Neurobehavioral consequences of chronic intrauterine opioid exposure in infants and preschool children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

<b>Background</b><p></p> It is assumed within the accumulated literature that children born of pregnant opioid dependent mothers have impaired neurobehavioral function as a consequence of chronic intrauterine opioid use.<p></p> <b>Methods</b><p></p> Quantitative and systematic review of the literature on the consequences of chronic maternal opioid use during pregnancy on neurobehavioral function of children was conducted using the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched Cinahl, EMBASE, PsychINFO and MEDLINE between the periods of January 1995 to January 2012.<p></p> <b>Results</b><p></p> There were only 5 studies out of the 200 identified that quantitatively reported on neurobehavioral function of children after maternal opioid use during pregnancy. All 5 were case control studies with the number of exposed subjects within the studies ranging from 33–143 and 45–85 for the controls. This meta-analysis showed no significant impairments, at a non-conservative significance level of p < 0.05, for cognitive, psychomotor or observed behavioural outcomes for chronic intra-uterine exposed infants and pre-school children compared to non-exposed infants and children. However, all domains suggested a trend to poor outcomes in infants/children of opioid using mothers. The magnitude of all possible effects was small according to Cohen’s benchmark criteria.<p></p> <b>Conclusions</b><p></p> Chronic intra-uterine opioid exposed infants and pre-school children experienced no significant impairment in neurobehavioral outcomes when compared to non-exposed peers, although in all domains there was a trend to poorer outcomes. The findings of this review are limited by the small number of studies analysed, the heterogenous populations and small numbers within the individual studies. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if any neuropsychological impairments appear after the age of 5 years and to help investigate further the role of environmental risk factors on the effect of ‘core’ phenotypes

Rare copy number variation in cerebral palsy

As per publisher: published online 22 May 2013Recent studies have established the role of rare copy number variants (CNVs) in several neurological disorders but the contribution of rare CNVs to cerebral palsy (CP) is not known. Fifty Caucasian families having children with CP were studied using two microarray designs. Potentially pathogenic, rare (<1% population frequency) CNVs were identified, and their frequency determined, by comparing the CNVs found in cases with 8329 adult controls with no known neurological disorders. Ten of the 50 cases (20%) had rare CNVs of potential relevance to CP; there were a total of 14 CNVs, which were observed in <0.1% (<8/8329) of the control population. Eight inherited from an unaffected mother: a 751-kb deletion including FSCB, a 1.5-Mb duplication of 7q21.13, a 534-kb duplication of 15q11.2, a 446-kb duplication including CTNND2, a 219-kb duplication including MCPH1, a 169-kb duplication of 22q13.33, a 64-kb duplication of MC2R, and a 135-bp exonic deletion of SLC06A1. Three inherited from an unaffected father: a 386-kb deletion of 12p12.2-p12.1, a 234-kb duplication of 10q26.13, and a 4-kb exonic deletion of COPS3. The inheritance was unknown for three CNVs: a 157-bp exonic deletion of ACOX1, a 693-kb duplication of 17q25.3, and a 265-kb duplication of DAAM1. This is the first systematic study of CNVs in CP, and although it did not identify de novo mutations, has shown inherited, rare CNVs involving potentially pathogenic genes and pathways requiring further investigation.Gai McMichael, Santhosh Girirajan, Andres Moreno-De-Luca, Jozef Gecz, Chloe Shard, Lam Son Nguyen, Jillian Nicholl, Catherine Gibson, Eric Haan, Evan Eichler, Christa Lese Martin and Alastair MacLenna

Phyto-oestrogens and breast cancer chemoprevention

Phytoestrogens are polyphenol compounds of plant origin that exhibit a structural similarity to the mammalian steroid hormone 17β-oestradiol. In Asian nations the staple consumption of phyto-oestrogen-rich foodstuffs correlates with a reduced incidence of breast cancer. Human dietary intervention trials have noted a direct relationship between phyto-oestrogen ingestion and a favourable hormonal profile associated with decreased breast cancer risk. However, these studies failed to ascertain the precise effect of dietary phyto-oestrogens on the proliferation of mammary tissue. Epidemiological and rodent studies crucially suggest that breast cancer chemoprevention by dietary phyto-oestrogen compounds is dependent on ingestion before puberty, when the mammary gland is relatively immature. Phyto-oestrogen supplements are commercially marketed for use by postmenopausal women as natural and safe alternatives to hormone replacement therapy. Of current concern is the effect of phyto-oestrogen compounds on the growth of pre-existing breast tumours. Data are contradictory, with cell culture studies reporting both the oestrogenic stimulation of oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cell lines and the antagonism of tamoxifen activity at physiological phyto-oestrogen concentrations. Conversely, phyto-oestrogen ingestion by rodents is associated with the development of less aggressive breast tumours with reduced metastatic potential. Despite the present ambiguity, current data do suggest a potential benefit from use of phyto-oestrogens in breast cancer chemoprevention and therapy. These aspects are discussed

Avaliação das medidas de oximetria de pulso em indivíduos sadios com esmalte de unha Evaluación de las medidas de oximetría de pulso en individuos sanos con esmalte de uña Evaluation of pulse oximetry measurements in healthy subjects with nail polish

OBJETIVO: Avaliar as alterações nas medidas da oximetria de pulso em indivíduos sadios com esmaltes de unha. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com 80 voluntárias sadias. As cores de esmalte utilizadas para avaliar a saturação periférica de oxigênio (SpO2) foram: café com leite, café, chocolate, vermelho e ameixa. Estas cores foram distribuídas entre as unhas dos dedos da mão esquerda. Os dedos da mão direita foram os controles. RESULTADOS: As cores vermelha (p=0,047) e café (p=0,024) mostraram valores menores na SpO2 quando comparados ao controle. As outras cores não alteraram a medida da SpO2. CONCLUSÃO: As cores vermelha e café causaram redução na medida da SpO2, porém a relevância clínica deste achado é questionável, pois os valores estavam dentro do intervalo de normalidade.<br>OBJETIVO: Evaluar las alteraciones en las medidas de la oximetría de pulso en individuos sanos con esmalte de uña. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal realizado con 80 voluntarias sanas. Los colores de esmalte utilizados para evaluar la saturación periférica de oxígeno (SpO2) fueron: café con leche, café, chocolate, rojo y ciruela. Estos colores fueron distribuidos entre las uñas de los dedos de la mano izquierda. Los dedos de la mano derecha fueron los controles. RESULTADOS: Los colores rojo (p=0,047) y café (p=0,024) mostraron valores menores en la SpO2 cuando fueron comparados al control. Los otros colores no alteraron la medida del SpO2. CONCLUSIÓN: Los colores rojo y café causaron reducción en la medida del SpO2, sin embargo la relevancia clínica de este hallazgo es cuestionable, pues los valores estaban dentro del intervalo de normalidad.<br>OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in measurements of pulse oximetry in healthy individuals with nail polish. METHODS: Cross sectional study with 80 healthy volunteers. The colors of enamel used to assess oxygen saturation (SpO2) were: coffee with milk, coffee, chocolate, red and plum. These colors were distributed among the finger nails of his left hand. The fingers of the right hand were the controls. RESULTS: The colors red (p = 0.047) and coffee (p = 0.024) showed lower values in SpO2 in comparison to the control. The other colors did not change the measurement of SpO2. CONCLUSION: The colors red and coffee caused reduction in the measurement of SpO2, but the clinical relevance of this finding is questionable, because the values were within the normal range