Personal-social Domains Research Articles

Career ToolVip24 effectiveness in enhancing self-efficacy, self-esteem, attitude toward enterprise and entrecomp dimensions in students from different european countries

School guidance in general terms and, more specifically, school career guidance are effective means for the positive development of students in the academic and personal-social domains, as well as in their approach toward the labor market. Indeed, guidance programs can boost dimensions that play a relevant role in keeping students' high motivation within the academic context, thus preventing drop-out, ameliorating their academic achievement and orienting them toward their future career. In light of this, the present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different guidance tools in producing more specific increases in participants' self-efficacy, self-esteem, attitude toward enterprise and in several EntreComp dimensions. The main focus is on the Career ToolVip24, a career guidance tool developed in Norway. The study, which is part of the European Project Erasmus+ KA2 "Tool VIP24", was conducted across four European countries (i.e., Germany, Italy, Norway and Poland), involving middle and high school students ranging from the 8th to the 13th grade.Results indicate how the students participating in the Career ToolVip24, but not the students in the control group nor students participating in other guidance tools, significantly ameliorated in many of the investigated dimensions (including self-efficacy, self-esteem and attitude toward enterprise) at a postintervention evaluation compared to a pre-intervention evaluation.The implications of the results for students' attitude toward both the school and the labor market are discussed, together with the limitations of the study and directions for future research.

The Efficacy of "Care for Child Development" Intervention on the Improvement of the Development Skills of Orphanage Children.

Development refers to the progressive enhancement of skills and functional capacity, i.e., qualitative changes in the child's functions. The process of development begins before birth and continues throughout life. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Care for Child Development (CCD)" program on 4-42 months children's developmental skills in orphanages. In this study, two orphanages in the capitals of East and West Azerbaijan provinces were selected using the convenience sampling technique, and thirty children were included. Then, they were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups (each group, N=15). Next, after obtaining consent from the head of the orphanages, a group of volunteers from the healthcare center performed the CCD program, considering children's chronological ages (4 to 42 months), for three sessions a week, with each session lasting two hours and it lasted for three months. At the end of the intervention process, the Bayley Scale of Infant and Toddler Development 3rd version (BSID-III) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-II (ASQ) were completed for the two intervention and control groups to compare them in the cognitive, motor, communication, and personal-social domains. Comparing the two control and intervention groups using the T-test (difference in mean) indicates that except for the domain of cognitive skills (Bayley: P-value = 0.176), there was statistically a significant difference between the two groups in communication (ASQ: P-value = 0.001; Bayley: P-value = 0.003), motor (ASQ: P-value = 0.000; Bayley: P-value = 0.009), and personal-social (ASQ: P-value <0.000) skills. In the present study, it was concluded that it is required to apply interventions, including standard ones such as the CCD program in environments like orphanages, to enhance the developmental skills of those children living in them.

Longitudinal association between maternal psychological stress during pregnancy and infant neurodevelopment: The moderating effects of responsive caregiving.

Little is known regarding the role of responsive caregiving in the association between maternal psychological stress and child neurodevelopment. We, therefore, herein investigated the relationship between maternal psychological stress during pregnancy and children's neurodevelopment with modifications in responsive caregiving. A total of 3,603 mother-child pairs were recruited from the Shanghai Maternal-Child Pairs Cohort, and we assessed maternal psychological stress using the Life Events Scale for Pregnant Women (LESPW) during early and late pregnancy. Early neurodevelopment of infants at 6 and 12 months of age was also evaluated using the Age and Stage Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ-3). The 2-month-old infant nursing-care questionnaire was designed based on the Five Elements of Parenting Care Framework released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and used to evaluate the levels of early responsive caregiving for infants. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then applied to determine the association between maternal psychological stress during pregnancy and child development. The suspected developmental delay rate of infants aged 6 and 12 months ranged between 13.3% and 24.5%. After adjusting for confounders, we noted that high maternal subjective events stress during early pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of suspected developmental delay in problem-solving domains at 12 months of age [adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.51; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-2.20]. High general negative objective events' stress during late pregnancy also constituted a risk factor for development in the personal-social domain at 12 months of age (aOR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.13-2.19). Remarkably, we noted in infants with insufficient responsive caregiving that there were greater associations between the risk of general maternal negative objective events during late pregnancy and personal-social domain at 12 months of age (aOR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.15-3.68). Similarly, there was a greater association between the risk for maternal subjective events during early pregnancy and problem-solving at 12 months of age (aOR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.11-2.34). Maternal psychological stress during pregnancy was predominantly associated with suspected developmental delay in infants at 6 and 12 months of age, and these associations were modified by early responsive caregiving.

Neurodevelopment in infants with antenatal or early neonatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2

BackgroundAntenatal and neonatal viral exposure may put the developing brain at risk for abnormal neurodevelopment. A clinical program at Children's National Hospital provides detailed follow-up of infants with in utero or neonatal SARS-CoV-2 exposure. AimsTo determine impact of early SARS-CoV-2 exposure on neurodevelopment. Study designWe performed a prospective observational study of infant evaluations between 3/2020 and 11/2021. Demographics, pregnancy and birth details, SARS-CoV-2 data, specialty consultations, and NICU records were extracted from infants' medical records. Infants had neurologic exams and developmental screening with Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Correlations between SARS-CoV-2 exposure type and neurodevelopmental outcomes were analyzed. SubjectsThirty-four infants evaluated in the SARS-CoV-2 follow-up program. Outcome measuresAbnormal neurologic exams or ASQ scores near or below suggested cut-offs. ResultsInfants received up to three evaluations. Most (28/34; 82 %) were exposed in utero – 16 to symptomatic mothers (IU-S) and 12 to asymptomatic mothers (IU-A). Six were exposed only as a neonate. IU-S had abnormal neurologic exams at mean (SD) age 112 (24) days and ASQ scores near or below cut-offs for all domains more frequently than IU-A or neonatally exposed infants. IU-S were more likely to score below any ASQ cutoff compared to IU-A (P = .04); differences were significant for Fine Motor (P = .01) and Personal-Social (P = .02) domains. ConclusionsEarly SARS-CoV-2 exposure may impact neurodevelopment, especially among infants exposed in utero to symptomatic gestational parents. Vaccination and other precautions to reduce early-in-life infection may protect against neurodevelopmental delays. Children with early SARS-CoV-2 exposure should have additional longitudinal screening for neurodevelopmental delays.

Developmental Outcomes after Rehabilitation in Pediatric Patients with Global Developmental Delay: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Objective: 1) To study developmental outcomes in patients with global developmental delay (GDD) following rehabilitation. 2) To study associated factors of developmental outcomes in patients with GDD following rehabilitation. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective descriptive study. GDD patients received rehabilitation program at the Thai Red Cross Rehabilitation Center between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2019. Data were collected from medical records included demographic data, developmental quotient (DQ) calculated from Denver II, and associated factors determining developmental outcomes. Results: There were 54 subjects at 29.7 months old in average. When comparing between before and after rehabilitation program, DQ in gross motor and personal-social domain improved significantly (p=0.002 and &lt;0.001). Female gender (adjusted OR 13.66, p=0.005) and no history of chromosomal abnormalities (adjusted OR 3.49, p=0.048) were associated with DQ improvement in gross motor domain. Music therapy (adjusted OR 33.94, p=0.013), term delivery (adjusted OR 28.28, p=0.020), no history of seizure (adjusted OR 16.80, p=0.008), and program duration (adjusted OR 1.08, p=0.032) were associated with personal-social domain. Conclusion: Following rehabilitation program, patients with GDD improved in gross motor and personal-social domain. Female gender and patients without history of chromosomal abnormalities revealed association with gross motor improvement. In addition, patients without history of seizure, music therapy, term delivery, and program duration were associated with personal-social improvement. Keywords: Global developmental delay; Pediatric rehabilitation; Denver II; Developmental quotient

Charting developmental trajectories from 12 to 36 months and associated early risk and protective factors

Aim To investigate developmental trajectories in early childhood and predictors of class assignment. Methods Data were available for Gen2 infants at 12 ( n = 2275), 24 ( n = 1845) and 36 ( n = 2110) months of age in the Raine Study. Latent growth class analysis was used to identify developmental trajectories based on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to estimate associations between foetal growth restriction, gestational age, child biological sex, breast feeding, parental age, socioeconomic factors and developmental trajectories. Results Two groups of infants were identified, one typically performing and one poorer performing. Being born early-term, pre-term and male were associated with poorer development. Not exposed to breastfeeding was associated with the lower trajectories in the adaptive and personal-social domains. Conclusions Developmental surveillance and advice for early-term infants should be considered. Findings highlight the continued need to support and promote breastfeeding as a protective mechanism for child development.

DDT for malaria elimination: an ethical dillema

From the year 2000, an estimated 500,000 kg of DDT has been imported for Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and applied in Zambian homes without any studies conducted to ascertain its fate in the environment and resultant effects on humans. This study aimed to quantify DDT exposure, identify community exposure pathways and establish neurodevelopmental outcomes in children of selected communities in Zambia. Samples of top layer soils and water from drinking sources were collected from communities in Zambia. The DDT and its metabolites were extracted by QuECHERS method and Solid Phase Extraction for soils and water respectively. Analyses were by Gas Chromatography tandem Mass Spectrometry. A questionnaire was used in the community survey and Neurodevelopment assessments were conducted on Mother and child pairs with the use of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Median levels of of DDT and its metabolites were found at 100.4 ng/g (IQR 90.9-110) and 725.4 ng/l (IQR 540- 774.5) for Soils and Water respectively. Both were above reference values of World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The study revealed multiple community exposure pathways through water, crops and edible livestock implying significant Human Health Risks particularly among poorer populations. Highly negative significant associations were found between DDT soil levels and Gross Motor, Problem Solving and Personal Social domains. Variables including mother’s age, educational level, income, child’s age and complications during pregnancy were associated with neurodevelopment in children. The presence of DDT in these media suggests possible limitations in environmental safeguards put in place during Indoor Residual Spraying. These health risks fall disproportionately among poorer communities with poor housing and socio-economic status. There is need for a holistic malaria elimination approach which should place more emphasis on preventive measures such as improvement of housing structures to reduce reliance on toxic substances. DDT Exposure Children Ethical

Positive Parenting Behaviors and Child Development in Ceará, Brazil: A Population-Based Study.

Parenting practices have been identified as a key determinant of children’s developmental outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of parenting practices with child development in a cross-sectional population-based study in a low-income state in northeastern Brazil. The study included data on 3566 caregiver–child pairs, and the children were aged 0–66 months. Positive parenting behaviors (PPBs) were conceptualized in areas of interactive play, social development, and speech and language interactions. Child development was evaluated using the Brazilian Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationships. We found that a greater number of PPBs was associated with better child development domain scores. Among infants < 1 year, each additional PPB was associated with a 0.32 standardized mean difference (SMD) greater communication (95% CI: 0.24–0.41) and 0.38 SMD greater problem-solving scores (95% CI: 0.24–0.52). Among children aged 4–6 years old, each additional PPB was associated with improved communication (SMD: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.13–0.32), problem solving (SMD: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.10–0.32) and personal–social domain scores (SMD: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.17–0.36). Our findings indicate that PPB were robustly associated with better outcomes across developmental domains among Brazilian children. Programs and interventions that support PPB can contribute to improvements in development outcomes.

Prenatal fine particulate matter exposure associated with placental small extracellular vesicle derived microRNA and child neurodevelopmental delays

Background and aimsPrenatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure has been linked to adverse neurodevelopment. However, epidemiological evidence remains inconclusive and little information about the effects of various PM2.5 components on child neurodevelopment is currently known. The underlying mechanism was also not elucidated. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of PM2.5 and components exposure on child neurodevelopmental delays and the role of placental small extracellular vesicles (sEVs)-derived miRNAs in the associations. MethodsWe included 267 mother-child pairs in this analysis. Prenatal PM2.5 and components (i.e. elements, water-soluble ions, and PAHs) exposure during three trimesters were monitored through personal PM2.5 sampling. Child neurodevelopment at 2, 6, and 12 months old were evaluated by Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). We isolated sEVs from placental tissue to analyze the change of sEVs-derived miRNAs in response to PM2.5. Associations between the PM2.5-associated miRNAs and child neurodevelopment were evaluated using multivariate linear regression models. ResultsThe PM2.5 exposure levels in the three trimesters range from 2.51 to 185.21 μg/m3. Prenatal PM2.5 and the components of Pb, Al, V and Ti exposure in the second and third trimester were related to decreased ASQ scores communication, problem-solving and personal-social domains in children aged 2 or 6 months. RNA sequencing identified fifteen differentially expressed miRNAs. The miR-101-3p and miR-520d-5p were negatively associated with PM2.5 and Pb component. miR-320a-3p expression was positively associated with PM2.5 and V component. Meanwhile, the miR-320a-3p was associated with decreased ASQ scores, as reflected by ASQ-T (β: -2.154, 95 % CI: −4.313, −0.516) and problem-solving domain (β: -0.605, 95 % CI: −1.111, −0.099) in children aged 6 months. ConclusionPrenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its Pb, Al, V & Ti component were associated with infant neurodevelopmental delays. The placenta sEVs derived miRNAs, especially miR-320a-3p, might contribute to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays.

Maternal Iodine Intake and Neurodevelopment of Offspring: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Inadequate maternal iodine intake affects thyroid function and may impair fetal brain development. This study investigated the association between maternal iodine intake during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delay in offspring at 1 and 3 years of age using a nationwide birth cohort: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. We assessed dietary iodine intake during pregnancy using a food frequency questionnaire and child neurodevelopment using the Japanese translation of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition. The risk of delay (score below the cut-off value) for fine motor domain at 1 year of age was increased in the lowest quintile iodine intake group compared with the fourth quintile iodine intake group. The risk of delay for problem-solving at 1 year of age was increased in the lowest and second quintile iodine intake group and decreased in the highest quintile iodine intake group. The risk of delay for communication, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal–social domains at 3 years of age was increased in the lowest and second quintile iodine intake group compared with the fourth quintile iodine intake group, while the risk of delay for fine motor and problem-solving domains was decreased in the highest quintile iodine intake group. Low iodine intake levels in pregnancy may affect child neurodevelopment.

Cognition of infants exposed to Zika virus in pregnancy: a systematic review / Cognição de bebês expostos ao vírus zika na gestação: revisão sistemática

This article aimed to systematically review the literature on the cognition of children exposed to Zika virus infection (ZIKV) during pregnancy. After searching the main electronic databases, PubMed, Capes, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane and BVS, the keywords “Zika virus”, “ZIKV infection”, “pregnancy”, “congenital”, “congenital syndrome”, “development”, “Cognition”, “neurodevelopment”, “child”, “infants”, “neuropsychology”, “developmental disorders”, “Bayley”, “Denver” were used for systematic data search. After applying the eligibility criteria for inclusion, 20 articles related to the cognitive assessment of children exposed to intrauterine ZIKV published until 2019 November, were selected. The systematic review identified the following as the main results: delayed cognition, motor skills, language and personal social domain, with worse performance in children with microcephaly or other severe brain injuries. Most normocephalic children exposed to ZIKV showed performance compatible with age. However, a smaller number of normocephalic children had a low score in at least one evaluated cognitive domain, characterizing specific developmental deficits. This review highlights the high risk of intrauterine ZIKV exposure to neurodevelopment and suggests investigating the cognitive development of all children exposed to ZIKV for long-term cognitive profiling, allowing early access to multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs.

Repeated maternal non-responsiveness to baby's crying during postpartum and infant neuropsychological development: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

BackgroundLongitudinal adverse effects of neglect-related behaviors during postpartum, especially repeated maternal non-responsiveness to the crying baby on their neuropsychological developmental trajectory, have not been fully clarified. ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the association between postpartum maternal neglect-related behaviors and infant neuropsychological outcomes using the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). Participants and settingJECS data on 100,286 mother-child pairs were analyzed. Explanatory variables were “frequency of leaving the baby alone at home” (i.e., leaving the baby alone at home) and “frequency of ignoring the baby when he or she cries” (i.e., ignoring the crying baby) at one month postpartum. The outcomes were measured using the Japanese version of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Third Edition (J-ASQ-3). MethodsAfter multiple imputations, logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between neglect-related behaviors and the J-ASQ-3 domains at each age. ResultsThe “sometimes or more” group of “ignoring the crying baby” from six months to three years reported relatively consistent significant associations with developmental delay in communication (maximum adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.456, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.261–1.682), gross motor (maximum aOR: 1.279, 95% CI: 1.159–1.411), fine motor (maximum aOR: 1.274, 95% CI: 1.113–1.457), problem-solving (maximum aOR: 1.178, 95% CI: 1.104–1.256), and personal-social domains (maximum aOR: 1.326, 95% CI: 1.255–1.402). The adverse effects of “leaving the baby alone at home” disappeared in many domains by the age of one. ConclusionsRepeated maternal non-responsiveness to baby's crying during postpartum may suppress multiple neuropsychological development during early childhood.

Neurodevelopmental trajectories in children with cleft lip and palate: A longitudinal study based on the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P), the most prevalent congenital anomaly, is understood to negatively affect a wide range of child development. Since the concept remains controversial, because most published work is from cross-sectional studies, we examined the neurodevelopmental trajectories in participants with CL/P through a longitudinal comparison with the general population during early childhood using data from a nationwide birth cohort study in Japan. The linear mixed models for each domain of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, third edition (ASQ-3), were used to detect differences in standardised mean scores between groups. The ASQ-3 is a general neurodevelopmental screening tool comprising communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social domains. Participants' neurodevelopment was determined semi-annually from 6 to 36 months of age. The trajectories of standardised mean scores in each domain showed several significant differences between the control and CL/P groups, with the maximum difference at 24 months of age in the communication domain. Indeed, CL/P was associated with significantly lower scores in the communication (coefficient: -3.31, 95% CI: -5.09 to -1.14), problem-solving (coefficient: -3.13, 95% CI: -5.07 to -1.18), and personal-social domains (coefficient: -1.99, 95% CI: -3.87 to -0.11). Trajectories of ASQ-3 scores suggest neurodevelopmental delays in children with CL/P.

Development of preschool refugee children living under temporary protection status.

The conflict in Syria following the anti-regime demonstrations that started in March 2011 created one of the greatest humanitarian crises. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that refugee and resettlement experiences can influence the critical stages of intellectual, social, emotional and physical development of children. There is a lack of sufficient information about the prevalence of developmental delay in forcibly displaced children. In this study, we aimed to describe the impact of the Syrian crisis on the development of children after resettlement, factors that are associated with developmental problems and domains in which developmental delays are more likely to occur. Refugee children (n=60) between the ages of 18-72 months admitted to the Yenimahalle Community Health Center Immigrant Health Unit to receive primary health care services between 1 November 2018- 1 March 2019 were included in this study. The control group included 60 Turkish children between 18-72 months admitted to the İsmail Ulucan Family Health Center which is in the same building. Developmental assessments were conducted by the researchers using the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II). Sociodemographic characteristics of the child, family and caregivers as well as risk factors related to development were collected using a questionnaire. The interviews with refugee families were conducted with an interpreter. Developmental delay was more frequent in refugee children compared to Turkish children. The DDST-II were normal in 82.1%, questionable in 10.7% and abnormal in 7.1% of Turkish children; in the study group, 22.2% of the patients were found to be normal, 33.3% were questionable and 44.4% were abnormal. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that, being a forcibly displaced refugee was the single significant risk factor for developmental delay alone. In the DDST II subdomain analysis, it was seen that high monthly income reduces the risk of caution-delay in personal-social domain. It was found that birth weight below 2500 g increased the risk of caution-delay in the fine-motor and gross-motor domain and being a forcibly displaced refugee and consanguinity increased the risk of caution -delay in the language domain. This study showed that being a forcibly displaced refugee was the most important risk factor for developmental delay. We emphasized the importance of surveillance and screening development in these highrisk children as well as early intervention services.

Cord Blood Thyroid Hormones and Neurodevelopment in 2-Year-Old Boys and Girls.

Objective: Thyroid hormones are essential for neurodevelopment in early life. However, the impact of mild alterations in neonatal thyroid hormones on infant neurodevelopment and its sex dimorphism is unclear. We aimed to assess whether mild variations in neonatal thyroid hormones of term-born newborns with maternal euthyroid are related to neurodevelopment in 2-year-old boys and girls.Methods: This study used data from 452 singleton term-born infants of mothers with normal thyroid function in Shanghai, China, and their follow-up measure at the age of 2 years. Cord serum concentrations of free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassays and classified into three groups: the low (1st, Q1), middle (2nd−4th, Q2–Q4), and high (5th, Q5) quintiles. Neurodevelopment indices were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, third edition (ASQ-3), at 24 months of age.Results: Compared to infants with thyroid hormones in the middle (Q2–Q4), boys with FT4 in the lowest quintile had 5.08 (95% CI: 1.37, 8.78) points lower scores in the communication domain, 3.25 (0.25,6.25) points lower scores in the fine motor domain, and 3.84 (0.04, 7.64) points lower scores in the personal-social domain, respectively. Boys with FT3 in the highest quintile had 4.46 (0.81, 8.11) points increase in the personal-social domain. These associations were not observed in girls. No associations were observed between cord blood serum TSH and ASQ-assessed neurodevelopment in the boys or the girls.Conclusions: Mild alterations in thyroid hormones of newborns were associated adversely with neurodevelopment in boys, suggesting the importance of optimal thyroid hormone status for neurodevelopment in early life.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy on Infant Neurobehavioral Development: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Previous studies on the pneumonia outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have focused on the general population and pregnant women, while little is known about the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on retardation during and after pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential influence of SARS-CoV-2 on infant neurobehavioral development.Methods: A case-control study was conducted in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province. Nine pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 9 controls matched by maternal age, parity, and status of chronic disease were included. Infantile neurobehavioral development was assessed through the Ages and Stages Questionnaires Edition 3 (ASQ-3).Results: The majority of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 experienced cesarean section (7 of 9), which was higher than the control group (5 of 9). The throat swabs of all newborn were negative. We found that compared with the control group, neonates of mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy had lower scores in communication, gross movement, fine movement, problem solving, and personal-social domains; but only fine movement domain yielded statistical significance (P = 0.031).Conclusion: Infection with SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy may have a certain impact on infant neurobehavioral development. Further studies with larger sample size are warranted for validation.

Screen time and early childhood development in Cear\xe1, Brazil: a population-based study

BackgroundGlobally, children’s exposure to digital screens continues to increase and is associated with adverse effects on child health. We aimed to evaluate the association of screen exposure with child communication, gross-motor, fine-motor, problem-solving, and personal-social development scores.MethodsWe conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study with cluster sampling among children 0–60 months of age living in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Child screen time was assessed by maternal report and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations were used to define excessive screen time exposure. Child development was assessed with the Brazilian Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Generalized linear regression was used to determine the association of screen exposure with developmental outcomes. We also examined the potential non-linear relationship of screen time with development scores using spline analyses.ResultsA total of 3155 children 0–60 months of age had screen time exposure evaluated and 69% percent were identified as exposed to excessive screen time. This percentage of excess screen time increased with child age from 41.7% for children 0–12 months to 85.2% for children 49–60 months. Each additional hour of screen time was associated with lower child communication (standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.03; 95% CI: − 0.04, − 0.02), problem solving (SMD: -0.03; 95% CI: − 0.05, − 0.02) and personal-social (SMD: -0.04; 95% CI: − 0.06, − 0.03) domain scores.ConclusionsExcess screen time exposure was highly prevalent and independently associated with poorer development outcomes among children under 5 years of age in Ceará, Brazil.

A prospective cohort study of the association between the Apgar score and developmental status at 3years of age: the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

Apgar score (AS) is a well-established tool for assessing viability of newborns, and its association with subsequent child development has been suggested. We aimed to assess whether Apgar scores (ASs) ≥ 7 (generally considered normal) are associated with the developmental status at 3years of age while adjusting for perinatal and socioeconomic confounders. We extracted the data of ASs at 1 and 5min among participants of the Japan Environment and Children's Study datasets, which were used in this nationwide cohort study. The outcomes comprised developmental status that was less than each cutoff value for the following five domains of the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (Japanese version, 3rd edition): communication, gross and fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social domains. For this objective, we conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses on the data of 54,716 children. Compared with ASs ≥ 9 at 5min, the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for delayed development in children with ASs ≤ 8 were 1.31 (95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.56), 1.20 (1.04-1.38), and 1.16 (1.01-1.34), respectively, for gross and fine motor, and problem-solving domains. Among neonates with ASs ≤ 8 at 1min, when those with ASs ≤ 8 at 5min were compared with those with ASs ≥ 9 at 5min, the aOR for gross motor domain was 1.34 (1.11-1.61).Conclusion: ASs ≤ 8 compared with those ≥ 9 at 5min, even considering the change of AS from 1 to 5min, were associated with increased ORs for developmental delay in 3-year-olds. Even ASs that are considered normal might affect the subsequent development. What is Known: • Apgar score is a general tool for evaluating the vitality of newborns. It is also basically measured at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth and the scores of ≥7 are considered normal. • The Apgar scores at each minute affect clinical findings of neonates after birth and the subsequent long-term development. What is New: • Neonates with Apgar scores of ≤8 at 5 minutes compared with those of ≥9, including the change in Apgar score from 1 minute to 5 minutes, are associated with increased odds ratios for developmental status at 3 years of age adjusting for perinatal and socioeconomic confounders.

Pattern of growth and development of premature children at the age of two and three years in Alexandria, Egypt [Part I

A case-control study was conducted in Alexandria on 68 premature children:32 of them at the age of 2 and 36 at the age of three years. The aim was to depict the pattern of growth and development among them. Controls were full-term children, who were double the number of prematures and matched by age and sex. It was found that the growth pattern of full-term children aged two and three years was better than that of prematures. Moreover, prematures were significantly delayed in some developmental areas as language, fine motor-adaptive sectors and personal-social domains than their corresponding controls. The study suggests that the provision of quality medical care could eliminate the growth and developmental lag of premature children

Effect of adapted motorized ride-on toy use on developmental skills, quality of life, and driving competency in nonambulatory children age 9–60 months

ABSTRACT Adapted motorized ride-on toys (AMTs) provide a feasible option for independent mobility in children with physical limitations. This study explores implications of AMT use on developmental domains and participation in daily activities. It also pilots the Power Mobility Skills Checklist (PMSC) for assessment of AMT operation competency. Nine nonambulatory children, ages 10–35 months, completed a 16-week AMT intervention. The Battelle Developmental Inventory-2 (BDI-2) and Assessment for Life Habits for Children (Life-H) were completed pre- and poststudy to evaluate developmental skills and participation in daily activities. The PMSC was completed at 2-week intervals to assess AMT driving ability. PMSC scores improved significantly for all participants across the intervention. BDI-2 developmental quotients demonstrated clinically significant gains in motor, cognitive, adaptive, communication, and personal-social domains, which varied between participants. Life-H changes were not significant. Improvements in PMSC change scores were associated with more total AMT sessions and increased BDI-2 gains. The PMSC may be effective for obtaining quantitative data on AMT operation and sensitive for assessing change in driving competency.