Socio-economic inequality in oral health in childhood to young adulthood, despite full dental coverage.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess differences in caries experience according to socio-economic status (SES) in a health-care system with full coverage of dental costs for children up to the age of 18 yr. In 2011 and 2014, by performing hurdle negative binomial models, we obtained data on 3,022 children and young adults aged 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, and 23 yr, living in four cities in the Netherlands. At all ages between 5 and 23 yr, the percentages of children with caries-free dentitions were lower and mean caries experience were higher in low-SES than in high-SES participants.

Evidence Based Weighing Policy during the First Week to Prevent Neonatal Hypernatremic Dehydration while Breastfeeding.

Background: Neonatal hypernatremic dehydration is prevented by daily neonatal weight monitoring. We aim to provide evidence-based support of this universally promoted weighing policy and to establish the most crucial days of weighing.

Methods: Weight measurements of 2,359 healthy newborns and of 271 newborns with clinical hypernatremic dehydration were used within the first seven days of life to simulate various weighting policies to prevent hypernatremic dehydration; its sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV) of these policies were calculated.

Prevalence and pattern of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in the Netherlands.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in the Netherlands in 2007 and 2010.

Method: During two identical, nation-wide surveys in 2007 and 2010, questionnaires were handed out to mothers of infants aged ≤6 months who visited a Well-Baby Clinic. By means of the questionnaire mothers were, in addition to questions on infant feeding practices and background variables, asked about their alcohol consumption before, during and after pregnancy.

Weight fluctuation during childhood and cardiometabolic risk at young adulthood.

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that greater weight fluctuation between 2 and 6 years is associated with an increase in weight measures (such as body mass index [BMI]) and cardiometabolic risk in young adulthood.

Study Design: Weight fluctuation (determined by BMI SD scores) was measured at least 3 times between the ages of 2 and 6 years in 166 girls and 116 boys from the Terneuzen Birth Cohort. Cardiometabolic risk factors in young adulthood include components of the metabolic syndrome and weight.

[Young people with Down syndrome: independence and social functioning].

Objective: To determine the level of independence and social functioning in young people with Down syndrome.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Method: Via the Dutch Down Syndrome Foundation (Stichting Downsyndroom), we asked parents of children with Down syndrome born in 1992, 1993 or 1994 to complete a written questionnaire about their child.

Charts for weight loss to detect hypernatremic dehydration and prevent formula supplementing.

Background: Most breast-fed newborns get the milk they need. However, very rarely milk intake is insufficient mostly as a result of poor breastfeeding techniques. Dramatic weight loss and hypernatremic dehydration may occur.

Mainstream and special school attendance among a Dutch cohort of children with Down Syndrome.

Object: To determine the level of mainstream education in a nationwide cohort of adolescents with Down Syndrome (DS), and to find characteristics related to mainstream or special school attendance.

Method: Dutch children with DS born in 1992, 1993 or 1994, were assessed when 16-19 years old. Parents scored school enrolment between the age of 4-18 years, general characteristics and the levels of intellectual disability using the Dutch Social Competence Rating Scale.

The attitudes and intention to participate in hemoglobinopathy carrier screening in The Netherlands among individuals from Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese descent.

Objective: To explore factors that influence intention to participate in hemoglobinopathy (HbP) carrier screening under Dutch subjects at risk, since HbP became more common in The Netherlands.

Method: Structured interviews with 301 subjects from Turkish, Moroccan, or Surinamese ethnicity.

Results: Half of the participants were familiar with HbP, 27% with carrier screening.

Practical and social skills of 16-19-year-olds with Down syndrome: independence still far away.

Survival of children with Down syndrome (DS) has improved considerably, but insight into their level of daily functioning upon entering adulthood is lacking. We collected cross-sectional data from a Dutch nationwide cohort of 322 DS adolescents aged 16-19 (response 62.8%) to assess the degree to which they master various practical and social skills, using the Dutch Social competence rating scale and the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire.

Problem behavior of individuals with Down syndrome in a nationwide cohort assessed in late adolescence.

Objective: To assess problem behavior in adolescents with Down syndrome and examine the association with sex and severity of intellectual disability.

Study Design: Cross-sectional data of a Dutch nationwide cohort of Down syndrome children aged 16-19 years were collected using a written parental questionnaire. Problem behavior was measured using the Child Behavior Checklist and compared with normative data.

[Smoking during pregnancy: trends between 2001 and 2010].

Objective: To establish trends in the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy between 2001 and 2010 and to relate these to differences in educational gradient in the Netherlands.

Design: National surveys.

Method: In 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2010, 28,720 questionnaires were handed out to mothers with infants aged up to 6 months at periodic check-ups at well baby clinics.

Prevalence of overweight in Dutch children with Down syndrome.

Objective: Prevalence of overweight in children is increasing, causing various health problems. This study aims to establish growth references for weight and to assess the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in a nationwide sample of Dutch children with Down syndrome (DS), taking into account the influence of comorbidity.

Methods: In 2009, longitudinal growth data from Dutch children with trisomy 21 who were born after 1982 were retrospectively collected from medical records of 25 Dutch regional specialized DS centers.

Unchanged prevalence of Down syndrome in the Netherlands: results from an 11-year nationwide birth cohort.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate trends in prevalence of Down syndrome (DS) births in the Netherlands over an 11-year period and how they have been affected by maternal age and introduction of prenatal screening.

Method: Nationwide data of an 11-year birth cohort (1997-2007) from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry were analyzed. First-trimester combined screening was introduced in 2002, free of charge only for women 36 years of age or older and only on patients' request.

Significant impact of recurrent respiratory tract infections in children with Down syndrome.

Objective: Parents and health professionals believe that recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTI) have a large impact on children with Down syndrome (DS). We studied the relation between parent-reported RRTI and development, behaviour and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 8-year-old children with DS.

Method: During a 3-year period, 325 children with DS were recruited for inclusion in this observational study.

Healthy growth in children with Down syndrome.

Objective: To provide cross-sectional height and head circumference (HC) references for healthy Dutch children with Down syndrome (DS), while considering the influence of concomitant disorders on their growth, and to compare growth between children with DS and children from the general population.

Study Design: Longitudinal growth and medical data were retrospectively collected from medical records in 25 of the 30 regional hospital-based outpatient clinics for children with DS in The Netherlands. Children with Trisomy 21 karyotype of Dutch descent born after 1982 were included.

Development, problem behavior, and quality of life in a population based sample of eight-year-old children with Down syndrome.

Objective: Children with Down syndrome (DS) have delayed psychomotor development. We investigated levels of development, problem behavior, and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in a population sample of Dutch eight-year-old children with DS. Developmental outcomes were compared with normative data of eight-year-old children from the general population.

The Terneuzen Birth Cohort. Longer exclusive breastfeeding duration is associated with leaner body mass and a healthier diet in young adulthood.

Background: Breastfeeding (BF) is protective against overweight and is associated with dietary behaviour. The aims of our study were to assess the relationship between exclusive BF duration and BMI, waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) at adulthood, and to study whether dietary behaviour could explain the relationship between BF duration and the proxies of fat mass.

Methods: In 2004-2005, 822 subjects from the Terneuzen Birth Cohort (n = 2,604), aged 18-28 years, filled in postal questionnaires including sociodemographic factors and aspects of dietary behaviour (dietary pattern, and consumption of fruit and vegetables, snacks, sweetened beverages and alcohol); 737 subjects also underwent anthropometric measurements of weight, height, and waist and hip circumference.

The Terneuzen Birth Cohort: BMI change between 2 and 6 years is most predictive of adult cardiometabolic risk.

Background: We recently reported the age interval 2-6y being the earliest and most critical for adult overweight. We now aim to determine which age intervals are predictive of cardiometabolic risk at young adulthood.

Methods And Findings: We analyzed data from 642 18-28 years olds from the Terneuzen Birth Cohort.

Identifying young children without overweight at high risk for adult overweight: the Terneuzen Birth Cohort.

Objective: To develop a tool to identify children with high risk of adult overweight (AO), especially before developing overweight, based on body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score(s) (SDS) changes between 2-6 years (y) of age.

Methods: We fitted a linear spline model to BMI SDS of 762 young Caucasian adults from the Terneuzen Birth Cohort at fixed ages between birth and 18 y. By linear regression analysis, we assessed the increase in explained variance of the adult BMI SDS by adding the BMI SDS at 2 y to the models including the BMI SDS at 4 y, 6 y and both 4 y and 6 y.

One-third of the new paediatric patients with sickle cell disease in The Netherlands are immigrants and do not benefit from neonatal screening.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in The Netherlands. To estimate the annual number of children newly diagnosed as having SCD and the proportion with diagnoses through neonatal screening To estimate the proportion of children with SCD receiving paediatric care in a comprehensive care setting.

Design: Data from two sources, a survey of paediatric practices (n=107) and a laboratory database (n=20), were analysed by the capture-recapture method.

The Terneuzen birth cohort: BMI changes between 2 and 6 years correlate strongest with adult overweight.

Background: Complications of overweight amplify with age, and irreversible damage already exists in young persons. Identifying the most sensitive age interval(s) for adult overweight is relevant for primary prevention. The aim of the study was to assess the relative contribution of body mass index (BMI) changes between 0 and 18 years to adult overweight, and to identify the earliest critical growth period.

Clustering of socioeconomic, behavioural, and neonatal risk factors for infant health in pregnant smokers.

Background: Tobacco smoking is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, including during pregnancy. Although effective ways of promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy exist, the impact of these interventions has not been studied at a national level. We estimated the prevalence of smoking throughout pregnancy in the Netherlands and quantified associations of maternal smoking throughout pregnancy with socioeconomic, behavioural, and neonatal risk factors for infant health and development.