Vocalisation Repertoire at the End of the First Year of Life: An Exploratory Comparison of Rett Syndrome and Typical Development

Open access funding provided by Medical University of Graz. This study was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF; P25241, KLI811, and TCS24), the Austrian National Bank (OeNB; P16430), and Rett Deutschland e.V.Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare, late detected developmental disorder associated with severe deficits in the speech-language domain. Despite a few reports about atypicalities in the speech-language development of infants and toddlers with RTT, a detailed analysis of the pre-linguistic vocalisation repertoire of infants with RTT is yet missing. Based on home video recordings, we analysed the vocalisations between 9 and 11 months of age of three female infants with typical RTT and compared them to three age-matched typically developing (TD) female controls. The video material of the infants had a total duration of 424 min with 1655 infant vocalisations. For each month, we (1) calculated the infants’ canonical babbling ratios with CBRUTTER, i.e., the ratio of number of utterances containing canonical syllables to total number of utterances, and (2) classified their pre-linguistic vocalisations in three non-canonical and four canonical vocalisation subtypes. All infants achieved the milestone of canonical babbling at 9 months of age according to their canonical babbling ratios, i.e. CBRUTTER ≥ 0.15. We revealed overall lower CBRsUTTER and a lower proportion of canonical pre-linguistic vocalisations consisting of well-formed sounds that could serve as parts of target-language words for the RTT group compared to the TD group. Further studies with more data from individuals with RTT are needed to study the atypicalities in the pre-linguistic vocalisation repertoire which may portend the later deficits in spoken language that are characteristic features of RTT.Medical University of GrazAustrian Science Fund (FWF) P25241 KLI811 TCS24Austrian National Bank (OeNB) P16430Rett Deutschland e.V

Can Parental Body Dissatisfaction Predict That of Children? A Study on Body Dissatisfaction, Body Mass Index, and Desire to Diet in Children Aged 9–11 and Their Families

Financial support was provided by the University of Castilla La Mancha, through the research group: Health, Education, and Society (Critical Eye) co-funded by the European Fund for Regional Development (grant number 2020-GRIN- 29110).The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because individualized data from the project cannot be publically shared on a data repository due to the conditions of nondisclosure described in the consent form signed by the participants and their families. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to NS-P, [email protected] studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the clinical drug research ethics committee “Complejo hospitalario de Toledo” (ref. 636). Written informed consent to participate in this study was provided by the participants’ legal guardian/next of kin.Body image has been associated with self-care and the assumption of either healthy habits or poor diets and eating disorders. As a vital element in the formation of a positive body image, the role of the family in childhood has been highlighted by a few studies. This study aimed to assess whether children's body dissatisfaction could be predicted by their parents' body dissatisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and approach to change. The sample consisted of 581 participants (366 parents and 215 children). The following instruments were used: anthropometric data, the Brief Scale of Body Dissatisfaction for Children, the IMAGE questionnaire (approach to change and drive for muscularity subscales), and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness subscales). The results indicated that 19% of children, 22.8% of mothers, and 70.2% of fathers were overweight or obese. The multiple regression models developed for boys and girls explained 60 and 57% of the variance in body dissatisfaction, respectively. Several variables attributable to the mother (higher approach to change, higher drive for thinness, and higher BMI) and to the boys themselves (drive for muscularity, approach to change, and having a high BMI percentile) predicted a higher level of body dissatisfaction. For girls, only variables regarding themselves (approach to change, age, and BMI percentile) explained their body dissatisfaction. Relationships with the traits of the father were not detected for both models. The influence of sociocultural factors on the construction of gender and the negative consequences of mothers' dieting for aesthetic purposes, on the development of children's body image, are discussed.University of Castilla La Mancha, through the research group: Health, Education, and Society (Critical Eye)European Commission 2020-GRIN-2911

Measures of Quality of Life in People with Aphasia. A systematic review

La afasia después de un daño cerebral y sus diferentes condiciones negativas derivadas, afectan a la calidad de vida (CdV) de la persona. El objetivo de este estudio es describir y analizar la literatura de los años comprendidos entre 2016 y 2020 para identificar y cuantificar aspectos relevantes de la CdV y su evaluación en personas con afasia (PWA). Para lo anterior, se consultaron tres bases de datos (PsycINFO, Medline y Psicodoc). Se incluyeron 38 estudios. Se codificaron y analizaron las características de los estudios y se evaluó la calidad de los trabajos siguiendo las pautas marcadas por la STROBE y la NIH. Los resultados muestran que la prueba de evaluación de CdV más utilizada fue la Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39) (n= 19, 50.00%). En la mayoría de los estudios, independientemente de las pruebas de evaluación, las PWA presentan una baja CdV. Los estudios seleccionados presentan una calidad metodológica media-alta. Como conclusión cabe destacar que, además de limitar aspectos de la comunicación y el lenguaje, la afasia afecta negativamente a la CdV de forma global de la persona que la padece. El desarrollo de pruebas de evaluación de la CdV puede ayudar a los profesionales a planificar una intervención adecuada.Aphasia after stroke and its different negative conditions derived, affect the quality of life (QoL) of the person. The aim of this study is to describe and analyze the literature of last five years in order to identify and quantify relevant aspects related to QoL and its assessment in people with aphasia (PWA). For that goal, three databases were consulted (PsycINFO, Medline, and Psicodoc). Thirtyeight studies were included. The characteristics of the studies were coded and analyzed, and the quality of these studies were evaluated following guidelines established by STROBE and the NIH. The results show that the most frequently used QoL assessment test was the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39) (n= 19, 50.00%). In most studies, regardless of the assessment tests, PWAs have a low QoL. The selected studies present a medium-high level of methodological quality. As a conclusion it can be said that in addition to the limiting aspects of communication and language, aphasia negatively affects the overall QoL of the patient. The development of QoL assessment tests can help professionals to plan an appropriate intervention

Hábitos saludables en mujeres adultas y madres

Introduction. According to World Health Organization, raised body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers. Some protective factors have been associated with healthy weight, such as consumption of fruit, vegetables, and a reduced consumption of processed food or junk food. Moreover, some of these factors (such as consumption of vegetables) might have a positive relationship between parentsand children. Thus, it is necessaryto evaluate healthy habits on mothers ofschool-aged children. Objective. To define healthy habits on mothers, and its potential relationship with weight. Methods. An exploratory analysis about healthy habits and its relationship with BMI was carried out in a cross-sectional study. Our sample consisted on 100 mothers with an average age of 43.07 (5.09). We used a brief version of the Self-efficacy in health care scale. Results. Pearson’s correlations showed no relationships between unhealthy habits of health care and normal or overweight. However, our results showed a significant relationship between healthy habits on health care and normal weight (r = .290, p smaller than .01) and overweight (r = - .249, p smaller than .05). Conclusions. Our results suggest that healthy habits might be considered as a protective factor against overweight in mothers of school-aged children.Introducción. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, un índice de masa corporal (IMC) elevado es un importante factor de riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares, diabetes y algunos tipos de cáncer. Algunos de los factores protectores que se han asociado con un peso adecuado son el consumo de verduras, frutas y el bajo consumo de comida rápida. Además, algunos de estos factores (como el consumo de verdura) parece que presentan una relación positiva entre padres e hijos. Por ello, se hace necesario evaluar los hábitos saludables en madres de niños de edad escolar. Objetivos. Caracterizar los hábitos saludables en cuidado de salud en madres y su posible relación con el peso. Metodología. Estudio transversal en el que se realizó un análisis exploratorio sobre hábitos de vida saludables y su relación con el IMC a partir de un muestreo no probabilístico sobre una muestra de 100 madres con una media de edad de 43.07 (5.09). Se utilizó el cuestionario Autoeficacia en el cuidado de la salud, versión abreviada. Resultados. Las correlaciones de Pearson muestran que no existe una correlación significativa entre los hábitos no saludables de cuidado de salud y presentar normopeso o sobrepeso. Sin embargo, sí existe una correlación significativa entre los hábitos saludables de cuidado de salud y presentar normopeso (r = .290, p menor que .01) o sobrepeso (r = - .249, p menor que .05) en las madres evaluadas. Conclusiones. Nuestros datos sugieren que los hábitos de vida saludable pueden considerarse como un factor protector contra la obesidad en madres

Do Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Experimentation Outreach Programs Affect Attitudes towards Mathematics and Science? A Quasi-Experiment in Primary Education

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach programs have been widely studied in recent years considering their possible influence on future STEM career election aiming to counteract the observed decline in enrollment at university. Nonetheless, the presumed effect is not clear due to a lack of comparison with control groups. In order to fill this gap, a quasi-experimental design was adopted to analyze the effect of a STEM experimentation outreach program on 5th and 6th graders. The sample was composed by 453 students, (274 experimental group and 179 control group). The Auzmendi Scale of Attitude towards Mathematics Modified (ASMAm), and the attitude towards school science (ASSci), were used as instruments, and were administered before and after the intervention. The analysis was run with sex, type of school (state and state-funded schools), school environment (rural/urban), and teacher as potential factors. The results show that there is a program effect on the attitude towards mathematics, but not on the attitude towards school science. Regarding the factors, the program effect is associated neither with sex nor with rural/urban schools. However, the program had a more positive effect on the ASSci than on the ASMAm in the state schools, and is mediated by the teacher

Medidas de Calidad de Vida en Personas con Afasia. Revisión Sistemática

La afasia después de un daño cerebral y sus diferentes condiciones negativas derivadas, afectan a la calidad de vida (CdV) de la persona. El objetivo de este estudio es describir y analizar la literatura de los años comprendidos entre 2016 y 2020 para identificar y cuantificar aspectos relevantes de la CdV y su evaluación en personas con afasia (PWA). Para lo anterior, se consultaron tres bases de datos (PsycINFO, Medline y Psicodoc). Se incluyeron 38 estudios. Se codificaron y analizaron las características de los estudios y se evaluó la calidad de los trabajos siguiendo las pautas marcadas por la STROBE y la NIH. Los resultados muestran que la prueba de evaluación de CdV más utilizada fue la Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39) (n= 19, 50.00%). En la mayoría de los estudios, independientemente de las pruebas de evaluación, las PWA presentan una baja CdV. Los estudios seleccionados presentan una calidad metodológica media-alta. Como conclusión cabe destacar que, además de limitar aspectos de la comunicación y el lenguaje, la afasia afecta negativamente a la CdV de forma global de la persona que la padece. El desarrollo de pruebas de evaluación de la CdV puede ayudar a los profesionales a planificar una intervención adecuada

Vocalisation repertoire at the end of the first year of life: an exploratory comparison of Rett syndrome and typical development

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare, late detected developmental disorder associated with severe deficits in the speech-language domain. Despite a few reports about atypicalities in the speech-language development of infants and toddlers with RTT, a detailed analysis of the pre-linguistic vocalisation repertoire of infants with RTT is yet missing. Based on home video recordings, we analysed the vocalisations between 9 and 11 months of age of three female infants with typical RTT and compared them to three age-matched typically developing (TD) female controls. The video material of the infants had a total duration of 424 min with 1655 infant vocalisations. For each month, we (1) calculated the infants’ canonical babbling ratios with CBR(UTTER), i.e., the ratio of number of utterances containing canonical syllables to total number of utterances, and (2) classified their pre-linguistic vocalisations in three non-canonical and four canonical vocalisation subtypes. All infants achieved the milestone of canonical babbling at 9 months of age according to their canonical babbling ratios, i.e. CBR(UTTER) ≥ 0.15. We revealed overall lower CBRs(UTTER) and a lower proportion of canonical pre-linguistic vocalisations consisting of well-formed sounds that could serve as parts of target-language words for the RTT group compared to the TD group. Further studies with more data from individuals with RTT are needed to study the atypicalities in the pre-linguistic vocalisation repertoire which may portend the later deficits in spoken language that are characteristic features of RTT

Acciones educativas innovadoras para el día internacional de la mujer y la niña en la ciencia infantil y primaria

Antecedentes. El conocimiento científico y la igualdad de género son cruciales para alcanzar los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Las iniciativas de innovación educativa son las que acercan estos a toda la comunidad educativa, inspirando y promoviendo la participación de las mujeres y las niñas en la ciencia, eliminando la brecha de género en el ámbito científico y otros sectores. Objetivos. Fomentar la organización de actividades que promuevan el desarrollo científico y tecnológico en la infancia con la colaboración de la familia, desarrollando una mirada curiosa y transformadora. Metodología. La muestra estuvo formada por 182 participantes (85 niñas y 97 niños) de infantil y primaria; 16 miembros del profesorado y familias. Instrumento y procedimiento. En el marco del “Día Internacional de la mujer y la niña en la ciencia”, se llevó acabo en el CEIP un amplio programa de actividades acerca de la ciencia y conocer la importancia de la mujer en esta materia, intentando sensibilizar y fomentar el pensamiento científico y tecnológico en toda la comunidad educativa. Resultados. El alumnado de los cursos más altos manifestaba una desigualdad de género y en algunos casos les costaba identificar dicha desigualdad en el desempeño de tareas, responsabilidades y profesiones, observándose lo contrario en los más pequeños. Conclusiones. Los datos arrojan la necesidad de seguir fomentando este tipo de actividades y programas.Background. Science and gender equality are crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Educational innovation initiatives are those that bring these goals closer to the entire educational community, inspiring and promoting the participation of women and girls in science, eliminating the gender gap in science and other sectors. Objectives. To promote the organization of activities that foster scientific and technological development in children with the collaboration of the family, developing a curious and transforming glance. Methodology: The sample was made up of 182 students (85 girls and 97 boys) from preschool and primary schools; 16 teachers and families. Instrument and procedure. In the framework of the “International Day of the woman and the girl in the science”, it is carried out in the school an ample program of activities about the science, to know the importance of the woman in this field, trying to generate awareness and to promote the scientific and technological thought in all the education community. Results. The students in the higher courses showed gender inequality and, in some cases, they found it difficult to identify that in the performance of tasks, responsibilities and professions, while the opposite was observed in the youngest children. Conclusions. The data showed the need to continue promoting these kinds of activities and programs

Siblings of children with Autism: Linguistic and motor skills beyond three years of life

Los hermanos de niños con trastorno del espectro autista (H-TEA) pueden mostrar dificultades tempranas en habilidades lingüísticas y motrices, aunque pocos estudios examinan estas habilidades en niños más mayores. Analizamos dichas habilidades en niños entre 4 y 7 años para saber si las dificultades permanecen, y conocer su magnitud. Se examinó el lenguaje expresivo, receptivo, motricidad fina y gruesa en 43 niños: 25 H-TEA y 18 hermanos de niños con desarrollo típico (H-DT) en diferentes pruebas estandarizadas. Los resultados indican que hay diferencias significativas (todas con ps < .05) entre ambos grupos, mostrando el grupo H-TEA peor desempeño lingüístico receptivo en comprensión gramatical y en motricidad, en dimensión de puntería y motricidad global. Se concluye que ser conscientes de esas dificultades lingüísticas y motrices y detectarlas, ayudará a los niños en su desarrollo global. Son necesarios estudios en H-TEA en etapas de infantil y primaria para saber cómo afectarán estas diferencias al ámbito escolar.Siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (Sib-ASD) may show difficulties in language and motor skills at a very early age. However, few studies have evaluated these skills in older children. We analyze these skills in children between 4 and 7 years old to test whether these difficulties still exist and, if so, to describe how this magnitude is. We examined expressive and receptive language, and fine and gross motor skills of 43 children: 25 Sib-ASD and 18 siblings of children with typical development (Sib-TD) through several standardized tests. The results show that there are significant differences (all with ps < .05) between groups, showing a worse performance in grammatical comprehension, and related to motor skills in ball skills and overall motor skills in Sib-ASD. It is discussed that the fact of being aware of and identify these difficulties will help these children in their global development. Thus, more studies on sib-ASD in infancy and primary school are needed, in order to know how these differences might affect their school performance

Creencias de futuros maestros en torno a la educación perinatal

Many studies highlight the importance of the psychological development during perinatal stage. Future teachers opinions could help us with the need to increase this training based on personal experiences and environmental teachings. The purpose of this study is to go deeper into university teaching student s convictions about the importance of the perinatal education and its development through the analysis of a 36 students written speech of 20-year-old students on average, using a qualitative study. Some of the questions related to the perinatal development that had been proposed during the subject of “Development Psychology” at Toledo`s university were, among others, “is it possible to kiss and hug a baby or do you think that you could spoil him?”; “why do you think the skin to skin contact is recommendable after the birth?”; “ who is, according to your personal opinion, the most important person for a baby at a biological, psychological and social development?”; or “what is your opinion about the consequences of being loved during the first months of a baby s life? All these questions were answered individually by students. Most of students thought as a positive idea to kiss and hug the baby, referring to the mother as the most important person for him, although it is true that there were some discrepancies with this last point. Talking about the idea of feeling loved or not during the first months of life, students highlighted its importance in relation to the socio-emotional development. Finally, talking about the skin to skin contact, most of students considered it as an essential point for a good bond between the mother and the baby. Based on these results, we consider necessary to keep the perinatal education as a unit of study included in Development Psychology s subject. Through this topic, we could have a deeper look that would help future teachers to analyze the babies and families needs during the perinatal period.Numerosos estudios refieren la importancia del desarrollo psicológico durante la etapa perinatal. Conocer las creencias de los futuros maestros en torno a la educación perinatal puede ayudarnos a comprender la necesidad de ampliar la formación en este ámbito y revisar creencias basadas en experiencias personales y enseñanzas del entorno. El objetivo de este estudio es profundizar en las creencias de los alumnos de magisterio en relación a la importancia del desarrollo y la educación perinatal analizando el discurso escrito de 36 alumnos con una media de 20 años de edad a través de estudio cualitativo. Se formularon las siguientes preguntas relacionadas con el desarrollo perinatal durante una clase de la asignatura de Psicología del Desarrollo del Grado de Educación Primaria en Toledo: ¿se debe abrazar y besar al bebé o crees que es malcriarlo?, ¿por qué crees que se recomienda el piel con piel tras el nacimiento?, ¿quién crees que es la persona más importante para el bebé a nivel biológico, psicológico y social?, ¿qué consecuencias crees que tiene sentirse amado durante los primeros meses de vida?, ¿y no sentirse amado? Los alumnos contestaron por escrito de manera individual. La mayoría  de los alumnos consideraron positivo abrazar y besar al bebé y se refirieron a la madre como la persona más importante para él a todos los niveles. Respecto a las consecuencias de sentirse o no amado durante los primeros meses de vida, los alumnos destacaron su importancia en relación al desarrollo socio-emocional. En relación al piel con piel, la mayoría de los alumnos hizo referencia a la facilitación del vínculo. Proponemos una mirada más profunda que permita dar a conocer a los futuros maestros las necesidades de los bebés y las familias durante el período perinatal