Stress in pregnancy: Clinical and adaptive behavior of offspring following Superstorm Sandy

Abstract The current study investigated 304 children from a longitudinal project (the Stress in Pregnancy (SIP) Study) who were exposed and unexposed to Superstorm Sandy (“Sandy”) in utero. They were prospectively followed from 2 to 6 years of age and their clinical and adaptive behaviors were assessed annually. Using a hierarchical linear model, the study found that in utero Sandy exposure was associated with greater clinical (anxiety, depression, and somatization) and lower adaptive behaviors (social skills and functional communication) at age 2 years. However, the trajectories were notably different between the two groups. Anxiety increased more rapidly among the exposed than unexposed group at ages 2–4, and depression increased only among the exposed. In contrast, social skills and functional communication were lower in exposed compared to unexposed children at age 2, but quickly increased and exceeded the capacities of unexposed children by age 3. The findings confirm that prenatal Sandy exposure is not only associated with an increase in anxiety, depression, and somatization in offspring, but also with greater adaptive skills as the children got older. Our study demonstrates that while children who have experienced stress in utero demonstrate elevated suboptimal clinical behaviors related to affective disorders, they nevertheless have the potential to learn adaptive skills.

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Variations in Parent and Teacher Ratings of Internalizing, Externalizing, Adaptive Skills, and Behavioral Symptoms in Children with Selective Mutism

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16214070 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (21) ◽

pp. 4070

Author(s):

Klein ◽

Ruiz ◽

Morales ◽

Stanley

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Rating Scales ◽

Progress Monitoring ◽

Teacher Rating ◽

Well Being ◽

Selective Mutism ◽

Assessment System ◽

Behavioral Symptoms ◽

Adaptive Skills ◽

Functional Communication

Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder that impacts communication. Children with SM present concerns to parents and teachers as they consistently do not speak in situations where there is an expectation to speak, such as at school, but speak in other settings where they feel more comfortable, such as at home. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of children with SM on behavioral rating scales and language measures. Forty-two children (22 boys and 20 girls, ranging from 2.4 to 13.8 years, with a mean age of 7.1 years) took part in this study. Parents and teachers completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC-3) measuring internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, adaptive skills, and behavioral symptoms. Frequency of speaking and language abilities were also measured. Parents and teachers both identified withdrawal as the most prominent feature of SM but parents saw children as significantly more withdrawn than did their teachers. Both rated children similarly at-risk on scales of functional communication and social skills. Higher adaptive skills (including functional communication and social skills) were positively correlated with vocabulary, narrative language, and auditory serial memory according to teachers. Parent and teacher rating scales provide valuable information for diagnosis and progress monitoring. Children with SM can benefit from mental health practitioners who can identify and enhance their emotional well-being.

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Vertebral malformation in the mouse foetus caused by X-radiation of the mother during pregnancy

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.12.4.841 ◽

1964 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 841-850

Author(s):

Ujihiro Murakami ◽

Yoshiro Kameyama

Keyword(s):

Early Pregnancy ◽

Vertebral Column ◽

Strain Differences ◽

In Utero ◽

Oxygen Deprivation ◽

Experimental Animals ◽

Vertebral Malformation ◽

Pregnant Mice ◽

Maternal Hypoxia ◽

In Pregnancy

Maternal hypoxia in early pregnancy can result in malformations of the vertebrae of mouse foetuses, and there is a tendency for more posterior vertebrae to be affected the later in pregnancy the oxygen deprivation occurs (Murakami & Kameyama, 1963). Ingalls et al. (1957) and Degenhardt (1954, 1959) had earlier obtained similar results. We have also exposed pregnant mice to X-radiation and studied the consequent malformations. The effects on the extremities have already been described (Murakami, Kameyama & Nogami, 1963), and in the present paper we shall describe the effects on the vertebral column. Vertebral malformations in animals irradiated in utero have been described by Job, Leibold & Fitzmaurice (1935), Warkany and Schraffenberger (1947), Russell. (1950, 1954), and Russell & Russell (1954). In order to obtain results comparable with those of our experiments with hypoxia, no less than to detect inter-strain differences, we used mice of the ddN and CF1 strains originally supplied by the Central Laboratories for Experimental Animals, Tokyo (Zikkendobutsu Chuo Kenkyujo).

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Neurodevelopment following exposure to antiseizure medications in utero: a review

Current Neuropharmacology ◽

10.2174/1570159x19666210716111814 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca L Bromley ◽

Matthew Bluett-Duncan

Keyword(s):

Lower Risk ◽

In Utero ◽

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽

Unexposed Control ◽

Long Period ◽

Risks And Benefits ◽

Limited Experience ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Child's Brain ◽

In Pregnancy

: Exposure in the womb to antiseizure medications and their potential impact on the developing child's brain has long been researched. Despite this long period of interest, this review highlights above the well-known risks associated with valproate exposure; more data is required for conclusions regarding all other antiseizure medications. Limited experience with phenytoin and phenobarbital in monotherapy clearly defines the risk to later child postnatal functioning difficult. However, the evidence of an impact is stronger for phenobarbital than for phenytoin. The widely prescribed lamotrigine is limited in its investigation compared to unexposed control children. It has been demonstrated to carry a lower risk than valproate for specific outcomes; whether associated with a more moderate impact on broader aspects of neurodevelopmental functioning is still to be understood. Data for levetiracetam, topiramate, and oxcarbazepine are too limited to conclude most neurodevelopmental outcomes confidently. This slow accumulation of evidence impacts the safest use of medications in pregnancy and makes counseling women regarding the risks and benefits of specific antiseizure drugs difficult. Improved focus, funding, and research methodologies are urgently needed.

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PERFIL PSICOLÓGICO EN ESTUDIANTES DE MEDICINA EN UNIVERSIDAD DEL CUSCO / PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE IN MEDICINE STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY IN CUSCO

SITUA ◽

10.51343/si.v23i1.191 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Américo Muñiz Alvarez

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Psychological Symptoms ◽

Psychotic Symptoms ◽

Psychological Profile ◽

Prior Informed Consent ◽

Palabras Clave ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

Transversal Study ◽

De Medicina

Resumen. Se realiza un estudio transversal en estudiantes de medicina de 5to ciclo de Medicina Humana en la Universidad Andina del Cusco, estudiando el perfil psicológico. Se aplican, previo consentimiento informado, los test de Gaston Berger, Impulsividad de Barratt, Agresividad de Buss y Perry, Habilidades Sociales de la OMS y SQR-18 del MINSA y se realiza un análisis de correlaciones entre las distintas variables con el sexo. Los resultados obtenidos más relevantes son que hay un nivel promedio de impulsividad y agresividad. Nivel Promedio-alto y alto en habilidades sociales. Nivel de ansiedad - depresión de 22%; 54.4% de síntomas psicóticos, 10.3% de problemas graves con el consumo de alcohol. Hay escasos niveles de correlación entre las variables. Se recomienda hacer estudios con mayor población y análisis factorial e implementar medidas de soporte emocional y consejería para los estudiantes. Palabras clave: impulsividad, agresividad, habilidades sociales, síntomas psicológicos Abstract. A transversal study is carried out in medical students of the 5th cycle of Human Medicine at the Universidad Andina del Cusco, studying the psychological profile. The Gaston Berger, Barratt Impulsivity, Buss and Perry Aggression, WHO Social Skills and SQR-18 MINSA tests are applied with prior informed consent and a correlation analysis between the different variables with sex is performed. The most relevant results obtained are that there is an average level of impulsivity and aggressiveness. Average-high and high in social skills. Level of anxiety - depression of 22%; 54.4% of psychotic symptoms, 10.3% of serious problems with alcohol consumption. There are few levels of correlation between the variables. It is recommended to conduct studies with a larger population and factor analysis and implement measures of emotional support and counseling for students. Key words: impulsivity, aggressiveness, social skills, psychological symptoms

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Coronal Craniostenosis: Fetal Head Constraint as One Possible Cause

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.65.5.995 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 65 (5) ◽

pp. 995-999 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

John M. Graham ◽

Richard J. Badura ◽

David W. Smith

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Study ◽

In Utero ◽

Foot Deformities ◽

Coronal Suture ◽

Fetal Head ◽

Normal Children ◽

Possible Cause ◽

In Pregnancy

A retrospective study of 11 instances of idiopathic coronal craniostenosis in otherwise normal children revealed that early lightening, prolonged moderate to severe pelvic discomfort late in pregnancy, and/or an abnormal fetal lie were unusual gestational features indicative of intrauterine constraint for eight of these patients. The impression of unusual constraint in utero was futher implied by finding associated positional foot deformities in four of these latter eight children. We hypothesize that prolonged constraint of the fetal head may limit anteroposterior growth stretch at the coronal suture and thereby predispose toward early sutural fusion.

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Moderate prenatal stress may buffer the impact of Superstorm Sandy on placental genes: Stress in Pregnancy (SIP) Study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0226605 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. e0226605

Author(s):

Wei Zhang ◽

Jacob Ham ◽

Qian Li ◽

Maya A. Deyssenroth ◽

Luca Lambertini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prenatal Stress ◽

Superstorm Sandy ◽

The Impact ◽

In Pregnancy

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Gadolinium Chelate Safety in Pregnancy: Barely Detectable Gadolinium Levels in the Juvenile Nonhuman Primate after in Utero Exposure

Radiology ◽

10.1148/radiol.2017162534 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 286 (1) ◽

pp. 122-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Joao Prola-Netto ◽

Mark Woods ◽

Victoria H. J. Roberts ◽

Elinor L. Sullivan ◽

Christina Ann Miller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nonhuman Primate ◽

In Utero ◽

In Utero Exposure ◽

Gadolinium Chelate ◽

In Pregnancy

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Cancer in pregnancy: To treat or not?

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.e12533 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e12533-e12533

Author(s):

Elaine Walsh ◽

Grainne O'Kane ◽

Karen Anne Cadoo ◽

Donna M. Graham ◽

Grzegorz Korpanty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Post Partum ◽

In Utero ◽

Adverse Outcomes ◽

Cytotoxic Agents ◽

Normal Delivery ◽

Cancer In Pregnancy ◽

Disease Free ◽

In Pregnancy

e12533 Background: Cancer in pregnancy accounts for ~1 in 1,000 pregnancies. Studies show that cytotoxic agents are safe from the second trimester. Long-term follow up has not shown increased malformations or malignancies in children exposed to chemotherapy in utero. There is no evidence of worse outcomes among women diagnosed in pregnancy. Methods: We retrospectively identified women diagnosed with cancer in pregnancy over a 25-year period. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, diagnosis, gestation, timing of treatment and outcomes. We assessed if all cancers need to be treated in pregnancy or if treatment could be safely deferred to allow normal delivery. Results: Twenty-five women were diagnosed with cancer in pregnancy and referred to medical oncology. Of 25 women, 16 (64%) received chemotherapy during pregnancy. These included 13 cases of breast cancer, one Ewing’s sarcoma, one ovarian cancer, and one small cell of cervix. All 16 women received doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. There were 15 live births and no abnormalities seen in children who received chemotherapy in utero. At a median follow-up of 6 years 11 mothers (69%) are disease free and 4 (25%) have recurrent disease. Of nine mothers who did not receive chemotherapy in pregnancy, seven received chemotherapy immediately post-partum. Six (86%) were diagnosed in early pregnancy (median gestation 13 weeks). There were three cases of Hodgkin lymphoma, two breast cancers, and one ovarian cancer. At a median follow-up of 12 years, all mothers remain disease free. There were no abnormalities seen in these children. Conclusions: We did not identify any adverse outcomes in mothers or infants exposed to chemotherapy during pregnancy. We identified a cohort of patients that do not need immediate treatment during pregnancy. In selected cases, it is safe and appropriate to delay chemotherapy until delivery of the baby. There were no adverse outcomes to mothers due to delayed treatment and no adverse outcomes to babies not exposed to chemotherapy in utero. A multi-disciplinary team is essential to individualize treatment planning. [Table: see text]

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