A retrospective cohort study analyzing the changes in early childhood development during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To investigate early childhood development (ECD) outcomes in different subgroups before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of children 3-58 months of age whose caregivers completed a Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) as part of a well child visit (WCC). The data were divided into two phases: pre-pandemic (September 2018 - February 2020), and during pandemic (September 2020 - February 2022).

Risk of Autoimmune Disease in Research-Identified Cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal, Population-Based Birth Cohort Study.

Objective: Determine the risk of autoimmune disease in research-identified cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with referents using a longitudinal, population-based birth cohort.

Methods: ASD incident cases were identified from a population-based birth cohort of 31,220 individuals. Inclusive ASD definition based on DSM-IV-TR autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified, was used to determine ASD cases.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Iron Homeostasis.

Prenatal alcohol exposure results in a spectrum of behavioral, cognitive, and morphological abnormalities collectively referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD presents with significant phenotypic variability and may be modified by gestational variables such as maternal nutritional status. Iron serves a critical function in the development of and processes within central nervous system (CNS) structures.

IQ in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Population-Based Birth Cohort Study.

Objectives: We aimed to describe the intellectual ability and ratio of boys to girls with average or higher IQ within autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases identified in a population-based birth cohort. We hypothesized that research-identified individuals with ASD would be more likely to have average or higher IQ, compared to clinically diagnosed ASD. We also hypothesized the male to female ratio would decrease as the definition of ASD broadened.

The Impact of Asymptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus on Adult Quality of Life.

Objective: Children born with asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection (AcCMV) have increased risk for hearing loss, which may affect their quality of life into adulthood. We aim to determine quality of life outcomes among adults who were identified at birth with AcCMV compared with controls, using the cohort of the Houston Congenital CMV Longitudinal Study.

Methods: Quality of life was determined using the self-reported Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI).