Childhood gene-environment interactions and age-dependent effects of genetic variants associated with refractive error and myopia : The CREAM Consortium

Myopia, currently at epidemic levels in East Asia, is a leading cause of untreatable visual impairment. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in adults have identified 39 loci associated with refractive error and myopia. Here, the age-of-onset of association between genetic variants at these 39 loci and refractive error was investigated in 5200 children assessed longitudinally across ages 7-15 years, along with gene-environment interactions involving the major environmental risk-factors, nearwork and time outdoors. Specific variants could be categorized as showing evidence of: (a) early-onset effects remaining stable through childhood, (b) early-onset effects that progressed further with increasing age, or (c) onset later in childhood (N = 10, 5 and 11 variants, respectively). A genetic risk score (GRS) for all 39 variants explained 0.6% (P = 6.6E-08) and 2.3% (P = 6.9E-21) of the variance in refractive error at ages 7 and 15, respectively, supporting increased effects from these genetic variants at older ages. Replication in multi-ancestry samples (combined N = 5599) yielded evidence of childhood onset for 6 of 12 variants present in both Asians and Europeans. There was no indication that variant or GRS effects altered depending on time outdoors, however 5 variants showed nominal evidence of interactions with nearwork (top variant, rs7829127 in ZMAT4; P = 6.3E-04).Peer reviewe

Children born preterm : A 19-year perspective

In this longitudinal, prospective study, 39 preterm children, consecutively born before 35 weeks of completed gestation and 23 full-term children were followed up after 19 years. Multifaceted aspects of outcome were evaluated. The results indicate a clear increase in somatic morbidity during growth and young adulthood among the preterms. Psychometric evaluation of cognitive development at age 19 yielded no differences between the groups, although the preterms had shown inferior performance compared to the full-terms at age 4. As a method of evaluating the mother-child relationship, percept-genetic tests displaying pictorial mother-child themes were utilized for the assessment of the unconscious attachment model. At 9 years of age, the preterm children as well as their mothers differed significantly from controls in their reports of the mother-child theme. At age 19, the preterms differed significantly from the full-terms in their reported perceptions of the attachment and separation themes. A greater degree of expressed emotion was found among the preterm mother-child dyads. The frequency of mental health problems and the degree of psychological distress shown by both preterms and full-terms fell within the expected range based on age-related population norms. Preterms and full-terms had similarly positive scores regarding self-esteem and quality of life. The results of the present study show that, apart from some increase in somatic morbidity and a conceivable emotional vulnerability concerning attachment and separation, individuals born moderately preterm seem to function as well as young adults in general in important domains of life

Longitudinal follow-up of children born preterm: cognitive development at age 19

In a long-term prospective study, 39 preterm children born before 35 completed weeks of gestation and 23 full-term children were followed up at 4, 9 and 19 years of age. Psychometric evaluation of the cognitive development at 4 years of age showed that the preterms fell within the normal range, although their performance was inferior to that of the full-terms. This difference between the groups was not found at 9 and 19 years of age. Within the preterm group there was no correlation between the test results and birthweight, gestational age, prenatal or perinatal optimality scores. Full-terms had better scholastic performance at the end of compulsory schooling, while there was no difference at 19 years of age. At 19 years of age, about 1/3 of the children in both groups rated themselves as having had attention deficits during their childhood and adolescence. In this group of moderately immature, low-risk children, preterm birth without major physical or mental disabilities poses a developmental risk that seems to have the greatest impact during the preschool years and then gradually attenuates

Special Education in Sweden

The Third Edition of the highly acclaimed Encyclopedia of Special Education offers a thoroughly revised, comprehensive A to Z compilation of authoritative information on the education of those with special needs. All articles are cross-referenced, and citations guiding you to related sources appear at the end of each entry

Elevers utveckling under skolåren

I kapitlet görs en kort genomgång av viktiga utvecklingssteg under barns skoltid

Psykologbedömning av barn i skolåldern

Abstract in Undetermined I detta kapitel har vi beskrivit psykologbedömningar på individnivå och satt in dessa i sin kontext. Vi har lyft fram betydelsen av att se eleven i sitt sammanhang – hemma såväl som i skolan – samt betonat vikten av de systemteoretiska faktorer som påverkar skolframgång, exempelvis lärarnas metoder och deras möjlighet att få pedagogiskt stöd. Detta är faktorer som är föränderliga och påverkbara och som har vital och avgörande betydelse för alla barns utbildning, utveckling och hälsa