scholarly journals Characteristics of inhomogeneous lower extremity growth and development in early childhood: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudarat Apibantaweesakul ◽  
Shiho Omura ◽  
Weihuang Qi ◽  
Hiroto Shiotani ◽  
Pavlos E. Evangelidis ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Early childhood is a transferring stage between the two accelerated growth periods (infant and adolescent). Body dimensions are related to physical growth and development. The purpose of this study was to investigate physical growth in terms of anthropometry, muscle growth of the lower extremity, and functional development over early childhood. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out on 29 preschool children (PS: 3–5 years), 21 school children (SC: 6–8 years), and 22 adults (AD: 20–35 years). Lower extremity characteristics (segmental dimensions, muscle and adipose tissue thicknesses of the thigh and lower leg), and voluntary joint torque (knee and ankle) were measured. Correlations between parameters and group comparisons were performed. Results All the parameters except for body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness were correlated with age for PS and SC combined (r = 0.479–0.920, p < 0.01). Relative thigh and shank lengths to body height were greatest in AD and smallest in PS (p < 0.05) but the relative foot dimensions were significantly larger in PS and SC than in AD (p < 0.05). Relative subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness was largest in PS and lowest in AD. Muscle thickness and the muscle volume measure (estimated from muscle thickness and limb length) were significantly larger in older age groups (p < 0.05). All groups showed comparable muscle thickness when normalized to limb length. Joint torque normalized to estimated muscle volume was greatest for AD, followed by SC and PS (p < 0.05). Conclusions Relative lower extremity lengths increase with age, except for the foot dimensions. Muscle size increases with age in proportion to the limb length, while relative adiposity decreases. Torque-producing capacity is highly variable in children and rapidly develops toward adulthood. This cross-sectional study suggests that children are not a small scale version of adults, neither morphologically nor functionally.

1992 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Filteau ◽  
E Pourcher ◽  
RH Bouchard ◽  
P Baruch ◽  
J Mathieu ◽  
...  

Brain alterations have been sought since the beginning of the century to explain the ‘dementia’ of dementia præcox. Kraepelin suggested in 1913 that it might have its internal origins in early childhood, while Southard (1915) considered likely a congenital or early acquired basis for the development of the disease. Afterwards, degenerative processes were described for decades until neurodevelopmental theories emerged recently (Lewis, 1988).Using pneumoencephalography, Jacobi and Winkler (1927) first reported that some patients with schizophrenia presented enlarged ventricles. Johnstone et al (1976, 1978), in CT-scan studies, observed an increase in mean lateral ventricular size in a group of institutionalized schizophrenic patients. This finding has been replicated by other studies (Weinberger et al, 1983) but challenged by others (Gluck et al, 1980; Jernigan et al, 1982).


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjunath P Puranik ◽  
Deepa Bullappa ◽  
KR Sowmya ◽  
T Nagarathnamma

ABSTRACT Introduction Early childhood caries (ECC) is a virulent form of dental caries that can destroy the primary dentition of toddlers and preschool children. The aim was to determine the relationship of feeding methods and oral Streptococcus mutans count in 3- to 5-year-old children with ECC. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in children aged 3 to 5 years. Participating mothers were interviewed regarding child's demographic profile, educational level and socioeconomic status of parents, past medical and dental history of the mother and child, child's feeding habits, and dietary habits and oral hygiene practices of mother and child. Clinical examination for dental caries was done using the World Health Organization criteria (1997). Salivary samples of mother–child pair were collected to determine the pH, flow rate, and S. mutans count. Statistical tests, such as Student's t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation were applied. Results Out of 150 mother–child pair, statistically significant difference in the caries experience was found between mothers and children with high and low S. mutans count. Moderate but statistically significant negative correlation was found between mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth of mothers and mean decayed, extracted and filled teeth (deft) of children with high S. mutans count. Regarding deft, there was no statistically significant difference between children who were exclusively breast fed (7.85 ± 2.94), exclusively bottle-fed (8.67 ± 3.98), and both breast and bottle-fed (7.77 ± 2.91). Conclusion The mean caries experience of mothers and children was 2.66 ± 2.01 and 7.82 ± 2.94 respectively, with decayed component being maximum. Moderate and significant correlation (r = 0.5) was found between S. mutans of mothers and children in saliva. Significant negative correlation was found between mothers and children with high S. mutans count (r = –0.0284; p = 0.046). How to cite this article Bullappa D, Puranik MP, Sowmya KR, Nagarathnamma T. Association of Feeding Methods and Streptococcus mutans Count with Early Childhood Caries: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(2):119-125.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Reyes-Barrera ◽  
Victor H. Sainz-Escárrega ◽  
Aida X. Medina-Urritia ◽  
Esteban Jorge-Galarza ◽  
Horacio Osorio-Alonso ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundCompared to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and adiposity measurements, adipose tissue morpho-functionality evaluations are more consistent predictors of cardiometabolic abnormalities. However, these evaluations require determination of adipokines and other non-routine biochemical parameters, which is not feasible in clinical practice. The present study establishes dysfunctional adiposity index (DAI) as a simple, accessible, and reliable marker of early adipocytes morpho-functional abnormalities and cardiometabolic diseases.MethodsTo establish the DAI constant parameters, 340 subjects (134 males and 206 females) without cardiovascular risk factors were selected from a cross-sectional study. Then, DAI was calculated in 36 healthy subjects who underwent subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsy, for whom adipocytes number and size, body composition, circulating adipokines, glucose, insulin, and lipids were also determined. The correlation of DAI with adipocyte morphology (size/number of adipocytes) and functionality (adiponectin/leptin ratio) was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to define the optimal DAI cut-off point to identify metabolic abnormalities. Finally, the independent association of DAI with cardiometabolic abnormalities was determined in 1418 subjects from the cross-sectional study through multivariate analyses.ResultsThe constant parameters to calculate the DAI were [WC/[22.79+[2.68*BMI]]]*[triglycerides (TG, mmol/L)/1.37]*[1.19/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, mmol/L)] for males, and [WC/[24.02+[2.37*BMI]]]*[TG(mmol/L)/1.32]*[1.43/HDL-C(mmol/L)] for females. In subjects underwent biopsy, DAI correlated with adipocytes mean area (r=0.358; p=0.032), adipocyte number (r=-0.381; p=0.024), adiponectin/leptin ratio (r=-0.483; p=0.003), and systemic inflammation markers. Compared to BMI, WC, and visceral fat, DAI was the only determination associated with insulin resistance (area under the curve: 0.743; p = 0.017). In the cross-sectional study, DAI ≥1.065 was independently associated with diabetes (OR: 1.96; 95%CI: 1.36-2.84), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (OR: 2.57; 95%CI: 1.98-3.33), subclinical atherosclerosis (OR: 1.74; 95%CI: 1.02-2.94), and hypertension (OR: 1.44; 95%CI: 1.10-1.88).ConclusionsThe present study establishes the constant parameters to calculate the DAI and highlights that a DAI ≥ 1.065 is associated with early cardiometabolic abnormalities independently of adiposity and other risk factors. Since DAI is calculated using accessible parameters routinely used in the clinic, this indicator can be easily incorporated in clinical practice for the early identification of adipose tissue abnormalities in apparently healthy subjects.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4247
Author(s):  
Lynne M. Z. Lafave ◽  
Alexis D. Webster ◽  
Ceilidh McConnell ◽  
Nadine Van Wyk ◽  
Mark R. Lafave

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) environments influence children’s early development and habits that track across a lifespan. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 government-mandated guidelines on physical activity (PA) and eating environments in ECEC settings. This cross-sectional study involved the recruitment of 19 ECEC centers pre-COVID (2019) and 15 ECEC centers during COVID (2020) in Alberta, Canada (n = 34 ECEC centers; n = 83 educators; n = 361 preschoolers). Educators completed the CHEERS (Creating Healthy Eating and activity Environments Survey) and MEQ (Mindful Eating Questionnaire) self-audit tools while GT3X+ ActiGraph accelerometers measured preschooler PA. The CHEERS healthy eating environment subscale was greater during COVID-19 (5.97 ± 0.52; 5.80 ± 0.62; p = 0.02) and the overall score positively correlated with the MEQ score (r = 0.20; p = 0.002). Preschoolers exhibited greater hourly step counts (800 ± 189; 649 ± 185), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) (9.3 ± 3.0 min/h; 7.9 ± 3.2 min/h) and lower sedentary times (42.4 ± 3.9 min/h; 44.1 ± 4.9 min/h) during COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID, respectively (p < 0.05). These findings suggest the eating environment and indices of child physical activity were better in 2020, which could possibly be attributed to a change in government-mandated COVID-19 guideline policy.


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