[Intima-media thickness in obese adolescents and their relation with metabolic syndrome]. / Grosor de la íntima-media de la arteria carótida en adolescentes obesos y su relación con el síndrome metabólico.

INTRODUCTION: Obese adolescents have higher cardiovascular risk (CVR). Intima-media thickness (IMT) detects early arterial vascular compromise. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether obese adolescents have higher vascular compromise measured by IMT than nonobese adolescents, and if this is greater in those with metabolic syndrome (MS). METHOD: The study group (SG), obese children (BMI/age > p95), with and without MS and control group (CG), non-obese (BMI/age p10-85) and non nutritional or endocrine disease. We measured serum lipids, oral glucose tolerance test with insulin and carotid artery ultrasound. To evaluate the differences between test groups we used parametric and nonparametric statistics. RESULTS: We evaluated 45 obese adolescents (20 women), 19 with MS, age 13 (9-16) years and 18 controls (14 women), aged 13 (11-16) years. IMT of carotid bulb and internal carotid artery (ICA) were significantly higher in SG than CG (0.54 vs. 0.34, 0.34 vs. 0.25, p < 0.05). There was no difference between obese groups. IMT of ICA and bulb correlated positively with BMIz (r = 0.3 and 0.6, p < 0.05) and with waist circumference (CC) (r = 0.3 and 0.55, p < 0, 05). IMT of ICA was positively correlated with fasting insulin, HOMA and systolic blood pressure. In multivariate analysis only BMI and CC were associated independently to IMT. CONCLUSION: Obesity is an early risk factor for cardiovascular damage measured by IMT and IMT of ICA demonstrated a higher correlation with cardiovascular risk factors.

Depresión posparto en el embarazo adolescente: análisis del problema y sus consecuencias / Adolescent pregnancy and postpartum depression

El embarazo adolescente es un importante problema de Salud Pública, que se asocia a consecuencias biológicas, psicológicas y sociales negativas tanto para la madre como para el hijo. Uno de los riesgos frente a los que las madres adolescentes están particularmente vulnerables es a la depresión posparto (DPP). Existen extensas investigaciones sobre el fenómeno de la DPP, pero los estudios en madres adolescentes son limitados y suelen provenir de países desarrollados. En Chile no existen estudios publicados que se aboquen específicamente a la DPP en adolescentes. Por lo mismo, es que esta revisión pretende dar cuenta de los principales hallazgos internacionales y nacionales sobre prevalencia, factores de riesgo, consecuencias y abordaje de la DPP en general, y en madres adolescentes en particular, con el propósito de fortalecer el conocimiento de los profesionales que trabajan con estas jóvenes, ya sea en el área de salud mental, obstetricia o pediatría.

Adolescent pregnancy is an important public health issue associated with negative biological, psychological and social consequences for the mother and the child. One of the main risks adolescent mothers is particularly vulnerable to postpartum depression. Literature on postpartum depression is broad, but studies regarding the phenomenon in adolescent mothers are scarce, and come mostly from developed countries. In Chile there are no published studies centered on postpartum depression in adolescents. Therefore, this article aims to describe the main international and national findings on the prevalence, risk factors, consequences and management of postpartum depression in general, and in adolescents in particular, with the goal of strengthening the knowledge of professionals caring for adolescent mothers in mental health, obstetric and pediatric services.

Bone mineral density in children with celiac disease. Effect of a Gluten-free diet.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree of osteopenia in children with celiac disease (CD) at the time of diagnosis and the effect of a gluten-free diet (GFD). DESIGN: Longitudinal and prospective study. SUBJECTS: In total, 24 children (18 girls, six boys) diagnosed with CD by means of an intestinal biopsy were included in the study. Mean+/-s.d. age was 4.9+/-4.3 years. In all, 16 patients were under (2.20+/-0.82 year) and eight were over the age of 4 years (10.30+/-2.90 year). The time between the first symptoms and diagnosis was 17.30+/-24.70 months (range: 2-109 months). Spine bone mineral content (BMC), area and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured by DXA at baseline and 1.17+/-0.93 years after GFD. RESULTS: Before treatment, mean+/-s.d. BMD was 0.46+/-0.13 g/cm(2), the BMD Z-score was -1.36+/-1.20, and was below -1 s.d. in 14 patients (58%). BMC, area and BMD increased significantly on GFD. BMD increased from 0.46+/-0.13 to 0.55+/-0.13 g/cm(2) (P<0.001). BMD Z-score improved from -1.36+/-1.20 to -0.23+/-1.20 after GFD. However, BMD increased more than 1 s.d. in 15 of the 16 children under the age of 4 years, a similar increase was only observed in four of the eight children aged more than 4 years, some of whom did not follow GFD strictly. Height and weight increased significantly with GFD (P<0.001) and the increase correlated positively with the increase in BMD. CONCLUSIONS: Axial BMD below -1 s.d. was found in 58% of children with celiac disease. Axial bone mass reverted to normal values in most children under the age of 4, who had low bone mass, all of whom followed GFD strictly.

Greater efficacy of preweaning than postweaning environmental enrichment on maze learning in adult rats.

In order to assess the behavioural effects of environmental stimulation at different stages of development, two groups of rats were exposed to multisensory enrichment on days 10-24 (preweaning) or 25-39 (postweaning). Both groups had four 25-min sessions per day in a large cage with a variety of stimuli, in addition to 3 min of handling before each session. The mother of the preweaning group remained in the home cage during the stimulation sessions. A third group was maintained in a social condition. Testing in a Hebb-Williams maze started when the rats of the 3 groups were 100 days old. Error, latency and running time scores were lowest in the preweaning group.