The relationship between preschoolers' attachment, social competence, and parenting stress in two types of child care arrangements

Investigates how the type of child care selected by the working mother affects her relationship with her child

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 and Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Retinopathy of Prematurity: Has the Time Come

Treatment of ROP is currently evolving. Novel therapeutic options are emerging that have the potential to complement existing therapies and improve treatment outcomes. However, any new therapeutic options must be thoroughly evaluated before existing (and successful) treatment paradigms can be amended. This is particularly so when switching from locally effective therapies like photablative laser therapy to systemic pharmacologic treatments that may have hitherto unknown widespread side effects. This review compiles the current knowledge of where and when the two most advanced pharmacologic treatment options for ROP, IGF-1 supplementation and anti-VEGF treatment, may have their place in future therapy regimens for ROP. The requirement for clinical studies is emphasized: these are needed to address safety considerations before any of these interventions can achieve the status of standard clinical care in the very vulnerable population of ROP infants

Preterm infant circulating sex steroid levels are not altered by transfusion with adult male plasma: a retrospective multicentre cohort study

Objective To determine if plasma transfusions with male donor plasma to very preterm infants affect circulatory levels of sex steroids. Design and patients Retrospective multicentre cohort study in 19 infants born at gestational age Setting Three neonatal intensive care units in Sweden. Main outcome measures Concentrations of sex steroids and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in donor plasma and infant plasma measured before and after a plasma transfusion and at 6, 12, 24 and 72 hours. Results The concentrations of progesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione were significantly lower in donor plasma than in infant plasma before the transfusion (median (Q1-Q3) 37.0 (37.0-37.0), 1918 (1325-2408) and 424 (303-534) vs 901 (599-1774), 4119 (2801-14 645) and 842 (443-1684) pg/mL), while oestrone and oestradiol were higher in donor plasma (17.4 (10.4-20.1) and 16.0 (11.7-17.2) vs 3.1 (1.1-10.2) and 0.25 (0.25-0.25) pg/mL). Median testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels were 116-fold and 21-fold higher in donor plasma than pre-transfusion levels in female infants, whereas the corresponding difference was not present in male infants. Plasma sex steroid levels were unchanged after completed transfusion compared with pre-transfusion levels, irrespective of the gender of the receiving infant. The SHBG concentration was significantly higher in donor than in recipient plasma (22.8 (17.1-33.5) vs 10.2 (9.1-12.3) nmol/L) before transfusion but did not change in the infants after the transfusion. Conclusions A single transfusion of adult male plasma to preterm infants had no impact on circulating sex steroid levels.</p

Genetic Predisposition for Type 2 Diabetes, but Not for Overweight/Obesity, Is Associated with a Restricted Adipogenesis

BACKGROUND: Development of Type 2 diabetes, like obesity, is promoted by a genetic predisposition. Although several genetic variants have been identified they only account for a small proportion of risk. We have asked if genetic risk is associated with abnormalities in storing excess lipids in the abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We recruited 164 lean and 500 overweight/obese individuals with or without a genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes or obesity. Adipose cell size was measured in biopsies from the abdominal adipose tissue as well as insulin sensitivity (HOMA index), HDL-cholesterol and Apo AI and Apo B. 166 additional non-obese individuals with a genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes underwent a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp to measure insulin sensitivity. Genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes, but not for overweight/obesity, was associated with inappropriate expansion of the adipose cells, reduced insulin sensitivity and a more proatherogenic lipid profile in non-obese individuals. However, obesity per se induced a similar expansion of adipose cells and dysmetabolic state irrespective of genetic predisposition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes, but not obesity, is associated with an impaired ability to recruit new adipose cells to store excess lipids in the subcutaneous adipose tissue, thereby promoting ectopic lipid deposition. This becomes particularly evident in non-obese individuals since obesity per se promotes a dysmetabolic state irrespective of genetic predisposition. These results identify a novel susceptibility factor making individuals with a genetic predisposition for Type 2 diabetes particularly sensitive to the environment and caloric excess

The acceptability and feasibility of using the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) to inform practice in care homes

Background: The Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT) measures social care related quality of life (SCRQoL) and can be used to measure outcomes and demonstrate impact across different social care settings. This exploratory study built on previous work by collecting new inter-rater reliability data on the mixed-methods version of the toolkit and exploring how it might be used to inform practice in four case study homes. Method: We worked with two care home providers to agree an in-depth study collecting SCRQoL data in four case-study homes. Data was collected about residents’ age, ethnicity, cognitive impairment, ability to perform activities of daily living and SCRQoL in the four homes. Feedback sessions with staff and managers were held in the homes two weeks after baseline and follow-up data collected three months later. Interviews with managers explored their views of the feedback and recorded any changes that had been made because of it. Results: Participant recruitment was challenging, despite working in partnership with the homes. Resident response rates ranged from 23 to 54 % with 58 residents from four care homes taking part in the research. 53 % lacked capacity to consent. Inter-rater reliability for the ASCOT ratings of SCRQoL were good at time one (IRR = 0.72) and excellent at time two (IRR = 0.76). During the study, residents’ ability to perform activities of daily living declined significantly (z = -2.67, p < .01), as did their expected needs in the absence of services (z = -2.41, p < .05). Despite these rapid declines in functionings, residents’ current SCRQoL declined slightly but not significantly (Z = -1.49, p = .14). Staff responded positively to the feedback given and managers reported implementing changes in practice because of it. Conclusion: This exploratory study faced many challenges in the recruitment of residents, many of whom were cognitively impaired. Nevertheless, without a mixed-methods approach many of the residents living in the care homes would have been excluded from the research altogether or had their views represented only by a representative or proxy. The value of the mixed-methods toolkit and its potential for use by providers is discussed

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Current update on retinopathy of prematurity: screening and treatment

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Despite current treatments, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) remains a major cause of blindness in premature infants and the incidence is increasing with increased survival of infants born at very early gestational ages. This review summarizes the recent literature on ROP with a special focus on recent advances in treatment options as well as newly developed methods for disease screening. RECENT FINDINGS: Genetic studies find a genetic predisposition to ROP-linking genes in the Wnt pathway with development of severe ROP. With regard to diagnosis, a new screening method has been developed that allows prediction of ROP risk based on postnatal body weight gain alone. Formerly weight gain postnatally in combination with insulin-like growth factor levels was found to predict treatable ROP. New treatment options for severe cases of ROP have been proposed targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Whether anti-VEGF treatment is well tolerated in preterm infants, however, has to be further evaluated in controlled clinical trials. Finally, new reports from the early treatment ROP group suggest that early laser treatment for type 1 but not type 2 high-risk prethreshold ROP improves visual acuity outcomes at 6 years of age. SUMMARY: With the increasing survival of premature infants and increased incidence of ROP, it is important to screen for ROP risk and treat at-risk patients in a timely manner to preserve their visual function and reduce complications

Fetal haemoglobin and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in neonates : An observational study

Objective: Early decrease in fetal haemoglobin (HbF) is an indicator of loss of endogenous blood components that might have predictive value for development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The link between HbF and BPD has not been evaluated. Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting: Tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit, referral centre for Southern Sweden. Patients: 452 very preterm infants (<30 gestational weeks) born 2009-2015. Interventions: Regular clinical practice. Main outcome measures: Mean HbF, haemoglobin (Hb) and partial oxygen pressure (PaO2) levels calculated from 11 861 arterial blood gas analyses postnatal week 1. Relationship between HbF (%) and BPD (requirement of supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age) and the modifying influence of PaO2 (kPa) and total Hb (g/L) was evaluated. Results: The mean gestational age (GA) at birth was 26.4 weeks, and 213 (56%) infants developed BPD. A 10% increase in HbF was associated with a decreased prevalence of BPD, OR 0.64 (95% CI 0.49 to 0.83; p<0.001). This association remained when adjusting for mean PaO2 and Hb. Infants with an HbF in the lowest quartile had an OR of 27.1 (95% CI 11.6 to 63.4; p<0.001) for development of BPD as compared with those in the highest quartile. The area under the curve for HbF levels and development of BPD in the full statistical model was 0.871. Conclusions: Early rapid postnatal decline in HbF levels was associated with development of BPD in very preterm infants. The association between HbF and BPD was not mediated by increased oxygen exposure. The potential benefit of minimising loss of endogenous blood components on BPD outcome will be investigated in a multicentre randomised trial

Natural History of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Infants Born Before 27 Weeks' Gestation in Sweden

Objective: To investigate the natural history of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in 506 extremely preterm infants born before 27 weeks' gestation in Sweden during a 3-year period. Methods:A national population-based study was performed in Sweden from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2007. According to the study protocol, initial eye examinations were to be performed at postnatal week 5, and examinations were repeated until the retina was completely vascularized or until criteria for treatment were met. The examinations were to be performed weekly, enabling study of the course and severity of ROP. In infants without ROP or with mild ROP without progression during the latest examinations, further examinations were performed weekly or every other week from postmenstrual age 35 weeks. Results: During the study, 368 infants (72.7%) developed ROP. Postmenstrual age at onset of ROP was significantly related to severity of ROP, even when controlling for gestational age (ie, the earlier the onset of ROP, the higher the risk of developing severe ROP). Site of onset of ROP was significantly related to gestational age at birth. The risk of nasal onset was almost doubled for every week of decrease in gestational age at birth. Nasal onset was associated with severe ROP, even after adjusting for gestational age at birth. Conclusion: This population-based study confirms results of the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity study and shows new correlations regarding time and site of onset of ROP, both of which are associated with disease severity