The Cognitive Development of 5-Year-Old Children of Postnatally Depressed Mothers

As part of a longitudinal study of the influence of postnatal depression on child development, the cognitive functioning of index and control children was assessed at age 5 years. There was no evidence of an adverse effect of postnatal depression, even amongst sub-groups of children suggested to be vulnerable (boys and children from low SES families). However, early experience of insensitive maternal interactions predicted the persistence of poorer cognitive functioning. A number of factors in the child's current environment, including stimulation at home, social class and, for boys, the experience of schooling, contributed to cognitive performance. The findings are considered in relation to the ongoing debate on sensitive periods.     

Influence of malnutrition on cognitive development assessed by Piagetian tasks

Cognitive development of 1336 children (6-8 yr) was studied in relation to their nutritional status. Seven Piagetian tasks covering the mental process of a concrete operational period were given to each child to assess the cognitive development. Weschler intelligence scale for Indian Children was used to assess the IQ of each child. The percentage of malnourished children in stage I of development (preoperational) was significantly higher as that of wellnourished children. A higher percentage of children in the latter group was in stage III of development (concrete operation). In boys performance on all the tasks was influenced by undernutrition except for class inclusion. In girls this was true only for conservation of liquid, substance and ordinal relation. The results of the regression analysis showed that nutrition was the only factor weakly associated with the poor performance of the children in various tasks. Further, the effect of nutrition was more pronounced in conservation tasks indicating poor verbal reasoning and comprehension in malnourished children. Information was also collected regarding the parental education and occupation, socio-economic status, caste, economic sufficiency, psychosocial stimulation and home environment. However, these environmental factors did not influence the development of rural children. This might be due to the fact that the population in the present study did not vary much with regard to these variables.     

Type of Childcare at 18 Months–II. Relations with Cognitive and Language Development

In a longitudinal study of women and their first-born children the relationship between type of day care experience and cognitive and language development at 18 mths of age was considered. There was a strong association between socio-economic characteristics and type of day care and analyses allowed for this. The results for cognitive development indicate a relationship with mother's education but not with type of day care. For language development the results indicate that children who experience group care were less likely to show much production of different word combinations, but that this was related to the children's language environments.     

Depressed Mothers' Speech to Their Infants and its Relation to Infant Gender and Cognitive Development

Abstract— The speech of depressed and well mothers during play with their infants at two months was compared on dimensions of structure and semantics. No differences between maternal groups were found on measures of complexity and syntax. However, the speech of depressed women expressed more negative affect, was less focused on infant experience, and tended to show less acknowledgement of infant agency. Speech style of depressed women also varied according to infant gender. Regression analyses indicated that the quality of maternal communication with the infant, and particularly the focus of speech, mediated the association between depression and infant cognitive development in the first 18 months.     

早中期胃肠内外营养对早产儿体格发育的影响

目的 探讨早中期早产儿胃肠内外营养状况对其体格发育的影响.方法 收集2004年1月-2009年6月在本院儿科新生儿重症监护室住院且经胃肠内外营养治疗的早中期早产儿31例(胎龄28~33+6周),观察其出生时、出生1周、2周、4周时的体质量和矫正体质量,以及出生身长、头围和矫正身长、头围的变化.结果 1.相关分析显示,开始胃肠内喂养时间与矫正身长的相关系数为-0.599(P<0.05).2.氨基酸开始时间、脂肪乳开始时间与恢复出生体质量日龄的相关系数分别为0.416、0.559(Pa<0.05).3.氨基酸持续时间与出生1周、2周、4周时体质量的相关系数分别为-0.634、-0.602、-0.591(Pa<0.05);脂肪乳持续时间与出生1周、2周、4周时体质量的相关系数分别为-0.658、-0.640、-0.650(Pa<0.05);脂肪乳持续时间与矫正体质量、矫正身长的相关系数分别为-0.421、-0.492(Pa<0.05).4.总热卡达标时间与恢复出生体质量后体质量增长速度的相关系数为-0.514(P<0.05).5.Logistic回归分析显示,影响体质量增长速度的最大危险因素是氨基酸开始时间和脂肪乳开始时间.结论 尽早开始胃肠内外营养,缩短胃肠外营养持续时间,有利于早中期早产儿的体格发育.     

Humor Development

The purpose of this article is to describe McGhee's (1979) stages of humor development from 18 months to 12 years as they relate to Piaget's cognitive stages (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2001) and social development. Humor develops in stages just as other aspects of child development. It parallels and enhances physical, cognitive, language, and psychosocial skill attainment (Franzini, 2002; Robinson, 1991). Knowledge of humor development will provide therapists with an additional tool to facilitate communication with their pediatric clients by helping therapists consider children's developmental levels when using humor in therapeutic contexts.     

Malnutrition in children with chronic liver disease accepted for liver transplantation: Clinical profile and effect on outcome

The nutritional profiles of 37 children (aged 0.5-14.0 years) with chronic liver disease at the time of acceptance for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTP) have been evaluated using clinical, biochemical and body composition methods. Nutritional progress while waiting for a donor has been related to outcome, whether transplanted or not. At the time of acceptance, most children were underweight (mean standard deviation (s.d.) weight = -1.4 +/- 0.2) and stunted (mean s.d. height = -2.2 +/- 0.4), had low serum albumin (27/35) and had reduced body fat and depleted body cell mass (measured by total body potassium--mean % expected for age = 58 +/- 5%, n = 15). Mean ad libitum nutrient intake was 63 +/- 5% of recommended daily intake (RDI). Those who died while waiting (n = 8) had significantly lower mean initial s.d. weight compared with those transplanted. The overall actuarial 1 year survival of those who were transplanted (mean waiting time = 75 days) was 81% but those who were initially well nourished (s.d. weight greater than -1.0) had an actuarial 1 year survival of 100%. There were no significant differences in actuarial survival in relationship to age, type of transplant (whole liver or segmental), liver biochemistry or the presence or absence of ascites. Of the total group accepted for OLTP, whether transplanted or not, the overall 1 year survival for those who were relatively well nourished was 88% and for those undernourished (initial s.d. weight less than -1.0) was 38% (P less than 0.003). Declining nutritional status during the waiting period also adversely affected outcome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cognitive development of children in poverty with failure to thrive: a prospective study through age 6

BACKGROUND: This study examined the cognitive development of children in poverty with normal growth and those with a history of failure to thrive (FTT) prospectively from infancy through age 6. METHOD: Participants were 226 low-income infants with normal birthweight and no perinatal complications, congenital problems, or chronic illnesses. One hundred and twenty-eight children experienced FTT and were treated in an interdisciplinary clinic, and 98 had normal growth. RESULTS: Cognitive development declined in both groups to 1.0-1.5 SD below the norm. Children with FTT had lower cognitive scores than children with adequate growth through age 4, followed by recovery. By ages 5 and 6, there were no differences in cognitive scores based on the children's growth history. Using hierarchical linear modeling, child-centered home environment and small family size were related to better cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: The low scores of both groups point to the need for programs promoting a child-centered home environment.     

A meta‐analysis of nutrition interventions on mental development of children under‐two in low‐ and middle‐income countries

Interventions to improve nutritional status of young children in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC) may have the added benefit of improving their mental and motor development. This meta‐analysis updates and goes beyond previous ones by answering two important questions: (1) do prenatal and postnatal nutritional inputs improve mental development, and (2) are effects on mental development associated with two theoretically interesting mediators namely physical growth and motor development? The meta‐analysis of articles on Medline, PsycINFO, Global Health and Embase was limited to randomized trials in LMICs, with mental development of children from birth to age two years as an outcome. The initial yield of 2689 studies was reduced to 33; 12 received a global quality rating of strong. Of the 10 prenatal and 23 postnatal nutrition interventions, the majority used zinc, iron/folic acid, vitamin A or multiple micronutrients, with a few evaluating macronutrients. The weighted mean effect size, Cohen's d (95% CI) for prenatal and postnatal nutrition interventions on mental development was 0.042 (?0.0084, 0.092) and 0.076 (0.019, 0.13), respectively. Postnatal supplements consisting of macronutrients yielded an effect size d (95% CI) of 0.14 (0.0067, 0.27), multiple micronutrients 0.082 (?0.012, 0.18) and single micronutrients 0.058 (?0.0015, 0.12). Motor development, but not growth status, effect sizes were significantly associated with mental development in postnatal interventions. In summary, nutrition interventions had small effects on mental development. Future studies might have greater effect if they addressed macronutrient deficiencies combined with child stimulation and hygiene and sanitation interventions.     

Motor Development in Children with Sotos' Cerebral Gigantism

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the motor development of 11 children with Sotos' syndrome. The children ranged in age from 5 to 14 years. The Bruinink-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) was used to assess motor skills. Results indicated motor performance of Sotos' subjects was substantially below normal age expectations. A comparison between Sotos' subjects and children of comparable age and intelligence (n=72) revealed no significant difference in seven of the eight subtests of the BOTMP. On the eight subtest, Balance, the Sotos' subjects performed significantly lower (p<.01) than the mildly mental retarded group. A pattern of specific motor concerns in children with Sotos' syndrome was revealed including generally delayed gross motor skills, balance and deficits and poor eye-hand coordination. Implications for occupational physical therapy and future research on children with Sotos' syndrome are offered.     

Nutrition,hygiene, and stimulation education to improve growth,cognitive, language,and motor development among infants in Uganda: A cluster‐randomized trial

Stunting is associated with impaired cognitive and motor function. The effect of an education intervention including nutrition, stimulation, sanitation, and hygiene on child growth and cognitive/language/motor development, delivered to impoverished mothers in Uganda, was assessed. In a community‐based, open cluster‐randomized trial, 511 mother/children dyads aged 6–8 months were enrolled to an intervention (n = 263) or control (n = 248) group. The primary outcome was change in length‐for‐age z‐score at age 20–24 months. Secondary outcomes included anthropometry and scores on the 2 developmental scales: Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development‐III and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. There was no evidence of a difference in mean length‐for‐age z‐score at 20–24 months between the 2 study groups: 0.10, 95% CI [?0.17, 0.36], p = .49. The intervention group had higher mean composite development scores than the controls on Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development‐III, the mean difference being 15.6, 95% CI [10.9, 20.2], p = .0001; 9.9, 95% CI [6.4, 13.2], p = .0001; and 14.6, 95% CI [10.9, 18.2], p = .0001, for cognitive, language, and motor composite scores, respectively. The mean difference in scores from the Ages and Stages Questionnaire were 7.0, 95% CI [2.9, 11.3], p = .001; 5.9, 95% CI [1.2, 10.3], p = .01; 4.2, 95% CI [1.7, 6.7], p = .001; 8.9, 95% CI [5.3, 12.3], p = .0001; and 4.4, 95% CI [0.0, 8.8], p = .05, for communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal–social development, respectively. The intervention education delivered to mothers promoted early development domains in cognitive, language, and motor development but not linear growth of small children in impoverished rural communities in Uganda. Our study showed that child development may be improved with a relatively low cost intervention strategy. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02098031.     

Sensory-Motor and Cognitive Functioning in Children Who Have Undergone Bone Marrow Transplantation

ABSTRACT. Sensory-motor and cognitive functioning was investigated in a group of 32 children treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), 1–6 years after treatment. Twenty-five of the patients had suffered from leukemia. The BMT procedure had involved a regimen of cytostatic drugs and, for leukemia patients, total body irradiation at a dose of 10 Gy, administered in one session. Cytostatic drugs and irradiation are known to be potentially neurotoxic, particularly when combined. The examination involved four neuropsychological tests of sensory-motor and cognitive functioning, as well as an age-appropriate intelligence test. For control the bone marrow donors (n=32), siblings of the patients, were also investigated. A pronounced delay in motor development was found in four children, who had been treated with BMT including total body irradiation before 3 years of age. Patients between 3 and 11 years of age at BMT were at a slight disadvantage, compared to donors, on tasks involving perceptual and fine motor speed. In older patients no deficits were observed.     

Childhood asthma complicated by anxiety: An application of cognitive behavioural therapy

Objective : To identify characteristics within the patient and the environment that might be instrumental in triggering and maintaining an episode of asthma in children whose objective lung function tests suggested a less severe exacerbation than the subjective report and behaviour indicated, and also to investigate the efficacy of a cognitive behavioural intervention, using the paradigm of a panic anxiety disorder.
Methodology : A retrospective investigation of 23 case records and psychosocial histories, focusing on the characteristics of the sample and the number of presentations and admissions before and after the intervention, which is described.
Results : Children aged 10-12 years predominated. A precipitating event triggered a fear that their condition had deteriorated in the context of a growing understanding that asthma in a child could be fatal. A reduction in presentations and admissions post-intervention is shown.
Conclusions : The paradigm of panic disorder is useful to understand the sudden onset of apparent deterioration in the severity of asthma when objective lung function tests do not support the subjective experience.