Behavior and autonomic nervous system function assessed via heart period measures: the case of hyperarousal in boys with fragile X syndrome.

Physiological responses may inform us about and help us to interpret behavioral responses. For example, hyperarousal may be a source of behavior problems in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS). To evaluate this approach, we examined heart period data in specific contexts in boys with FXS and in normally developing chronological-age-matched boys.

Treatment of self-injurious behavior and quality of life for persons with mental retardation.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a highly problematic and damaging behavior with profound implications for a person's quality of life. Despite numerous reports documenting changes in self-injury, it is not well-known how these changes relate to systematic improvements in quality of life. We surveyed 41 journals from 1978 to 1996 to identify use of quality of life outcome measures following self-injury treatment.

Parents' report of vocabulary and grammatical development of African American preschoolers: child and environmental associations.

This study examined how child and family factors affect individual differences in the language development of African American children between 18 and 30 months of age. Participants were 87 African American children, primarily from low-income families. Children's vocabulary and grammatical skills were assessed at 18, 24, and 30 months of age using the short form of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI), a standardized parent report tool.

Early developmental trajectories of males with fragile X syndrome.

Findings from a prospective longitudinal study of 46 boys with fragile X syndrome between the ages of 24 and 72 months were reported. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to construct and evaluate overall developmental trajectories and scores in five domains: Cognition, Communication, Adaptive, Motor, and Personal-Social. The children varied widely, with significant differences across individuals in both mean rate and level of performance.

Families as systems.

In this chapter, we discuss theoretical and conceptual models that use an organismic or systems metaphor for understanding families. We suggest that such theories are important for stimulating new research and organizing existing data, and that advances in these theories over the past few decades have expanded the potential for understanding child development, as well as adult adaptation and the development of close relationships. These paradigms follow from models that view development as resulting from the transactional regulatory processes of dynamic systems.

Prospective surveillance for otitis media with effusion among black infants in group child care.

Objective: To document the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) in 102 black children observed prospectively between 6 and 24 months of age.

Methods: Study children attended nine different center-based child care facilities. Middle ear status was assessed by pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry every 2 weeks.

Functional assessment of Chinese children with the ABILITIES index.

The diagnosis and classification of children with disabilities are persistent concerns in paediatric and habilitative services. These concerns are magnified in international contexts and restrict comparative research and policy development. Even within classifications such as mental retardation, hearing impairment and physical impairment, children can vary widely in the nature and severity of manifested conditions.

Otitis media in early childhood and cognitive, academic, and behavior outcomes at 12 years of age.

Examined the association between otitis media with effusion (OME) during the first 3 years of life and cognitive and academic performance and behavioral outcomes at 12 years of age in 56 socioeconomically disadvantaged children attending a research childcare program. OME history was prospectively documented from birth through 3 years during well and illness periods. Standardized tests of intelligence and academic achievement and measures of behavior were administered when children were 12 years of age.

Rapid genomic evolution of a non-virulent coxsackievirus B3 in selenium-deficient mice results in selection of identical virulent isolates.

Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that selenium deficiency in the mouse allows a normally benign (amyocarditic) cloned and sequenced Coxackievirus to cause significant heart damage. Furthermore, Coxsackievirus recovered from the hearts of selenium-deficient mice inoculated into selenium-adequate mice still induced significant heart damage, suggesting that the amyocarditic Coxsackievirus had mutated to a virulent phenotype. Here we report that sequence analysis revealed six nucleotide changes between the virulent virus recovered from the selenium-deficient host and the avirulent input virus.

Otitis media, hearing sensitivity, and maternal responsiveness in relation to language during infancy.

The relation of otitis media with effusion (OME) and associated hearing loss to language and cognitive skills at 1 year of age was studied to determine whether OME-related hearing loss had a direct association with language and cognitive outcomes at 1 year of age or an indirect association with these outcomes, as mediated by the child-rearing environment. Subjects were 61 black infants attending community-based child care programs. The presence of OME was assessed biweekly from 6 to 12 months of age by otoscopy and tympanometry.

Otitis media in early childhood and patterns of intellectual development and later academic performance.

Examined long-term associations between otitis media with effusion (OME) during the first 5 years of life and patterns of intellectual development from 3-8 years and academic performance after 3 years in elementary school. Fifty-five socioeconomically disadvantaged children were studied prospectively between birth and 8 years. OME history was routinely documented from birth through 5 years during well and illness periods.

Effects of early intervention on intellectual and academic achievement: a follow-up study of children from low-income families.

Follow-up data, obtained 4-7 years after intervention ended, are presented for the Carolina Abecedarian Project, an experimental study of early childhood educational intervention for children from poverty families. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention conditions: educational treatment from infancy through 3 years in public school (up to age 8); preschool treatment only (infancy to age 5); primary school treatment only (age 5-8 years), or an untreated control group. Positive effects of preschool treatment on intellectual development and academic achievement were maintained through age 12.