Association Between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Early Childhood Development

コロナ禍で5歳児に約4か月の発達の遅れ --3歳、5歳ともに発達の個人差拡大--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-07-11.[Importance] Although a growing number of studies have reported negative associations of the COVID-19 pandemic with academic performance among school-aged children, less is known about the pandemic’s association with early childhood development. [Objective] To examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and early childhood development. [Design, Setting, and Participants] In this cohort study conducted in all accredited nursery centers in a Japanese municipality, baseline surveys of children aged 1 and 3 years (1000 and 922, respectively) were conducted between 2017 and 2019, and participants were followed up for 2 years. [Exposure] Children’s development was compared at age 3 or 5 years between cohorts that were exposed to the pandemic during the follow-up and a cohort that was not. [Main Outcome and Measure] Children’s developmental age was measured by nursery teachers using the Kinder Infant Development Scale (KIDS). Data were analyzed between December 8, 2022, and May 6, 2023. [Results] A total of 447 children (201 girls [45.0%] and 246 boys [55.0%]) aged 1 year at baseline were followed up to age 3 years, and 440 children (200 girls [45.5%] and 240 boys [54.5%]) aged 3 years at baseline were followed up to age 5 years. During the follow-up, the cohorts that were exposed to the pandemic were 4.39 months behind in development at age 5 compared with the cohort that was not (coefficient, −4.39; 95% credible interval, −7.66 to −1.27). Such a negative association was not observed in development at age 3 years (coefficient, 1.32; 95% credible interval, −0.44 to 3.01). Variations in development were greater during the pandemic than before the pandemic regardless of age. Additionally, the quality of care at nursery centers was positively associated with development at age 3 years during the pandemic (coefficient, 2.01; 95% credible interval, 0.58-3.44), while parental depression appeared to amplify the association between the pandemic and delayed development at age 5 (coefficient of interaction, −2.62; 95% credible interval, −4.80 to −0.49; P = .009). [Conclusions and Relevance] The findings of this study showed an association between exposure to the pandemic and delayed childhood development at age 5 years. Variations in development widened during the pandemic regardless of age. It is important to identify children with developmental delays associated with the pandemic and provide them with support for learning, socialization, physical and mental health, and family support

Psychosocial twin cohort studies in Japan: the Keio Twin Research Center (KoTReC)

The Keio Twin Research Center (KoTReC) was established in 2009 at Keio University to combine two longitudinal cohort projects — the Keio Twin Study (KTS) for adolescence and adulthood and the Tokyo Twin Cohort Project (ToTCoP) for infancy and childhood. KoTReC also conducted a two-time panel study of self-control and psychopathology in twin adolescence in 2012 and 2013 and three independent anonymous cross-sectional twin surveys (ToTcross) before 2012 — the ToTCross, the Junior and Senior High School Survey and the High School Survey. This article introduces the recent research designs of KoTReC and its publications

ARG098, a novel anti-human Fas antibody, suppresses synovial hyperplasia and prevents cartilage destruction in a severe combined immunodeficient-HuRAg mouse model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The anti-human Fas/APO-1/CD95 (Fas) mouse/human chimeric monoclonal IgM antibody ARG098 (ARG098) targets the human Fas molecule. The cytotoxic effects of ARG098 on cells isolated from RA patients, on normal cells <it>in vitro</it>, and on RA synovial tissue and cartilage <it>in vivo </it>using implanted rheumatoid tissues in an SCID mouse model (SCID-HuRAg) were investigated to examine the potential of ARG098 as a therapy for RA.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>ARG098 binding to each cell was analyzed by cytometry. The effects of ARG098 on several cells were assessed by a cell viability assay <it>in vitro</it>. Effects on the RA synovium, lymphocytes, and cartilage were assessed <it>in vivo </it>using the SCID-HuRAg mouse model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ARG098 bound to cell surface Fas molecules, and induced apoptosis in Fas-expressing RA synoviocytes and infiltrating lymphocytes in the RA synovium in a dose-dependent manner. However, ARG098 did not affect the cell viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of RA patients or normal chondrocytes. ARG098 also induced apoptosis in RA synoviocytes and infiltrating lymphocytes in the RA synovium <it>in vivo</it>. The destruction of cartilage due to synovial invasion was inhibited by ARG098 injection in the modified SCID-HuRAg mouse model.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>ARG098 treatment suppressed RA synovial hyperplasia through the induction of apoptosis and prevented cartilage destruction <it>in vivo</it>. These results suggest that ARG098 might become a new therapy for RA.</p

Social network analyses of positive and negative relationships among Japanese preschool classmates

Using social network analysis, we investigated the characteristics of social networks composed of positive relationships (positive network: PN) and negative relationships (negative network: NN) in classrooms of Japanese 3- and 4-year-olds. Analysis of "density" showed that PNs were denser than NNs among 4-year-olds but that this was not the case among 3-year-olds. The difference between the probability of dyads of girls forming cliques, between PNs and NNs, was larger than that for dyads of boys or mixed-sex dyads. Four-year-olds formed cliques more often in PNs than in NNs, compared to 3-year-olds. This study showed that both sex combination of dyads and age affect the quantified properties of social networks among preschoolers

Reciprocity of prosocial behavior in Japanese preschool children

This study investigated the reciprocity of prosocial behavior among 3- and 4-year-old Japanese preschool children during free-play time. Matrix correlation tests revealed positive correlations between the frequencies of object offering given and received within dyads and between the frequencies of helping given and received within dyads. These results suggest that young children reciprocate prosocial behavior spontaneously. Positive correlations were also found between the frequencies of object offering and helping behavior exchanged within dyads, suggesting that children exchanged the two types of prosocial behaviors (i.e., "interchanged"). The interchange was independent of both reciprocity within object offering and reciprocity within helping behavior in 4-year-olds. Friends reciprocated object offerings more frequently than non-friends, suggesting that friendship affects the quantitative aspect of reciprocity. These data provide refined evidence of reciprocity among children and also suggest that reciprocity becomes more complicated as children grow older

Reconciliation pattern after aggression among Japanese preschool children

Using an ethological observation method (the PC-MC comparison method), this study investigated patterns of reconciliation after aggression among Japanese preschool children, focusing on factors that influenced its occurrence or acceptance, as well as on strategies and function. There were several factors among four-year-olds that facilitated reconciliatory attempts and acceptance, such as proximity after the aggression; among three-year-olds there were no such factors. Depending on the situation during and after aggression, children used \u27explicit\u27 (e.g., apologizing, compromising, and offering objects) and \u27implicit\u27 (e.g., being friendly, talking without apologizing, and touching the opponent gently) reconciliatory strategies. Reconciliation occurred more often among friends than among non-friends, particularly among four-year-olds. However, after considering the baseline affiliation level, the conciliatory tendency among non-friends was higher than that among friends in four-year-olds. Victims\u27 self-directed behavior (SDB) - a behavioral index of stress - was elevated following aggression, but decreased following reconciliation. This suggests that reconciliation functions to reduce the post-conflict stress suffered by the targets of aggression

Peacemaking and consolation in Japanese preschoolers witnessing peer aggression

This article reports developmental changes relating to reconciliation and bystanders\u27 affiliation with victims of aggression (i.e., consolation) among 3- to 5-year-old Japanese preschool children. Use of the postconflict-matched control (PC-MC) method revealed that the frequency with which reconciliation and consolation were offered to a victim increased steeply in 5-year-olds, compared with 3- and 4-year-olds. The complexity of contextual factors affecting the occurrence of reconciliation and the form of consolation increased with age. Consolation occurred more often before reconciliation than after among all but the 3-year-olds and occurred more often when no reconciliation occurred than when it did occur among all classes. These findings support the view that consolation functions as a substitute for reconciliation, lessening the tension experienced by the victim of aggression

The stabilizing role of aggressive children in affiliative social networks among preschoolers

In general, aggression is believed to destabilize social integration. The question of who plays a central role in stabilizing and facilitating social integration is important in studies of conflict management and resolution. We investigated that question by applying social network analysis to behavioral data of preschool children (3- and 4-year-olds) in four classes. We identified two kinds of social network structures in each class: \u27affiliative network structure\u27 (ANS) consisting of socially positive behavior (affiliation and prosocial behavior) and \u27disruptive network structure\u27 (DNS) consisting of socially negative behavior (aggressive or disruptive behavior). Next, we tested how the exclusion of each child, having different degrees of centrality within the ANS or DNS, influenced the \u27density\u27, or cohesiveness, of the DNS or ANS among the same children. We found that excluding the children with higher centrality in the ANS did not affect the density of the DNS. In contrast, excluding the children with higher centrality in the DNS reduced the density of the ANS to a greater extent. This suggests that aggressive children play not only a dispersive role but also a cohesive role in their networks. This counterintuitive result highlights the adaptive and dual roles of aggressive children in their social groups