From early relationships to preacademic knowledge : a socio-cognitive developmental cascade to school readiness

This study aimed to test a four-wave sequential mediation model linking mother–child attachment to children’s school readiness through child executive functioning (EF) and prosociality in toddlerhood and the preschool years. Mother–child attachment security was assessed when children (N = 255) were aged 15 months and 2 years, child EF at age 2, prosocial behavior at age 4, and finally cognitive school readiness in kindergarten (age 6). The results revealed three indirect pathways linking attachment to school readiness: one through EF only, one through prosocial behavior only, and a last pathway involving both EF and prosocial behavior serially. These findings suggest that secure attachment may equip children with both cognitive and social skills that are instrumental to their preparedness for school

A secure base from which to regulate: Attachment security in toddlerhood as a predictor of executive functioning at school entry

In light of emerging evidence suggesting that the affective quality of parent-child relationships may relate to individual differences in young children's executive functioning (EF) skills, the aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between attachment security in toddlerhood and children's EF skills in kindergarten. Mother-child dyads (N = 105) participated in 2 toddlerhood visits in their homes, when children were 15 months and 2 years of age. Mother-child attachment security was assessed with the Attachment Q-Sort during both these visits. When children were in kindergarten (ages 5-6), they were administered a battery of EF tasks, and their teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess children's EF problems. The results indicated that kindergarteners who were more securely attached to their mothers in toddlerhood showed better performance on all EF tasks, and were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school situations. These results held above family socioeconomic status (SES) and child age, sex, and general cognitive functioning. The fact that early attachment security uniquely predicted both teacher reports and children's objective EF task performance suggests that parent-child attachment may be a promising factor to consider in the continuing search for the social antecedents of young children's EF

Mother–infant interaction and child brain morphology : a multidimensional approach to maternal sensitivity

Emerging research suggests that normative variation in parenting quality relates to children's brain development. However, although the young brain is presumed to be especially sensitive to environmental influence, to our knowledge only two studies have examined parenting quality with infants as it relates to indicators of brain development, and both were cross‐sectional. This longitudinal study investigated whether different components of maternal sensitivity in infancy predicted the volume of two brain structures presumed to be particularly sensitive to early experience, namely the amygdala and the hippocampus. Three dimensions of sensitivity (Cooperation/Attunement, Positivity, Accessibility/Availability) were observed in 33 mother–infant dyads at 1 year of age and children underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging at age 10. Higher maternal Accessibility/Availability during mother–infant interactions was found to be predictive of smaller right amygdala volume, while greater maternal positivity was predictive of smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes. These longitudinal findings extend those of previous cross‐sectional studies and suggest that a multidimensional approach to maternal behavior could be a fruitful way to further advance research in this area, given that different facets of parenting might be differentially predictive of distinct aspects of neurodevelopment

Redução de fatores de risco em jovens suicidas através de oportunidades de estabelecimento de laços sociais em serviços comunitários

Aim: This study examined the trajectory (life course) of youths, referred to community services following their suicidal behavior, in order to measure the extent to which these young people have taken this opportunity to modify connectedness with family, school, and workplace, and to change high-risk factors related to suicidal behaviors (mental health problems, delinquency, drug consumption). Method: Fifteen youths (aged 16-19), who made one or more suicide attempts or had serious ideation in the previous 24 to 48 months, were referred to community services (Vallée-Jeunesse). They were interviewed using an intensive personal interview measures (Trajectory Instrument Measure, TIM) in order to document significant life events and adversities that occured during different periods of their life.In addition, we administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I and Axis-II disorders (SCID-I and SCID-II) to identify past and current psychopathologies. Results: Several important changes took place following their entry into the community services: a reduction in delinquency and substance abuse/dependence, and positive changes in occupational status and suicidal behaviors (ideation and suicide attempt). Conclusion: Our findings can inform policies and strategies that support the prevention of suicidal behavior among young adults. Community services providers can play a role in the prevention of suicidal behaviors for the most vulnerable youths. These types of services could complement traditional suicide prevention strategies, which are mostly mental-health based.Objetivo: Este estudo analisou a trajetória (curso de vida) de jovens encaminhados para serviços comunitários após comportamento suicida, a fim de verificar em que medida aproveitaram essa oportunidade para modificar a ligação à família, escola e local de trabalho, e mudar fatores de alto risco relacionados com comportamentos suicidas (problemas de saúde mental, delinquência, consumo de drogas). Método: Quinze jovens (16-19 anos) que fizeram uma ou mais tentativas de suicídio ou manifestaram ideação suicida nos últimos 24 a 48 meses foram referenciados para serviços comunitários (Vallée-Jeunesse). Estes foram entrevistados através de entrevistas pessoais intensivas (Trajectory Instrument Measure, TIM), a fim de registar eventos significativos e adversidades que ocorreram durante diferentes períodos de sua vida. Adicionalmente, foi utilizada a Entrevista Clínica Estruturada para perturbações do Eixo-I e Eixo-II do DSM-IV (SCID-I e SCID-II) para identificar psicopatologias passadas e atuais. Resultados: Várias mudanças importantes ocorreram após a sua entrada nos serviços comunitários: uma redução na delinquência e abuso/dependência de substâncias, e mudanças positivas na situação ocupacional e comportamentos suicidas (ideação e tentativa de suicídio). Conclusão: Os resultados podem fundamentar políticas e estratégias que apoiem a prevenção do comportamento suicida em jovens adultos. Os prestadores de serviços comunitários podem desempenhar um papel na prevenção de comportamentos suicidas para os jovens mais vulneráveis. Esses tipos de serviços poderão complementar estratégias tradicionais de prevenção do suicídio, que são principalmente baseadas em abordagens da saúde mental

Kids' Outcomes And Long-term Abilities (KOALA): protocol for a prospective, longitudinal cohort study of mild traumatic brain injury in children 6 months to 6 years of age

Introduction: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is highly prevalent, especially in children under 6 years. However, little research focuses on the consequences of mTBI early in development. The objective of the Kids' Outcomes And Long-term Abilities (KOALA) study is to document the impact of early mTBI on children's motor, cognitive, social and behavioural functioning, as well as on quality of life, stress, sleep and brain integrity. Methods and analyses KOALA is a prospective, multicentre, longitudinal cohort study of children aged 6 months to 6 years at the time of injury/recruitment. Children who sustain mTBI (n=150) or an orthopaedic injury (n=75) will be recruited from three paediatric emergency departments (PEDs), and compared with typically developing children (community controls, n=75). A comprehensive battery of prognostic and outcome measures will be collected in the PED, at 10 days, 1, 3 and 12 months postinjury. Biological measures, including measures of brain structure and function (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI), stress (hair cortisol), sleep (actigraphy) and genetics (saliva), will complement direct testing of function using developmental and neuropsychological measures and parent questionnaires. Group comparisons and predictive models will test the a priori hypotheses that, compared with children from the community or with orthopaedic injuries, children with mTBI will (1) display more postconcussive symptoms and exhibit poorer motor, cognitive, social and behavioural functioning;(2) show evidence of altered brain structure and function, poorer sleep and higher levels of stress hormones. A combination of child, injury, socioenvironmental and psychobiological factors are expected to predict behaviour and quality of life at 1, 3 and 12 months postinjury. Ethics and dissemination The KOALA study is approved by the Sainte-Justine University Hospital, McGill University Health Centre and University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Boards. Parents of participants will provide written consent. Dissemination will occur through peer-reviewed journals and an integrated knowledge translation plan

Barriers to breast cancer screening among diverse cultural groups in Melbourne, Australia

This study explored the association between health literacy, barriers to breast cancer screening, and breast screening participation for women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. English-, Arabic- and Italian-speaking women (n = 317) between the ages of 50 to 74 in North West Melbourne, Australia were recruited to complete a survey exploring health literacy, barriers to breast cancer screening, and self-reported screening participation. A total of 219 women (69%) reported having a breast screen within the past two years. Results revealed that health literacy was not associated with screening participation. Instead, emotional barriers were a significant factor in the self-reported uptake of screening. Three health literacy domains were related to lower emotional breast screening barriers, feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers, social support for health and understanding health information well enough to know what to do. Compared with English- and Italian-speaking women, Arabic-speaking women reported more emotional barriers to screening and greater challenges in understanding health information well enough to know what to do. Interventions that can improve breast screening participation rates should aim to reduce emotional barriers to breast screening, particularly for Arabic-speaking women

Long-term changes in social adaptive abilities following early mild traumatic brain injury

International audienceIntroduction: Social problems may be among the most debilitating consequences of TBI (Yeates et al., 2007). We previously reported that early mild TBI (mTBI, sustained before the age of 6 years) disrupts the expected developmental progression of children's social adaptive abilities over 18 months post-injury (Dégeilh et al., 2018), suggesting that young children may experience a slowing in the acquisition of social adaptive abilities compared to their typically developing peers. The present study aimed to explore whether this slowing in the acquisition of social adaptive abilities persists in the longterm. Method: Parents of 81 children with mTBI (38 girls) and 60 with orthopedic injuries (OI; 34 girls) sustained between 1.5 and 5 years completed the social skills sub-scale of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scale-II at baseline (retrospective assessment of preinjury functioning) and at 6, 18, 30, and 60 months post-injury. Growth curve analysis (Mirman, 2014) was performed to explore group effects on the time course of social adaptive abilities captured with a third-order (cubic) natural polynomial. Results: There was no effect of group at pre-injury (estimates: OI=100.9, mTBI=101.4; p=.83), but there was a marginal or significant effect of group on all time terms (Estimates-OI: time=0.08, time 2 =-0.03, time 3 =0.003; Estimates-mTBI: time=-0.03 [p=.058], time 2 =0.01 [p=.048], time 3 =-0.0002 [p=.048]). For OI, social adaptive abilities increased by 0.40 point per month from 0 to 18 months post-injury and then progressively decreased by-0.08 point per month until 60 months post-injury. For mTBI, social adaptive abilities remained at the pre-injury level for the first 6 months, then slowly increased by 0.15 point per month until 30 months post-injury, and finally decreased by-0.14 point per month until 60 months post-injury. Conclusions: These findings suggest that early mTBI may disrupt the expected developmental progression of children's social adaptive behavior. The developmental profile of social abilities in children with mTBI appears to follow the same overall pattern as other children of the same age, but with a delayed onset after a 6-month period of stagnation and a slower improvement rate

Un cas de papillomatose respiratoire récurrente

Résumé Objectifs : Décrire un cas clinique de papillomatose respiratoire récurrente et discuter des modalités thérapeutiques adjuvantes à la chirurgie ayant été étudiées dans cette indication. Résumé du cas : Le cas présenté est celui d’un jeune homme ayant reçu un diagnostic de papillomatose respiratoire récurrente à l’âge de 7 ans. Malgré l’utilisation d’interféron-alpha, une progression ayant affecté le parenchyme pulmonaire a été notée à l’âge de 24 ans. Une réponse partielle a ensuite été objectivée avec l’utilisation de cidofovir intraveineux et en nébulisation. Plusieurs complications associées à la maladie et aux différents traitements sont survenues. Discussion : La papillomatose respiratoire récurrente est une infection chronique causée par le virus du papillome humain et caractérisée par l’apparition d’excroissances sur les voies respiratoires. Les lésions disséminées ou à évolution rapide font l’objet de différents traitements en combinaison avec la chirurgie. Le cidofovir est l’agent le plus utilisé, malgré des données contradictoires quant à son efficacité. L’interféron-alpha est progressivement délaissé à cause de son profil d’innocuité désavantageux. Le célécoxib, l’indole-3-carbinol, l’acyclovir, le ribavirin, les rétinoïdes et les anti-acides ont été employés dans de petites séries de cas. La prévention du virus du papillome humain par la vaccination représente une avenue thérapeutique intéressante pour le futur. Conclusion : Les études s’étant penchées sur l’efficacité des différents traitements adjuvants de la papillomatose respiratoire récurrente se limitent pour la plupart à des rapports ou à des séries de cas. Le cidofovir demeure l’option thérapeutique la plus citée. Abstract Objective: To describe a clinical case of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and to discuss the adjuvant treatment strategies that have been studied for this indication. Case summary: The case presented is that of a young man with a diagnosis of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis at the age of 7 years. Despite the use of interferon-alpha, progression was observed when the pulmonary parenchyma was affected at the age of 24 years. A partial response was then observed after using intravenous and nebulized cidofovir. Many complications related to the disease and to the different treatments were observed. Discussion: Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is a chronic infection characterized by the growth of tumors in the respiratory tract caused by the human papilloma virus. Disseminated or rapidly evolving lesions can be treated in various ways in combination with surgery. Cidofovir is most often used, despite contradicting data with regard to its efficacy. Due to the many side effects of interferon-alpha, it is progressively less used. Celecoxib, indole-3-carbinol, acyclovir, ribavirin, retinoids and antacids have been used in some case-series. In the future, vaccination against human papilloma virus represents an interesting therapeutic option. Conclusion: Studies regarding the efficacy of various adjuvant treatments are limited mostly to case reports or case series. Cidofovir remains the most frequently cited therapeutic option. Key words: Cidofovir, human papilloma virus, interferon-alpha, papilloma, recurrent respiratory papillomatosi

Long-term changes in social adaptive abilities following early mild traumatic brain injury

International audienceIntroduction: Social problems may be among the most debilitating consequences of TBI (Yeates et al., 2007). We previously reported that early mild TBI (mTBI, sustained before the age of 6 years) disrupts the expected developmental progression of children's social adaptive abilities over 18 months post-injury (Dégeilh et al., 2018), suggesting that young children may experience a slowing in the acquisition of social adaptive abilities compared to their typically developing peers. The present study aimed to explore whether this slowing in the acquisition of social adaptive abilities persists in the longterm. Method: Parents of 81 children with mTBI (38 girls) and 60 with orthopedic injuries (OI; 34 girls) sustained between 1.5 and 5 years completed the social skills sub-scale of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scale-II at baseline (retrospective assessment of preinjury functioning) and at 6, 18, 30, and 60 months post-injury. Growth curve analysis (Mirman, 2014) was performed to explore group effects on the time course of social adaptive abilities captured with a third-order (cubic) natural polynomial. Results: There was no effect of group at pre-injury (estimates: OI=100.9, mTBI=101.4; p=.83), but there was a marginal or significant effect of group on all time terms (Estimates-OI: time=0.08, time 2 =-0.03, time 3 =0.003; Estimates-mTBI: time=-0.03 [p=.058], time 2 =0.01 [p=.048], time 3 =-0.0002 [p=.048]). For OI, social adaptive abilities increased by 0.40 point per month from 0 to 18 months post-injury and then progressively decreased by-0.08 point per month until 60 months post-injury. For mTBI, social adaptive abilities remained at the pre-injury level for the first 6 months, then slowly increased by 0.15 point per month until 30 months post-injury, and finally decreased by-0.14 point per month until 60 months post-injury. Conclusions: These findings suggest that early mTBI may disrupt the expected developmental progression of children's social adaptive behavior. The developmental profile of social abilities in children with mTBI appears to follow the same overall pattern as other children of the same age, but with a delayed onset after a 6-month period of stagnation and a slower improvement rate

Long-term changes in social adaptive abilities following early mild traumatic brain injury

Introduction: Social problems may be among the most debilitating consequences of TBI (Yeates et al., 2007). We previously reported that early mild TBI (mTBI, sustained before the age of 6 years) disrupts the expected developmental progression of children's social adaptive abilities over 18 months post-injury (Dégeilh et al., 2018), suggesting that young children may experience a slowing in the acquisition of social adaptive abilities compared to their typically developing peers. The present study aimed to explore whether this slowing in the acquisition of social adaptive abilities persists in the longterm. Method: Parents of 81 children with mTBI (38 girls) and 60 with orthopedic injuries (OI; 34 girls) sustained between 1.5 and 5 years completed the social skills sub-scale of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scale-II at baseline (retrospective assessment of preinjury functioning) and at 6, 18, 30, and 60 months post-injury. Growth curve analysis (Mirman, 2014) was performed to explore group effects on the time course of social adaptive abilities captured with a third-order (cubic) natural polynomial. Results: There was no effect of group at pre-injury (estimates: OI=100.9, mTBI=101.4; p=.83), but there was a marginal or significant effect of group on all time terms (Estimates-OI: time=0.08, time 2 =-0.03, time 3 =0.003; Estimates-mTBI: time=-0.03 [p=.058], time 2 =0.01 [p=.048], time 3 =-0.0002 [p=.048]). For OI, social adaptive abilities increased by 0.40 point per month from 0 to 18 months post-injury and then progressively decreased by-0.08 point per month until 60 months post-injury. For mTBI, social adaptive abilities remained at the pre-injury level for the first 6 months, then slowly increased by 0.15 point per month until 30 months post-injury, and finally decreased by-0.14 point per month until 60 months post-injury. Conclusions: These findings suggest that early mTBI may disrupt the expected developmental progression of children's social adaptive behavior. The developmental profile of social abilities in children with mTBI appears to follow the same overall pattern as other children of the same age, but with a delayed onset after a 6-month period of stagnation and a slower improvement rate