Parental involvement in childhood cancer survivor interventions

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk of becoming overweight or obese due to treatment effects and/or posttreatment behaviors. Parents are key in influencing child diet and physical activity (PA), which are modifiable risk factors for obesity. Raber et al. undertook a systematic literature review to evaluate current interventions for CCS that include diet and PA elements to determine whether parent involvement has a significant effect on behavioral outcomes or adiposity. The studies that included direct parental involvement showed positive outcomes on a variety of measures, although additional research is warranted. Parental involvement in exercise and diet interventions for childhood cancer survivors: a systematic review

TBI in childhood and ADHD

Yang and coauthors evaluated the risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) following childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI). Using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, the investigators included 10,416 newly diagnosed TBI children between 2001 and 2002 and 41,664 children without TBI. Each individual was followed for nine years to identify ADHD diagnosis. The results suggest that early TBI is a potential independent risk factor for ADHD. To facilitate reducing the risk of ADHD among children with TBI, a systematic approach including therapeutic intervention should be adopted.Association of traumatic brain injury in childhood and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a population-based study

Knee-jerk responses in high-risk infants

In a study of tonic responses, clonus, and reflex irradiation, Hamer et al. questioned whether these responses occurred more often in infants at very high risk for cerebral palsy (VHR) than in typically developing (TD) infants. The authors assessed 24 VHR and 26 TD infants around 3 months corrected age. Surface electromyograms of leg, trunk, neck, and arm muscles were recorded while the knee jerk was elicited. The results showed that tonic responses may be regarded as a marker of loss of supraspinal control.Knee jerk responses in infants at high risk for cerebral palsy: an observational EMG study

Chromosomal microarray analysis

Xu et al. analyzed the findings of copy number variation (CNV) studies from a cohort referred for genetics evaluation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental disability, and intellectual disability (ID). Based on the results of CNV analysis and additional analysis for some cases, the researchers detected pathogenic CNV in 21 of 115 individuals with ASD and/or ID. Their results support the value of CNV analysis in etiological evaluation of neurodevelopmental disorders.Chromosomal microarray analysis in clinical evaluation of neurodevelopmental disorders-reporting a novel deletion of SETDB1 and illustration of counseling challenge

Contaminated nasogastric feeding tubes

Petersen and coinvestigators sought to determine whether there was any benefit to replacing nasogastric feeding tubes (NG-tubes) for preterm infants more often to reduce contamination. In an observational study of used NG-tubes from a tertiary neonatal department, they flushed a saline solution through the tubes, determined the density of bacteria by culture, and related it to the duration of use and any probiotic administration. NG-tubes yielded high densities of bacteria even within the first day of use and probiotic administration did not protect against contamination.Nasogastric feeding tubes from a neonatal department yield high concentrations of potentially pathogenic bacteria—even 1 d after insertion

Dopamine receptors in mouse intestine

Zizzo and colleagues investigated whether the enteric dopaminergic system undergoes developmental changes after birth. Intestinal mechanical activity was examined in vitro. In 2-day-old mice, dopamine was found to induce a contractile response that markedly decreased with age, shifting to a muscular relaxation at weaning. The receptor changes in the enteric nervous system may represent an adaptive response of the intestine to environmental stimuli in order to ensure acquisition of a mature pattern of gut motility.Postnatal development of the dopaminergic signaling involved in the modulation of intestinal motility in mice