Chinese Children In Taiwan Research Articles

Association between 17β-HSD8 polymorphisms and Kawasaki disease among Han Chinese children in Taiwan

Association between 17β-HSD8 polymorphisms and Kawasaki disease among Han Chinese children in Taiwan

Lack of association of mannose-binding lectin gene polymorphisms with development and clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus in Chinese children

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) gene polymorphisms may be associated with adult-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but studies in children with SLE are rare. This study tested the genetic association between MBL polymorphisms and paediatric-onset SLE in a cohort of Chinese children in Taiwan. In all 150 children with SLE and 100 healthy controls of comparable age were genotyped for codon 52, 54 and 57 mutations of the MBL gene using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay. Clinical manifestations, organ involvement, disease activity, laboratory characteristics and outcome were recorded and compared between patients with different MBL genotypes. Codon 54 mutation was fairly common in both SLE patients and controls, whereas codon 52 and codon 57 mutations were not detected in our study subjects. No statistically significant differences were found in allele frequencies of the codon 54 mutation between SLE and control groups. Moreover, no association was found between this MBL polymorphism and clinical manifestations, organ involvement, disease activity, laboratory characteristics or outcome of SLE. These results suggest that MBL polymorphisms do not influence susceptibility to paediatric-onset SLE and do not influence clinical manifestations of SLE in Chinese children.

Measurement of ear length in neonates, infants and preschool children in Taiwan.

Ear length is important in the evaluation of congenital anomaly syndrome, such as small ear in Down syndrome. In this research, 4,416 normal Chinese children in Taiwan were enrolled into our study. The sample of 284 full term neonates, 2,742 infants and children aged from one month to three years, and 1,420 preschool children were measured for ear length. We placed a ruler along the greatest vertical axis of the right ear We calculated the mean value and standard deviation of the ear length in normal Chinese neonates, infants and preschool children in Taiwan. No significant sex differences were observed. Twenty patients with Down syndrome were also measured. Compared with the previous study, there was no significant difference between the ear length of Chinese children and that of Caucasian children. The ear length of patients with Down syndrome was indeed smaller than that of the normal children. Due to the correlation of reduced ear length and congenital anomaly, we should set up our own data about the growth of the ear length. Thus we can provide an additional clue to diagnose the congenital anomaly syndromes.

Normal values of inner canthal distance, interpupillary distance and palpebral fissure length in normal Chinese children in Taiwan.

Ocular measurements, including inner canthal distance, outer canthal distance, interpupillary distance, and palpebral fissure length are important in the evaluation of congenital deformities and posttraumatic telecanthus. In this research, 4446 normal Chinese children in Taiwan were enrolled in our study. The sample of 284 full term neonates, 2742 infants and children aged from 1 month to 3 years, and 1420 preschool children were measured for inner canthal distance, outer canthal distance, interpupillary distance and palpebral fissure length. We calculated the mean value and standard deviation of the ocular measurements in normal Chinese newborns, infants and preschool children in Taiwan under 5 years. No significant sex differences were observed. Compared with previous studies, inner canthal distance, outer canthal distance and interpupillary distance in Chinese children in Taiwan were wider than those in Caucasian children, but the palpebral fissure length was not significantly different. We also found that inner canthal distance was wider than palpebral fissure length at the same age; therefore it was not correct to diagnose hypertelorism in Chinese children in Taiwan; as if an imaginary third eye could fit between the eyes. Thus, we suggest that measurements should be adjusted with normal standards specific for race. Consideration of the position of eyes is relevant for the diagnosis of a large number of syndromes.

Real-time ultrasonography of the pancreas in normal Chinese children in Taiwan.

The real-time ultrasound images of the pancreas in 142 children without clinical or laboratory evidence of pancreatic disease prospectively were analyzed to determine normal pancreatic size in Chinese children in Taiwan. Sonographic examinations of the pancreas were performed by sagittal scanning at the epigastrium; the long axis and short axis of the oval cross-sections of both the pancreatic head and body were measured. The relationships between pancreatic dimensions and body height, body weight, surface area and age were evaluated with linear regression analysis. Correlations with body height and age were better than those obtained with body surface area and body weight. Since all the physical parameters had better correlations with the long, rather than the short, axis of the pancreas, this indicated that the growth of the pancreas in children is primarily in the craniocaudal direction rather than the anteroposterior direction.

Secular changes in the stature and weight of Taiwanese children, 1964-1988.

Secular changes in mean statures and body weights of nationally representative samples of school children from Taiwan, republic of china, between 1964 and 1988 are described. The trend is for continuous increase in both measures from 1964 through 1988, and the more recent data suggest that the positive secular trend is continuing more so in males than in females. Estimated ages at peak height velocity (PHV) and peak weight velocity (PWV), based on the Preece-Baines model I applied to the cross-sectional means, decline linearly in both sexes at about 0.04 yr/yr and 0.05 yr/yr, respectively. Chinese children in Taiwan, Republic of China, are, on average, heavier than Chinese children from the People's Republic of china, but differences in mean statures are negligible. Chinese children in Taiwan mature about 0.5 to 0.7 year earlier (estimated ages at PHV) than those in the People's Republic of China. Estimated rates of secular change in stature tend to be slightly greater in chinese children from the People's Republic of China between the 1950s and 1985 than in Chinese children from Taiwan, Republic of China, between 1964 and 1988. In contrast, estimated rates of secular change in body weight are greater in children from Taiwan than in children from the People's Republic of China. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Dental Caries Prevalence in 7-Year-Old Chinese Children in Taiwan.

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Dental Caries Prevalence in 7-Year-Old Chinese Children in Taiwan.

The Concepts of Topic and Subject in First Language Acquisition of Mandarin Chinese

CHIEN, YU-CHIN, and LUST, BARBARA. The Concepts of Topic and Subject in First Language Acquisition of Mandarin Chinese. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1985, 56, 1359-1375. Much current first language acquisition research is centered on defining the nature of children's concepts in early child language. It has been argued that not only can the concept of topic provide a basic principle for general sentence organization, but that topic may underlie the development of the grammatical concept of subject. In this study, we provide evidence that young children acquiring Mandarin Chinese differentiate the concept of subject from the concept of topic, even though Chinese is a topic-prominent language. Data are based on results of a standardized elicited imitation test of 95 Chinese children in Taiwan (2-6 to 5-0) on a set of coordinate constructions and a set of Equi-type constructions. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the implication that even for highly topic-oriented languages like Chinese, it is necessary to attribute to young children some sensitivity to formal grammatical concepts as well as semantic or pragmatic ones in first language acquisition.

The structure of coordination in first language acquisition of Mandarin Chinese: Evidence for a universal

This study exemplifies a type of cross-linguistic research which is based on the theory that certain parameters of natural language variation are central to the human competence for language. Sensitivity to these parameters allows the child to develop various specific language structures which follow from setting the parameters. Results of this study provide evidence that children are universally sensitive to one such parameter, namely, Principal Branching Direction. Data are based on results of a standardized elicited imitation test of 68 Chinese children in Taiwan between 2;0 and 4;5 with mean age of 3;3. The test is on a set of coordinate sentences. The results show that children acquiring Mandarin Chinese (a left-branching language) systematically prefer VO sentences with a backward reduction pattern ([V + V]O) over those with a forward reduction pattern (V[O + O]). Children's responses to SV coordinate sentences differ systematically from their VO responses. They very frequently reduce redundant subjects in a forward direction (in SV sentences) and do not prefer backward reduction ([S + S])V) over forward reduction (S[V + V]) in these SV sentences. This paper suggests an explanation of this apparent paradox in terms of an interaction in early language acquisition between children's sensitivity to a predominant Chinese topic-comment structure (in SV) and their sensitivity to the abstract, specifically grammatical concept of “Principal Branching Direction”.

Incidence of hepatitis A virus infection in children in Taipei, Taiwan.

To understand the prevalence and incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in Chinese children in Taiwan, we determined the age-specific prevalence of hepatitis A antibodies (anti-HAV) in 823 children, ranging from birth (cord blood) to 19 years of age. The frequency of anti-HAV rose with increasing age with three different slopes, probably reflecting different age-specific incidences: lowest under 4 years of age, intermediate between 4 and 10 years, and highest above 10 years. We obtained follow-up specimens on 618 of the preschool children under 6 years of age. 11 (1.9%) of the 573 without antibodies had seroconversions after an average of 1.9 years of follow-up. The annual incidence was 1.0% and increased with advancing age of the children after infancy. None of the 11 seroconversions had clinical hepatitis. Among the 28 children 1-24 months of age who had antibodies, only 1 was positive on follow-up, reflecting loss of passively acquired maternal antibody in most children.