Preschool Siblings Research Articles

Siblings' Risk of Adenoid Hypertrophy: A Cohort Study in Children.

The aim of this study was to compare adenoid size in preschool-age siblings using flexible nasopharyngoscopy examination (FNE) when they reach the same age. The occurrence of adenoid symptoms in these patients was also analyzed. This study was conducted to analyze the adenoid size in siblings when they reach the same age and substantiate a correlation between adenoid hypertrophy (AH) and adenoid symptoms. We analyzed and reported on the symptoms, ENT examination results, and FNE of 49 pairs of siblings who were examined at the same age. There was a strong association in adenoid size between siblings when they are at a similar age (r = 0.673, p < 0.001). Second-born children whose older sibling had IIIo AH (A/C ratio > 65%) had a risk of IIIo AH 26 times greater than patients whose older sibling did not have IIIo AH (OR = 26.30, 95% CI = 2.82-245.54). Over 90% of snoring children whose siblings had confirmed IIIo AH would develop IIIo AH by the time they reach the same age. Second-born children in whom snoring occurs and whose older siblings have a IIIo AH have about a 46 times higher risk of IIIo AH compared to patients who did not meet these two conditions (p < 0.001, OR = 46.67, 95% CI = 8.37-260.30). A significant familial correlation between adenoid size in siblings when they reach the same age was shown. If the older sibling has a confirmed overgrown adenoid (IIIo AH) and their younger sibling presents adenoid symptoms, particularly snoring, it is highly probable that they will also have an overgrown adenoid.

It takes two to tango: Preschool siblings’ musical play and prosociality in the home

AbstractIn childhood, musical play is an important part of home life and, potentially, sibling play. Considering the social–emotional relevance of musical activities, siblings’ engagement in musical play may also be associated with social development. The current longitudinal study examined musical play in 39 pairs of siblings during naturalistic home play at two time points: (a) when siblings were 2 and 4 years old (T1), and (b) 2 years later when siblings were 4 and 6 years old (T2). Musical play, especially singing and dancing, was more prevalent at T2. Birth order effects were also revealed; 4‐year‐old second‐borns (T2) engaged in more solo musical play than 4‐year‐old firstborns (T1), but 4‐year‐old firstborns initiated joint musical play more often than 4‐year‐old second‐borns. Associations between musical play and prosociality also emerged. Specifically, both older and younger siblings’ rates of prosociality correlated positively with older sibling musical play at each time point. These findings reveal intriguing effects of age and birth order on both solo and joint musical play between siblings, and highlight a potential link between spontaneous musical play in the home and social development.

Family dynamics when a child becomes chronically ill: Impact of type 1 diabetes onset in children and adolescents

The overall aim of the study was to explore the process of family dynamics when a child has been diagnosed with type one diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The study sample consisted of family members of 20 children with T1DM aged 3–17 years. Twenty-nine parents and seven siblings participated in nine focus group interviews. Five individual interviews were conducted. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. The findings are outlined in the core category, the child’s sudden loss of health, and in three related categories: preconceptions, psychological reactions, and impact on family relationships. Preconceptions about T1DM played a critical role when trying to grasp and respond to the diagnosis. Most cohabiting mothers reported a psychological reaction of shock, which the separated mothers didn’t. Fathers paid more attention to the siblings and to the lifelong disease. Mothers of older children with T1DM were more concerned about the child’s future than the mothers of the younger children. In terms of family relationships, the psychological bond to a younger child was strengthened by the diagnosis, as manifested by increased control in social situations. Adolescent siblings showed a greater degree of empathy toward the child with T1DM, whereas preadolescents and preschool siblings tended to fall into rivalry with the child with T1DM. To conclude, in a clinical setting, this knowledge could help the diabetes team in supporting the families in their early process of adaption after the diabetes onset.

Parent Support of Preschool Peer Relationships in Younger Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Preschool-aged siblings of children with ASD are at high-risk (HR) for ASD and related challenges, but little is known about their emerging peer competence and friendships. Parents are the main providers of peer-relationship opportunities during preschool. Understanding parental challenges supporting early peer relationships is needed for optimal peer competence and friendships in children with ASD. We describe differences in peer relationships among three groups of preschool-aged children (15 HR-ASD, 53 HR-NonASD, 40 low-risk, LR), and examine parent support activities at home and arranging community-based peer activities. Children with ASD demonstrated precursors to poor peer competence and friendship outcomes. Parents in the HR group showed resilience in many areas, but providing peer opportunities for preschool-age children with ASD demanded significant adaptations.

Language abilities in preschool-aged siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders – preliminary report

&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) observed among relatives of people affected with autism are referred to as broader autism phenotype (BAP). Among the components of BAP are language and communication skills. Research to date on these skills amongst the relatives of individuals with ASD is inconclusive. Furthermore, limited data are available about preschool-aged siblings of children with ASD.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Participants and procedure&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Eighty-six children aged 4 years and 6 months – 6 years and 11 months took part in the study (32 girls and 54 boys). They were divided into four groups: siblings of children with autism (S/ASD), high-functioning children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (HF/ASD), siblings of children with Down syndrome (S/DS) and siblings of typically developing children (Controls, C). Communication and language skills were tested using the Vocabulary Test for Children (TSD). It was used to assess two kinds of verbal skills: receptive language (passive) and expressive language (active).&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; No differences were observed in expressive lanquage or receptive language between siblings of children with ASD and siblings of children with DS as well as typically developing children. In terms of receptive language and general communication skills, siblings of children with ASD scored higher than high functioning children with ASD. High functioning children with ASD displayed difficulties with receptive language, expressive language, general language and communication skills.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;b&gt;Conclusions&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; The results suggest that siblings of children with ASD do not display deficits in communication and language skills. It is however important to note that due to a small sample size this study should be considered as preliminary.

Early pragmatic language difficulties in siblings of children with autism: implications for DSM-5 social communication disorder?

We evaluated early pragmatic language skills in preschool-age siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and examined correspondence between pragmatic language impairments and general language difficulties, autism symptomatology, and clinical outcomes. Participants were younger siblings of children with ASD (high-risk, n = 188) or typical development (low-risk, n = 119) who were part of a prospective study of infants at risk for ASD; siblings without ASD outcomes were included in analyses. Pragmatic language skills were measured via the Language Use Inventory (LUI). At 36 months, the high-risk group had significantly lower parent-rated pragmatic language scores than the low-risk group. When defining pragmatic language impairment (PLI) as scores below the 10(th) percentile on the LUI, 35% of the high-risk group was identified with PLI versus 10% of the low-risk group. Children with PLI had higher rates of general language impairment (16%), defined as scores below the 10(th) percentile on the Receptive or Expressive Language subscales of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, relative to those without PLI (3%), but most did not evidence general language impairments. Children with PLI had significantly higher ADOS scores than those without PLI and had higher rates of clinician-rated atypical clinical best estimate outcomes (49%) relative to those without PLI (15%). Pragmatic language problems are present in some siblings of children with ASD as early as 36 months of age. As the new DSM-5 diagnosis of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder (SCD) is thought to occur more frequently in family members of individuals with ASD, it is possible that some of these siblings will meet criteria for SCD as they get older. Close monitoring of early pragmatic language development in young children at familial risk for ASD is warranted.

Respiratory syncytial virus disease in preterm infants in the U.S. born at 32-35 weeks gestation not receiving immunoprophylaxis.

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Respiratory Events Among Preterm Infants Outcomes and Risk Tracking (REPORT) study evaluated RSV disease burden in U.S. preterm infants 32-35 weeks gestational age (wGA) not receiving RSV prophylaxis. Preterm infants <6 months of age as of November 1st were followed prospectively at 188 clinics from September to May 2009-2010 or 2010-2011. Nasal and pharyngeal swabs were collected for medically attended acute respiratory illnesses (MAARI) and tested for RSV by qRT-polymerase chain reaction. Risk factors were assessed using multivariate Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for seasonality. Of 1642 evaluable infants, 287 experienced RSV MAARI. Rates of RSV-related MAARI, outpatient lower respiratory tract illness, emergency department visits and hospitalization (RSVH) during November to March were 25.4, 13.7, 5.9 and 4.9 per 100 infant-seasons, respectively. Preschool-aged, nonmultiple-birth siblings and daycare attendance were consistently associated with increased risk of RSV. RSVH rates were highest in infants 32-34 and 35 wGA who were <6 months of age during November to March with daycare attendance or nonmultiple-birth, preschool-aged siblings (8.9 and 9.3 per 100 infant-seasons, respectively, versus 3.5 for all other infants, P<0.001). Chronologic age <3 months was associated with a higher RSVH rate for infants 35 wGA but not for infants 32-34 wGA. In US preterm infants who were 32-35 wGA, <6 months on November 1st and not receiving RSV prophylaxis, the burden of RSV MAARI was 25 per 100 infant-seasons. The highest RSVH rates occurred among those with daycare attendance or nonmultiple-birth, preschool-aged siblings while they were <6 months of age during the RSV season.

Moving Beyond the Mother–Child Dyad: Exploring the Link Between Maternal Sensitivity and Siblings’ Attachment Styles

ABSTRACTAttachment theory asserts that secure attachment representations are developed through sensitive and consistent caregiving. If sensitive caregiving is a constant characteristic of the parent, then siblings should have concordant attachment classifications. The authors explored maternal attachment quality assessed by the Attachment Q-Set, maternal sensitivity, and specific mother–child interactions between siblings. Hour-long observations took place in the homes of 9 preschool sibling pairs and their immediate caregivers. The interactions were analyzed using a modified version of Bales’ Small Group Analysis. The results reveal attachment discordance in a third of sibling pairs. While maternal sensitivity was higher with older siblings and mothers displayed more positive emotions when interacting with their younger siblings, attachment quality was not associated with birth order. Therefore, a shift toward a more contextual, family-based perspective of attachment is recommended to further understand how attachment strategies are created and maintained within the child's everyday context.

Implementing intensive tact instruction to increase frequency of spontaneous mands and tacts in typically developing children.

the present study explored the effects of a modified, intensive tact instruction intervention on the emission of spontaneous, or unprompted, mands and tacts during play in two typically developing, preschool siblings. intensive tact instruction involved presenting each participant 100 opportunities per session to tact stimuli prior to engaging in play. Picture cards were used as the tacting stimuli, which varied across five categories and five sets. Participants were reinforced for correct tacting responses or were conversely corrected for inaccurate or omitted responses. When compared to baseline, both participants exhibited increase in spontaneous tacts following such instruction. mands only increased slightly for one participant. this study adds to the research on the positive effect of using intensive tact instruction to help typically developing yet linguistically diverse children communicate.

Concordance of Attachment Representations in Preschool Siblings Assessed by the Attachment Story Completion Task

Several studies have indicated only a modest concordance of attachment security in siblings in infancy. Until now, very little was known about the concordance of siblings’ attachment security beyond infancy, as assessed by the attachment story completion task. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the concordance of attachment representations of 38 first-born (4–7 years) and 38 second-born (3–5 years) siblings living in middle-class two-parent families. Personality factors and the level of parenting stress of the biological mothers (30–43 years) were analysed in relation to children’s attachment security. The results indicate a 43 % secure-insecure concordance rate between siblings’ attachment representations. Sibling’s gender correspondence, age differences and differences in parenting stress were not related to attachment concordance whereas gender of the first-born child was related to attachment concordance. The results also indicate that older children more frequently had secure attachment representations compared to younger children and that attachment insecurity was associated with greater negative impacts of life events, lower maternal life satisfaction and higher parenting stress. Our study indicates that siblings’ attachment representations may lack concordance even when siblings are assessed by the same method at the same time. If maternal and environmental factors are able to explain a substantial amount of variance in the attachment security of individual children, non-shared environmental factors might be underestimated when studying siblings’ attachment representations. The significant effect of age on children’s attachment representations found in this study suggests the need for future research on the stability of attachment representations during the preschool years.

Effects of the Number and Age of Siblings on Educational Transitions in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Studies examining the link between number of siblings and level of education attained by children in Africa have produced mixed results. This study draws on Demographic and Health Survey data from 26 sub-Saharan African countries and employs a multilevel multiprocess model that controls for time-invariant unobserved mother-level characteristics. We find indications that having younger siblings increases the likelihood of entering primary school; however, once a child is enrolled, having pre-school aged siblings is negatively associated with educational progression. Having a greater number of siblings older than age 15 increases the likelihood of primary-school entry and completion but has no effect on subsequent educational transitions. Some positive effects of having a greater number of siblings who are aged 6-15 are also observed. Girls are more adversely affected by having young siblings than are boys, but they benefit more than do boys from having siblings who are older than age 15. On the whole, the effects are not very strong, however.

Behavior and Sleep Problems in Children With a Family History of Autism

The present study explores behavioral and sleep outcomes in preschool-age siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study focuses on behavior problems that are common in children with ASD, such as emotional reactivity, anxiety, inattention, aggression, and sleep problems. Infant siblings were recruited from families with at least one older child with ASD (high-risk group, n = 104) or families with no history of ASD (low-risk group, n = 76). As part of a longitudinal prospective study, children completed the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Social Communication Questionnaire at 36 months of age. This study focuses on developmental concerns outside of ASD; therefore, only siblings who did not develop an ASD were included in analyses. Negative binomial regression analyses revealed that children in the high-risk group were more likely to have elevated behavior problems on the CBCL Anxious/Depressed and Aggression subscales. To explore sleep problems as a correlate of these behavior problems, a second series of models was specified. For both groups of children, sleep problems were associated with elevated behavior problems in each of the areas assessed (reactivity, anxiety, somatic complaints, withdrawal, attention, and aggression). These findings support close monitoring of children with a family history of ASD for both behavioral and sleep issues.

The trade-off between child labour and schooling in India

In this paper, using the 2005–2006 National Family Health Survey dataset from India, we study the likelihood of a school-age child working, combining work with schooling or being idle, rather than attending school full time. Our analysis finds that with the inclusion of household chores in the child labour definition, boys are significantly more likely than girls to be full-time students and significantly less likely to be working, being idle or combining school and work. There are also significant regional differences, with children from the north-eastern states significantly more likely to be in the idle category rather than in school. The likelihood of being in the idle category is also significantly higher for older children, children with pre-school age siblings, urban children, Muslims and children from Scheduled Tribes. Finally, parental education, household wealth and land ownership are significantly and negatively correlated with the likelihood that the child is working, but land ownership does increase the risk of a child combining work and schooling.

Seasonal Changes of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children and Association with Day Care Attendance

To determine seasonal changes in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children, we retrospectively analyzed 69 children with 72 episodes of IPD, admitted to a regional center in Kobe, Japan, between July 1994 and June 2011. IPD episodes involved occult bacteremia (n = 48), pneumonia (n = 10), meningitis (n = 10), periorbital cellulitis (n = 3), and mastoiditis (n = 1), including 3 cases of two IPD recurrences. We analyzed 5 IPD-associated factors previously documented in Europe and North Amrica with inconsistent results--1) age at onset, 2) sibling number, 3) preschool sibling number, 4) subjects' day care attendance, and 5) siblings' day care attendance. We collected information on these factors by reviewing medical charts or contacting subjects' parents or guardians by telephone. IPD peaked bimodally in April and May (n = 21) and in November and December (n = 20), decreasing prominently between July and September (n = 8). Subjects with IPD attending day care formed a significantly higher propotion during April and May than did those developing IPD during other months: 12/21 [57.1%] vs. 12/51 [23.5%], odds ratio 4.3, 95% confidence interval, 1.5-12.8; p = 0.006. Combined day care attendance among subjects with IPD and/or their siblings also differed significantly between these two groups: 17/21 [80.9%] vs. 27/51 [52.9%], odds ratio 3.8, 95% confidence interval, 1.1-12.8; p = 0.027. Not significant differences were seen in age at onset, sibling number, or preschool sibling number. In contrast, however children with IPD onset during November and December showed no significant difference in association with any of the 5 factors, compared to children with IPD onset in other months. Our findings showed a bimodal peak in IPD in children, the first and highest of which occurred in April and May and was significantly associated with day care attendance by those with IPD and/or their siblings. This first peak may, however, be related to circumstances in Japan, where preschool children usually enter day care center or kindergarten in April.

Early Years of Support Group I: Three Therapists' Views

This three-part article describes the early years of one of the mother-baby-children groups of the Project for Mothers, Infants, and Young Children of September 11, 2001. The goal of the group was to help prevent the effects of trauma and loss from disrupting the relationships among the mothers, their infants, and growing children. View I by Anni Bergman describes the mothers' states of minds as the group began, when they felt that their worlds had collapsed under them. View II by Sally Moskowitz focuses on the clinical experience of working in the group, transference and countertransference themes, helping the mothers and children with their mourning process, and helping the mothers' relationships to each other, their babies, older children, family, and friends. The evolution of a casual, familial-type atmosphere and format came to be seen by the therapists as very important. The therapists wanted to provide whatever small feeling of normality and comfort possible in the context of the mothers' anguish. This routine atmosphere provided the backdrop against which the mothers could talk about what seemed like unspeakable events, thoughts, and feelings, and process the horrific events, in their magnitude and details. View III by Donna Demetri Friedman describes the play therapy treatment of two preschool-aged siblings in the context of the support group. The children's father had been killed in the World Trade Center attacks. This section describes the themes of the children's play and how they worked through the experience of the loss of their father, the birth of their sibling, and their mother's grief. It also describes their progress a decade later.

Grandparents and siblings of children with congenital heart disease

This paper is a report of a study of the process of grandparent involvement with siblings of preschool children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. An increasing number of grandparents are involved in parental or near-parental roles with their grandchildren. Most research concerns grandparent involvement due to parental issues (e.g. teenage pregnancy, mental illness, addiction). Some research addresses grandparent involvement when their grandchild is ill. Grandparents''double concern' for both their adult children and their ill grandchildren is reported in the literature. In this paper, we describe a third concern for grandparents: the sibling(s) of their sick grandchild. Individual interviews were conducted in 2007 with 15 grandparents of six preschool children with complex congenital heart disease. Open and selective coding, categorization, and theoretical memoing were used to analyse the data. 'Stepping in as needed' and 'safeguarding relationships' were identified as two core categories related to grandparenting siblings of children with heart disease. Grandparents stepped into a parent role with toddler and preschool-aged siblings by attending to their daily care routines, recreational and play times, and relational needs while parents were occupied with their sick and hospitalized infants. Grandparents' concerted efforts to sustain parent-child and child-sibling relationships were also striking. Our findings extend the concept of 'double concern' to 'triple concern', and direct a research and practice focus towards the unexplored roles and needs of grandparents and siblings in families whose young children have life-threatening illnesses.

Center-Based Care in the Context of One-Child Policy in China: Do Child Gender and Siblings Matter?

We examined the effects of child gender and siblings on center-based care enrollment in the context of China’s one-child policy and its tradition of preference to have many children, especially sons. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 2000 wave and multilevel logistic regression models, we found that children without siblings consistently had higher odds of receiving center-based care than those with siblings, while there was no evidence that child gender mattered. Further analyses did not show evidence that the effects of child gender and siblings were moderated by household and community resources or local one-child policy. However, we did find that the presence of male, older, or school-age siblings (as compared to female, younger, or preschool-age siblings) reduced preschoolers’ odds of receiving center-based care. This was possibly because parents valued formal education much more than preschools and thus focused more on boys when they entered elementary schools than on their sisters or younger brothers. These findings suggest that more attention needs to be given to the equal education opportunities for boys and girls as well as for children with and without siblings.

Effects of a Psychosocial Family-Based Preventive Intervention on Cortisol Response to a Social Challenge in Preschoolers at High Risk for Antisocial Behavior

Salivary cortisol levels during social challenge relate to adaptive functioning in children and adults. Low cortisol levels have been related to conduct problems and antisocial behavior. Although studies in rodents implicate early-life social experience in cortisol regulation, no studies with humans have examined the effects of an experimentally manipulated early-life social experience on cortisol regulation. To examine the effects of experimental manipulations of social experience on cortisol response to a social challenge in preschoolers at risk for antisocial behavior. Randomized controlled trial. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine. Ninety-two preschool-age siblings of youths adjudicated for delinquent acts. Intervention Family-based intervention included 22 weekly group sessions for parents and preschoolers and 10 biweekly home visits conducted during a 6- to 8-month period. Salivary cortisol levels before and after a social challenge (entry into an unfamiliar peer group). Relative to controls, children in the intervention condition had increased cortisol levels in anticipation of the peer social challenge. Increases were relative to both preintervention cortisol levels during the challenge and cortisol levels in the home, which were not altered by the intervention. A family-based preventive intervention for children at high risk for antisocial behavior alters stress response in anticipation of a peer social challenge. The experimentally induced change in cortisol levels parallels patterns found in normally developing, low-risk children.

A Toddler With Fever, Pancytopenia, and Elevated Liver Enzymes

A 15-month-old girl was brought to the emergency department with a 7-day history of diarrhea, vomiting, pancytopenia, and bleeding. The patient was born in Mexico City, Mexico, where she lived with her parents and two elder preschoolaged siblings, all in good health. All the members of the family were poorly fed and slept in the same room under unhygienic conditions. Her vaccination scheme was up-to-date, and her previous medical history was unremarkable.

Language development among the siblings of children with autistic spectrum disorder

Language development in 32 preschool siblings (aged 2-6 years) of children with diagnosed autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) was compared with that of a control group of 28 typical preschool children. Groups were matched by siblings' age, gender, maternal educational level and family income. The mean ages of the siblings group and the control group were 4.2 and 4.4 years. Eight of the siblings had delayed language development, of whom three received a diagnosis of developmental language disorder (DLD) and one of ASD. The sibling with ASD and two of those with DLD were excluded; the remaining 29 siblings and the controls were administered the Stanford-Binet IV. Verbal IQs of siblings were not significantly different from the control group. Siblings of children with ASD associated with intellectual impairment ('mental retardation' (MR) in Thailand) had significantly lower verbal IQ scores than siblings of children with ASD but without MR.