Preventive Intervention for Early Childhood Behavioral Problems: An Ecological Perspective

Background and Objectives: There is evidence that eating meals or snacks while watching TV is an obesogenic factor. Moreover, the patterns of TV and other screen use during meals begin early and persist. However, there are only a few studies to date which address the prevalence and predictors of young children’s exposure to screen during mealtimes. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the associated factors of screen use during meals in early childhood. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted in Lithuania. Data of 847 children aged 2 to 5 years old (51.5% boys) were analyzed in this study. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/1½-5) and reported their children’s daily screen time, exposure to background TV, screen use during child’s meals, child and parental height and weight, and sociodemographic data. Results: More than half of children were exposed to screen during meals: 33.7% occasionally, several times per week or per month, and 22%—daily or during every meal. Overall daily screen time, background TV, consumption of junk food, child age, and emotional and behavioral problems were related to mealtime screen use (all associations significant at p < 0.01). Longer daily screen time (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1.00–1.01), more background TV (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.10–1.45), and elder child age (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00–1.03) were significant predictors of occasional use of screen during meals. Also, longer daily screen time (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98–0.99), background TV (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.66–0.91) together with no siblings’ status of a child (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.25–0.69) increased the probability that children were fed in front of screens daily. Conclusions: This study confirmed the unfavorable associations among screen use during meals, daily screen time and junk food consumption in early childhood. In addition, first-time parents should get particular health providers’ attention as they are more likely to use screens during child’s mealtime.

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1242 An Adult with ROHHAD Disease

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsaa056.1236 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 43 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. A473-A474

Author(s):

Hamna Ahmad ◽

Ashraf Gohar

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Case Reports ◽

Genetic Disorders ◽

Rapid Onset ◽

Maximum Pressure ◽

Cpap Titration ◽

Central Hypoventilation ◽

Central Apneas ◽

Titration Study

Abstract Introduction Rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation and autonomic dysregulation (ROHHAD) is an extremely rare and fatal disease presenting in early childhood. Report of Case A 25-year-old male, seen in our adult sleep clinic to establish care at the age of 21. He was previously followed by pediatric sleep department. He was diagnosed with ROHHAD syndrome in early childhood after presenting at the age of 18 months. At the time, he was diagnosed with central hypoventilation with multiple endocrinopathies. He was noted to have mild mental retardation and behavioral problems. He was initially worked up for multiple genetic disorders and was eventually diagnosed with ROHHAD syndrome. As a pediatric patient, he had a CPAP titration study that was unsuccessful with persistent central apneas. Eventually, he was treated with auto-SV (with minimum and maximum pressure support of 1 and +15 respectively, an EPAP max of +20, and EPAP min of +5). He has since been doing well with ASV. He also had insomnia and hypersomnia and is being treated with Modafinil for excessive daytime sleepiness and Zolpidem for the insomnia. Conclusion The mortality related to cardiorespiratory arrest in ROHHAD disease has been estimated to be 40-50%. To our knowledge, case reports of adult patients with ROHHAD in literature, are few and far between.

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