Co-recovery of physical size and cognitive ability from infancy to adolescence: A twin study.

This study tested phenotypic and biometric associations between physical and cognitive catch-up growth in a community sample of twins (n = 1285, 51.8% female, 89.3% White). Height and weight were measured at up to 17 time points between birth and 15 years, and cognitive ability was assessed at up to 16 time points between 3 months and 15 years. Weight and length at birth were positively associated with cognitive abilities in infancy and adolescence (r's = .16-.51). More rapid weight catch-up growth was associated with slower, steadier cognitive catch-up growth. Shared and nonshared environmental factors accounted for positive associations between physical size at birth and cognitive outcomes. Findings highlight the role of prenatal environmental experiences in physical and cognitive co-development.

A genetically informed longitudinal study of early-life temperament and childhood aggression.

The present study examined the longitudinal associations between three dimensions of temperament - activity, affect-extraversion, and task orientation - and childhood aggression. Using 131 monozygotic and 173 dizygotic (86 same-sex) twin pairs from the Louisville Twin Study, we elucidated the ages, from 6 to 36 months, at which each temperament dimension began to correlate with aggression at age 7. We employed latent growth modeling to show that developmental increases (i.e., slopes) in activity were positively associated with aggression, whereas increases in affect-extraversion and task orientation were negatively associated with aggression. Genetically informed models revealed that correlations between temperament and aggression were primarily explained by common genetic variance, with nonshared environmental variance accounting for a small proportion of each correlation by 36 months. Genetic variance explained the correlations of the slopes of activity and task orientation with aggression. Nonshared environmental variance accounted for almost half of the correlation between the slopes of affect-extraversion and aggression. Exploratory analyses revealed quantitative sex differences in each temperament-aggression association. By establishing which dimensions of temperament correlate with aggression, as well as when and how they do so, our work informs the development of future child and family interventions for children at highest risk of aggression.

Parity, mode of birth, and long-term gynecological health: A follow-up study of parous and nonparous women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health cohort.

BACKGROUND: Although gynecological health issues are common and cause considerable distress, little is known about their causes. We examined how birth history is associated with urinary incontinence (UI), severe period pain, heavy periods, and endometriosis. METHODS: We studied 7700 women in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health with an average follow-up of 10.9 years after their last birth. Surveys every third year provided information about birth history and gynecological health. Logistic regression was used to estimate how parity, mode of birth, and vaginal tears were associated with gynecological health issues. Presented results are adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: UI was reported by 16%, heavy periods by 31%, severe period pain by 28%, and endometriosis by 4%. Compared with women with two children, nonparous women had less UI (OR 0.35 [0.26-0.47]) but tended to have more endometriosis (OR 1.70 [0.97-2.96]). Also, women with only one child had less UI (OR 0.77 [0.61-0.98]), but more severe period pain (OR 1.24 [1.01-1.51]). Women with 4+ children had more heavy periods (OR 1.42 [1.07-1.88]). Compared with women with vaginal birth(s) only, women with only cesarean sections or vaginal birth after cesarean section had less UI (ORs 0.44 [0.34-0.58] and 0.55 [0.40-0.76]), but more endometriosis (ORs 1.91 [1.16-3.16] and 2.31 [1.25-4.28]) and heavy periods (ORs 1.21 [1.00-1.46] and 1.35 [1.06-1.72]). Vaginal tear(s) did not increase UI after accounting for parity and birth mode. CONCLUSION: While women with vaginal childbirth(s) reported more urinary incontinence, they had less menstrual complaints and endometriosis.

Use of the Child Opportunity Index to Examine Racial Variations in Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing to Children.

To examine further racial and ethnic variations in antibiotic prescribing to children, we used the Child Opportunity Index. Black children were less likely to be prescribed an antibiotic. Low- and moderate-opportunity areas were associated with greater rates of antibiotic prescribing, after adjusting for race and other factors.

Nonlinear Catch-Up Growth in Height, Weight, and Head Circumference from Birth to Adolescence: A Longitudinal Twin Study.

Owing to high rates of prenatal complications, twins are, on average, substantially smaller than population norms on physical measurements including height, weight, and head circumference at birth. By early childhood, twins are physically average. This study is the first to explore the process of catch-up growth by fitting asymptotic growth models to age-standardized height, weight, and head circumference measurements in a community sample of twins (n = 1281, 52.3% female) followed at up to 17 time points from birth to 15 years. Catch-up growth was rapid over the first year and plateaued around the population mean by early childhood. Shared environmental factors accounted for the majority of individual differences in initial physical size (57.7-65.5%), whereas additive genetic factors accounted for the majority of individual differences in the upper asymptotes of height, weight, and head circumference (73.4-92.6%). Both additive genetic and shared environmental factors were associated with variance in how quickly twins caught up. Gestational age and family SES emerged as important environmental correlates of physical catch-up growth.

Opportunities for primary health care: a qualitative study of perinatal health and wellbeing during bushfire crises.

BACKGROUND: During the summer of 2019/2020, Australia experienced a catastrophic wildfire season that affected nearly 80% of Australians either directly or indirectly. The impacts of climate crisis on perinatal health have only recently begun to receive attention. The objective of this study was to understand experiences of perinatal women during the bushfire and smoke events of 2019-2020 regarding health, health care, and public health messaging. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted by phone or web conferencing platforms with 43 participants living in the south-east of Australia who were either pregnant or who had recently had a baby during the 2019/2020 fires. RESULTS: The health impacts on participants of the fires, associated smoke, and evacuations for some, were both physical and psychological. Many participants sought information regarding how to protect their own health and that of their unborn/recently born children, but reported this difficult to find. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women and new mothers exposed to bushfire events are a risk group for adverse physical and psychological outcomes. At the time of the 2019/2020 Australian bushfires, exposed women could not easily access evidence-based information to mitigate this risk. Family practitioners are well placed to provide pregnant women and new mothers with this sought-after information, but they need to be prepared well in advance of future similar events.

Probiotic supplementation in healthy pre-school-aged children: What, why, how and when?

AIM: We previously published the prevalence and predictors of probiotic use among a cohort of healthy 4 and 5-year-old children. Here we explore the species and strains most commonly used, the reasons probiotics are used, perceptions of the impact on children's health and parental behaviours around probiotic supplementation in children. METHODS: Parents of 4 and 5-year-old children living in the Australian Capital Territory were invited to participate in an observational, cross-sectional study by completing a web-based survey between February and May 2020. Data concerning 481 children were eligible for analysis. Results are presented as simple proportions, with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals where appropriate. RESULTS: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis were the most frequently reported species, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG was the most frequently reported strain. The most common reason for administering probiotics to the 228 (47.4%) of 481 children ever exposed was to promote general health (54%). Half (51%) of parents perceived probiotics had improved their child's general health, although this was more likely for children who had recently (odds ratio (OR): 2.69, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.47-4.93) or regularly (OR: 2.92, CI: 1.46-5.85) used probiotics or whose parent had recently used probiotics (OR: 2.47, CI: 1.34-4.55). Initial exposure to probiotics occurred before the age of 2 years in 65% of the cohort. CONCLUSION: This community-based study suggests that parents use probiotics primarily to improve children's general health and with modest perceived effect. The long-term effects of early and prolonged exposure to probiotics are not well understood.

Development of a customizable interactions questionnaire (CIQ) for evaluating interactions with objects in augmented/virtual reality.

As new methods for interacting with systems are being developed for use within augmented or virtual reality, their impact on the quality of the user's experience needs to be assessed. Although many instruments exist for evaluating the overall user experience or the computer interface used to complete tasks, few provide measures that can be used to evaluate the specific forms of interaction typically used in these environments. This paper describes the development of a customizable questionnaire for measuring the subjective user experience that focuses on the quality of the interactions with objects in augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) worlds, which we are calling the Customizable Interactions Questionnaire, or (CIQ). The final questionnaire measures five factors that are related to user satisfaction while using the system: quality of interactions, assessment of task performance, comfort, quality of sensory enhancements, and consistency with expectations.

What are the long-term holistic health consequences of COVID-19 among survivors? An umbrella systematic review.

Many people who have survived COVID-19 have experienced negative persistent impacts on health. Impacts on health have included persistent respiratory symptoms, decreased quality of life, fatigue, impaired functional capacity, memory deficits, psychological impacts, and difficulties in returning to paid employment. Evidence is yet to be pooled to inform future directions in research and practice, to determine the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual impacts of the illness which extend beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 survivors. This umbrella review (review of systematic reviews) critically synthesized physical (including abnormal laboratory parameters), psychological, social, and spiritual impacts which extended beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 survivors. The search strategy was based on the sample, phenomena of interest, design, evaluation, research model and all publications were double screened independently by four review authors for the eligibility criteria. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted in parallel independently. Eighteen systematic reviews were included, which represented a total of 493 publications. Sample sizes ranged from n = 15 to n = 44 799 with a total of n = 295 455 participants. There was incomplete reporting of several significant data points including the description of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variant, COVID-19 treatments, and key clinical and demographic data. A number of physical, psychological, and social impacts were identified for individuals grappling with post-COVID condition. The long term sequalae of acute COVID-19 and size of the problem is only beginning to emerge. Further investigation is needed to ensure that those affected by post-COVID condition have their informational, spiritual, psychological, social, and physical needs met in the future.

Genetically informed, multilevel analysis of the Flynn Effect across four decades and three WISC versions.

This study investigated the systematic rise in cognitive ability scores over generations, known as the Flynn Effect, across middle childhood and early adolescence (7-15 years; 291 monozygotic pairs, 298 dizygotic pairs; 89% White). Leveraging the unique structure of the Louisville Twin Study (longitudinal data collected continuously from 1957 to 1999 using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children [WISC], WISC-R, and WISC-III ed.), multilevel analyses revealed between-subjects Flynn Effects-as both decrease in mean scores upon test re-standardization and increase in mean scores across cohorts-as well as within-child Flynn Effects on cognitive growth across age. Overall gains equaled approximately three IQ points per decade. Novel genetically informed analyses suggested that individual sensitivity to the Flynn Effect was moderated by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors.

Socioeconomic status impacts genetic influences on the longitudinal dynamic relationship between temperament and general cognitive ability in childhood: The Louisville Twin Study.

The current analysis investigates genetic and environmental influences on the bidirectional relationships between temperament and general cognitive ability (GCA). Measures of GCA and three temperament factors (persistence, approach, and reactivity) were collected from 486 children ages 4-9 years (80% white, 50% female) from the Louisville Twin Study from 1976 to 1998. The results indicated a bidirectional dynamic model of temperament influencing subsequent GCA and GCA influencing subsequent temperament. The dynamic relationship between temperament and GCA arose primarily from shared genetic variance, particularly in families with higher socioeconomic status, where input from temperament contributed on average 20% to genetic variance in GCA versus 0% in lower SES families.

Probiotic supplementation in healthy pre-school-aged children: Prevalence and predictors.

AIM: Probiotics have been shown to prevent or treat a number of paediatric health problems; however, not much is known about how probiotics are used in the community. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and main predictors of probiotic supplementation among healthy pre-school-aged children. METHODS: Parents of 4- or 5-year-olds residing in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire between February and May 2020. There were 469 responses concerning 494 children eligible for analysis. Prevalence was categorised as lifetime exposure and recent exposure. Predictors were determined through multiple logistic regression modelling. RESULTS: Almost half (47.4%) of the children had ever been exposed to probiotics and 14.9% had taken probiotics in the previous month. The strongest predictors of lifetime probiotic exposure were parental lifetime probiotic use (OR 13.3; 95% CI 7.4-24.1) and an interaction between functional food consumption and parental lifetime probiotic use (OR 5.6; 95% CI 2.6-12.1). The strongest predictor of recent probiotic exposure was parental recent probiotic use (OR 13.3; 95% CI 5.7-30.8). CONCLUSIONS: This study illustrates the high prevalence of probiotic exposure among healthy pre-school-aged children in the ACT and emphasises the relationship between parental use of probiotics and exposure in children. These findings will allow comparison and analysis of trends over time. Practitioners should be aware of the evidence for and against probiotics as these findings suggest a high level of acceptability among parents.

Trends in hospitalisation for common paediatric infections: An Australian experience.

AIM: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) significantly impact health service use among children; however, recent trends in hospital admission rates are not well documented. Our objectives were to describe admission rates for RTI and AGE among children in one jurisdiction over a 10-year period and their associated length of stay (LOS), monetary costs and chronic conditions. METHODS: This is retrospective review of hospital admissions data for Australian Capital Territory residents aged 0-16 years admitted with a primary diagnosis commensurate with RTI or AGE. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2018, there were 8668 admissions. Admission rates rose from 9.2/1000 age-adjusted population in 2009 to 10.5/1000 in 2018. LOS reduced by 10 h (43 to 33 h). The median cost per admission was AUD$3158 (AUD$148 to AUD$175 271) and 16.4% of children had a chronic condition, associated with longer LOS and higher episode costs. Median age at admission was 1 year 5 months. Infants were admitted three times as often as older children and admissions for lower RTI were more common than for upper RTI or AGE (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric hospital admission rates for RTI in the Australian Capital Territory are increasing and LOS is decreasing. Admissions for AGE remain relatively low following the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in 2007. Effective strategies are needed to reduce the burden of paediatric RTI.

High-level psychotropic polypharmacy: a retrospective comparison of children in foster care to their peers on Medicaid.

BACKGROUND: The use of antipsychotic medication and psychotropic polypharmacy has increased in the United States over the last two decades especially for children from low-income families and those in foster care. Although attention has been paid to providing greater insight, prescribing patterns remain concerning since there is a lack of evidence related to safety and efficacy. High-level psychotropic polypharmacy has not been described. We aim to compare the use of HLPP for children receiving Medicaid services and those in foster care and identify factors associated with the duration of use of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy. Additionally, we will examine the frequency of laboratory metabolic screening and emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient visits. METHODS: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of statewide data describes trends in high-level psychotropic polypharmacy from 2012 to 2017 and the prevalence and predictors of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy duration and resource use in 2017 for all children on Medicaid and those in foster care. High-level psychotropic polypharmacy included concurrent use, at least four classes of medications including an antipsychotic, and at least 30 days duration. RESULTS: High-level psychotropic polypharmacy increased from 2012 to 2014 for both groups but stabilized in 2015-2016. Children in foster care showed a slight increase compared to their peers in 2017. There was no association between duration and demographic characteristics or foster care status. Diagnoses predicted duration. Neither group received metabolic monitoring at an acceptable rate. CONCLUSIONS: Concerning patterns of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy and metabolic monitoring were identified. Cautious use of high-level psychotropic polypharmacy and greater oversight to ensure that these children are receiving comprehensive services like behavioral health, primary care, and primary prevention.

Maternal body mass index and country of birth in relation to the adverse outcomes of large for gestational age and gestational diabetes mellitus in a retrospective cohort of Australian pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in Australia has been rising in line with the increased incidence of maternal overweight and obesity. Women with gestational diabetes mellitus, high body mass index or both are at an elevated risk of birthing a large for gestational age infant. The aim was to explore the relationship between country of birth, maternal body mass index with large for gestational age, and gestational diabetes mellitus. In addition to provide additional information for clinicians when making a risk assessment for large for gestational age babies. METHOD: A retrospective cohort study of 27,814 women residing in Australia but born in other countries, who gave birth to a singleton infant between 2008 and 2017 was undertaken. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between the aforementioned variables. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of large for gestational age infants was born to overweight and obese women compared to those who were classified as underweight and healthy weight. Asian-born women residing in Australia, with a body mass index of ≥40 kg/m2, had an adjusted odds ratio of 9.926 (3.859-25.535) for birthing a large for gestational age infant. Conversely, Australian-born women with a body mass index of ≥40 kg/m2 had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.661 (2.256-3.139) for the same outcome. Women born in Australia were at high risk of birthing a large for gestational age infant in the presence of insulin-requiring gestational diabetes mellitus, but this risk was not significant for those with the diet-controlled type. Asian-born women did not present an elevated risk of birthing a large for gestational age infant, in either the diet controlled, or insulin requiring gestational diabetes mellitus groups. CONCLUSIONS: Women who are overweight or obese, and considering a pregnancy, are encouraged to seek culturally appropriate nutrition and weight management advice during the periconception period to reduce their risk of adverse outcomes.

Development of the Woman-Centred Care Scale- Midwife Self Report (WCCS-MSR).

BACKGROUND: Woman-centred care is recognised as a fundamental construct of midwifery practice yet to date, there has been no validated tool available to measure it. This study aims to develop and test a self-report tool to measure woman-centred care in midwives. METHODS: A staged approach was used for tool development including deductive methods to generate items, testing content validity with a group of experts, and psychometrically testing the instrument with a sample drawn from the target audience. The draft 58 item tool was distributed in an online survey using professional networks in Australia and New Zealand. Testing included item analysis, principal components analysis with direct oblimin rotation and subscale analysis, and internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: In total, 319 surveys were returned. Analysis revealed five factors explaining 47.6% of variance. Items were reduced to 40. Internal consistency (.92) was high but varied across factors. Factors reflected the extent to which a midwife meets the woman's unique needs; balances the woman's needs within the context of the maternity service; ensures midwifery philosophy underpins practice; uses evidence to inform collaborative practice; and works in partnership with the woman. CONCLUSION: The Woman-Centred Care Scale-Midwife Self Report is the first step in developing a valid and reliable tool to enable midwives to self-assess their woman-centredness. Further research in alternate populations and refinement is warranted.

Midlife Study of the Louisville Twins: Connecting Cognitive Development to Biological and Cognitive Aging.

The Louisville Twin Study (LTS) began in 1958 and became a premier longitudinal twin study of cognitive development. The LTS continuously collected data from twins through 2000 after which the study closed indefinitely due to lack of funding. Now that the majority of the sample is age 40 or older (61.36%, N = 1770), the LTS childhood data can be linked to midlife cognitive functioning, among other physical, biological, social, and psychiatric outcomes. We report results from two pilot studies in anticipation of beginning the midlife phase of the LTS. The first pilot study was a participant tracking study, in which we showed that approximately 90% of the Louisville families randomly sampled (N = 203) for the study could be found. The second pilot study consisted of 40 in-person interviews in which twins completed cognitive, memory, biometric, and functional ability measures. The main purpose of the second study was to correlate midlife measures of cognitive functioning to a measure of biological age, which is an alternative index to chronological age that quantifies age as a function of the breakdown of structural and functional physiological systems, and then to relate both of these measures to twins' cognitive developmental trajectories. Midlife IQ was uncorrelated with biological age (- .01) while better scores on episodic memory more strongly correlated with lower biological age (- .19 to - .31). As expected, midlife IQ positively correlated with IQ measures collected throughout childhood and adolescence. Additionally, positive linear rates of change in FSIQ scores in childhood significantly correlated with biological age (- .68), physical functioning (.71), and functional ability (- .55), suggesting that cognitive development predicts lower biological age, better physical functioning, and better functional ability. In sum, the Louisville twins can be relocated to investigate whether and how early and midlife cognitive and physical health factors contribute to cognitive aging.

Longitudinal Trends in the Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Stimulant Use in Preschool Children on Medicaid.

OBJECTIVES: To describe trends in the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prescribing of stimulants in preschool-age children receiving Medicaid and to identify factors associated with the receipt of psychosocial care. STUDY DESIGN: Data were extracted from 2012-2016 Kentucky Medicaid claims for children aged <6 years. ADHD was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes F90.0, F90.1, F90.2, F90.8, and F90.9. Psychosocial therapy was defined as having at least 1 relevant Current Procedural Terminology code in a claim within the year. A generalized linear model with a logit link and binomial distribution was used to assess factors associated with receipt of psychosocial treatment in 2016. RESULTS: More than 2500 (1.24%) preschool-aged children receiving Medicaid had a diagnosis of ADHD in 2016, with 988 (38.2%) of those receiving a stimulant medication. Children in foster care were diagnosed with and/or treated for ADHD 4 times more often than other Medicaid recipients. Of the 1091 preschoolers receiving stimulants, 99 (9%) did not have a diagnosis of ADHD. There were no significant differences in diagnoses by race/ethnicity, but children reported to be black, Hispanic, or other race/ethnicity received stimulants at a lower rate than white children. Positive predictors for receiving psychosocial therapy in 2016 included having the diagnosis but not receiving a stimulant, having at least 1 prescription written by a psychiatrist, having comorbidities, and age. The use of stimulants in children aged <6 years declined from 0.9% in 2012 to 0.5% in 2016. CONCLUSIONS: Promising trends demonstrate a decreasing use of stimulants in preschoolers; however, continued vigilance is needed to promote the optimal use of psychosocial interventions.

The Louisville Twin Study: Past, Present and Future.

The Louisville Twin Study (LTS) is nationally recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive studies of child development related to multiple birth status. The LTS is unique because of the extensive longitudinal face-to-face assessments, the frequency of data collection, the inclusion of data on additional family members (i.e., parents, siblings, grandparents; and later, twins' own spouses and children), and the variety of data collection methods used. Data preservation efforts began in 2008 and are largely complete, although efforts are ongoing to obtain funding to convert the electronic data to a newer format. A pilot study was completed in the summer of 2018 to bring the twins, who are now middle-aged, back for testing. A grant is currently under review to extend the pilot study to include all former participants who are now ≥40 years of age. Opportunities for collaboration are welcome.

Efficacy of an Internet-based depression intervention to improve rates of treatment in adolescent mothers.

Approximately 400,000 adolescents give birth in the USA annually. Although one-half experience depressive symptoms, less than 25% comply with referrals for depression evaluation and treatment. The current study tested the effectiveness of an Internet-based depression intervention on seeking depression treatment. Based upon the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the intervention included vignettes, questions and answers, and resources. Before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 2 weeks later the adolescent mothers (n = 151) answered questions related to TPB variables and depression treatment. Data were compared to adolescent mothers (n = 138) in the control group. Data were collected in community organizations or home visits for the control group. Adolescent mothers in the intervention group answered questions and completed the intervention from a computer of their choice. The adolescents were primarily African American (89.2%), less than high school educated (51.7%), had given birth in last year (97.1%), with a mean age 18.2 years. The intervention led to significant changes in attitude, perceived control, intention to seek mental health treatment, and actually seeking depression treatment. Untreated postpartum depression dramatically impacts a mother's relationship with her child, her functioning at work and school, health care-seeking behaviors, mothering skills, and her development as well as the development of her child. An Internet-based depression intervention is an inexpensive method to increase rates of depression treatment.