled 47 neonatal infants, including 33 preterm infants who were included in a study group and 14 fullterm infants who formed a comparative group. The gestational age of the preterm infants was 33.3±1.9 weeks and the birth weight was 2065.4±304.8 g. Red blood cell counts, hemoglobin, and erythrocyte indices were estimat ed and the red blood cells were examined using an atomicforce microscope.Results. At birth, the preterm infants showed macrocytosis, intrauterine poikylocytosis, and the impaired nanostructure of red blood cell membranes. Intrauterine hypoxia affects the red blood cell membrane nanostructures: a phospholipid bilayer and a spectrin matrix, without damaging the membrane protein component. The detected changes are reversible and directed to maintaining the functional ability of red blood cells in a critical situation. At birth, gestational age, a baby's weight, hemoglobin, and blood cholesterol and standard bicarbonate levels influence the parameters of a red blood cell component. The early neonatal period was characterized by an active process on the red blood cell membranes and a change of morphological forms, suggesting the continuing postnatal rearrangement of erythropoiesis and a preterm infant's adaptation to new environmental conditions.

Early weight changes after birth and serum high-molecular-weight adiponectin level in preterm infants.

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Yoshida, Tomohide; Nagasaki, Hiraku; Asato, Yoshihide; Ohta, Takao

2011-12-01

Extra-uterine growth retardation (EUGR) is associated with an increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases later in life. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between early weight change after birth in preterm infants and adiponectin (adn) multimeric complexes. Subjects included 28 preterm infants born between weeks 24 and 33 of gestation. Serum adn multimeric complexes and the anthropometric parameters were measured in preterm infants at birth and at corrected term. Bodyweight (BW) decreased during the first week of life, with birthweight restored at approximately 19 days after birth. Nineteen of the subjects had EUGR at corrected term. Total (T)-adn, high-molecular-weight (H)-adn, and the ratio of H-adn to T-adn (H/T-adn) were significantly elevated at corrected term than at birth. Postmenstrual age, birthweight, birth length and lowest BW after birth were positively correlated with H-adn and H/T-adn. Weight reduction after birth was negatively correlated with H-adn. Age to restore birthweight was negatively correlated with T-adn, H-adn and H/T-adn. Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated age to restore birthweight as the major predictor of T-adn and H-adn. Early weight changes after birth may alter serum adn level in preterm infants at corrected term. The appropriate nutritional support in the early postnatal period could reduce the prevalence of EUGR and the future risk for cardiometabolic diseases. © 2011 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2011 Japan Pediatric Society.

Surrogate mobility and orientation affect the early neurobehavioral development of infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

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Dettmer, Amanda M; Ruggiero, Angela M; Novak, Melinda A; Meyer, Jerrold S; Suomi, Stephen J

2008-05-01

A biological mother's movement appears necessary for optimal development in infant monkeys. However, nursery-reared monkeys are typically provided with inanimate surrogate mothers that move very little. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel, highly mobile surrogate mother on motor development, exploration, and reactions to novelty. Six infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were reared on mobile hanging surrogates (MS) and compared to six infants reared on standard stationary rocking surrogates (RS) and to 9-15 infants reared with their biological mothers (MR) for early developmental outcome. We predicted that MS infants would develop more similarly to MR infants than RS infants. In neonatal assessments conducted at Day 30, both MS and MR infants showed more highly developed motor activity than RS infants on measures of grasping (p = .009), coordination (p = .038), spontaneous crawl (p = .009), and balance (p = .003). At 2-3 months of age, both MS and MR infants displayed higher levels of exploration in the home cage than RS infants (p = .016). In a novel situation in which only MS and RS infants were tested, MS infants spent less time near their surrogates in the first five minutes of the test session than RS infants (p = .05), indicating a higher level of comfort. Collectively, these results suggest that when nursery-rearing of infant monkeys is necessary, a mobile hanging surrogate may encourage more normative development of gross motor skills and exploratory behavior and may serve as a useful alternative to stationary or rocking surrogates.

Infant Positioning, Baby Gear Use, and Cranial Asymmetry.

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Zachry, Anne H; Nolan, Vikki G; Hand, Sarah B; Klemm, Susan A

2017-12-01

Objectives This study aimed to identify predictors of cranial asymmetry. We hypothesize that among infants diagnosed with cranial asymmetry in the sampled region, there is an association between exposure to more time in baby gear and less awake time in prone and side-lying than in infants who do not present with this condition. Methods The study employed a cross sectional survey of caregivers of typically developing infants and infants diagnosed with cranial asymmetry. Results A mutivariable model reveals that caregivers of children who are diagnosed with cranial asymmetry report their children spending significantly less time in prone play than those children without a diagnosis of cranial asymmetry. Side-lying and time spent in baby gear did not attain statistical significance. Conclusions for Practice Occupational therapists, physical therapists, pediatricians, nurses and other health care professionals must provide parents with early education about the importance of varying positions and prone play in infancy and address fears and concerns that may serve as barriers to providing prone playtime.

Readmission of Preterm Infants Less Than 32 Weeks Gestation Into Early Childhood

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Ralser Elisabeth MD

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of and the predictors for rehospitalization in preterm infants into early childhood, focusing on gender differences. All preterm infants born at <32 weeks of gestation in North Tyrol between January 2003 and December 2005 were enrolled in this survey. About one fifth of all children were readmitted, showing an inverse downward trend with increasing age. The most common reason for readmission in the third (36.5% and fourth (42.9% years of life was respiratory infection, but changed to miscellaneous surgeries in the fifth (52.1%. Male sex showed significantly higher readmission rates and more miscellaneous surgeries. Additionally, male sex and chronic lung disease were risk conditions for rehospitalization in the multivariate analysis. Readmission rates and respiratory infections in preterm-born children showed an inverse downward trend with increasing age. In early childhood, gender difference still plays a role with regard to rehospitalization.

Reliability of Early Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Necessity of Repeating MRI in Noncooled and Cooled Infants With Neonatal Encephalopathy.

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Chakkarapani, Elavazhagan; Poskitt, Kenneth J; Miller, Steven P; Zwicker, Jill G; Xu, Qi; Wong, Darren S T; Roland, Elke H; Hill, Alan; Chau, Vann

2016-04-01

In cooled newborns with encephalopathy, although late magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (10-14 days of age) is reliable in predicting long-term outcome, it is unknown whether early scan (3-6 days of life) is. We compared the predominant pattern and extent of lesion between early and late MRI in 89 term neonates with neonatal encephalopathy. Forty-three neonates (48%) were cooled. The predominant pattern of lesions and the extent of lesion in the watershed region agreed near perfectly in noncooled (kappa = 0.94; k = 0.88) and cooled (k = 0.89; k = 0.87) infants respectively. There was perfect agreement in the extent of lesion in the basal nuclei in noncooled infants (k = 0.83) and excellent agreement in cooled infants (k = 0.67). Changes in extent of lesions on late MRI occurred in 19 of 89 infants, with higher risk in infants with hypoglycemia and moderate-severe lesions in basal nuclei. In most term neonates with neonatal encephalopathy, early MRI (relative to late scan) robustly predicts the predominant pattern and extent of injury. © The Author(s) 2015.

Delays in early neuropsychic development: Approaches to diagnosis

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N. N. Zavadenko

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The population frequency of neuropsychic developmental delays in infants is estimated at nearly 10%; that of global intellectual disability (mental retardation is at 1-3%. Delayed development is denned as a substantial retardation as compared to the standard indicators in any of the basic spheres: motor, communicative, cognitive, adaptive-behavioral, and socioemotional ones. Global developmental delay is characterized by a significant lag in two or more spheres. The use of current diagnostic techniques, such as the Bayley or Griffiths scales, can provide an objective quantitative assessment of both an infant's overall development and indicators in individual spheres. At the preliminary examination stage, it is expedient to carry out a Denver developmental screening test that may be directly used in a doctor's consulting room. The causes of global developmental delay/intellectual disability in infants may be perinatal central nervous system (CNS lesions; brain malformations; intrauterine infections; intrauterine intoxications; early-onset psychoneurological diseases (neuroinfections, CNS injuries, epilepsies, autism spectrum disorders, etc.; congenital hypothyroidism; genetic diseases. Among all genetic causes of global developmental delay/intellectual disability, there are chromosomal anomalies (25-30%, monogenic diseases (metabolic diseases, neuroectodermal syndromes, diseases with predominant grey and white matter involvement. The diagnostic possibilities of current genetic methods are considered.

Evidence for the essentiality of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acid in the postnatal maternal and infant diet for the development of the infant's immune system early in life.

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Richard, Caroline; Lewis, Erin D; Field, Catherine J

2016-05-01

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), especially the balance between arachidonic (AA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are known to have important immunomodulatory roles during the postnatal period when the immune system is rapidly developing. AA and DHA are required in infant formula in many countries but are optional in North America. The rationale for adding these LCPUFA to full-term formula is based on their presence in breast milk and randomized controlled studies that suggest improved cognitive function in preterm infants, but results are more variable in full-term infants. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority has proposed, based on a lack of functional evidence, that AA is not required in infant formula for full-term infants during the first year of life but DHA should remain mandatory. The purpose of this review is to review the evidence from epidemiological and intervention studies regarding the essentiality of AA and DHA in the postnatal infant and maternal diet (breast-feeding) for the immune system development early in life. Although studies support the essentiality of DHA for the immune system development, more research is needed to rule out the essentiality of AA. Nevertheless, intervention studies have demonstrated improvement in many markers of immune function in infants fed formula supplemented with AA and DHA compared with unsupplemented formula, which appears to consistently result in beneficial health outcomes including reduction in the risk of developing allergic and atopic disease early in life.

Proportion of infants meeting the Australian 24-hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years: data from the Melbourne InFANT Program.

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Hesketh, Kylie D; Downing, Katherine L; Campbell, Karen; Crawford, David; Salmon, Jo; Hnatiuk, Jill A

2017-11-20

Little information is available on the movement behaviours of infants, despite evidence that these are important for development. The release of new Australian 24-hour Movement Guidelines provides an opportunity to document the current state of movement behaviours in infants relative to these guidelines. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of 4 month old Australian infants meeting the 24-hour Movement Guidelines, individually, and in combination, and to describe associations with individual characteristics. Maternal report baseline data from the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity and Nutrition Trial Program were used to determine prevalence of infants meeting physical activity (30 min of tummy time per day), sedentary behaviour (no more than 1 h at a time kept restrained; zero screen time), and sleep guidelines (14-17 h for 0-3 month olds or 12-16 h for 4-11 month olds). Prevalence of infants meeting combined guidelines was also described. The odds of meeting guidelines based on infant and family characteristics was determined. Data are reported for 455 infants with a mean age of 3.6 months (SD = 1.0). The proportion of infants meeting each of the guidelines was 29.7% for tummy time, 56.9% for kept restrained, 27.9% for screen time, 58.7% for sleep and 3.5% for the combined guidelines (i.e. meeting all four guidelines). A significantly higher proportion of girls than boys met the screen time guideline (32.5% versus 24.0%, p = 0.04) and the combined guidelines (5.7% versus 1.6%, p = 0.01). Few associations were observed between infant and family characteristics and proportion of infants meeting individual guidelines. Very few infants met all of the guidelines contained in the new Australian 24-hour Movement Guidelines suggesting there is much room for improvement in movement behaviours from early life. Fewer infants met the tummy time and screen time guidelines hence these appear to be the behaviours requiring most attention. Parents and

Technical report—Diagnosis and management of an initial UTI in febrile infants and young children.

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Finnell, S Maria E; Carroll, Aaron E; Downs, Stephen M

2011-09-01

The diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in young children are clinically challenging. This report was developed to inform the revised, evidence-based, clinical guideline regarding the diagnosis and management of initial UTIs in febrile infants and young children, 2 to 24 months of age, from the American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Urinary Tract Infection. The conceptual model presented in the 1999 technical report was updated after a comprehensive review of published literature. Studies with potentially new information or with evidence that reinforced the 1999 technical report were retained. Meta-analyses on the effectiveness of antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent recurrent UTI were performed. Review of recent literature revealed new evidence in the following areas. Certain clinical findings and new urinalysis methods can help clinicians identify febrile children at very low risk of UTI. Oral antimicrobial therapy is as effective as parenteral therapy in treating UTI. Data from published, randomized controlled trials do not support antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent febrile UTI when vesicoureteral reflux is found through voiding cystourethrography. Ultrasonography of the urinary tract after the first UTI has poor sensitivity. Early antimicrobial treatment may decrease the risk of renal damage from UTI. Recent literature agrees with most of the evidence presented in the 1999 technical report, but meta-analyses of data from recent, randomized controlled trials do not support antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent febrile UTI. This finding argues against voiding cystourethrography after the first UTI.

Parents' early healthcare transition experiences with preterm and acutely ill infants: a scoping review.

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Ballantyne, M; Orava, T; Bernardo, S; McPherson, A C; Church, P; Fehlings, D

2017-11-01

Parents undergo multiple transitions following the birth of an ill infant: their infant's illness-health trajectory, neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization and transfers from one healthcare setting to another, while also transitioning to parenthood. The objective of this review was to map and synthesize evidence on the experiences and needs of parents of preterm or ill infants as they transition within and between healthcare settings following birth. The scoping review followed Arskey and O'Malley's () framework, enhanced by Levac et al. (). Relevant studies were identified through a comprehensive search strategy of scientific and grey literature databases, online networks, Web of Science and citation lists of relevant articles. Inclusion criteria encompassed a focus on infants undergoing a healthcare transition, and the experiences and needs of parents during transition. Studies were appraised for design quality, and data relevant to parent experiences were extracted and underwent thematic analysis. A total of 7773 records were retrieved, 90 full texts reviewed and 11 articles synthesized that represented a total sample of 435 parents of preterm or ill infants. Parents reported on their experiences in response to their infant's transition within and between hospitals and across levels of neonatal intensive care unit, intermediate and community hospital care. Ten studies used qualitative research methods, while one employed quantitative survey methods. Four key themes were identified: that of parent distress throughout transition, parenting at a distance, sources of stress and sources of support. Parents' stress resulted from not being informed or involved in the transition decision, inadequate communication and perceived differences in cultures of care across healthcare settings. Opportunities to improve parents' early transition experiences include enhanced engagement, communication, information-sharing and shared decision-making between health care

Early parenteral nutrition and growth outcomes in preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Moyses, Helen E; Johnson, Mark J; Leaf, Alison A; Cornelius, Victoria R

2013-04-01

The achievement of adequate nutritional intakes in preterm infants is challenging and may explain the poor growth often seen in this group. The use of early parenteral nutrition (PN) is one potential strategy to address this problem, although the benefits and harms are unknown. We determined whether earlier administration of PN benefits growth outcomes in preterm infants. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. Eight RCTs and 13 observational studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 553 and 1796 infants). The meta-analysis was limited by disparate growth-outcome measures. An assessment of bias was difficult because of inadequate reporting. Results are given as mean differences (95% CIs). Early PN reduced the time to regain birth weight by 2.2 d (1.1, 3.2 d) for RCTs and 3.2 d (2.0, 4.4 d) in observational studies. The maximum percentage weight loss with early PN was lower by 3.1 percentage points (1.7, 4.5 percentage points) for RCTs and by 3.5 percentage points (2.6, 4.3 percentage points) for observational studies. Early PN improved weight at discharge or 36 wk postmenstrual age by 14.9 g (5.3, 24.5 g) (observational studies only), but no benefit was shown for length or head circumference. There was no evidence that early PN significantly affects risk of mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, chronic lung disease, intraventricular hemorrhage, or cholestasis. The results of this review, although subject to some limitations, show that early PN provides a benefit for some short-term growth outcomes. No evidence that early PN increases morbidity or mortality was found. Neonatal research would benefit from the development of a set of core growth outcome measures.

Mother-Infant and Extra-Dyadic Interactions with a New Social Partner: Developmental Trajectories of Early Social Abilities during Play.

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Fadda, Roberta; Lucarelli, Loredana

2017-01-01

Mother-infant interactions during feeding and play are pivotal experiences in the development of infants' early social abilities (Stern, 1985, 1995; Biringen, 2000). Stern indicated distinctive characteristics of mother-infant interactions, respectively, during feeding and play, suggesting to evaluate both to better describe the complexity of such early affective and social experiences (Stern, 1996). Moreover, during the first years of life, infants acquire cognitive and social skills that allow them to interact with new social partners in extra-dyadic interactions. However, the relations between mother-child interactions and infants' social skills in extra-dyadic interactions are still unknown. We investigated longitudinally the relations between mother-child interactions during feeding and play and child's pre-verbal communicative abilities in extra-dyadic interactions during play. 20 dyads were evaluated at T 1 (infants aged between 9-22 months) and 6 months later, at T 2 . The interdyadic differences in mother-infant interactions during feeding and play were evaluated, respectively, with the "Feeding Scale" (Chatoor et al., 1997) and with the "Play Scale" (Chatoor, 2006) and the socio-communicative abilities of children with a new social partner during play were evaluated with the "Early Social Communication Scales" (Mundy et al., 2003). We distinguished the dyads into two categories: dyads with functional interactions (high dyadic reciprocity, low dyadic conflict) and dyads with dysfunctional interactions (lower dyadic reciprocity, higher dyadic conflict). At T 1 , infants belonging to dyads with dysfunctional interactions were significantly lower in "Initiating Joint Attention" and in "Responding to Joint Attention" in interaction with a new social partner compared to the infants belonging to dyads with functional interactions. At T 2 , infants belonging to dyads with dysfunctional interactions were significantly lower in "Initiating Social Interactions" with

Brain lesions in preterm infants: initial diagnosis and follow-up

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Argyropoulou, Maria I. [University of Ioannina, Department of Radiology, Medical School, Ioannina (Greece)

2010-06-15

Children surviving premature birth present with a wide spectrum of motor, sensory and cognitive disabilities, ranging from slight motor deficits, school difficulties and behavioural problems to cerebral palsy and mental retardation. The anatomic and functional substrate of these problems can be investigated using a variety of imaging techniques. Cranial US coupled with colour Doppler is a well-established method for the initial diagnosis of intraventricular haemorrhage, parenchymal haemorrhagic infarct and periventricular leukomalacia. MRI is useful for the follow-up study of brain maturation. Conventional T1- and T2-weighted sequences, magnetization transfer and diffusion tensor imaging coupled with sophisticated tools of tissue segmentation and analysis at a voxel level offer substantial anatomic and functional information on pathological conditions that define the prognosis of preterm infants. (orig.)

Effects of an early intervention on maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and the quality of mother-infant interaction: the case of preterm birth.

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Borghini, Ayala; Habersaat, Stephanie; Forcada-Guex, Margarita; Nessi, Jennifer; Pierrehumbert, Blaise; Ansermet, François; Müller-Nix, Carole

2014-11-01

Preterm birth may represent a traumatic situation for both parents and a stressful situation for the infant, potentially leading to difficulties in mother-infant relationships. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an early intervention on maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms, and on the quality of mother-infant interactions, in a sample of very preterm infants and their mothers. Half of the very preterm infants involved in the study (n=26) were randomly assigned to a 3-step early intervention program (at 33 and 42 weeks after conception and at 4 months' corrected age). Both groups of preterm infants (with and without intervention) were compared to a group of full-term infants. The impact of the intervention on maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms was assessed 42 weeks after conception and when the infants were 4 and 12 months of age. The impact of the intervention on the quality of mother-infant interactions was assessed when the infants were 4 months old. Results showed a lowering of mothers' posttraumatic stress symptoms between 42 weeks and 12 months in the group of preterm infants who received the intervention. Moreover, an enhancement in maternal sensitivity and infant cooperation during interactions was found at 4 months in the group with intervention. In the case of a preterm birth, an early intervention aimed at enhancing the quality of the mother-infant relationship can help to alleviate maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and may have a positive impact on the quality of mother-infant interactions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Infant Reflux: Diagnosis and Treatment

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... and children, endoscopy is usually done under general anesthesia. Treatment Infant reflux usually clears up by itself. ... Has evidence of an inflamed esophagus Has chronic asthma and reflux Surgery Rarely, the lower esophageal sphincter ...

The contribution of Australian residential early parenting centres to comprehensive mental health care for mothers of infants: evidence from a prospective study

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Fisher Jane RW

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Australia's public access residential early parenting services provide programs to assist parents who self-refer, to care for their infants and young children. Treatment programs target infant feeding and sleeping difficulties and maternal mental health. There is limited systematic evidence of maternal and infant mental health, psychosocial circumstances or presenting problems, or the effectiveness of the programs. The aim of this study was to contribute to the evidence base about residential early parenting services. Methods A prospective cohort design was used. A consecutive sample of mothers with infants under one year old recruited during admission to a public access residential early parenting service for a 4 or 5 night stay in Melbourne, Australia was recruited. They completed structured self-report questionnaires, incorporating standardised measures of infant behaviour and maternal mood, during admission and at one and six months after discharge. Changes in infant behaviour and maternal psychological functioning after discharge were observed. Results 79 women completed the first questionnaire during admission, and 58 provided complete data. Women admitted to the residential program have poor physical and mental health, limited family support, and infants with substantial behaviour difficulties. One month after discharge significant improvements in infant behaviour and maternal psychological functioning were observed (mean (SD daily crying and fussing during admission = 101.02 (100.8 minutes reduced to 37.7 (55.2 at one month post discharge, p Conclusions This psycho-educational approach is an effective and acceptable early intervention for parenting difficulties and maternal mood disturbance, and contributes to a system of comprehensive mental health care for mothers of infants.

Rapid differential diagnosis of diabetes insipidus in a 7-month-old infant: The copeptin approach.

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Vergier, J; Fromonot, J; Alvares De Azevedo Macedo, A; Godefroy, A; Marquant, E; Guieu, R; Tsimaratos, M; Reynaud, R

2018-01-01

Diabetes insipidus is characterized by hypoosmotic polyuria related to deficiency of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) secretion (central diabetes insipidus, CDI) or renal insensitivity to AVP (nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, NDI). The water deprivation test with assessment of AVP activity is currently the gold standard for differential diagnosis in patients presenting polyuria-polydipsia syndrome. Nevertheless, it can be dangerous without proper surveillance and its interpretation may be challenging. Other markers have been suggested. Direct quantification of circulating AVP is not sufficient for diagnosis: vasopressin is unstable, analysis is complex. AVP comes from prohormone preprovasopressin with concomitant release of copeptin (C-terminal moiety) in the equimolar ratio. Copeptin is stable in vitro, with easy and rapid measurement (polyuria in adults, but its value has not been demonstrated in infants yet. A 7-month-old infant presented polyuria-polydipsia syndrome with poor weight gain. Laboratory tests pointed out hypernatremia (170mmol/L) and blood hyperosmolarity (330mOsm/L) with inappropriate urinary hypoosmolarity (168mOsm/L). Plasmatic copeptin measurement was found at a very high level, 303pmol/L (1-14pmol/L). DdAVP administration did not improve the polyuria, confirming the final diagnosis of NDI. Hyperhydration with a hypoosmolar diet normalized the hydration status and circulating levels of copeptin within 1 week. Copeptin, a stable peptide reflecting AVP secretion, could be a safer and faster biomarker for etiological diagnosis of polyuria-polydipsia syndrome in children. Before regularization of hydration status, a single baseline measurement may be enough to discriminate NDI from other etiologies without the water deprivation test. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: stability and change in clinical diagnosis and symptom presentation.

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Guthrie, Whitney; Swineford, Lauren B; Nottke, Charly; Wetherby, Amy M

2013-05-01

Although a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appears to be stable in children as young as age three, few studies have explored stability of a diagnosis in younger children. Predictive value of diagnostic tools for toddlers and patterns of symptom change are important considerations for clinicians making early diagnoses. Most findings come from high-risk samples, but reports on children screened in community settings are also needed. Stability of diagnosis and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Toddler Module (ADOS-T) classifications and scores was examined across two time points in a sample of 82 children identified through the FIRST WORDS Project.Children received two comprehensive diagnostic evaluations at average ages of 19.39 (SD = 2.12) and 36.89 (SD = 3.85) months. Stability was 100% when confirming and ruling out a diagnosis of ASD based on a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation that included clinic and home observations,although diagnosis was initially deferred for 17% of the sample. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves revealed excellent sensitivity and acceptable specificity for the ADOS-T compared to concurrent diagnosis. Logistic regressions indicated good predictive value of initial ADOS-T scores for follow-up diagnosis. Finally, both ASD and Non-ASD children demonstrated a decrease in Social Affect scores (i.e.,improvement), whereas children with ASD demonstrated an increase in Restricted and Repetitive Behavior scores (i.e., worsening), changes that were accounted for by nonverbal developmental level in mixed model analyses. Short-term stability was documented for children diagnosed at 19 months on average, although a minority of children initially showed unclear diagnostic presentations.Findings highlight utility of the ADOS-T in making early diagnoses and predicting follow-up diagnoses. Children with ASD demonstrated improvement in social communication behaviors and unfolding of repetitive behaviors, suggesting that certain

Brain Volumes at Term-Equivalent Age in Preterm Infants : Imaging Biomarkers for Neurodevelopmental Outcome through Early School Age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keunen, Kristin; Išgum, Ivana; van Kooij, Britt J M; Anbeek, Petronella; van Haastert, Ingrid C; Koopman-Esseboom, Corine; van Stam, Petronella C; Nievelstein, Rutger A J; Viergever, Max A; de Vries, Linda S; Groenendaal, Floris; Benders, Manon J N L

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between brain volumes at term and neurodevelopmental outcome through early school age in preterm infants. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred twelve preterm infants (born mean gestational age 28.6 ± 1.7 weeks) were studied prospectively with magnetic resonance imaging

Stronger influence of maternal than paternal obesity on infant and early childhood body mass index: the Fels Longitudinal Study.

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Linabery, A M; Nahhas, R W; Johnson, W; Choh, A C; Towne, B; Odegaard, A O; Czerwinski, S A; Demerath, E W

2013-06-01

Excessive early childhood adiposity is a prevalent and increasing concern in many parts of the world. Parental obesity is one of the several factors previously associated with infant and early childhood weight, length and adiposity. Parental obesity represents a surrogate marker of the complex interplay among genetic, epigenetic and shared environmental factors, and is potentially modifiable. The relative contributions of maternal and paternal body mass index (BMI) to infant and early childhood growth, as well as the timing of such effects, have not been firmly established. Utilizing serial infant measurements and growth curve modelling, this is the largest study to fully characterize and formally compare associations between maternal and paternal BMI and offspring growth across the entire infancy and early childhood period. Maternal obesity is a stronger determinant of offspring BMI than paternal obesity at birth and from 2 to 3 years of age, suggesting that prevention efforts focused particularly on maternal lifestyle and BMI may be important in reducing excess infant BMI. The observation that maternal BMI effects are not constant, but rather present at birth, wane and re-emerge during late infancy, suggests that there is a window of opportunity in early infancy when targeted interventions on children of obese mothers may be most effective. Parental obesity influences infant body size. To fully characterize their relative effects on infant adiposity, associations between maternal and paternal body mass index (BMI) category (normal: ≤25 kg m(-2) , overweight: 25 - obese: ≥30 kg m(-2) ) and infant BMI were compared in Fels Longitudinal Study participants. A median of 9 serial weight and length measures from birth to 3.5 years were obtained from 912 European American children born in 1928-2008. Using multivariable mixed effects regression, contributions of maternal vs. paternal BMI status to infant BMI growth curves were evaluated. Cubic spline models

Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Stability and Change in Clinical Diagnosis and Symptom Presentation

Science.gov (United States)

Guthrie, Whitney; Swineford, Lauren B.; Nottke, Charly; Wetherby, Amy M.

2013-01-01

Background: Although a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) appears to be stable in children as young as age three, few studies have explored stability of a diagnosis in younger children. Predictive value of diagnostic tools for toddlers and patterns of symptom change are important considerations for clinicians making early diagnoses. Most…

Real-time polymerase chain reaction and culture in the diagnosis of invasive group B streptococcal disease in infants: a retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Meehan, M; Cafferkey, M; Corcoran, S; Foran, A; Hapnes, N; LeBlanc, D; McGuinness, C; Nusgen, U; O'Sullivan, N; Cunney, R; Drew, R

2015-12-01

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of invasive disease in infants. Accurate and rapid diagnosis is crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the dltR gene was utilised for the direct detection of GBS DNA in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from infants at an Irish maternity hospital. A retrospective review of laboratory and patient records during the period 2011-2013 was performed in order to evaluate PCR and culture for the diagnosis of invasive GBS disease. A total of 3570 blood and 189 CSF samples from 3510 infants had corresponding culture and PCR results. Culture and PCR exhibited concordance in 3526 GBS-negative samples and 13 (25%) GBS-positive samples (n = 53). Six (11%) and 34 (64%) GBS-positive samples were positive only in culture or PCR, respectively. Culture and PCR identified more GBS-positive infants (n = 47) than PCR (n = 43) or culture (n = 16) alone. Using culture as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for PCR on blood samples were 71.4%, 99.2%, 25% and 99.9%, and for CSF samples, they were 60%, 97.8%, 42.9% and 98.9%, respectively. The sensitivity and positive predictive values were improved (blood: 84.6% and 55%; CSF: 77.8% and 100%, respectively) when maternal risk factors and other laboratory test results were considered. The findings in this study recommend the use of direct GBS real-time PCR for the diagnosis of GBS infection in infants with a clinical suspicion of invasive disease and as a complement to culture, but should be interpreted in the light of other laboratory and clinical findings.

A Content Analysis of Infant and Toddler Food Advertisements in Taiwanese Popular Pregnancy and Early Parenting Magazines.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yi-Chun; Chang, Jung-Su; Gong, Yu-Tang

2015-08-01

Mothers who are exposed to formula advertisements (ads) are less likely to initiate breastfeeding and more likely to breastfeed for a shorter duration than other mothers. The purpose of this study was to examine infant and toddler food ads in pregnancy and early parenting magazines. A content analysis of infant and toddler food ads printed in 12 issues of 4 magazines published in 2011 was performed. Coding categories of ads included product category, advertisement category, marketing information, and advertising appeal. The target age and health-related message of each product were coded. The researchers identified 756 infant and toddler food ads in the magazines. Compared with complementary food ads, formula product ads used more marketing strategies such as antenatal classes and baby contests to influence consumers and promote products. Nutritional quality and child health benefits were the two most frequently used advertising appeals. In addition, this study identified 794 formula products and 400 complementary food products; 42.8% of the complementary food products were intended for 4-month-old infants. Furthermore, 91.9% of the ads for formula products and 81% of the ads for complementary food products contained claims concerning health function or nutrient content. Taiwanese pregnancy and early parenting magazines contain numerous infant and toddler food ads. These ads generally use health-related claims regarding specific nutrient content and health functions to promote infant and toddler foods. Health professionals should provide more information to parents on the differences between breast milk and formula milk, and they should be aware of the potential effect of infant and toddler food ads on parents' infant feeding decisions. © The Author(s) 2015.

The motivation for very early intervention for infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Sara Jane; Jones, Emily J H; Kelly, Jean; Dawson, Geraldine

2014-02-01

The first Autism Research Matrix (IACC, 2003) listed the identification of behavioural and biological markers of risk for autism as a top priority. This emphasis was based on the hypothesis that intervention with infants at-risk, at an early age when the brain is developing and before core autism symptoms have emerged, could significantly alter the developmental trajectory of children at risk for the disorder and impact long-range outcome. Research has provided support for specific models of early autism intervention (e.g., Early Start Denver Model) for improving outcomes in young children with autism, based on both behavioural and brain activity measures. Although great strides have been made in ability to identify risk markers for autism in younger infant/toddler samples, how and when to intervene during the prodromal state remains a critical question. Emerging evidence suggests that abnormal brain circuitry in autism precedes altered social behaviours; thus, an intervention designed to promote early social engagement and reciprocity potentially could steer brain development back toward the normal trajectory and remit or reduce the expression of symptoms.

Automatic CDR Estimation for Early Glaucoma Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmiento, A.; Sanchez-Morillo, D.; Jiménez, S.; Alemany, P.

2017-01-01

Glaucoma is a degenerative disease that constitutes the second cause of blindness in developed countries. Although it cannot be cured, its progression can be prevented through early diagnosis. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for automatic glaucoma diagnosis based on retinal colour images. We focus on capturing the inherent colour changes of optic disc (OD) and cup borders by computing several colour derivatives in CIE L∗a∗b∗ colour space with CIE94 colour distance. In addition, we consider spatial information retaining these colour derivatives and the original CIE L∗a∗b∗ values of the pixel and adding other characteristics such as its distance to the OD centre. The proposed strategy is robust due to a simple structure that does not need neither initial segmentation nor removal of the vascular tree or detection of vessel bends. The method has been extensively validated with two datasets (one public and one private), each one comprising 60 images of high variability of appearances. Achieved class-wise-averaged accuracy of 95.02% and 81.19% demonstrates that this automated approach could support physicians in the diagnosis of glaucoma in its early stage, and therefore, it could be seen as an opportunity for developing low-cost solutions for mass screening programs. PMID:29279773

Early cranial ultrasound changes as predictors of outcome during first year of life in term infants with perinatal asphyxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Boo, N Y; Chandran, V; Zulfiqar, M A; Zamratol, S M; Nyein, M K; Haliza, M S; Lye, M S

2000-08-01

To identify the types of early cranial ultrasound changes that were significant predictors of adverse outcome during the first year of life in asphyxiated term infants. This was a prospective cohort study. Shortly after birth, cranial ultrasonography was carried out via the anterior fontanelles of 70 normal control infants and 104 asphyxiated infants with a history of fetal distress and Apgar scores of less than 6 at 1 and 5 min of life, or requiring endotracheal intubation and manual intermittent positive pressure ventilation for at least 5 min after birth. Neurodevelopmental assessment was carried out on the survivors at 1 year of age. Abnormal cranial ultrasound changes were detected in a significantly higher proportion (79.8%, or n = 83) of asphyxiated infants than controls (39.5%, or n = 30) (P < 0.0001). However, logistic regression analysis showed that only three factors were significantly associated with adverse outcome at 1 year of life among the asphyxiated infants. These were: (i) decreasing birthweight (for every additional gram of increase in birthweight, adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.999, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.998, 1.000; P = 0.047); (ii) a history of receiving ventilatory support during the neonatal period (adjusted OR = 8.3; 95%CI 2.4, 28.9; P = 0.0009); and (iii) hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy stage 2 or 3 (adjusted OR = 5.8; 95%CI 1.8, 18.6; P = 0.003). None of the early cranial ultrasound changes was a significant predictor. Early cranial ultrasound findings, although common in asphyxiated infants, were not significant predictors of adverse outcome during the first year of life in asphyxiated term infants.

A randomized clinical trial in preterm infants on the effects of a home-based early intervention with the 'CareToy System'

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sgandurra, Giuseppina; Lorentzen, Jakob; Inguaggiato, Emanuela

2017-01-01

and visual development in preterm infants. 41 preterm infants (range age: 3.0-5.9 months of corrected age) were enrolled and randomized into two groups, CareToy and Standard Care. 19 infants randomized in CareToy group performed a 4-week CareToy program, while 22 allocated to control group completed 4 weeks......CareToy system is an innovative tele-rehabilitative tool, useful in providing intensive, individualized, home-based, family-centred Early Intervention (EI) in infants. Our aim was to evaluate, through a Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) study, the effects of CareToy intervention on early motor...... of Standard Care. Infant Motor Profile (IMP) was primary outcome measure, Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and Teller Acuity Cards were secondary ones. Assessments were carried out at baseline (T0) and at the end of CareToy training or Standard Care period (T1). T1 was the primary endpoint. After RCT phase...

Early diagnosis of autism and impact on prognosis: a narrative review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernell E

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Elisabeth Fernell,1 Mats Anders Eriksson,1,2 Christopher Gillberg11Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, SwedenAbstract: Autism spectrum disorders involve a set of clinical phenotypes that mirror an early onset of neurodevelopmental deviations, with core symptoms that can probably be related to a deficiency in the social instinct. Underlying the cognitive impairments there are physiological brain problems, caused by a large number of medical factors. This narrative review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses from the last 5 years (2008–2012 presents aspects from many areas in autism spectrum disorder research, with a particular focus on early intervention and the subsequent impact on prognosis. Other major areas discussed are epidemiology, early symptoms and screening, early diagnosis, neuropsychology, medical factors, and the existence of comorbidities. There is limited evidence that any of the broadband “early intervention” programs are effective in changing the natural long-term outcome for many individuals with an early diagnosis of autism. However, there is some evidence that Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI is an effective treatment for some children with ASD. Nevertheless, there is emerging consensus that early diagnosis and information are needed in order that an autism-friendly environment be “created” around affected individuals.Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, epidemiology, screening, etiology, intervention, outcome

[The early expressive vocabulary size in simultaneous bilingual growing-up infants - a diagnostic relevant criterion?].

Science.gov (United States)

Kiese-Himmel, C; Sellner, L; Bockmann, A-K

2013-08-01

Bilingual young children's early expressive vocabulary size and its composition (as one domain of the language development) should be examined to find out whether children with a risk for delayed language development may be identified in this way. 30 bilingual kindergarten infants from Berlin (with simultaneous language acquisition; second language German) and 30 monolingual German infants from the greater areas of Stuttgart and Heidelberg were pair matched (mean chronological age 22.5 [SD 3.1] months; min 16; max 26). The German expressive vocabulary checklist Elternfragebogen zur Wort-schatzentwicklung im frühen Kindesalter (ELAN; Bockmann & Kiese-Himmel, 2006) was filled out by all parents. In addition, parents of bilingual infants completed the adaption of the German vocabulary checklist Sprachbeurteilung durch Eltern (SBE-2-KT; v. Suchodoletz & Sachse, 2008) for the second mother tongue. The monolinguals' word sum in the ELAN (145.7; SD 75.8) differed significantly (p=0.001) from the bilinguals' word sum (78.3; SD 78.9 words). In contrast, bilinguals did not significantly differ in their overall expressive vocabulary size (ELAN+SBE-2-KT: 101.2; SD 77.0 words) from their monolingual counterparts (ELAN). Because bilinguals had a similar sized overall early vocabulary (both languages) like monolingual German-learning infants, the diagnostic criterion to identify late talkers with 24 months of age (less than 50 German words and no word combinations) should not be applied to bilingually infants with simultaneously double language acquisition. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Laboratory Diagnosis of Congenital Toxoplasmosis

Science.gov (United States)

Pomares, Christelle

2016-01-01

Recent studies have demonstrated that screening and treatment for toxoplasmosis during gestation result in a decrease of vertical transmission and clinical sequelae. Early treatment was associated with improved outcomes. Thus, laboratory methods should aim for early identification of infants with congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). Diagnostic approaches should include, at least, detection of Toxoplasma IgG, IgM, and IgA and a comprehensive review of maternal history, including the gestational age at which the mother was infected and treatment. Here, we review laboratory methods for the diagnosis of CT, with emphasis on serological tools. A diagnostic algorithm that takes into account maternal history is presented. PMID:27147724

Cascading effects of attention disengagement and sensory seeking on social symptoms in a community sample of infants at-risk for a future diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Baranek, Grace T; Woynaroski, Tiffany G; Nowell, Sallie; Turner-Brown, Lauren; DuBay, Michaela; Crais, Elizabeth R; Watson, Linda R

2018-01-01

Recent work suggests sensory seeking predicts later social symptomatology through reduced social orienting in infants who are at high-risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on their status as younger siblings of children diagnosed with ASD. We drew on extant longitudinal data from a community sample of at-risk infants who were identified at 12 months using the First Year Inventory, and followed to 3-5 years. We replicate findings of Damiano et al. (in this issue) that a) high-risk infants who go on to be diagnosed with ASD show heightened sensory seeking in the second year of life relative to those who do not receive a diagnosis, and b) increased sensory seeking indirectly relates to later social symptomatology via reduced social orienting. We extend previous findings to show that sensory seeking has more clinical utility later in the second year of life (20-24 months) than earlier (13-15 months). Further, this study suggests that diminished attention disengagement at 12-15 months may precede and predict increased sensory seeking at 20-24 months. Findings add support for the notion that sensory features produce cascading effects on social development in infants at risk for ASD, and suggest that reduced attention disengagement early in life may set off this cascade. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Infant difficult behaviors in the context of perinatal biomedical conditions and early child environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sirvinskiene Giedre

2012-04-01

that early onset of difficult behavior highly increases the risk for the continuation of difficult behavior during infancy. In general, the impact of prenatal psychosocial environment on infant behavior decreases from the ages of 3 to 6 months; however, some prenatal and preconceptional psychosocial factors have direct associations with the continuity of difficult behaviors through the first half-year of an infant's life.

Prenatal Characteristics of Infants with a Neuronal Migration Disorder: A National-Based Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estelle Naumburg

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The development of the central nervous system is complex and includes dorsal and ventral induction, neuronal proliferation, and neuronal migration, organization, and myelination. Migration occurs in humans in early fetal life. Pathogenesis of malformations of the central nervous system includes both genetic and environmental factors. Few epidemiological studies have addressed the impact of prenatal exposures. All infants born alive and included in the Swedish Medical Birth Register 1980–1999 were included in the study. By linkage to the Patient Register, 820 children with a diagnosis related to a neuronal migration abnormality were identified. Through copies of referrals for computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, the diagnosis was confirmed in 17 children. Median age of the mothers was 29 years. At the start of pregnancy, four out of 17 women smoked. Almost half of the women had a body mass index that is low or in the lower range of average. All infants were born at term with normal birth weights. Thirteen infants had one or more concomitant diseases or malformations. Two infants were born with rubella syndrome. The impact of low maternal body mass index and congenital infections on neuronal migration disorders in infants should be addressed in future studies.

Probiotics and gut health in infants: A preliminary case-control observational study about early treatment with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938.

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Savino, Francesco; Fornasero, Stefania; Ceratto, Simone; De Marco, Angela; Mandras, Narcisa; Roana, Janira; Tullio, Vivian; Amisano, Gabriella

2015-12-07

We performed this case-control observational study to evaluate the effects of early administration of Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 on microbial composition in infants' gastrointestinal tract. Early fecal microbiota composition was analyzed by using selective and differential cultural methods. Genomic DNA from positive Escherichia coli and Cronobacter sakazakii colonies was extracted and DNA was processed by multiplex PCR assay. Fecal samples of 30 hospitalized infants who previously received probiotics and 30 not receiving probiotics were analyzed. We find that the two groups showed differences in gut microbial strains composition and richness. Infant treated with probiotics have a lower total anaerobic gram negative counts (p=0.03) and a higher total anaerobic gram-positive counts (p=0.02). Enterobacteriaceae and enterococci were significantly higher (p=0.04) in the control group. No significant differences were observed for total aerobic counts, lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. C. sakazaki was found only in one infant recruited in the control group. Infants not previously treated with probiotics showed a higher colonization by diarrheagenic E. coli (EPEC) (p=0.04). Our findings enhanced our understanding of the effects of probiotics on gut health in pediatric subjects. Early administration of L. reuteri in infancy could improve gut health by reducing pathogens colonization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Clinical significance and future perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buerger, K.; Teipel, S.J.; Hampel, H.

2000-01-01

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease describes the recognition and diagnosis in patients with very mild dementia. Internationally accepted diagnostic criteria support the diagnosis based on clinical evaluation. Recent advances in structural and functional neuroimaging as well as studies on specific proteins in the cerebro-spinal fluid that are related to distinct pathophysiological disease processes are most promising approaches to defining biological markers of Alzheimer's disease. (orig.) [de

Improvement in Creatinine Clearance after Open Heart Surgery in Infants as an Early Indicator of Surgical Success.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagan, Amit; Dagan, Ovadia

2016-12-01

Early surgical correction of congenital heart malformations in neonates and small infants may be complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI), which is associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates, especially in patients who require dialysis. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is considered the best measurement of renal function which, in neonates and infants, is highly dependent on heart function. To determine whether measurements of creatinine clearance after open heart surgery in neonates and young infants can serve as an early indicator of surgical success or AKI. We conducted a prospective observational study in 19 neonates and small infants (body weight creatinine clearance and albumin excretion was performed before and during surgery and four times during 48 hours after surgery. Mean creatinine clearance was lowest during surgery (25.2 ± 4. ml/min/1.73 m2) and increased significantly in the first 16 hours post-surgery (45.7 ± 6.3 ml/min/1.73 m2). A similar pattern was noted for urine albumin which was highest during surgery (203 ± 31 µg/min) and lowest (93 ± 20 µg/min) 48 hours post-surgery. AKI occurred in four patients, and two patients even required dialysis. All six showed a decline in creatinine clearance and an increase in urine albumin between 8 and 16 hours post-surgery. In neonates and small infants undergoing open heart surgery, a significant improvement in creatinine clearance in the first 16 hours postoperatively is indicative of a good surgical outcome. This finding has important implications for the early evaluation and treatment of patients in the intensive care unit on the first day post-surgery.

Surfactant Need by Gestation for Very Preterm Babies Initiated on Early Nasal CPAP: A Danish Observational Multicentre Study of 6,628 Infants Born 2000-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiingreen, Rikke; Greisen, Gorm; Ebbesen, Finn; Petersen, Jesper Padkær; Zachariassen, Gitte; Henriksen, Tine Brink; Mølholm Hansen, Bo

2017-01-01

In recent years, early nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) as respiratory support for preterm infants is being advocated as an alternative to prophylactic surfactant and treatment with mechanical ventilation. A number of infants treated with early nCPAP do not need treatment with surfactant, but few studies provide data on this. Since the 1990s, the first approach to respiratory support to preterm infants in Denmark has been early nCPAP combined with surfactant administration by the INSURE method by which the infant is intubated and surfactant administration is followed by rapid extubation to nCPAP if possible. To investigate how often surfactant was administered in preterm infants with a gestational age below 34 weeks treated with early nCPAP as a first approach to respiratory support. An observational multicentre study including all inborn infants with a gestational age below 34 weeks admitted to 1 of the 4 level 3 neonatal intensive care units in Denmark in the period from 2000 to 2013. A total of 6,628 infants were included in this study. We found that surfactant was administered in 1,056 of 1,799 (59%; 95% CI: 57-61%), in 821 of 2,864 (29%; 95% CI: 27-31%), and in 132 of 1,796 (7%; 95% CI: 6-8%) of the infants with a gestational age from 24 to 27, 28 to 31, and 32 to 33 weeks and 6 days, respectively. A large proportion of preterm infants treated with early nCPAP as the first approach to respiratory support was never treated with surfactant. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Newborn hearing screening and strategy for early detection of hearing loss in infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jakubíková, Janka; Kabátová, Zuzana; Pavlovcinová, Gabriela; Profant, Milan

2009-04-01

More than 80% of permanent hearing losses (HL) in children are congenital. Newborn hearing screening (NHS) is the best method for early detection of suspected hearing loss. If the NHS is not universal more than 30% permanent hearing losses are not identified. There are various methods of NHS: otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE, DPOAE) and automatic auditory brainstem response (AABR). After hearing screening, and when hearing loss is suspected, tympanometry and audiological methods then used for determination of hearing threshold; these include ABR, ASSR or/and behavioral methods. The goal of this study is to evaluate the influence of UNHS on the early detection of hearing loss in children before and after the implementation of obligatory universal newborn hearing screening in Slovakia, and also on the etiologic evaluation of hearing impaired infants identified by screening. In Slovakia NHS started in 1998 and was provided in ENT departments. From May 1, 2006 UNHS has been mandatory in Slovakia, using two stages TEOAE in all newborn departments in Slovakia (64 newborn departments). In year 2005--42% of newborns in Slovakia were screened, in 2006--66% newborns and in 2007--94, 99% (three small newborn departments do not yet have equipment for OAE screening). For determination of hearing thresholds ASSR are used in two ENT departments and ABR in the other four ENT departments. Comparing the number of identified cases with bilateral severe permanent HL or deafness before and after UNHS, 22.8% more cases of PHL were identified in the first year of UNHS. Also the average age of diagnosis of PHL was lower. In the year 2007, 94% of newborns were screened. We found 0.947/1000 newborns with bilateral severe PHL (35.9%) more than before UNHS). After audiologic and etiologic assessment of the 76 infants who failed screening, 5 (6.58%) were found to have normal hearing, 16 (22.54%) had unilateral and 55 (77.46%) had bilateral SNHL. A non-syndromic genetic cause was present in 25

Electronic beam CT diagnosis of infant congenital heart disease with the comparison of echocardiogram and operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiangmin; Zhou Xuhui; Yang Youyou; Meng Quanfei; Peng Qian; Tan Zhiyu

2003-01-01

Objective: To explore the advantage and limitation in the diagnosis of infant congenital heart disease (CHD) by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT). Methods: Eighty patients suspected or diagnosed as infant CHD underwent dynamic contrast enhanced EBCT imaging. EBCT imaging was carried out in two steps: single slice mode scanning and multiple slice mode scanning. The EBCT results of 80 cases were correlated with echocardiogram and operation records. 39 cases were confirmed by surgery. Chi-Square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Among 80 patients, there were 27 cases in non-cyanosis and 53 cases in cyanosis. In this group including 16 types of CHD, 206 malformations were revealed with EBCT while 159 abnormalities with echocardiogram. 101 lesions were proved by surgery, which demonstrated a diagnosis accuracy of 96% (97/101) with EBCT, and 87% (88/101) with echocardiogram. A statistical significant difference was observed between the two methods (χ 2 =6.231, P<0.01). Conclusion: EBCT scanning can demonstrate the pathological morphology of CHD, especially, EBCT is helpful in the sequential segmental analysis in complex CHD. It is better than echocardiogram in demonstrating the aortic congenital disease and pulmonary artery development and anomalous pulmonary venous drainage

[FACTORS RELATED TO MORTALITY IN NECROTIZINGENTEROCOLITIS(NEC) IN NEONATES AND OLDER INFANTS

Science.gov (United States)

Ríos D , Hugo; Rivera M , Juan

1997-01-01

In order to determine the factors related to mortality in Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), medical records of neonates and older infants diagnosed of NEC in the Instituto de Salud del Niño between 1984 and 1993 were retrospectively reviewed. Only the cases with a reliable roentgenologic, surgical or pathologic diagnosis were included. Sixty cases (46 infants and 14 neonates) were found, with a higher incidence in males (37 males vs 23 females). Twenty six cases required surgical treatment. Overall mortality was 77%, with no significant differences between neonates and infants, nor between those who were operated or not. Moderate or severe malnutrition, diarrhea as an early clinical manifestations, bronchopneumonia, shock and poor nutricional management were found as factors related to mortality.

Physical outcome and school performance of very-low-birthweight infants treated with minimal handling and early nasal CPAP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Marianne; Kamper, Jens

2006-01-01

AIM: To describe physical outcome and school performance in a cohort of very-low-birthweight infants treated with early nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP)/minimal handling regimen with permissive hypercapnia, in comparison to siblings of normal birthweight. MATERIAL AND METHODS......% attended ordinary schools, with near-average performances in mathematics and reading/spelling, which were not statistically different to their siblings. The overall results indicate that these infants fare at least as well as survivors after conventional treatment....... of these differences reached statistical significance. However, the performance ratings correlated significantly with socio-economic conditions. CONCLUSION: In this study of infants treated with a regimen of early NCPAP/minimal handling, we found a relatively low incidence of handicaps and impairments. Nearly 90...

Techniques for early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma: Systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Carreras-Torras, Clàudia

2015-01-01

Background and objectives The diagnosis of early oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is of paramount clinical importance given the mortality rate of late stage disease. The aim of this study is to review the literature to assess the current situation and progress in this area. Material and Methods A search in Cochrane and PubMed (January 2006 to December 2013) has been used with the key words “squamous cell carcinoma”, “early diagnosis” “oral cavity”, “Potentially Malignant Disorders” y “premalignant lesions”. The inclusion criteria were the use of techniques for early diagnosis of OSCC and OPMD, 7 years aged articles and publications written in English, French or Spanish. The exclusion criteria were case reports and studies in other languages. Results Out of the 89 studies obtained initially from the search 60 articles were selected to be included in the systematic review: 1 metaanalysis, 17 systematic reviews, 35 prospective studies, 5 retrospective studies, 1 consensus and 1 semi-structured interviews. Conclusions The best diagnostic technique is that which we have sufficient experience and training. Definitely tissue biopsy and histopathological examination should remain the gold standard for oral cancer diagnose. In this systematic review it has not been found sufficient scientific evidence on the majority of proposed techniques for early diagnosis of OSCC, therefore more extensive and exhaustive studies are needed. Key words: Squamous cell carcinoma, early diagnosis, oral cavity, potentially malignant disorders, premalignant lesions. PMID:25662554

Telomere Length in Preterm Infants: A Promising Biomarker of Early Adversity and Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit?

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Livio Provenzi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Preterm infants present an immature neurobehavioral profile at birth, even in absence of severe brain injuries and perinatal complications. As such, they require a long-lasting hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU, which is thought to grant at-risk newborns’ survival, but still entails a number of physical, painful, and socio-emotional stressors. Hence, preterm birth and NICU stay represent an early adverse experience, which has been linked to detrimental consequences for neurological, neuro-endocrinal, behavioral, and socio-emotional development, as well as to disease later in life. Recent advances in the behavioral epigenetic field are helping us to unveil the potential mechanisms through which early NICU-related stress may lead to negative developmental outcomes. From this perspective, telomere regulation might be a key programming mechanism. Telomeres are the terminal portion of chromosomes and are known to get shorter with age. Moreover, telomere length (TL is affected by the exposure to stress during early development. As such, TL might be an innovative biomarker of early adverse exposures in young infants and children. Unfortunately, there is paucity of studies investigating TL in populations of preterm infants and its association with known NICU-related stressors remains unexplored. In the present paper, the potential relevance of TL for research and clinical work with preterm infants will be underlined in the light of recent contributions linking progressive telomere shortening and early exposure to adverse experiences and stressful environments in humans. Finally, insights will be provided to guide clinically relevant translational research on TL in the field of VPT birth and NICU stay.

Cardiovascular oscillations at the bedside: early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis using heart rate characteristics monitoring

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Moorman, J Randall; Lake, Douglas E; Delos, John B; Flower, Abigail A; Cao, Hanqing; Kovatchev, Boris P; Richman, Joshua S

2011-01-01

We have applied principles of statistical signal processing and nonlinear dynamics to analyze heart rate time series from premature newborn infants in order to assist in the early diagnosis of sepsis, a common and potentially deadly bacterial infection of the bloodstream. We began with the observation of reduced variability and transient decelerations in heart rate interval time series for hours up to days prior to clinical signs of illness. We find that measurements of standard deviation, sample asymmetry and sample entropy are highly related to imminent clinical illness. We developed multivariable statistical predictive models, and an interface to display the real-time results to clinicians. Using this approach, we have observed numerous cases in which incipient neonatal sepsis was diagnosed and treated without any clinical illness at all. This review focuses on the mathematical and statistical time series approaches used to detect these abnormal heart rate characteristics and present predictive monitoring information to the clinician

To Know or Not to Know: Ethical Issues Related to Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

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Niklas Mattsson

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In Alzheimer's disease (AD, pathological processes start in the brain long before clinical dementia. Biomarkers reflecting brain alterations may therefore indicate disease at an early stage, enabling early diagnosis. This raises several ethical questions and the potential benefits of early diagnosis must be weighted against possible disadvantages. Currently, there are few strong arguments favouring early diagnosis, due to the lack of disease modifying therapy. Also, available diagnostic methods risk erroneous classifications, with potentially grave consequences. However, a possible benefit of early diagnosis even without disease modifying therapy is that it may enable early decision making when patients still have full decision competence, avoiding problems of hypothetical consents. It may also help identifying patients with cognitive dysfunction secondary to other diseases that may be responsive to treatment already today.

Early optimal parenteral nutrition and metabolic acidosis in very preterm infants.

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Francesco Bonsante

Full Text Available It is currently recognized that an optimized nutritional approach, consisting of an early and substantial supply of protein and energy by parenteral route, may be beneficial for very low birth weight infants and recent guidelines endorse this strategy. However, the impact of the enhanced parenteral nutrition (PN on acid-basic balance has never been investigated. The aim of the present study is to assess the effect of nutrient intake on acid-base homeostasis in a large population of preterm infants on PN.This observational study described the acid-base profile of very preterm infants (≤29 week's gestation receiving PN during the first week of life. For this purpose three different cohorts of infants who received increasing (group 1 to group 3 nutritional intakes were considered. Nutrition data were recorded daily and correlated to acid-base data (pH, base excess, and lactate. The outcome measure to assess metabolic acidosis was the base excess (BE.161 infants were included. 1127 daily nutritional records and 795 blood gas data were analyzed. The three groups were different with regard to nutritional intravenous intakes. Group 3 in particular had a higher mean intake of both amino acids (3.3 ± 0.8 g/kg/d and lipids (2.8 ± 1.4 g/kg/d during the first week of life. Metabolic acidosis was more severe in the group with the highest parenteral intake of amino acids and lipids: mean BE = -8.7 ± 3.4 (group 3; -6.4 ± 3.4 (group 2; -5.1 ± 3.0 (group 1]. At the multivariate analysis the significant risk factors for metabolic acidosis were: gestational age, initial base excess, amino acid and lipid intravenous intakes.Acid-base homeostasis was influenced by the nutritional intake. Earlier and higher intravenous amino acid and lipid intakes particularly increased the risk of metabolic acidosis. The nutritional tolerance was different depending on gestational age, and the smaller infants (24-26 week's gestation displayed greater acidotic disequilibrium

Ophthalmic examination in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

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Xin Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder causing irreversible deterioration in memory and loss of self-care ability, which is seriously affecting the quality of life. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. Medication only can control the progression of the disease. Early diagnosis and control of disease progress is of great significance in improving the quality of life of the patients and reducing the burden of family and society. Ophthalmic examination is seen as a window which can “see” brain directly, and some changes in the eye can reflect the changes of the brain most directly. This paper reviews the ophthalmic examination of Alzheimer's disease, including optical coherence tomography(OCT, visual field, contrast sensitivity and eye movements, et al. We hope to provide a new idea for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

The Role of Geminates in Infants' Early Word Production and Word-Form Recognition

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Vihman, Marilyn; Majoran, Marinella

2017-01-01

Infants learning languages with long consonants, or geminates, have been found to "overselect" and "overproduce" these consonants in early words and also to commonly omit the word-initial consonant. A production study with thirty Italian children recorded at 1;3 and 1;9 strongly confirmed both of these tendencies. To test the…

Early ART Results in Greater Immune Reconstitution Benefits in HIV-Infected Infants: Working with Data Missingness in a Longitudinal Dataset.

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Livio Azzoni

Full Text Available Early initiation of anti-retroviral treatment (ART decreases mortality as compared to deferred treatment, but whether it preserves immune cells from early loss or promotes their recovery remains undefined. Determination of complex immunological endpoints in infants is often marred by missing data due to missed visits and/or inadequate sampling. Specialized methods are required to address missingness and facilitate data analysis.We characterized the changes in cellular and humoral immune parameters over the first year of life in 66 HIV-infected infants (0-1 year of age enrolled in the CHER study starting therapy within 12 weeks of birth (n = 42 or upon disease progression (n = 24. A convenience cohort of 23 uninfected infants aged 0-6 months born to mothers with HIV-1 infection was used as controls. Flow cytometry and ELISA were used to evaluate changes in natural killer (NK cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC, and CD4+ or CD8+ T-cell frequencies. Data missingness was assessed using Little's test. Complete datasets for analysis were created using Multiple Imputation (MI or Bayesian modeling and multivariate analysis was conducted on the imputed datasets.HIV-1-infected infants had greater frequency of CD4+ T cells with naïve phenotype, as well as higher serum IL-7 levels than HIV exposed/uninfected infants. The elevated data missingness was completely at random, allowing the use of both MI and Bayesian modeling. Both methods indicate that early ART initiation results in higher CD4+ T cell frequency, lower expression of CD95 in CD8+ T cell, and preservation of naïve T cell subsets. In contrast, innate immune effectors appeared to be similar independently of the timing of ART initiation.Early ART initiation in infants with perinatal HIV infection reduces immune activation and preserves an early expansion of naïve T-cells with undiminished innate cell numbers, giving greater immune reconstitution than achieved with deferred ART. Both

Discussion of difficult problems of early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

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GUO Xiaozhong

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Pancreatic cancer is a common malignant neoplasm of the pancreas with an extremely high mortality. Currently, the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is still not ideal. Attention should be paid to some clinical warning symptoms, such as unexplained abdominal and back pain, jaundice, and unexpected diabetes. Additionally, the combined use of CA19-9, CEA, and other tumor markers, the attention to biochemical indicators, the detection of mutation in KAI1 or p53 gene, and the exploration of the value of miRNA in clinical diagnosis are of great significance. On the other hand, ultrasound, CT, MRCP, ERCP, PET-CT, and other imaging methods, as well as effective collection of cytology specimens, should be performed. Thus, there is hope for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Parent-delivered early intervention in infants at risk for ASD: Effects on electrophysiological and habituation measures of social attention.

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Jones, Emily J H; Dawson, Geraldine; Kelly, Jean; Estes, Annette; Jane Webb, Sara

2017-05-01

Prospective longitudinal studies of infants with older siblings with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have indicated that differences in the neurocognitive systems underlying social attention may emerge prior to the child meeting ASD diagnostic criteria. Thus, targeting social attention with early intervention might have the potential to alter developmental trajectories for infants at high risk for ASD. Electrophysiological and habituation measures of social attention were collected at 6, 12, and 18 months in a group of high-risk infant siblings of children with ASD (N = 33). Between 9 and 11 months of age, infant siblings received a parent-delivered intervention, promoting first relationships (PFR), (n = 19) or on-going assessment without intervention (n = 14). PFR has been previously shown to increase parental responsivity to infant social communicative cues and infant contingent responding. Compared to infants who only received assessment and monitoring, infants who received the intervention showed improvements in neurocognitive metrics of social attention, as reflected in a greater reduction in habituation times to face versus object stimuli between 6 and 12 months, maintained at 18 months; a greater increase in frontal EEG theta power between 6 and 12 months; and a more comparable P400 response to faces and objects at 12 months. The high-risk infants who received the intervention showed a pattern of responses that appeared closer to the normative responses of two groups of age-matched low-risk control participants. Though replication is necessary, these results suggest that early parent-mediated intervention has the potential to impact the brain systems underpinning social attention in infants at familial risk for ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 961-972. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mother-preterm infant interactions at three months of corrected age: influence of maternal depression, anxiety and neonatal birth weight

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Erica eNeri

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Maternal depression and anxiety represent risk factors for the quality of early mother-preterm infant interactions, especially in the case of preterm birth. Despite the presence of many studies on this topic, the comorbidity of depressive and anxious symptoms has not been sufficiently investigated, as well as their relationship with the severity of prematurity and the quality of early interactions. The Aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of early mother-infant interactions and the prevalence of maternal depression and anxiety comparing dyads of Extremely Low Birth Weight-ELBW and Very Low Birth Weight-VLBW preterm infants with full-term ones. 77 preterm infants (32 ELBW; 45 VLBW and 120 full term (FT infants and their mothers were recruited. At 3 months of corrected age, 5 minutes of mother-infant interactions were recorded and later coded through the Global Ratings Scales. Mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Infant levels of development were assessed through the Griffiths Mental Development Scales. A relation emerged among the severity of prematurity, depression, anxiety, and the quality of interactions. When compared with the FT group, the ELBW interactions were characterized by high maternal intrusiveness and low remoteness, while the VLBW dyads showed high levels of maternal sensitivity and infant communication. Depression was related to maternal remoteness and negative affective state, anxiety to low sensitivity, while infant interactive behaviours were impaired only in case of comorbidity. ELBW’s mothers showed the highest prevalence of depressive and anxious symptoms; moreover, only in FT dyads, low maternal sensitivity, negative affective state and minor infant communication were associated to the presence of anxious symptoms. The results confirmed the impact of prematurity on mother–infant interactions and on maternal affective state. Early diagnosis help to plan

Infants' Early Visual Attention and Social Engagement as Developmental Precursors to Joint Attention

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Salley, Brenda; Sheinkopf, Stephen J.; Neal-Beevers, A. Rebecca; Tenenbaum, Elena J.; Miller-Loncar, Cynthia L.; Tronick, Ed; Lagasse, Linda L.; Shankaran, Seetha; Bada, Henrietta; Bauer, Charles; Whitaker, Toni; Hammond, Jane; Lester, Barry M.

2016-01-01

This study examined infants' early visual attention (at 1 month of age) and social engagement (4 months) as predictors of their later joint attention (12 and 18 months). The sample (n = 325), drawn from the Maternal Lifestyle Study, a longitudinal multicenter project conducted at 4 centers of the National Institute of Child Health and Human…

Plasma cytokine levels fall in preterm newborn infants on nasal CPAP with early respiratory distress.

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Carvalho, Clarissa Gutierrez; Silveira, Rita de Cassia; Neto, Eurico Camargo; Procianoy, Renato Soibelmann

2015-01-01

Early nCPAP seems to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury in humans, although the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect have not been clarified yet. To evaluate plasma levels IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α immediately before the start of nCPAP and 2 hours later in preterm infants. Prospective cohort including preterm infants with 28 to 35 weeks gestational age with moderate respiratory distress requiring nCPAP. Extreme preemies, newborns with malformations, congenital infections, sepsis, surfactant treatment, and receiving ventilatory support in the delivery room were excluded. Blood samples were collected right before and 2 hours after the start of nCPAP. 23 preterm infants (birth weight 1851±403 grams; GA 32.3±1.7 weeks) were treated with nCPAP. IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α levels were similar, IL-8 levels were reduced in 18/23 preterm infants and a significant decrease in IL-6 levels was observed after 2 hours of nCPAP. All newborns whose mothers received antenatal steroids had lower cytokine levels at the onset of nCPAP than those whose mothers didn't receive it; this effect was not sustained after 2 hours of nCPAP. Early use nCPAP is not associated with rising of plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines and it seems to be a less harmful respiratory strategy for preterm with moderate respiratory distress.

Plasma cytokine levels fall in preterm newborn infants on nasal CPAP with early respiratory distress.

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Clarissa Gutierrez Carvalho

Full Text Available Early nCPAP seems to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury in humans, although the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect have not been clarified yet.To evaluate plasma levels IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α immediately before the start of nCPAP and 2 hours later in preterm infants.Prospective cohort including preterm infants with 28 to 35 weeks gestational age with moderate respiratory distress requiring nCPAP. Extreme preemies, newborns with malformations, congenital infections, sepsis, surfactant treatment, and receiving ventilatory support in the delivery room were excluded. Blood samples were collected right before and 2 hours after the start of nCPAP.23 preterm infants (birth weight 1851±403 grams; GA 32.3±1.7 weeks were treated with nCPAP. IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α levels were similar, IL-8 levels were reduced in 18/23 preterm infants and a significant decrease in IL-6 levels was observed after 2 hours of nCPAP. All newborns whose mothers received antenatal steroids had lower cytokine levels at the onset of nCPAP than those whose mothers didn't receive it; this effect was not sustained after 2 hours of nCPAP.Early use nCPAP is not associated with rising of plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines and it seems to be a less harmful respiratory strategy for preterm with moderate respiratory distress.

Nanotechnology-Based Detection of Novel microRNAs for Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

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2017-08-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0157 TITLE: Nanotechnology -Based Detection of Novel microRNAs for Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer PRINCIPAL...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Nanotechnology -Based Detection of Novel microRNAs for Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER...identify novel differentially expressed miRNAs in the body fluids (blood, urine, etc.) for an early detection of PCa. Advances in nanotechnology and

PROBLEM OF DIAGNOSIS OF EARLY CONGENITAL SYPHILIS

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G. P. Martynova

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a case of delayed diagnosis of early congenital syphilis in a child whose mother was observed in prenatal clinic starting from the 14th week of pregnancy. The child had specific skin rash already in maternity. The child was discharged home without examination in the hospital. Only manifestations of nephritis lead to admission of the child into an inpatient hospital. Only at the age of 1 month and 23 days the child was suspected of early congenital syphilis with severe polisimptomnym, and the patient was transferred to specialized hospital. 

Help-seeking intentions for early dementia diagnosis in a sample of Irish adults.

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Devoy, Susan; Simpson, Ellen Elizabeth Anne

2017-08-01

To identify factors that may increase intentions to seek help for an early dementia diagnosis. Early dementia diagnosis in Ireland is low, reducing the opportunity for intervention, which can delay progression, reduce psychological distress and increase social supports. Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), and a mixed methods approach, three focus groups were conducted (N = 22) to illicit attitudes and beliefs about help seeking for an early dementia diagnosis. The findings informed the development of the Help Seeking Intentions for Early Dementia Diagnosis (HSIEDD) questionnaire which was piloted and then administered to a sample of community dwelling adults from Dublin and Kildare (N = 95). Content analysis revealed participants held knowledge of the symptoms of dementia but not about available interventions. Facilitators of help seeking were family, friends and peers alongside well informed health professionals. Barriers to seeking help were a lack of knowledge, fear, loss, stigma and inaccessible services. The quantitative findings suggest the TPB constructs account for almost 28% of the variance in intentions to seek help for an early diagnosis of dementia, after controlling for sociodemographic variables and knowledge of dementia. In the final step of the regression analysis, the main predictors of help seeking were knowledge of dementia and subjective norm, accounting for 6% and 8% of the variance, respectively. Future interventions should aim to increase awareness of the support available to those experiencing early memory problems, and should highlight the supportive role that family, friends, peers and health professionals could provide.

Diagnosis and management of bacteremic urinary tract infection in infants.

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Roman, Heidi K; Chang, Pearl W; Schroeder, Alan R

2015-01-01

To report the prevalence of bacteremia by age in a sample of infantsurinary tract infections (UTIs), to compare characteristics of infants with UTIs with and without bacteremia, and to describe treatment courses and 30-day outcomes in infants with UTIs with and without bacteremia. We used a retrospective cross-sectional design to determine the prevalence of bacteremia in infants with UTIs at our institution. A double cohort design matching for age and gender was used to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes between infants with bacteremic versus nonbacteremic UTIs. We identified 1379 UTIs, with blood cultures obtained in 52% of cases. The prevalence of bacteremia was 4.1% (95% confidence interval 3.1%-5.3%) for all UTIs and 8% (95% confidence interval 6.1%-10.2%) for UTIs in which blood culture was obtained. Fifty-five infants with bacteremic UTIs were compared with 110 infants with nonbacteremic UTIs. Except for minor differences in the urinalysis and serum band count, there were no significant differences in clinical presentation between the 2 groups. Bacteremic infants received longer parenteral treatment courses than nonbacteremic infants (mean 6.7 vs 2.4 days, PPediatrics.

Early diagnosis of leptospirosis

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Andrea Babic-Erceg

2014-06-01

Full Text Available A 25-years old man from Zagreb, Croatia, was admitted to the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases four days after the onset of symptoms such as fever, intense pain in the calves and anuria. The patient owned a rabbit and, before the onset of the disease, repaired some rubber pipes damaged by rodents. At admission, he had a severe clinical picture with fever, hypotension, jaundice, immobility, and pain in leg muscles. Treatment with ceftriaxone was initiated in combination with volume restitution. Renal failure soon ensued. Consequently continuous venovenous hemodiaphiltration therapy was performed. Due to acute respiratory distress syndrome, the patient was mechanically ventilated. The patient’s condition gradually improved and he recovered fully from multi-organ failure. Diagnosis was confirmed by a microscopic agglutination test (MAT covering 15 leptospira serovars and real-time polymerase-chain reaction (PCR. The first serum sample taken on day 6 tested negative for leptospira, while PCR showed positive results for leptospiral DNA. The second serum sample taken on day 13 tested positive for serovar Canicola serogroup Canicola, serovar Patoc, serovar Grippotyphosa serogroup Grippotyphosa and serovar Tarassovi serogroup Tarassovi (titre 4000, 4000, 1000 and 2000, respectively, while PCR was negative. This report highlights the benefits of combining MAT and PCR methods in early diagnosis of leptospirosis.

Application of Metabonomics in Early Diagnosis of Diseases

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Qiao LIU

2015-06-01

Full Text Available With the development of life sciences, people have changed their focus from local research to systematic biology, thus contributing to the development of a series of “omics”, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabonomics, etc. Metabonomics is a presently developed new branch of science that can provide qualitative and quantitative analysis on all metabolites with low-molecular quality in the body, tissues or cells of an organism. It recognizes the changes and rules of the biological endogenous substance under the impact of internal and external factors by generally and quantitatively detecting multiple small molecular compounds in biological samples, in hope of finding out the metabolic marker clusters in the early stage of diseases so as to provide new pathways for the early diagnosis of the diseases and the realization of individualized drug administration. Additionally, metabonomics research on clinical diseases has become a hot topic and made great achievement in the developmental condition, diagnostic methods, pathogenic mechanism and pharmaceutical efficacy evaluation of diseases. This study mainly reviewed the application and advances of metabonomics in the early diagnosis of malignant tumors, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, hoping to provide references and prompts for metabonomics-associated researches.

The influence of early postnatal nutrition on retinopathy of prematurity in extremely low birth weight infants.

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Porcelli, Peter J; Weaver, R Grey

2010-06-01

Retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) is the most common serious ophthalmic disease in preterm infants. Human milk may provide a protective effect for ROP; however, beneficial effects of human milk preclude randomized trials. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective analysis comparing early postnatal nutrition with ROP development. Evaluate relationship between early postnatal nutriture and ROP surgery. Nutrition data was collected for inborn AGA infants, BW 700-1000 g. ROP surgery was the primary outcome variable. A single pediatric ophthalmologist supervised examinations. All infants received triweekly IM vitamin A as chronic lung disease prophylaxis (Tyson: NEJM, 1999). BW and gestational age were 867+/-85 g and 26.3+/-1.2 weeks (n=77, mean+/-1SD). ROP surgery infants(n=11) received more parenteral nutrition, 1648 mL, and less human milk, 13.8 mL/kg-day, and vitamin E, 1.4 mg/kg-day, during the second postnatal week. Human milk was a negative predictor for ROP surgery, odds ratio=0.94. Both groups met vitamin A recommendations; however, 74% was administered via IM injections. Neither group met vitamin E recommendations. Human milk feeding, parenteral nutrition volume and vitamin E intake were predictors for ROP surgery. IM vitamin A injections provided the majority of vitamin A; vitamin E administration was insufficient. Improving human milk feeding rates and vitamin dosing options may affect ROP surgery rates. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Home-based, early intervention with mechatronic toys for preterm infants at risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (CARETOY): a RCT protocol.

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Sgandurra, Giuseppina; Bartalena, Laura; Cioni, Giovanni; Greisen, Gorm; Herskind, Anna; Inguaggiato, Emanuela; Lorentzen, Jakob; Nielsen, Jens Bo; Sicola, Elisa

2014-10-15

Preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including motor, cognitive or behavioural problems, which may potentially be modified by early intervention. The EU CareToy Project Consortium (http://www.caretoy.eu) has developed a new modular system for intensive, individualized, home-based and family-centred early intervention, managed remotely by rehabilitation staff. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) has been designed to evaluate the efficacy of CareToy training in a first sample of low-risk preterm infants. The trial, randomised, multi-center, evaluator-blinded, parallel group controlled, is designed according to CONSORT Statement. Eligible subjects are infants born preterm without major complications, aged 3-9 months of corrected age with specific gross-motor abilities defined by Ages & Stages Questionnaire scores. Recruited infants, whose parents will sign a written informed consent for participation, will be randomized in CareToy training and control groups at baseline (T0). CareToy group will perform four weeks of personalized activities with the CareToy system, customized by the rehabilitation staff. The control group will continue standard care. Infant Motor Profile Scale is the primary outcome measure and a total sample size of 40 infants has been established. Bayley-Cognitive subscale, Alberta Infants Motor Scale and Teller Acuity Cards are secondary outcome measures. All measurements will be performed at T0 and at the end of training/control period (T1). For ethical reasons, after this first phase infants enrolled in the control group will perform the CareToy training, while the training group will continue standard care. At the end of open phase (T2) all infants will be assessed as at T1. Further assessment will be performed at 18 months corrected age (T3) to evaluate the long-term effects on neurodevelopmental outcome. Caregivers and rehabilitation staff will not be blinded whereas all the clinical assessments will be performed

Six year effectiveness of a population based two tier infant hearing screening programme.

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Russ, S A; Rickards, F; Poulakis, Z; Barker, M; Saunders, K; Wake, M

2002-04-01

To determine whether a two tier universal infant hearing screening programme (population based risk factor ascertainment and universal distraction testing) lowered median age of diagnosis of bilateral congenital hearing impairment (CHI) >40 dB HL in Victoria, Australia. Comparison of whole population birth cohorts pre and post introduction of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (VIHSP). All babies surviving the neonatal period born in Victoria in 1989 (pre-VIHSP) and 1993 (post-VIHSP) were studied. (1) Pre-1992: distraction test at 7-9 months. (2) Post-1992: infants with risk factors for CHI referred for auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR) assessment; all others screened by modified distraction test at 7-9 months. Of the 1989 cohort (n = 63 454), 1.65/1000 were fitted with hearing aids for CHI by end 1995, compared with 2.09/1000 of the 1993 cohort (n = 64 116) by end 1999. Of these, 79 cases from the 1989 cohort (1.24/1000) and 72 cases from the 1993 cohort (1.12/1000) had CHI >40 dB HL. Median age at diagnosis of CHI >40 dB HL for the 1989 birth cohort was 20.3 months, and for the 1993 cohort was 14.2 months. Median age at diagnosis fell significantly for severe CHI but not for moderate or profound CHI. Significantly more babies with CHI >40 dB HL were diagnosed by 6 months of age in 1993 than in 1989 (21.7% v 6.3%). Compared to the six years pre-VIHSP, numbers aided by six months were consistently higher in the six years post-VIHSP (1.05 per 100 000 births versus 13.4 per 100 000 births per year). VIHSP resulted in very early diagnosis for more infants and lowered median age of diagnosis of severe CHI. However, overall results were disappointing.

Early diagnosis and screening for colorectal cancer

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Laufer, I.

1986-01-01

The barium enema has been a neglected tool in the diagnosis of early colon cancer. With appropriate attention to technical detail, the double contrast enema is capable of detecting the smallest malignant and pre-malignant lesions. Many of these early colon cancers are found in asymptomatic patients and these lesions are curable. The goal of a screening program should be to identify by history or by fecal occult blood testing patients at high risk for the development of colon cancer. These patients should be examined by high-quality double contrast enema in the search for these potentially lethal but curable lesions. In addition, we believe that any patient undergoing radiologic examination of the colon for whatever reason, should receive an examination of adequate quality to rule out an early colon cancer. (Author)

Disproportionate cardiac hypertrophy during early postnatal development in infants born preterm.

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Aye, Christina Y L; Lewandowski, Adam J; Lamata, Pablo; Upton, Ross; Davis, Esther; Ohuma, Eric O; Kenworthy, Yvonne; Boardman, Henry; Wopperer, Samuel; Packham, Alice; Adwani, Satish; McCormick, Kenny; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Leeson, Paul

2017-07-01

BackgroundAdults born very preterm have increased cardiac mass and reduced function. We investigated whether a hypertrophic phenomenon occurs in later preterm infants and when this occurs during early development.MethodsCardiac ultrasound was performed on 392 infants (33% preterm at mean gestation 34±2 weeks). Scans were performed during fetal development in 137, at birth and 3 months of postnatal age in 200, and during both fetal and postnatal development in 55. Cardiac morphology and function was quantified and computational models created to identify geometric changes.ResultsAt birth, preterm offspring had reduced cardiac mass and volume relative to body size with a more globular heart. By 3 months, ventricular shape had normalized but both left and right ventricular mass relative to body size were significantly higher than expected for postmenstrual age (left 57.8±41.9 vs. 27.3±29.4%, P<0.001; right 39.3±38.1 vs. 16.6±40.8, P=0.002). Greater changes were associated with lower gestational age at birth (left P<0.001; right P=0.001).ConclusionPreterm offspring, including those born in late gestation, have a disproportionate increase in ventricular mass from birth up to 3 months of postnatal age. These differences were not present before birth. Early postnatal development may provide a window for interventions relevant to long-term cardiovascular health.

The cognitive processing potential of infants: Exploring the impact of an early childhood development programme

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René Van Eeden

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Many South African learners seem unprepared for formal education, and a need for intervention during early childhood has been identified. Aim: The present study explored the effect of infant exposure to an early childhood development programme aimed at the sensory developmental stage of the infant’s brain. Setting: Participants were recruited through local baby clinics and nursery schools in the Western Cape. Participants were from the middle-income sector and the sample consisted of 63 infants between the ages of 3 and 12 months – gender representation was approximately equal and 17% of the infants were of mixed race, 8% black and 75% white. Methods: A pretest–posttest design was used involving an intervention group (N = 29 and a control group (N = 34 of infants. There was no known bias in group allocation. Intervention was provided in the form of the Numbers in Nappies programme and cognitive performance was assessed with the BSID (III before and after the intervention for both groups. Results: The intervention group showed theory expectant increases, most notably on the Cognitive Scale and the Social-Emotional Scale of the BSID (III. The performance of the intervention and the control group on the cognitive subscales (Cognitive, Language and Motor was compared before and after the intervention. The only significant difference was on the Cognitive Scale after the intervention. Conclusion: The findings indicate that appropriate intervention taps into the cognitive processing potential of infants, thus increasing their cognitive ability and enhancing their social–emotional functioning. The stimulation provided by parents and primary caregivers is essential in enhancing this experience-dependent development and the Numbers in Nappies programme provides a cost-effective intervention suitable for a home environment.

Adherence with early infant feeding and complementary feeding guidelines in the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study.

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O'Donovan, Sinéad M; Murray, Deirdre M; Hourihane, Jonathan O'B; Kenny, Louise C; Irvine, Alan D; Kiely, Mairead

2015-10-01

To describe adherence with infant feeding and complementary feeding guidelines. Prospective study of infant feeding and complementary feeding practices were collected as part of the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort Study. Cork, Ireland. Data are described for the 823 infants for whom a diary was completed. Breast-feeding was initiated in 81 % of infants, and 34 %, 14 % and 1 % of infants were exclusively breast-fed at hospital discharge, 2 and 6 months, respectively. Stage one infant formula decreased from 71 % at 2 months to 13 % at 12 months. The majority of infants (79 %) were introduced to solids between 17 and 26 weeks and 18 % were given solid foods before 17 weeks. Mothers of infants who commenced complementary feeding prior to 17 weeks were younger (29·8 v. 31·5 years; P<0·001) and more likely to smoke (18 v. 8 %; P=0·004). The first food was usually baby rice (69 %), infant breakfast cereals (14 %) or fruit/vegetables (14 %). Meals were generally home-made (49 %), cereal-based (35 %), manufactured (10 %), dairy (3 %) and dessert-based (3 %). The median gap between the first-second, second-third, third-fourth and fourth-fifth new foods was 4, 2, 2 and 2 d, respectively. We present the largest prospective cohort study to date on early infant feeding in Ireland. The rate of breast-feeding is low by international norms. Most mothers introduce complementary foods between 4 and 6 months with lengthy gaps between each new food/food product. There is a high prevalence of exposure to infant breakfast cereals, which are composite foods, among the first foods introduced.

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ELKAR (L-CARNITINE IN PREMATURE INFANTS

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Svetlana V. Garina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Recently in Russia there is a tendency to increase the proportion of premature infants, prolonged postnatal adaptation which may be associated with carnitine deficiency Early diagnosis and correction of carnitine deficiency in premature infants is possible to reserve the prevention of pathological conditions of the prenatal period in these patients. Materials and Methods. 98 newborn infants have been examined with the help of clinical laboratory methods. Results. It has been stated that the overwhelming majority of newborn infants irrespective of their gestational age and body mass at the moment of birth had reference ranges of crude carnitine and higher degree of floating carnitine in their peripheral blood within the first days of their lives. These changes are particularly characteristic for small pre-mature infants. Statistically significant differences between the levels of crude carnitine and floating carnitine depended on the gender of newborn infants have been revealed. Directly correlated dependence of the level of crude carnitine on the body mass at the moment of birth of small premature infants has been stated. Discussion and Conclusions. It has been proved that implementing L-carnitine into the development care plan for premature infants facilitates quick body weight gain, significantly cuts down the period of tube feeding, lowers frequency of anemia development of premature infants and duration of neonatal jaundice. The ability of Elkar to correct functional diseases of cardio vascular system of premature infants has been shown.

The early clinical features of dengue in adults: challenges for early clinical diagnosis.

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Jenny G H Low

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The emergence of dengue throughout the tropical world is affecting an increasing proportion of adult cases. The clinical features of dengue in different age groups have not been well examined, especially in the context of early clinical diagnosis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We structured a prospective study of adults (≥ 18 years of age presenting with acute febrile illness within 72 hours from illness onset upon informed consent. Patients were followed up over a 3-4 week period to determine the clinical outcome. A total of 2,129 adults were enrolled in the study, of which 250 (11.7% had dengue. Differences in the rates of dengue-associated symptoms resulted in high sensitivities when the WHO 1997 or 2009 classification schemes for probable dengue fever were applied to the cohort. However, when the cases were stratified into age groups, fewer older adults reported symptoms such as myalgia, arthralgia, retro-orbital pain and mucosal bleeding, resulting in reduced sensitivity of the WHO classification schemes. On the other hand, the risks of severe dengue and hospitalization were not diminished in older adults, indicating that this group of patients can benefit from early diagnosis, especially when an antiviral drug becomes available. Our data also suggests that older adults who present with fever and leukopenia should be tested for dengue, even in the absence of other symptoms. CONCLUSION: Early clinical diagnosis based on previously defined symptoms that are associated with dengue, even when used in the schematics of both the WHO 1997 and 2009 classifications, is difficult in older adults.

Early assessment of oculomotor behavior in infants with bronchopulmonarydysplasia: A transversal study

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Silvana Alves Pereira

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: In Brazil, where there are difficulties in accessing health services, the increasing number of comorbidities in preterm survivors diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD necessitate the creation of a tool to effectively evaluate aspects of visual function in a short time. The objective of this study was to develop a simple protocol to evaluate the oculomotor system in newborns with BPD. Methods: Our study compared two groups of preterm-born infants: those who were oxygen-dependent for longer than 28 days were included in the BPD group (BG, while babies given oxygen for a maximum of 10 days were included in the premature group (PG. Exclusion criteria were: babies under mechanical ventilation and/or vasoactive drugs, those with intracranial hemorrhage, retinopathy of prematurity, motor and/or neurological malformation. Assessments were performed while the baby was comfortably seated and evaluated four eye movement types: saccadic movements (SAC, smooth pursuit (SP, vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR, and optokinetic nystagmus (OKN. Results: Fifty-two infants were evaluated and of these, 22 were included in the BPD group and 30 in the premature group. Birth weight, gestational age and Apgar score at one and five minutes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Infants with BPD demonstrated the absence of three of the four eye movements types; according to a Chi-square test, this was statistically significant when compared with the premature group. Conclusions: The protocol considered in this study was sufficient to evaluate the oculomotor system in newborns diagnosed with BPD. Ocular motility in these infants was found to be impaired when compared to babies without a BPD diagnosis.

Research advances in indicators for early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis patients with renal impairment

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LU Lifang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The liver is closely associated with the kidney, and liver injury in various stages can cause various kidney diseases to varying degrees, which further lead to renal impairment. Such renal impairment in the early stage is often functional and can be reversed by drugs, otherwise it can progress to hepatorenal syndrome, cause acute renal failure, and even threaten human life. The indicators such as serum creatinine and urea nitrogen have a limited effect in the early diagnosis of renal impairment and cannot be used for early monitoring and diagnosis of liver cirrhosis patients with renal impairment. Therefore, early monitoring of liver cirrhosis patients with renal impairment has always been a hot topic in this field. This article summarizes the research advances in the indicators for early diagnosis of renal impairment.

Early neonatal deaths associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants ≥2500 g in Brazil

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Maria Fernanda Branco de Almeida

2017-11-01

Conclusions: Despite the decreasing rates in Brazil from 2005 to 2010, early neonatal mortality rates associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants in the better spectrum of birth weight and without congenital malformations are still high, and meconium aspiration syndrome plays a major role.

32 CFR Appendix A to Part 57 - Procedures for the Provision of Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers With...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... developmental areas: (i) Cognitive development. (ii) Physical development, including vision and hearing. (iii... Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities and Their Families A Appendix A to Part 57... Appendix A to Part 57—Procedures for the Provision of Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers...

Hydrolyzed infant formula and early β-cell autoimmunity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knip, Mikael; Åkerblom, Hans K; Becker, Dorothy

2014-01-01

-associated autoantibodies out of 4 analyzed. Autoantibodies to insulin, glutamic acid decarboxylase, and the insulinoma-associated-2 (IA-2) molecule were analyzed using radiobinding assays and islet cell antibodies with immunofluorescence during a median observation period of 7.0 years (mean, 6.3 years). RESULTS......IMPORTANCE: The disease process leading to clinical type 1 diabetes often starts during the first years of life. Early exposure to complex dietary proteins may increase the risk of β-cell autoimmunity in children at genetic risk for type 1 diabetes. Extensively hydrolyzed formulas do not contain...... intact proteins. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that weaning to an extensively hydrolyzed formula decreases the cumulative incidence of diabetes-associated autoantibodies in young children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A double-blind randomized clinical trial of 2159 infants with HLA...

EARLY POSTPARTUM PARENTAL PREOCCUPATION AND POSITIVE PARENTING THOUGHTS: RELATIONSHIP WITH PARENT-INFANT INTERACTION.

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Kim, Pilyoung; Mayes, Linda; Feldman, Ruth; Leckman, James F; Swain, James E

2013-01-01

Parenting behaviors and parent-infant emotional bonding during the early postpartum months play a critical role in infant development. However, the nature and progression of parental thoughts and their relationship with interactive behaviors have received less research. The current study investigated the trajectory of parental thoughts and behaviors among primiparous mothers ( n = 18) and fathers ( n = 15) and multiparous mothers ( n = 13) and fathers ( n = 13), which were measured at the first and third postpartum month. At the third postpartum month, the relationship between parental thoughts and parental interactive behaviors also was tested. Mothers and fathers showed high levels of preoccupations and caregiving thoughts during the first postpartum month that significantly declined by the third postpartum month. In contrast, positive thoughts about parenting and the infant increased over the same time interval. Mothers presented higher levels of preoccupations and positive thoughts than did fathers, and first-time parents reported more intense preoccupations than did experienced parents. Although maternal sensitivity was inversely related to maternal anxious thoughts, paternal sensitivity was predicted by higher levels of anxious as well as caregiving and positive thoughts.

Seasonal Variation in Solar Ultra Violet Radiation and Early Mortality in Extremely Preterm Infants.

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Salas, Ariel A; Smith, Kelly A; Rodgers, Mackenzie D; Phillips, Vivien; Ambalavanan, Namasivayam

2015-11-01

Vitamin D production during pregnancy promotes fetal lung development, a major determinant of infant survival after preterm birth. Because vitamin D synthesis in humans is regulated by solar ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, we hypothesized that seasonal variation in solar UVB doses during fetal development would be associated with variation in neonatal mortality rates. This cohort study included infants born alive with gestational age (GA) between 23 and 28 weeks gestation admitted to a neonatal unit between 1996 and 2010. Three infant cohort groups were defined according to increasing intensities of solar UVB doses at 17 and 22 weeks gestation. The primary outcome was death during the first 28 days after birth. Outcome data of 2,319 infants were analyzed. Mean birth weight was 830 ± 230 g and median gestational age was 26 weeks. Mortality rates were significantly different across groups (p = 0.04). High-intensity solar UVB doses were associated with lower mortality when compared with normal intensity solar UVB doses (hazard ratio: 0.70; 95% confidence interval: 0.54-0.91; p = 0.01). High-intensity solar UVB doses during fetal development seem to be associated with risk reduction of early mortality in preterm infants. Prospective studies are needed to validate these preliminary findings. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

PREMM: preterm early massage by the mother: protocol of a randomised controlled trial of massage therapy in very preterm infants.

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Lai, Melissa M; D'Acunto, Giulia; Guzzetta, Andrea; Boyd, Roslyn N; Rose, Stephen E; Fripp, Jurgen; Finnigan, Simon; Ngenda, Naoni; Love, Penny; Whittingham, Koa; Pannek, Kerstin; Ware, Robert S; Colditz, Paul B

2016-08-27

Preterm infants follow an altered neurodevelopmental trajectory compared to their term born peers as a result of the influence of early birth, and the altered environment. Infant massage in the preterm infant has shown positive effects on weight gain and reduced length of hospital stay. There is however, limited current evidence of improved neurodevelopment or improved attachment, maternal mood or anxiety. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of infant massage performed by the mother in very preterm (VPT) infants. Effects on the infant will be assessed at the electrophysiological, neuroradiological and clinical levels.  Effects on maternal mood, anxiety and mother-infant attachment will also be measured. A randomised controlled trial to investigate the effect of massage therapy in VPT infants. Sixty VPT infants, born at 28 to 32 weeks and 6 days gestational age, who are stable, off supplemental oxygen therapy and have normal cranial ultrasounds will be recruited and randomised to an intervention (infant massage) group or a control (standard care) group. Ten healthy term born infants will be recruited as a reference comparison group. The intervention group will receive standardised massage therapy administered by the mother from recruitment, until term equivalent age (TEA). The control group will receive care as usual (CAU). Infants and their mothers will be assessed at baseline, TEA, 12 months and 24 months corrected age (CA), with a battery of clinical, neuroimaging and electrophysiological measures, as well as structured questionnaires, psychoanalytic observations and neurodevelopmental assessments. Optimising preterm infant neurodevelopment is a key aim of neonatal research, which could substantially improve long-term outcomes and reduce the socio-economic impact of VPT birth. This study has the potential to give insights into the mother-baby relationship and any positive effects of infant massage on neurodevelopment. An early intervention

New guidelines for managing cow's milk allergy in infants.

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Meyer, Rosan

2008-01-01

The prevalence of allergic disease has increased markedly over the last 50 years. Food allergy usually manifests in early childhood as part of the so-called atopic march and most commonly includes one or more of the following foods: cow's milk, hen's egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, wheat, sesame seed, kiwi fruit and seafood. In the UK about 2% of infants develop cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA), but as many as 15% of infants present with symptoms suggestive of an adverse reaction to cow's milk protein. The diagnosis of CMPA is based on one or more of the following: a detailed clinical history, allergy test results (skin prick testing [SPT] and/or specific immunoglobulin E [IgE]) and, if required, supervised incremental milk challenges. The majority of UK primary care centres do not have access to these tests and may also be unfamiliar with the interpretation or results. In addition, they do not have the facilities for supervised food challenges. Empirical treatment is often required pending confirmation of allergy or referral to a specialist centre, but requires clear guidelines. No consensus guidelines currently exist for the diagnosis and management of CMPA in the UK. An international task force has recently published proposed guidelines for the management of CMPA. These provide separate algorithms covering the diagnosis and management of CMPA for both breast-fed and formula-fed infants and discuss the use of hypoallergenic formulae, elimination diets and diagnostic tests. Revisions and adaptations for the UK market are required and are discussed in this article.

Taking Up an Active Role: Emerging Participation in Early Mother–Infant Interaction during Peekaboo Routines

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Iris Nomikou

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Dynamical systems approaches to social coordination underscore how participants' local actions give rise to and maintain global interactive patterns and how, in turn, they are also shaped by them. Developmental research can deliver important insights into both processes: (1 the stabilization of ways of interacting, and (2 the gradual shaping of the agentivity of the individuals. In this article we propose that infants' agentivity develops out of participation, i.e., acting a part in an interaction system. To investigate this development this article focuses on the ways in which participation in routinized episodes may shape infant's agentivity in social events. In contrast to existing research addressing more advanced forms of participating in social routines, our goal was to assess infants' early participation as evidence of infants' agentivity. In our study, 19 Polish mother–infant dyads were filmed playing peekaboo when the infants were 4 and 6 months of age. We operationalized infants' participation in the peekaboo in terms of their use of various behaviors across modalities during specific phases of the game: We included smiles, vocalizations, and attempts to cover and uncover themselves or their mothers. We hypothesized that infants and mothers would participate actively in the routine by regulating their behavior so as to adhere to the routine format. Furthermore, we hypothesized that infants who experienced more scaffolding would be able to adopt a more active role in the routine. We operationalized scaffolding as mothers' use of specific peekaboo structures that allowed infants to anticipate when it was their turn to act. Results suggested that infants as young as 4 months of age engaged in peekaboo and took up turns in the game, and that their participation increased at 6 months of age. Crucially, our results suggest that infants' behavior was organized by the global structure of the peekaboo game, because smiles, vocalizations, and

Clinical and functional criteria for predicting asthma in infants

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Yu. L. Mizemitskiy

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to determine clinical and functional criteria for predicting asthma in children who have sustained acute obstructive bronchitis in infancy. Subjects and methods. A total of 125 infants aged 2 to 36 months who had experienced 1 -2 episodes of acute obstructive bronchitis and treated at hospital were examined when bronchial obstruction syndrome was being relieved. In addition to physical examination, functional studies (computerized bronchophonography and heart rate variability assessment were used. Immunological examination included determination of the serum levels of immunoglobulin E and interleuMn-17A. The infants who had sustained acute obstructive bronchitis were followed up for 12-36 months. Results. The infants who had sustained acute obstructive bronchitis in the presence of mild perinatal CNS damage caused by hypoxia were typified by high respiratory morbidity; early-onset bronchial obstruction; long-term bronchial obstruction relief; high incidence of grade 2 respiratory failure in acute obstructive bronchitis. These patients developed asthma more often than twice and repeated episodes of bronchial obstruction. ROC analysis was used to elaborate clinical and functional criteria for predicting the development of asthma in infants. Conclusion. The proposed additional clinical and functional criteria characterizing external respiratory dysfunction and autonomic homeostatic changes contribute to the early diagnosis of asthma and substantially increase the validity of prediction of its development in children younger than 3 years, which is of great importance for goal-oriented preventive measures.

Biomarkers in the early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease

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CHEN Sheng-di

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Parkinson's disease (PD is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It has become clear that PD can have a preclinical phase, a period during which neurodegeneration has already begun years before the onset of typical motor symptoms. Consequently, if the early neurodegeneration in PD can be timely diagnosed, it will significantly slow down the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life. To date, there is no fully reliable and validated biomarker for the early diagnosis of PD, but some promising biomarker candidates exist.

Caregiving and early infant crying in a danish community.

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Alvarez, Marissa

2004-04-01

Maternal caregiving and fussing/crying in Danish infants at 3, 6, and 12 weeks were examined using self-report scales and 24-hour behavior diaries. Mothers reported practices commonly associated with responsive caregiving: frequent feeding, prompt response to infant cries, and considerable time holding the infant. Fuss/cry durations peaked in the first 2 months, were highest in evenings, and decreased approximately 50% by 12 weeks. Fussing was the majority behavior, and 9.2% of the infants fussed and cried more than 3 hours per day. In contrast with other Western studies, 24-hour fuss/cry durations were lower, and fussing accounted for up to 80% of total distress. Danish caregiving practices may partially explain the lower durations of infant distress and the lower ratio of cry to fuss. However, some infants fuss/cry a great deal despite sensitive care, which may reflect individual differences in infant maturation of behavior regulation.

Early neurobehavioral development of preterm infants Desenvolvimento neurocomportamental inicial de bebês prematuros

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Paula Stefaneli Ziotti Gabriel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to assess the very early neurobehavioral development of preterm infants and to examine differences regarding sex. Two-hundred and two preterm infants were assessed by the Neurobehavioral Assessment of the Preterm Infant (NAPI, which was carried out at 32-37 weeks post-conceptional age in the hospital setting. The infants' performance was compared to a norm-referenced sample and a comparison between groups regarding sex was also done. In comparison to the NAPI norm-reference, the preterm infants showed less muscular tonicity on the scarf sign, less vigor and spontaneous movement, higher alertness and orientation, weaker cry, and more sleep state. There was no statistical difference between males and females preterm infants at NAPI performances.O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar o desenvolvimento neurocomportamental inicial de bebês prematuros e examinar as diferenças quanto ao sexo. Foram avaliados 202 bebês nascidos pré-termo pela Avaliação Neurocomportamental para Prematuros (NAPI, que foi realizada na fase de 32-37 semanas de idade pós-concepcional no contexto hospitalar. O desempenho dos bebês no NAPI foi comparado com a amostra de padronização do instrumento e também foi feita a comparação entre grupos diferenciados pelo sexo. Em relação à amostra de padronização, os bebês deste estudo apresentaram menor tonicidade muscular no sinal de cachecol, menor vigor e movimento espontâneo, mais alerta e orientação, choro mais fraco e mais estado de sono. Houve um padrão semelhante de desempenho neurocomportamental dos meninos e meninas nascidos prematuros.

Roentgenoendoscopic diagnosis of early stomach cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinner, M.G.; Kopytov, I.I.

1984-01-01

Some potentialities of the X-ray and endoscopic methods in the recognition of early stomach cancer are analysed. Both methods are provided by a roentgenotogist. Of 396 operated patients with stomach cancer, early forms were detected in 78 which is equal to 8% of the detected number and 19.7% of the operated cancer pasients. Two macroscopic forms of early cancer were detected: cancer with ulceration (erosion-ulcerative form) and polypoidcancer. The first form is interpreted as primary-ulcerative cancer, malignant ulcers and cancer in the form of erosions, the second one as polyps, polypoid and patchlike cancer, malignant polyps. X-ray changes were detected in 80% of the patients, in the rest of 20% by the endoscopic method only. With the help of the roentgenological and endoscopic methods (without cytological examination) one cannot be sure of accurate differential diagnosis between malignant and benign variants of ulcerations and polypoid changes in early cancer. The potentialities of the X-ray method ir the detection of ulcerative and polypoid changes of the stomach make it possible to improve it, though under a strict condition of performing subsequent obligatory endoscopy and getting tissue specimens for biopsy. The organization of the common roentgenoendoscopic centers is found appropriate

Assessment and Stability of Early Learning Abilities in Preterm and Full-Term Infants across the First Two Years of Life

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Lobo, Michele A.; Galloway, James C.

2013-01-01

Infants born preterm have increased risk for learning disabilities yet we lack assessments to successfully detect these disabilities in early life. We followed 23 full-term and 29 preterm infants from birth through 24 months to assess for differences in and stability of learning abilities across time. Measures included the Bayley-III cognitive…

Comparison of the Efficacy of Serum Creatinine and Microalbuminuria in Early Diagnosis of Renal Injury in Asphyxiated Infants in Calabar, Southern Nigeria

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Sunny Oteikwu Ochigbo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Microalbuminuria and serum creatinine are the specific markers of acute renal injury. Perinatal asphyxia is responsible for 50% of all neonatal deaths and nonoliguric acute renal injuryis one of its complications. This study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of serum creatinine and microalbuminuria for early diagnosis of renal injury in severely asphyxiated neonates in Calabar, Nigeria.Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was performed among severely asphyxiated newborns admitted into the neonatal wards of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH. Standard methods for the determination of blood urea and electrolyte were executed. Micral-test strips have been applied using urine dipstick and the result of the test was negative only for albumin. The developed colors have been compared five minutes after the first test.Results: Fifty full-term newborns were enrolled and their serum electrolytes, creatinine and the creatinine clearance were essentially normal. Six neonates demonstrated positive results in the microalbominuria assessment, while the rest were negative in this regard. The test has 0% sensitivity and 100% specificity, while the positive and negative predictive values were 0% and 88%, respectively.Conclusion: Microalbuminuria is not a useful marker for early diagnosis of acute renal failure in the newborns with severe prenatal asphyxia, but further studies are recommended.

The Impact of Smoking in Adolescence on Early Adult Anxiety Symptoms and the Relationship between Infant Vulnerability Factors for Anxiety and Early Adult Anxiety Symptoms: The TOPP Study

Science.gov (United States)

Moylan, Steven; Gustavson, Kristin; Karevold, Evalill; Øverland, Simon; Jacka, Felice N.; Pasco, Julie A.; Berk, Michael

2013-01-01

Cigarette smoking is increased in people with trait anxiety and anxiety disorders, however no longitudinal data exist illuminating whether smoking in adolescence can influence the developmental trajectory of anxiety symptoms from early vulnerability in infancy to adult anxiety expression. Using The Tracing Opportunities and Problems in Childhood and Adolescence (TOPP) Study, a community-based cohort of children and adolescents from Norway who were observed from the age of 18months to age 18–19years, we explored the relationship between adolescent smoking, early vulnerability for anxiety in infancy (e.g. shyness, internalizing behaviors, emotional temperaments) and reported early adult anxiety. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that adolescent active smoking was positively associated with increased early adulthood anxiety (β = 0.17, panxiety did not predict early adult smoking. Adolescent active smoking was a significant effect modifier in the relationship between some infant vulnerability factors and later anxiety; smoking during adolescence moderated the relationship between infant internalizing behaviors (total sample: active smokers: β = 0.85,panxiety in early adulthood. The results support a model where smoking acts as an exogenous risk factor in the development of anxiety, and smoking may alter the developmental trajectory of anxiety from infant vulnerability to early adult anxiety symptom expression. Although alternative non-mutually exclusive models may explain these findings, the results suggest that adolescent smoking may be a risk factor for adult anxiety, potentially by influencing anxiety developmental trajectories. Given the known adverse health effects of cigarette smoking and significant health burden imposed by anxiety disorders, this study supports the importance of smoking prevention and cessation programs targeting children and adolescence. PMID:23696803

Eye disorders in newborn infants (excluding retinopathy of prematurity).

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Michael J; VanderVeen, Deborah K

2015-05-01

A screening eye examination is an essential part of the newborn assessment. The detection of many ocular disorders in newborn infants can be achieved through careful observation of the infant's visual behaviour and the use of a direct ophthalmoscope to assess the ocular structures and check the red reflex. Early diagnosis and subspecialty referral can have a critical impact on the prognosis for many ocular conditions, including potentially blinding but treatable conditions such as congenital cataracts, life-threatening malignancies such as retinoblastoma and harbingers of disease elsewhere such as sporadic aniridia and its association with the development of Wilms tumour. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Roentgenographic diagnosis of early stomach cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suh, Jung Ho; Choi, Byung Sook; Choi, Heung Jai [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1970-10-15

The most significant feature of early carcinoma, be defined as the gastric carcinoma confined in mucosa and submucosal regardless of its size and shape, is its excellent prognosis; 5 year survival rate after operation in early stomach carcinoma amounts to 93 percent in comparison with around 25 percent in advanced carcinoma, and so the detection of this early stomach carcinoma is most important subject to minimize the mortality from stomach carcinoma at the present time. For the diagnosis of the early stomach carcinoma the radiographic study, cytology and gastroscopic examination are practised, and of those the radiographic study has been revealed commonly best results, but by usual method of upper G-I study it is often difficult to diagnose accurately. Therefore, we have been employed the barium and air double contrast method by insertion of the gastric tube. This method is simple and by this method, the adequate amount of air may introduced into the stomach for the best visualization of the mucosal pattern and gastric juice may also aspirated in a case of which the stomach wall could not be coated by barium because of excessive gastric juice. Summary of the results of this studies of early carcinoma detection at the department of radiology, Severance Hospital during 6 months since May 1969 are as followings; of 1407 cases taken upper G-I study with double contrast method, 17 cases were diagnosed as possible early stomach carcinoma radiographically, and then only 6 cases had surgical resection of stomach. Of these 2 cases were confirmed pathologically and one was considered as precancerots lesion.

Roentgenographic diagnosis of early stomach cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Jung Ho; Choi, Byung Sook; Choi, Heung Jai

1970-01-01

The most significant feature of early carcinoma, be defined as the gastric carcinoma confined in mucosa and submucosal regardless of its size and shape, is its excellent prognosis; 5 year survival rate after operation in early stomach carcinoma amounts to 93 percent in comparison with around 25 percent in advanced carcinoma, and so the detection of this early stomach carcinoma is most important subject to minimize the mortality from stomach carcinoma at the present time. For the diagnosis of the early stomach carcinoma the radiographic study, cytology and gastroscopic examination are practised, and of those the radiographic study has been revealed commonly best results, but by usual method of upper G-I study it is often difficult to diagnose accurately. Therefore, we have been employed the barium and air double contrast method by insertion of the gastric tube. This method is simple and by this method, the adequate amount of air may introduced into the stomach for the best visualization of the mucosal pattern and gastric juice may also aspirated in a case of which the stomach wall could not be coated by barium because of excessive gastric juice. Summary of the results of this studies of early carcinoma detection at the department of radiology, Severance Hospital during 6 months since May 1969 are as followings; of 1407 cases taken upper G-I study with double contrast method, 17 cases were diagnosed as possible early stomach carcinoma radiographically, and then only 6 cases had surgical resection of stomach. Of these 2 cases were confirmed pathologically and one was considered as precancerots lesion

Impact of birth weight and early infant weight gain on insulin resistance and associated cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fabricius-Bjerre, Signe; Jensen, Rikke Beck; Færch, Kristine

2011-01-01

Low birth weight followed by accelerated weight gain during early childhood has been associated with adverse metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes later in life. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of early infant weight gain on glucose metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors...

Early primary cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy: maternal hyperimmunoglobulin therapy improves outcomes among infants at 1 year of age.

Science.gov (United States)

Visentin, Silvia; Manara, Renzo; Milanese, Laura; Da Roit, Anna; Forner, Gabriella; Salviato, Eleonora; Citton, Valentina; Magno, Fioretta Marciani; Orzan, Eva; Morando, Carla; Cusinato, Riccardo; Mengoli, Carlo; Palu, Giorgio; Ermani, Mario; Rinaldi, Roberto; Cosmi, Erich; Gussetti, Nadia

2012-08-01

Primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy is the leading infectious cause of congenital neurological disabilities. Early CMV infection carries a higher risk of adverse neonatal outcome (sensorineural hearing loss or neurological deficits). Intravenous hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG) therapy seems to be promising, but its efficacy needs further investigation. Since 2002, we have enrolled consecutively all pregnant women with early (ie, before gestational week 17) CMV infection. Beginning in 2007, all women were offered treatment with HIG (200 UI per kilogram of maternal weight, in a single intravenous administration). Outcome of infants was evaluated at the age of 1 year. Of the 592 women with early primary CMV infection, amniocentesis for CMV DNA detection was performed for 446. Of the 92 CMV-positive fetuses, pregnancy was terminated for 24, HIG was administered to mothers of 31, and no treatment was received by mothers of 37. Fetuses of treated mothers did not differ from fetuses of nontreated mothers according to mother's age, gestational week of infection, CMV load, or detection of abnormal ultrasonography findings. At the 1-year evaluation, 4 of 31 infants with treated mothers (13%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1%-25%) and 16 of 37 infants with nontreated mothers (43%; 95% CI, 27%-59%) presented with poor outcomes (P primary CMV infection before gestational week 17.

Consensus communication on early peanut introduction and the prevention of peanut allergy in high-risk infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fleischer, David M; Sicherer, Scott; Greenhawt, Matthew

2015-01-01

The purpose of this brief communication is to highlight emerging evidence to existing guidelines regarding potential benefits of supporting early, rather than delayed, peanut introduction during the period of complementary food ntroduction in infants. This document should be considered as interim...

Consensus communication on early peanut introduction and the prevention of peanut allergy in high-risk infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fleischer, David M; Sicherer, Scott; Greenhawt, Matthew

2015-01-01

The purpose of this brief communication is to highlight emerging evidence to existing guidelines regarding potential benefits of supporting early, rather than delayed, peanut introduction during the period of complementary food introduction in infants. This document should be considered as interim...

"Looking and Listening-In": A Methodological Approach to Generating Insights into Infants' Experiences of Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Sumsion, Jennifer; Goodfellow, Joy

2012-01-01

In this article, we describe an observational approach, "looking and listening-in," that we have used to try to understand the experience of an infant in an Australian family day-care home. The article is drawn from a larger study of infants' experiences of early childhood education and care settings. In keeping with the mosaic…

Spiral Fracture in Young Infant Causing a Diagnostic Dilemma: Nutritional Rickets versus Child Abuse

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Sonia Kaushal

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fractures are uncommon in young, nonambulatory infants. The differential diagnosis includes nonaccidental injury (NAI and metabolic bone disease, including rickets. While rickets typically present after six months of age, multiple cases have been reported in younger infants. We report a case of an 11-week-old male infant who presented with a spiral fracture of the humerus and no radiologic evidence of rickets. A detailed psychosocial assessment failed to reveal any risk factors for NAI. The patient had elevated alkaline phosphatase and PTH with low 25 hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D levels. Additionally, the mother was noncompliant with prenatal vitamins, exclusively breastfeeding without vitamin D supplementation, and had markedly low vitamin D levels 15 weeks postpartum. The biochemical data and history were consistent with rickets. Given the diagnostic dilemma, the working diagnosis was rickets and the patient was started on ergocalciferol with subsequent normalization of his laboratory values and healing of the fracture. These findings are consistent with nutritional rickets largely due to maternal-fetal hypovitaminosis D. This case highlights that in young infants rickets should be considered even in the absence of positive radiologic findings. Additionally, it illustrates the importance of maintaining adequate vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and early infancy.

Examination of the Pattern of Growth of Cerebral Tissue Volumes From Hospital Discharge to Early Childhood in Very Preterm Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Monson, Brian B; Anderson, Peter J; Matthews, Lillian G; Neil, Jeffrey J; Kapur, Kush; Cheong, Jeanie L Y; Doyle, Lex W; Thompson, Deanne K; Inder, Terrie E

2016-08-01

Smaller cerebral volumes at hospital discharge in very preterm (VPT) infants are associated with poor neurobehavioral outcomes. Brain growth from the newborn period to middle childhood has not been explored because longitudinal data have been lacking. To examine the pattern of growth of cerebral tissue volumes from hospital discharge to childhood in VPT infants and to determine perinatal risk factors for impaired brain growth and associations with neurobehavioral outcomes at 7 years. Prospective cohort study of VPT infants (childhood and outcomes in VPT infants. Low brain volumes observed in VPT infants are exaggerated at 7 years. Low brain volume in infancy is associated with long-term functional outcomes, emphasizing the persisting influence of early brain development on subsequent growth and outcomes.

Admission to day stay early parenting program is associated with improvements in mental health and infant behaviour: A prospective cohort study

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Rowe Heather

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Australia’s Early Parenting Services support families and intervene early in mental health problems in parents. The Victorian Early Parenting Strategy, a platform for government policy recommended a stronger evidence base for early parenting services. Tweddle Child and Family Health Service (TCFHS is a not-for-profit public sector early parenting centre, which provides residential, day stay, home visiting and outreach programs. This study aimed i to examine the health, social circumstances and presenting needs of clients attending the Tweddle Day Stay Program (DSP with infants under 12 months old and ii to assess the parent mental health and infant behaviour outcomes and the factors associated with program success. Methods A cohort of clients was recruited prior to admission and followed-up 8 weeks after discharge. Data were collected using standardised measures in a study specific questionnaire at baseline, participant’s Tweddle records and a follow-up telephone interview. Health, social circumstances and presenting needs of clients were described. Changes in parents’ symptoms of depression and infants’ sleep and settling between admission and follow-up were calculated. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine factors associated with changes in primary outcomes. Results Of the total 162 clients who were eligible and invited to participate, 115 (72% were recruited. Parents admitted to the DSP had worse general self-reported physical and mental health than community samples. Infants of DSP participants were no more likely to be premature or have low birth weight, but significantly more unsettled than other community samples. Participants’ mental health and their infants’ behaviours were significantly improved after DSP admission. In multivariate analysis, higher depression score at baseline and greater educational attainment were significantly associated with improvements in parents’ mental

Usefulness of high-resolution sonography in early diagnosis of rabbit clonorchiasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Jae Hoon; Choi, Don Gil; Chung, Il Gyu; Phyun, Lae Hyun; Pyeun, Yong Seon; Hong, Sung Tae; Lee, Me Jeong

1999-01-01

To determine the role of high-resolution sonography in the early diagnosis of experimentally induced clonorchiasis in rabbits. We performed sonographic examination weekly in 22 lightly-infected rabbits (10 rabbits infected with 10 metacercariae, 6 rabbits infected with 20 metacercariae, and 6 rabbits infected with 40 metacercariae), and 10 heavily-infected rabbits (500 metacercariae). The sonographic criterion of diagnosis with dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts. We sacrificed lightly-infected rabbits and counted numbers of adult worms of clonorchis sinensis 9 weeks after infection. Sonographic abnormalities were found 3 weeks after infection in 2 lightly-infected rabbits and 5 heavily-infected rabbits. On sonography at 9 weeks after infection, we observed dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts in 11 (65%) of 17 lightly-infected rabbits and all of 10 heavily-infected rabbits. High-resolution sonography is very useful in early diagnosis of rabbits clonorchiasis.

Usefulness of high-resolution sonography in early diagnosis of rabbit clonorchiasis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Jae Hoon; Choi, Don Gil; Chung, Il Gyu; Phyun, Lae Hyun; Pyeun, Yong Seon [Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Sung Tae; Lee, Me Jeong [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1999-09-15

To determine the role of high-resolution sonography in the early diagnosis of experimentally induced clonorchiasis in rabbits. We performed sonographic examination weekly in 22 lightly-infected rabbits (10 rabbits infected with 10 metacercariae, 6 rabbits infected with 20 metacercariae, and 6 rabbits infected with 40 metacercariae), and 10 heavily-infected rabbits (500 metacercariae). The sonographic criterion of diagnosis with dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts. We sacrificed lightly-infected rabbits and counted numbers of adult worms of clonorchis sinensis 9 weeks after infection. Sonographic abnormalities were found 3 weeks after infection in 2 lightly-infected rabbits and 5 heavily-infected rabbits. On sonography at 9 weeks after infection, we observed dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts in 11 (65%) of 17 lightly-infected rabbits and all of 10 heavily-infected rabbits. High-resolution sonography is very useful in early diagnosis of rabbits clonorchiasis.

Age and weight at final discharge from an early discharge programme for stable but tube-fed preterm infants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahnfeldt, A M; Stanchev, H.; Jørgensen, Henrik Løvendahl

2015-01-01

the programme (p difference in weight-for-age at discharge (p = 0.15), but infants in the early discharge group were more frequently fully or partly breastfed (88% versus 80%, p ... comparability of the two groups, weight-for-age at discharge was similar, but the programme appeared to allow better breastfeeding success at the expense of a later final discharge......., and during the programme, they received home visits by neonatal nurses. We evaluated the programme, focusing on the infants' well-being, using weight gain, breastfeeding rates and total duration of hospitalisation as outcomes. METHODS: Over an 11-year period, 500 infants participated in the programme...

Predictive information processing is a fundamental learning mechanism present in early development: evidence from infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Trainor, Laurel J

2012-02-01

Evidence is presented that predictive coding is fundamental to brain function and present in early infancy. Indeed, mismatch responses to unexpected auditory stimuli are among the earliest robust cortical event-related potential responses, and have been measured in young infants in response to many types of deviation, including in pitch, timing, and melodic pattern. Furthermore, mismatch responses change quickly with specific experience, suggesting that predictive coding reflects a powerful, early-developing learning mechanism. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A possible new diagnostic biomarker in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kork, Felix; Holthues, Jan; Hellweg, Rainer

2009-01-01

Early diagnosis in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of great importance since only a sufficient treatment in early stages of this disease helps to keep patients in an autonomous state for as long as possible. Until now, there is no single diagnostic biomarker for AD derived from material...

Scaling up HIV viral load - lessons from the large-scale implementation of HIV early infant diagnosis and CD4 testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Peter, Trevor; Zeh, Clement; Katz, Zachary; Elbireer, Ali; Alemayehu, Bereket; Vojnov, Lara; Costa, Alex; Doi, Naoko; Jani, Ilesh

2017-11-01

The scale-up of effective HIV viral load (VL) testing is an urgent public health priority. Implementation of testing is supported by the availability of accurate, nucleic acid based laboratory and point-of-care (POC) VL technologies and strong WHO guidance recommending routine testing to identify treatment failure. However, test implementation faces challenges related to the developing health systems in many low-resource countries. The purpose of this commentary is to review the challenges and solutions from the large-scale implementation of other diagnostic tests, namely nucleic-acid based early infant HIV diagnosis (EID) and CD4 testing, and identify key lessons to inform the scale-up of VL. Experience with EID and CD4 testing provides many key lessons to inform VL implementation and may enable more effective and rapid scale-up. The primary lessons from earlier implementation efforts are to strengthen linkage to clinical care after testing, and to improve the efficiency of testing. Opportunities to improve linkage include data systems to support the follow-up of patients through the cascade of care and test delivery, rapid sample referral networks, and POC tests. Opportunities to increase testing efficiency include improvements to procurement and supply chain practices, well connected tiered laboratory networks with rational deployment of test capacity across different levels of health services, routine resource mapping and mobilization to ensure adequate resources for testing programs, and improved operational and quality management of testing services. If applied to VL testing programs, these approaches could help improve the impact of VL on ART failure management and patient outcomes, reduce overall costs and help ensure the sustainable access to reduced pricing for test commodities, as well as improve supportive health systems such as efficient, and more rigorous quality assurance. These lessons draw from traditional laboratory practices as well as fields

Association between Infant Feeding and Early Postpartum Infant Body Composition: A Pilot Prospective Study

OpenAIRE

Anderson, Alex Kojo

2009-01-01

Research studies have produced conflicting results of the impact of breastfeeding on overweight/obesity. This study evaluated the impact of infant feeding on infant body composition. There were two groups of mother-infant pairs (exclusive breastfeeding [EBF; n = 27] and mixed feeding [MF; n = 13]) in this study. At baseline, participants were similar in their demographic characteristics except prepregnancy weight, where MF mothers tended to be heavier than their EBF counterparts (67.3?kg vers...

Early Caffeine Prophylaxis and Risk of Failure of Initial Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ravi M; Zimmerman, Kanecia; Carlton, David P; Clark, Reese; Benjamin, Daniel K; Smith, P Brian

2017-11-01

To test the hypothesis that early caffeine treatment on the day of birth, compared with later treatment in very low birth weight (VLBW, caffeine in the first week of life. We used multivariable conditional logistic regression to compare the risk of CPAP failure, defined as invasive mechanical ventilation or surfactant therapy on DOL 1-6, by timing of caffeine treatment as either early (initiation on DOL 0) or routine (initiation on DOL 1-6). We identified 11 133 infants; 4528 (41%) received early caffeine and 6605 (59%) received routine caffeine. Median gestational age was lower in the early caffeine group, 29 weeks (25th, 75th percentiles; 28, 30) vs the routine caffeine group, 30 weeks (29, 31); P caffeine groups: 22% vs 21%; adjusted OR = 1.05 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.18). Early caffeine treatment on the day of birth was not associated with a decreased risk of CPAP failure in the first week of life for VLBW infants initially treated with CPAP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk factors for pancreatic cancer and early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamao, Kenji; Mizuno, Nobumasa; Sawaki, Akira; Shimizu, Yasuhiro; Chang, K.J.

2008-01-01

This paper describes the strategy for improving the poor prognosis of the pancreatic (P) cancer by its early imaging diagnosis followed by resection, based on recent findings on its high risk group. Epidemiological studies have revealed that patients with diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, intraductal papillary-mucious tumor, P cyst, familial history of P cancer, and hereditary P cancer syndrome are involved in the high risk group of P cancer. Imaging diagnosis with CT and/or endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) followed by histological confirmation for resection can be a useful approach to improve the prognosis in those high risk, asymptomatic individuals with abnormal levels of P enzyme and tumor marker, and with US findings of P ductal dilation and cyst. The guideline 2006 for P cancer by Japan Pancreas Society shows the algorithm leading to the final diagnosis for the positive high risk group: firstly, CT and/or MRCP (MR cholangiopancreatography (CP)); or, in case of uncertainty, EUS and/or ERCP (E retrograde CP) and/or PET; and finally, cytological, histological diagnosis. The newer approach proposed recently for the group is: multi detector row (MD)-CT and EUS; then cytodiagnosis guided by ERCP and/or with fine needle aspiration by EUS, also a promising early diagnosis. As well, molecular biological approaches are supposedly useful for the future diagnosis. (R.T.)

EARLY COMPLICATIONS IN BARIATRIC SURGERY: incidence, diagnosis and treatment

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Marco Aurelio SANTO

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Context Bariatric surgery has proven to be the most effective method of treating severe obesity. Nevertheless, the acceptance of bariatric surgery is still questioned. The surgical complications observed in the early postoperative period following surgeries performed to treat severe obesity are similar to those associated with other major surgeries of the gastrointestinal tract. However, given the more frequent occurrence of medical comorbidities, these patients require special attention in the early postoperative follow-up. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of these complications are directly associated with a greater probability of control. Method The medical records of 538 morbidly obese patients who underwent surgical treatment (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery were reviewed. Ninety-three (17.2% patients were male and 445 (82.8% were female. The ages of the patients ranged from 18 to 70 years (average = 46, and their body mass indices ranged from 34.6 to 77 kg/m2. Results Early complications occurred in 9.6% and were distributed as follows: 2.6% presented bleeding, intestinal obstruction occurred in 1.1%, peritoneal infections occurred in 3.2%, and 2.2% developed abdominal wall infections that required hospitalization. Three (0.5% patients experienced pulmonary thromboembolism. The mortality rate was 0,55%. Conclusion The incidence of early complications was low. The diagnosis of these complications was mostly clinical, based on the presence of signs and symptoms. The value of the clinical signs and early treatment, specially in cases of sepsis, were essential to the favorable surgical outcome. The mortality was mainly related to thromboembolism and advanced age, over 65 years.

Early diagnosis and Early Start Denver Model intervention in autism spectrum disorders delivered in an Italian Public Health System service.

Science.gov (United States)

Devescovi, Raffaella; Monasta, Lorenzo; Mancini, Alice; Bin, Maura; Vellante, Valerio; Carrozzi, Marco; Colombi, Costanza

2016-01-01

Early diagnosis combined with an early intervention program, such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), can positively influence the early natural history of autism spectrum disorders. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an early ESDM-inspired intervention, in a small group of toddlers, delivered at low intensity by the Italian Public Health System. Twenty-one toddlers at risk for autism spectrum disorders, aged 20-36 months, received 3 hours/wk of one-to-one ESDM-inspired intervention by trained therapists, combined with parents' and teachers' active engagement in ecological implementation of treatment. The mean duration of treatment was 15 months. Cognitive and communication skills, as well as severity of autism symptoms, were assessed by using standardized measures at pre-intervention (Time 0 [T0]; mean age =27 months) and post-intervention (Time 1 [T1]; mean age =42 months). Children made statistically significant improvements in the language and cognitive domains, as demonstrated by a series of nonparametric Wilcoxon tests for paired data. Regarding severity of autism symptoms, younger age at diagnosis was positively associated with greater improvement at post-assessment. Our results are consistent with the literature that underlines the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention, since prompt diagnosis can reduce the severity of autism symptoms and improve cognitive and language skills in younger children. Particularly in toddlers, it seems that an intervention model based on the ESDM principles, involving the active engagement of parents and nursery school teachers, may be effective even when the individual treatment is delivered at low intensity. Furthermore, our study supports the adaptation and the positive impact of the ESDM entirely sustained by the Italian Public Health System.

Regional (spinal, epidural, caudal) versus general anaesthesia in preterm infants undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy in early infancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Lisa J; Craven, Paul D; Lakkundi, Anil; Foster, Jann P; Badawi, Nadia

2015-06-09

With improvements in neonatal intensive care, more preterm infants are surviving the neonatal period and presenting for surgery in early infancy. Inguinal hernia is the most common condition requiring early surgery, appearing in 38% of infants whose birth weight is between 751 grams and 1000 grams. Approximately 20% to 30% of otherwise healthy preterm infants having general anaesthesia for inguinal hernia surgery at a postmature age have at least one apnoeic episode within the postoperative period. Research studies have failed to adequately distinguish the effects of apnoeic episodes from other complications of extreme preterm gestation on the risk of brain injury, or to investigate the potential impact of postoperative apnoea upon longer term neurodevelopment. In addition to episodes of apnoea, there are concerns that anaesthetic and sedative agents may have a direct toxic effect on the developing brain of preterm infants even after reaching postmature age. It is proposed that regional anaesthesia may reduce the risk of postoperative apnoea, avoid the risk of anaesthetic-related neurotoxicity and improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants requiring surgery for inguinal hernia at a postmature age. To determine if regional anaesthesia reduces postoperative apnoea, bradycardia, the use of assisted ventilation, and neurological impairment, in comparison to general anaesthesia, in preterm infants undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy at a postmature age. The following databases and resources were searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, 2015, Issue 2), MEDLINE (December 2002 to 25 February 2015), EMBASE (December 2002 to 25 February 2015), controlled-trials.com and clinicaltrials.gov, reference lists of published trials and abstracts published in Pediatric Research and Pediatric Anesthesia. Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials of regional (spinal, epidural, caudal) versus general anaesthesia, or

Circulating Chemokine Levels in Febrile Infants With Serious Bacterial Infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsiu-Lin Chen

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Early diagnosis of serious bacterial infections (SBI in febrile young infants based on clinical symptoms and signs is difficult. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic values of circulating chemokines and C-reactive protein (CRP levels in febrile young infants < 3 months of age with suspected SBI. We enrolled 43 febrile young infants < 3 months of age with clinically suspected SBI who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit or complete nursing unit of the pediatric department of Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital between December 2006 and July 2007. Blood was drawn from the patients at admission, and complete blood counts, plasma levels of CRP, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF, and chemokines, including interleukin-8 (IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, monokine induced by interferon-γ, and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 were measured. Patients’ symptoms and signs, length of hospital stay, main diagnosis, and results of routine blood tests and microbiological culture results were recorded. Twenty-six infants (60.5% were diagnosed with SBI, while 17 (39.5% had no evidence of SBI based on the results of bacterial cultures. CRP, IL-8 and G-CSF levels were significantly higher in the infants with SBI than in those without SBI. Plasma levels of other chemokines were not significantly different between the groups. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC curve for differentiating between the presence and absence of SBI was 0.79 for CRP level. Diagnostic accuracy was further improved by combining CRP and IL-8, when the area under the ROC curve increased to 0.91. CRP levels were superior to IL-8 and G-CSF levels for predicting SBI in febrile infants at initial survey. IL-8 levels could be used as an additional diagnostic tool in the initial evaluation of febrile young infants, allowing clinicians to treat these patients more appropriately.

Early diagnosis in primary oral cancer: is it possible?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Waal, I.; de Bree, R.; Brakenhoff, R.; Coebergh, J.W.

2011-01-01

In this treatise oral carcinogenesis is briefly discussed, particularly with regard to the number of cell divisions that is required before cancer reaches a measurable size. At that stage, metastatic spread may have already taken place. Therefore, the term "early diagnosis" is somewhat misleading.

Contributions to early HIV diagnosis among patients linked to care vary by testing venue

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Trott Alexander T

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective Early HIV diagnosis reduces transmission and improves health outcomes; screening in non-traditional settings is increasingly advocated. We compared test venues by the number of new diagnoses successfully linked to the regional HIV treatment center and disease stage at diagnosis. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using structured chart review of newly diagnosed HIV patients successfully referred to the region's only HIV treatment center from 1998 to 2003. Demographics, testing indication, risk profile, and initial CD4 count were recorded. Results There were 277 newly diagnosed patients meeting study criteria. Mean age was 33 years, 77% were male, and 46% were African-American. Median CD4 at diagnosis was 324. Diagnoses were earlier via partner testing at the HIV treatment center (N = 8, median CD4 648, p = 0.008 and with universal screening by the blood bank, military, and insurance companies (N = 13, median CD4 483, p = 0.05 than at other venues. Targeted testing by health care and public health entities based on patient request, risk profile, or patient condition lead to later diagnosis. Conclusion Test venues varied by the number of new diagnoses made and the stage of illness at diagnosis. To improve the rate of early diagnosis, scarce resources should be allocated to maximize the number of new diagnoses at screening venues where diagnoses are more likely to be early or alter testing strategies at test venues where diagnoses are traditionally made late. Efforts to improve early diagnosis should be coordinated longitudinally on a regional basis according to this conceptual paradigm.

Xenon ventilation-perfusion lung scans. The early diagnosis of inhalation injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schall, G.L.; McDonald, H.D.; Carr, L.B.; Capozzi, A.

1978-01-01

The use of xenon Xe-133 ventilation-perfusion lung scans for the early diagnosis of inhalation injury was evaluated in 67 patients with acute thermal burns. Study results were interpreted as normal if there was complete pulmonary clearance of the radioactive gas by 150 seconds. Thirty-two scans were normal, 32 abnormal, and three technically inadequate. There were three true false-positive study results and one false-negative study result. Good correlation was found between the scan results and various historical, physical, and laboratory values currently used to evaluate inhalation injury. The scans appeared to be the most sensitive method for the detection of early involvement, often being abnormal several days before the chest roentgenogram. Xenon lung scanning is a safe, easy, accurate, and sensitive method for the early diagnosis of inhalation injury and has important therapeutic and prognostic implications as well

Maternal periodontal disease in early pregnancy and risk for a small-for-gestational-age infant.

Science.gov (United States)

Boggess, Kim A; Beck, James D; Murtha, Amy P; Moss, Kevin; Offenbacher, Steven

2006-05-01

The objective of the study was to determine whether periodontal disease is associated with delivery of a small-for-gestational-age infant. In a prospective study of oral health, periodontal disease was categorized as health, mild, or moderate/severe on the basis of clinical criteria. Small for gestational age was defined as birth weight less than the 10th percentile for gestational age. A risk ratio (95th percentile confidence interval) for a small-for-gestational-age infant among women with moderate or severe periodontal disease was calculated. Sixty-seven of 1017 women (6.6%) delivered a small-for-gestational-age infant, and 143 (14.3%) had moderate or severe periodontal disease. The small-for-gestational-age rate was higher among women with moderate or severe periodontal disease, compared with those with health or mild disease (13.8% versus 3.2% versus 6.5%, P periodontal disease was associated with a small-for-gestational-age infant, a risk ratio of 2.3 (1.1 to 4.7), adjusted for age, smoking, drugs, marital and insurance status, and pre-eclampsia. Moderate or severe periodontal disease early in pregnancy is associated with delivery of a small-for-gestational-age infant. Understanding the mechanism of periodontal disease-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes could lead to interventions to improve fetal growth.

[Recent developments in biopsy diagnosis of early and undefined liver tumors].

Science.gov (United States)

Longerich, T; Schirmacher, P

2009-01-01

Biopsy diagnosis of early and highly differentiated liver tumors is difficult and complex. Modern pathology has met this challenge by several different means; elaborate morphological algorithms and novel immunohistological markers support the differential diagnosis of highly differentiated HCC and a new, predictive molecular pathological and histological classification of liver cell adenoma was developed. By these new diagnostic tools together with the so-called 'matrix diagnosis' a reliable diagnostic classification is now feasible in the vast majority of these difficult cases.

Punctate white matter lesions in infants: new insights using susceptibility-weighted imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niwa, Tetsu; Vries, Linda S. de; Benders, Manon J.N.L.; Groenendaal, Floris; Takahara, Taro; Nikkels, Peter G.J.

2011-01-01

Punctate white matter lesions (PWML) are recognized with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as hypersignal on T1-weighted imaging and hyposignal on T2-weighted imaging. Our aim was to assess how often a hemorrhagic component was present in PWML using susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI). Seventeen preterm (gestational age, 25-34 weeks) and seven full-term infants (age at MRI, 37-42 weeks) with PWML were included. Seven preterm infants had sequential MRIs. PWML were diagnosed with conventional MRI and compared with SWI, where signal loss is suggestive of hemorrhage. The pattern of associated brain lesions was taken into account, and the percentage of lesions with signal loss on SWI was calculated for each infant. A significantly higher percentage of signal loss on SWI (median, 93.9%) was found among infants with germinal matrix and intraventricular hemorrhage as the primary diagnosis (n = 8) compared to those with a primary diagnosis of white matter injury (n = 14; median, 14.2%; p < 0.01). In the infants with serial MRIs, a reduction in the number of PWML and/or signal loss on SWI was noted at term equivalent age. In the patient who died, cystic lesions, associated with hemorrhage and gliosis, were demonstrated on histology. SWI can distinguish hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic PWML. Signal loss on SWI was more common when PWML were associated with an intraventricular hemorrhage. Longitudinal imaging showed a decrease in the number of PWML over time, with some PWML no longer showing signal loss on SWI, suggesting early gliosis. (orig.)

Early Diagnosis of Congenital Trypanosoma cruzi Infection, Using Shed Acute Phase Antigen, in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Mallimaci, María Cristina; Sosa-Estani, Sergio; Russomando, Graciela; Sanchez, Zunilda; Sijvarger, Carina; Alvarez, Isabel Marcela; Barrionuevo, Lola; Lopez, Carlos; Segura, Elsa Leonor

2010-01-01

Chagas' disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanasoma cruzi. It is estimated that 15,000 new cases of congenital T. cruzi transmission occur in the Americas each year. The aim of this study was to estimate the rate of congenital T. cruzi infection in infants born to infected women living in Ushuaia, Argentina, as well to assess a serologic test using Shed Acute Phase Antigen (SAPA) for a timely diagnosis of congenital infection. The rate of congenital infection among children in the study was 4.4% (3/68). Our results show that for infants younger than 30 days of age, matched blood samples from mother and infant were capable of identifying congenital transmission of infection using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with SAPA. For infants older than 3 months, congenital infection could be ruled out using the same procedure. PMID:20064996

Future of Early Intervention with Infants and Toddlers for Whom Typical Experiences Are Not Effective

Science.gov (United States)

McWilliam, R. A.

2015-01-01

Early intervention for infants and toddlers began with high hopes, but became mired in overspecialization, bureaucracy, and turf guarding. Nevertheless, two important advances in the field have been (a) a recognition that the child's natural caregivers are in the best position to be the intervention agents and, concomitantly, (b) a rethinking…

Severe vitamin D deficiency in 6 Canadian First Nation formula-fed infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa L. Gross

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Background. Rickets was first described in the 17th century and vitamin D deficiency was recognized as the underlying cause in the early 1900s. Despite this long history, vitamin D deficiency remains a significant health concern. Currently, vitamin D supplementation is recommended in Canada for breast fed infants. There are no recommendations for supplementation in formula-fed infants. Objective. The objective of this report is to bring attention to the risk of severe vitamin D deficiency in high risk, formula fed infants. Design. A retrospective chart review was used to create this clinical case series. Results. Severe vitamin D deficiency was diagnosed in six formula-fed infants over a two-and-a-half year period. All six infants presented with seizures and they resided in First Nation communities located at latitude 54 in the province of Manitoba. While these infants had several risk factors for vitamin D deficiency, they were all receiving cow's milk based formula supplemented with 400 IU/L of vitamin D. Conclusion. This report suggests that current practice with regards to vitamin D supplementation may be inadequate, especially for high-risk infants. Health care professionals providing service to infants in a similar situation should be aware of this preventable condition. Hopefully this would contribute to its prevention, diagnosis and management.

Determinants of Early Introduction of Solid, Semi-Solid or Soft Foods among Infants Aged 3–5 Months in Four Anglophone West African Countries

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Abukari I. Issaka

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to explore and identify factors associated with the practice of early introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods among infants aged 3–5 months in four Anglophone West African countries. Data sources for the analyses were the latest Demographic and Health Survey datasets of the 4 countries, namely Ghana (GDHS, 2008, Liberia (LDHS, 2007, Nigeria (NDHS, 2013 and Sierra Leone (SLDHS, 2008. Multiple logistic regression methods were used to analyze the factors associated with early introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods among infants aged 3–5 months, using individual-, household- and community-level determinants. The sample consisted of 2447 infants aged 3–5 months from four Anglophone West African countries: 166 in Ghana, 263 in Liberia, 1658 in Nigeria and 360 in Sierra Leone. Multivariable analyses revealed the individual factors associated with early introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods in these countries. These included increased infant’s age, diarrhea, acute respiratory infection and newborns perceived to be small by their mothers. Other predictors of early introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods were: mothers with no schooling, young mothers and fathers who worked in an agricultural industry. Public health interventions to improve exclusive breastfeeding practices by discouraging early introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods are needed in all 4 countries, targeting especially mothers at risk of introducing solid foods to their infants early.

Early diagnosis and Early Start Denver Model intervention in autism spectrum disorders delivered in an Italian Public Health System service

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Devescovi R

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Raffaella Devescovi,1 Lorenzo Monasta,2 Alice Mancini,3 Maura Bin,1 Valerio Vellante,1 Marco Carrozzi,1 Costanza Colombi4 1Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, 2Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health Research Unit, Institute for Maternal and Child Health – IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, Trieste, 3Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; 4Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Background: Early diagnosis combined with an early intervention program, such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM, can positively influence the early natural history of autism spectrum disorders. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an early ESDM-inspired intervention, in a small group of toddlers, delivered at low intensity by the Italian Public Health System.Methods: Twenty-one toddlers at risk for autism spectrum disorders, aged 20–36 months, received 3 hours/wk of one-to-one ESDM-inspired intervention by trained therapists, combined with parents’ and teachers’ active engagement in ecological implementation of treatment. The mean duration of treatment was 15 months. Cognitive and communication skills, as well as severity of autism symptoms, were assessed by using standardized measures at pre-intervention (Time 0 [T0]; mean age =27 months and post-intervention (Time 1 [T1]; mean age =42 months.Results: Children made statistically significant improvements in the language and cognitive domains, as demonstrated by a series of nonparametric Wilcoxon tests for paired data. Regarding severity of autism symptoms, younger age at diagnosis was positively associated with greater improvement at post-assessment.Conclusion: Our results are consistent with the literature that underlines the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention, since prompt diagnosis can reduce the severity of autism symptoms and improve cognitive and language skills in younger children

Early postnatal calcium and phosphorus metabolism in preterm infants

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Christmann, Viola; de Grauw, Anne M.; Visser, Reina; Matthijsse, René P.; van Goudoever, Johannes B.; van Heijst, Arno F. J.

2014-01-01

Bone mineralisation in preterm infants is related to the supply of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). We increased the amount of minerals in parenteral nutrition (PN) for preterm infants and evaluated postnatal Ca and P metabolism in relation to mineral and vitamin D (vitD) intake. Preterm infants,

Early fault detection and diagnosis for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berg, O.; Grini, R.; Masao Yokobayashi

1988-01-01

Fault detection based on a number of reference models is demonstrated. This approach is characterized by the possibility of detecting faults before a traditional alarm system is triggered, even in dynamic situations. Further, by a proper decomposition scheme and use of available process measurements, the problem area can be confined to the faulty process parts. A diagnosis system using knowledge engineering techniques is described. Typical faults are classified and described by rules involving alarm patterns and variations of important parameters. By structuring the fault hypotheses in a hierarchy the search space is limited which is important for real time diagnosis. Introduction of certainty factors improve the flexibility and robustness of diagnosis by exploring parallel problems even when some data are missing. A new display proposal should facilitate the operator interface and the integration of fault detection and diagnosis tasks in disturbance handling. The techniques of early fault detection and diagnosis are presently being implemented and tested in the experimental control room of a full-scope PWR simulator in Halden

Improving outcomes in patients with melanoma: strategies to ensure an early diagnosis

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Voss RK

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Rachel K Voss,1 Tessa N Woods,1 Kate D Cromwell,1 Kelly C Nelson,2 Janice N Cormier1 1Department of Surgical Oncology, 2Department of Dermatology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA Abstract: Patients with thin, low-risk melanomas have an excellent long-term prognosis and higher quality of life than those who are diagnosed at later stages. From an economic standpoint, treatment of early stage melanoma consumes a fraction of the health care resources needed to treat advanced disease. Consequently, early diagnosis of melanoma is in the best interest of patients, payers, and health care systems. This review describes strategies to ensure that patients receive an early diagnosis through interventions ranging from better utilization of primary care clinics, to in vivo diagnostic technologies, to new “apps” available in the market. Strategies for screening those at high risk due to age, male sex, skin type, nevi, genetic mutations, or family history are discussed. Despite progress in identifying those at high risk for melanoma, there remains a lack of general consensus worldwide for best screening practices. Strategies to ensure early diagnosis of recurrent disease in those with a prior melanoma diagnosis are also reviewed. Variations in recurrence surveillance practices by type of provider and country are featured, with evidence demonstrating that various imaging studies, including ultrasound, computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, provide only minimal gains in life expectancy, even for those with more advanced (stage III disease. Because the majority of melanomas are attributable to ultraviolet radiation in the form of sunlight, primary prevention strategies, including sunscreen use and behavioral interventions, are reviewed. Recent international government regulation of tanning beds is described, as well as issues surrounding the continued use artificial ultraviolet

Practical Aspects Regarding the Histopathological Diagnosis of Early Mycosis Fungoides

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Tebeică T.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Mycosis fungoides is the most common primary T-cell lymphoma of skin. The disease has a protean clinical and histological presentation in its early patch and plaque stages, when distinction from mimicking inflammatory dermatoses is difficult. Since no single criterion is specific enough, a reliable diagnosis in early stages requires integration of clinical, histopathological and molecular findings. In skin biopsies, the most helpful histologic features are the detection of atypical lymphocytes in the epidermis with minimal epidermal changes, basal alignment of lymphocytes along dermal-epidermal junction and formation of Pautrier microabscesses. An aberrant immunophenotype of T cells and molecular detection of a clonal T-cell population are factors that could allow a more specific diagnosis. This work recapitulates and discusses these features from a practical perspective.

Assessment of Cognition and Language in the Early Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Usefulness of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition

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Torras-Mañá, M.; Gómez-Morales, A.; González-Gimeno, I.; Fornieles-Deu, A.; Brun-Gasca, C.

2016-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to test the usefulness of the Cognitive and Language scales Bayley-III in the early assessment of cognitive and language functions in the context of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. This paper focuses on the application of the Bayley-III and studies the predictive value of the test result in…

Early infant male circumcision: Systematic review, risk-benefit analysis, and progress in policy.

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Morris, Brian J; Kennedy, Sean E; Wodak, Alex D; Mindel, Adrian; Golovsky, David; Schrieber, Leslie; Lumbers, Eugenie R; Handelsman, David J; Ziegler, John B

2017-02-08

To determine whether recent evidence-based United States policies on male circumcision (MC) apply to comparable Anglophone countries, Australia and New Zealand. Articles in 2005 through 2015 were retrieved from PubMed using the keyword "circumcision" together with 36 relevant subtopics. A further PubMed search was performed for articles published in 2016. Searches of the EMBASE and Cochrane databases did not yield additional citable articles. Articles were assessed for quality and those rated 2+ and above according to the Scottish Intercollegiate Grading System were studied further. The most relevant and representative of the topic were included. Bibliographies were examined to retrieve further key references. Randomized controlled trials, recent high quality systematic reviews or meta-analyses (level 1++ or 1+ evidence) were prioritized for inclusion. A risk-benefit analysis of articles rated for quality was performed. For efficiency and reliability, recent randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, high quality systematic reviews and large well-designed studies were used if available. Internet searches were conducted for other relevant information, including policies and Australian data on claims under Medicare for MC. Evidence-based policy statements by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support infant and later age male circumcision (MC) as a desirable public health measure. Our systematic review of relevant literature over the past decade yielded 140 journal articles that met our inclusion criteria. Together, these showed that early infant MC confers immediate and lifelong benefits by protecting against urinary tract infections having potential adverse long-term renal effects, phimosis that causes difficult and painful erections and "ballooning" during urination, inflammatory skin conditions, inferior penile hygiene, candidiasis, various sexually transmissible infections in both sexes, genital

Visual performance in preterm infants with brain injuries compared with low-risk preterm infants.

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Leonhardt, Merçè; Forns, Maria; Calderón, Caterina; Reinoso, Marta; Gargallo, Estrella

2012-08-01

Neonatal brain injuries are the main cause of visual deficit produced by damage to posterior visual pathways. While there are several studies of visual function in low-risk preterm infants or older children with brain injuries, research in children of early age is lacking. To assess several aspects of visual function in preterm infants with brain injuries and to compare them with another group of low-risk preterm infants of the same age. Forty-eight preterm infants with brain injuries and 56 low-risk preterm infants. The ML Leonhardt Battery of Optotypes was used to assess visual functions. This test was previously validated at a post-menstrual age of 40 weeks in newborns and at 30-plus weeks in preterm infants. The group of preterm infants with brain lesions showed a delayed pattern of visual functions in alertness, fixation, visual attention and tracking behavior compared to infants in the healthy preterm group. The differences between both groups, in the visual behaviors analyzed were around 30%. These visual functions could be identified from the first weeks of life. Our results confirm the importance of using a straightforward screening test with preterm infants in order to assess altered visual function, especially in infants with brain injuries. The findings also highlight the need to provide visual stimulation very early on in life. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early fault detection and on-line diagnosis in real-time environments

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Andreas Bye

1993-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes an approach to fault detection and diagnosis involving the simultaneous employment of quantitative and qualitative reasoning techniques. We show that early identification of process anomalies by means of a separate fault detection module paves the way for a fast and accuratc follow-up diagnosis. The diagnosis task is dramatically simplified because the diagnostic inferences can be performed at the soonest possible time: when the detection module first spots deviations between its calculated reference points and the corresponding measurements from the process.

Infant Mortality in Novo Hamburgo: Associated Factors and Cardiovascular Causes

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Camila de Andrade Brum

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Infant mortality has decreased in Brazil, but remains high as compared to that of other developing countries. In 2010, the Rio Grande do Sul state had the lowest infant mortality rate in Brazil. However, the municipality of Novo Hamburgo had the highest infant mortality rate in the Porto Alegre metropolitan region. Objective: To describe the causes of infant mortality in the municipality of Novo Hamburgo from 2007 to 2010, identifying which causes were related to heart diseases and if they were diagnosed in the prenatal period, and to assess the access to healthcare services. Methods: This study assessed infants of the municipality of Novo Hamburgo, who died, and whose data were collected from the infant death investigation records. Results: Of the 157 deaths in that period, 35.3% were reducible through diagnosis and early treatment, 25% were reducible through partnership with other sectors, 19.2% were non-preventable, 11.5% were reducible by means of appropriate pregnancy monitoring, 5.1% were reducible through appropriate delivery care, and 3.8% were ill defined. The major cause of death related to heart disease (13.4%, which was significantly associated with the variables ‘age at death’, ‘gestational age’ and ‘birth weight’. Regarding access to healthcare services, 60.9% of the pregnant women had a maximum of six prenatal visits. Conclusion: It is mandatory to enhance prenatal care and newborn care at hospitals and basic healthcare units to prevent infant mortality.

Infant Mortality in Novo Hamburgo: Associated Factors and Cardiovascular Causes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brum, Camila de Andrade [Instituto de Cardiologia/Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia (IC/FUC), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Stein, Airton Tetelbom [Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Grupo Hospitalar Conceição (GHC), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Pellanda, Lucia Campos, E-mail: luciapell.pesquisa@cardiologia.org.br [Instituto de Cardiologia/Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia (IC/FUC), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2015-04-15

Infant mortality has decreased in Brazil, but remains high as compared to that of other developing countries. In 2010, the Rio Grande do Sul state had the lowest infant mortality rate in Brazil. However, the municipality of Novo Hamburgo had the highest infant mortality rate in the Porto Alegre metropolitan region. To describe the causes of infant mortality in the municipality of Novo Hamburgo from 2007 to 2010, identifying which causes were related to heart diseases and if they were diagnosed in the prenatal period, and to assess the access to healthcare services. This study assessed infants of the municipality of Novo Hamburgo, who died, and whose data were collected from the infant death investigation records. Of the 157 deaths in that period, 35.3% were reducible through diagnosis and early treatment, 25% were reducible through partnership with other sectors, 19.2% were non-preventable, 11.5% were reducible by means of appropriate pregnancy monitoring, 5.1% were reducible through appropriate delivery care, and 3.8% were ill defined. The major cause of death related to heart disease (13.4%), which was significantly associated with the variables ‘age at death’, ‘gestational age’ and ‘birth weight’. Regarding access to healthcare services, 60.9% of the pregnant women had a maximum of six prenatal visits. It is mandatory to enhance prenatal care and newborn care at hospitals and basic healthcare units to prevent infant mortality.

Infant Mortality in Novo Hamburgo: Associated Factors and Cardiovascular Causes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brum, Camila de Andrade; Stein, Airton Tetelbom; Pellanda, Lucia Campos

2015-01-01

Infant mortality has decreased in Brazil, but remains high as compared to that of other developing countries. In 2010, the Rio Grande do Sul state had the lowest infant mortality rate in Brazil. However, the municipality of Novo Hamburgo had the highest infant mortality rate in the Porto Alegre metropolitan region. To describe the causes of infant mortality in the municipality of Novo Hamburgo from 2007 to 2010, identifying which causes were related to heart diseases and if they were diagnosed in the prenatal period, and to assess the access to healthcare services. This study assessed infants of the municipality of Novo Hamburgo, who died, and whose data were collected from the infant death investigation records. Of the 157 deaths in that period, 35.3% were reducible through diagnosis and early treatment, 25% were reducible through partnership with other sectors, 19.2% were non-preventable, 11.5% were reducible by means of appropriate pregnancy monitoring, 5.1% were reducible through appropriate delivery care, and 3.8% were ill defined. The major cause of death related to heart disease (13.4%), which was significantly associated with the variables ‘age at death’, ‘gestational age’ and ‘birth weight’. Regarding access to healthcare services, 60.9% of the pregnant women had a maximum of six prenatal visits. It is mandatory to enhance prenatal care and newborn care at hospitals and basic healthcare units to prevent infant mortality

Antenatal Determinants of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Late Respiratory Disease in Preterm Infants.

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Morrow, Lindsey A; Wagner, Brandie D; Ingram, David A; Poindexter, Brenda B; Schibler, Kurt; Cotten, C Michael; Dagle, John; Sontag, Marci K; Mourani, Peter M; Abman, Steven H

2017-08-01

Mechanisms contributing to chronic lung disease after preterm birth are incompletely understood. To identify antenatal risk factors associated with increased risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and respiratory disease during early childhood after preterm birth, we performed a prospective, longitudinal study of 587 preterm infants with gestational age less than 34 weeks and birth weights between 500 and 1,250 g. Data collected included perinatal information and assessments during the neonatal intensive care unit admission and longitudinal follow-up by questionnaire until 2 years of age. After adjusting for covariates, we found that maternal smoking prior to preterm birth increased the odds of having an infant with BPD by twofold (P = 0.02). Maternal smoking was associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and respiratory support during the neonatal intensive care unit admission. Preexisting hypertension was associated with a twofold (P = 0.04) increase in odds for BPD. Lower gestational age and birth weight z-scores were associated with BPD. Preterm infants who were exposed to maternal smoking had higher rates of late respiratory disease during childhood. Twenty-two percent of infants diagnosed with BPD and 34% of preterm infants without BPD had no clinical signs of late respiratory disease during early childhood. We conclude that maternal smoking and hypertension increase the odds for developing BPD after preterm birth, and that maternal smoking is strongly associated with increased odds for late respiratory morbidities during early childhood. These findings suggest that in addition to the BPD diagnosis at 36 weeks, other factors modulate late respiratory outcomes during childhood. We speculate that measures to reduce maternal smoking not only will lower the risk for preterm birth but also will improve late respiratory morbidities after preterm birth.

Age correction in cognitive, linguistic, and motor domains for infants born preterm: an analysis of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition developmental patterns.

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Morsan, Valentina; Fantoni, Carlo; Tallandini, Maria Anna

2018-03-15

To verify whether it is appropriate to use age correction for infants born preterm in all the developmental domains (cognitive, linguistic, and motor) considered by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III). Seventy-three infants born preterm (26-35wks) without major neurological sequelae and 67 infants born at term were assessed at 12 months (corrected age for infants born preterm). The performance of the infants born preterm was assessed with two different evaluations: scores based on uncorrected age and scores based on corrected age. The developmental trends of infants born at term and infants born preterm differ across domains. Statistical analysis shows that age correction produces an overrated estimate of motor performance (12.5 points [95% confidence interval 9.05-16.01]) but not of cognitive performance. Given the broad use of the Bayley-III by psychologists and paediatricians, these results are important in the early diagnosis of developmental difficulties for children born preterm. Correction for gestational age should be applied for the cognitive domain only; whereas for the motor domain, chronological age should be used. No clear data emerged for language. Age correction with Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) for infants born preterm should be applied differently in cognitive, language, and motor domains. Using corrected age with Bayley-III, the motor skills are overrated. Correction for preterm births adequately measures cognitive skills. No clear indication emerged about language skills. © 2018 Mac Keith Press.

The early development of infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder: Characteristics of sibling interactions

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Warreyn, Petra; Van der Paelt, Sara; Demurie, Ellen; Roeyers, Herbert

2018-01-01

Although sibling interactions play an important role in children’s early development, they are rarely studied in very young children with an older brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study used a naturalistic, observational method to compare interactions between 18-month-old infants and their older sibling with ASD (n = 22) with a control group of 18-month-old infants and their typically developing (TD) older sibling (n = 29). In addition, role (a)symmetry and the influence of gender were evaluated. Sibling interactions in ASD-dyads were characterized by higher levels of negativity. Although somewhat less pronounced in ASD-dyads, role asymmetry was present in both groups, with the older child taking the dominant position. Finally, siblings pairs with an older sister were characterized by more positive behaviours. Since differences in sibling interactions may alter the developmental trajectories of both siblings, these early relationships should be taken into account in future ASD research and interventions. PMID:29543814

Computed Tomography Perfusion Usefulness in Early Imaging Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marco de Lucas, E.; Mandly, Gonzalez A.; Gutierrez, A.; Sanchez, E.; Arnaiz, J.; Piedra, T.; Rodriguez, E.; Diez, C.

2006-01-01

An early diagnosis is crucial in herpes simplex virus encephalitis patients in order to institute acyclovir therapy and reduce mortality rates. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the gold standard for evaluation of these patients, but is frequently not available in the emergency setting. We report the first case of a computed tomography (CT) perfusion study that helped to establish a prompt diagnosis revealing abnormal increase of blood flow in the affected temporoparietal cortex at an early stage

Early prenatal syphilis

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Santosh Rathod

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Syphilis in pregnancy still remains a challenge despite the availability of adequate diagnostic tests for serological screening and penicillin therapy. We report a case of 2 month old female infant who presented with runny nose, papulosquamous lesions over both palms and soles and perianal erosions since 1 month after birth. Cutaneous examination revealed moist eroded areas in the perianal region and fine scaly lesions over palms and soles. Radiograph of both upper limbs and limbs revealed early periosteal changes in lower end of humerus and lower end of tibia. Diagnosis of early pre-natal syphilis was confirmed by Child′s Serum Rapid Plasma Reagin Antibody test [S.RPR] being positive with 1:64 dilution while that of mother was 1:8.

Innovations: Infant and Toddler Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Albrecht, Kay; Miller, Linda G.

This book provides teachers of infants and toddlers with an in-depth guide to infant and toddler development, theories of growth and development, and best practices in early childhood education. The chapters are: (1) "Innovations: Infant and Toddler Development," looking at the underlying principles of developmental and interactional…

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in a Term Infant Presenting With Cardiopulmonary Arrest.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoeffler, Christina D; Krenek, Michele E; Brand, M Colleen

2016-02-01

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a congenital abnormality of the cardiac conduction system caused by the presence of an abnormal accessory electrical pathway between the atria and the ventricles. This can result in intermittent tachyarrhythmias such as supraventricular tachycardia. In rare occasions, sudden death may occur from atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular conduction. Supraventricular tachycardia typically has a sudden onset and offset, classified as a paroxysmal arrhythmia. Because of the variable occurrence, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome may go undiagnosed in the immediate newborn period. To highlight arrhythmia as a possible cause of sudden decompensation in infants. The clinical presentation of this infant is complex and a number of potential diagnoses were considered. Preexcitation on electrocardiogram resulted in the diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Nurses caring for infants should be alert to tachycardia and irregularities of the heart rate, including those in the prenatal history, and should report them for evaluation. While all parents should be taught to watch for signs of illness, parents of infants with Wolff-Parkinson-White have additional learning needs, including recognizing early signs and symptoms of heart failure.

Reduced orienting to audiovisual synchrony in infancy predicts autism diagnosis at 3 years of age.

Science.gov (United States)

Falck-Ytter, Terje; Nyström, Pär; Gredebäck, Gustaf; Gliga, Teodora; Bölte, Sven

2018-01-23

Effective multisensory processing develops in infancy and is thought to be important for the perception of unified and multimodal objects and events. Previous research suggests impaired multisensory processing in autism, but its role in the early development of the disorder is yet uncertain. Here, using a prospective longitudinal design, we tested whether reduced visual attention to audiovisual synchrony is an infant marker of later-emerging autism diagnosis. We studied 10-month-old siblings of children with autism using an eye tracking task previously used in studies of preschoolers. The task assessed the effect of manipulations of audiovisual synchrony on viewing patterns while the infants were observing point light displays of biological motion. We analyzed the gaze data recorded in infancy according to diagnostic status at 3 years of age (DSM-5). Ten-month-old infants who later received an autism diagnosis did not orient to audiovisual synchrony expressed within biological motion. In contrast, both infants at low-risk and high-risk siblings without autism at follow-up had a strong preference for this type of information. No group differences were observed in terms of orienting to upright biological motion. This study suggests that reduced orienting to audiovisual synchrony within biological motion is an early sign of autism. The findings support the view that poor multisensory processing could be an important antecedent marker of this neurodevelopmental condition. © 2018 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Early versus late diagnosis in community-acquired bacterial meningitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bodilsen, J; Brandt, C T; Sharew, A

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To examine clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with late diagnosis of community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM). METHODS: We conducted a chart review of all adults with proven CABM in three centres in Denmark from 1998 through to 2014. Patients were categorized...... as early diagnosis of CABM immediately on admission, or late diagnosis if CABM was not listed in referral or admission records and neither lumbar puncture nor antibiotic therapy for meningitis was considered immediately on admission. We used modified Poisson regression analysis to compute adjusted relative...... differences (p 65 years (56/113, 50% versus 67/245, 27%), neck stiffness (35/97, 36% versus 183/234, 78%), concomitant pneumonia (26/113, 23% versus 26/245, 11%), and meningococcal meningitis (6/113, 5% versus 52/245, 21%). These variables...

REFLECTING ON THE PRACTICE OF INFANT MENTAL HEALTH AND THE REDUCTION OF RISK IN INFANCY AND EARLY PARENTHOOD: AN ESSAY.

Science.gov (United States)

Weatherston, Deborah J

2017-01-01

This essay discusses infant mental health (IMH) as well as its origins and relational framework. The author then reflects, professionally and personally, on the meaning of psychological vulnerability of boys under 5 years of age, the importance of early caregiving relationships to the reduction of risk, and implications for education and training in the IMH field. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Implementation and assessment of an early home-based intervention on infant attachment organisation: the CAPEDP attachment study in France.

Science.gov (United States)

Tereno, Susana; Guedeney, Nicole; Dugravier, Romain; Greacen, Tim; Saïas, Thomas; Tubach, Florence; Guédeney, Antoine

2013-06-01

Attachment is a long-term emotional link between infants and their mothers. Attachment quality influences subsequent psychosocial relationships, the ability to manage stress and, consequently, later mental health. Home intervention programmes targeting infant attachment have been implemented in several contexts with varying degrees of efficacy. Within the CAPEDP study (Parental Skills and Attachment in Early Childhood: reduction of risks linked to mental health problems and promotion of resilience), a subsample of 120 families were recruited with the objective of assessing the impact of this home-visiting programme on infant attachment organisation using the Strange Situation Procedure. The present paper describes the methodology used in this ancillary study.

Moderately early (7-14 days) postnatal corticosteroids for preventing chronic lung disease in preterm infants.

Science.gov (United States)

Halliday, H L; Ehrenkranz, R A; Doyle, L W

2003-01-01

Corticosteroids have been used late in the neonatal period to treat chronic lung disease (CLD) in preterm babies, and early to try to prevent it. CLD is likely to be the result of persisting inflammation in the lung and the use of powerful anti-inflammatory drugs like dexamethasone has some rationale. Early use tends to be associated with increased adverse effects so that studies of moderately early treatment (7-14 days postnatal) might have the dual benefits of fewer side effects and onset of action before chronic inflammation is established. To determine if moderately early (7-14 days) postnatal corticosteroid treatment vs control (placebo or nothing) is of benefit in the prevention and/or treatment of early chronic lung disease in the preterm infant. Randomised controlled trials of postnatal corticosteroid therapy were sought from the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials, Cochrane Database of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE (1966 - October 2002), hand searching paediatric and perinatal journals, examining previous review articles and information received from practicing neonatologists. Authors of all studies were contacted, where possible, to confirm details of reported follow-up studies, or to obtain any information about long-term follow-up where none had been reported. Randomised controlled trials of postnatal corticosteroid treatment from 7-14 days of birth in high risk preterm infants were selected for this review. Data regarding clinical outcomes including mortality, CLD (including late rescue with corticosteroids, or need for home oxygen therapy), death or CLD, failure to extubate, complications during the primary hospitalisation (including infection, hyperglycaemia, hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pneumothorax, severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), gastrointestinal bleeding, and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)), and long term outcome (including blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy and major neurosensory

Parenteral corticosteroids followed by early surgical resection of large amblyogenic eyelid hemangiomas in infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El Essawy R

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Rania El Essawy,1 Rasha Essameldin Galal21Department of Ophthalmology, 2Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptBackground: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results and complications of early surgical resection of large amblyogenic subdermal eyelid hemangiomas in infants after prior short-term parenteral administration of corticosteroids.Methods: Sixteen infants were given dexamethasone 2 mg/kg/day in two divided doses for three consecutive days prior to scheduled surgical excision of large eyelid hemangiomas. The lesions were accessed via an upper eyelid crease, subeyebrow incision, or a lower eyelid subciliary incision.Results: In all cases, surgical excision of the entire lesion was possible with no significant intraoperative or postoperative complications. The levator muscle/aponeurosis complex was involved in 31.25% of cases and was managed by reinsertion or repositioning without resection. A satisfactory lid position and contour with immediate clearing of the visual axis was achieved in all but one case (93.8%.Conclusion: Parenteral corticosteroids helped in reducing volume and blood flow from the hemangiomas, allowing for very early total excision of large subdermal infantile hemangiomas without significant intraoperative hemorrhage. This resulted in immediate elimination of any reason for occlusion amblyopia. Long-term follow-up of visual development in these patients would help to demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy compared with more conservative measures.Keywords: large eyelid hemangiomas, early surgical resection, parenteral corticosteroids

Early diagnosis and treatmente of hydronephrosis in childhood

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Kokorkin A.D.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate early and late results of the diagnosis and treatment of children with congenital hydronephrosis. Materials and methods. Conducted diagnosis and treatment of 47 children with hydronephrosis. Comparing the immediate and long6term outcomes in the two groups: primary (n=22 and control (n=25. In the study group vice diagnosed prenatally was exposed using ultrasound diagnostics and MRI. In the control group exhibited diagnosed after hospital survey for recurrent pyelonephritis. Results and discussion. All children performed surgery on the methodology of Andersen—Hines. Duration of external drainage of the urinary tract in the control group was 14–15 days in core — 7–8 days. In 9% of the children performing morphological situation demanded organo6blowing operation. In the late postoperative period in comparison groups differed significantly in the number of recurrent pyelonephritis background of sustained reductions in dilation of the urinary tract and the growth layer parenchymal kidney operated respectively 88% and 75% of the operated patients. Conclusions. Early verification of congenital hydronephrosis affects the outcomes of vice and to prevent deformation of the kidney function and save it. Late diagnosis on the background of persistent urinary tract infections in 9% of cases leads to organo-blowing operation. Persistent infection of the urinary tract is dependent on the timing of postoperative drainage of the kidney. The optimal duration of drainage 7–8 days. Prenatally diagnosed vice number of recurrences of urinary tract infections in the late postoperative period was 8%, and 87% of renal morphometric parameters were approaching the age norm.

Early-life exposure to outdoor air pollution and respiratory health, ear infections, and eczema in infants from the INMA study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aguilera, Inmaculada; Pedersen, Marie; Garcia-Esteban, Raquel

2013-01-01

the first 12-18 months of age in a Spanish birth cohort of 2,199 infants. METHODS: We obtained parentally reported information on doctor-diagnosed lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and parental reports of wheezing, eczema, and ear infections. We estimated individual exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO...... and lower respiratory tract infections in infants.......BACKGROUND: Prenatal and early-life periods may be critical windows for harmful effects of air pollution on infant health. OBJECTIVES: We studied the association of air pollution exposure during pregnancy and the first year of life with respiratory illnesses, ear infections, and eczema during...

Early prenatal diagnosis of ischiopagus conjoined twins

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Ahmet Mete Ergenoğlu

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Conjoined twins are very rare and the incidence of them vary about 1/50,000 and 1/100,000. They are named according to the joint parts. Embryos are conjoined at the level of ischium in ischiopagus. A case of ischiopagus will be presented in this article. Case: A twenty-seven year old women who is 9-10 weeks pregnant with a history of 1 abortus applied to the Ege University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for routine follow-up. Ultrasonography revealed a twin pregnancy but the embryos were attached at the pelvic region. 3D Doppler sonography confirmed the diagnosis of ischiopagus tetrapus. The patient's decision of termination of pregnancy is concluded at Perinatology Council of the clinic. Conclusion: Ischiopagus conjoined twins are very rare. Early prenatal diagnosis will prevent the maternal complications during the termination of the pregnancy.

The Utility of Routine Echocardiography in Newborn Infants with a Persistent Oxygen Requirement

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Walsh, N

2018-05-01

In the era of antenatal screening for congenital heart disease (CHD), infants presenting with an undiagnosed significant CHD are rare. However, term infants admitted with an initial diagnosis of TTN and a prolonged oxygen requirement often undergo an echocardiogram. We aimed to assess whether this practice yields any additional cases of undiagnosed CHD. We performed a retrospective chart review over a three year period [2013 – 2015] of term (> 36 weeks) infants admitted to the NICU for ≥ 5 days with a diagnosis of TTN and received an echocardiogram. The presence of CHD on the echocardiogram was assessed. Forty-seven infants were enrolled. The median age of echocardiogram was day four [2 – 8]. No infant had a diagnosis of significant CHD on the postnatal echocardiogram. A small muscular VSD was identified in two infants. Routine echocardiography for this cohort of infants to rule out major CHD appears to be unwarranted.

Early-Onset Invasive Candidiasis in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants: Perinatal Acquisition Predicts Poor Outcome.

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Barton, Michelle; Shen, Alex; O'Brien, Karel; Robinson, Joan L; Davies, H Dele; Simpson, Kim; Asztalos, Elizabeth; Langley, Joanne; Le Saux, Nicole; Sauve, Reginald; Synnes, Anne; Tan, Ben; de Repentigny, Louis; Rubin, Earl; Hui, Chuck; Kovacs, Lajos; Yau, Yvonne C W; Richardson, Susan E

2017-04-01

Neonatal invasive candidiasis (IC) presenting in the first week of life is less common and less well described than later-onset IC. Risk factors, clinical features, and disease outcomes have not been studied in early-onset disease (EOD, ≤7 days) or compared to late-onset disease (LOD, >7 days). All extremely low birth weight (ELBW, candidiasis enrolled from 2001 to 2003 were included in this study. Factors associated with occurrence and outcome of EOD in ELBW infants were determined. Forty-five ELBW infants and their 84 matched controls were included. Fourteen (31%) ELBW infants had EOD. Birth weight <750 g, gestation <25 weeks, chorioamnionitis, and vaginal delivery were all strongly associated with EOD. Infection with Candida albicans, disseminated disease, pneumonia, and cardiovascular disease were significantly more common in EOD than in LOD. The EOD case fatality rate (71%) was higher than in LOD (32%) or controls (15%) (P = .0001). The rate of neurodevelopmental impairment and mortality combined was similar in EOD (86%) and LOD (72%), but higher than in controls (32%; P = .007). ELBW infants with EOD have a very poor prognosis compared to those with LOD. The role of perinatal transmission in EOD is supported by its association with chorioamnionitis, vaginal delivery, and pneumonia. Dissemination and cardiovascular involvement are common, and affected infants often die. Empiric treatment should be considered for ELBW infants delivered vaginally who have pneumonia and whose mothers have chorioamnionitis or an intrauterine foreign body. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Adult separation anxiety and unsettled infant behavior: Associations with adverse parenting during childhood and insecure adult attachment.

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Kohlhoff, Jane; Barnett, Bryanne; Eapen, Valsamma

2015-08-01

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder (ASAD) and Adult Separation Anxiety (ASA) symptoms in a sample of first-time mothers with an unsettled infant during the first postpartum year. Eighty-three primiparous women admitted to a residential parent-infant program participated in a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV diagnosis and questionnaires assessing ASA symptoms, adult attachment and childhood parenting experiences. Nurses recorded infant behavior using 24-hour charts. The prevalence of ASAD in this sample was 19.3% and women with ASAD were, on average, more likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders, report aversive parenting experiences during childhood and show adult attachment style insecurity. Both ASAD and ASA symptoms were predicted by adult attachment anxiety, and ASAD was associated with unsettled infant behavior. Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance mediated relations between parental over-control and ASAD diagnosis, and between parental abuse and ASAD diagnosis. Attachment anxiety mediated the relation between parental over-control and ASA symptoms, and attachment avoidance mediated the relations of parental over-control and parental abuse with ASA symptoms. This study highlights the prevalence of ASAD among first time mothers experiencing early parenting difficulties and the roles of childhood parenting experiences and adult attachment style in the development of the disorder. This points to the importance of introducing universal screening for ASAD in postnatal settings, and for the development of targeted interventions. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acid Reflux (GER & GERD) in Infants

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... Definition & Facts Symptoms & Causes Diagnosis Treatment Eating, Diet, & Nutrition Clinical Trials Acid Reflux (GER & GERD) in Children & Teens Definition & Facts Symptoms & Causes Diagnosis Treatment Eating, Diet, & Nutrition Clinical Trials Acid Reflux (GER & GERD) in Infants Definition & ...

Mammography combined with breast dynamic contrast-enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of early breast cancer

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yakun He; Guohui Xu; Jin Ren; Bin Feng; Xiaolei Dong; Hao Lu; Changjiu He

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the application of mammography combined with breast dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for the diagnosis of early breast cancer. Methods Mammography and DCE-MRI were performed for 120 patients with breast cancer (malignant, 102; benign; 18). Results The sensitivity of mammography for early diagnosis of breast cancer was 66.67%, specificity was 77.78%, and accuracy was 68.33%. The sensitivity of MRI for early diagnosis of breast cancer was 94.12%, specificity was 88.89%, and accuracy was 93.33%. However, the sensitivity of mammography combined with DCE-MRI volume imaging with enhanced water signal (VIEWS) scanning for early diagnosis of breast cancer was 97.06%, specificity was 94.44%, and accuracy was 96.67%. Conclusion Mammography combined with DCE-MRI increased the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnosing early breast cancer.

Prenatal radiographic diagnosis of alpha-fetoprotein positive malformations in early pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Probst, F.P.; Sigurd, J.

1980-01-01

Early diagnosis of two malformed fetuses with positive alpha-fetoprotein test of the amniotic fluid with the aid of amniography is reported. Radiographic, diagnostic and prognostic aspects are discussed. (Auth.)

A Qualitative Study on Knowledge and Attitude towards Risk Factors, Early Identification and Intervention of Infant Hearing Loss among Puerperal Mothers- A Short Survey.

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Dudda, Ravi; Muniyappa, Hanumanth Prasad; Puttaraju, Sahana; Lakshmi, M S

2017-07-01

Maternal active participation and their support are critical for the success of early hearing loss detection program. Erroneous maternal decisions may have large life long consequences on the infant's life. The mothers' knowledge and their attitudes towards infant hearing loss is the basis for their decisions. The present study was done to determine the mothers' knowledge and their attitude towards risk factors of infant hearing loss, its early identification and intervention and also awareness of effect of consanguinity on hearing loss. In this cross-sectional questionnaire survey study, a total of 100 mothers were interviewed using the questionnaire which consisted of three sections namely risk factors, early identification and early intervention of hearing loss. Chi-square test was used to establish relationship between consanguineous and non-consanguineous mother's responses to its effect on hearing loss. A p-value consanguinity and benefits of early identification. However, mothers were least aware of neonatal jaundice, NICU admission (>5 days), signs of late-onset and neural hearing loss, management of hearing loss, hearing aid fitting and therapy necessity, which might interfere in early detection and intervention of hearing loss. It is crucial to educate mothers on few risk factors and management of hearing loss to reduce its consequences.

Auditory maturation in premature infants: a potential pitfall for early cochlear implantation.

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Hof, Janny R; Stokroos, Robert J; Wix, Eduard; Chenault, Mickey; Gelders, Els; Brokx, Jan

2013-08-01

To describe spontaneous hearing improvement in the first years of life of a number of preterm neonates relative to cochlear implant candidacy. Retrospective case study. Hearing levels of 14 preterm neonates (mean gestational age at birth = 29 weeks) referred after newborn hearing screening were evaluated. Initial hearing thresholds ranged from 40 to 105 dBHL (mean = 85 dBHL). Hearing level improved to normal levels for four neonates and to moderate levels for five, whereas for five neonates, no improvement in hearing thresholds was observed and cochlear implantation was recommended. Three of the four neonates in whom the hearing improved to normal levels were born prior to 28 weeks gestational age. Hearing improvement was mainly observed prior to a gestational age of 80 weeks. Delayed maturation of an immature auditory pathway might be an important reason for referral after newborn hearing screening in premature infants. Caution is advised regarding early cochlear implantation in preterm born infants. Audiological follow-ups until at least 80 weeks gestational age are therefore recommended. © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

[Application of Vojta's method for early detection of developmental disturbances in very low birthweight infants with regard to Apgar score and asymmetric body positions].

Science.gov (United States)

Gajewska, Ewa; Samborski, Włodzimierz

2006-01-01

This work focuses on the usefulness of assessment based on seven body positions according to Vojta for early detection of developmental abnormalities of the central nervous system. As additional factors, Apgar score at 1st and 5th minute of life, as well as asymmetry of head or of whole body at the time of investigation (usually third month of life) were analyzed in correlation with subsequent diagnosis of cerebral palsy usually established after the first year of life. The study group consisted of 57 children with birthweight lower than 1500 grams. Seven children were diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of one year. The following conclusions were drawn: Vojta's diagnostic method is very sensitive in detecting injury of the central nervous system early in life; high correlation was found between cerebral palsy and asymmetry of the body, but not of the head; low Apgar score at 5th but not at 1st minute is highly predictive for progression to cerebral palsy in infants with very low birthweight.

Investigating skin-to-skin care patterns with extremely preterm infants in the NICU and their effect on early cognitive and communication performance: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonya, Jenn; Ray, William C; Rumpf, R Wolfgang; Brock, Guy

2017-03-20

The primary objective of the study was to investigate how patterns of skin-to-skin care might impact infant early cognitive and communication performance. This was a retrospective cohort study. This study took place in a level-IV all-referral neonatal intensive care unit in the Midwest USA specialising in the care of extremely preterm infants. Data were collected from the electronic medical records of all extremely preterm infants (gestational age communication subscales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III); and skin-to-skin patterns including: total hours of maternal and paternal participation throughout hospitalisation, total duration in weeks and frequency (hours per week). Extracted data were analysed through a multistep process of logistic regressions, t-tests, χ 2 tests and Fisher's exact tests followed with exploratory network analysis using novel visual analytic software. Infants who received above the sample median in total hours, weekly frequency and total hours from mothers and fathers of skin-to-skin care were more likely to score ≥80 on the cognitive and communication scales of the Bayley-III. However, the results were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Mothers provided the majority of skin-to-skin care with a sharp decline at 30 weeks corrected age, regardless of when extremely preterm infants were admitted. Additional exploratory network analysis suggests that medical and skin-to-skin factors play a parallel, non-synergistic role in contributing to early cognitive and communication performance as assessed through the Bayley-III. This study suggests an association between early and frequent skin-to-skin care with extremely preterm infants and early cognitive and communication performance. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Endoscopic Management of Early Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus: Screening, Diagnosis, and Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

di Pietro, Massimiliano; Canto, Marcia I; Fitzgerald, Rebecca C

2018-01-01

Because the esophagus is easily accessible with endoscopy, early diagnosis and curative treatment of esophageal cancer is possible. However, diagnosis is often delayed because symptoms are not specific during early stages of tumor development. The onset of dysphagia is associated with advanced disease, which has a survival at 5 years lower than 15%. Population screening by endoscopy is not cost-effective, but a number of alternative imaging and cell analysis technologies are under investigation. The ideal screening test should be inexpensive, well tolerated, and applicable to primary care. Over the past 10 years, significant progress has been made in endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of dysplasia (squamous and Barrett's), and early esophageal cancer using resection and ablation technologies supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials. We review the state-of-the-art technologies for early diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment, which together could reduce the burden of disease. Copyright © 2018 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis and Early Warning of Wind Turbine Faults Based on Cluster Analysis Theory and Modified ANFIS

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Quan Zhou

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The construction of large-scale wind farms results in a dramatic increase of wind turbine (WT faults. The failure mode is also becoming increasingly complex. This study proposes a new model for early warning and diagnosis of WT faults to solve the problem of Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA systems, given that the traditional threshold method cannot provide timely warning. First, the characteristic quantity of fault early warning and diagnosis analyzed by clustering analysis can obtain in advance abnormal data in the normal threshold range by considering the effects of wind speed. Based on domain knowledge, Adaptive Neuro-fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS is then modified to establish the fault early warning and diagnosis model. This approach improves the accuracy of the model under the condition of absent and sparse training data. Case analysis shows that the effect of the early warning and diagnosis model in this study is better than that of the traditional threshold method.

Effects of early and late cheiloplasty on anterior part of maxillary dental arch development in infants with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate

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Silvia Valentová-Strenáčiková

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The objective of this study is to compare the impact of early and late reconstruction of complete unilateral cleft lip and palate on the growth and development of the front of the dentoalveolar arch. Methods. This study was carried out in the years 2012–2015 at the Clinic of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery in Banska Bystrica. Infants with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate were divided into 2 groups according to the timing of lip reconstruction. Group A consisted of infants with early lip reconstruction–realised in the first 14 days of life. Group B consisted of infants with later lip reconstruction–realised in the third month of age. Maxillary dental casts were obtained for each child in four periods–in the first 14 days of life, in the third month, in the sixth month and in the age of one year. These were followed by the identification, measurement and evaluation of anthropometric parameters. Results. Significant differences were occurred after the reconstruction of the lips in linear and angle measurements between infants in the A and B groups. Conclusion. The early surgical reconstruction of the lips in the first 14 days of life has a positive effect on the growth and development of the anterior segment of the dentoalveolar arch. Early lip reconstruction forms a continuous pressure on the frontal segment, resulting in the earlier remedy of anatomical properties and creates appropriate conditions for the best development of this area.

The effects of preterm birth on mother-infant interaction and attachment during the infant's first two years.

Science.gov (United States)

Korja, Riikka; Latva, Reija; Lehtonen, Liisa

2012-02-01

Early mother-infant relationships in preterm populations were evaluated in the context of a systematic review of the literature. A systematic search of three electronic databases (PsychINFO, PubMed and Cochrane Library) was undertaken. Three studies of maternal attachment, 18 studies of mother-preterm infant interaction and eight studies of infant attachment were included. Studies of preterm infant attachment were also evaluated using a meta-analysis. Studies of mother-preterm infant interactions showed that the differences in maternal interaction behavior between mothers of preterm infants and mothers of full-term infants seem to be most evident during the first six months of life. Differences in the preterm infant's interaction behavior seem also to continue for six months after birth. However, five of 18 studies showed an equal or even higher quality of mother-infant interaction in groups of preterm compared to groups of full-term infants. Studies of maternal and infant attachment indicated that preterm infants and their mothers are not at higher risk of insecure attachment than full-term infants and their mothers. The mother-preterm infant relationship is complex, and some relational patterns forecast greater psychological risk than others. It is important to decrease maternal stress and early separation in every possible way during hospitalization as well as after discharge. © 2012 The Authors Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica© 2012 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Early neonatal deaths associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants ≥2500 g in Brazil

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Maria Fernanda Branco de Almeida

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To assess the annual burden of early neonatal deaths associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants weighing ≥2500 g in Brazil from 2005 to 2010. Methods: The population study enrolled all live births of infants with birth weight ≥2500 g and without malformations who died up to six days after birth with perinatal asphyxia, defined as intrauterine hypoxia, asphyxia at birth, or meconium aspiration syndrome. The cause of death was written in any field of the death certificate, according to International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (P20.0, P21.0, and P24.0. An active search was performed in 27 Brazilian federative units. The chi-squared test for trend was applied to analyze early neonatal mortality ratios associated with perinatal asphyxia by study year. Results: A total of 10,675 infants weighing ≥2500 g without malformations died within six days after birth with perinatal asphyxia. Deaths occurred in the first 24 h after birth in 71% of the infants. Meconium aspiration syndrome was reported in 4076 (38% of these deaths. The asphyxia-specific early neonatal mortality ratio decreased from 0.81 in 2005 to 0.65 per 1000 live births in 2010 in Brazil (p < 0.001; the meconium aspiration syndrome-specific early neonatal mortality ratio remained between 0.20 and 0.29 per 1000 live births during the study period. Conclusions: Despite the decreasing rates in Brazil from 2005 to 2010, early neonatal mortality rates associated with perinatal asphyxia in infants in the better spectrum of birth weight and without congenital malformations are still high, and meconium aspiration syndrome plays a major role. Resumo: Objetivo: Avaliar a taxa anual de óbitos neonatais precoces associados à asfixia perinatal em neonatos de peso ≥2.500 g no Brasil de 2005 a 2010. Métodos: A população do estudo envolveu todos os nascidos vivos de neonatos com peso ao nascer ≥2.500 g e sem malformações que morreram até seis dias ap

Early primary repair of tetralogy of fallot in neonates and infants less than four months of age.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamesberger, Melanie I; Lechner, Evelyn; Mair, Rudolf; Hofer, Anna; Sames-Dolzer, Eva; Tulzer, Gerald

2008-12-01

The ideal age for correction of tetralogy of Fallot is still under discussion. The aim of this study was to analyze morbidity and mortality in patients who underwent early primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot at the age of less than 4 months and to assess whether neonates, who needed early repair within the first 4 weeks of life, faced an increased risk. From 1995 to 2006, 90 consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary stenosis underwent early primary repair. Patient charts were analyzed retrospectively for two groups: group A, 25 neonates younger than 28 days who needed early operation owing to duct-dependent pulmonary circulation or severe hypoxemia; and group B, 65 infants younger than 4 months of age who underwent elective early repair. There was no 30-day mortality; late mortality was 2% after a median follow-up time of 4.7 years. Seven of 88 patients (8%) needed reoperation and twelve of 88 patients (14%) needed reintervention. Groups A and B did not differ significantly in terms of intensive care unit stay, days of mechanical ventilation, overall hospital stay, major or minor complications, or reoperation. Significant differences were found in a more frequent use of a transannular patch (p = 0.045) and more reinterventions (p = 0.046) in group A. Early primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot can be performed safely and effectively in infants younger than 4 months of age and even in neonates younger than 28 days with duct-dependent pulmonary circulation or severe hypoxemia.

Effects of maternal postpartum depression in a well-resourced sample: Early concurrent and long-term effects on infant cognitive, language, and motor development.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith-Nielsen, Johanne; Tharner, Anne; Krogh, Marianne Thode; Vaever, Mette Skovgaard

2016-12-01

This study examined early and long-term effects of maternal postpartum depression on cognitive, language, and motor development in infants of clinically depressed mothers. Participants were 83 mothers and their full-term born children from the urban region of Copenhagen, Denmark. Of this group, 28 mothers were diagnosed with postnatal depression three to four months postpartum in a diagnostic interview. Cognitive, language, and motor development was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development third edition, when the infants were 4 and 13 months of age. We found that maternal postpartum depression was associated with poorer cognitive development at infant age four months, the effect size being large (Cohen's d = 0.8) and with similar effects for boys and girls. At 13 months of age infants of clinical mothers did not differ from infants of non-clinical mothers. At this time most (79%) of the clinical mothers were no longer, or not again, depressed. These results may indicate that maternal depression can have an acute, concurrent effect on infant cognitive development as early as at four months postpartum. At the same time, in the absence of other risk factors, this effect may not be enduring. The main weaknesses of the study include the relatively small sample size and that depression scores were only available for 35 of the non-clinical mothers at 13 months. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

New and chronic use of hypnotics after diagnosis with early breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Lærke Toftegård; Suppli, Nis Frederik Palm; Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: To determine use and investigate factors associated with use of hypnotics the first year after a diagnosis with breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective registry based cohort study linking clinical data from the Danish Breast Cancer Group with the National Prescription Drug...... Database and other health and administrative registries. We included 26 082 women diagnosed with early breast cancer as first time primary cancer during 1996-2006. Use of hypnotics was measured as redeemed prescriptions in the first year after diagnosis of early breast cancer. Prior use of hypnotics.......21-1.42)] and use of antidepressants the year before breast cancer diagnosis [HR 1.97 (95% CI 1.85-2.10)]. CONCLUSION: This study detected a group of patients at great risk for initiating and increasing use of hypnotics and preventive and prophylactic mechanism should be investigated and initiated when this group...

Outcomes for Extremely Premature Infants

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Glass, Hannah C.; Costarino, Andrew T.; Stayer, Stephen A.; Brett, Claire; Cladis, Franklyn; Davis, Peter J.

2015-01-01

Premature birth is a significant cause of infant and child morbidity and mortality. In the United States, the premature birth rate, which had steadily increased during the 1990s and early 2000s, has decreased annually for four years and is now approximately 11.5%. Human viability, defined as gestational age at which the chance of survival is 50%, is currently approximately 23–24 weeks in developed countries. Infant girls, on average, have better outcomes than infant boys. A relatively uncomplicated course in the intensive care nursery for an extremely premature infant results in a discharge date close to the prenatal EDC. Despite technological advances and efforts of child health experts during the last generation, the extremely premature infant (less than 28 weeks gestation) and extremely low birth weight infant (ELBW) (CPAP, mechanical ventilation, and exogenous surfactant increased survival and spurred the development of neonatal intensive care in the 1970s through the early 1990s. Routine administration of antenatal steroids during premature labor improved neonatal mortality and morbidity in the late 1990s. The recognition that chronic postnatal administration of steroids to infants should be avoided may have improved outcomes in the early 2000s. Evidence from recent trials attempting to define the appropriate target for oxygen saturation in preterm infants suggests arterial oxygen saturation between 91–95% (compared to 85–89%) avoids excess mortality. However, final analyses of data from these trials have not been published, so definitive recommendations are still pending The development of neonatal neurocognitive care visits may improve neurocognitive outcomes in this high-risk group. Long-term follow up to detect and address developmental, learning, behavioral, and social problems is critical for children born at these early gestational ages. The striking similarities in response to extreme prematurity in the lung and brain imply that agents and

Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer using Molecular, Biochemical and Pathological Markers

OpenAIRE

Salah E.D. El-Assal; Adel A. El-Tarras; Samir M. Abd-alla

2011-01-01

Problem statement: Laboratory diagnosis of breast cancer in most of the hospitals has traditionally been performed using cell culture and the direct hormone receptor assay, which are money and time consuming. Approach: This study was performed in order to direct the attention toward increasing the efficiency of early diagnosis in clinical laboratories at the western region of KSA and Egypt using recent PCR-dependent protocols i.e., Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) and Reverse Transc...

Clinical impact of early diagnosis of autism on the prognosis and parent-child relationships

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Elder JH

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Jennifer Harrison Elder,1 Consuelo Maun Kreider,2 Susan N Brasher,3 Margaret Ansell4 1Department of Family and Community Health Nursing Science, 2Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 3Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 4Health Science Center Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD refers to a lifelong condition that usually appears in late infancy or early childhood, and is characterized by social and communication deficits that impede optimal functioning. Despite widespread research and greater public awareness, ASD has an unclear etiology and no known cure, making it difficult to acquire accurate and timely diagnoses. In addition, once an ASD diagnosis is made, parents find it challenging to navigate the healthcare system and determine which interventions are most effective and appropriate for their child. A growing body of evidence supports the value of early diagnosis and treatment with evidence-based interventions, which can significantly improve the quality of life of individuals with ASD as well as of their carers and families. Particularly noteworthy are early interventions that occur in natural surroundings and can be modified to address age-related goals throughout the lifespan. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to: 1 provide readers with a brief background related to ASD; 2 describe commonly used screening instruments and tools for early diagnosis; 3 describe early interventions that have empirical support; and 4 discuss how the parent–child and family relationships can be affected through this process. This information can provide professionals with information they can use to assist families who make critical and potentially life-changing decisions for children with ASD. Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, ASD, early diagnosis, early intervention, parent–child relationship

Detection of cytomegalovirus DNA in dried blood spots of Minnesota infants who do not pass newborn hearing screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, K Yeon; Schimmenti, Lisa A; Jurek, Anne M; Sharon, Bazak; Daly, Kathy; Khan, Cindy; McCann, Mark; Schleiss, Mark R

2009-12-01

Up to 15% of infants with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection will experience some degree of sensorineural hearing loss. Many infants who fail newborn hearing screening (NHS) are likely to have congenital CMV infection, but may escape definitive virologic identification because diagnostic evaluation may not commence until several weeks or months of age, making differentiation between congenital and postnatal CMV infection difficult. Early diagnosis linking virologic identification of congenital CMV infection to infants failing NHS may improve diagnostic precision and enhance opportunities for therapeutic intervention. The goal of this study was to compare newborn dried blood spots from Minnesota infants who had failed NHS, and were designated for referral, with control infants who passed NHS, for the presence of CMV DNA by real-time PCR, using hybridization probes for the CMV gene UL54. Of 479 infants with a failed NHS (bilateral failure), 13 had CMV DNA present in the blood spot (2.7%). This compared with only 2/479 positive results from a control group of infants who passed the NHS (0.4%; P = 0.007, Fisher exact test). Comparisons of the glycoprotein B (gB) genotype as well as direct DNA sequencing of selected positives revealed that PCR positive samples represented unique clinical isolates. The mean viral load among the 15 positive samples was 1.6 x 10(3) genomes/microgram of total DNA. Newborn bloodspot CMV screening by real-time PCR may be a useful and rapid adjunct to functional NHS and may enable more rapid etiologic diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss in newborns.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS AS A PRECONDITION FOR A SUCCESSFUL COCHLEAR IMPLANTATION

OpenAIRE

Zora JACHOVA; Aleksandra KAROVSKA

2007-01-01

All researches point to the fact that the early de­tection and diagnosis are still performed late (after the third year of life), so in the first three years of life there is no establishment of the developmental changes in a way that they include the interrelation aspects of the human development and its natural sequences. With the start of early rehabilitation procedures we encourage the positive manner of communication in the small deaf child, so that it manufactures and processes informat...

Infant attachment insecurity and dissociative symptomatology: findings from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Haltigan, John D; Roisman, Glenn I

2015-01-01

Based on data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,149), the current article provides the first large-sample investigation of associations between different forms of infant attachment insecurity and dissociative symptomatology from childhood through midadolescence as measured by scales based on the mother, teacher, and youth self-report versions of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments. Findings did not replicate the previously reported and highly cited evidence that infant attachment disorganization is associated with dissociative symptomatology. In contrast, correlations of small magnitude were observed between infant avoidance and dissociative symptomatology, as assessed by teachers and mothers (but not self-report). Results were not moderated by contextual risk. Limitations of the study included the absence of measures of maltreatment and interpersonal trauma, leaving open the possibility that infant attachment disorganization is a diathesis for later dissociation in the context of severe and/or chronic trauma. Nevertheless, the present results strongly indicate the need for additional research exploring the possible role of environmental factors in the development of dissociative symptomatology. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Early Detection of Development Dysplasia of the Hip in the Netherlands: The Validity of a standardized Assessment Protocol in Infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boere-Boonekamp, Magdalena M.; Kerkhoff, Antoon; Schuil, Paul B.; Zielhuis, Gerhard A.

1998-01-01

The advantages of an early diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip are well established. Early diagnosis means a shorter, less invasive course of treatment with more favorable results and fewer complications. In the Netherlands, the number of neonatally diagnosed cases is very low. Early

Availability and Use of HIV Monitoring and Early Infant Diagnosis Technologies in WHO Member States in 2011-2013: Analysis of Annual Surveys at the Facility Level.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Habiyambere

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets have reinforced the importance of functioning laboratory services to ensure prompt diagnosis and to assess treatment efficacy. We surveyed the availability and utilization of technologies for HIV treatment monitoring and early infant diagnosis (EID in World Health Organization (WHO Member States.The survey questionnaire included 14 structured questions focusing on HIV testing, cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4 testing, HIV viral load (VL testing, and EID and was administered annually from 2012 to 2014 through WHO country offices, with each survey covering the previous 12-mo period. Across 127 targeted countries, survey response rates were 60% in 2012, 67% in 2013, and 78% in 2014. There were encouraging trends towards increased procurement of CD4 and VL/EID instruments in reporting countries. Globally, the capacity of available CD4 instruments was sufficient to meet the demand of all people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA, irrespective of treatment status (4.62 theoretical tests per PLWHA in 2013 [median 7.33; interquartile range (IQR 3.44-17.75; median absolute deviation (MAD 4.35]. The capacity of VL instruments was inadequate to cover all PLWHA in many reporting countries (0.44 tests per PLWHA in 2013 [median 0.90; IQR 0.30-2.40; MAD 0.74]. Of concern, only 13.7% of existing CD4 capacity (median 4.3%; IQR 1.1%-12.1%; MAD 3.8% and only 36.5% of existing VL capacity (median 9.4%; IQR 2.3%-28.9%; MAD 8.2% was being utilized across reporting countries in 2013. By the end of 2013, 7.4% of all CD4 instruments (5.8% CD4 conventional instruments and 11.0% of CD4 point of care [POC] and 10% of VL/EID instruments were reportedly not in use because of lack of reagents, the equipment not being installed or deployed, maintenance, and staff training requirements. Major limitations of this survey included under-reporting and/or incomplete reporting in some national programmes and

Young infants with severe tetralogy of Fallot: Early primary surgery versus transcatheter palliation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilder, Travis J; Van Arsdell, Glen S; Benson, Lee; Pham-Hung, Eric; Gritti, Michael; Page, Alexandra; Caldarone, Christopher A; Hickey, Edward J

2017-11-01

Infants with severe tetralogy of Fallot may undergo (1) early primary surgical repair (EARLY) or (2) early transcatheter palliation (CATH) before delayed surgical repair. We compared these strategies with (3) elective single-stage tetralogy of Fallot repair (IDEAL). From 2000 to 2012, 453 children underwent tetralogy of Fallot repair (excluding systemic-pulmonary shunts), including 383 in the IDEAL (75%), 42 in the EARLY (9%), and 28 in the CATH (6%) groups. IDEAL repair at The Hospital for Sick Children occurs after 3 months. Risk-adjusted hazard analysis compared freedom from surgical or catheter reintervention. Somatic size, branch pulmonary artery size, and right ventricle systolic pressure were modeled using 2780 echocardiogram reports via mixed-model regression. CATH involved right ventricular outflow tract stent in 18 patients, right ventricular outflow tract balloon in 9 patients, and ductal-stent in 1 patient. Three patients died (1 per group). Risk-adjusted freedom from surgical reoperation was 89% ± 4%, 88% ± 5%, and 85% ± 6% for the IDEAL, EARLY, and CATH groups, respectively, at 10 years. Patients in the EARLY and CATH groups had similar reoperation rates, except for neonates (tetralogy of Fallot. Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sequential cranial ultrasound and cerebellar diffusion weighted imaging contribute to the early prognosis of neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants.

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Margaretha J Brouwer

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contribution of sequential cranial ultrasound (cUS and term-equivalent age magnetic resonance imaging (TEA-MRI including diffusion weighted imaging (DWI to the early prognosis of neurodevelopmental outcome in a cohort of very preterm infants (gestational age [GA] <31 weeks. STUDY DESIGN: In total, 93 preterm infants (median [range] GA in weeks: 28.3 [25.0-30.9] were enrolled in this prospective cohort study and underwent early and term cUS as well as TEA-MRI including DWI. Early cUS abnormalities were classified as normal, mild, moderate or severe. Term cUS was evaluated for ex-vacuo ventriculomegaly (VM and enlargement of the extracerebral cerebrospinal fluid (eCSF space. Abnormalities on T1- and T2-weighted TEA-MRI were scored according to Kidokoro et al. Using DWI at TEA, apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs were measured in four white matter regions bilaterally and both cerebellar hemispheres. Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed at two years' corrected age (CA using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. Linear regression analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between the different neuroimaging modalities and outcome. RESULTS: Moderate/severe abnormalities on early cUS, ex-vacuo VM and enlargement of the eCSF space on term cUS and increased cerebellar ADC values on term DWI were independently associated with worse motor outcome (p<.05. Ex-vacuo VM on term cUS was also related to worse cognitive performance at two years' CA (p<.01. CONCLUSION: These data support the clinical value of sequential cUS and recommend repeating cUS at TEA. In particular, assessment of moderate/severe early cUS abnormalities and ex-vacuo VM on term cUS provides important prognostic information. Cerebellar ADC values may further aid in the prognostication of gross motor function.

Low Microbial Diversity and Abnormal Microbial Succession Is Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants

Science.gov (United States)

Dobbler, Priscila T.; Procianoy, Renato S.; Mai, Volker; Silveira, Rita C.; Corso, Andréa L.; Rojas, Bruna S.; Roesch, Luiz F. W.

2017-01-01

Despite increased efforts, the diverse etiologies of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) have remained largely elusive. Clinical predictors of NEC remain ill-defined and currently lack sufficient specificity. The development of a thorough understanding of initial gut microbiota colonization pattern in preterm infants might help to improve early detection or prediction of NEC and its associated morbidities. Here we compared the fecal microbiota successions, microbial diversity, abundance and structure of newborns that developed NEC with preterm controls. A 16S rRNA based microbiota analysis was conducted in a total of 132 fecal samples that included the first stool (meconium) up until the 5th week of life or NEC diagnosis from 40 preterm babies (29 controls and 11 NEC cases). A single phylotype matching closest to the Enterobacteriaceae family correlated strongly with NEC. In DNA from the sample with the greatest abundance of this phylotype additional shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed Citrobacter koseri and Klebsiella pneumoniae as the dominating taxa. These two taxa might represent suitable microbial biomarker targets for early diagnosis of NEC. In NEC cases, we further detected lower microbial diversity and an abnormal succession of the microbial community before NEC diagnosis. Finally, we also detected a disruption in anaerobic microorganisms in the co-occurrence network of meconium samples from NEC cases. Our data suggest that a strong dominance of Citrobacter koseri and/or Klebsiella pneumoniae, low diversity, low abundance of Lactobacillus, as well as an altered microbial-network structure during the first days of life, correlate with NEC risk in preterm infants. Confirmation of these findings in other hospitals might facilitate the development of a microbiota based screening approach for early detection of NEC. PMID:29187842

LTR real-time PCR for HIV-1 DNA quantitation in blood cells for early diagnosis in infants born to seropositive mothers treated in HAART area (ANRS CO 01).

Science.gov (United States)

Avettand-Fènoël, Véronique; Chaix, Marie-Laure; Blanche, Stéphane; Burgard, Marianne; Floch, Corinne; Toure, Kadidia; Allemon, Marie-Christine; Warszawski, Josiane; Rouzioux, Christine

2009-02-01

HIV-1 diagnosis in babies born to seropositive mothers is one of the challenges of HIV epidemics in children. A simple, rapid protocol was developed for quantifying HIV-1 DNA in whole blood samples and was used in the ANRS French pediatric cohort in conditions of prevention of mother-to-child transmission. A quantitative HIV-1 DNA protocol (LTR real-time PCR) requiring small blood volumes was developed. First, analytical reproducibility was evaluated on 172 samples. Results obtained on blood cell pellets and Ficoll-Hypaque separated mononuclear cells were compared in 48 adult HIV-1 samples. Second, the protocol was applied to HIV-1 diagnosis in infants in parallel with plasma HIV-RNA quantitation. This prospective study was performed in children born between May 2005 and April 2007 included in the ANRS cohort. The assay showed good reproducibility. The 95% detection cut-off value was 6 copies/PCR, that is, 40 copies/10(6) leukocytes. HIV-DNA levels in whole blood were highly correlated with those obtained after Ficoll-Hypaque separation (r = 0.900, P mothers have received HAART. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Does a parent-administrated early motor intervention influence general movements and movement character at 3months of age in infants born preterm?

Science.gov (United States)

Fjørtoft, Toril; Ustad, Tordis; Follestad, Turid; Kaaresen, Per Ivar; Øberg, Gunn Kristin

2017-09-01

Studies of preterm and term-born infants have shown absent fidgety movements and an abnormal movement character to be related to brain lesions and unfavourable neurological outcomes. The present study examines what effect a parent-administered early intervention program applied to preterm infants in a randomised control trial (RCT) between 34 and 36weeks gestational age has on their fidgety movements and overall movement character at three months of age. The study was part of the RCT in an early intervention programme including preterm infants born between 2010 and 2014 at three Norwegian university hospitals. 130 preterm infants participated in the study, with 59 of them in the control group and 71 in the intervention group. Fidgety movements and overall movement character at three months corrected age. No difference was found between the intervention group and the control group in terms of fidgety movements or movement character. Approximately half of the infants in both groups showed an abnormal movement character. No evidence was found in this RCT to suggest that an intervention at 34 to 37weeks gestational age has a significant effect on the fidgety movements or overall movement character of preterm infants. This is in line with the assumption that absent fidgety movements and an abnormal movement character are due to permanent brain injury and are therefore good predictors for later neurological impairments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of mother-infant early skin-to-skin contact on breast feeding status: a randomized controlled trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmood, I.; Jamal, M.; Khan, N.

2011-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of mother-infant early skin-to-skin contact on breast feeding behavior of infants. Study Design: A randomized controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, from November to December 2009. Methodology: Eligible mothers were assessed for the successful breast feeding by using IBFAT tool. The time to initiate the first feed, time to effective breast feeding, maternal satisfaction with the care provided, preference for the same care in future and level of exclusive breast feeding at the age of one month were also noted. The data was compared by using X2 and t-test. Significant p-value was taken as < 0.05. Results: A total of 183 mother-infant pairs (92 in skin-to-skin care [SSC] group and 91 in conventional care [CC] group) were analyzed for breast feeding behavior of the infants. The first breast feed was 26.25% more successful in SSC group (58.8% in SSC group as compared to 32.5% in CC group with p-value of 0.001). In SSC group, the mean time to initiate first breast feed was 61.6 minutes shorter than CC group (40.62 vs. 101.88; p < 0.001). Mean time to achieve effective breast feeding was 207 minutes earlier in SSC group (149.69 vs. 357.50; p < 0.001). The level of satisfaction in the mothers of SSC group was significantly high as compared to controls (56% vs. 6.2%). Similarly, 53.8% mothers of SSC group showed reference for similar care in future as compared to 5% in CC group. In SSC group 85.3% infants were exclusively breast fed at one month as compared to 65.7% in CC group (p=0.025). Conclusion: Maternal-infant early skin-to-skin contact significantly enhanced the success of first breast feed and continuation of exclusive breast feeding till one month of age. It also reduced the time to initiate first feed and time to effective breast feeding. (author)

From darkening urine to early diagnosis of alkaptonuria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peker Erdal

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Alkaptonuria is a rare disorder of metabolism characterized by deficiency of homogentisic acid oxidase. Characteristic features include darkening of urine, ochronosis, and arthropathy. Darkening of urine is the only sign of the disorder in the pediatric age group, and it occurs at very early stage of the disorder, as reported by the parents. A 4-year-old boy presented to our clinic with the complaint of dark urine and bluish black staining of clothes. This darkening pointed to a positive physical history of bluish discoloration of sclerae which occurred off and on. We initiated treatment with ascorbic acid and a protein diet with restriction of phenylalanine and tyrosine (1.6 g/kg/d. This case report is significant because of the early diagnosis made.

Palatal radicular groove: Clinical implications of early diagnosis and surgical sealing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Corrêa-Faria

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Palatal radicular groove is a discreet alteration in tooth morphology, characterized by an invagination that begins near the cingulum of the tooth and moves in an apical direction. Clinically, palatal radicular groove may be associated with periodontal and/or endodontic problems. This paper describes a clinical case of a young patient with palatal radicular groove with no signs of periodontal disease or endodontic impairment. An early diagnosis was made and treatment consisted of surgical sealing of the defect. After a 2-year period, reexaminations demonstrated adequate hygiene, maintenance of tooth vitality and periodontal health. The early diagnosis and sealing of the groove observed surgically made the root surface smooth, avoiding subgingival bacterial plaque buildup, and preventing possible periodontal and/or pulp impairment stemming from the defect.

Effectiveness of near-infrared transillumination in early caries diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirela Marinova-Takorova

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Early caries detection is essential for minimal intervention dentistry, since it could give the opportunity to reverse the process and eliminate or at least postpone the surgical treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of near-infrared transillumination in early caries diagnosis for both occlusal and proximal lesions. Thirty-eight adult patients were included in the study. The results from the visual, radiological and near-infrared transillumination examination for proximal caries lesions were compared. The diagnostic abilities of these methods for occlusal lesions were assayed on 60 teeth. The three methods showed a very high level of correlation when there were caries lesions involving the enamel and dentin. Concerning proximal caries involving only the enamel, the visual--tactile diagnosis proved to be insufficiently sensitive even with the use of magnification. Radiographic examination and near-infrared transillumination correlated significantly, but the latter was more sensitive. Radiographic examination proved to be insufficiently sensitive for occlusal lesions. The results obtained with the near-infrared fluorescence correlated most with the visual–tactile examination. These results suggest that near-infrared transillumination is an effective method for diagnosis of lesions both involving only the enamel and involving the enamel and dentin. It could be used for both occlusal and proximal caries lesions and it could eventually substitute radiographic bitewings, especially in children and pregnant women, due to its efficiency as a diagnostic tool and the absence of radiation.

Oral squamocellular carcinoma with early diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Napier de SouzaI, Leandro; Albuquerque de Brito, Antonio

2010-01-01

The squamocellular carcinoma is a malignant neoplasm commonest in the buccal cavity. The more frequently involved anatomical sites are the lower lip, the tongue's lateral edges and the mouth floor. Its etiology is multifactor although it is closely related to smoking and alcoholism. Clinical picture is generally characterized by the presence of different types of white, erythematous, between erythematous and white plaques, ulcers with raised edges and exophytic masses. Treatment includes surgical removal, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or both. In present paper the case of a man aged 70 presenting with buccal squamous carcinoma describing the clinical, and the histopathologic findings and its corresponding treatment. The early and appropriate diagnosis allowed the cure of this case. (author)

Early hearing detection and intervention: 2010 CODEPEH recommendation.

Science.gov (United States)

Trinidad-Ramos, Germán; de Aguilar, Valentín Alzina; Jaudenes-Casaubón, Carmen; Núñez-Batalla, Faustino; Sequí-Canet, José Miguel

2010-01-01

Newborn hearing screening is currently performed routinely in many regional health-care systems in Spain. Despite the remarkable expansion in newborn hearing screening since 2000, its feasibility and the benefits of early identification and intervention, many major challenges still remain. In this article, the Committee for the Early Detection of Hearing Loss (Comisión para la Detección Precoz de la Hipoacusia, CODEPEH) updates the recommendations that are considered important for the future development of early hearing detection and intervention (EDHI) systems in the following points: 1. Screening protocols: Separate protocols are recommended for NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) and well-infant nurseries. 2. Diagnostic audiology evaluation. Professionals with skills and expertise in evaluating newborn and young infants should provide diagnosis, selection and fitting of amplification devices. 3. Medical evaluation. Risk factors for congenital and acquired hearing loss have been combined in a single list rather than grouped by time of onset. A stepwise diagnostic paradigm is diagnostically more efficient and cost-effective than a simultaneous testing approach. 4. Early intervention and surveillance. All individuals providing services to infants with hearing loss should have specialized training and expertise in the development of audition, speech and language. Regular surveillance should be performed on developmental milestones, auditory skills, parental concerns, and middle ear status. 5. Quality control. Data management as part of an integrated system is important to monitor and improve the quality of EDHI services. 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Early diagnosis and empiric therapy for cirrhosis associated with infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NAN Yuemin

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Infection is a frequent complication of cirrhosis, which often occurs in the lungs, chest, abdomen, biliary tract, urinary tract, soft tissue, and skin, and occasionally causes spontaneous bacteremia in patients. This paper reviews the risk factors and common types of infection in cirrhosis associated with infection, and the early diagnosis and symptomatic treatment of different types of infection. Moreover, this paper points out that cirrhosis associated with infection is a key factor for disease progression and the early diagnosis and treatment are essential for successful treatment. The third-generation cephalosporins are the first-line antibiotic agents. Drug-resistant bacteria should be treated with antibiotic compound containing β-lactamase inhibitors or carbapenems. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus should be treated with glycopeptide antibiotics or combination therapies. Pulmonary mycoses are mainly treated with caspofungin or voriconazole. Antibiotics combined with supportive therapies including the administration of albumin can improve the treatment outcome and prognosis.

Secure Infant-Mother Attachment Buffers the Effect of Early-Life Stress on Age of Menarche.

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, Sooyeon; Simpson, Jeffry A; Griskevicius, Vladas; Kuo, Sally I-Chun; Schlomer, Gabriel L; Belsky, Jay

2016-05-01

Prior research indicates that being reared in stressful environments is associated with earlier onset of menarche in girls. In this research, we examined (a) whether these effects are driven by exposure to certain dimensions of stress (harshness or unpredictability) during the first 5 years of life and (b) whether the negative effects of stress on the timing of menarche are buffered by secure infant-mother attachment. Results revealed that (a) exposure to greater harshness (but not unpredictability) during the first 5 years of life predicted earlier menarche and (b) secure infant-mother attachment buffered girls from this effect of harsh environments. By connecting attachment research to its evolutionary foundations, these results illuminate how environmental stressors and relationships early in life jointly affect pubertal timing. © The Author(s) 2016.

Novel PET molecular probes for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong Yanyan; Guan Yihui; Wu Ping

2012-01-01

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia and will become increasingly prevalent with population aging. It is accepted that the pathologic changes underlying AD appear in the brain years to decades before the symptomatic stages. Clinical measures of cognitive impairment, as used for definition of dementia, will not allow early diagnosis of AD-pathology in the mild or asymptomatic stages. There has been growing interest in early diagnosis of this disease, particularly regarding the initiation of new treatment strategies ahead of the onset of irreversible neuronal damage. Brain imaging markers are among the most promising candidates for this diagnostic challenge. PET has been demonstrated to be a most sensitive, specific, noninvasive, objective and quantitative method for early identification of AD-pathology and molecular biology, thus for prediction of dementia of the Alzheimer type, even in the mild and asymptomatic stages. (authors)

Copenhagen infant mental health project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Væver, Mette Skovgaard; Smith-Nielsen, Johanne; Lange, Theis

2016-01-01

such as physical and mental health, educational and labor market success, social network and establishing of family. Secure attachment is associated with optimal outcomes in all developmental domains in childhood, and both insecure and disorganized attachment are associated with a range of later problems......Background: Infant mental health is a significant public health issue as early adversity and exposure to early childhood stress are significant risk factors that may have detrimental long-term developmental consequences for the affected children. Negative outcomes are seen on a range of areas...... in the City of Copenhagen, Denmark. During the project a general population of an estimated 17.600 families with an infant aged 2–12 months are screened for two known infant mental health risks, maternal postnatal depression and infant social withdrawal. Eligible families (N = 314), who agree to participate...

Early gradual feeding with bovine colostrum improves gut function and NEC resistance relative to infant formula in preterm pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shen, Rene L; Thymann, Thomas; Østergaard, Mette V

2015-01-01

It is unclear when and how to start enteral feeding for preterm infants when mother's milk is not available. We hypothesized that early and slow advancement with either formula or bovine colostrum stimulates gut maturation and prevents necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm pigs, used as models...... for preterm infants. Pigs were given either total parenteral nutrition (TPN, n = 14) or slowly advancing volumes (16–64 ml·kg−1·day−1) of preterm infant formula (IF, n = 15) or bovine colostrum (BC, n = 13), both given as adjunct to parenteral nutrition. On day 5, both enteral diets increased intestinal mass......), and higher intestinal permeability, compared with BC pigs (all P colostrum supports gut maturation when mother's milk is absent during the first week after...

Early Parent-infant Interactions; Are Health Visitors' Observations Reliable?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Ingeborg Hedegaard; Simonsen, Marianne; Trillingsgaard, Tea

2014-01-01

-infant relations, and there was no significant difference between the two groups according to intentions, self-efficacy, age, years educated and working part or full time. Certificated Marte Meo-therapists had significantly higher skills assessing mother- infant interactions and they scored significantly higher...... high intention and self-efficacy to work with parent-infant relation, professionals certified as Marte Meo-therapists are 8-12% superior in terms of observation skills and knowledge. Further research is needed to determinate whether the level of knowledge and observation skills is associated...

Spontaneous Bladder Perforation in an Infant Neurogenic Bladder: Laparoscopic Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Cabezalí Barbancho

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Spontaneous bladder perforation is an uncommon event in childhood. It is usually associated with bladder augmentation. We are presenting a case of bladder rupture in an infant with neurogenic bladder without prior bladder surgery. Three days after lipomyelomeningocele excision the patient showed signs and symptoms of acute abdomen. The ultrasound exploration revealed significant amount of intraperitoneal free fluid and therefore a laparoscopic exploration was performed. A posterior bladder rupture was diagnosed and repaired laparoscopically. Currently, being 3 years old, she keeps successfully dry with clean intermittent catheterization. Neurogenic bladder voiding function can change at any time of its evolution and lead to complications. Early diagnosis of spontaneous bladder rupture is of paramount importance, so it is essential to think about it in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen.

HRCT in the evaluation and diagnosis of the early/active pulmonary tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Gao; Liu Xueguo; Zhang Qingwen; Wang Ying; Li Zhanjun; Zhang Cuiyun; Wang Jian; He Yanli; Hong Guobin

2003-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the HRCT findings of early/active pulmonary tuberculosis before and after antituberculous chemotherapy. Methods: One hundred tuberculous patients were studied prospectively and they were divided into 2 groups according to the history. The diagnosis of early active pulmonary tuberculosis was based on positive acid-fast bacilli in sputum (75 patients) and changes on serial radiographs obtained during treatment (25 patients). The correlation between pathology and imaging was done in the lungs from the cadavers of five other patients who died of pulmonary tuberculosis. Results: Comparing with the presence of other HRCT findings, the presence of centrilobular lesions (93.0%), tree-in-bud appearance (76.0%), and wall thickening of bronchioles (70.0%) were most common signs in both the first group consisting of 66 patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis and the second group consisting of 34 patients with recent reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis at examination by HRCT, and there was significant difference between the presence of those signs and other signs (P<0.001). Conclusion: Centrilobular lesion appeared to be the most commonly seen characteristic HRCT features of early active tuberculosis, and it may be helpful to the diagnosis and (or ) differential diagnosis if combined with other commonly seen characteristic HRCT features as well as clinical information

Mesenteric Cystic Lymphangioma of Mesocolic Origin in a Three-Month-Old Infant: A Rare Differential Diagnosis of Abdominal Distension

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Shabbir Hussain

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Cystic lymphangioma is a rare benign tumour occurring during childhood. This tumour, caused by lymphatic system malformations, commonly occurs in head and neck regions. Herein, we report the case of a three-month-old male infant, diagnosed with a large cystic mass in the abdominal cavity and groin. The infant presented with low-grade fever and significant abdominal distension. Abdominal CT scan (with a contrast agent revealed a large cystic mass in the abdominal cavity. During surgery, the mass was found to originate from the mesentery and was inferiorly connected to the sigmoid colon. Also, a small cystic mass was detected in the left scrotal region. The mass was removed along with a portion of the sigmoid colon and the cyst in the groin. Later on, histopathological examination of the mass confirmed the diagnosis of mesenteric cystic lymphangioma.

Computational Intelligence Method for Early Diagnosis Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever Using Fuzzy on Mobile Device

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Salman Afan

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Mortality from Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF is still increasing in Indonesia particularly in Jakarta. Diagnosis of the dengue shall be made as early as possible so that first aid can be given in expectation of decreasing death risk. The Study will be conducted by developing expert system based on Computational Intelligence Method. On the first year, study will use the Fuzzy Inference System (FIS Method to diagnose Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever particularly in Mobile Device consist of smart phone. Expert system application which particularly using fuzzy system can be applied in mobile device and it is useful to make early diagnosis of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever that produce outcome faster than laboratory test. The evaluation of this application is conducted by performing accuracy test before and after validation using data of patient who has the Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever. This expert system application is easy, convenient, and practical to use, also capable of making the early diagnosis of Dengue Haemorraghic to avoid mortality in the first stage.

Visionaries or dreamers? The story of infant oral health.