Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect by Salaried Primary Care Dentists

Mandatory reporting of child protection concerns was introduced in Ireland in December 2017 for certain professionals and individuals including all dentists. Previous to this date, Irish dentists only had an ethical obligation to report. International literature indicates that dentists see themselves as having a role in child protection. However, there appears to be a significant gap between those dentists who suspect child abuse and neglect (CAN) in a given case, and those who refer the case to the relevant authorities. The aim of this study was to investigate, prior to the introduction of mandatory reporting in the Republic of Ireland, the reporting of CAN by salaried primary care dentists and to identify any barriers to reporting. Two cross-sectional surveys using web-based anonymous questionnaires were sent to all Salaried Primary Care Dental Managers (N=17) and Senior and General Dentists (N=239) in Ireland in March 2017. 64.7% (n=11) of Managers and 28% (n=67) of dentists returned questionnaires. It was found that although, 30.8% of dentists had suspected at least one case of possible CAN over the previous 12 months, only 8.1% of the HSE dentists had formally reported at least one case of concern over the same period. There were clear barriers identified to the reporting of concerns. These barriers need to be addressed if Irish dentists are to meet their legal obligations of mandatory reporting of CAN

Effects of maternal depression on fetal health

Case Description Patient is a 27 years old pregnant (18 weeks) female with a past medical history of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and military sexual trauma admitted for suicidal ideation with intent and plan. During admission, the patient refused all antidepressants after emesis on sertraline and prenatal vitamins. Patient was discharged after clinical stabilization and scheduled for follow-up outpatient. Conclusions Depression during pregnancy can have numerous adverse effects on mother as well as fetal and child development and thus treatment is of the utmost importance. Depression leads to alterations in the serotonin system and the HPA axis, as well as causes epigenetic changes to the infant glucocorticoid receptor gene. Changes in these pathways are most apparent during the second trimester and have downstream consequences leading to altered fetal heart rate variability, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Maternal depression can also lead to altered cortisol reactivity, and delayed motor and cognitive development in childhood. Furthermore, prevalence of depression varies throughout the pregnancy with depression more prevalent in the second and third trimesters. Clinical Significance Pregnant women are less likely to receive any mental health treatment for depression than their non-pregnant counterparts; 49% and 57% respectively, and screening for depression focuses on postpartum screening with few guidelines to screening during pregnancy. Due to the adverse effects on the fetus, maternal surveillance and treatment of depression during pregnancy is essential

Prevalence of overweight and obesity on the island of Ireland: results from the North South Survey of Children's Height, Weight and Body Mass Index, 2002

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Childhood obesity is emerging as a major public health problem in developed and developing countries worldwide. The aim of this survey was to establish baseline data on the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The heights and weights of 19,617 school-going children and adolescents aged between 4 and 16 years in NI and RoI were measured using standardised and calibrated scales and measures. The participants were a representative cross-sectional sample of children randomly selected on the basis of age, gender and geographical location of the school attended. Overweight and obesity were classified according to standard IOTF criteria.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Males were taller than females, children in RoI were taller than those in NI and the more affluent were taller than the less well off. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among females than males in both jurisdictions. Overall, almost one in four boys (23% RoI and NI) and over one in four girls (28% RoI, 25% NI) were either overweight or obese. In RoI, the highest prevalence of overweight was among 13 year old girls (32%) and obesity among 7 year old girls (11%). In NI the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were found among 11 and 8 year old girls respectively (33% and 13%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These figures confirm the emergence of the obesity epidemic among children in Ireland, a wealthy country with the European Union. The results serve to underpin the urgency of implementing broad intersectoral measures to reduce calorie intake and increase levels of physical activity, particularly among children.</p

Genomic Relationships, Novel Loci, and Pleiotropic Mechanisms across Eight Psychiatric Disorders

Genetic influences on psychiatric disorders transcend diagnostic boundaries, suggesting substantial pleiotropy of contributing loci. However, the nature and mechanisms of these pleiotropic effects remain unclear. We performed analyses of 232,964 cases and 494,162 controls from genome-wide studies of anorexia nervosa, attention-deficit/hyper-activity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome. Genetic correlation analyses revealed a meaningful structure within the eight disorders, identifying three groups of inter-related disorders. Meta-analysis across these eight disorders detected 109 loci associated with at least two psychiatric disorders, including 23 loci with pleiotropic effects on four or more disorders and 11 loci with antagonistic effects on multiple disorders. The pleiotropic loci are located within genes that show heightened expression in the brain throughout the lifespan, beginning prenatally in the second trimester, and play prominent roles in neurodevelopmental processes. These findings have important implications for psychiatric nosology, drug development, and risk prediction.Peer reviewe

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Emergent Intervention of a Non-Communicating Rudimentary Uterine Horn Pregnancy

Background: Non-communicating rudimentary uterine horns (NRCH) arise from Mullerian duct malformations during embryonic development. Pregnancies of the rudimentary horn account for 0.0013% to 0.00067% of all pregnancies. Such pregnancies are non-viable and pose major risks to the mother. Without early detection and management, maternal mortality rates can be as high as 88% due to rupture. Case Description: A 22-year-old G1P0 female at 7 weeks gestation presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain for 3 weeks. A transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) was performed and a fetal pole with cardiac activity was seen in the right adnexa, suspicious for ectopic pregnancy. She had an unremarkable TVUS 1 year ago. A diagnostic laparoscopy was performed for presumed treatment of ectopic pregnancy. During the procedure, patient was found to have a right non-communicating rudimentary uterine horn with pregnancy noted inside. The left horn was connected to the cervix and otherwise normal. Intraoperatively, the right ureter was not identified. Due to high risk of rupture, the rudimentary right horn with pregnancy and the right fallopian tube were resected. A postoperative CT urogram revealed a solitary renal kidney and single left ureter. Clinical Significance: The high mortality rate of ruptured NCRH pregnancies highlights the importance of early detection and proper management of such pregnancies. Mullerian duct anomalies are usually detected with ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging prior to conception. In this case, the NRCH was formerly unknown and treated as an ectopic pregnancy with fetal cardiac activity. The complete resection of the rudimentary horn with pregnancy and fallopian tube proved to be an appropriate management for this emergent situation. Conclusion: In emergent situations of an undetected NRCH until pregnancy, resection of rudimentary horn with ipsilateral fallopian tube is not only therapeutic, but also preventative for potential future ectopic pregnancies

Prevalence of overweight and obesity on the island of Ireland: results from the North South Survey of Children\u27s Height, Weight and Body Mass Index, 2002

Background: Childhood obesity is emerging as a major public health problem in developed and developing countries worldwide. The aim of this survey was to establish baseline data on the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI). Methods: The heights and weights of 19,617 school-going children and adolescents aged between 4 and 16 years in NI and RoI were measured using standardised and calibrated scales and measures. The participants were a representative cross-sectional sample of children randomly selected on the basis of age, gender and geographical location of the school attended. Overweight and obesity were classified according to standard IOTF criteria. Results: Males were taller than females, children in RoI were taller than those in NI and the more affluent were taller than the less well off. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among females than males in both jurisdictions. Overall, almost one in four boys (23% RoI and NI) and over one in four girls (28% RoI, 25% NI) were either overweight or obese. In RoI, the highest prevalence of overweight was among 13 year old girls (32%) and obesity among 7 year old girls (11%). In NI the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were found among 11 and 8 year old girls respectively (33% and 13%). Conclusion: These figures confirm the emergence of the obesity epidemic among children in Ireland, a wealthy country with the European Union. The results serve to underpin the urgency of implementing broad intersectoral measures to reduce calorie intake and increase levels of physical activity, particularly among children