Current Pubertal Development in Chinese Children and the Impact of Overnutrition, Lifestyle, and Perinatal Factors.

CONTEXT: Age of pubertal onset has been decreasing in many countries but there have been no data on pubertal development in Chinese children over the last decade. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the current status of sexual maturation in Chinese children and adolescents. Secondary objectives were to examine socioeconomic, lifestyle, and auxological associations with pubertal onset. METHODS: In this national, cross-sectional, community-based health survey, a multistage, stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select a nationally representative sample, consisting of 231 575 children and adolescents (123 232 boys and 108 343 girls) between 2017 and 2019. Growth parameters and pubertal staging were assessed by physical examination. RESULTS: Compared to 10 years previously, the median age of Tanner 2 breast development and menarche were similar at 9.65 years and 12.39 years respectively. However, male puberty occurred earlier with a median age of testicular volume ≥4 mL of 10.65 years. Pubertal onset did occur earlier at the extremes, with 3.3% of the girls with breast development at 6.5-6.99 years old, increasing to 5.8% by 7.5-7.99 years old. Early pubertal onset was also noted in boys, with a testicular volume ≥ 4 mL noted in 1.5% at 7.5-7.99 years, increasing to 3.5% at 8.5-8.99 years old. Obesity and overweight increased risk of developing earlier puberty relative to normal weight in both boys and girls. CONCLUSION: Over the past decade, pubertal development is occurring earlier in Chinese children. While the cause is multifactorial, overweight and obesity are associated with earlier puberty onset. The currently used normative pubertal data of precocious puberty may not be applicable to diagnose precocious puberty.

Construction of a new complete growth reference for urban Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: Growth chart is a valuable clinical tool to monitor the growth and nutritional status of children. A growth chart widely used in China is based on the merged data sets of national surveys in 2005. We aimed to establish an up-to-date, complete growth curve for urban Chinese children and adolescents with a full range of ages. METHODS: Using data collected in a large-scale, cross-sectional study (Prevalence and Risk factors for Obesity and Diabetes in Youth (PRODY), 2017-2019), we analyzed 201,098 urban children aged 3 to 18 years from 11 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities that are geographically representative of China. All participants underwent physical examinations. Sex-specific percentiles of height-for-age and weight-for-age were constructed by Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) model. We also compared the median values of height-for-age or weight-for-age between our growth chart and the established growth reference using Welch-Satterthwaite T-Test. RESULTS: Consistent with the established growth reference, we observed that the P50 percentile of height-for-age reached plateaus at the age of 15 years (172 cm) and 14 years (160 cm) for boys and girls, respectively. In addition, boys aged 10 ~ 14 years and girls aged 10 ~ 12 years exhibited the most dramatic weight difference compared to those of other age groups (19.5 kg and 10.3 kg, respectively). However, our growth chart had higher median values of weight-for-age and height-for-age than the established growth reference with mean increases in weight-for-age of 1.36 kg and 1.17 kg for boys and girls, respectively, and in height-for-age of 2.9 cm and 2.6 cm for boys and girls, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our updated growth chart can serve as a reliable reference to assess the growth and nutritional status in urban Chinese children throughout the entire childhood.

Risk factors for obesity and overweight in Chinese children: a nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze a comprehensive set of potential risk factors for obesity and overweight among Chinese children with a full range of ages and with wide geographical coverage. METHODS: In the Prevalence and Risk Factors for Obesity and Diabetes in Youth (PRODY) study (2017-2019), the authors analyzed 193,997 children aged 3 to 18 years from 11 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities that are geographically representative of China. All participants underwent physical examinations, and their caregivers completed questionnaires including dietary, lifestyle, familial, and perinatal information of participants. A multilevel multinomial logistic regression model was used to evaluate the potential risk factors. RESULTS: Among the actionable risk factors that were measured, higher consumption frequencies of animal offal (odds ratios [OR] for an additional time/day = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.88-0.95, same unit for OR below unless specified otherwise), dairy products (0.91, 95% CI: 0.88-0.94), freshwater products (0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.96), staple foods (0.94, 95% CI: 0.92-0.96), and coarse food grain (OR for every day vs. rarely = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86-0.98) were associated with lower relative risk of obesity. However, higher restaurant-eating frequency (OR for >4 times/month vs. rarely = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.15-1.29) and longer screen-viewing duration (OR for >2 hours vs. <30 minutes = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.10-1.22) were associated with higher relative risk of obesity. Increased exercise frequency was associated with the lowest relative risk of obesity (OR for every day vs. rarely = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.68-0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Changes in lifestyle and diet of Chinese children may help relieve their obesity burden.

[Relationship between body mass index and sexual development in Chinese children].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sexual development in Chinese children. Methods: A nationwide multicenter and population-based large cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China from January 2017 to December 2018. Data on sex, age, height, weight were collected, BMI was calculated and sexual characteristics were analyzed. The subjects were divided into four groups based on age, including ages 3-<6 years, 6-<10 years, 10-<15 years and 15-<18 years. Multiple Logistic regression models were used for evaluating the associations of BMI with sexual development in children. Dichotomous Logistic regression was used to compare the differences in the distribution of early and non-early puberty among normal weight, overweight and obese groups. Curves were drawn to analyze the relationship between the percentage of early puberty and BMI distribution in girls and boys at different Tanner stages. Results: A total of 208 179 healthy children (96 471 girls and 111 708 boys) were enrolled in this study. The OR values of B2, B3 and B4+ in overweight girls were 1.72 (95%CI: 1.56-1.89), 3.19 (95%CI: 2.86-3.57), 7.14 (95%CI: 6.33-8.05) and in obese girls were 2.05 (95%CI: 1.88-2.24), 4.98 (95%CI: 4.49-5.53), 11.21 (95%CI: 9.98-12.59), respectively; while the OR values of G2, G3, G4+ in overweight boys were 1.27 (95%CI: 1.17-1.38), 1.52 (95%CI: 1.36-1.70), 1.88 (95%CI: 1.66-2.14) and in obese boys were 1.27 (95%CI: 1.17-1.37), 1.59 (95%CI: 1.43-1.78), and 1.93 (95%CI: 1.70-2.18) (compared with normal weight Tanner 1 group,all P<0.01). Analysis in different age groups found that OR values of obese girls at B2 stage and boys at G2 stage were 2.02 (95%CI: 1.06-3.86) and 2.32 (95%CI:1.05-5.12) in preschool children aged 3-<6 years, respectively (both P<0.05). And in the age group of 6-10 years, overweight girls had a 5.45-fold risk and obese girls had a 12.54-fold risk of B3 stage compared to girls with normal BMI. Compared with normal weight children, the risk of early puberty was 2.67 times higher in overweight girls, 3.63 times higher in obese girls, and 1.22 times higher in overweight boys, 1.35 times higher in obese boys (all P<0.01). Among the children at each Tanner stages, the percentage of early puberty increased with the increase of BMI, from 5.7% (80/1 397), 16.1% (48/299), 13.8% (27/195) to 25.7% (198/769), 65.1% (209/321), 65.4% (157/240) in girls aged 8-<9, 10-<11 and 11-<12 years, and 6.6% (34/513), 18.7% (51/273), 21.6% (57/264) to 13.3% (96/722), 46.4% (140/302), 47.5% (105/221) in boys aged 9-<10, 12-<13 and 13-<14 years, respectively. Conclusions: BMI is positively correlated with sexual development in both Chinese boys and girls, and the correlation is stronger in girls. Obesity is a risk factor for precocious puberty in preschool children aged 3-<6 years, and 6-<10 years of age is a high risk period for early development in obese girls.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus among Uygur children in Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang, China. / æ–°ç–†å’Œç”°åœ°åŒºç»´å¾å°”æ—å„¿ç«¥ç³–å°¿ç— æ‚£ç— çŽ‡è°ƒæŸ¥.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) among Uygur children in Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang, China, as well as the factors influencing the development of DM. METHODS: The cluster random sampling method was used to select 5 308 children, aged 4-18 years, from the middle and primary schools and kindergartens in Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang. The survey methods included questionnaire survey and the measurement of height and weight. All subjects were tested for fasting fingertip blood glucose to investigate the prevalence of DM and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). RESULTS: A total of 5 184 valid questionnaires were collected. Fourteen children (0.27%) were found to have DM, among whom 8 had type 1 DM, 2 had type 2 DM, and 4 had unclassified DM. Twenty-nine children (0.56%) were found to have IFG. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate of DM and IFG between boys and girls (P>0.05). The prevalence rate of DM was 0.18% in the 4-<10 years group, 0.47% in the 10-<15 years group, and 0.07% in the 15-18 years group (P=0.072).The prevalence rate of IFG in the above three age groups was 0.18%, 0.94%, and 0.42%, respectively, with a significant difference among groups (P=0.007). The proportion of family history of DM and the proportion of overweight/obesity in children with DM were significantly higher than those in children without DM (P<0.05), while the proportion of children with DM who preferred coarse grains was significantly lower than that in children without DM (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of DM and IFG in Uyghur children in Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang is relatively low. There is no significant difference in the prevalence of DM among children of different genders or age groups, but the prevalence of IFG in children of different age groups is different. A family history of DM, overweight or obesity, and low intake of coarse grains might be associated with the development of DM.

[Survey of height and weight of children and adolescents at different Tanner stages in urban China].

Objective: To investigate the status of height and weight of 3-18-year-old children and adolescents in urban China, and to provide a basis for establishing puberty phase specific curves for age-specific height and age-specific weight. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 218 185 children and adolescents aged 3-18 years in urban China was conducted by using the method of stratified random cluster sampling from January 2017 to December 2019. The sampling areas included 12 provinces municipalities in China and autonomous regions in total. Data were collected on weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and secondary sexual characteristics. The generalized additive model for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) was employed to establish percentile reference values and growth curves of height and weight for boys and girls aged 3-18 years. Wilcoxon rank sum test was applied to compare the P50 value of height and weight between children of each Tanner stage and children of the same age ignoring the different puberty phase. Results: The 3rd, 50th, and 97th percentile curves for height and weight for age were developed for boys and girls aged 3-18 years. The 3rd, 50th, and 97th percentile curves for age-specific height and age-specific weight for each puberty phase were developed for boys and girls. Compared with all children ignoring the different puberty phase, boys aged 9 and over and girls aged 7 and over who are at Tanner stage 1 showed shorter height and lighter weight than those of the same age group (all P<0.01), the difference ranges of height at P50 are -4.0 to -0.6 cm for boys, and -4.4 to 0.5 cm for girls; the difference ranges of weight are -4.8 to 0.4 kg for boys, and -4.0 to -0.3 kg for girls; children at Tanner stage 2 & 3 initially were taller and heavier than those of the same age group; and later grew shorter and lighter than those of the same age group, the two sets of curves cross over; boys aged 16 and under and girl aged under 14 who are at Tanner stage 4 were taller and heavier than those of the same age group (all P<0.01), the difference ranges of height at P50 are 0.2 to 10.0 cm for boys, and 0.2 to 9.4 cm for girls; the difference ranges of weight at P50 are 0.7 to 10.9 kg for boys, and 1.0 to 11.2 kg for girls, and the differences showed narrowing trend with age. Conclusion: The puberty phase specific growth curves of age-specific height and age-specific weight for boys and girls aged 3-18 years are established, it is useful for clinical work to evaluate physical development of children at different puberty phases.

Regional Disparities in Obesity Among a Heterogeneous Population of Chinese Children and Adolescents.

Importance: Obesity is a public health challenge in China, but the geographical profiles of overweight and obesity among Chinese children are limited. Objective: To examine regional disparities in the prevalence of obesity among the heterogeneous population of Chinese children and adolescents to provide a more accurate profile of obesity among children in China. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Prevalence and Risk Factors for Obesity and Diabetes in Youth (PRODY) study was a cross-sectional survey study conducted from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019, among 201 098 children aged 3 to 18 years from 11 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities that produced a sample of Chinese children with a full range of ages and wide geographical coverage using a multistage, stratified, cluster-sampling design. Exposures: Five regions geographically representative of China (northern, eastern, southern, western, and central). Main Outcomes and Measures: The body weights and heights of all participants were measured. Multilevel, multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Results: Among 201 098 healthy children (105 875 boys [52.6%]; mean [SD] age, 9.8 [3.8] years) from eastern, southern, northern, central, and western China, the highest obesity prevalence was estimated for children aged 8 to 13 years in northern China (from 18.8% [95% CI, 16.2%-21.7%] to 23.6% [95% CI, 20.5%-26.9%]) and for boys aged 3 to 6 years in western China (from 18.1% [95% CI, 10.4%-29.4%] to 28.6% [95% CI, 14.3%-49.0%]). Boys had a higher prevalence than girls of obesity only in eastern and northern China, with a mean difference in prevalence of 4.6% (95% CI, 3.8%-5.4%) and 7.6% (95% CI, 6.5%-8.6%), respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: In this survey study, substantial geographic disparities in the prevalence of obesity and overweight were found among the heterogeneous population of Chinese children. The results suggest that special attention should be paid to vulnerable children and that regionally adapted interventions are needed to efficiently mitigate obesity in children.

A Multicenter Survey of Type I Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese Children.

Purpose: To investigate the features and treatment status of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in China. Methods: We recruited patients <14 years of age with T1DM from 33 medical centers in 25 major cities of China between January 2012 and March 2015. All patients completed a questionnaire that was conducted by their pediatric endocrinologists at all centers. Results: A total of 1,603 children (755 males and 848 females) with T1DM participated in this survey. Of these, 834 (52.03%) of the patients exhibited diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset, while 769 patients (47.97%) did not exhibit DKA (non-DKA) at onset. There was a higher proportion of females (55.71%) in the cohort of patients exhibiting DKA at onset than in the non-DKA cohort (49.33%). The mean age of patients exhibiting DKA at presentation was 7.12 ± 0.14 years; this was significantly younger than that in non-DKA group (7.79 ± 0.15 years; P < 0.005). The frequency of DKA in 3 years old, 3-7 years old, and 7 years old or more was 77.21%, 26.17%, and 37.62%, respectively. Upon initial diagnosis, 29.4%, 15.2% and 11.8% of patients showed positivity for glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GADA), Insulin autoantibodies (IAA), or islet cell antibody (ICA), respectively. During six months follow-up, 244 patients (15.21%) reported receiving insulin pump therapy, and more than 60% of patients monitored their blood glucose levels less than 35 times per week. Although the majority of patients had no problems with obtaining insulin, 4.74% of the children surveyed were not able to receive insulin due to financial reasons, a shortage of insulin preparations, or the failure of the parents or guardians to acquire the appropriate medicine. Conclusion: DKA is more common in very young children. Treatment and follow-up of T1DM in China still face very serious challenges.

Genotypes and phenotypes of nine Uygur children with osteogenesis imperfecta in Xinjiang / 中华儿科杂志

Objective@#To explore the genotypes and phenotypes of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in Xinjiang Uygur children.@*Methods@#The history of nine Uygur children with OI who were hospitalized in First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2013 to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. They were classified into 4 types according to the classical Sillence classification. The genes associated with OI were detected, and the pathogenic variation was assessed by InterVar and Alamut software according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommendations. The phenotypes of children with different genotypes were further analyzed.@*Results@#Nine cases aged 3 years and 6 monthes to 15 years were all clinically diagnosed as OI, the clinical manifes tations were repeated fractures, skeletal deformities,short stature, blue sclera, abnormol hearing, hypoplasia of dentin, and relaxation of Joint ligaments, among whom 6 was type Ⅲ OI, 3 were type Ⅳ OI. Nine mutations in 3 genes (COL1A1, COL1A2, and SERPINF1) were detected, and 5 of them were first reported and were all pathogenic variations.@*Conclusions@#The cinical phenotypes of osteogenesis imperfecta in Xinjiang Uygur are complex and varied, but all of them have fractures and skeletal deformities. Genotype is different from that reported at China and abroad, and the SERPINF1 gene may have a higher incidence in Uyghur population. The genetic heterogeneity and unique gene variation pedigree of Uyghur osteogenesis imperfecta defects further provide a basis for the correlation between genotype and phenotype of osteogenesis defects.

A Novel Homozygous Truncating Mutation in LAMB2 Gene in a Chinese Uyghur Patient With Severe Phenotype Pierson Syndrome.

Objective: Pierson syndrome (OMIM 609049) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital nephrotic syndrome and complex ocular abnormalities. Severe renal symptoms had be associated with truncating mutations. Few Chinese patients from diverse ethnic background had been evaluated and reported with this syndrome. Here we report the first Uyghur patient with typical Pierson syndrome phenotypes and a novel pathogenic homozygous variant in LAMB2 gene. Method: A thirty-nine-day old Uyghur girl was born to consanguineous parents, the girl presented with general edema, severe hypotonia and bilateral microcoria. Laboratory tests revealed severe proteinuria, microscopic haematuria, hypoalbuminaemia. By the age of 74 days, she died of renal failure and respiratory infection. We detected on mutations of LAMB2 gene by the sanger sequencing. Result:Sanger sequencing detected a homozygous 2-bp deletion (c.2044_2045insTT/p.Cys682Phefs*13) in the exon 16 of LAMB2 gene. Both parents are heterozygous carriers. Conclusion: We reported the first Uyghur case of LAMB2 gene homozygous mutation leading to severe phenotype Pierson syndrome. The clinical presentation of the patient and the novel pathogenic variant detected in this patient added to the overall knowledge of this rare condition.

[Genotypes and phenotypes in Uygur children with 21-hydroxylase deficiency in Xinjiang, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate gene mutations and the relationship between genotypes and clinical phenotypes in Uygur children with 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) in Xinjiang, China. METHODS: A total of 20 Uygur children with 21-OHD who visited the hospital between October 2013 and October 2014 were enrolled. Full-length direct sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were used to detect the mutations of CYP21A2 gene, which encoded 21-hydroxylase. According to the type of mutation, the patients with 21-OHD were divided into different groups to analyze the consistency between predicted clinical phenotypes and actual clinical phenotypes. RESULTS: A total of 9 mutation types were found in the 20 patients, and 8 of them were identified as pathogenic mutations, i.e., Del, conv, I2g, I172N, Cluster E6, 8-bp del, V281L, and R356W. The other mutation is the new mutation occurring in intron 5 (c.648+37A>G), which had not been reported, and its pathological significance remains unknown. Most clinical phenotypes predicted by mutation types had a higher coincidence rate with actual clinical phenotypes (above 67%), and the clinical phenotypes predicted by P30L and V281L had a lower coincidence rate with actual clinical phenotypes (below 33%). CONCLUSIONS: The genotype of 21-OHD has a good correlation with phenotype, and the clinical phenotype can be predicted by detecting the patient′s genotype. The new mutation (c.648+37A>G) may be related to the pathogenesis of 21-OHD.

[Risk factors for type 1 diabetes among Uyghur children in Xinjiang, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for type 1 diabetes among Uygur children in Xinjiang, China, in order to provide a basis for the prevention of this disease among Uygur children in Xinjiang. METHODS: The clinical data of 94 Uygur children with type 1 diabetes (case group) and 96 Uygur children without diabetes (control group) between January, 2003 and December, 2013, were retrospectively analyzed. The risk factors for type 1 diabetes among Uyghur children in Xinjiang were explored using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: According to the result of univariate analysis, there were significant differences in age, prodromal infection, residence, feeding method, time for intake of starchy foods, time for intake of high-fat foods, family history, islet-cell antibodies (ICA), insulin autoantibodies (IAA), and glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies between the case and the control groups (P<0.05). According to the result of multivariate logistic analysis, older age, early intake of starchy foods, early intake of high-fat foods, prodromal infection, positive ICA, and positive IAA were major risk factors for type 1 diabetes, and breastfeeding was a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS: Type 1 diabetes among Uyghur children in Xinjiang is caused by multiple factors. Prevention and reduction of prodromal infection, reasonable diet, and promotion of breastfeeding can reduce the risk of disease.

[Childhood benign acanthosis nigricans and metabolic abnormality].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the relationship of childhood benign acanthosis nigricans to anthropometric and metabolic indexes, with the aim of studying the association between childhood benign acanthosis nigricans and metabolic diseases. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 29 children who presented with benign acanthosis nigricans between February 2007 and October 2011. Thirty-two age, sex- and ethnic-matched normal children were selected as control group. The two groups were compared according to obesity (body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat content and body fat percentage) and metabolic indexes (blood glucose, insulin level and blood lipids). RESULTS: Body mass index, body fat content, body fat percentage, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose, insulin level and triglyceride in the 29 patients with benign acanthosis nigricans were higher than in the control group (P<0.05), but the level of high-density lipoprotein in the 29 patients was lower than in the control group (P<0.05). Of the 29 patients, 16 had impaired glucose tolerance and 3 were diagnosed with diabetes (1 case with type 1, two cases with type 2). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood benign acanthosis nigricans is closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

Silent exonic mutation in the acid-alpha-glycosidase gene that causes glycogen storage disease type II by affecting mRNA splicing.

Glycogen-storage disease type II (GSDII) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). The residual GAA activity is largely related to the severity of the clinical course. Most patients with infantile-onset GSDII do not show any enzyme activity, whereas patients with the late-onset forms of GSDII show various degrees of GAA activity. We performed a molecular genetic study on a Japanese boy with childhood-onset GSDII. The patient was a compound heterozygote for a newly discovered splice-site c.546G>T mutation and a recurrent missense p.R600C mutation, which usually causes the fatal infantile form in a homozygous state. The c.546G>T mutation, which did not alter the amino-acid sequence, was positioned at the last base of exon 2. cDNA-sequencing analysis revealed that c.546G>T was a leaky splice mutation, leading to the production of a normally spliced transcript, which was responsible for the low-level (approximately 10%) expression of the active enzyme in the patient's fibroblasts.