Evaluation of Penetration Depth and Caries Progression using Resin Infiltrant in Natural White Spot Lesions of Primary Molars.

Background: Management of white spot lesions (WSLs) using resin infiltrants, like ICON®, is a novel technique that emphasizes the concept of minimally invasive dentistry.

Aim: Evaluate penetration depth and its effect on caries progression of ICON® in natural WSLs of primary molars.

Design: A total of 30 human primary molars with natural WSLs were selected.

Consensus Statement of the IAP - Neurodevelopmental Chapter On Neurodevelopmental Disorders Habilitation Process: Strategic Plan for Prevention, Early Detection and Early Intervention.

Justification: Neurodevelopmental disorders, as per DSM-V, are described as a group of conditions with onset in the development period of childhood. There is a need to distinguish the process of habilitation and rehabilitation, especially in a developing country like India, and define the roles of all stakeholders to reduce the burden of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Process: Subject experts and members of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Chapter of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics, who reviewed the literature on the topic, developed key questions and prepared the first draft on guidelines.

Development and Validation of a Tool for Assessing Pre-Writing Skills of 2-5 y old Children.

Objectives: To develop a tool to assess pre-writing skills of 2-5 y old children in India.

Methods: The tool development process followed the recommendations by Fitzpatrick et al. and the Consensus based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN), and included 4 phases.

Prevalence of Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) Among Children in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Specific learning disorders (SLD) comprise varied conditions with ongoing problems in one of the three areas of educational skills-reading, writing, and arithmetic-which are essential for the learning process. There is a dearth of systematic reviews focused exclusively on the prevalence of SLD in India. Hence, this study was done to estimate the prevalence of SLD in Indian children.

Differential impact of antenatal exposure to antiseizure medications on motor and mental development in infants of women with epilepsy.

Objective: We aimed to determine a possible association between motor and mental development in infants of women with epilepsy and antenatal exposure to antiseizure medication (ASM).

Methods: Developmental paediatricians who were blinded to antenatal ASM exposure evaluated motor and mental development of infants (>12 months) using the Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (an Indian adaptation of the Bayley Scale of Infant Development). Motor (MODQ) and mental development quotients (MEDQ) were computed as ratios of respective developmental age to the chronological age of the child.

Determinants of very low birth weight in India: The National Family Health Survey - 4.

Background Low birth weight (LBW) is susceptible to neonatal complications, chronic medical conditions, and neurodevelopmental disabilities. We aim to describe the determinants of very low birth weight (VLBW) in India and compare it with the determinants of LBW based on the National Family Health Survey - 4 (NHFS-4) Methods Data from the NFHS-4 on birthweight and other socio-demographic characteristics for the youngest child born in the family during the five years preceding the survey were used. Data of 147,762 infant-mother pairs were included.

A Nine-Item Red Flag Sign Card for Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder among Toddlers Aged 12 to 18 Months.

There is a dearth of validated red flags measures for early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among toddlers. Hence, a new screening measure was developed. Item generation was done through literature search.

Fracture Resistance of Reattached Hydrated Fragment of Fractured Incisors.

Background And Objectives: Fragment reattachment procedure provides conservative treatment option when an intact fractured fragment is available. Rewetting of fractured fragment before reattaching has shown better bond strength of attached fragment. Therefore, fracture resistance of reattached fractured fragment with hydration and without hydration was evaluated and compared.

evaluation of milk-based, soy-based, and amino acid-based infant formulas on biofilm formation.

Background And Objective: Infant formulas are based on milk, and the addition of simple carbohydrates as a caloric source, for infants. The carbohydrates added in infant formulas can cause a significant increase of Streptococcus mutans in the oral cavity of infants adding to their cariogenicity.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess and compare the biofilm formation in three commercially available infant formulas;which are based on milk, soy and amino acid.

The market for reproductive tourism: an analysis with special reference to Greece.

Background: For many people, the need for parenthood remains unfulfilled due to biological reasons and a remedy for these individuals is assisted reproduction (AR). Because of widely differing and sometimes incompatible legislations around the world related to AR, there is considerable confusion across national borders. Within Europe, Greece seems to be in a comparatively favorable position because of lower restrictions and the availability of decent quality specialized medical facilities.

Evaluation of C-Reactive Protein and Fibrinogen in Patients with Chronic and Aggressive Periodontitis: A Clinico-Biochemical Study.

Introduction: Periodontal disease is characterised by chronic infection and inflammation in periodontal tissues leading to destruction of alveolar bone with subsequent tooth loss. Periodontal infections are the result of an interaction between tooth associated microbial biofilms and the host defences. Periodontal pathogens can affect local and systemic immune and inflammatory responses.

Infantile spasms: A prognostic evaluation.

Background: Few papers address the comprehensive prognosis in infantile spasms and look into the seizure profile and psychomotor outcome.

Objective: We aimed to follow up children with infantile spasms to study: a) the etiology, demographics, semiology, electroencephalogram (EEG), and radiological pattern; b) seizure control, psychomotor development, and EEG resolution with treatment; c) the effects of various factors on the control of spasms, resolution of EEG changes, and psychomotor development at 3-year follow-up.

Materials And Methods: Fifty newly diagnosed cases with a 1-12 month age of onset and who had hypsarrhythmia in their EEG were recruited and 43 were followed up for 3 years.

Language Evaluation Scale Trivandrum (LEST 3-6 years) Development and Validation.

Language Evaluation Scale Trivandrum (LEST:3-6 years) with 31-items, was validated against extended REELS with a community sample-606 children (3-6yrs). One item and two item delay as LEST delay showed a sensitivity of (81%, 47%); specificity (68%, 94%), PPV (12%, 31%); NPV (98%, 97%) and accuracy (68.5%, 92%), respectively.

CDC Kerala--The Untold Story.

This article is our life time experience in conceptualizing and systematically developing Child Development Centre (CDC) Kerala in the last 25 years, from a research project to a national training centre in child and adolescent development and premarital counseling. CDC Kerala's major contribution was in creating a 'conceptual framework' of a valid link between childhood disability, low birth weight, adolescent girls' nutrition and fetal onset adult lifestyle diseases. It all started with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) proving beyond doubt that early stimulation is effective in improving the neurodevelopmental status of high risk babies at one and two years and the same cohort was followed-up in detail at 5, 13, 16, 19 and 24 completed years.

CDC Kerala 2: Developmental intervention package for babies <1,800 g--outcome at 6 mo using DASII.

Objectives: To describe the experience of using developmental intervention package among low birth weight babies less than 1,800 g and developmental outcome at the end of 6 mo monthly intervention.

Methods: Babies below 1,800 g, discharged from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Sree Avittom Thirunal (SAT) hospital, over the last 3 y, were followed at Child Development Centre (CDC) Kerala and offered monthly evaluation by different tools and developmental intervention using a package by trained developmental therapists and mothers were encouraged to continue the same at home. At the end of 6 mo the developmental outcome was assessed using Developmental Assessment Scale for Indian Infants (DASII).

CDC Kerala 11: Diagnosis of autism among children between 2 and 6 y--comparison of CARS against DSM-IV-TR.

Objectives: To compare diagnosis of childhood autism using CARS cut off scores of ≥30 and the new Indian cut off scores of ≥33 against the gold standard DSM-IV-TR criteria available during the study period 2009-10.

Methods: The study was conducted at the autism clinic of Child Development centre (CDC), Kerala. Two hundred consecutive children between 2 and 6 y with symptoms suggestive of autism were administered both CARS by a trained developmental therapist and DSM-IV-TR by a developmental pediatrician on the same day, both blind to the test results of each other.

CDC Kerala 10: Diagnostic accuracy of the severity scores for childhood autism rating scale in India.

Objective: To document the diagnostic accuracy of the Childhood Autism Scale (CARS) thresholds to identify mild, moderate and severe autism in India.

Methods: The CARS scores of 623 children, with and without autism were compared against the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) for ASD diagnosis and clinical consensus between two developmental paediatricians as the reference standard for autism severity using the Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses and contingency tables.

Results: The CARS total score for mild, moderate and severe autism ranged from 30.

CDC Kerala 14: Early child care practices at home among children (2-6 y) with autism--a case control study.

Objectives: To compare early child care practices at home as possible risk factors among children between 2 and 6 y of age with autism and a control group of normal children without any symptom of autism, presenting at the well-baby/immunization clinic.

Methods: This case control study was undertaken at the autism clinic of CDC Kerala, comparing possible risk factors for autism among 143 children between 2 and 6 y with autism as per CARS criteria and a control group of 200 normal children of the same age from well-baby/immunization clinic of SAT hospital. The data was collected using a structured pre-piloted questionnaire, which included 11 questions administered by the same senior social scientist, on early child care practices at home that have been universally considered as important for child development.

CDC Kerala 8: Effectiveness of a clinic based, low intensity, early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder in India: a naturalistic observational study.

Objective: To document the effectiveness of low intensity, clinic based intervention models for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in countries with low disability resources.

Methods: Thirty-nine participants with a mean (SD) of 36.03(11.

CDC Kerala 12: Socio-demographic factors among children (2-6 y) with autism--a case control study.

Objectives: To compare the socio-demographic factors among children between 2 and 6 y of age with autism and a control group of normal children.

Methods: One hundred forty three confirmed cases of 2-6 y-old children with autism, attending autism clinic of Child Development Centre, who had a CARS score of more than 30 were included in the study. Two hundred normal children in the same age group were recruited from the well-baby/immunization clinic of SAT Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

CDC Kerala 13: Antenatal, natal and postnatal factors among children (2-6 y) with autism--a case control study.

Objectives: To compare antenatal, natal and postnatal factors among children between 2-6 y of age with autism and a control group of normal children.

Methods: One hundred and forty three confirmed cases of 2-6 y-old children with autism, attending autism clinic of Child Development Centre, who had a CARS score of ≥ 30 were included in the study. Two hundred normal children in the same age group were recruited from the well-baby/immunization clinic of SAT Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.

CDC Kerala 15: Developmental Evaluation Clinic (2-10 y)--developmental diagnosis and use of home intervention package.

Objective: To describe the last 5 years' experience of Child Development Centre (CDC), Kerala Developmental Evaluation Clinic II for children between 2 and 10 y, referred for suspicion of developmental lag in the preschool years and scholastic difficulty in the primary classes with specific focus on developmental profile and the experience of the home based intervention package taught to the mothers.

Methods: A team of evaluators including developmental therapist, preschool teacher with special training in clinical child development, speech therapist, special educator, clinical psychologist and developmental pediatrician assessed all the children referred to CDC Kerala. Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST-II), Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) and Intelligent Quotient (IQ) tests were administered to all children below 6 y and those above 6 with apparent developmental delay.

CDC Kerala 16: Early Detection of developmental delay/disability among children below 6 y--a district model.

Objective: To develop a district model for establishing early detection of childhood disability below 6 y of age and to develop appropriate referral linkages for confirmation of the diagnosis and establish home based early intervention therapy to all needy children.

Methods: Trained Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers conducted the preliminary survey for identifying developmental delay/disability among children below 6 y of age using Trivandrum Developmental Screening Chart (TDSC) (0-6 y) and a team of experts assessed the screen positives in developmental evaluation camps conducted at primary health centres (PHCs).

Results: Community survey was carried out and 1,01,438 children below 6 y of age in Thiruvananthapuram district were screened by ASHA workers and 2,477 (2.