Parental restriction reduces the harmful effects of in-bedroom electronic devices

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Prenatal Tobacco Exposure Shortens Telomere Length in Children

Introduction: Preliminary evidence suggests a possible association between prenatal tobacco exposure and telomere length in children. This study was conducted to investigate whether maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with telomere shortening in their children and whether prenatal and childhood exposure to environmental tobacco had any impact on this association. Methods: This is a population-representative study on the association between prenatal tobacco exposure and telomere length in children. Ninety-eight Hong Kong Chinese children aged under 15 years with prenatal tobacco exposure and 98 age- and gender-matched controls were recruited from a population health study with stratified random sampling. Results: Telomere length in children with prenatal tobacco exposure was significantly shorter than in those with no exposure (mean T/S ratio = 24.9 [SD = 8.58] in exposed vs. 28.97 [14.15] in control groups; P = 0.02). A negative dose-response relationship was observed between the T/S ratio and tobacco exposure duration: the longer the duration of maternal smoking in pregnancy, the shorter the child's telomere length. The association between the child's telomere length and prenatal tobacco exposure remained significant after considering the influence of family socioeconomic status and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and childhood. Conclusions: Prenatal tobacco exposure was associated with telomere shortening in children. As this may impose significant health impacts through fetal genetic programming, more efforts should be made to reduce fetal tobacco exposure by educating pregnant women to not smoke and motivating smokers to quit in early pregnancy. Implications: As reflected by telomere shortening, prenatal tobacco exposure in children can cause premature aging and increased health risks, which we suggest is entirely preventable. Not smoking during pregnancy or quitting smoking is critical to improving the health outcome of our future generations as prenatal tobacco exposure may affect children's biological programming. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved.postprin

Early-life activities mediate the association between family socioeconomic status in early childhood and physical fitness in early adolescence

The graded association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and physical fitness is evident, but little is known about the mechanism underlying this association. This study investigated the role of early-life activities as mediators of the longitudinal relationship between early-life SES and health-related physical fitness in 168 adolescents (51.2% boys; final mean age: 12.4 years old). In Wave 1 (2011–12), their parents completed questionnaires about family socioeconomic status (SES), parent–child activities, and child screen time. In Wave 2 (2014–15), participants’ physical activity levels were assessed through parent proxy-reports. In Wave 3 (2018–19), a direct assessment of handgrip strength, standing long-jump, and 6-min walk test (6MWT) performance was conducted. After controlling for demographic factors, results of mediation analyses revealed that (a) Wave 1 SES predicted Wave 3 long-jump and 6MWT performance; (b) child physical activity level in Wave 2 mediated the relation between Wave 1 SES and standing long-jump performance in Wave 3; and (c) recreational parent–child activities and child screen time in wave 1 mediated the relation between Wave 1 SES and 6MWT performance in Wave 3. Our findings suggest that the type and frequency of early-life activities play a role in the graded association between childhood SES and physical fitness in adolescence

Total retinal nitric oxide production is increased in intraocular pressure-elevated rats

Nitric oxide (NO) is a well-known vaso-dilator but its regulation in the retina is unclear. This study was conducted to quantify total NO production and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in an experimental glaucoma model. Three quarters of the peri-limbal/episcleral drainage vessels and anterior angle (right eyes) of Sprague-Dawley rats were thermally blocked using laser irradiation, while the left eyes served as controls. We measured the intraocular pressure (IOP) of both eyes using a digital tonometer (Tonopen) 21, 28 and 35 days after the laser treatment. After 35 days, we determined the total NO level in retinas and remaining ocular tissues for the laser-treated and control eyes using a spectro-photometric assay. The viable RGC numbers were also determined by counting the cell bodies stained retrogradely by fluoro-gold. The laser treatment significantly increased the lOP 2.0-2.6× throughout the whole period of measurements (P 0.05). Laser treatment resulted in significant IOP elevation and RGC loss, suggesting that thermal coagulation of the perilimbal region may provide an alternate protocol for glaucoma study. NO level was increased by two-fold in the retina but not in other ocular tissues. Since NO is capable of producing powerful peroxynitrite anions and hydroxyl radicals, elevated level of NO has a potential role in glaucoma. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Risk of child maltreatment in Chinese teenage and young mothers with rapid repeat pregnancy : the moderating role of family cohesion and support from friends

202305 bcwwAccepted ManuscriptSelf-fundedPublishe

Linking healthcare and social service databases to study the epidemiology of child maltreatment and associated health problems : Hong Kong's experience

Title on author’s file: Linking health care and social service databases to study the epidemiology of child maltreatment and associated health problems: Hong Kong’s experience202305 bcwwAccepted ManuscriptOthersCentral Policy UnitPublishe

A mobile game (safe city) designed to promote children's safety knowledge and behaviors : protocol for a randomized controlled trial

202009 bcrcVersion of RecordPublishe

Early sleep deprivation and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Background: This study aims to study prospectively specific sleep patterns and risk of ADHD after adjusting for potential confounders such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and methylphenidate use. Methods: A population-representative sample of 514 Chinese preschool children was recruited when in kindergarten (K3). Parents reported on their socioeconomic status and children’s sleep duration. The cohort was reassessed 3 years later when the children were in Grade 3 (P3). Parents reported on children’s sleep patterns and ADHD symptoms. Information on OSA diagnosis and methylphenidate use was retrieved from health records. Results: Among the 514 parent–child dyads (mean [SD] age, 5.52 [0.33] years), 411 were reassessed (80.0% retention; 9.35 [0.33] years) at follow-up. There were no significant baseline differences between follow-up and drop-out groups. A gradient relationship was observed between probable ADHD in P3 and sleep duration in K3. The risk of probable ADHD was 15.5 per 100 for children with <8 h of sleep in K3, whereas it was 1.1 per 100 for children with 11–12 h of sleep in K3. The adjusted risk ratio was 14.19 (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Sleep deprivation in early childhood is associated with higher risk of ADHD in middle childhood

Associations between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric disorders : analysis from electronic health records in Hong Kong

202308 bcchVersion of RecordRGCPublishe