Smoking in pregnancy and child development to age 9 years

This study examined the association between women's retrospective reports of smoking during pregnancy and subsequent language, cognitive, behavioural and physical development in their children up to age 9 years. While there was a strong association between maternal smoking and an index of disadvantageous child rearing, maternal smoking was not associated with more general family disadvantage. After controlling for levels of background disadvantage, no relationship was found between reports of smoking and language, cognitive or physical development. However, smoking was related to maternal reports of behaviour problems at age of school entry. Possible explanations for this relationship are discussed.     

ALTERED EXPRESSION OF TGFα AND TGFβ1 IN THE MUCOSA OF THE FUNCTIONING PELVIC ILEAL POUCH

The mucosa of the functioning pelvic ileal pouch undergoes loss of villous height and an increase in crypt cell proliferation as an adaptive response to its new luminal environment. These changes can occur in the absence of inflammation and could be mediated by growth factors such as transforming growth factors alpha and beta1 (TGFα and TGFβ1). Expression of TGFα and TGFβ1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein was determined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in sections of terminal ileum taken at the time of pouch formation and of subsequent pouch biopsies from 14 patients (total of 90 specimens). Crypt cell proliferation was assessed using the monoclonal antibody MIB-1. As ileal pouch mucosa underwent loss of villous height and crypt hyperplasia, epithelial expression of TGFα mRNA and protein decreased. In contrast, TGFβ1 mRNA and protein were abundant in both normal and flat mucosa. Epithelial expression of TGFβ1 protein was maximal in flat, inflamed biopsies. These results suggest that although altered expression of TGFα and TGFβ1 mRNA and protein may play some part in the regulation of the adaptive response in ileal pouch mucosa, TGFα does not have a direct, positive role in the regulation of crypt cell proliferation.     

Onset and lifetime use of drugs in New Zealand: Results from Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey 2003–2004

Introduction and Aims. Onset and lifetime use of drugs have not previously been reported for all adult ages in New Zealand. This paper reports such results and, for people born in New Zealand, compares age of onset across ethnic groups. Design and Methods. A nationally representative cross‐sectional survey was carried out in 2003–2004, with oversampling of Māori and Pacific people. Participants were aged 16 years or more, living in permanent private dwellings. In the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0), participants were asked if they had ever used drugs (alcohol, tobacco and five groups of other drugs) and the age of first use (except for tobacco). Estimates are weighted. Results. The response rate of 73.3% yielded 12 992 interviews. The percentage of participants who had ever used drugs was: 94.6% for alcohol, 50.8% for tobacco and 42.6% for any extramedical drug, including 41.6% for cannabis, 4.2% for cocaine and 2.9% for opioids. Use was much more common in recent cohorts for extramedical drugs. The median age of onset in each age cohort was always lowest for alcohol, then cannabis, then opioids, then cocaine. Among those born in New Zealand, Māori were more at risk of use than ‘Others’ with the lowest risk for Pacific people. Discussion and Conclusions. Interventions to prevent or to delay the onset of drug use need to occur before and during adolescence. The major cohort differences and the widespread experience of cannabis use help to explain the diversity of opinion in New Zealand about how to deal with this drug.[Wells JE, McGee MA, Baxter J, Agnew F, Kokaua J for the New Zealand Mental Health Survey Research Team. Onset and lifetime use of drugs in New Zealand: Results from Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey 2003–2004. Drug Alcohol Rev 2009;28:166–174]     

The New Zealand rugby injury and performance project: alcohol use patterns within a cohort of rugby players

Although heavy drinking has traditionally been associated with rugby, the drinking patterns of New Zealand rugby players have not been examined. Three hundred and forty-eight rugby players (257 males and 91 females), completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) at the beginning of the 1993 rugby season. The mean AUDIT scores were 11.2 (SD = 5.1) for the males and 8.7 (4.1) for the females: a cut-off of 8.0 has been recommended by the developers of the instrument for identifying alcohol use disorders. The consumption of large quantities of alcohol, and a high frequency of heavy drinking sessions were the norm for this group. Sixty-one per cent of males and 38% of females consumed six or more drinks in a session at least weekly: typically, men drank 10 or more drinks in a session and women 5-6 drinks. The patterns of drinking exhibited by the cohort give cause for concern regarding the health risks associated with suck behaviour.     

A longitudinal study of enuresis from five to nine years

The prevalence of primary and secondary enuresis was examined longitudinally in a large sample of New Zealand children at ages 5, 7, and 9 years. While the prevalence of primary enuresis fell over time, secondary enuresis increased in prevalence between 5 and 7 years. There were no sex differences. An examination of some of the developmental and background characteristics of the sample indicated that enuresis was not associated with neurodevelopmental delay or 'psychosocial' factors. However, there were strong, long term associations between secondary enuresis and behavioural deviance. The behavioural results suggested that behaviour problems did not arise as a consequence of enuresis, but rather preceded it.