Preteen Children Research Articles

아동의 체형에 따른 의류사이즈 선택에 관한 연구 -프리틴 타겟 아동을 대상으로-

This study determines the body size of preteen children and conducts questionnaire investigations into the awareness of real purchasers or parents of and satisfaction with children`s clothes and fit, in order to provide the basic data for planning and setting up the size range for the preteens market in which the sales of children clothes are gradually increasing. The findings of this study are as follow: Analyzing the obesity of the children against the Rohrer index showed that almost 30% of the subjects were obese children and that it is necessary to research the sizes of the clothes for obese children. It was also found that older children selected a more appropriate clothe size. Investigations into the awareness of children on their body image found that there was a significant difference in the perception of body shape, body weight, shoulder breath, arm thickness, chest girt, waist girth, hip girth, and thigh thickness. Slim or standard type children had the greatest consideration for the length of clothes to purchase while obese children had the greatest consideration for bosom size and waist girth. However, in terms of the association between fitness and size selection, obese children did not select a bigger size but an appropriate one for their body. The findings show that it is imperative to develop appropriate size clothes for obese children.

Abnormal Fronto-striatal Connectivity in Children with Histories of Early Deprivation: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

An Inattentive/Overactive (I/O) behavioral phenotype has been reported in a significant percentage of children raised from birth in orphanages. While a number of studies have identified both functional and structural brain abnormalities in children raised from birth in orphanages, no published studies have evaluated potential neural correlates of the I/O phenotype. We applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to 15 pre-teen children raised in orphanages in Eastern Europe or Asia and later adopted to the US. Fiber tracts were constructed from DTI data using probabilistic fiber tracking and the cortical fiber distribution of fibers originating from the head of the caudate was compared between the early deprivation (ED) group and 12 age-matched controls. The ED group showed a more diffuse connectivity pattern, especially in the right hemisphere, potentially related to incomplete neuronal pruning during development. These structural abnormalities may be associated with inattention and overactivity encountered in children with ED.

Oral health of teenage children in South Australia

Oral health of teenage children in South Australia

On the Dark Side: Gothic Play and Performance in a Virtual World

This article investigates gothic play and performance in Habbo, a virtual world for preteen children and teenagers. In addition to analyzing the aesthetics of the environment and its player characters, the authors seek to ask how gothic players figure in its appropriation and redevelopment. Countercultural player activities, such as playing goth in Habbo, are often treated as disruption, but here it will be argued that gothic players are in fact rather resourceful and productive members of the community. Observations of player-generated content, events, rituals, appearance and group discussions indicate that goth is more than a style – it is also play and performance. Gothic players are not only consumers, but also content providers, who inspire the developers at Sulake, the company behind Habbo. The influence of Habbo goths is evident, as emergent gothic player-created content has repeatedly been incorporated in newer releases of the game platform.

Root fractures in children and adolescents: diagnostic considerations

The objectives of this study were to (i) characterize epidemiologic trends in anterior permanent tooth trauma in a sample of children and adolescents (ii) examine the relationship of crown fractures (CF) and concomitant root fractures (RF) to determine if CFs are protective against RFs and (iii) examine the radiographic evidence of RFs to determine the value of obtaining three vertical periapical radiographic projections. This was an 8-year cross-sectional study of patients aged 6-18 with anterior permanent tooth trauma. We examined cases involving maxillary central/lateral incisors for which three clearly diagnostic periapical radiographs were obtained during the initial emergency visit. Two trained and calibrated dentists served as expert examiners for the radiographic assessments. Kappa statistics were used to determine reliability. Tests for association of concomitant crown and root fractures were performed using Likelihood Ratio Chi-Square tests. The final sample included 185 teeth in 114 children. Our demographic and epidemiologic findings were comparable to those of previous studies. Experts reached this consensus: 22 RFs were detected, 9.6% (eight out of 83) teeth exhibited root fractures when no CFs was documented, and 13.7% (14 out of 102) teeth had both CFs and RFs as separate entities. Good examiner reliability was reached confirming the presence of RFs (Kappa = 0.81). The association of concomitant RFs and CFs was odds ratio = 1.97 (P = 0.052). CFs were not protective against RFs; indeed, teeth with CFs were twice as likely to have an RF as those without CFs. As the number of radiographic projections increased, RFs were identified more often; however, our data suggest that there is no reason to suspect a complete RF in preteen children unless the root exhibits clinical signs such as luxation or severe mobility. This study provides solid evidence to support obtaining multiple radiographic projections at different vertical angulations to rule out RFs in children and adolescents when RFs are suspected.

Acting: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Playing (review)

{ 173 } BOOK REV IEWS off-Broadway hit that launched Burnett’s career. In addition to helping raise money for the show and collaborating on the script, they designed the set and costumes, assigning the lighting design to the now-legendary Theron Musser. Perhaps the quintessential performing set designed by the Eckarts was that created for the 1966 Broadway production of Mame. Its stage manager, Terry Little, described its effect: “The scenery was choreographed to flow with the music and the lyrics. It was absolutely integral to the show” (178). According to Bill Eckart, “With Mame we weren’t doing anything new. It was just a distillation of all the things we’d done before. Only this time, we were doing them with more authority” (181). Following this high point, however, the Eckarts experienced what Harris identified as three years of “Disenchantment”(183), during which time they designed twelve stage productions and one film, with no major hits and culminating in a significant career change. In 1971, with the authority earned by a career forged in the theatres of New York, the Eckarts joined the faculty of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, a major coup for the university. Seeking a respite from the instability of employment in New York City and a safer environment for their two preteen children, they stepped into the world of academia—a goal they had set for themselves at Yale before their twenty-year postgraduate work on Broadway. Harris expands his account of the Eckarts’ design legacy to include the stories , the political workings of their career, the network of people and events that tie one production to the next.While providing more than 350 photographs that speak for themselves, Harris writes the backstory of the work being illustrated rather than a description of the images. Employing a clear and conversational style of writing, Harris weaves a verbal and visual creation for Broadway musical aficionados as well as students of American theatrical design history. —PHIL GROESCHEL University of Missouri, Columbia Acting: An Introduction to the Art and Craft of Playing. By Paul Kassel. Boston: Pearson Education, 2007. 224 pp. $58.00 cloth. In his preface to the teacher and coach, Paul Kassel admits that acting textbooks cover pretty similar territory.“What has changed,” he writes,“is our understanding of human beings” (xi). Kassel examines these changes through \ { 174 } BOOK REV IEWS the flux of acting/voice/movement theories and methods developed over the course of the last century. Throughout the book he strives to synthesize basic concepts from such great teachers and theorists as Stanislavski, Laban, Feldenkrais , Brook, Grotowski, Chaikin, Linklater, Spolin, and others. He also foregrounds the Asian concept of ki or chi—an energy or life force that is as inextricably connected to performance as it is to living. Acting is steeped in exercises ranging from the well known (such as zipzap -zop) to the original. Kassel has documented the source of the exercise when known and has contextualized exercises with theoretical underpinnings with the intent of marrying theory to practice. His target audience (beginning undergraduates ) might initially be perplexed by the variety of sources within the book, but for teachers Kassel provides a welcome synthesis of material in an orderly fashion. Progressing through the entire book, the reader comes away with a gestalt of the art and craft of acting. The organization of the book makes it quite accessible, allowing teachers to pick and choose sections as needed. Part 1, “Preparation for Playing,” introduces acting, the creative environment, and the concept of ki as an energy force. In part 2,“The Tools for Playing,”Kassel divides chapters into body, voice, imagination, feeling, and action. Part 3, “Playing,” helps the actor integrate his or her tools into a scene or production and includes chapters on tasks, dramatic structure, character analysis, and basic integration into the rehearsal process. The bulk of each chapter is composed of exercises, contextualized with a brief synthesis of theory. User-friendly components of the book include a separate index of exercises, an appendix of action verbs and other aids, and a bibliography for further study.Visual learners will appreciate the diagrams of postures...

Sibling effects on preteen children's perceived influence in purchase decisions

PurposeThe present research aims to focus on sibling effects and birth order on preteen children's perceptions of influence in family purchase decision making. It also aims to examine the accuracy of children's perceived influence as compared to their parents. These areas have received little attention from consumer behavior researchers and, although there is research on sibling effects from broader sociological and psychological perspectives, there is very little empirical research from a marketing perspective. This research seeks to begin to fill that gap.Design/methodology/approachA key methodological contribution of the paper is that data were collected from triads as opposed to the more common dyadic mother/child data. Surveys were used to collect the data. Subjects, which consisted of children and their parents, were recruited through an elementary school in a mid‐sized city in the southeastern USA. A total of 184 triads were approached to participate and 94 completed the surveys from each member of the triad were received. Data were analyzed using SPSS and four a priori hypotheses were tested. Theoretically the paper draws from research on sibling effects.FindingsThe paper finds that preteens in the study perceived they had significant influence on purchase decisions. Key results of interest include the finding that the mere presence of siblings weakened the perception of influence, yet interestingly, results indicate that later‐born/only children have more influence on certain purchases than firstborns. In addition, results indicate that preteens felt they have more influence on purchases that are intended for their use as opposed to purchases that are for family use. Parents also felt that children have more influence on purchases for the child, but parents did not perceive the levels to be as high as their children did.Research limitations/implicationsIf later‐borns and only children have more influence and as such get their way more often, does this affect their ability to be competent adult consumers? Are there more instances of compulsive shopping and other decision‐making problems because they have become accustomed to getting what they want? In addition, if children overestimate influence, is it because they are not yet able to fully understand persuasion and the use of influence? From a public policy perspective there have often been concerns raised about children's ability to deal with influence, and if very subtle forms of influence are used, children may not be equipped to recognize these attempts and as a result may be more susceptible to them.Originality/valueResearch examining sibling effects on children's perceived influence is virtually non‐existent. According to Commuri and Gentry, who conducted a thorough review of research in family decision making, sibling influence has not been systematically examined in consumer research. Research in this area is important as marketers seek to fully understand the impact children have on family purchase decisions, the roles children play in the decision‐making process, and the factors affecting children's degree of influence.

Evidence of slow maturation of the superior longitudinal fasciculus in early childhood by diffusion tensor imaging

While the majority of axonal organization is established by birth in mammalian brains, axonal wiring and pruning processes, as well as myelination, are known to extend to the postnatal periods, where environmental stimuli often play a major role. Normal axonal and myelin development of individual white matter tracts of human in this period is poorly understood and may have a major role in cognitive development of human. In this study, we applied diffusion tensor imaging and normalization-based population analyses to 44 preteen children and 30 adult images. We observed highly significant changes of fiber orientations at regions that correspond to the superior longitudinal fasciculus during the first 5 years. The result is attributed to slow axonal and/or myelin maturation of this tract, which is believed to be involved in language functions.

Impact of time trends and increasing age on health behaviour of Swedish school children

Information on trends in healthy and unhealthy habits among children are important for the development of programmes intended to foster and consolidate a healthy lifestyle. This report studied the importance of time and age on the health behaviour of Swedish school children. A comparison between health behaviours derived from repeated evaluations of Swedish school children aged 11-13 years was performed. Significant positive time trends were found in the form of increased physical activity and decreased sedentary behaviours, whereas negative time trends were observed in dietary habits and smoking. An analysis of the impact of increasing age demonstrated a negative influence including less physical activity and deteriorating dietary habits and increased smoking at the young age groups in this study. Time trends and age are both important determinants of health behaviour in pre-teen children. Even the small age increase from 11 to 13 years had an important negative influence. The results of the present study underline that the window of opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle in children is narrow. It is evident that a successful health intervention programme must be initiated at an early age, continued and repeated over time, and structured to counteract trends in age as well as time.

Color Visual Evoked Potentials in Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Relationship to Metabolic Control

To examine the association between metabolic control (HbA(1c)) and the chromatic mechanisms of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D), by using the color visual evoked potential (VEP). Fifty children with T1D (age range, 6-12.9 years) and 33 age-matched control subjects were tested. VEPs were recorded by placing five electrodes on the scalp according to the International 10/20 System of Electrode Placement. Active electrodes O1, O2, and Oz were placed over the visual cortex. Short-wavelength (S), and long- and medium-wavelength (LM) color stimuli consisted of vertical, photometric isoluminant (1 cyc/deg) gratings presented in a pattern onset (100 ms)-offset (400 ms) mode. Achromatic vertical gratings were presented at 3 cyc/deg. Primary outcome measure was VEP latency. The relationship between S, LM, and achromatic VEP latency, and HbA(1c) was determined by ANCOVA regression. S-, LM-, achromatic VEP latencies were not associated significantly with HbA(1c). Pubertal status, however, was associated significantly (P = 0.0114) and selectively with S-VEP latency. Pubertal children with T1D had delayed (mean delay, 9.5 ms) S-VEP latencies when compared with the prepubertal children with T1D. However, there was no statistically significant difference (P = 0.1573) in the effect of pubertal status on S-VEP latency between the T1D and control groups. Pubertal status rather than HbA(1c) appears to affect selectively the S-VEP latency of preteen children with T1D. Further study is warranted to determine whether the delay in S-VEP latency in pubertal children with T1D changes over time and whether this change could be a predictive marker for future development of background diabetic retinopathy.

Review of Gambling problems in youth: Theoretical and applied perspectives.

JEFFREYL. DEREVENSKYand RINA GUPTA (Eds.) Gambling Problems in Youth: Theoretical and Applied Perspectives New York: Kluwer Academic Press, 2004, 264 pages (ISBN 0-306-48585-0, US$65.00 Hardcover) As the public view of gambling in the United States and Canada has evolved over the past couple of decades from sin, to vice, to a benign form of recreation, participation rates have markedly increased. For a minority, gambling has had devastating consequences for themselves and their families, employers, and communities. Its emergence has resulted in addiction researchers and clinicians arguing about which dependence is more harmful - alcoholism or pathological gambling. A persuasive case can be made for both sides but most agree that problem gambling generally shows the more rapid and devastating impact on a family's equilibrium. At the same time, practitioners across North America are starting to see the effects of growing gambling activity on their clinical caseloads. Research into problem gambling is still in its infancy. Despite a general paucity of literature on problem gambling, two recent books, Grant and Potenza's Pathological Gambling: A Clinical Guide to Treatment (American Psychiatric, 2004) and Gambling Problems in Ymitli (the focus of (his review), are significant contributions to the field. Both have joined my list of core texts on problem-gambling behaviour. Derevensky and Gupta are world recognized leaders in youth gambling research and co-directors of the McGiII University Youth Gambling Research and Treatment Clinic and the International Centre for \buth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours. Their new book specifically addresses gambling problems in youlh, and presents a balanced and comprehensive overview of theory, research, and treatment knowledge. Until recently, little was known about this area, much like the situation that existed some 50 years ago when the concept of juvenile alcoholism was not yet plausible (diagnostic criteria involved a lengthy time span of use, withdrawal, and medical problems associated with use). In a similar fashion, we are only now recognizing the problems associated with this first generation of youth that has been exposed to widespread availability, acceptance, and promotion of gambling. Stinchfield reports that in early adolescence, the prevalence of gambling involvement rivals alcohol use and far exceeds the use of illicit drugs or tobacco. The level of research funding for adolescent gambling has grown quickly over the past 10 years, especially among Canadian provinces, and the resulting knowledge base is expanding rapidly. On a related front, the call for a gold standard for measuring prevalence has led to the development of a new, soon-to-bereleased adolescent gambling screen cooperatively undertaken by a number of publicly funded Canadian research groups. The field is in many ways defined by the dynamics of new research and clinical activities, and the need to be kept current is apparent. Derevensky and Gupta organize their book into seven sections: Prevalence, Correlates and Risk Factors, New Technologies, Measurement Issues, Treatment, Prevention, and Social Policy Issues, comprising a total of 12 well-written chapters. The introductory section is written by Dewey Jacobs, the patriarch of gambling research who suggests that the age of onset for gambling will continue to decrease as more children see their parents and relatives gambling. His chapter deftly predicts the explosive popularity of poker tournaments and celebrity poker on TV, and parent reports of their preteen children playing Texas Hold'em with their friends. An issue that emerges repeatedly is the debate over the actual prevalence of gambling and problem gambling in adolescent populations. Despite the inadequacy of currently available measurement tools, along with fundamental nomenclature and conceptual disagreement, all sides concur that significant numbers of adolescents are harmed by their gambling. …

Metabolic Syndrome in Overweight and Obese Japanese Children

To determine the prevalence of and sex differences related to the metabolic syndrome among obese and overweight elementary school children. Subjects were 471 overweight or obese Japanese children. Children meeting at least three of the following five criteria qualified as having the metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and high fasting glucose levels. Fasting insulin levels were also examined. Japanese obese children were found to have a significantly lower prevalence (17.7%) of the metabolic syndrome than U.S. obese adolescents (28.7%, p = 0.0014). However, Japanese overweight children had a similar incidence (8.7%) of the metabolic syndrome compared with U.S. overweight adolescents (6.8%). Hyperinsulinemia in girls and abdominal obesity in boys are characteristic features of individual metabolic syndrome factors in Japanese children. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is not lower in preteen Japanese overweight children than in U.S. overweight adolescents, although it is significantly lower in Japanese obese preteen children than in U.S. obese adolescents. Primary and secondary interventions are needed for overweight preteen children in Japan.

Children's street connections in a Canadian community.

Preteen children's street activities in a small southern Ontario city were examined for understandings about how children on the street affiliate with one another and with adults after school. The everyday connections between children, shopkeepers, and municipal workers demonstrate that the municipal workers and merchants can offer caring, support, and sanctions to children when parents or teachers are not accompanying them. This provides children on the street with a form of guidance from extrafamilial mentors. The findings point to community-based potentials for naturally occurring crime prevention strategies, a significant aspect of Canada's new law: Youth Criminal Justice Act. 2003.

Urban children's perceptions of violence.

To determine how preadolescent urban children conceptualize and experience violence in their lives. This qualitative study reports the results of focus groups designed to examine perceptions of violence among preadolescent urban children. Program directors were trained to conduct the sessions using a semistructured script. All groups were audiotaped or videotaped. The summaries were analyzed for recurring themes. A community-based visual arts program for children designed to be a secondary violence-prevention program. There were 12 focus groups of volunteer participants. Each consisted of 3 to 6 children aged 8 to 12 years, separated by sex and age. Fifty children participated: 27 boys and 23 girls. These children defined violence in a broader way than most adults would. Not only did the children identify shootings and stabbings as examples of violence, but they also considered violence to be any act that might hurt someone's feelings (such as cheating and lying) or any act accompanying violence (such as cursing and yelling). The boys and girls were very similar in their views except regarding the issue of intimate-partner violence. The girls were almost universally concerned about this issue, but the boys seemed noticeably unaware that intimate-partner violence was considered a form of violence. Most children felt safe at home, and almost no child felt safe at school. They looked to trusted adults to keep them safe. Future investigators measuring the effect of violence-prevention activities on preteen children should be aware that their definition of violence may differ from that of young children and should be cognizant of potential sex differences, especially around the topic of intimate-partner violence. Those designing violence-prevention programs for children should consider engaging adult family members as well because children usually turn to them for safety.

Sexual behavior problems in preteen children: developmental, ecological, and behavioral correlates.

A large sample of 2-12 year old children (N = 2311) was studied to determine the relationship between three sexually intrusive behavior items (SIBs) measured by the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI) and a range of developmental, ecological, and behavioral correlates. The variables studied included age, gender, race, family income, single parent status, maternal education, family sexual behaviors, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, social competence of the child, and three scales from the CBCL (Internalizing, Externalizing, and PTSD). Sexual abuse was not the primary predictor of SIB, but a model incorporating family adversity, modeling of coercive behavior, child behavior, and modeling of sexuality predicted a significant amount of variance.

PROMOTING BONE HEALTH IN CHILDREN ATTENDING AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

The adolescent years is a time when children reduce calcium intake and engage in less physical activity. Behavior change strategies aimed at pre-teen children have the potential to maximize early bone accretion while establishing habits that promote bone health. After school programs (ASP) serve millions of children and represent a novel setting for health interventions. PURPOSE To evaluate an ASP intervention that includes weight-loading games, calcium rich snacks, and interactive lessons that build knowledge and shape positive attitudes regarding bone health. METHODS Children ages 6–9 years attending ASP were recruited for “BONES”. ASP staff was trained to conduct weight-loading games 3 d/wk, learning activities 1 d/wk, and serve calcium-rich snacks every day for 25 weeks. Implementation was monitored via self-reported attendance sheets and year-end surveys. RESULTS ASP incorporated BONES activities on average 3.0 d/wk over 18 wks. Children played over 15 jumping and cooperative running games 2.0 d/wk on average. Almost 75% of the jumping games provided a ground reaction force between 4–7 times body weight as appropriate for bone accretion. Staff incorporated learning activities 1.0 d/wk and 71.5% of these days included a jumping activity. Snacks contributed 1191 mg calcium/week. Despite simple tracking forms, inconsistent reporting was common and suggests actual implementation was greater. Year-end surveys revealed higher implementation rates. Barriers included constraints on program time, staff shortages, inconsistent attendance by students and staff motivation. ASP staffs vary from high school students to certified teachers. CONCLUSION ASP staff with varied experience working in diverse program structures can implement a weight-loading physical activity intervention along with lessons on nutrition and bone health when provided with materials, training, and ongoing support. Higher rates of implementation could be achieved once the challenges inherent to this setting are addressed. More work is needed to accurately measure community-based interventions. Supported by NIH (NICHD) RO1 HD37752-01

Moderate local and systemic respiratory syncytial virus-specific T-cell responses upon mild or subclinical RSV infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are a major cause of severe respiratory disease in infants. It has been shown that there is an increased frequency of childhood wheezing in ex-bronchiolitic preteen children. This was postulated to be mediated by a vigorous virus-specific Th2 response influencing the further development of the immune system. Little is known about the possible role of the immune response to clinically mild RSV infections in this respect. We have studied the RSV-specific cellular immune response in infants with a laboratory-confirmed RSV upper respiratory tract infection (URTI; n = 13, mean age 12 months, range 2-22 months) in comparison with infants with non-RSV mediated URTI (n = 9, mean age 9.3 months, range 4-18 months) or infants with severe RSV bronchiolitis (n = 11, mean age 2.3 months, range 1-6 months). RSV-specific cytokine-producing cells were enumerated using the ELISPOT method in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and nasal brush T-cells, collected during the acute and convalescent phase of the infection. Mixed Th1 (IFN-gamma) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-13) responses were detected in all three groups. Frequencies of RSV-specific T-cells were lower in both URTI groups than in the RSV bronchiolitis group, and not significantly different between the RSV URTI and the non-RSV URTI group. The absence of vigorous virus-specific Th2 responses upon mild RSV infection does not support the hypothesis that these infections influence the development of the immune system and that they predispose for the development of atopic disease.

Purposive Leisure: Examining Parental Discourses on Family Activities

Current social psychological definitions of leisure may not adequately capture or describe family leisure. This study used discourse analysis to explore the meanings of family leisure as revealed by parents of preteen children (aged 10-12 years). The data came from a study of 31 families (23 two-parent families and 8 one-parent families) living in Ontario, Canada. Thirty mothers and 23 fathers were interviewed about their family leisure activities, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs about family participation. Analysis showed that family participation was highly valued by all of the parents. However, rather than being freely chosen or intrinsically motivated, family leisure was purposive in that it was organized and facilitated by parents in order to achieve particular short- and long-term goals. One set of goals related to family functioning, including enhanced family communication and cohesion, and a strong sense of family. Another set of goals related to the beneficial outcomes of family activities for children, including learning about healthy lifestyles as well as learning moral values. It is argued that the purposive nature of this form of leisure practice reflects current ideologies about motherhood, fatherhood, and the family in North American society.

Use of patient-controlled analgesia for pain control for children receiving bone marrow transplant

We report 2 years' experience managing 39 preteen (ages 4–12 years) children with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain associated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We prescribed morphine or hydromorphine PCA (starting bolus 20 μg/kg morphine or 2 μg/kg hydromorphone) with or without continuous infusion (CI), for a period of 6–74 days. The duration of PCA use (median 19 days) depended upon severity of mucositis or other painful conditions. The peak morphine use was on the 11th day after BMT. We prescribed CI opioids in addition to PCA, either at night or around the clock, in 52% of patients. Ninety-five percent of children successfully mastered PCA to control pain associated with BMT. We observed no instances of drug misuse, parental tampering, accidental overdose, or difficulty weaning from opioids. We conclude that opioid PCA, with or without CI, over several days or weeks is safe and effective for preteen children suffering BMT-related pain.

Safety and Effectiveness of Predeposit Autologous Transfusions in Preteen and Adolescent Children

Although there is documentation in the literature of the safety and effectiveness of predeposit autologous transfusions among adult patients contemplating surgery, there are no comparable data for preteen and teenage children. We report our experience with 180 children between the ages of 8 and 18 years participating in a community blood center-based predeposit autologous transfusion program. Children as young as 8 years old and weighing as little as 27 kg predonated a prescribed amount of blood prior to elective orthopedic (169) or plastic (11) surgery. Only four children experienced a donor reaction; none of them was severe. No child was unable to donate the prescribed number of units. Eighty-eight percent of the children were able to supply their complete blood requirements, thus avoiding exposure to homologous blood. Our experience documents both the safety and effectiveness of predeposit autologous transfusions in preteen and adolescent children and should encourage existing predeposit autologous transfusion programs to extend participation to thousands of children for whom the opportunity to use their own blood is currently denied.