The effect of click rate on latency and interpeak interval of the brain-stem auditory evoked potentials in children from birth to 6 years

Latency and interpeak interval of the brain-stem auditory evoked potentials at different click rates were measured in 80 healthy children from birth to 6 years, and 21 adults. Clicks were presented at 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90/sec, and 70, 40 and 20 db HL. At high stimulus intensity (70 dB SL), all latencies of waves I, III and V and the I–V, I–III and III–V intervals showed a progressive prolongation with increasing repetition rate. The latency- and the interval-rate functions were similar for all age groups but their slopes were slightly steeper in younger than in older. As click rate increased from 10/sec to 90/sec, the latencies of waves I, III and V at different age groups were prolonged by 4–10%, 9–13% and 12–15% respectively, and the intervals of I–V, I–III and III–V were prolonged by 15–16%, 8–16% and 14–24% respectively. The mean increments of wave V latency and I–V interval in different age groups were 0.404–0.575 and 0.332–0.526 msec respectively with increasing click rate from 10 to 50/sec, and 0.697–1.009 and 0.629–0.776 msec respectively with increasing click rate from 10 to 90/sec. The younger the age the larger the absolute increments for all these BAEP parameters, but the increasing rates for a BAEP measure were similar among different age groups, exhibiting no age-dependent differences. The III–V/I–III interval ration in most age groups was increased by 3–10% with increasing click rate from 10 to 90/sec, suggesting that the III–V interval was affected by stimulus rate slightly more than I–III interval.At moderate (40 dB HL) and low (20 dB SL) intensity, all waves and intervals showed similar latency- and interval-rate functions to those at high intensity. This demonstrates that the shifting latencies and interpeak intervals with increasing click rate appeared to be independent of the stimulus intensities.     

The origins of belonging: social motivation in infants and young children

Our reliance on our group members has exerted a profound influence over our motivation: successful group functioning requires that we are motivated to interact, and engage, with those around us. In other words, we need to belong. In this article, I explore the developmental origins of our need to belong. I discuss existing evidence that, from early in development, children seek to affiliate with others and to form long-lasting bonds with their group members. Furthermore, when children are deprived of a sense of belonging, it has negative consequences for their well-being. This focus on social motivation enables us to examine why and in what circumstances children engage in particular behaviours. It thus provides an important complement to research on social cognition. In doing so, it opens up important questions for future research and provides a much-needed bridge between developmental and social psychology.     

The effect of socio-economic status and food availability on first birth interval in a pre-industrial human population

Individual variation in nutritional status has direct implications for fitness and thus is crucial in shaping patterns of life-history variation. Nevertheless, it is difficult to measure in natural populations, especially in humans. Here, we used longitudinal data on individual life-histories and annual crop yield variation collected from pre-industrial Finnish populations experiencing natural mortality and fertility to test the validity of first birth interval (FBI; time between marriage and first birth) as a surrogate measure of nutritional status. We evaluated whether women with different socio-economic groups differ in length of FBI, whether women of poorer socio-economic status and experiencing lower crop yields conceive slower following marriage, and whether shorter FBI is associated with higher lifetime breeding success. We found that poorer women had longer FBI and reduced probability of giving birth in months with low food availability, while the FBI of richer women was not affected by variation in food availability. Women with shorter FBI achieved higher lifetime breeding success and a faster reproductive rate. This is, to our knowledge, the first study to show a direct relationship between environmental conditions and speed of childbirth following marriage, highlighting the value of FBI as an indicator of nutritional status when direct data are lacking.     

Interobserver reliability of skinfold measurements in infants and young children

Interobserver reliabilities were determined for the triceps, biceps, subscapular, suprailiac, and abdominal skinfolds in 77 children, 9-24 months of age. Technical errors of measurement (replicate variances) and coefficients of variation were compared to data on 12-17-year-olds from the U.S. Health Examination Survey (HES) to 2.5-7-year-old Guatamalan children. Of the five skinfolds, the between-observer variation was not significantly different from zero in four; in the case of the biceps fold, F-ratio was significant at p less than .01. Errors of measurement are less for these data than for the HES or Guatemalan studies. This difference is attributed to the larger means of the older children and youth, as well as to the greater error of measurement shown to exist for larger skinfolds.     

Influence of tidal volume on respiratory compliance in anesthetized infants and young children

Recent studies have suggested a close association between total respiratory compliance (Crs) and tidal volume in anesthetized paralyzed infants who are being artificially ventilated. To investigate this further, the multiple occlusion technique was used to measure Crs in 20 anesthetized infants and young children (aged 1-25 mo) before elective surgery. Measurements were made after intubation 1) during spontaneous breathing (SB), 2) after administration of a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant with tidal volume and frequency mimicking that during SB, and 3) with the child still paralyzed but tidal volume approximately double that during SB. Compared with values obtained during SB, there was no significant change in Crs after paralysis when ventilation matched the child's own pattern (P greater than 0.2). When ventilated with the larger tidal volumes, the infants showed a highly significant increase in Crs (mean 62%, range 14-158%, P less than 0.0001). These results may have implications not only for studies performed during anesthesia but also when infants were monitored in the intensive care setting. Values of Crs obtained in ventilated infants may reflect both the mechanical behavior of the respiratory system and the pattern of ventilation at the time of measurement.     

Brief communication: The Granada osteological collection of identified infants and young children

The objective of this study is to present the characteristics of a collection of identified infants and young children housed in the Laboratory of Anthropology of the University of Granada, Spain. The sample, which is still being enlarged, is currently composed of 230 complete skeletons aged from 5 months of gestation to 8 years, with a majority below 1 year. It mainly dates from the mid‐20th century. The state of preservation is very good, and antemortem information is available from burial and death certificates, among other documents. Our sample makes an important contribution to the relatively few collections available in the world for investigating the osteological development of the skeletons of infants and young children from a physical anthropological perspective. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effect of interval training in children with exercise-induced asthma competing in soccer

A lot of emphasis has been placed in screening individuals with exercise-induced bronchospasm in order to avoid persistence bronchial hyperactivity and consequent chronic silent inflammation of the respiratory tract. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of interval training on the respiratory function and endurance in children with exercise-induced asthma (EIA) participating in the sport of soccer. Twenty-nine boys ages 10-14, who developed EIA after a 6-minute free running test (decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second: FEV(1)10%), participated in the study. They were divided into 2 groups (experimental: n = 18, and control: n = 11), fulfilling the same criteria (i.e., age, body height and weight, and severity of asthma). The experimental group exercised with the interval training method for a period of 8 weeks, (3 sessions per week), whereas the control group exercised with the usual football program. Measurements were made for FEV(1) and endurance in both groups, before and after the application of training (8 weeks). Following the implementation of the training program, a significant improvement in FEV(1) and endurance was documented in the experimental group, as well as significant differences between the 2 groups. In conclusion, duration and aerobic training via the interval method seems to be beneficial to soccer players with EIA.     

Factors affecting reproduction in rehabilitant female orangutans: young age at first birth and short inter-birth interval

This study investigated the reproductive parameters of free-ranging rehabilitant female orangutans. We aimed to assess the factors that influence these parameters and provide information that could assist with the management of orangutan reintroduction programs. We analyzed the birth records of free-ranging female rehabilitants at Bukit Lawang, Bukit Tigapuluh, Sepilok, Camp Leakey, Kaja Island, Sungai Wain, and Meratus and compared them with reproductive parameters reported in wild and zoo populations. Females’ ages at first birth were 10.6–14.7 years, significantly earlier than those of wild and zoo orangutans. Computed inter-birth intervals (IBIs) calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method were 65.1–90.1 months; the values for Camp Leakey and Bukit Lawang rehabilitants were significantly shorter than those reported for wild Sumatran orangutans. Infant mortality rates were 18–61%; the values for Bukit Lawang and Sepilok were significantly higher than those reported for wild Sumatran and zoo orangutans. In rehabilitants, young ages at first birth and shorter IBIs may result from the high energy intake enabled by provisioning, although the possibility exists that they reflect underestimations of age on arrival at rehabilitation centers. The observed high infant mortality rate may reflect poor mothering skills due to human rearing and/or increased disease transmission. This study demonstrates that accelerated reproductive rates (younger age at first birth and shorter IBI) are common in provisioned rehabilitant females on both Sumatra and Borneo.     

遵义地区婴幼儿重症肺炎细菌病原学分析

目的 监测遵义地区3岁以下婴幼儿重症肺炎的细菌病原学种类分布和耐药情况,指导本地区临床医师合理选择抗生素.方法 对313例PICU病房重症肺炎婴幼儿用一次性无菌吸痰管负压吸取下呼吸道痰液,将合格痰标本进行细菌培养和药敏分析.结果 155例(49.52％)痰培养阳性,检出细菌197株(62.93％);其中革兰阴性菌128株(64.97％),以肺炎克雷伯菌、大肠埃希菌为主;超广谱B-内酰胺酶(ESBLs)阳性检出率为35.93％;革兰阴性菌(ESBLs阳性)对氨苄西林/舒巴坦、头孢唑啉、头孢曲松、头孢吡肟、复方新诺明耐药率较高,对亚胺培南、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦、环丙沙星耐药率低.革兰阳性菌65株(32.99％),以肺炎链球菌、金黄色葡萄球菌为主;对红霉素、克林霉素耐药率较高,对万古霉素、利奈唑胺、替加环素、呋喃妥因、利福平耐药率低.真菌4例.革兰阳性菌组与革兰阴性菌组比较,微循环障碍发生率差异有统计学意义(17.95％VS5.17％,P＜0.05).结论 遵义地区婴幼儿重症肺炎以革兰阴性菌居多,主要病原依次为肺炎克雷伯杆菌、大肠埃希菌、肺炎链球菌、金黄色葡萄球菌,ESBLs阳性率高,革兰阴性菌对抗菌药物的耐药性较普遍,抗生素的合理使用是降低感染和细菌耐药的重要保证.     

母乳联合妈咪爱对极低出生体重儿炎性细胞因子的影响

目的 探讨母乳联合妈咪爱对极低出生体重儿（ELBWI）炎性细胞因子的影响。方法 采用前瞻性研究法,选择2012年2月至2016年5月在我院诊治的ELBWI 76例,根据随机数字表法分为观察组与对照组各38例,对照组给予母乳喂养,观察组给予母乳联合妈咪爱喂养,两组均给予暖箱保暖、治疗原发病等对症治疗。治疗14 d后,观察两组患儿的预后与炎性细胞因子表达情况。结果 观察组与对照组的喂养不耐受率分别为7.9%和26.3%,观察组明显少于对照组（χ2=3.289,P0.05）。观察组治疗后的血清IL-6与TNF-α含量分别为（16.33±11.61）ng/L和（25.23±8.92）ng/L,均明显低于对照组的（26.35±11.56）ng/L与（33.72±10.36）ng/L（P<0.05）,且都明显低于治疗前（P<0.05）。结论 母乳联合妈咪爱喂养可改善ELBWI早期喂养的耐受性,提高患儿免疫功能,降低炎性细胞因子IL-6与TNF-α的表达,从而对生长发育有一定促进作用。