bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The biological significance of skin‐to‐skin contact and maternal odours
Authors: Porter RH 
Published: August 2010

Infant‐mother bodily contact is believed to be the species‐typical pattern of immediate postpartum child care. Mothers and newborns engage in mutually beneficial interactions. Maternal odours stimulate breastfeeding activity and are implicated in individual recognition. Conclusion: Skin‐to‐skin contact and exposure to maternal odours facilitate infants’adaptation to the early postnatal environment.
Extrauterine growth restriction in very‐low‐birthweight infants
Authors: De Curtis M , Rigo J 
Published: August 2010

Postnatal growth failure of very‐low‐birthweight (VLBW) infants may result from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors, including inadequate nutrition, morbidities affecting nutrient requirements, endocrine abnormalities and treatments. Among VLBW infants, those small for gestational age (SGA) at birth and those with postnatal growth restriction at the time of discharge are at higher risk of later growth failure and long‐term consequences. Nutritional intervention with an “aggressive nutrition” during the first weeks of life may be able to minimize the interruption of nutrients that occurs at birth, and reduce as much as possible the incidence of growth restriction at the time of discharge and later. Even though aggressive parenteral and enteral nutrition appear to be effective and safe in VLBW infants, further evaluations of their long‐term effect on growth and health consequences are needed. Several studies evaluating the effect of enriched nutrient formulas after hospital discharge on growth and neurodevelopment have produced conflicting results, whereas the potential deleterious long‐term effects of prolonged use of high protein and/or of later catch‐up growth have been questioned. In contrast, recent data seem to indicate that the use of human milk after hospital discharge could be the most beneficial diet for subsequent health and development. Conclusion: VLBW infants SGA at birth and those with early postnatal growth restriction are at high risk of later growth failure and long‐term consequences. Therefore, the first objective of early nutrition should be to reduce the incidence of growth restriction at the time of discharge. Further studies on VLBW infants to evaluate the safety and beneficial effects of prolonged dietary manipulation during the first year of life are needed.
Determination of oxidative status in breast and formula milk
Authors: Turoli D , Testolin G , Zanini R , Bellù R 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To investigate to what extent formula milk and stored breast milk, commonly used in hospitals, could be pro‐oxidant sources for newborn babies. Methods: We determined total anti‐oxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation products, such as lipid peroxides, TBARS and conjugated dienes, in fresh and stored (at ‐20°C) samples of breast milk and in different brands of formula milk. Results: There were notable differences in the oxidation parameters in several brands of formula milk, particularly concerning the levels of lipid peroxides and total antioxidant capacity. No difference was found in the mean total antioxidant capacity between formula and breast milk, even if the vitamin content is much higher in formula milk than in breast milk. On the contrary, all the considered lipid peroxidation products were higher in human milk (HM) than formula milk (FM), and lipid peroxides were much higher in HM stored at ‐20°C. Many differences were found between different formula milks. Conclusion: There was a conspicuous formation of lipid peroxides in HM stored at ‐20°C, which was probably caused by an increased presence of free fatty acids due to lipoprotein lipase activity during storage. Unexpectedly, even fresh HM had a higher concentration of lipid peroxidation products when compared to FM. This could be ascribed to the higher susceptibility of HM to degradation during analysis because of manipulation and light exposure. However, it is also interesting that the high content of lipid peroxides did not correspond to a low total antioxidant capacity in either breast or formula milk. This could signify that such levels of lipid peroxidation products might be present naturally in milk and HM after expression is subject to a strong peroxidation either at room temperature or at ‐20°C.
Prevalence trends of obesity and overweight among 10‐year‐old children in western Sweden and relationship with parental body mass index
Authors: Mårild S , Bondestam M , Bergström R , Ehnberg S , Hollsing A , Albertsson‐Wikland K 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To determine the regional prevalence, secular and family‐related trends of obesity and overweight among 10‐y‐old children. Methods: A cross‐sectional study of 10‐y‐old children, born in 1990, was performed during September 2000 to June 2001 at school health centres in three communities in the western part of Sweden. Evaluation was performed in 6311 children, or 81% of the target population. Data from a cohort of children, born in 1974, who form the national growth charts, were available for comparison. Results: The mean body mass index was 17.9 kg/m2 in 10‐y‐old children born in 1990 and 17.0 kg/m2 for 10‐y‐olds born in 1974 (p < 0.0001). Of the 10‐y‐old children in 2000–2001, born in 1990, 18% were overweight and 2.9 % obese, which corresponds to a twofold increase in presence of overweight and a fourfold increase in presence of obesity among 10‐y‐old children from 1984 to 2000. There was a significant correlation between parental and child body mass index. The prevalence of obesity and being overweight appeared to be higher in children whose parents did not participate in the study. Conclusion: During a 16‐y period, from 1984 to 2000, a twofold increase in being overweight and a fourfold increase in obesity were seen among 10‐y‐old children in the western part of Sweden. Parental ponderosity or reluctance to participate in the study was related to a higher prevalence of being overweight or obese in the children. There is a need for the healthcare system to recognize the threats to the health of the population of this new “epidemic” and initiate preventive measures and treatment programmes.
Cognitive function at 10 years of age in children who have required neonatal intensive care
Authors: Schermann L , Sedin G 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To study cognitive function at 10 y of age in a cohort of children who required neonatal intensive care within the Uppsala Neonatal Follow‐up Study. Methods: 226 children, who were born in 1986–1989 and had required neonatal intensive care (NIC) and 72 full‐term, healthy control children were enrolled in the study. NIC children were grouped according to gestational age (group I, 23–31 wk; subgroup IA, 23–27 wk; IB 28–31 wk; group II, 32–36 wk; group III, >36wk), with infants with congenital malformation (IWCM) included and excluded from the main groups. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K‐ABC) was administered and results were analysed in relation to the K‐ABC global scales: sequential, simultaneous, mental processing composite and achievement. Results: The great majority of children had well‐developed cognitive function, reaching scores at an average level or above. When groups were compared, full‐term children that required NIC (group III) showed lower scores than controls on all scales measured by the K‐ABC. Preterm children from all the studied groups (groups IA, IB, II) showed poorer performance than controls in the simultaneous processing scale, and group IA scored lower than controls in the achievement scale. The incidence of major cognitive impairment (IQ <70) was low in NIC children (<5%), but children from group IA showed significant higher frequency of impairment in the simultaneous, mental processing composite and achievement scales. Children from group IA presented a high frequency of discrepancy between the K‐ABC scales, with lower simultaneous and higher sequential scores. Analysis with IWCM excluded from the main groups revealed identical results. Conclusion: Most children who needed neonatal intensive care had developed well their cognitive function at 10 y of age. The long‐term effect of neonatal intensive care on cognitive function was more evident in extremely preterm infants (group IA), especially in tasks involving simultaneous ways of processing information.
Mother‐infant skin‐to‐skin contact after delivery results in early recognition of own mother's milk odour
Authors: Mizuno K , Mizuno N , Shinohara T , Noda M 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To determine the effects of mother‐infant skin‐to‐skin contact immediately after birth on infant recognition of their own mother's milk odour and breastfeeding duration until 1 y of age. Methods: Sixty healthy, full‐term neonates were randomly assigned to group A with skin‐to‐skin contact and group B without. One and 4d after birth, infant responses to the following odour stimuli were observed: own mother's milk, another mother's milk, formula, orange juice and distilled water. Infant facial action was videotaped and the frequency of mouthing movements was evaluated for each stimulus. Nutritional assessment, focused particularly on breastfeeding, was performed every 3 mo on participating infants. Statistical analysis comparing the frequency of mouthing movements with the aforementioned five different odour exposures was performed by ANOVA with Fisher's PLSD. Kaplan‐Meier analysis with a log‐rank test was used to compare breastfeeding rates between groups. Results: Infants in both groups responded differently to mother's milk odour (either their own or another mother's milk) compared to the other stimuli on days 1 and 4. However, infants in group A demonstrated a larger difference in mouthing movements between their own and another mother's milk odour at 4 d of age (2.6 ±; 1.6) compared to infants in group B (0.9 ±; 2.0, p= 0.01). Infants in group A were breastfed an average of 1.9 mo longer than the others. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that mother‐infant skin‐to‐skin contact for more than 50 min immediately after birth results in enhanced infant recognition of their own mother's milk odour and longer breastfeeding duration.
The life situation of parents over the first year after their child's cancer diagnosis
Authors: Lähteenmäki PM , Sjöblom J , Korhonen T , Salmi TT 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To evaluate the impact of childhood cancer on the life of the parents. Method: A 1‐y follow‐up study, with two time points for questionnaires, was completed in 21 out of 26 eligible families, and there were 46 control families matched by mothers’educational status. Results: Half of the mothers worked outside home during the first year of their child's illness. The perceived amount of lost family income was high during the first few months. The attitudes of the parents were fairly positive as their family life and spouse relations were concerned. Feelings of being under strain or stressed were, by the mothers, described as intolerable in the beginning. However, standardized anxiety assessment failed to show an increase in feelings of anxiety. Own health was rated significantly negative by cancer parents.Conclusions: Despite good family relationships, a need for supportive measures exists, especially during the first few months, and in‐depth interviews by psychologists or special nurses might be a way of finding out possible anxiety. The perceived feelings of own health may also be an indicator of the level of distress. Parent support groups could also do more to offer opportunities of physical activities for the parents, not merely disease‐related information and group discussions.
Caring for the health and medical and emotional needs of children of migrants and asylum seekers
Authors: Gracey M 
Published: August 2010

Political turmoil, military conflicts and other international sociological upheavals are causing significant immigration of large numbers of people, including infants and children, in Europe. Many of these young migrants are refugees. These youngsters have significant health needs, and medical conditions (such as infectious diseases) and mental health problems due to their previous stressful situations and the difficulties that they often experience while settling, even temporarily, into their new environments. Government authorities must screen for transmissible diseases and ensure that vaccine‐preventable infections are adequately covered. Paediatricians must give the best possible care for these children and act as their advocates. This can be enhanced by collaborating with national and international paediatric societies and with international non‐government agencies. This problem is not confined to Europe; world‐wide, it occurs on a massive scale and causes huge burdens for poorer countries that have serious difficulties in coping with the extra financial, personnel and infrastructure needs imposed by massive, uncontrolled migration of populations that are often unhealthy and inadequately nourished. However, this should not be used as a pretext to deny safe refuge to children and their families who need it. Conclusion: Massive movements of infant and child immigrants and refugees across European borders over recent years have brought challenges to paediatricians because of the needs for the health and medical and mental health care of these young people. Paediatricians have an important role in their care and by acting, wherever possible, as their advocates. This is a massive problem, world‐wide, in which paediatricians can have a potentially significant positive impact.
Final height after combined growth hormone and GnRH analogue treatment in adopted girls with early puberty
Authors: Tuvemo T , Jonsson B , Gustafsson J , Albertsson‐Wikland K , Aronson AS , Häger A , Ivarson S , Kriström B , Marcus C , Nilsson KO , Westgren U , Westphal O , Aman J , Proos LA 
Published: August 2010

Background: Girls adopted from developing countries often have early or precocious puberty, requiring treatment with gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. During such treatment, decreased growth velocity is frequent. Aim: To study whether the addition of growth hormone (GH) to GnRH analogue treatment improves final height in girls with early or precocious puberty. Methods: Forty‐six girls with early or precocious puberty (age ± 9.5y) adopted from developing countries were randomized for treatment for 2–4 y with GnRH analogue, or with a combination of GH and GnRH analogue. Results: During treatment, the mean growth velocity in the GH/GnRH analogue group was significantly higher compared to the control group. Combined GH/GnRH analogue treatment resulted in a higher final height: 158.9 cm compared to 155.8 cm in the GnRH analogue‐treated group. Three out of 24 girls (13%) in the combined group and nine of the 22 girls (41%) treated with GnRH analogue alone attained a final height below –2 standard deviation scores (SDS). Conclusion: The difference between the two groups is statistically significant, and possibly of clinical importance. A future challenge is to identify a subgroup with clinically significant advantage of GH addition to GnRH analogue treatment. Being very short on arrival in Sweden and being short and young at start of treatment are possible indicators.
Are regulatory problems in infancy precursors of later hyperkinetic symptoms?
Authors: Becker K , Holtmann M , Laucht M , Schmidt MH 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To examine whether regulatory problems in infancy predict later hyperkinetic symptoms in childhood and pre‐adolescence. Methods: In a prospective longitudinal study of 319 children at risk of later developmental problems and psychopathology, hyperkinetic behaviour problems were assessed at the ages of 2, 4.5, 8 and 11 y by means of a standardized parent interview. Infant regulatory problems at the age of 3 mo were determined from multiple sources of information. An observational procedure was used to assess the quality of mother‐infant interaction. Results: At the age of 3 mo, 17% of the infants (n= 55; 27 boys, 28 girls) suffered from multiple regulatory problems. Compared to a control group (n= 264), these children presented more hyperkinetic symptoms throughout childhood. Negativity in the mother‐infant interaction and early family adversity each contributed to later hyperkinetic symptoms. When controlling for family adversity, the association between infant multiple regulatory problems and later hyperkinetic problems was rendered insignificant. Conclusions: These findings suggest that multiple regulatory problems may not be a key variable for later hyperkinetic problems. The impact of early family adversity factors clearly outweighed that of infant psychopathology on later behaviour disorder.
The value of Bilicheck as a screening tool for neonatal jaundice in term and near‐term babies
Authors: Samanta S , Tan M , Kissack C , Nayak S , Chittick R , Yoxall CW 
Published: August 2010

Aims: To determine the accuracy of Bilicheck in assessing serum bilirubin. To evaluate the effectiveness of Bilicheck as a screening device in a population of jaundiced term and near‐term babies. Methods: Prospective evaluation of paired Bilicheck measurements and serum bilirubin in 300 babies. Results: There was a strong correlation between Bilicheck and serum bilirubin. The mean difference between Bilicheck and serum bilirubin was —10.7 μmol/l, but the 95% limits of agreement were wide at —80 μmol/l to +60 μmol/l. Bilicheck identified significant jaundice (serum bilirubin above 250 μmol/l) with a sensitivity (95% confidence interval) of 91% (88% to 94%) and specificity of 66% (60% to 71%). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve was 0.85. There were five false negatives, all of whom had a serum bilirubin below 300 μmol/l. If Bilicheck had been used as a screening device, there would have been a 55% decrease in blood samples taken in these babies. Conclusion: Bilicheck cannot be used to measure serum bilirubin in term and near‐term babies with jaundice, but is an effective screening method, which can be used to safely reduce the number of blood tests in these babies.
Assessment of jaundice in preterm neonates: comparison between clinical assessment, two transcutaneous bilirubinometers and serum bilirubin values
Authors: Szabo P , Wolf M , Bucher HU , Haensse D , Fauchère JC , Arlettaz R 
Published: August 2010

Aim: 1) To compare the clinical assessment of craniocaudal progression of jaundice and two transcutaneous bilirubinometers with serum bilirubin values in preterm neonates; 2) to identify factors affecting the difference between non‐invasive bilirubin estimation and serum bilirubin. Methods: Serum bilirubin was clinically estimated in healthy preterm newborn infants (34 to 36.9 gestational weeks) independently by a primary investigator and by nurses, and subsequently compared with separate measures of two transcutaneous bilirubinometers. Results: A total of 107 measurements were performed on 69 infants. Minolta JM‐102 showed the best performance, with ROC area under the curve of 0.96, followed by BiliCheck™ over the sternum (0.89) and over the forehead (0.88), clinical assessment by nurses (0.73) and by a physician (0.70). Serum bilirubin <190 μmol/l can be detected with 95% sensitivity with Minolta JM–102 ≫19 units, with BiliCheck™≫145 μmol/l over the sternum and ≫165 μmol/l over the forehead and with jaundice progression to the trunk or further (Kramer zone ≫2). Gestational age affects all non‐invasive methods in the estimation of serum bilirubin, whereas skin colour affects both BiliCheck™ and clinical assessment. Ambient light affects only clinical assessment. Conclusion: Minolta JM‐102 showed the best performance, closely followed by BiliCheck™, with clinical assessment performing far worse than either transcutaneous method. None of the three methods are recommended as complete substitutes for serum bilirubin values in jaundiced preterm infants.
Parent‐completed developmental screening in a Norwegian population sample: a comparison with US normative data
Authors: Janson H , Squires J 
Published: August 2010

Aim: To compare normative data of a Norwegian translation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires with original US normative data. Methods: Norwegian‐born mothers randomly selected from the population register completed Norwegian translations of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, a series of 19 age‐specific child development screening questionnaires each made up of 30 items in five domains: Communication, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem Solving, and Personal‐Social. Domain score group differences with original US normative data on 10 age‐specific questionnaires (for ages 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 30, 36, 48, and 60 mo) were investigated. The Norwegian data consisted of 1341 children, varying between 82 and 176 per age interval. Results: On the whole, parents' reports of their children's development were very similar in the two data sets. Only five out of 50 mean comparisons revealed a mean difference either greater than a Cohen's d of 0.5 or greater than the smallest increment on a domain score. The variation in scores tended to be somewhat smaller in the Norwegian sample. Conclusion: It seems reasonable to expect that domain scores on the Ages and Stages Questionnaires may be interpreted in the same way in Norway and the United States, and these results may also generalize to other Western settings. These findings from a true random sample also increase the confidence in the original normative data.
Recurrent abdominal pain in school children revisited: fitting adverse food reactions into the puzzle
Authors: Størdal K , Bentsen BS 
Published: August 2010

The diagnostic work‐up of children seeking health care because of recurrent abdominal pain is a clinical challenge. Food hypersensitivity might be one of the aetiologies behind this symptom. Neither the understanding of possible immune mechanisms nor endoscopic or histological findings have yet contributed to reliable diagnostic tests.Conclusion: The possibility of adverse food reactions should be evaluated among other abnormalities behind recurrent abdominal pain in children. Still, the diagnosis of immune‐mediated food reactions depends on open or blinded food challenge.
Behavioral and learning problems in schoolchildren related to cognitive test data
Authors: Volkmar FR , Klin A 
Published: August 2010

The interface between disorders of learning and development and disorders of behavior presents challenges for researchers and clinicians alike. In the Elk et al. paper, a large group of children were screened for learning and/or behavioral problems. A relatively large number of children screened positive and their IQ scores were analyzed using a cluster analytic approach. Various patterns were identified including lower and higher functioning children. In our commentary, we point out the challenges for diagnosis of mental health problems in both lower and higher functioning children; the potential overlap of problems in learning and social interaction remains an area in need of additional work. Conclusion: There is a complex interaction between developmental status and behavioral difficulty; further research is needed to clarify diagnostic validity and areas where existing diagnostic systems need further refinement.