Three-year outcome of photodynamic therapy combined with VEGF inhibitor for pachychoroid neovasculopathy.

BACKGROUND: Long-term results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors for pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) are not yet clear. METHODS: This study is a retrospective, observational case series. We retrospectively examined untreated PNV cases (22 cases, 22 eyes, mean age of 71.0 years) who underwent PDT therapy in combination with VEGF inhibitors followed by additional treatments with pro re nata protocol. Visual acuity, number of treatments, and time to recurrence were examined. In addition, foveal choroidal thickness and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were evaluated in 13 of 22 patients who were followed up with SpectralisOCTR from baseline. RESULTS: Fifteen (68%) cases had polyps at baseline. LogMAR visual acuity averaged 0.24 ± 0.20 (range, - 0.079 to 0.82) at baseline and significantly improved after 1, 2, and 3 years (p = 0. 004, 0.0003, 0.002, respectively). Fourteen patients (64%) recurred, with an average time to recurrence of 1.8 ± 0.9 years. Foveal choroidal thickness decreased significantly after 1 year (average from 326 µm to 263 µm) and remained unchanged up to 3 years (255 µm). CVI also decreased after 1 year (average from 0.62 to 0.61) and remained unchanged until 3 years later (0.60). CONCLUSIONS: We examined the 3-year course of PDT in combination with the VEGF inhibitor for untreated PNV. Visual acuity was improved, foveal choroidal thickness and CVI were decreased after 3 years.

CANNABIS USE AND THE DEVELOPING BRAIN: HIGHS AND LOWS.

Although cannabis is a naturally occurring plant with a long history of use by humans, the chemicals it contains, called cannabinoids, can act on the human body in many ways. Use of cannabis during important periods of development, such as during pregnancy and adolescence, can have a long-lasting impact on the way the brain forms and develops its systems to control emotions and other functions. This article gives an overview of some of the effects of cannabinoids on the developing brain, before birth and as teenagers, and provides information about how young people can prevent or minimize the negative effects of cannabis on their brains.

The association between screen time and genetic risks for neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

Whether longer screen time in infancy increases risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD has long been debated, but no causal relationship between the two remains has been established. Using ongoing longitudinal cohort data, we found that in children 24 to 40 months of age, the genetic risk of ASD was associated with longer screen time and that of ADHD with an increase in screen time over time. These data suggest that prolonged screen time may not be a cause of the genetic risk for NDD, but an early sign of NDDs.

Response to uncertainty in developmental origins of health and disease research: commentary on Nomura et al. (2022).

We appreciate the comments of Gilman et al. (2023) on our paper and their acknowledgement of its importance in highlighting the significance of this area of research. Further, their acknowledgment that the primary results of our study are in a range that is similar to those from other published studies of children exposed to highly stressful environmental events emphasizes the validity of our findings and the important extension of our results to children experiencing these events in utero. They, however, raised concerns about some of the results regarding specific types of psychiatric disorders and sex-specific results related to the prenatal Superstorm Sandy hurricane exposure. We comment on the various issues related to the paper below but will not respond to comments regarding the press coverage of this article, which we think are beyond the scope of this commentary.

RNA ligase ribozymes with a small catalytic core.

Catalytic RNAs, or ribozymes, catalyze diverse chemical reactions that could have sustained primordial life in the hypothetical RNA world. Many natural ribozymes and laboratory evolved ribozymes exhibit efficient catalysis mediated by elaborate catalytic cores within complex tertiary structures. However, such complex RNA structures and sequences are unlikely to have emerged by chance during the earliest phase of chemical evolution. Here, we explored simple and small ribozyme motifs capable of ligating two RNA fragments in a template-directed fashion (ligase ribozymes). One-round selection of small ligase ribozymes followed by deep sequencing revealed a ligase ribozyme motif comprising a three-nucleotide loop opposite to the ligation junction. The observed ligation was magnesium(II) dependent and appears to form a 2'-5' phosphodiester linkage. The fact that such a small RNA motif can function as a catalyst supports a scenario in which RNA or other primordial nucleic acids played a central role in chemical evolution of life.

Interaction of genetic liability for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and perinatal inflammation contributes to ADHD symptoms in children.

Objective: Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Perinatal inflammation is one of the promising environmental risk factors for ADHD, but the relationship between the genetic risk for ADHD and perinatal inflammation requires further examination. Methods: A possible gene-environmental interaction between perinatal inflammation and ADHD polygenic risk score (ADHD-PRS) on ADHD symptoms was investigated in children aged 8-9 from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (N = 531). Perinatal inflammation was evaluated by the level of concentration of three cytokines assayed in umbilical cord blood. The genetic risk for ADHD was assessed by calculating ADHD-PRS for each individual using a previously collected genome-wide association study of ADHD. Results: Perinatal inflammation (ß [SE], 0.263 [0.017]; P < 0.001), ADHD-PRS (ß [SE], 0.116[0.042]; P = 0.006), and an interaction between the two (ß [SE], 0.031[0.011]; P = 0.010) were associated with ADHD symptoms. The association between perinatal inflammation and ADHD symptoms measured by ADHD-PRS was evident only in the two higher genetic risk groups (ß [SE], 0.623[0.122]; P < 0.001 for the medium-high risk group; ß [SE], 0.664[0.152]; P < 0.001 for the high-risk group). Conclusion: Inflammation in the perinatal period both directly elevated ADHD symptoms and magnified the impact of genetic vulnerability on ADHD risk particularly among children aged 8-9 with genetically higher risk for ADHD.

Association of maternal exposure to Superstorm Sandy and maternal cannabis use with development of psychopathology among offspring: the Stress in Pregnancy Study.

BACKGROUND: Early-life adverse experiences can elevate the magnitude of the risk of developmental psychopathology, but the potential synergistic effects of multiple factors have not been well studied. AIMS: To determine whether prenatal exposures to maternal stress (Superstorm Sandy) and maternal cannabis use synergistically alter the risk of developmental psychopathology. METHOD: The study included 163 children (53.4% girls), longitudinally tracked (ages 2-5 years) in relation to the effects of two early-life adverse exposures (Superstorm Sandy and maternal cannabis use). Offspring were grouped by exposure status (neither, only maternal cannabis use, only Superstorm Sandy or both). DSM-IV disorders for offspring were derived from structured clinical interviews; caregiver-reported ratings of family stress and social support were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 40.5% had been exposed to Superstorm Sandy and 24.5% to maternal cannabis use. Offspring exposed to both (n = 13, 8.0%), relative to those exposed to neither, had a 31-fold increased risk of disruptive behavioural disorders (DBDs) and a seven-fold increased risk of anxiety disorders. The synergy index demonstrated that offspring with two exposures had synergistic elevation in risk of DBDs (synergy index, 2.06, P = 0.03) and anxiety disorders (synergy index, 2.60, P = 0.004), compared with the sum of single risks. Offspring with two exposures had the highest parenting stress and lowest social support. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are consistent with the double-hit model suggesting that offspring with multiple early-life adverse exposures (Superstorm Sandy and maternal cannabis use) have synergistically increased risks of mental health problems. Given the increasing frequency of major natural disasters and cannabis use, especially among women under stress, these findings have significant public health implications.

Prenatal Stress Exposure Amplifies Effect of Maternal Suicidal Ideation on Early Childhood Behavioral Trajectories.

The in utero environment influences fetal development and may predispose to disease later in life. This study examines whether maternal suicidal ideation during pregnancy is associated with children's behavioral trajectories across early childhood, and whether prenatal maternal traumatic stress accelerates the trajectories. The study included mother-child dyads (N = 331, 51.1% boys) from the longitudinal Stress In Pregnancy study; 31.1% (n = 103) mothers were Exposed to Superstorm Sandy. During their second trimester, 12.4% (n = 41) women reported suicidal ideation during pregnancy. Mothers completed the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children-2 annually from ages 2- to 6-years-old to assess multiple behavioral domains. Hierarchical linear modeling estimated within-person longitudinal trajectories of clinical behaviors, and between-person effects of maternal suicidal ideation and disaster-related stress in utero on changes in child behavior. For children exposed to both risks, Atypical behaviors (i.e., unusual behaviors, social disconnection) increased linearly across early childhood. Exposure to Superstorm Sandy and maternal suicidal ideation were independently associated with non-linear increases in Anxiety severity and maternal suicidal ideation during pregnancy was associated with a linear increase in Attention problems across early childhood. Maternal suicidal ideation during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for a range of behavioral and emotional difficulties in early childhood and the trajectory of atypical behaviors was amplified by disaster-related traumatic stress. Findings highlight the need for health professionals to screen for suicidal ideation among their pregnant patients. Pregnant women who experience severe stress may require additional monitoring and support to reduce risk for poorer early childhood outcomes.

Small-Molecule Aptamer for Regulating RNA Functions in Mammalian Cells and Animals.

Synthetic riboswitches that can regulate gene expression by a small molecule recognized by an RNA aptamer in mammalian cells have various potential applications in biotechnology and medicine. However, the variety of small molecules and their cognate aptamers that have been demonstrated to function in mammalian cells is limited. The currently available aptamer-ligand pairs also require high small molecule concentrations to enable gene regulation, making them less desirable for industrial and biomedical applications. We conducted in vitro selection of RNA aptamers against a small molecule ASP7967 whose structure is closely related to ASP2905, a known inhibitor of potassium voltage-gated channel sub-family H member 3 (KCNH3). One of the aptamers selected (AC17-4) was found to be functional in HEK293 cells, and it was used to design aptazyme-based riboswitches that can activate gene expression (>10-fold) in the presence of ASP2905 or ASP7967 at as low as 5 µM in the culture medium. An aptazyme-based riboswitch was successfully used to regulate human erythropoietin expression in mice injected with an adeno-associated virus (AAV8) vector using orally administered ASP7967. Furthermore, by combining aptazyme-based and exon-skipping riboswitch mechanisms, an ON/OFF ratio approaching 300 was achieved with a low basal expression level in cultured cells.

Superstorm Sandy exposure in utero is associated with neurobehavioral phenotypes and brain structure alterations in childhood: A machine learning approach.

Introduction: Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS), including exposure to natural disasters, has been shown to serve as a risk factor for future child psychopathology and suboptimal brain development, particularly among brain regions shown to be sensitive to stress and trauma exposure. However, statistical approaches deployed in most studies are usually constrained by a limited number of variables for the sake of statistical power. Explainable machine learning, on the other hand, enables the study of high data dimension and offers novel insights into the prominent subset of behavioral phenotypes and brain regions most susceptible to PNMS. In the present study, we aimed to identify the most important child neurobehavioral and brain features associated with in utero exposure to Superstorm Sandy (SS). Methods: By leveraging an explainable machine learning technique, the Shapley additive explanations method, we tested the marginal feature effect on SS exposures and examined the individual variable effects on disaster exposure. Results: Results show that certain brain regions are especially sensitive to in utero exposure to SS. Specifically, in utero SS exposure was associated with larger gray matter volume (GMV) in the right caudate, right hippocampus, and left amygdala and smaller GMV in the right parahippocampal gyrus. Additionally, higher aggression scores at age 5 distinctly correlated with SS exposure. Discussion: These findings suggest in utero SS exposure may be associated with greater aggression and suboptimal developmental alterations among various limbic and basal ganglia brain regions.

Outdoor Play as a Mitigating Factor in the Association Between Screen Time for Young Children and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.

Importance: Whether the association between higher screen time in infancy and later suboptimal neurodevelopment can be mitigated by frequency of outdoor play is unknown. Objective: To investigate whether higher screen time at age 2 years is associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 4 years and whether this association is mediated by frequency of outdoor play at age 2 years 8 months. Design, Setting, and Participants: Participants were a subsample of the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort Study for Mothers and Children (HBC Study, N = 1258). Children were born between December 2007 and March 2012 and followed up from 1 year 6 months to 4 years. The analysis was conducted from April 2021 to June 2022. Exposures: Screen time longer than 1 hour a day at age 2 years was coded as higher screen time. Main Outcomes and Measures: Standardized scores for communication, daily living skills, and socialization domains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, second edition, at age 4 years were used (mean [SD], 100 [15]). The mediating factor was frequency of outdoor play at age 2 years 8 months, with 6 or 7 days per week coded as frequent outdoor play. Results: Of 885 participants, 445 children (50%) were female; mean (SD) screen time per day was 2.6 (2.0) hours. Causal mediation analyses revealed that higher screen time at age 2 years was associated with lower scores in communication at age 4 years (nonstandardized coefficient b = -2.32; 95% CI, -4.03 to -0.60), but the association was not mediated by frequency of outdoor play. Higher screen time was also associated with lower scores in daily living skills (b = -1.76; 95% CI, -3.21 to -0.31); 18% of this association was mediated by frequency of outdoor play. Frequency of outdoor play was associated with socialization (b = 2.73; 95% CI, 1.06 to 4.39), whereas higher screen time was not (b = -1.34; 95% CI, -3.05 to 0.36). Conclusions and Relevance: Higher screen time at age 2 years was directly associated with poorer communication at age 4 years. It was also associated with daily living skills, but frequency of outdoor play at age 2 years 8 months alleviated it, suggesting outdoor play mitigated the association between higher screen time and suboptimal neurodevelopment. Future research should specify the nature of the associations and intervention measures, enabling targeted interventions that reduce the potential risk in screen time.

Sex differences in neurodevelopmental trajectories in children with different levels of autistic traits.

AIM: Little is known about early manifestations of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in females, including those who may be overlooked by the current diagnostic criteria. We longitudinally explored sex differences in the trajectories of cognitive and motor functions and adaptive behaviors in children with different levels of autistic traits. METHODS: The participants were 824 children from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC Study), Japan, who were classified into three autistic trait groups-low, moderate, and high-based on the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition. Cognitive and motor functions were measured at seven time-points from 0.5 to 3.5 years of age using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Adaptive behaviors were measured at five time-points from 2.7 to 9 years of age using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition. Trajectories were depicted using latent growth curve modeling. RESULTS: Sex-specific trajectories were observed in the high-autistic-trait group, with only males showing a temporary decline in expressive language around the age of 2 years and a slight improvement thereafter. They also showed a slight improvement around 3 years in the adaptive behavior communication domain but a gradual downward trend later. Females in the high-autistic-trait group showed no distinct manifestation before the age of 3 years but showed a downward trend after 3.5 years in the adaptive behavior communication domain. CONCLUSION: Females and males with higher autistic traits than their same-sex peers, independent of clinical diagnosis, may have different phenotypes in certain neurodevelopmental domains during infancy and early childhood.

Prenatal exposure to a natural disaster and early development of psychiatric disorders during the preschool years: stress in pregnancy study.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence shows an association between in utero exposure to natural disasters and child behavioral problems, but we still know little about the development of specific psychopathology in preschool-aged children. METHODS: Preschool children (n = 163, mean age = 3.19, 85.5% racial and ethnic minorities) and their parents (n = 151) were evaluated annually at ages 2-5 to assess the emergence of psychopathology using the Preschool Age Psychopathological Assessment (PAPA), a parent-report structured diagnostic interview developed for preschool-age children. Sixty-six (40.5%) children were exposed to Sandy Storm (SS) in utero and 97 (59.5%) were not. Survival analysis evaluated patterns of onset and estimated cumulative risks of psychopathology among exposed and unexposed children, in total and by sex. Analyses were controlled for the severity of objective and subjective SS-related stress, concurrent family stress, and demographic and psychosocial confounders, such as maternal age, race, SES, maternal substance use, and normative prenatal stress. RESULTS: Exposure to SS in utero was associated with a substantial increase in depressive disorders (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 16.9, p = .030), anxiety disorders (HR = 5.1, p < .0001), and attention-deficit/disruptive behavioral disorders (HR = 3.4, p = .02). Diagnostic rates were elevated for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; HR = 8.5, p = .004), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; HR = 5.5, p = .01), oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD; HR = 3.8, p = .05), and separation-anxiety disorder (SAD; HR = 3.5, p = .001). Males had distinctively elevated risks for attention-deficit/disruptive behavioral disorders (HR = 7.8, p = .02), including ADHD, CD, and ODD, whereas females had elevated risks for anxiety disorders (HR = 10.0, p < .0001), phobia (HR = 2.8, p = .02) and depressive disorders (HR = 30.0, p = .03), including SAD, GAD, and dysthymia. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that in utero exposure to a major weather-related disaster (SS) was associated with increased risk for psychopathology in children and provided evidence of distinct psychopathological outcomes as a function of sex. More attention is needed to understand specific parent, child, and environmental factors which account for this increased risk, and to develop mitigation strategies.

LOCATIONAL AGREEMENT OF NEAR-INFRARED AUTOFLUORESCENCE WITH CHOROIDAL VASCULAR HYPERPERMEABILITY IN CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY.

PURPOSE: To characterize the findings of eyes with choroidal vascular hyperpermeability (CVH), a hallmark of central serous chorioretinopathy, using multimodal imaging and investigate the locational agreement between these findings and CVH. METHODS: Among patients with central serous chorioretinopathy in either eye, eyes with CVH identified using indocyanine green angiography without exudative changes were included. All eyes were examined using funduscopy, fluorescein angiography, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and short-wavelength or near-infrared autofluorescence (SWAF or NIRAF). The locational agreement between CVH and imaging findings was evaluated for each modality. The relative index on how they overlapped was calculated as the overlapping index. Binarized images, particularly for NIRAF, were also evaluated. RESULTS: This study included 69 CVH sites in 33 eyes of 28 patients. Pachydrusen was detected in 36% of CVH sites. Fluorescein angiography revealed hyperfluorescent areas in 39% of CVH sites. Optical coherence tomography findings identified 65% of CVH sites, but the overlapping index was 5%. Short-wavelength or near-infrared autofluorescence imaging identified 89% of CVH sites, but they exhibited variable autofluorescence. NIRAF imaging revealed hypoautofluorescence findings in all CVH sites. When binarized, near-infrared autofluorescent dark dots were observed in all CVH sites. Overlapping indices before and after binarization were 78% and 98%, respectively. The near-infrared autofluorescent dark dots area corresponded well with that of CVH (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.987 [95% confidence interval, 0.952-0.995]). CONCLUSION: Hypoautofluorescent findings revealed on NIRAF imaging, especially after binarization processing, corresponded well with CVH sites. These multimodal imaging results may help investigate the anatomical or locational characteristics of CVH in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Association between retinal sensitivity and the presence of quiescent choroidal neovascularization in pachychoroid diseases.

This study was conducted to examine retinal sensitivity (RS) in eyes with pachychoroid diseases and to analyze its association with the presence or absence of quiescent choroidal neovascularization (CNV), that can be protective against retinal dysfunction or atrophy in other macular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. A total of 12 eyes of 12 patients aged ≥45 years having the characteristic findings of central serous chorioretinopathy but not presenting any exudative changes were included in this study. Choroidal vascular hyper permeability (CVH) was identified by indocyanine green angiography, and the presence or absence of CNV was evaluated by optical coherence tomography angiography. RS at 68 points was examined by microperimetry. The average RS corresponding to within and outside CVH was compared. The association between the difference in RS and the presence or absence of CNV was also analyzed. CNV was detected in six eyes (50%). In eyes without CNV, the RS within CVH was similar compared with that outside CVH. However, in eyes with CNV, the RS within CVH was significantly decreased compared with that outside CVH. Multiple regression analysis revealed the presence of CNV as an independent factor associated with RS. In eyes with pachychoroid diseases, RS decreased within the CVH area under the coexistence of nonexudative CNV.

Prenatal Exposure to a Climate-Related Disaster Results in Changes of the Placental Transcriptome and Infant Temperament.

Maternal stress during pregnancy exerts long-term effects on the mental well-being of the offspring. However, the long-term effect of prenatal exposure on the offspring's mental status is only partially understood. The placenta plays a vital role in connecting the maternal side to the fetus, thereby serving as an important interface between maternal exposure and fetal development. Here, we profiled the placental transcriptome of women who were pregnant during a hurricane (Superstorm Sandy), which struck New York City in 2012. The offspring were followed longitudinally and their temperament was assessed during the first 6-12 months of age. The data identified a significant correlation between a Superstorm Sandy stress factor score and infant temperament. Further, analysis of the placental transcriptomes identified an enrichment of functional pathways related to inflammation, extracellular matrix integrity and sensory perception in the specimen from those infants with "Slow-to-Warm-up" temperament during the first year of life. Together, these findings provide initial evidence that maternal exposure to climate-related disasters results in altered placental transcriptome, which may be related to long-term emotional and behavioral consequences in children.

Trajectories of Adaptive Behaviors During Childhood in Females and Males in the General Population.

Little is known about the trajectory patterns and sex differences in adaptive behaviors in the general population. We examined the trajectory classes of adaptive behaviors using a representative sample and examined whether the class structure and trajectory patterns differed between females and males. We further explored sex differences in neurodevelopmental traits in each latent class. Participants (n = 994) were children in the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children (HBC Study)-a prospective birth cohort study. Adaptive behaviors in each domain of communication, daily living skills, and socialization were evaluated at five time points when participants were 2.7, 3.5, 4.5, 6, and 9 years old using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition. Parallel process multigroup latent class growth analysis extracted sex-specific trajectory classes. Neurodevelopmental traits of children at age 9, autistic traits, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits, and cognitive ability were examined for females and males in each identified class. A 4-class model demonstrated the best fit. Moreover, a 4-class model that allowed for differences in class probabilities and means of growth parameters between females and males provided a better fit than a model assuming no sex differences. In the communication domain, females scored higher than their male counterparts in all four classes. In the daily living skills and socialization domains, the two higher adaptive classes (Class 1: females, 18.6%; males, 17.8%; Class 2: females, 48.8%; males, 49.8%) had similar trajectories for males and females, whereas in the two lower adaptive behavior classes (Class 3: females, 27.5%; males, 29.4%; Class 4: females, 5.1%; males, 3.0%), females had higher adaptive scores than their male counterparts. In Class 4, females were more likely to have autistic and ADHD traits exceeding the cutoffs, while males were more likely to have below-average IQ. Different trajectories in females and males suggest that adaptive skills may require adjustment based on the sex of the child, when standardizing scores, in order to achieve better early detection of skill impairment.

Identification of neurodevelopmental transition patterns from infancy to early childhood and risk factors predicting descending transition.

It is unclear whether neurodevelopmental progress from infancy to early childhood remains stable. Moreover, little is known about the risk factors, if any, affecting neurodevelopmental descending transition patterns and the relationship between these patterns and later childhood adaptive behaviours. We used data of 875 children from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort Study in Japan. Children's neurodevelopment at 18 and 32 months and adaptive behaviours at 40 months were evaluated. Perinatal factors and infant overweight status at 18 months were investigated to identify descending-transition-associated risk factors. In the latent transition analysis, ultimately, three classes were identified for each time-point, resulting in nine transition patterns; among them, 10.4% of children showed descending class shifts (normal to delayed class). Such decelerated growth was predicted by maternal pre-pregnancy overweight status (odds ratio [OR] 2.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23, 5.02), low maternal educational history (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.04, 1.36), and infant overweight status at 18 months (OR 5.89; 95% CI 1.26, 27.45). Children with descending transition showed poor functioning in adaptive behaviours at the age of 40 months. To prevent subsequent poor adaptive functioning, it may be necessary to consider that a certain percentage of children show decelerated growth.

Long-term effect of persistent postpartum depression on children's psychological problems in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) is a well-established risk factor for psychological problems in children; however, little is known about the sustained impact of persistent PPD patterns and severity on these problems in children. METHODS: Data were obtained from mothers (N = 714) and children (N = 768) from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children. Maternal depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale at 2, 4, 10 weeks and 10 months postpartum. Children's internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at 6 years and 8-9 years old. Mothers were divided into 4 groups based on the trajectory of their PPD persistence: "No PPD," "Transient PPD," "Worsening PPD" and "Persistent PPD." Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association of PPD persistence and severity with children's internalizing and externalizing problems. RESULTS: "Persistent PPD" was significantly associated with children's internalizing problems at 6 years old (Coefficient [95%CI] = 2.74 [1.30-4.19], P < .001), but no association was found at 8-9 years old. No associations were found between PPD severity and children's internalizing and externalizing problems in either age category. LIMITATIONS: "Persistent PPD" and "Worsening PPD" groups had a relatively small sample size. The mothers' depression statuses were not ascertained simultaneously with the children's behavioral assessments. There was no information regarding the mothers' treatment for PPD. CONCLUSION: PPD persistence negatively affected children's internalizing problems but was not long-lasting. Future studies are needed to identify protective factors against PPD persistence in children's psychological problems.

Early temperament as a predictor of language skills at 40 months.

BACKGROUND: Mastering language involves the development of expressive and receptive skills among children. While it has been speculated that early temperament plays a role in the acquisition of language, the actual mechanism has not yet been explored. We investigated whether temperament at 18 months predicted expressive or receptive language skills at 40 months. METHODS: A representative sample of 901 children and their mothers who were enrolled and followed-up longitudinally in the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort for Mothers and Children study was included in the analysis. Child temperament was measured at 18 months using the Japanese version of the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire. Expressive and receptive language skills were measured at 40 months using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. RESULTS: The multiple regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounders, suggested that higher motor activation (fidgeting) at 18 months was associated with lower expressive and receptive language skills at 40 months. Higher perceptual sensitivity was associated with higher expressive and receptive language skills at 40 months. CONCLUSIONS: Specific temperament at 18 months of age predicted the development of the child's expressive and receptive language skills at 40 months.