Unfriendly persuasion : seduction and magic in Tacitus' Annales

Includes bibliographical reference

Kindersterfte door ongevallen: ontwikkeling in de afgelopen 40 jaar

Van alle landen in Europa heeft Nederland het op een na laagste sterftecijfer ten gevolge van nietnatuurlijkeoorzaken, waaronder ongevallen, bij kinderen. In dit artikel beschrijven wij de ontwikkeling van de kindersterfte door ongevallen in Nederland in de periode 1969-2011 en geven we mogelijke verklaringen voor deze ontwikkeling. Daartoe zijn de gegevens geanalyseerd over de primaire doodsoorzaken, die sinds 1969 zijn opgenomen in de doodsoorzakenstatistiek van het Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS), en beschikbaar zijn via Statline. De sterfte door ongevallen bij kinderen in de leeftijd 0-19 jaar is sinds 1969 sterk afgenomen, met name door de daling in het aantal vervoersongevallen van 20/100.000 in 1973 naar 1,9/100.000 in 2011. Diverse verkeersmaatregelen die vanaf 1973 door de overheid zijn getroffen, lijken te hebben geresulteerd in de enorme afname van het aantal ongevallen in het wegverkeer. Wat betreft de overige ongevallen is de daling van de accidentele verdrinking in de periode 1996-2011 opmerkelijk: van 0,9/100.000 in 1996 naar 0,1/100.000 in 2011. Bij deze afname spelen waarschijnlijk sociaal-culturele factoren en effectieve preventieve maatregelen een rol. Jongens blijken vaker het slachtoffer van ongevallen dan meisjes. De sterfte door ongevallen bij kinderen kan verder afnemen door bestaande preventievemaatregelen te borgen en hiervoor blijvend aandacht te vragen via de professionals in dejeugdgezondheidszorg en beleidsmakers. Verder kan systematische analyse van de aard enomstandigheden van elk sterfgeval aanwijzingen geven voor nieuwe preventiemogelijkhede

Parental perception of weight and weight-related behaviour in 2- to 4-year-old children in the eastern part of the Netherlands

Parental perception of weight status and weight-related behaviour of their toddler was determined through a questionnaire survey in child health care centres (CHCs). Complete data on weight, length, sex and age were available for 635 of 682 children (93.1%). The median age of the children was 37.0 months (range 24–56 months). Of all 635 children, 76.5% were normal weight, 16.2% underweight and 7.2% overweight. Parents’ perception of the weight of their child compared with their peers was moderately related to the actual weight status. Of the parents of overweight and underweight children, 87.0% and 89.3%, respectively, were not concerned. Only the parents’ perception of the amount of food eaten by their child was significantly related to the weight status. The primary goal of CHC workers should be to create parental awareness in case of their child being overweight or underweight and to support them in accomplishing a healthy lifestyle

Epitaxial refractory-metal buer layers with a chemical gradient for adjustable lattice parameter and controlled chemical interface

We have developed and characterized the structure and composition of nanometers-thick solid-solution epitaxial layers of (V,Nb) on sapphire (1120), displaying a continuous lateral gradient of composition from one to another pure element. Further covered with an ultrathin pseudomorphic layer of W, these provide a template for the fast combinatorial investigation of any growth or physical property depending of strain

Survey of prevalence of protective and risk factors for SIDS in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND: From 1987 on, surveys have been conducted in the Netherlands to monitor babycare habits and target safe sleeping prevention campaigns. The last survey was conducted in 2011. In the Netherlands, the 2016 incidence of SIDS (R95) was 0.075/1000 live births (n=13); taking into account adjacent categories the SUDI incidence was 0.15/1000 (n=26). This low incidence, the lowest in the Western world, may result in decreased parental awareness of SIDS risks and complacency regarding preventive messages. Therefore, a new survey was conducted. OBJECTIVES: 1) To measure the prevalence of protective and risk factors for SIDS in the Netherlands in 2017 including new customs of babycare. 2) To compare 2011 prevalences with 2017. 3) To investigate why parents do not follow recommendations regarding safe sleep position and location. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire (52 questions). The study population encompassed parents/caregivers of infants up to 1 year of age living in the Netherlands. Between February 12 – April 30, 2017, invitations with a link to the questionnaire were distributed to 9000 parents visiting 17 child healthcare organizations. In healthcare centers in socially more deprived neighborhoods research assistants helped parents fill out the online questionnaire. In May and June, invitations to participate were also communicated using social media. We used SPSS 24 to calculate prevalence rates and performed a content analysis of answers on open-ended questions on reasons for not following SIDS prevention advice. RESULTS: In total 1289 questionnaires were filled out, of which 80 were excluded, mostly because the child was too old. The study population was comparable to the Dutch population in terms of sex ratio, preterm infants, and parents with a lower education. First-born infants and parents with a higher education were overrepresented, families with a migration background were underrepresented. Sleeping prone increased from 3.1% of infants when 0-2 months old to 13.6% at 9-11 months. Infants aged 0-2 months slept in a separate room in 31.5%, roomshared with parents in 52.3%, slept in an attached bedside sleeper in 9.7% and with their parent(s) in bed in 6.3%. For age 7-8 months this was respectively 71.2%, 15.2%, 4.0% and 8%. Only 4.5% of infants used a duvet. The typical Dutch sleeping sack (wearable blanket) was used for 55.8% of infants. Only 50% of infants 0-2 months and 23.6% of infants 5-6 months were breastfed exclusively. Of all mothers, 4z had smoked during pregnancy; of all infants 21.3% were exposed to parents’ smoking. CONCLUSIONS: The number of infants that sleep prone is comparable to 2011, with still significant room for improvement. Roomsharing with infants 0-2 months has increased significantly since 2011, but so has bedsharing. These data are important for future preventive campaigns

Swaddling: A Systematic Review

Swaddling was an almost universal child-care practice before the 18th century. It is still tradition in certain parts of the Middle East and is gaining popularity in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Netherlands to curb excessive crying. We have systematically reviewed all articles on swaddling to evaluate its possible benefits and disadvantages. In general, swaddled infants arouse less and sleep longer. Preterm infants have shown improved neuromuscular development, less physiologic distress, better motor organization, and more self-regulatory ability when they are swaddled. When compared with massage, excessively crying infants cried less when swaddled, and swaddling can soothe pain in infants. It is supportive in cases of neonatal abstinence syndrome and infants with neonatal cerebral lesions. It can be helpful in regulating temperature but can also cause hyperthermia when misapplied. Another possible adverse effect is an increased risk of the development of hip dysplasia, which is related to swaddling with the legs in extension and adduction. Although swaddling promotes the favorable supine position, the combination of swaddling with prone position increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, which makes it necessary to warn parents to stop swaddling if infants attempt to turn. There is some evidence that there is a higher risk of respiratory infections related to the tightness of swaddling. Furthermore, swaddling does not influence rickets onset or bone properties. Swaddling immediately after birth can cause delayed postnatal weight gain under certain conditions, but does not seem to influence breastfeeding parameter

Preventing overweight and improving parenting skills from birth to age 3 years: preliminary results

Background. Parenting has been associated with child weight status. This study aims to evaluate the effects on parenting skills and BMI-SDS of the BBOFT+ overweight prevention program, compared to care-as-usual (CAU). Method. In a cluster-randomized trial, 2500 parents participated. Parent-reported weight and length were used. Parenting was measured with subscales control and reinforcement of the parenting strategies for eating and activity scale (PEAS) and the warmth subscale from the Child Rearing Questionnaire. Results. The first univariate analyses show that at age 15 months, no statistically significant differences in BMI- SDS, parental control, reinforcement or warmth were found between the BBOFT+ and the CAU group. Further cluster analyses need to be conducted. Results from age 36 months will be presented during the conference, which will include all subscales of the PEAS and an assessment of parenting styles. Conclusion. The intervention does not seem to have an effect on BMI-SDS or parenting