scholarly journals The value of head circumference measurements after 36 months of age: a clinical report and review of practice patterns

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hector E. James ◽  
Anthony A. Perszyk ◽  
Teresa L. MacGregor ◽  
Philipp R. Aldana

OBJECT The cranium is documented to grow from birth through adolescence. The standard of practice in primary care is measuring head circumference and plotting growth using curves that stop at 36 months. The authors report the importance of their experience with measuring head circumference in the child and same-sex parent beyond 36 months. METHODS In the University of Florida genetics and pediatric neurosurgery clinics, head circumference is measured and plotted on growth charts through 18 years of age. Circumference and rate of growth over time are compared with those of the same-sex parent. A diagnostic workup is initiated if there is a discrepancy with the patient's head circumference or if there is significant change in the growth rate of the cranium. RESULTS Between January 2004 and December 2007, the lead author examined 190 patients referred by pediatricians and/or pediatric subspecialists because of the concerns regarding head size of the child. Neuroimaging was performed in 70% of the patients prior to referral. None of the patients had their head size compared with that of their same-sex parent prior to referral. On assessing referring physician responses as to why the same-sex parents, head measurements were not pursued prior to imaging or referral to the specialists, the results were: 1) only have head circumference sheets to 36 months of age (n = 28); 2) the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend it (n = 3); and 3) the head stops growing at 36 months of age (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS Pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists need instruction on head circumference measurement in children from infancy through adolescence, and when indicated, in comparison with the head size of the same-sex parent. This measurement may be an effective and inexpensive assessment tool.

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon J. Kamin ◽  
Safiya Omari

We review recent research which estimates racial differences in cranial capacity by measuring head dimensions of living persons. We describe errors in published reports, and find that American whites have greater head height than American blacks, but that blacks have greater head length and greater head circumference. Estimates of cranial capacity are determined by racial differences in head shape. Possible relations between head size and measured IQ are so small that they cannot possibly explain black-white differences in IQ. Why, despite this, does ‘scientific’ interest in race differences in cranial capacity persist?


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey Hayward ◽  
Sabrina H. Han ◽  
Alexander Simko ◽  
Hector E. James ◽  
Philipp R. Aldana

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study was to examine the socioeconomic benefits to the patients and families attending a regional pediatric neurosurgery telemedicine clinic (PNTMC).METHODSA PNTMC was organized by the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery of the University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville based at Wolfson Children’s Hospital and by the Children’s Medical Services (CMS) to service the Southeast Georgia Health District. Monthly clinics are held with the CMS nursing personnel at the remote location. A retrospective review of the clinic population was performed, socioeconomic data were extracted, and cost savings were calculated.RESULTSClinic visits from August 2011 through January 2017 were reviewed. Fifty-five patients were seen in a total of 268 initial and follow-up PNTMC appointments. The average round-trip distance for a family from home to the University of Florida Pediatric Neurosurgery (Jacksonville) clinic location versus the PNTMC remote location was 190 versus 56 miles, respectively. The families saved an average of 2.5 hours of travel time and 134 miles of travel distance per visit. The average transportation cost savings for all visits per family and for all families was $180 and $9711, respectively. The average lost work cost savings for all visits per family and for all families was $43 and $2337, respectively. The combined transportation and work cost savings for all visits totaled $223 per family and $12,048 for all families. Average savings of $0.68/mile and $48.50/visit in utilizing the PNTMC were calculated.CONCLUSIONSManaging pediatric neurosurgery patients and their families via telemedicine is feasible and saves families substantial travel time, travel cost, and time away from work.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-71
Author(s):  
M. Christian Green

Some years back, around 2013, I was asked to write an article on the uses of the Bible in African law. Researching references to the Bible and biblical law across the African continent, I soon learned that, besides support for arguments by a few states in favor of declaring themselves “Christian nations,” the main use was in emerging debates over homosexuality and same-sex relationships—almost exclusively to condemn those relationships. In January 2013, the newly formed African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ACLARS) held its first international conference at the University of Ghana Legon. There, African sexuality debates emerged forcefully in consideration of a paper by Sylvia Tamale, then dean of the Makarere University School of Law in Uganda, who argued pointedly, “[P]olitical Christianity and Islam, especially, have constructed a discourse that suggests that sexuality is the key moral issue on the continent today, diverting attention from the real critical moral issues for the majority of Africans . . . . Employing religion, culture and the law to flag sexuality as the biggest moral issue of our times and dislocating the real issue is a political act and must be recognised as such.”


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (Sup4) ◽  
pp. S6-S11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodie Nixon ◽  
Amanda Purcell ◽  
Jennifer Fleming ◽  
Andrew McCann ◽  
Sandro Porceddu

2021 ◽  

The MIMI project was initiated by the DSI in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the HSRC and UKZN. The purpose of this initiative was to develop an innovative tool capable of assessing and measuring the innovation landscape in municipalities, thus enabling municipalities to adopt innovative practices to improve service delivery. The outcome of the implementation testing, based on the participation of 22 municipalities, demonstrated the value and the capacity of MIMI to produce innovation maturity scores for municipalities. The digital assessment tool looked at how a municipality, as an organisation, responds to science, technology and innovation (STI) linked to service delivery, and the innovation capabilities and readiness of the municipality and the officials themselves. The tool is also designed to recommend areas of improvements in adopting innovative practices and nurturing an innovation mindset for impactful municipal service delivery. The plan going forward is to conduct learning forums to train municipal officials on how to use the MIMI digital platform, inform them about the nationwide implementation rollout plan and support municipal officials to engage in interactive and shared learnings to allow them to move to higher innovation maturity levels. The virtual launch featured a keynote address by the DSI Director-General, Dr Phil Mjwara; Prof Mehmet Akif Demircioglu from the National University of Singapore gave an international perspective on innovation measurements in the public sector; and messages of support were received from MIMI partners, delivered by Prof Mosa Moshabela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) of Research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Prof Leickness Simbayi, Acting CEO of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). It attracted over 200 attendees from municipalities, government, business and private sector stakeholders, academics, policymakers and the international audience. @ASSAf_Official; @dsigovza; #MIMI_Launch; #IID


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Relisa Nuris Shifa ◽  
Sulistiawati ◽  
Endyka Erye Frety ◽  
Astika Gita Ningrum

Background: The first six months after birth are part of the first 1000 days, a golden period for child development. In this period, the child needed proper nutrition to support optimal development and as nutrition programming. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6th-month. Adequacy of nutrition and optimal growth can be assessed using the nutritional status.  Aim: This study analyzes the relationship between EBF for the first 6 months with the nutritional status of a full-term infant aged 0-6 months. The nutritional status assessed using anthropometric measurements and child growth standards. Methods: This type of literature review research uses the PRISMA, PICO, and Boolean Operator methods. The research question with PICO standard "What is a relationship between exclusive breastfeeding practice and nutritional status of children aged 0-6 months?". Relevant literature was obtained from 8 databases: Scopus, Portal Garuda, Proquest, Mendeley, Pubmed, Oxford, Science Direct, and Sage. Literature was limited to the last 10 years. There are 6 relevant pieces of literature included for review. The literature quality assessment uses a quantitative study quality assessment tool released by the EPHPP (Effective Public Health Practice Project) and produces 5 pieces of literature worthy of review.  Results: From 5 kinds of literature, there were various indicators of nutritional status such as weight-for-age (WAZ), length-for-age (LAZ), weight-for-length (WLZ), Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age, and head circumference (HC)-for-age. The results were dominated by insignificant results, except the HC-for-age indicator stated that there were significant results. The author explores the causes of insignificant results. Explores based on the indicators that include in studies, the information based on studies, and the possible consequences that adjusted to the data based on the studies. The Author found that the mother plays an important role in the production and provision of breast milk. The quality of breastmilk depends on the mother, also how she gives it to their infant. It has to be based on the WHO recommendation. Conclusion: The result of these studies affirms that EBF didn't significantly affect the indicators of WAZ, LAZ, WLZ, and BMI-for-age, but significantly affected the head circumference-for-age indicator.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeremy Alsup

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Technology ethics seeks to identify the ways in which individuals and organizations might develop and sustain optimal relationships with the various technologies in their personal and professional lives. Secondary public schools have considered technology primarily through only a few very important but rudimentary lenses. The problem of practice was grounded in the ability and willingness of public schools to respond to the changing technological landscape in a way that was timely and meaningful. This study followed an exploratory sequential design and was two pronged: first, it investigated the ways public high schools supported technology ethics through their technology policies at the district and building levels; second, it developed a technology ethics assessment tool.


2021 ◽  

With the launch of our third journal,  JCPP Advances, we're bringing you a series of podcasts that focus on the papers and editors featured in the publication. In this podcast we speak to Dr. Bianca Arrhenius, medical doctor from Helsinki, Finland, and PhD student at the University of Turku, who is lead author on the paper 'Relative Age and Specific Learning Disorder Diagnosis'. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pareshkumar Amrutlal Thakkar ◽  
Kinjal Yagnik ◽  
Niyati T Parmar ◽  
Rashmi Ranjan Das ◽  
Ukti P Thakkar

Introduction: Observer variability is known in taking head circumference. Stretchable tapes do not provide accurate results after being used repeatedly. The aim of this study was to compare the intra-observer and inter-observer variability in measuring head circumference (HC) or occipito-frontal circumference (OFC) by using routine stretchable and non-stretchable tapes.Material and Methods: In this crosss-ectional study, all stable children in the age group of 1 month to 5 years attending the pediatric department of a tertiary care teaching hospital over six months period were included. The main outcome measures were: intra-observer & inter-observer variability in HC measurements by routinely used stretchable and non-stretchable tapes, and accuracy of readings of old stretchable tapes.Results: A total of 301 children were included. There was good correlation in the measurements taken by two observers (inter-observer), and three different readings of the same observer (intra-observer), correlation coefficient being > 0.99. With stretchable tape, 26% subjects had both intra-observer and inter-observer variability of ≥ 0.5 cm, which was 9.9% and 15.9% with the use of non-stretchable tape, respectively. Non-stretchable tape compared to stretchable tape had significantly less intra-observer (p < 0.001) and inter-observer variability (p=0.038).Conclusions: Observer variability was significantly less with the use of non-stretchable tapes compared to routinely used stretchable tapes. Old stretchable tapes used repeatedly over certain periods were not able to provide accurate readings.  


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