Subgroup Of Boys Research Articles

ИНДЕКСЫ СУРРОГАТНОЙ ОЦЕНКИ ИНСУЛИНОРЕЗИСТЕНТНОСТИ У ДЕТЕЙ И ПОДРОСТКОВ С ОЖИРЕНИЕМ

Obesity is the most common reason for the insulin resistance (IR) though obesity in children is not always associated with IR. The markers based on fasting glucose and/or insulin levels and alternative parameters with conventional lipid-based indexes are used in assessing the IR in clinical practice. The purpose of the research was to assess the relationship between alternative IR surrogate biomarkers as follows: triglycerides (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), TG/HDL-C ratio; single-point insulin sensitivity estimator (SPISE) index; triglyceride-glucose index (TyG), with generally accepted indices based on the insulin/glucose ratios, such as HOMA-IR, QUICKI, Caro, in a cohort of obese children and adolescents. Materials and methods used: a single-stage multicenter comparative study was conducted involving 127 patients aged 6 to 17 y/o with simple obesity of varying degrees. The following indices were calculated: HOMA-IR = fasting insulin (mU/ml) x fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (mmol/L) / 22.5; QUICKI = 1/Log (Fasting Insulin, µU/ml) + Log (Fasting Glucose, mg/dl); Caro = fasting plasma glucose (mmol/l) / fasting insulin (μU/ml); TG/HDL-C = TG (mmol/L) / HDL-C (mmol/L); triglyceride-glucose index TyG = Ln [fasting TG (mg/dl) x fasting plasma glucose (mg/dl)/2], where Ln is the logarithm; SPISE = 600 × HDL-C0.185/(TG0.2 x BMI1.338). Results: 75 (59%) boys and 52 (41%) girls were included in the study; the median age was 12.9 [10.4; 14.9] y/o. Pre-pubertal development was recorded in 25 (19.7%), pubertal - in 102 (80.3%). The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) was 5.5%. In children with IGT, the SPISE index was lower than in children with normal glucose tolerance (3.69 [3.49; 4.37] vs. 4.8 [3.99; 5.55], p=0.021) with no statistically significant differences between these groups in other markers. In the IGT subgroup, a high negative correlation was found between SDS BMI and SPISE (R=-0.97). In the general SDS group, BMI correlated with insulin (R=+0.24), TG (R=+0.2), HOMA (R=+0.24), Caro (R=-0.26), TG/HDL-C (R=+0.28) and SPISE (R=-0.65). The SPISE index was lower in girls than in boys (4.94 [3.63; 5.73] vs. 4.07 [3.59; 5.16], p = 0.045). No statistically significant differences were recorded for other gender-related markers. A negative correlation was also found between the obesity degree and SPISE in the subgroups of girls (R=-0.49) and boys (R=-0.70) as well as among pre-pubertal children of both genders (R=-0.61). The maximum correlation between SDS BMI and SPISE was recorded in the subgroup of teenagers of both genders (R=-0.88). In the general group, TyG was weakly correlated with HOMA-IR (R=+0.26) and QUICKI (R=-0.24), while SPISE showed a weak association with all studied insulin indices; no statistically significant correlation between insulin indices and TG/HDL-C was found. In the subgroup of girls, no significant relationships between the evaluated markers were found, in the subgroup of boys, TyG weakly correlated with HOMA-IR (R=+0.29) and QUICKI (R=-0.32). Stronger correlations were recorded in boys between SPISE and all studied insulin indices. In the subgroup of prepubertal patients, a correlation was found between TyG and QUICKI (R=-0.44), SPISE and Caro (R=+0.56), SPISE and HOMA-IR (R=-0.50). The TG/HDL-C ratio did not statistically significantly correlate with traditional IR markers. TyG showed weak correlations with HOMA-IR and QUICKI in the general group and the boys’ subgroup. In the prepubertal period, TyG only weakly correlated with QUICKI and did not show strong associations with insulin-based indices in pubertal children. The SPISE index showed correlations with insulin markers both in the main group and in individual subgroups. Conclusion: the SPISE index can be considered as a relatively simple and accessible method for assessing IR in obese children and adolescents.

Trends in the choice of antiseizure medications in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: A retrospective multi-center study from Turkey between 2010 and 2020

Purpose:Valproic acid (VPA) is frequently used and effective in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Recently, levetiracetam (LEV) has been suggested as a monotherapy in JME. This study aimed to evaluate antiseizure medication (ASM) use in patients with JME.Methods: Treatment choices in a total of 257 patients (age range 8–18 years, 152 girls, 105 boys) with JME diagnosed and treated between 2010 and 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. Seizure remission was defined as complete seizure control for at least 12 months.Results: Across the study period and entire patient group, VPA was most commonly chosen as the initial ASM (50.9%), followed by LEV (44.4%), and lamotrigine (4.7%). VPA was also the most frequent first choice in the subgroup of boys (73.3%), while LEV was the commonest first choice in girls (57.9%). The sex difference regarding the ASM of the first choice was statistically significant (p<0.001). While VPA was the most frequent initial ASM in the first 5 years of the study period (2010–2015,n = 66, 64%), LEV had taken over as the most popular first ASM in the last 5 years (n = 83, 53.9%, p = 0.005). The most frequent reasons for discontinuation were inefficacy for LEV and adverse effects for VPA (p = 0.001). During follow-up, 237 patients (92.2%) were seizure-free for at least 12 months, and 159 (61.9%) were also in electrographic remission. Seizure remission occurred earlier than electroencephalographic remission (p<0.001).Conclusion: This study revealed that LEV has become the most frequently chosen initial ASM in the treatment of JME. Although LEV appears to have a better adverse effect profile, VPA seems more likely to be effective in achieving seizure control.

Parent-Child Relationship Quality, Childhood Maltreatment, and Psychological Symptoms in Chinese Adolescent.

This study aimed to examine the association between childhood maltreatment, parent-child relationship quality with psychological symptoms and to explore the moderating role of parent-child relationship quality in the association between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms among adolescents. It also probed to the role of gender differences in this effect. A representative sample of 14,500 middle school students in China were asked to complete a standard questionnaire on the details of childhood maltreatment, parent-child relationship quality, and psychological symptoms. All data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0. The PROCESS program was used to analyze whether parent-child relationship quality moderated the link between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms. The analyses revealed significant correlations between childhood maltreatment, parent-child relationship quality, and psychological symptoms (p < .001). Specifically, paternal relationship quality moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms in the total sample (B = -0.01, p < .05) and the subgroup of girls (B = -0.01, p < .05), while maternal relationship quality moderated only the association between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms in the subgroup of boys (B = -0.01, p < .05). As the findings indicate, priority should be given to the quality of parent-child relationship and gender-specific methods employed to effectively reduce the psychological symptoms of adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment.

Persistence of megalencephaly in a subgroup of young boys with autism spectrum disorder.

A recurring finding in autism spectrum disorder research is that head and brain growth is disproportionate to body growth in early childhood. Nordahl et al. (2011) demonstrated that this occurs in approximately 15% of boys with autism. While the literature suggests that brain growth normalizes at older ages, this has never been evaluated in a longitudinal study. The current study evaluated head circumference and total cerebral volume in 129 male children with autism and 49 age-matched, typically developing controls. We determined whether 3-year-old boys with brain size disproportionate to height (which we call disproportionate megalencephaly) demonstrated an abnormal trajectory of head growth from birth and whether they maintained an enlarged brain at 5 years of age. Findings were based on longitudinal, structural MRI data collected around 3, 4, and 5 years of age and head circumference data from medical records. At 3 years of age, 19 boys with autism had enlarged brains while 110 had brain sizes in the normal range. Boys with disproportionate megalencephaly had greater total cerebral, gray matter, and white matter volumes from 3-5 years compared to boys with autism and normal sized brains and typically developing boys, but no differences in body size. While head circumference did not differ between groups at birth, it was significantly greater in the disproportionate megalencephaly group by around 2 years. These data suggest that there is a subgroup of boys with autism who have brains disproportionate to body size and that this continues until at least 5 years of age. Autism Res 2016, 9: 1169-1182. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optimizing ADHD Treatment? Results of a Pilotstudy of the ADHD Selective Contract in Bremerhaven, Germany

The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with substantial impairment and psychiatric comorbidities. Thus, an optimized treatment is essential. In 2011, a new multidisciplinary treatment strategy (so-called Versorgungsvertrag) was contracted for the model region of Bremerhaven, Germany. This manuscript describes the results of the feasibility testing, focusing on the effects of the Versorgungsvertrag on patients' ADHD symptoms and on the treatment satisfaction of patients' kins. Patients with ADHD (4-17 years) were assessed at baseline and at 9 months follow-up. Kins documented the current symptomatology using the FBB-ADHS questionnaire on both occasions, and rated their satisfaction with the Versorgungsvertrag at follow-up. The FBB-ADHS gives information on the severity of the ADHD core symptoms (0=normal, 3=very noticeable). 69 patients (77 kins) were included. At follow-up, data from 59 patients (67 kins) were available. FBB-ADHS data of both occasions was available for 44 patients. Improvements regarding the ADHD total score (1.27 at follow-up vs. 1.59 at baseline, p=0.003) and the subdomains inattention (1.42 vs. 1.81, p=0.001) and hyperactivity (0.96 vs. 1.22, p=0.032) were documented. In the subgroup of boys (n=34), inattention (p=0.001), impulsivity (p=0.019) and the ADHD total score (p=0.002) improved, while no changes were observed in the subgroup of girls (n=10). The majority of kins (52.4 to 68.4%) rated the treatment as helpful. Our study shows improvements for the ADHD core symptoms after 9 months and a high satisfaction of kins with the treatment strategy. Due to the lack of a control group from routine care, no certain statement about the additional benefit of the treatment strategy can be made. The null effect in the subgroup of girls might be explained by the underrepresentation of girls, but the gender distribution observed in our study is commonly observed in patients with ADHD. The positive effects during the observation period should be confirmed in further studies including a control group from routine care.

Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Males with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Testing the Effects of Comorbid Conduct Disorder.

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to emotion dysregulation, few studies have experimentally investigated this whilst controlling for the effects of comorbid conduct disorder (CD). Economic decision-making games that assess how individuals respond to offers varying in fairness have been used to study emotion regulation. The present study compared adolescent boys with ADHD (n = 90), ADHD + CD (n = 94) and typical controls (n = 47) on the Ultimatum Game and examined the contribution of ADHD and CD symptom scores and callous and unemotional traits to acceptance levels of unfair offers. There were no significant differences in acceptance rates of fair and highly unfair offers between groups, and only boys with ADHD did not significantly differ from the controls. However, the subgroup of boys with ADHD and additional high levels of aggressive CD symptoms rejected significantly more ambiguous (i.e., moderately unfair) offers than any other subgroup, suggesting impaired emotion regulation in those with ADHD and aggressive CD. Correlations within the CD group showed that the rejection rate to moderately unfair offers was predicted by aggressive CD symptom severity, but not callous and unemotional traits. These findings highlight the fact that ADHD is a heterogeneous condition from an emotion regulation point of view.

Sentence Comprehension in Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Previous research has suggested that language comprehension might be particularly impaired in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but this profile has been only broadly characterized. In the current study, the authors examined sentence comprehension in school-age boys with ASD, including a subgroup with intellectual disability (ID), with particular attention paid to errors that might differentiate between lexically and syntactically based difficulties. Participants were boys with ASD (n = 45, ages 4-11 years) and younger typically developing boys (n = 45, ages 2-6 years). Comprehension was assessed with the Test for Reception of Grammar-Version 2 (TROG-2; Bishop, 2003). Error types were analyzed for a subset of items. Boys with ASD did not differ from younger typically developing boys matched on receptive vocabulary in overall sentence comprehension on the TROG-2 or the number of lexical errors committed. In contrast, the subgroup of boys with ASD and ID (n = 16) had poorer overall performance and committed more lexical errors than younger typically developing boys matched on nonverbal cognition. On average, comprehension was delayed in school-age boys with ASD but not beyond receptive vocabulary expectations. Boys with ASD and ID, however, had a weakness in sentence comprehension beyond nonverbal cognitive expectations.

Effect of Botox injection at the bladder neck in boys with bladder dysfunction after valve ablation

ObjectiveAfter posterior urethral valve ablation, some boys are still have a hostile bladder. We conducted a prospective randomized study to determine if Botox injection at the bladder neck will help improve vesical dysfunction in this subgroup of boys or not. Patients and methodsTwenty boys with history of posterior urethral valve ablation and severe bladder dysfunction with a mean age of 16 months were studied. Cases were further randomized into two groups. Group I (study group) had endoscopic injection of a single dose of 100 IU of Botox into the hypertrophied bladder neck at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. Group II (control group) patients with the same parameters had urethroscopy to exclude residual valves. Both groups had the standard conservative treatment. Cases were followed after 6 months of initiating the management protocol. This includes laboratory studies (urine culture and sensitivity, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine), ultrasound of the urinary tract. Voiding cysto-urethrogram and urodynamic study (pressure flow study). ResultsThere was no statistical difference in both groups regarding rate of urinary tract infection, improvement of hydronephrosis, resolution of vesico-ureteral reflux, creatinine level at the start or at the end of the study. Urodynamic parameters revealed an increase in cystometric capacity in both groups at the end of the study but without statistical difference. The mean voiding pressure reduced significantly in both groups but without statistical difference. ConclusionsTemporarily abolishing the effect of bladder neck by Botox injection does not seem to improve the outcome of those boys who had a severe voiding dysfunction after valve ablation.

Boys with autism spectrum disorders show superior performance on the adult Embedded Figures Test

Weak central coherence is frequently studied using the Embedded Figures Test (EFT) yielding mixed and ambiguous results. In this study, the performance of 36 boys (9–14 years) with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is compared with that of 46 typical peers using both the children's and the adult version of the EFT. Only in the adult version did the ASD group outperform the controls in terms of accuracy. Corrected for age and pIQ, a subgroup of boys with Autistic Disorder (AD) showed superior perceptual processing capacities, while the performance of boys with PDD-NOS and Asperger Syndrome was in between that of those with AD and the controls. The findings strongly suggest that children and adolescents with ASD will only show superior results on visual-perceptual tests if the task complexity and thus their sensitivity is sufficiently high to challenge typically developing age-matched peers.

Nutritional status of preschool children

Objective. The aim of this research was the analysis of nutritional status of preschool children during the systematic examination for enrollment in the first grade of elementary school. Methods. The 212 children born in the period from 01/03/2002 to 28/02/2003, and 304 children born in the period from 01/03/2003 to 28/02/2004 were included. Height and weight of children were measured in March 2009 (older children) and March 2010 (younger children) in the Pediatric Department of Health Center Curpija. Data about parents' employment, nutrition and organization of leisure time as well as physical activity were also obtained. The analysis included descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing, at p=<0.05. Results. The incidence of obesity, overall, was 5.04% and the incidence of overweight children was 10.08%. In the subgroup of girls, there were 25 obese children (9.96%) and 13 overweight children (5.18%). In the subgroup of boys, there were 13 obese (5.28%) and 26 overweight children (9.81%). Between boys and girls, there was no statistically significant difference in the number of obese or overweight. With tested factors, individual foods (dietary habits) were not significantly more common in overweight children, but overall, a certain type (form) of diet (combination of individual foods) was represented differently in children with normal body weight and the others. Parents' employment as well as physical activity were also not significantly different, but factor of time spent watching TV and working at computers was a very significant factor in childhood obesity. Conclusion. The results of this study suggest that there are problems with excessive weight gain in children entering the first grade of elementary school.

Effects of obesity on human sexual development

Puberty is a period of physical and psychological maturation, with long-term effects on health. During the 20(th) century, a secular trend towards earlier puberty occurred in association with improvements in nutrition. The worldwide pandemic of childhood obesity has renewed interest in the relationship between body composition in childhood and the timing and tempo of puberty. Limited evidence suggests that earlier puberty is associated with a tendency towards central fat deposition; therefore, pubertal status needs to be carefully considered in the categorization of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity. In the other direction, rapid early weight gain is associated with advanced puberty in both sexes, and a clear association exists between increasing BMI and earlier pubertal development in girls. Evidence in boys is less clear, with the majority of studies showing obesity to be associated with earlier puberty and voice break, although a subgroup of boys with obesity exhibits late puberty, perhaps as a variation of constitutional delay in growth and puberty. The possible mechanisms linking adiposity with pubertal timing are numerous, but leptin, adipocytokines and gut peptides are central players. Other possible mediators include genetic variation and environmental factors such as endocrine disrupting chemicals. This Review presents current evidence on this topic, highlighting inconsistencies and opportunities for future research.

Uso de álcool e drogas e sua influência sobre as práticas sexuais de adolescentes de Minas Gerais, Brasil

This article summarizes the findings of a survey including 5,981 students from public schools in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The analysis assessed the influence of drug use on sexual practices. Among the boys engaged in relationships with casual partners who stated having used illicit drugs, 55.7% reported consistent condom use, as compared to 65.4% among those not reporting such habits. Among boys engaged in relationships with stable partners who reported illicit drug use, consistent condom use was reported by 42.7%, versus 64.1% among those not reporting such habits. In the subgroup of boys engaged in stable relationships who did not report illicit drug use, consistent condom use was less frequent among those that used alcohol/cigarettes, compared to those who did not drink or smoke (60.7% vs. 71.1%). Girls were less likely than boys to use condoms consistently, regardless of the nature of their relationships, without a noticeable influence of drug use. Policies to prevent drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and unplanned pregnancy should be fully integrated.

Critical power in adolescent boys and girls — an exploratory study

The purpose of the study was to identify critical power (CP) in boys and girls and to examine the physiological responses to exercise at and 10% above CP (CP+10%) in a sub-group of boys. Nine boys and 9 girls (mean age 12.3 (0.5) y performed 3 constant-load tests to derive CP. Eight of the boys then exercised, in random order, at CP and CP+10% until volitional exhaustion. CP was 123 (28) and 91 (26) W for boys and girls, respectively (p < 0.02), which was equivalent to 75 (6) and 72 (10) % of peak oxygen uptake, respectively (p > 0.47). Boys' time to exhaustion at CP was 18 min 37 s (4 min 13 s), which was significantly longer (p < 0.007) than that at CP+10% (9 min 42 s (2 min 31 s)). End-exercise values for blood lactate concentration (B[La]) and maximal oxygen uptake were higher in the CP+10% trial (5.0 (2.4) mmol.L-1 and 2.15 (0.4) L.min-1, respectively) than in the CP trial, (B[La], 4.7 (2.1) mmol.L-1; maximal oxygen uptake, 2.05 (0.35) L.min-1; p > 0.13). Peak oxygen uptake (expressed as a percentage of the peak value) was not attained at the end of the trials (94 (12) and 98 (14) % for CP and CP+10%, respectively). These results provide information about the boundary between the heavy and severe exercise intensity domains in children, and have demonstrated that CP in a group of boys does not represent a sustainable steady-state intensity of exercise.

Connective tissue disorder—a new subgroup of boys with slow transit constipation?

Purpose Slow transit constipation (STC) is a form of chronic constipation, with delayed colonic passage of stool. Possible etiologies include reduced neurotransmitter levels, reduced interstitial cells of Cajal density, or a disorder of connective tissue (CT) synthesis. A common CT disorder is generalized joint hypermobility (GJH). This study aimed to investigate whether there was a greater prevalence of GJH among patients with STC than controls. Methods Children (aged 7-17) diagnosed with STC by radio/nuclear transit study were recruited from outpatient clinics. Controls (no history of constipation) were recruited from outpatient clinics and a scout jamboree. Hypermobility was assessed using the Beighton score (4 or more = hypermobile). This project received ethical approval by the human research ethics committee. Results Thirty-nine STC subjects and 41 controls were measured. Of 39 STC subjects, 15 (38%) were hypermobile, compared to 8 (20%) of 41 controls ( P = .06). Analyzed by gender, 10 (38%) of 26 STC males and 1 (4%) of 23 control males were hypermobile ( P < .01). Conclusions These results show that GJH is higher in STC children, particularly males, suggesting that a disorder of CT synthesis plays a role in the etiology of STC. Further research is required to ascertain the nature of any relationship and how this knowledge may aid our understanding and treatment of STC.

Childhood behaviour as related to subsequent drinking offences and violent offending: a prospective study of 11- to 14-year-old youths into their fourth decade.

Childhood hyperactivity has previously been found to be closely connected to subsequent alcohol problems and violent offending among men considered to be without major mental disorders. For others, these associations might be moderated or confounded by other factors, predominantly comorbid conduct disorder. The purpose of the study was to investigate aspects of childhood hyperactive behaviour in relation to alcohol or violent offences in adult life, taking the possible confounders of early criminality and aggressive behaviour into account. Method A total of 192 young male law breakers and 95 non-criminal controls were followed from age 11-14 years into their thirties. Information on aspects of hyperactivity, aggressive behaviour, early criminality and later offences was included in the analyses. The results supported the hypothesis that aspects of childhood hyperactive behaviour were significantly associated with later drinking offences and violent offending. Further analyses revealed attention difficulties to be the component of hyperactivity most contributing to the relationship. When taking possible confounding variables into consideration, attention difficulties were related to subsequent violent offending among boys with early criminality, independently of early aggressive behaviour. Early criminality, attention difficulties and aggressive behaviour, however, often co-occurred in the same individual. Subsequent drinking offences or violent offending appeared seven times more often among individuals with all early behavioural problems as compared with those who had no such problems. Complex antisocial behaviours in adult life commonly represent persistence of complex childhood behavioural difficulties, but among young law breakers there does appear to be a subgroup of boys with a main problem of attention difficulties who go on to violent offending, even in the absence of early manifestation of aggression.

The incidence and investigation of acute scrotal problems in children.

The true incidence of the various causes of acute scrotum in children is unclear; epididymo-orchitis (EO) is thought to be uncommon. Investigation for underlying urological abnormality in children with EO is recommended. To determine the incidence of the various pathologies in boys presenting to the emergency department with an acute scrotal condition and assess the value of further investigation of the urinary tract in a subgroup of boys with EO, a retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of testicular pain was performed. Seventy had torsion of an appendix testis (TAT) and 12 had torsion of the testicle (TT). Ten boys were admitted with 11 episodes of EO; 7 had other pathologies including incarcerated hernia, varicocoele, and idiopathic scrotal oedema. The diagnosis of EO was made at operation in all 11 episodes. Escherichia coli was cultured in 4 patients; none were found to have underlying urinary tract abnormality. TAT was thus commonest causes of the acute scrotum. EO is not rare in infants, the incidence in this study being equal to the of TT. Subsequent urological investigation did not disclose any underlying abnormality. However, based on the current published literature futher investigation is recommended in selected cases.

Recent trends in stature of 14-year-old boys from Wrocław, Poland

The aim of this study was to investigate the educational groupspecific secular trends in stature of 14-year-old boys from Wrocław. The study was based on two cohorts of boys measured in 1987 and 1997. On the basis of mother and father education level divided into three categories, social sub-groups were selected. During the period 1987-97 the mean stature of 14-year-old boys has risen from 163.6 cm in 1987 to 165.6 cm in 1997. Growth trends were positive in all sub-groups selected on the basis of father education. The analysis of secular changes in body height within the separated social sub-groups showed that boys whose fathers had a university education were the tallest and boys whose fathers had basic vocational or elementary school education were the shortest. The greatest increment in body height (2.82 cm) took place in the sub-group of boys whose fathers had secondary school education. In all of the sub-groups selected on the basis of mother education the growth trends were positive. The boys from the sub-group where the mother had secondary school education experienced the largest increment in body height during the period 1987-97.

Linear growth and weight gain in diabetic children--a cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluation.

To examine linear growth and weight gain in diabetic children and to assess the influence of the age at onset of diabetes on growth. A retrospective longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of the growth data of 61 children attending the diabetic clinic for the whole year of 1998 was completed. The children were of average height and weight at onset with mean (SD) Height SDS = -0.095 (0.96) and mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) SDS = 0.58 (1.15). But amongst the subgroups, boys with onset before five years were found to be significantly taller (Height SDS = 0.39 (0.75), P<0.05) and heavier (BMI SDS = 1.28 (1.05), P<0.05). There was no significant change from onset to time at analysis either within individual subgroups or as a whole. Girls showed a gain in mean (SD) BMI SDS from 0.41 (1.14) to 1.03 (1.25), which however did not reach statistical significance (P=0.08). No similar tendency was observed in boys. There was no significant change in Height SDS for the 12 children who reached final height. Longitudinal follow up of growth data agreed with the observations from cross-sectional data. Prepubertal linear growth was not affected even in those children diagnosed early in childhood. The 12 children who reached final height did not show any impairment of growth. Increased growth at onset was observed in the subgroup of boys with onset of diabetes before 5 years. The tendency towards excessive weight gain observed in diabetic girls needs further evaluation.

Traits of Separation Anxiety in Boys with Gender Identity Disorder

To assess the presence of traits of separation anxiety disorder in boys referred clinically for gender identity disorder. One hundred fifteen boys were referred to a specialty clinic for concerns about their gender identity development. They were divided into two subgroups: one group met the complete diagnostic criteria for gender identity disorder; the other group did not meet the complete diagnostic criteria. The mothers of the boys were administered a structured interview schedule pertaining to separation anxiety disorder according to DSM-III criteria. A conservative definition of separation anxiety disorder showed no significant association with gender identity disorder; however, a liberal definition of separation anxiety disorder showed that it occurred significantly more often in the subgroup of boys who met the complete criteria for gender identity disorder than in the subgroup who did not meet the complete criteria (64.4% versus 38.1%, respectively). Boys with gender identity disorder show a high rate of co-occurring traits of separation anxiety. Reasons for this linkage require additional empirical study.

Orderly change in a stable world: the antisocial trait as a chimera.

Children's traits, such as antisocial behavior, are embedded in a matrix that is changing over time. Although the trait score is stable, there are changes in the form of antisocial acts. There can also be subgroups of boys who show systematic increases in mean level of antisocial behavior. Latent growth models were used to demonstrate both changes in form and systematic changes in mean level for a subgroup of boys. The analyses included measures of covariates that were thought necessary to cause these changes. There are also qualitative changes brought about by the presence of the antisocial trait itself (e.g., academic failure, peer rejection, and depressed mood). Factor analyses carried out at three ages showed that, over time, both the changes in form and the addition of new problems are quantifiable and thus represent orderly change.