Association of primary Pneumocystis carinii infection and sudden infant death syndrome.

To delineate clinical and histological features of the first Pneumocystis carinii infection affecting the immunocompetent host, P. carinii-specific histological stains were performed on autopsy lung specimens from 534 consecutive pediatric patients (those with AIDS and malignancies were excluded) in Santiago, Chile. P. carinii clusters were found in 4 (25%) of 16 infants who died of no apparent cause at arrival to the emergency department, and in 10 (2.9%) of 342 infants who died of multiple conditions at the hospital (P=.002, Fisher's exact test). This prompted us to analyze additional series of infants with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In 161 additional SIDS cases, 47 (35.1%) of 134 infants from Chile and 4 (14.8%) of 27 infants from Oxford, United Kingdom, were found to have P. carinii clusters in the lungs. The quantity of P. carinii cysts was small compared with the numbers seen in immunocompromised hosts with P. carinii pneumonitis. This study provides histological evidence that primary P. carinii infection is associated with SIDS.

A cross-linguistic examination of the noun-category bias: its existence and specificity in French- and Spanish-speaking preschool-aged children.

Previous research has revealed that English-speaking preschoolers expect that a novel count noun (but not a novel adjective), applied to an individual object, may be extended to other members of the same basic or superordinate level category. However, because the existing literature is based almost exclusively on English-speakers, it is unclear whether this specific expectation is evident in children acquiring languages other than English. The experiments reported here constitute the first cross-linguistic, developmental test of the noun-category linkage. We examined monolingual French- and Spanish-speaking preschool-aged children's superordinate level categorization in a match-to-sample task. Target objects were introduced with (a) novel words presented as count nouns (e.g., "This is a fopin"), (b) novel words presented as adjectives (e.g., "This is a fopish one"), or (c) no novel words. Like English-speakers, French- and Spanish-speakers extended count nouns consistently to other category members. This is consistent with our prediction that the mapping between count nouns and object categories may be a universal phenomenon. However, children's extension of novel adjectives varied across languages. Like English-speakers, French-speakers did not extend novel adjectives to other members of the same category. In contrast, Spanish-speakers did extend novel adjectives, like count nouns, in this fashion. This is consistent with our prediction that the mappings between adjectives and their associated applications vary across languages. The results provide much-needed cross-linguistic support for the noun-category linkage and illustrate the importance of the interplay between constraints within the child and input from the language environment.

Dendritic development in neocortex of infants with early postnatal life undernutrition.

The structure of large pyramidal cells from layer V of the motor cortex of undernourished and well-nourished infants was studied to determine the effects of postnatal nutrition on cortical dendritic development. In undernourished infants, the arborization and span of the basilar dendrites were decreased in comparison to controls. These findings indicated that undernutrition experienced during the first months of postnatal life could affect the growth of pyramidal cells, especially the formation of basilar dendrites.

[Weber-Christian disease]. / Enfermedad de Weber-Christian.

A fourteen month old infant was admitted for evaluation because of continuous high fever and an indurated nodular lesion at the left thigh of one month course. After admittance painful inflammatory subcutaneous nodules appeared in the face and trunk, these were accompanied by enlarged cervical lymph nodes and hepatomegaly. Histological evaluation of the skin biopsy showed destruction of subcutaneous tissue, foamy cells, vasculitis and polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration; histiocytic proliferation in the lymph nodes and steatosis in the liver biopsy. Osteoarticular infection, cellulitis, sepsis, tuberculosis, collagen disease, and malignancies of hematologic origin were all ruled out. Response to treatment with prednisone was excellent and the patient has been asymptomatic along a one year follow up period.

Rhabdomyosarcoma arising in a congenital giant nevus associated with neurocutaneous melanosis in a neonate.

The case of a newborn with a pedunculated embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma arising from a pigmented giant congenital nevus located on the posterior part of the neck and upper trunk is presented. The nevus was associated with melanosis of the leptomeninges and central nervous system. The pedunculated tumor was removed and the infant was given subsequent chemotherapy. In spite of well-tolerated chemotherapy, he died on the 30th day of life due to a staphylococcal pneumonia.