Respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants and correlation with meteorological factors and air pollutants

BACKGROUND: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most important cause of severe respiratory infections in infants with seasonal epidemics. Environmental factors (temperature, humidity, air pollution) could influence RSV epidemics through their effects on virus activity and diffusion. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on a paediatric population who referred to our Paediatric Emergency Unit in order to analyze the correlation between weekly incidence of RSV positive cases during winter season in Bologna and meteorological factors and air pollutants concentration. RESULTS: We observed a significant correlation between the incidence of RSV infections and the mean minimum temperature registered during the same week and the previous weeks. The weekly number of RSV positive cases was also correlated to the mean PM(10) concentration of the week before. CONCLUSIONS: RSV epidemic trend in Bologna (Italy) is related to the mean minimum temperature, and the mean PM(10) concentration

Does early object exploration support gesture and language development in extremely preterm infants and full-term infants?

Background: An increasing body of research on typically and atypically developing infants has shown that motor skills play an important role in language development. To date, however, the role of specific object exploration skills for early gesture and vocabulary development has not been investigated in extremely low gestational age infants (ELGA, GA < 28 weeks), who are at greater risk for motor and language delays than full-term (FT) infants. Purpose: This longitudinal study examined relations between 6-month active exploratory behaviors and 12- month word comprehension, gestures and vocal production, controlling for cognitive performance and neonatal condition (ELGA vs FT). Methods: Forty infants, 20 ELGA and 20 FT, and their mothers participated in the study. Mother-infant play interaction was video-recorded at 6 and 12 months. Oral and manual object exploration at 6 months and spontaneous gestures and vocal production at 12 months were coded. Word comprehension was evaluated with the Italian version of the MacArthur-Bates CDI parent questionnaire at 12 months. Cognitive performance was examined with the Griffiths Mental Developmental Scales at 6 months and the Bayley-III Scales at 12 months. Results: Regression analyses showed that after accounting for cognitive performance and neonatal condition, oral exploration was related to word comprehension, and manual exploration to gestures and vocal production in the overall sample. Conclusions: Cascading effects of specific object exploration skills on gestures and language comprehension and production in preterm infants and FT infants are discussed. Clinical implications for early assessment of and interventions involving object exploration skills, which may affect language development, are considered for the preterm population

Relationship between preterm birth and circadian typology in adolescence

A possible relationship between preterm birth and circadian typology was investigated in two pilot survey studies involving 13-year-old teen-agers. Two different questionnaires were used: the Junior Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) (administered to 55 preterm and 210 fullterm subjects) and the Junior Composite Scale (CS) (administered to 40 preterm and 318 fullterm subjects). In both surveys, preterm groups presented significantly higher total scores, indicating a higher propensity to morningness. Indeed in the preterm samples no evening types were found. The results are discussed in relation to recent models of circadian regulation of the sleep–wake cycle

Noun and predicate comprehension/production and gestures in extremely preterm children at two years of age: Are they delayed?

Extremely low gestational age (ELGA, GA. &lt;. 28 weeks) preterm children are at high risk for linguistic impairments; however, their lexical comprehension and production as well as lexical categories in their early language acquisition have not been specifically examined via direct tools. Our study examines lexical comprehension and production as well as gestural production in ELGA children by focusing on noun and predicate acquisition. Forty monolingual ELGA children (mean GA of 26.7 weeks) and 40 full-term (FT) children were assessed at two years of corrected chronological age (CCA) using a test of noun and predicate comprehension and production (PiNG) and the Italian MB-CDI. Noun comprehension and production were delayed in ELGA compared with FT children, as documented by the low number of correct responses and the large number of errors, i.e., incorrect responses and no-response items, and by the types of incorrect responses, i.e., fewer semantically related responses, in noun production. Regarding predicate comprehension and production, a higher frequency of no responses was reported by ELGA children and these children also presented a lower frequency of bimodal spoken-gestural responses in predicate production than FT children. A delayed vocabulary size as demonstrated by the MB-CDI, was exhibited by one-fourth of the ELGA children, who were also unable to complete the predicate subtest. These findings highlight that noun comprehension and production are delayed in ELGA children at two years of CCA and are the most important indexes for the direct evaluation of their lexical abilities and delay. The types of incorrect responses and bimodal spoken-gestural responses were proven to be useful indexes for evaluating the noun and predicate level of acquisition and to plan early focused interventions. Learning outcomes: After reading this manuscript, the reader will understand (a) the differences in noun and predicate comprehension and production between ELGA and FT children and the indexes of lexical delays exhibited by ELGA children at 2;0 (CCA); (b) the relevance of evaluating errors (incorrect response and no response), the types of incorrect responses (semantically related and unrelated) and the modality of the responses (unimodal spoken and bimodal spoken-gestural) in noun and predicate production to understand the difficulties experienced by ELGA children in representing and expressing meanings; and (c) the need to plan specific interventions to support spoken and gestural modalities in lexical comprehension and production in ELGA children by focusing on noun and predicate acquisition

Does the native language influence lexical composition in very preterm children at the age of two years? : A cross-linguistic comparison study of Italian and Finnish children

This cross-linguistic study investigated whether the native language has any influence on lexical composition among Italian (N = 125) and Finnish (N = 116) very preterm (born atPeer reviewe

Prematurità: percezione materna dello stress genitoriale e del comportamento socio-affettivo del bambino nei primi anni di vita

Introduzione. La letteratura evidenzia che i bambini nati di età gestazionale estremamente bassa (ELGA &#8804; 28 settimane), presentano maggiori probabilità di incorrere in ritardi evolutivi e disturbi relazionali. Nell’ambito del Progetto Strategico sui rischi associati alla nascita gravemente pretermine, la presente indagine fornisce i dati preliminari inerenti lo stress genitoriale e i vissuti materni rispetto allo sviluppo del proprio bambino. Metodo. Il campione include 19 madri, di cui 8 di nati pretermine ELGA, senza danni motori/neurologici permanenti. A 12 e 18 mesi del bambino (corretti per i nati ELGA) le madri hanno compilato il Parenting Stress Index, inerente il livello di distress percepito rispetto al proprio ruolo genitoriale e alla relazione con il figlio, e le CBCL - Child Behavior Checklist 1/2-5, inerenti la percezione materna del funzionamento comportamentale, affettivo e sociale del bambino. Risultati. L’intero campione mostra punteggi nella norma nei due strumenti. Nei prematuri emerge una percezione materna dell’interazione genitore-bambino più disfunzionale rispetto ai controlli, sia a 12 (p=0,045) che a 18 mesi (p=0,027). Tra i due assessment, le madri dei controlli mostrano un calo nel distress genitoriale, mentre nei prematuri le madri mostrano un aumento a 18 mesi (p=0,048). Nella CBCL/1/2-5, i prematuri ottengono valori minori dei controlli nelle scale Externalizing (p=0,045) e Somatic Complaints (p=0,025). La scala Somatic Complaints della CBCL/1/2-5 mostra correlazioni positive con la percezione materna di: una disfunzionale interazione genitore-bambino, nei controlli (r=0,798; p=0,003); il proprio bambino come difficile, nei prematuri (r=0,570; p=0,042). Conclusioni. Sebbene in un range di normalità, i risultati mostrano come nei nati ELGA vi sia un ritardo nello sviluppo della motivazione a fare da solo e nell’esternalizzazione dei comportamenti di ostinazione e protesta psicosomatica, fisiologici a 18 mesi, come da noi già evidenziato in precedenti lavori. Ciò si accompagna a una percezione materna del nato pretermine come maggiormente problematico

Transient abnormal myelopoiesis in a phenotypically normal newborn with polyclonal trisomy 21

We report a rare case of transient abnormal myelopoiesis (TAM) in a phenotypically normal neonate. The presence of a palpable hepatomegaly prompted in-depth laboratory tests, which revealed the presence of severe hyperleukocytosis, with blast cells present in a peripheral blood smear. Although no signs of Down syndrome were present, we suspected TAM. Further analysis identified a mutation in GATA1 along with the unique finding of two different trisomic cell lines, detected upon karyotyping; one with trisomy 21 only, and one with trisomies 21 and 22, which was present in a subpopulation of peripheral blood cells. These genetic abnormalities disappeared by the age of 6 months. The presence of two different trisomic clones may be an evidence of the polyclonal nature of TAM in this patient. © The Japanese Society of Hematology 2014

Object exploration in extremely preterm infants between 6 and 9 months and relation to cognitive and language development at 24 months

Although early object exploration is considered a key ability for subsequent achievements, very few studies have analyzed its development in extremely low gestational age infants (ELGA- GA <28 weeks), whose early motor skills are delayed. Moreover, no studies have examined its developmental relationship with cognitive and language skills. The present study examined developmental change in Motor Object Exploration (MOE) and different types of MOE (Holding, Oral, Manual and Manual Rhythmic Exploration) in 20 ELGA and 20 full term (FT) infants observed during mother-infant play interaction at 6 and 9 months. It also explored whether specific types of MOE were longitudinally related to 24-month language and cognitive abilities (GMDS-R scores). ELGA infants increased MOE duration from 6 to 9 months, eliminating the initial difference with FT infants. In addition, ELGA infants showed a different pattern of Oral Exploration, that did not increase at 6 months and decrease at 9 months. Oral and Manual Exploration durations at 6 months were longitudinally related to 24-month GMDS-R language and cognitive performance scores respectively. We discuss the relevance of assessing early exploratory abilities in ELGA infants in order to implement customized intervention programs for supporting the development of these skills