Evaluation of the risk factors of dental caries in children with very low birth weight and normal birth weight.

Background: Health problems of premature infants can affect both general and oral health. The enamel defects, poor dietary and oral hygiene habits may predispose these children to dental caries. This study was conducted to assess the impact of very low birth weight and prematurity on caries risk in early childhood.

Severe vitamin D deficiency in preterm infants: possibly no association with clinical outcomes?

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels <25 nmol/l in umbilical cord blood versus VLBW infants with 25(OH)D levels in cord blood >25 nmol/l. The secondary objective was to evaluate umbilical cord vitamin D as a risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants.

Methods: We examined 25(OH)D levels in umbilical cord blood and in infants' serum at discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit.

A possible role of the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile in screening for autism: a proof-of-concept study in the specific sample of prematurely born children with birth weights <1,500 g.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the potential of the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP) as a screening tool for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in prematurely born children.

Methods: Parents of 157 children with birth weights <1,500 g (aged 2 years, corrected for prematurity; 88 boys, 69 girls) completed a screening battery that included the ITSP, Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP-ITC). Children with known disabilities were excluded.

Roles of proteome dynamics and cytokinin signaling in root to hypocotyl ratio changes induced by shading roots of Arabidopsis seedlings.

In nature, root systems of most terrestrial plants are protected from light exposure by growing in a dark soil environment. Hence, in vitro cultivation in transparent Petri dishes leads to physiological perturbations, but the mechanisms underlying root-mediated light perception and responses have not been fully elucidated. Thus, we compared Arabidopsis thaliana seedling development in transparent and darkened Petri dishes at low light intensity (20 µmol m(-2) s(-1)), allowing us to follow (inter alia) hypocotyl elongation, which is an excellent process for studying interactions of signals involved in the regulation of growth and developmental responses.

Comparison of three screening tests for autism in preterm children with birth weights less than 1,500 grams.

Background: Preterm children seem to be at increased risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Methods: Parents of 157 children with birth weights less than 1,500 g (age 2 years, corrected for prematurity; 88 boys, 69 girls) completed screening questionnaires. The screening battery included the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP-ITC), and the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP).

Screening for autism in preterm children with extremely low and very low birth weight.

Background: Studies of children with very low birth weight (VLBW, 1,000-1,500 g) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW, less than 1,000 g) indicate that this population seems to be at increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods: Parents of 101 VLBW and ELBW children (age 2 years, corrected for prematurity) agreed to participate in the study and signed informed consents; however, parents of only 75 children (44 boys, 31 girls) completed the screening questionnaires. The screening battery included the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP-ITC), and the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile (ITSP).