Dutch Children Research Articles

Facing ostracism: micro-coding facial expressions in the Cyberball social exclusion paradigm

BackgroundSocial exclusion is often measured with the Cyberball paradigm, a computerized ball-tossing game. Most Cyberball studies, however, used self-report questionnaires, leaving the data vulnerable to reporter bias, and associations with individual characteristics have been inconsistent.MethodsIn this large-scale observational study, we video-recorded 4,813 10-year-old children during Cyberball and developed a real-time micro-coding method measuring facial expressions of anger, sadness and contempt, in a multi-ethnic population-based sample. We estimated associations between facial expressions and self-reported negative feelings, explored associations of child characteristics such as sex and parental national origin with observed and self-reported feelings during social exclusion, and tested associations of observed and self-reported feelings during social exclusion with behavior problems at age 14.ResultsFacial expressions of sadness and anger were associated with self-reported negative feelings during the game, but not with such feelings after the game. Further, girls reported to have had less negative feelings during the game than boys, but no such sex-differences were found in total observed emotions. Likewise, children with parents of Moroccan origin reported less negative feelings during the game than Dutch children, but their facial expressions did not indicate that they were differently affected. Last, observed emotions related negatively to later internalizing problems, whereas self-report on negative feelings during the game related positively to later internalizing and externalizing problems.ConclusionsWe show that facial expressions are associated with self-reported negative feelings during social exclusion, discuss that reporter-bias might be minimized using facial expressions, and find divergent associations of observed facial expressions and self-reported negative feelings with later internalizing problems.

Child Neuropsychological Functioning and Interpersonal Callousness as Predictors of Externalising Behaviour in Early Adolescence: A Prospective Population-based Study

Externalizing problems are a key predictor of individual functioning in adulthood. Therefore, identifying possible risk factors for externalising problems is valuable for optimising prevention and treatment programmes. Previous research has shown that (domains of) neuropsychological functioning predict externalising problems later in life. However, the influence of callous traits, and sex as potential moderators in this relation remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine associations between neuropsychological functioning in children (at age 8 years) and later externalising behaviour in adolescence (at age 14 years), as well as to test the role of callous traits (at age 10 years) and sex as moderating factors. The analyses were conducted using data from 661 Dutch children from the population-based Generation R Study (47.2% female). We found no association between neuropsychological functioning and later externalising behaviour. However, callous traits predicted externalising problems at age 14 years. Further, callous traits moderated the association between neuropsychological functioning and externalising behaviour, though this association dropped below the statistical significance level when adjusted for confounders. Specifically, while higher neuropsychological functioning was associated with more externalising behaviour in children with high callous traits, lower neuropsychological functioning was not associated with externalising behaviour in children with low callous traits. Although boys showed significantly higher externalising behaviours compared to girls, no moderating effect of sex was found on the association between neuropsychological functioning and externalising behaviour. These results add to a growing body of evidence supporting a distinct neurocognitive profile in children with high vs low callousness.

Participation in sports of Dutch children with lower limb deficiencies.

The primary aim was to describe sports participation of Dutch children and adolescents with lower limb deficiencies (LLD). The secondary aim was to explore perceived limitations concerning sports participation. A total of 103 children and adolescents with LLD, aged 8-18 years (mean 11.7 years), were asked about their sports participation using a study-specific self-report questionnaire. Children and adolescents with LLD frequently (78%) participated in sports activities, and most of them (68%) participated in the sport of their preference. Just over half of all children (52%) perceived an inability to participate in specific sports. Physical performance (running) and endurance were mentioned as the most limiting factors in participating in certain sports. Children and adolescents with LLD in the Netherlands participate in a variety of sports. Despite dependency on lower limb prostheses in most cases, children and adolescents with LLD have a high potentiality of participating in sports.

Young Children’s and Teachers’ Perceptions of Affective Teacher-Child Relationships: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between the Netherlands and China

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The present study focused on the affective quality of dyadic relationships between teachers and young children in China and the Netherlands. We examined whether there were cross-cultural differences in teachers’ and children’s relationship perceptions, as well as the degree to which teachers and children agreed on their relationship perceptions. The Dutch sample included 234 kindergartners and first-graders (47.7% girls; M age = 5.82 years) and 35 teachers. The Chinese sample consisted of 190 kindergartners (50.5% girls; M age = 5.60 years) and 19 teachers. Both teachers and children reported about their mutual relationships. Multiple group analyses showed that, unexpectedly, Chinese children experienced lower warmth and higher conflict with teachers than Dutch children. In contrast, teachers from China and the Netherlands did not differ in the degree of closeness and conflict they experienced in their relationships with young children. In both countries, teachers and children had significant agreement on conflict but lacked agreement on closeness. Practice or Policy: Thus, it seems important to include child perceptions in cross-cultural comparisons of early teacher-child relationships as well.

Clinical characteristics of adult and paediatric patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: A real-life cross-sectional study from the Turkish National Database

Background and aimsFamilial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common cause of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Türkiye is among the countries with the highest rate of ASCVD. However, no population-based study has been published so far on the prevalence of FH, demographic and clinical characteristics, burden of ASCVD, treatment compliance, and attainment of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets. MethodsWe performed a study using the Turkish Ministry of Health's national electronic health records involving 83,063,515 citizens as of December 2021 dating back 2016. Adults fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of definite or probable FH according to the Dutch Lipid Network Criteria (DLNC), and children and adolescents fulfilling the criteria of probable FH according to the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Consensus Panel report formed the study population (n = 157,790). The primary endpoint was the prevalence of FH. ResultsProbable or definite FH was detected in 0.63% (1 in 158) of the adults and 0.61% (1 in 164) of the total population. The proportion of adults with LDL-C levels >4.9 mmol/L (190 mg/dL) was 4.56% (1 in 22). The prevalence of FH among children and adolescents was 0.37% (1 in 270). Less than one-third of the children and adolescents, and two-thirds of young adults (aged 18–29) with FH were already diagnosed with dyslipidaemia. The proportion of adults and children and adolescents on lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) was 32.1% and 1.5%, respectively. The overall discontinuation rate of LLT was 65.8% among adults and 77.9% among children and adolescents. Almost no subjects on LLT were found to attain the target LDL-C levels. ConclusionsThis nationwide study showed a very high prevalence of FH in Türkiye. Patients with FH are diagnosed late and treated sub-optimally. Whether these findings may explain the high rates of premature ASCVD in Türkiye needs further investigation. These results denote the urgent need for country-wide initiatives for early diagnosis and effective management of FH patients.

Self-reported quantity and quality of sleep in children and adolescents with a chronic condition compared to healthy controls

To assess self-reported quantity and quality of sleep in Dutch children with a chronic condition compared to healthy controls and to the recommended hours of sleep for youth. Sleep quantity and quality were analyzed in children with a chronic condition (cystic fibrosis, chronic kidney disease, congenital heart disease, (auto-)immune disease, and medically unexplained symptoms (MUS); n = 291; 15 ± 3.1 years, 63% female. A subset of 171 children with a chronic condition were matched to healthy controls using Propensity Score matching, based on age and sex, ratio 1:4. Self-reported sleep quantity and quality were assessed with established questionnaires. Children with MUS were analyzed separately to distinguish between chronic conditions with and without an identified pathophysiological cause. Generally, children with a chronic condition met the recommended amount of sleep, however 22% reported poor sleep quality. No significant differences in sleep quantity and quality were found between the diagnosis groups. Children with a chronic condition and with MUS slept significantly more than healthy controls at ages 13, 15, and 16. Both at primary and secondary school, poor sleep quality was least frequent reported in children with a chronic condition and most often reported in children with MUS. Conclusion: Overall, children with chronic conditions, including MUS, met the recommended hours of sleep for youth, and slept more than healthy controls. However, it is important to obtain a better understanding of why a substantial subset of children with chronic conditions, mostly children with MUS, still perceived their sleep quality as poor.What is Known:• According to the Consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep medicine, typically developing children (6 to 12 years) should sleep 9 to 12 h per night, and adolescents (13 to 18 years) should sleep 8 to 10 h per night.• Literature on the optimal quantity and quality of sleep in children with a chronic condition is very limited.What is New:Our findings are important and provide novel insights:• In general, children with a chronic condition sleep according to the recommended hours of sleep.• A substantial subset of children with chronic conditions, perceived their sleep quality as poor. Although this was reported mostly by children with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), the found poor sleep quality was independent of specific diagnosis.

Longitudinal prospective cohort study to assess peripheral motor function with extensive electrophysiological techniques in patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): the SMA Motor Map protocol

BackgroundHereditary spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disorder with a wide range in severity in children and adults. Two therapies that alter splicing of the Survival Motor Neuron 2 (SMN2) gene, i.e. nusinersen and risdiplam, improve motor function in SMA, but treatment effects vary. Experimental studies indicate that motor unit dysfunction encompasses multiple features, including abnormal function of the motor neuron, axon, neuromuscular junction and muscle fibres. The relative contributions of dysfunction of different parts of the motor unit to the clinical phenotype are unknown. Predictive biomarkers for clinical efficacy are currently lacking. The goals of this project are to study the association of electrophysiological abnormalities of the peripheral motor system in relation to 1) SMA clinical phenotypes and 2) treatment response in patients treated with SMN2-splicing modifiers (nusinersen or risdiplam).MethodsWe designed an investigator-initiated, monocentre, longitudinal cohort study using electrophysiological techniques (‘the SMA Motor Map’) in Dutch children (≥ 12 years) and adults with SMA types 1–4. The protocol includes the compound muscle action potential scan, nerve excitability testing and repetitive nerve stimulation test, executed unilaterally at the median nerve. Part one cross-sectionally assesses the association of electrophysiological abnormalities in relation to SMA clinical phenotypes in treatment-naïve patients. Part two investigates the predictive value of electrophysiological changes at two-months treatment for a positive clinical motor response after one-year treatment with SMN2-splicing modifiers. We will include 100 patients in each part of the study.DiscussionThis study will provide important information on the pathophysiology of the peripheral motor system of treatment-naïve patients with SMA through electrophysiological techniques. More importantly, the longitudinal analysis in patients on SMN2-splicing modifying therapies (i.e. nusinersen and risdiplam) intents to develop non-invasive electrophysiological biomarkers for treatment response in order to improve (individualized) treatment decisions.Trial registrationNL72562.041.20 (registered at https://www.toetsingonline.nl. 26–03-2020).

'Sometimes I feel sad': A qualitative study on children's perceptions with cleft palate speech and language therapy.

Evidence-based speech therapy involves the integration of (1) the scientific evidence for therapy with (2) the perspectives of clinicians concerning therapy and (3) the perspectives of patients about therapy. The cleft literature has already paid attention to the first two cornerstones of evidence-based speech therapy. Much less is known about how children perceive cleft speech therapy. The purpose of the current qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions, emotions and expectations of Flemish-speaking Dutch children with a cleft (lip and) palate (CP ± L), aged 5-12 years, with regard to the speech therapy they receive. In this study, a focus was made on speech therapy to eliminate compensatory cleft speech errors. Six children with a CP ± L, aged between 5 and 12 years, were included in this study. Child-friendly semi-structured interviews were conducted using a participatory, art-based qualitative approach. This means that the 'play and puppets technique' and 'draw-write and photo-elicitation technique' were used to guide the children through the interviews. Data derived from these interviews were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Trustworthiness of the data was achieved by applying researcher triangulation, negative case analysis and an audit trail. Analyses of the interviews revealed three major themes of importance to the children: (1) treatment values, (2) treatment practices and (3) treatment outcomes. Each theme was divided into different subthemes. The theme 'treatment values' consisted of the subthemes expectations and emotions around therapy and interference with daily living. Information flow, therapy content, confirmation and rewards, parents' attendance, therapy intensity, and homework were subthemes of the major theme 'treatment practices'. The theme 'treatment outcomes' was divided into two subthemes, namely speech improvement and peers' reactions. Most children had positive attitudes towards speech therapy: it was 'something they liked' and 'something fun'. If children had negative attitudes they were related to having a fear of making mistakes during therapy. Children had clear expectations of the purpose of speech therapy. Speech therapy should 'help' improve their speech and make it more understandable to others. The children in this sample made some suggestions to decrease the experienced burden related to speech therapy. The results of this study will help to better tailor speech therapy programmes to the needs and experiences of children with a CP ± L. What is already known on the subject Evidence-based speech therapy involves the integration of (1) the scientific evidence for therapy with (2) the perspectives of clinicians concerning therapy and (3) the perspectives of patients and their families about therapy. The cleft literature has already paid attention to the first two cornerstones of evidence-based speech therapy. Different studies investigated the perspectives of SLPs and parents with regard to cleft palate speech therapy. However, much less is known about the children's own experiences with and perceptions around this speech therapy. What this study adds to existing knowledge This study used a qualitative research design to investigate the perceptions, emotions and expectations of children with a cleft (lip and) palate, aged 5-12 years, with regard to the speech therapy they receive. Speech therapy needed to focus on the elimination of compensatory speech errors. This study provides knowledge on the speech therapy-related experiences of children with a cleft palate. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Children in this sample made some concrete suggestions to decrease the experienced burden related to cleft speech therapy, for example, integration of school work during therapy sessions and practising on the level of spontaneous speech. The results of this study help us to better tailor speech therapy programmes to the needs and experiences of children with a CP ± L.

Healthcare expenditure and technology use in pediatric diabetes care

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. With more advanced care options including ever-evolving technology, allocation of resources becomes increasingly important to guarantee equal care for all. Therefore, we investigated healthcare resource utilization, hospital costs, and its determinants in Dutch children with diabetes.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, observational analysis with hospital claims data of 5,474 children with diabetes mellitus treated in 64 hospitals across the Netherlands between 2019–2020.ResultsTotal hospital costs were €33,002,652 per year, and most of these costs were diabetes-associated (€28,151,381; 85.3%). Mean annual diabetes costs were €5,143 per child, and treatment-related costs determined 61.8%. Diabetes technology significantly increased yearly diabetes costs compared to no technology: insulin pumps € 4,759 (28.7% of children), Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring € 7,259 (2.1% of children), and the combination of these treatment modalities € 9,579 (27.3% of children). Technology use increased treatment costs significantly (5.9 – 15.3 times), but lower all-cause hospitalisation rates were observed. In all age groups, diabetes technology use influenced healthcare consumption, yet in adolescence usage decreased and consumption patterns changed.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that contemporary hospital costs of children with diabetes of all ages are driven primarily by the treatment of diabetes, with technology use as an important additive factor. The expected rise in technology use in the near future underlines the importance of insight into resource use and cost-effectiveness studies to evaluate if improved outcomes balance out these short-term costs of modern technology.

Grammatical skills of Dutch children with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome in comparison with children with Developmental Language Disorder: Evidence from spontaneous language and standardized assessment

BackgroundVirtually all children with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS) experience language difficulties, next to other physical and psychological problems. However, the grammatical skills of children with 22q11DS are relatively unexplored, particularly in naturalistic settings. The present research filled this gap, including two studies with different age groups in which standardized assessment was complemented with spontaneous language analysis. In both studies, we compared children with 22q11DS to children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), for whom the origin of language difficulties is unknown.MethodsThe first study included 187 preschool children (n = 44 with 22q11DS, n = 65 with DLD, n = 78 typically developing; TD). Standardized assessment consisted of grammar and vocabulary measures in both expressive and receptive modality. Spontaneous language during a play session was analyzed for a matched subsample (n = 27 per group). The second study included 29 school-aged children (n = 14 with 22q11DS, n = 15 with DLD). We administered standardized tests of receptive vocabulary and expressive grammar, and elicited spontaneous language with a conversation and narrative task. In both studies, spontaneous language measures indexed grammatical accuracy and complexity.ResultsSpontaneous language analysis in both studies did not reveal significant differences between the children with 22q11DS and peers with DLD. The preschool study showed that these groups produced less complex and more erroneous utterances than TD children, who also outperformed both groups on the standardized measures, with the largest differences in expressive grammar. The children with 22q11DS scored lower on the receptive language tests than the children with DLD, but no differences emerged on the expressive language tests.DiscussionExpressive grammar is weak in both children with 22q11DS and children with DLD. Skills in this domain did not differ between the groups, despite clear differences in etiology and cognitive capacities. This was found irrespective of age and assessment method, and highlights the view that there are multiple routes to (impaired) grammar development. Future research should investigate if interventions targeting expressive grammar in DLD also benefit children with 22q11DS. Moreover, our findings indicate that the receptive language deficits in children with 22q11DS exceed those observed in DLD, and warrant special attention.

A Philosophical Discussion of the Support of Self-Regulated Learning in Medical Education: The Treasure Hunt Approach Versus the (Dutch) “Dropping” Approach

Issue: Many current educational approaches are intended to cultivate learners’ full (learning) potential by fostering self-regulated learning (SRL), as it is expected that those learners with a high degree of SRL learn more effectively than those with a low degree of SRL. However, these attempts to foster SRL are not always successful. Evidence: We considered complexities related to fostering self-regulated learning by use of an analogy. This analogy was based on two (Dutch) children’s games: the treasure hunt (children can find a “treasure” by following directions, completing assignments and/or answering questions) and the dropping (pre-teens are dropped in the woods at nighttime with the assignment to find their way back home). We formulated four interrelated philosophical questions. These questions were not formulated with the intention to provide clear-cut answers, but were instead meant to evoke contemplation about the SRL concept. During this contemplation, the implications of definitional issues regarding SRL were discussed by use of the first question: What are the consequences of the difficulties to explicate what is (not) SRL? The second question (How does SRL relate to autonomy?) touched upon the intricate relationship between SRL and autonomy, by discussing the role of social interaction and varying degrees of instruction when fostering SRL. Next, a related topic was addressed by the third question: How much risk are we willing and able to take when fostering SRL? And finally, the importance of and possibilities to assess SRL were discussed by the fourth question (Should SRL be assessed?). Implications: From our contemplations it has become clear that approaches to foster SRL are often insufficiently aligned with the experience and needs of learners. Instead these approaches are commonly defined by contextual factors, such as misconceptions about SRL and lack of leeway for learners. Consequently, we have used principles that apply to both treasure hunts and droppings, to provide guidelines on how to align one’s approach to foster SRL with the educational context and experience and needs of learners.

Long time polysomnographic sleep and breathing evaluations in children with CDKL5 deficiency disorder

Study objectivesCDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) is a rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, developing in the first months of life, caused by a mutation in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene. Children with CDD often have sleep (90%) and breathing disorders in wake (50%). Sleep disorders may have a significant impact emotional wellbeing and quality of life of caregivers of children with CDD and are challenging to treat. The outcomes of these features are unknown in children with CDD. MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated sleep and respiratory function changes over 5–10 years in a small cohort of Dutch children with CDD, using video-EEG and/or polysomnography (3 × 24 h) and a parental questionnaire, the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC). The present study is a follow-up sleep and PSG study to evaluate if sleep and breathing disturbances persist in children with CDD previously studied. ResultsSleep disturbances persisted during the study period (5.5–10 years). All five individuals had long sleep latency (SL, range 32–174.5 min) and frequent arousals and awakenings (14–50/night), unrelated to apneas/seizures, corresponding to the SDSC findings. Low sleep efficiency (SE, 41–80%) was present and did not improve. In our participants, total sleep time (TST, 3h52min-7h52min) was short and remained so. Time in bed (TIB) was typical for children aged 2–8 years, but did not adjust with ageing. Low duration (4.8–17.4%) or even absent REM sleep persisted over time. No sleep apneas were noted. Central apneas due to episodic hyperventilation were reported during wakefulness in two of the five. ConclusionSleep disturbances were present and persisted in all. The decreased REM sleep and sporadic breathing disturbances in wake may indicate failure of brainstem nuclei. Sleep disturbances can severely affect the emotional wellbeing and quality of life of the caregivers and the individuals with CDD and are challenging to treat. Hopefully our polysomnographic sleep data contribute to find the optimal treatment of the sleep problems in CDD patients.

Goal-directedness enhances letter-speech sound learning and consolidation in an unknown orthography.

This study examined how top-down control influenced letter-speech sound (L-SS) learning, the initial phase of learning to read. In 2020, 107 Dutch children (53 boys, Mage =106.845 months) learned eight L-SS correspondences, either preceded by goal-directed or implicit instructions. Symbol knowledge and artificial word-reading ability were assessed immediately after learning and on the subsequent day to examine the effect of sleep. Goal-directed children were faster and more efficient in learning a new script and had better learning outcomes compared to children who were not instructed about the goal of the task. This study demonstrates that directing children toward the goal can promote L-SS learning and consolidation, giving insights into how top-down control influences the initial phase of reading acquisition.

Poverty from fetal life onward and child brain morphology

Poverty is a risk factor for impaired child development, an association possibly mediated by brain morphology. Previous studies lacked prospective poverty assessments during pregnancy and did not stratify by majority/minority status. We investigated the association of household poverty from fetal life forward with brain morphological differences at age 10 years, in 2166 mother–child dyads. Overall, the results showed no associations between any poverty exposure early in life and brain volumes. However, there was the evidence of timing effects: children exposed to poverty in utero had smaller amygdala volumes (B = − 0.18, 95%CI − 0.30; − 0.07, pFDR-adjusted = 0.009). There were also differences in associations by majority/minority status (cerebral white matter: p for interaction = 0.04). Dutch children exposed to childhood poverty showed smaller cerebral white matter volumes than their control (B = − 0.26, 95%CI − 0.45; − 0.06, pFDR-adjusted = 0.035). This association was not observed in the minority population (B = − 0.05, 95%CI − 0.23; 0.12, pFDR-adjusted = 0.542). The smaller cerebral white matter volume mediated the association between childhood poverty and poorer school performance in Dutch children. Our findings point to the importance of poverty exposure in the fetal period and suggest different mechanisms and vulnerabilities across majority/minority groups.

Clinical characteristics of Lyme neuroborreliosis in Dutch children and adults.

Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a tick-borne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi which can affect the nervous system in adults and children. The clinical course of LNB in adults is often different than in children. Studies comparing these differences are scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcome of LNB between children and adults. We performed an observational retrospective study among patients with LNB who presented at Gelre Hospital from 2007 to 2020 and had cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. Data were collected from electronic medical records. A total of 127 patients with LNB were identified. Included were 58 children (median age 8years) and 69 adults (median age 56years). The incidence of LNB was 3.2 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. The most common neurological manifestation in adults and in children was facial nerve palsy (67%). Unilateral facial nerve palsy was more prevalent in children (85%) than in adults (42%) (P < 0.001). Headache was also more prevalent in children (59%) than in adults (32%) (P = 0.003). (Poly)radiculitis was more prevalent in adults (51%) than in children (3%) (P < 0.001), encephalitis was not reported in children. In children, the time between symptom onset and diagnosis was 10days versus 28days in adults (P < 0.001). Complete recovery was reported significantly more often in children (83%) compared to adults (40%) (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In a Lyme-endemic area in the Netherlands, LNB commonly presents with facial nerve palsy. Facial nerve palsy and headache are more prevalent in children, while radiculitis and encephalitis are mostly reported in adults. What is Known: • The clinical course of Lyme neuroborreliosis in adults is often different from children. . • The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcome of LNB between children and adults. What is New: • Lyme neuroborreliosis in the Netherlands commonly presents with facial nerve palsy. • Facial nerve palsy and headache are more prevalent in children than in adults.Radiculitis and encephalitis are mostly reported in adults.

Niet Eens Een Labjas? De veelstemmige verbeelding van wetenschappers en technologen in hedendaagse jeugdliteratuur. [Not Even a Lab Coat? The Polyphonic Imagination of Scientists and Technologists in Contemporary Youth Literature.] by Frauke Pauwels

Reviewed by: Niet Eens Een Labjas? De veelstemmige verbeelding van wetenschappers en technologen in hedendaagse jeugdliteratuur. [Not Even a Lab Coat? The Polyphonic Imagination of Scientists and Technologists in Contemporary Youth Literature.] by Frauke Pauwels Toin Duijx NIET EENS EEN LABJAS? De veelstemmige verbeelding van wetenschappers en technologen in hedendaagse jeugdliteratuur. [NOT EVEN A LAB COAT? The Polyphonic Imagination of Scientists and Technologists in Contemporary Youth Literature.] By Frauke Pauwels. Universiteit Antwerpen, 2021, 391 pages. ISBN: None In 2021, Frauke Pauwels obtained her doctorate under strict COVID-19 measures at the University of Antwerp for a study about the imagination of scientists, among others, in contemporary children’s literature. Her dissertation (in Dutch) was published by the university and can be read online: file://vuw/Personal$/Homes /D/duijxawm/Downloads/179365.pdf. The Flemish government has put enormous efforts into stimulating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), in particular STEM education and STEM careers. Children are strongly encouraged to develop STEM skills from an early age. Children’s literature studies have been neglecting this topic. In her research project, Pauwels tries to fill that gap by analyzing images of science, technology, and its practitioners that have been spread through (mainly) Dutch children’s fiction and nonfiction for children. In the first chapter, Pauwels describes the context in which children are growing up nowadays. STEM policies can be situated within the transition toward a knowledge economy. Studies on STEM attitudes indicate that young people value science and technology; however, they do not consider building STEM careers. Several research projects showed that children who are interested in science are considered as nerds, as different from other children in their peer group. In children’s media, scientists tend to be presented as the alchemist, the idealist, the stupid virtuoso, the unemotional scientist, the adventurer, the mad scientist, or the helpless scientist. The second chapter discusses the way readers interpret narratives and engage with characters. Pauwels uses concepts and insights from cognitive and affective poetics to describe the connection of textual mechanisms with children’s readings and cognition, and refers to analyses and the corpus dealing with STEM characters. The next chapter gives an overview of the way prototypical scientists are represented in contemporary children’s books. She brilliantly analyzes children’s books in which scholars appear and shows that these are often very stereotypical in clothing, setting, and register. Scientists always seem to be wearing a lab coat, and most of them [End Page 77] are men, women being much less common. In chapter 4, Pauwels presents a second series of analyses. She demonstrates that several books of the corpus also offer stepping stones for empathy or identification with scientifically and technologically oriented characters. The portrayal of children as akin to scientists, or as scientists in becoming, as well as the suggestion that scientists differ from other people, is the most recurrent motif in the studied corpus. In the last chapter, Pauwels concentrates on the special topic “Children, Climate Change, and Science.” Children and youth have been united behind the science during climate debates and protests all over the world. In society and literature, children are symbolizing hope for the future and have been cast as saviors of the world. Nevertheless, science and technology are not part of the solutions in fiction. In several examples of the corpus, children’s acts on the basis of care and enchantment are rewarded, but scientists who help save the world can barely be found. Frauke Pauwels concludes her engaging and well-documented dissertation on a hopeful note: while science and technology are mostly represented as objective and rational, children’s literature adds other qualities to the scientific mindset, such as paying attention to nature, being curious, feeling enchanted, and caring for other beings and for the environment. That way, children’s literature can contribute to give another view on the aspects of STEM and prepare children for a changing society in which these aspects play an important role. Toin Duijx Leiden University Freelance staff member of the International Youth Library Copyright © 2023 Bookbird, Inc

Early Identification of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Difficulties by School Staff: A Qualitative Examination of Dutch Primary School Practices

About 16% of Dutch children are reported to have social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties (SEBDs). SEBDs generate distress and pose risks for various negative outcomes; thus, their timely identification is deemed important to respond appropriately to children's needs and avoid such negative outcomes. Primary schools are considered convenient places to implement early SEBD identification, but the ways in which schools achieve this in practice may be inadequate, although the issue remains under-researched. Although there are several systematic school-based early identification methods (e.g., universal or selective screening), primary schools predominantly rely on school staff to recognize children at risk for, or experiencing, SEBDs. As differences in identification practices could impact whether and when (signs of) SEBDs are identified, this study aimed to increase our understanding of differences in identification practices used by school staff and their potential implications for early identification effectiveness. Thirty-four educational and clinical professionals working at nine primary schools participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. We used MAXQDA to thematically code and analyze the data. Our analysis of these interviews illustrated that schools' identification practices differed on three elements: the frequency of observations, maintaining a four-eyes principle, and the utilization of specialist knowledge. We argue that differences in these elements have potential consequences for the timeliness and quality of SEBD identification.

Ecowijze kinderen in de bres voor sociaal-politieke stabiliteit. De verwevenheid van het natuurlijke en het gecreëerde in achttiende-eeuwse kinderboeken

From a Dutch as well as an international perspective, eighteenth-century children’s books have received little attention from ecocritically inspired scholars so far, despite of the fact that these books structurally reflect relationships between human beings and their natural environment. I argue that these relationships are often depicted as ambiguous: human beings are connected to their environment because of both their resemblances and vital differences. Specifically focusing on two Dutch children’s books – Willem Emmery de Perponcher’s (1741-1819)Onderwijs voor kinderen (1782) and Johan Hendrik Swildens’ (1746-1809)Vaderlandsch A-B Boek voor de Nederlandsche Jeugd (1781) – I demonstrate that this ambivalent discourse fits into the didactical ambition to nurture citizens who were able to reflect on their social and political conditions and could actively contribute to socio-political improvement. De Perponcher and Swildens helped young readers to reflect on their position in a wider ecosystem, in which human beings, animals and nature exist in an equilibrium. As this equilibrium was implied to be a crucial precondition for the political social and economic harmony in Dutch society, the future stability of the ‘fatherland’ was imagined to be dependent on the ‘ecoliteracy’ of new generations: the skills to ‘read’ and understand the world as an organic whole in which everything is interconnected.

Nasal DNA methylation at three CpG sites predicts childhood allergic disease

Childhood allergic diseases, including asthma, rhinitis and eczema, are prevalent conditions that share strong genetic and environmental components. Diagnosis relies on clinical history and measurements of allergen-specific IgE. We hypothesize that a multi-omics model could accurately diagnose childhood allergic disease. We show that nasal DNA methylation has the strongest predictive power to diagnose childhood allergy, surpassing blood DNA methylation, genetic risk scores, and environmental factors. DNA methylation at only three nasal CpG sites classifies allergic disease in Dutch children aged 16 years well, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86. This is replicated in Puerto Rican children aged 9–20 years (AUC 0.82). DNA methylation at these CpGs additionally detects allergic multimorbidity and symptomatic IgE sensitization. Using nasal single-cell RNA-sequencing data, these three CpGs associate with influx of T cells and macrophages that contribute to allergic inflammation. Our study suggests the potential of methylation-based allergy diagnosis.

Holocaust als non-fictie in de hedendaagse Nederlandse en Vlaamse jeugdliteratuur

The past two decades have seen a growing proliferation and generic (intermedial) diversification of Holocaust-related fiction and non-fiction in the Dutch language. At the hands of Dutch and Flemish authors of the third generation as well as writers who do not have a personal connection with the Holocaust, genres as diverse as the historical novel, picture books, the graphic novel, comic books and informational books have become the platform for creative engagement with the Shoah. In view of the growing temporal distance separating contemporary readers from the actual events of the Holocaust children’s literature, we saw its informative function being reinforced and revaluated. In this paper, I review Dutch and Flemish children’s literature about the Holocaust created in the 21st century. Special attention is paid to the literary methods and interventions used by authors in order to authenticate the narrative and frame it as non-fiction. These strategies demonstrate the further change in child images: the child is increasingly becoming a full-fledged participant in society and is as such entitled to historical truth, even if this truth is horrifying.