Diagnostic accuracy of ASQ for screening of neurodevelopmental delays in low resource countries.

Objective: The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) is the most used diagnostic tool to identify neurodevelopmental disorders in children under age 3 but is challenging to use in low-resource countries. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is an easy-to-use, low-cost clinical tool completed by parents/caregivers that screens children for developmental delay. The objective was to determine the performance of ASQ as a screening tool for neurodevelopmental impairment when compared with BSID second edition (BSID-II) for the diagnosis of moderate-to-severe neurodevelopmental impairment among infants at 12 and 18 months of age in low-resource countries.

The intersection of gross motor abilities and participation in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate movement difficulties in addition to problems with social communication and interactions, and repetitive or restrictive behaviors. The goal of early intervention for children with disabilities is to promote participation in routines and activities, but little is known about the role gross motor abilities contribute to participation for young children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between gross motor abilities and participation in preschool-aged children with ASD.

Maternal methylmercury exposure through rice ingestion and child neurodevelopment in the first three years: a prospective cohort study in rural China.

Background: Rice is an important dietary source for methylmercury; however, rice does not contain the same beneficial nutrients as fish. Our main objective was to assess associations of prenatal methylmercury exposure through rice ingestion with child neurodevelopment in rural China.

Methods: Eligible peripartum women were enrolled (n = 391), provided peripartum hair samples, and children's neurodevelopment was assessed at 12 months (n = 264, 68%) and 36 months (n = 190, 48%) using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition, including the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI).

Neurodevelopment correlates with gut microbiota in a cross-sectional analysis of children at 3 years of age in rural China.

We investigated cross-sectional associations between children's neurodevelopment and their gut microbiota composition. Study children (36 months of age) lived in rural China (n = 46). Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition, yielding the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI).

Associations between feeding practices and growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 36 months among children living in low- and low-middle income countries who participated in the BRAIN-HIT trial.

Background: Feeding practices over the first several years of a child's life can critically influence development. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between feeding practices and growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 36 months of age among children from low- and low-middle-income countries (LMIC).

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using data collected from children in India, Pakistan, and Zambia who were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a home-based early development intervention program called Brain Research to Ameliorate Impaired Neurodevelopment Home-based Intervention Trial.

Social and Non-social Hazard Response in Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Driving is a complex task that relies on manual, cognitive, visual and social skill. The social demands of driving may be challenging for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to known social impairments. This study investigated how drivers with ASD respond to social (e.

Maternal methylmercury exposure through rice ingestion and offspring neurodevelopment: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Dietary methylmercury intake can occur not only through fish ingestion but also through rice ingestion; however, rice does not contain the same beneficial micronutrients as fish.

Objectives: In rural China, where rice is a staple food, associations between prenatal methylmercury exposure (assessed using maternal hair mercury) and impacts on offspring neurodevelopment were investigated.

Methods: A total of 398 mothers were recruited at parturition at which time a sample of scalp hair was collected.

Home-Based Early Intervention and the Influence of Family Resources on Cognitive Development.

Objective: To investigate whether early developmental intervention (EDI) can positively affect the trajectories of cognitive development among children from low-resource families.

Methods: Longitudinal analyses were conducted of data from 293 children in the Brain Research to Ameliorate Impaired Neurodevelopment Home-based Intervention Trial, a randomized controlled trial of a home-based EDI program, to examine trajectories of Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition Mental Development Index (MDI) scores from 12 to 36 months of age among young children from high- and low-resource families in 3 low- to middle-resource countries.

Results: A 3-way interaction among family resources, intervention group, and age was statistically significant after controlling for maternal, child, and birth characteristics (Wald χ(2)(1) = 9.

Development of a 12 month screener based on items from the Bayley II Scales of Infant Development for use in Low Middle Income countries.

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to adapt the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II for use as a screening measure that could be used by health care professionals in Low Middle Income (LMI) countries with 12 month old infants to determine if they needed further assessment and early intervention.

Methods: The adaptations were made as part of a larger study of children participating in a home-based early intervention program in India, Pakistan, and Zambia. Using Item Response Theory, a brief 12 month screener, with excellent sensitivity and specificity was identified.

Dose of early intervention treatment during children's first 36 months of life is associated with developmental outcomes: an observational cohort study in three low/low-middle income countries.

Background: The positive effects of early developmental intervention (EDI) on early child development have been reported in numerous controlled trials in a variety of countries. An important aspect to determining the efficacy of EDI is the degree to which dosage is linked to outcomes. However, few studies of EDI have conducted such analyses.

Developmental trajectories of children with birth asphyxia through 36 months of age in low/low-middle income countries.

Background: Resuscitation following birth asphyxia reduces mortality, but may be argued to increase risk for neurodevelopmental disability in survivors.

Aims: To test the hypothesis that development of infants who received resuscitation following birth asphyxia is not significantly different through 36months of age from infants who had healthy births.

Study Design: Prospective observational cohort design comparing infants exposed to birth asphyxia with resuscitation or healthy birth.

Development of children at risk for adverse outcomes participating in early intervention in developing countries: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Previous research has indicated positive effects of early developmental intervention (EDI) on the development of children in developing countries. Few studies, however, have examined longitudinally when differential treatment effects may be observed and whether differential outcomes are associated with exposure to different risk factors and country of implementation. Also, birth asphyxia as a risk condition has not been well studied.

Randomized trial of early developmental intervention on outcomes in children after birth asphyxia in developing countries.

Objective: To determine if early developmental intervention (EDI) improves developmental abilities in resuscitated children.

Study Design: This was a parallel group, randomized controlled trial of infants unresponsive to stimulation who received bag and mask ventilation as part of their resuscitation at birth and infants who did not require any resuscitation born in rural communities in India, Pakistan, and Zambia. Intervention infants received a parent-implemented EDI delivered with home visits by parent trainers every other week for 3 years starting the first month after birth.

Characteristics of HIV-infected mothers associated with increased risk of poor mother-infant interactions and infant outcomes.

Introduction: The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between individual and familial characteristics of HIV-infected mothers and their psychological health as it relates to parenting as well as their parenting beliefs/abilities.

Method: A descriptive correlational design was used. Seventeen HIV-infected mothers and their infants were recruited from a university clinic in Alabama.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants requiring resuscitation in developing countries.

Objective: To determine whether resuscitation of infants who failed to develop effective breathing at birth increases survivors with neurodevelopmental impairment.

Study Design: Infants unresponsive to stimulation who received bag and mask ventilation at birth in a resuscitation trial and infants who did not require any resuscitation were randomized to early neurodevelopmental intervention or control groups. Infants were examined by trained neurodevelopmental evaluators masked to both their resuscitation history and intervention group.

Mediating factors associated with pedestrian injury in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Objective: Unintentional injury is the leading cause of pediatric mortality. One leading cause of unintentional injury is pedestrian injury. Children with developmental disabilities, particularly those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-combined type (ADHD-C) seem to have increased pedestrian injury risk.

Avatar assistant: improving social skills in students with an ASD through a computer-based intervention.

This study assessed the efficacy of FaceSay, a computer-based social skills training program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This randomized controlled study (N = 49) indicates that providing children with low-functioning autism (LFA) and high functioning autism (HFA) opportunities to practice attending to eye gaze, discriminating facial expressions and recognizing faces and emotions in FaceSay's structured environment with interactive, realistic avatar assistants improved their social skills abilities. The children with LFA demonstrated improvements in two areas of the intervention: emotion recognition and social interactions.

Outcomes of a massage intervention on teen mothers: a pilot study.

The difficulties that adolescent mothers encounter as a result of the combined stress of adolescence, parenthood, maintaining peer relationships, and establishing positive relationships with their infants have been identified in the literature, and these characteristics are often associated with poor infant outcomes. This study was designed to examine the effects of an infant massage intervention on adolescent mothers' attitudes and perceptions of their infants. Twenty-five African-American adolescent mothers (mean age 16.