bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Levels in Extreme Prematurity: Development of Reference Intervals
Authors: Greaves Ronda F. , Hunt Rodney W. , Chiriano Angela S. , Zacharin Margaret R. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVES. Establishing pediatric reference intervals has always been challenging, with most ranges used in pediatric laboratories developed over many years. The clinical interpretation of gonadotropins is important in the context of ambiguous genitalia. The aim of this study was to develop reference intervals for luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone in infants born between 24 and 29 weeks’ gestation.
METHODS. Samples were collected at 0 to 43 days after birth from 82 premature infants born &lt;30 weeks’ gestation for analysis of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone by automated immunochemiluminometric immunoassays.
RESULTS. The 43 male infants demonstrated a range of luteinizing hormone levels from 0.1 to 13.4 IU/L and of follicle-stimulating hormone levels from 0.3 to 4.6 IU/L. The 39 female infants demonstrated a range of luteinizing hormone levels from 0.2 to 54.4 IU/L and of follicle-stimulating hormone levels from 1.2 to 167.0 IU/L. The ratio of luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone levels differed with males, ranging from 0.3 to 9.4, and females, at &lt;0.5.
CONCLUSION. These data provide guidance for the interpretation of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels for the first 6 weeks of life in extremely premature infants born between 24 and 29 weeks’ gestation. The availability of age-appropriate reference intervals is essential for correct and timely interpretation of biochemical results to the clinician.
Age Differences in Inflammatory and Hypermetabolic Postburn Responses
Authors: Jeschke Marc G. , Norbury William B. , Finnerty Celeste C. , Mlcak Ronald P. , Kulp Gabriela A. , Branski Ludwik K. , Gauglitz Gerd G. , Herndon Blair , Swick Aron , Herndon David N. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE. The aim of this study was to identify contributors to morbidity and death in severely burned patients &lt;4 years of age.
METHODS. A total of 188 severely burned pediatric patients were divided into 3 age groups (0–3.9 years, 4–9.9 years, and 10–18 years of age). Resting energy expenditure was measured through oxygen consumption, body composition through dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, liver size and cardiac function through ultrasonography, and levels of inflammatory markers, hormones, and acute-phase proteins through laboratory chemistry assays.
RESULTS. Resting energy expenditure was highest in the 10- to 18-year-old group, followed by the 4- to 9.9-year-old group, and was lowest in the 0- to 3.9-year-old group. Children 0 to 3.9 years of age maintained lean body mass and body weight during acute hospitalization, whereas children &gt;4 years of age lost body weight and lean body mass. The inflammatory cytokine profile showed no differences between the 3 age groups, whereas liver size increased significantly in the 10- to 18-year-old group and was lowest in the 0- to 3.9-year-old group. Acute-phase protein and cortisol levels were significantly decreased in the toddler group, compared with the older children. Cardiac data indicated increased cardiac work and impaired function in the toddler group, compared with the other 2 age groups.
CONCLUSIONS. Increased mortality rates for young children are associated with increased cardiac work and impaired cardiac function but not with the inflammatory and hypermetabolic responses.
Vaccination Coverage in 14-Year-Old Adolescents: Documentation, Timeliness, and Sociodemographic Determinants
Authors: Vandermeulen Corinne , Roelants Mathieu , Theeten Heidi , Depoorter Anne-Marie , Van Damme Pierre , Hoppenbrouwers Karel 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to measure the coverage and influencing determinants of hepatitis B virus, measles-mumps-rubella, and Meningococcus serogroup C vaccination in 14-year-old adolescents in Flanders, Belgium, in 2005.
METHODS. A total of 1500 adolescents who were born in 1991 and were living in Flanders were selected with a 2-stage cluster sampling technique. Home visits to copy vaccination documents and complete a questionnaire on sociodemographic and other related factors were conducted by trained interviewers. Only documented vaccination dates were accepted. Missing data were, when possible, retrieved through medical charts of the School Health System.
RESULTS. For 1344 (89.6%) adolescents, a home visit was performed. Vaccination coverage was 75.7% for the third dose of hepatitis B virus, 80.6% for the first dose and 83.6% for the second dose of measles-mumps-rubella, and 79.8% for Meningococcus serogroup C. Only 74.6% of the adolescents had proof of 2 measles-mumps-rubella vaccines. Although 1006 (74.8%) adolescents had vaccination data available at home at the time of the interview, only 427 (31.8%) were able to show written proof of all studied vaccines. The probably underestimated coverage rates are well below World Health Organization recommendations, but timeliness of vaccinations was respected. Univariate logistic regression showed that unemployment of the father as proxy measure of socioeconomic status was detrimental for vaccination status, in contrast to partial employment of the mother, which was a favorable factor. Previously unreported determinants of lower coverage rates inferred from this study are single divorced parents, larger families (≥4 children), lower adolescent educational level, enrollment in special education, and repeating a grade.
CONCLUSIONS. Insufficient documentation is a major barrier in this vaccination coverage study. More attention should go to those with the lowest coverage rates, such as adolescents from large families, with separated parents, and with a lower socioeconomic background.
Incremental Diagnostic Yield of Pediatric Cardiac Assessment After Fetal Echocardiography in the Offspring of Women With Congenital Heart Disease: A Prospective Study
Authors: Thangaroopan Molly , Wald Rachel M. , Silversides Candice K. , Mason Jennifer , Smallhorn Jeffrey F. , Sermer Mathew , Colman Jack M. , Siu Samuel C. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE. We sought to determine the incremental diagnostic utility of pediatric cardiac assessment in the offspring of women with congenital heart disease who have had previous fetal echocardiography.
PATIENTS AND METHODS. We prospectively followed pregnant women with congenital heart disease who were receiving care at 2 obstetric and cardiac centers and identified 276 infants who underwent both fetal echocardiography and pediatric cardiac assessment. All of the infants with abnormal fetal echocardiography findings or abnormal pediatric cardiac assessments underwent subsequent confirmatory pediatric echocardiography.
RESULTS. In this cohort, congenital heart disease was detected in 22 (8%) of 276 offspring born to women with congenital heart disease. There was concordance between the results of fetal echocardiography and pediatric cardiac assessment in 235 (85%) of 276 offspring (231, both normal; 4, both abnormal) and discordance between the results of fetal echocardiography and pediatric cardiac assessment in 41 (15%) of 276 infants. In the 41 subjects with discordant results, there were normal fetal echocardiography findings but abnormal pediatric cardiac assessments in 35 of 41 (pediatric echocardiography revealed congenital heart disease in 18 of 35 and normal anatomy in 17 of 35) and abnormal fetal echocardiography findings but normal pediatric cardiac assessments in 6 of 41 (pediatric echocardiography findings normal in all 6 of the infants). Fetal echocardiography detected all of the major forms of congenital heart disease. Lesions missed by fetal echocardiography but detected on pediatric cardiac assessment included shunt lesions and minor valvular abnormalities.
CONCLUSIONS. Although fetal echocardiography can reliably exclude major forms of congenital heart disease, minor congenital heart disease lesions can be missed on fetal echocardiography; however, these can be diagnosed with careful pediatric cardiac assessment. Postnatal pediatric cardiac assessment has incremental diagnostic utility for the detection of congenital heart disease in the offspring of women with congenital heart disease and previous fetal echocardiography.
Effects of Continuity of Care in Infancy on Receipt of Lead, Anemia, and Tuberculosis Screening
Authors: Flores Ana I. , Bilker Warren B. , Alessandrini Evaline A. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVES. The goals were (1) to examine the influence of continuity of care on delivery of lead, anemia, and tuberculosis screening in a cohort of Medicaid-enrolled children, (2) to determine whether well-child care continuity had a greater effect than continuity for all ambulatory visits, and (3) to investigate which aspects of continuity were most associated with receipt of these screening services.METHODS. A prospective birth cohort of 1564 Medicaid-enrolled infants was studied. Continuity of care scores for the first 6 months of life were calculated for total ambulatory visits and well-child care visits. Outcomes of interest were performance of ≥1 screening for lead toxicity, anemia, and tuberculosis during the first 24 months of life.RESULTS. For total ambulatory visits, children with complete continuity of care (the same practitioner seen for every visit) were more than twice as likely to receive lead screening, compared with children who saw a different practitioner for every visit, irrespective of the measurement technique used. Similarly, children with complete continuity were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to have been screened for tuberculosis. Continuity showed a lesser, but still significant, effect on anemia screening. Well-child care visit continuity of care had less impact on screening performance than did total visit continuity of care.CONCLUSIONS. In this study, greater continuity of care in infancy was associated with increased likelihood of receiving screening for lead toxicity, anemia, and tuberculosis in the first 24 months of life. The dimension of continuity of care that was most influential in this population was dispersion of visits among different practitioners.
Risk of Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura After Measles-Mumps-Rubella Immunization in Children
Authors: France Eric K. , Glanz Jason , Xu Stanley , Hambidge Simon , Yamasaki Kristi , Black Steve B. , Marcy Michael , Mullooly John P. , Jackson Lisa A. , Nordin James , Belongia Edward A. , Hohman K. , Chen Robert T. , Davis Robert ,   for the Vaccine Safety Datalink Team
Published: February 2008

BACKGROUND. The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine has been associated with immune thrombocytopenia purpura in 2 small studies.
METHODS. By using the Vaccine Safety Datalink, we identified measles-mumps-rubella–vaccinated children aged 1 to 18. A case of immune thrombocytopenia purpura was defined as a patient with a platelet count of ≤50000/μL with clinical bleeding and normal red and white blood cell indices. The immune thrombocytopenia purpura incidence rates during exposed (42 days after vaccination) and unexposed time periods were determined. A retrospective cohort of vaccinated children was used to determine incident rate ratios for children aged 1 to 18 years, 12 to 23 months, and 12 to 15 months.
RESULTS. A total of 1036689 children received 1107814 measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations; there were 259 confirmed patients with immune thrombocytopenia purpura. Because only 5 exposed cases occurred after age 2, analyses were limited to children aged 12 to 23 months. Exposed patients aged 12 to 23 months had lower median platelet counts than those who were unexposed and had similar median duration of illness (11 vs 10 days). The incident rate ratio was highest for children aged 12 to 15 months at 7.10. The incident rate ratio for boys aged 12 to 15 months was 14.59, and the incident rate ratio for girls in the same age group was 3.22. Seventy-six percent of immune thrombocytopenia purpura cases in children aged 12 to 23 months were attributable to measles-mumps-rubella vaccination. This vaccine causes 1 case of immune thrombocytopenia purpura per every 40000 doses.
CONCLUSION. Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine that is given in the second year of life is associated with an increased risk of immune thrombocytopenia purpura.
Routine Measurement of Head Circumference as a Tool for Detecting Intracranial Expansion in Infants: What Is the Gain? A Nationwide Survey
Authors: Zahl Sverre Morten , Wester Knut 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE. The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of routine head circumference measurements in the detection of intracranial expansive conditions, because only fragmented evidence exists in favor of this routine.
METHODS. The study was a nationwide study based on the medical records of all Norwegian departments of pediatrics and neurosurgery. The study included all Norwegian children &lt;5 years of age who were hospitalized because of intracranial expansion during a 4-year period (1999–2002). Information about diagnostic codes, symptoms, and ages at symptom onset and at admission was collected from the medical records.
RESULTS. The study included 298 patients. For 173 (58%), hydrocephalus was the primary diagnosis; 57 (19%) had intracranial tumors and 68 (23%) had other primary diagnoses. For 46% of the children, increased head circumference was the first and main symptom leading to diagnosis. Increased head circumference was much more common as the symptom that led to diagnosis for patients with hydrocephalus (72%), compared with patients with cysts (31%) or tumors (5%). Increasing head circumference seems important mainly in detecting hydrocephalus and cysts, especially during the first 10 months of life.
CONCLUSIONS. Routine measurements of head circumference during the first year of life mainly detect infants with hydrocephalus or cysts; other expansive conditions yield other symptoms. Most children with increased head circumference as a symptom of intracranial expansion are identified during the first 10 months of life.
Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Children's Well-Child Care and Medical Home
Authors: Bair-Merritt Megan H. , Crowne Sarah Shea , Burrell Lori , Caldera Debra , Cheng Tina L. , Duggan Anne K. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVES. Intimate partner violence has been linked to poor child health. A continuous relationship with a primary care pediatric provider can help to detect intimate partner violence and connect families with needed services. The objectives of this study were to determine the relationship between intimate partner violence and (1) maternal report of a regular site for well-child care, (2) maternal report of a primary pediatric provider, (3) well-child visits in the first year of life, (4) up-to-date immunizations at 2 years of age, (5) maternal report of medical neglect, and (6) maternal report of the pediatric provider–caregiver relationship.METHODS. This retrospective cohort study evaluated data from 209 at-risk families participating in the evaluation of the Healthy Families Alaska program. Research staff interviewed mothers near the time of an index child's birth and again at the child's second birthday. Medical charts were abstracted for information on well-child visits and immunizations.RESULTS. Mothers who disclosed intimate partner violence at the initial interview (n = 62) were significantly less likely to report a regular site for well-child care or a primary pediatric provider. In multivariable models, children of mothers who disclosed intimate partner violence tended to be less likely to have the recommended 5 well-child visits within the first year of life and were significantly less likely to be fully immunized at 2 years of age. Differences in medical neglect were not statistically significant. Of mothers who reported a specific primary pediatric provider, those with intimate partner violence histories trusted this provider less and tended to rate less favorably pediatric provider–caregiver communication and the overall quality of the pediatric provider–caregiver relationship.CONCLUSIONS. Future research should explore effective ways to link intimate partner violence–exposed children with a medical home and a primary pediatric provider and to improve relationships between pediatric providers and caregivers who face violence at home.
Randomized, Controlled Trial of a Best-Practice Individualized Behavioral Program for Treatment of Childhood Overweight: Scottish Childhood Overweight Treatment Trial (SCOTT)
Authors: Hughes Adrienne R. , Stewart Laura , Chapple Jan , McColl John H. , Donaldson Malcolm D. C. , Kelnar Christopher J. H. , Zabihollah Mehran , Ahmed Faisal , Reilly John J. 
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to determine whether a generalizable best-practice individualized behavioral intervention reduced BMI z score relative to standard dietetic care among overweight children.
METHODS. The design consisted of an assessor-blinded, randomized, controlled trial involving 134 overweight children (59 boys, 75 girls; BMI ≥ 98th centile relative to United Kingdom 1990 reference data for children aged 5–11 years) who were randomly assigned to a best-practice behavioral program (intervention) or standard care (control). The intervention used family-centered counseling and behavioral strategies to modify diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. BMI z score, weight, objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior, fat distribution, quality of life, and height z score were recorded at baseline and at 6 and 12 months.
RESULTS. The intervention had no significant effect relative to standard care on BMI z score from baseline to 6 months and 12 months. BMI z score decreased significantly in both groups from baseline to 6 and 12 months. For those who complied with treatment, there was a significantly smaller weight increase in those in the intervention group compared with control subjects from baseline to 6 months. There were significant between-group differences in favor of the intervention for changes in total physical activity, percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior, and light-intensity physical activity.
CONCLUSIONS. A generalizable, best-practice individualized behavioral intervention had modest benefits on objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior but no significant effect on BMI z score compared with standard care among overweight children. The modest magnitude of the benefits observed perhaps argues for a longer-term and more intense intervention, although such treatments may not be realistic for many health care systems.
Safety and Efficacy of a Fish-Oil–Based Fat Emulsion in the Treatment of Parenteral Nutrition–Associated Liver Disease
Authors: Gura Kathleen M. , Lee Sang , Valim Clarissa , Zhou Jing , Kim Sendia , Modi Biren P. , Arsenault Danielle A. , Strijbosch Robbert A. M. , Lopes Suzanne , Duggan Christopher , Puder Mark 
Published: February 2008

BACKGROUND. Parenteral nutrition–associated liver disease can be a progressive and fatal entity in children with short-bowel syndrome. Soybean-fat emulsions provided as part of standard parenteral nutrition may contribute to its pathophysiology.METHODS. We compared safety and efficacy outcomes of a fish-oil–based fat emulsion in 18 infants with short-bowel syndrome who developed cholestasis (serum direct bilirubin level of &gt;2 mg/dL) while receiving soybean emulsions with those from a historical cohort of 21 infants with short-bowel syndrome who also developed cholestasis while receiving soybean emulsions. The primary end point was time to reversal of cholestasis (3 consecutive measurements of serum direct bilirubin level of ≤2 mg/dL).RESULTS. Among survivors, the median time to reversal of cholestasis was 9.4 and 44.1 weeks in the fish-oil and historical cohorts, respectively. Subjects who received fish-oil–based emulsion experienced reversal of cholestasis 4.8 times faster than those who received soybean emulsions and 6.8 times faster in analysis adjusted for baseline bilirubin concentration, gestational age, and the diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis. A total of 2 deaths and 0 liver transplantations were recorded in the fish-oil cohort and 7 deaths and 2 transplantations in the historical cohort. The provision of fish-oil–based fat emulsion was not associated with essential fatty acid deficiency, hypertriglyceridemia, coagulopathy, infections, or growth delay.CONCLUSIONS. Parenteral fish-oil–based fat emulsions are safe and may be effective in the treatment of parenteral nutrition–associated liver disease.
Hedgehog Serves as a Mitogen and Survival Factor During Embryonic Stem Cell Neurogenesis
Authors: Cai Chunyu , Thorne Jeffrey , Grabel Laura 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is involved in a wide range of important biological activities. Within the vertebrate central nervous system, Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) can act as a morphogen or mitogen that regulates the patterning, proliferation, and survival of neural stem cells (NSCs). However, its role in embryonic stem cell (ESC) neurogenesis has not been explored in detail. We have previously shown that Hh signaling is required for ESC neurogenesis. In order to elucidate the underlying mechanism, we utilized the Sox1-GFP ESC line, which has a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter under the control of the Sox1 gene promoter, providing an easy means of detecting NSCs in live cell culture. We show here that ESC differentiation in adherent culture follows the ESC→ primitive ectoderm → neurectoderm transitions observed in vivo. Selective death of the Sox1-GFP-negative cells contributes to the enrichment of Sox1-GFP-positive NSCs. Interestingly, Shh is expressed exclusively by the NSCs themselves and elicits distinct downstream gene expression in Sox1-GFP-positive and -negative cells. Suppression of Hh signaling by antagonist treatment leads to different responses from these two populations as well: increased apoptosis in Sox1-GFP-positive NSCs and decreased proliferation in Sox1-GFP-negative primitive ectoderm cells. Hedgehog agonist treatment, in contrast, inhibits apoptosis and promotes proliferation of Sox1-GFP-positive NSCs. These results suggest that Hh acts as a mitogen and survival factor during early ESC neurogenesis, and evidence is presented to support a novel autocrine mechanism for Hh-mediated effects on NSC survival and proliferation.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.