Publications by authors named "Keiko Yamazaki"
Objectives: To examine the association between maternal plasma cotinine concentrations during pregnancy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) related characteristics in children.
Design: Prospective birth cohort study from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health.
Setting: Hokkaido, Japan.
Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) presents motor skill delays in early childhood and has been associated with later maladaptation, necessitating early intervention. However, research on the potential risk factors, particularly in preschool-aged children, remains scarce.
Aims: We aimed to explore the association between small for gestational age (SGA) and other factors and motor coordination problems in 5-6-year-olds from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health Cohort.
[Involvement of public health nurses in supporting mothers after maternity health checkups].
Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi
November 2024
Objectives This study aimed to analyze and clarify the role of public health nurses (PHNs) in assisting mothers who need assistance during antenatal checkups.Methods This study was conducted in core city, A. The study participants were PHNs who experienced supporting at least three mothers who required support during maternity health checkups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: With the recent advent of technology, it is important to confirm the health and safety of the youth. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the relationship between Wi-Fi, cordless phones, and mobile phone usage patterns and behavioral problems.
Methods: This study involved 2465 children aged 8-17 years from the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health from October 2020 to January 2021, with a follow-up from September 2021 to March 2022.
Background: Childhood asthma is known to be affected by a range of factors, including conditions in the indoor environment. While flooring material influences indoor air conditions, the potential association between flooring materials and childhood asthma remains poorly understood in Japan.
Objective: The present study aims to assess the association between childhood asthma incidence and the primary flooring material with the ongoing prospective nationwide birth cohort data of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).
Background: Heavy metals such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) have been associated with adverse pregnancy and developmental outcomes, including congenital abnormalities. This study investigated the association between exposure to heavy metals and trace elements during fetal life and congenital limb abnormalities in infants.
Methods: This study is based on a prospective ongoing nationwide birth cohort from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how indoor environmental factors during pregnancy influence childhood eczema in Japan, aiming to fill knowledge gaps concerning this connection.
- Using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, researchers analyzed responses from over 71,000 mother-child pairs, focusing on indoor conditions and eczema symptoms in children up to 3 years old.
- Findings revealed that higher mold levels, gas heater use, parquet flooring, and frequent insecticide application significantly increase the risk of developing eczema, suggesting a need for updated WHO guidelines on indoor air quality to better protect child health.
Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant global health concern with potential health risks and developmental implications for infants. Catch-up growth, an accelerated growth following an inhibition period, may partially compensate for growth deficits in LBW children.
Aims: This study investigated the prevalence of LBW and catch-up growth in height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) among LBW children in Japan, identified factors associated with LBW, and explored the potential for catch-up growth at different ages up to seven years.
Article Synopsis
- - Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common pediatric condition linked to future heart issues, but its causes are still unclear and may be related to PFAS, harmful substances found in various products.
- - The study drew from a large birth cohort in Japan, monitoring over 25,000 children exposed to 28 types of PFAS during pregnancy to see if these chemicals affected KD risk by analyzing health outcomes until the children turned four.
- - Results showed no significant relationship between PFAS exposure and KD incidence, with statistical analyses indicating a negative correlation between the PFAS mixture and KD occurrence, suggesting that PFAS may not increase KD risk.
Resistant hypertension is defined as uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) despite the use of three or more antihypertensive drugs of different classes. Although genetic factors may greatly contribute to hypertension with resistance to multiple drug classes, more than for general hypertension, its pathogenesis remains unknown. To reveal the genetic background of resistant hypertension, we categorized 32,239 patients whose data were obtained from the BioBank Japan Project, by prescription of 7 classes of antihypertensive drugs and performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS).
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- The study investigates the relationship between a child's age when they first use a mobile device, the time spent using it, and behavioral issues in school-aged children.
- The results indicate that younger children who start using mobile devices early and for longer periods exhibit more problematic behaviors, with this effect being most significant in elementary school kids.
- The findings suggest that early mobile device usage may lead to increased emotional instability and oppositional behaviors as children grow into their teenage years, particularly affecting younger students.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) that interacts with HLA class I molecules and affects natural killer cell function, highlighting its significance in immunity.
- Researchers conducted deep sequencing of KIR genes from a large sample of individuals to enhance understanding of KIR genetics, discovering 118 alleles and establishing a detailed genetic linkage map.
- Utilizing a highly accurate reference panel for KIR genotyping, the study also explored genetic associations with various traits, finding minimal significant links, even with those related to immune functions.
The opportunities for exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) among children are increasing. Children's exposure to RF-EMF in Japan was recorded using a personal exposure meter (ExpoM-RF), and factors associated with the exposure examined. A total of 101 children, aged 10-15 years old, participated in the prospective birth cohort "Hokkaido study".
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- This study investigated the relationship between orofacial clefts and sleep duration in children at various ages (1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years) in Japan, involving a large cohort of 91,497 children.
- The research found that while children with orofacial clefts are known to be at risk for sleep-disordered breathing, their actual sleep durations were similar to those of the control group at all assessed ages.
- Overall, the study concluded that there are no significant associations between isolated orofacial clefts and sleep duration, indicating that children with these clefts experienced adequate sleep.
This study aimed to document the complication status of infants with orofacial clefts born between 2011 and 2014 in Japan. This was a descriptive study using data from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Among 103 060 pregnancies, 248 infants with orofacial clefts were included (livebirth, 239; stillbirth, 4; miscarriage, 5).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpact of prenatal exposure to mercury and selenium on neurodevelopmental delay in children in the Japan environment and Children's study using the ASQ-3 questionnaire: A prospective birth cohort.
Environ Int
October 2022
Neurodevelopmental delay is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Prenatal metal exposure can potentially cause neurodevelopmental delays in children. This study examines whether prenatal exposure to mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) is associated with the risk of neurodevelopmental delays in children up to 4 years of age.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Caffeine intake by pregnant women may have neurodevelopmental effects on the fetus due to adenosine antagonism. However, there are insufficient data and inconsistent results from epidemiological studies on the effect of maternal caffeine intake on child development.
Aims: This study examined the association between mothers' estimated caffeine intake during pregnancy and their children's score on the Japanese version of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires™ (J-ASQ) at 6 and 12 months of age.
Article Synopsis
- Past research links prenatal exposure to dioxin-like compounds (DLC) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with negative neurodevelopment outcomes in children, suggesting specific cognitive impacts detectable through event-related brain potentials (ERPs).
- A study involved 55 thirteen-year-olds performing a task to measure P3a and P3b brain waves, which indicate automatic and voluntary attention processes respectively, while analyzing blood and hair samples for DLC and methylmercury (MeHg) exposure.
- The findings revealed that increased MeHg exposure led to shorter reaction times and quicker decision-making (reflected in P3b latency), which could misleadingly suggest improved cognitive function; however, decreased P3a amplitude correlated
Article Synopsis
- Disruption of thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy may link perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children.
- A study involving 770 mother-child pairs examined maternal PFAS exposure and its effect on children’s ADHD symptoms at age eight, using blood samples to measure PFAS and thyroid hormone levels.
- Results indicated that higher maternal PFAS levels were associated with lower ADHD risks, particularly regarding hyperactivity-impulsivity in first-born children, suggesting that certain thyroid hormones may mediate this effect.
Article Synopsis
- This study investigated how mold growth and different types of stoves, along with fragrance materials, relate to early childhood wheezing and asthma using data from a large cohort in Japan.* -
- It found that mold growth and the use of wood stoves/fireplaces are linked to higher odds of wheezing in children, but these factors did not show a significant association with diagnosed asthma overall.* -
- The research highlights the importance of eliminating mold and using cleaner heating options to help reduce childhood wheezing and asthma, especially in northern regions where these associations are stronger.*
Article Synopsis
- - Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) are linked to negative outcomes for children, such as low birth weight and preterm birth, but research on early childhood growth remains limited.
- - In a study involving 20,926 mother-infant pairs in Japan, researchers found that male children born to mothers with HDP had smaller birth heights compared to those without HDP, and specific growth patterns were noted.
- - While male children with HDP initially had lower birth weight, by age seven, they actually gained more weight compared to non-HDP males, indicating a potential catch-up growth, although similar patterns were not seen in female children and further studies are needed.
Association between the Concentrations of Metallic Elements in Maternal Blood during Pregnancy and Prevalence of Abdominal Congenital Malformations: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
September 2021
Article Synopsis
- Abdominal congenital malformations contribute to issues like early infant mortality and biological dysfunction, with previous studies suggesting that in utero exposure to metallic elements may be harmful.
- This study aimed to explore the relationship between metallic elements in maternal blood during pregnancy and the occurrence of such malformations, using data from a large Japanese cohort of about 89,134 controls and 139 cases.
- The results indicated no significant correlation between heavy metals and trace elements detected in maternal blood and the prevalence of abdominal congenital malformations at birth, highlighting the need for further research on post-birth effects of such exposures.
Article Synopsis
- A genome-wide association study was conducted in the Japanese population to investigate genetic variants linked to resistant hypertension, using data from 2705 resistant hypertension cases and 21,296 mild hypertension controls.
- Researchers identified a novel susceptibility locus, rs1442386 on chromosome 18p11.3, which is statistically significant, along with 18 other loci that showed suggestive associations.
- The study highlighted biological processes related to resistant hypertension, such as neuron development and nervous system functions, emphasizing the role of the nervous system in this condition.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the relationship between maternal psychological distress, socioeconomic status, and the occurrence of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in infants.
- Data was collected from a large cohort of pregnant women in Japan, assessing maternal psychological distress and socioeconomic factors like education and income.
- While maternal psychological distress initially appeared linked to CHDs, the significance diminished when controlling for confounding factors, suggesting that lower education combined with psychological distress could indicate a higher risk for infant CHDs.