Associations between preterm infant stress, epigenetic alteration, telomere length and neurodevelopmental outcomes: A systematic review

Purpose We sought to critically analyze and evaluate published evidence regarding feasibility and clinical potential for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes of the frequency-following responses (FFRs) to speech recordings in neonates (birth to 28 days). Method A systematic search of MeSH terms in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied HealthLiterature, Embase, Google Scholar, Ovid Medline (R) and E-Pub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily, Web of Science, SCOPUS, COCHRANE Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed. Manual review of all items identified in the search was performed by two independent reviewers. Articles were evaluated based on the level of methodological quality and evidence according to the RTI item bank. Results Seven articles met inclusion criteria. None of the included studies reported neurodevelopmental outcomes past 3 months of age. Quality of the evidence ranged from moderate to high. Protocol variations were frequent. Conclusions Based on this systematic review, the FFR to speech can capture both temporal and spectral acoustic features in neonates. It can accurately be recorded in a fast and easy manner at the infant's bedside. However, at this time, further studies are needed to identify and validate which FFR features could be incorporated as an addition to standard evaluation of infant sound processing evaluation in subcortico-cortical networks. This review identifies the need for further research focused on identifying specific features of the neonatal FFRs, those with predictive value for early childhood outcomes to help guide targeted early speech and hearing interventions.

Download Full-text

Impact of surgery timing for craniosynostosis on neurodevelopmental outcomes: a systematic review

Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics ◽

10.3171/2018.10.peds18536 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 442-454 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Rachel Mandela ◽

Maggie Bellew ◽

Paul Chumas ◽

Hannah Nash

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Beneficial Effect ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Future Research ◽

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽

Age At Surgery ◽

Data Extraction Form ◽

Surgery Timing ◽

Anesthetic Exposure

OBJECTIVEThere are currently no guidelines for the optimum age for surgical treatment of craniosynostosis. This systematic review summarizes and assesses evidence on whether there is an optimal age for surgery in terms of neurodevelopmental outcomes.METHODSThe databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase + Embase Classic, and Web of Science were searched between October and November 2016 and searches were repeated in July 2017. According to PICO (participants, intervention, comparison, outcome) criteria, studies were included that focused on: children diagnosed with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis, aged ≤ 5 years at time of surgery; corrective surgery for nonsyndromic craniosynostosis; comparison of age-at-surgery groups; and tests of cognitive and neurodevelopmental postoperative outcomes. Studies that did not compare age-at-surgery groups (e.g., those employing a correlational design alone) were excluded. Data were double-extracted by 2 authors using a modified version of the Cochrane data extraction form.RESULTSTen studies met the specified criteria; 5 found a beneficial effect of earlier surgery, and 5 did not. No study found a beneficial effect of later surgery. No study collected data on length of anesthetic exposure and only 1 study collected data on sociodemographic factors.CONCLUSIONSIt was difficult to draw firm conclusions from the results due to multiple confounding factors. There is some inconclusive evidence that earlier surgery is beneficial for patients with sagittal synostosis. The picture is even more mixed for other subtypes. There is no evidence that later surgery is beneficial. The authors recommend that future research use agreed-upon parameters for: age-at-surgery cut-offs, follow-up times, and outcome measures.

Download Full-text

Faculty Opinions recommendation of Cigarette smoking and telomere length: A systematic review of 84 studies and meta-analysis.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.727804629.793545191 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Sharon Savage

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cigarette Smoking ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Meta Analysis

Download Full-text

Systematic review and meta‐analysis of the association between paediatric obesity and telomere length

Acta Paediatrica ◽

10.1111/apa.15971 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Li Lin ◽

Kang Qin ◽

Dezhong Chen ◽

Ciyong Lu ◽

Weiqing Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Paediatric Obesity

Download Full-text

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Prenatal Diagnosis ◽

10.1002/pd.5916 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lennart Van der Veeken ◽

Simen Vergote ◽

Yada Kunpalin ◽

Karl Kristensen ◽

Jan Deprest ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽

Diaphragmatic Hernia ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

Download Full-text

The Effect of Alcohol on Telomere Length: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Evidence and a Pilot Study during Pregnancy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18095038 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 5038

Author(s):

Andrea Maugeri ◽

Martina Barchitta ◽

Roberta Magnano San Lio ◽

Maria Clara La Rosa ◽

Claudia La Mastra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Potential Association ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Periconceptional Period ◽

Using Data

Several studies—albeit with still inconclusive and limited findings—began to focus on the effect of drinking alcohol on telomere length (TL). Here, we present results from a systematic review of these epidemiological studies to investigate the potential association between alcohol consumption, alcohol-related disorders, and TL. The analysis of fourteen studies—selected from PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases—showed that people with alcohol-related disorders exhibited shorter TL, but also that alcohol consumption per se did not appear to affect TL in the absence of alcohol abuse or dependence. Our work also revealed a lack of studies in the periconceptional period, raising the need for evaluating this potential relationship during pregnancy. To fill this gap, we conducted a pilot study using data and samples form the Mamma & Bambino cohort. We compared five non-smoking but drinking women with ten non-smoking and non-drinking women, matched for maternal age, gestational age at recruitment, pregestational body mass index, and fetal sex. Interestingly, we detected a significant difference when analyzing relative TL of leukocyte DNA of cord blood samples from newborns. In particular, newborns from drinking women exhibited shorter relative TL than those born from non-drinking women (p = 0.024). Although these findings appeared promising, further research should be encouraged to test any dose–response relationship, to adjust for the effect of other exposures, and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved.

Download Full-text