Embodying anticipated affect enhances proactive behavior in 5-year-old children.

Imagining anticipated affects can foster future-oriented behavior in adults. However, children often still have difficulties in vividly imagining how they will feel in a specific episode (affective episodic future thinking [EFT]). We investigated whether enacting anticipated affects helps children to imagine how they will feel and whether this enhances proactive behavior in turn. A total of 90 5-year-old children were randomly assigned to one of three groups. In the embodiment group, children were instructed to imagine and physically enact how positive and negative they would feel in an upcoming performance test. Children in the EFT-only group underwent a similar procedure but did not enact their future affect. In the control group, children were reminded of the upcoming test only without receiving a prompt to imagine the upcoming test. After the manipulation, children had the opportunity to play one of three games. One game was relevant for the test. Children's choice to play the relevant game in advance of the test served as an indicator for proactive behavior. Mechanisms (e.g., detailedness of the envisioned event) and moderators (theory of mind and neuroticism) of the link between embodied EFT and proactive behavior were explored. Children in the embodiment group chose the relevant game above chance level, but they did not choose the relevant game more often than children in the EFT-only group and the control group. Those results were independent of the assumed mediators and moderators.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infants' development: analyzing the results of developmental assessments at ages 10-11 and 18-24 months.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant development. The study investigated the development of infants at 10-11 months of age between 2020 and 2023 by using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development-2020 (KSPD2020), an individualized developmental scale, and the Kinder Infant Developmental Scale (KIDS), a developmental questionnaire. We compared the results of the KSPD2020 with those of a pre-pandemic developmental research and compared the developmental age (DA) of KIDS with children's chronological age (CA). Moreover, the same developmental research was conducted again on the same children at 18-24 months of age. DA for receptive language and expressive language was lower in the KIDS compared to CA in the investigation at 10-11 months. However, in the investigation at 18-24 months, there were no areas where KIDS' DA was lower than CA, and DA in the areas of manipulation, receptive language, social relationship with adults, discipline, and eating was higher than CA. On the other hand, using the KSPD2020, there were no differences when compared to pre-pandemic data in the investigation at 10-11 months. Furthermore, the investigation at 18-24 months showed that developmental quotient (DQ) was lower in the Language-Social (L-S) areas than in the investigation at 10-11 months. The lower DQ of L-S in this study was also evident in comparison to the 18-24 months pre-pandemic data. These results suggested that to investigate the medium- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development, it is necessary to use not only parent-filled questionnaires but also individualized developmental scales. In addition, the finding that results may differ depending on the method of developmental assessment is considered important not only for developmental researchers but also for professionals involved in supporting children's development.

The Effect of Screen Time and Positive School Factors in the Pathway to Child and Youth Mental Health Outcomes.

Beyond achievement, educational settings offer informal supports that may be critical for child and youth mental health. However, children's educational environments have experienced significant disruption with the coronavirus pandemic. School settings offer unique opportunities to support children's mental health, but research must identify powerful points of intervention. This study examined school factors (aspirations, perceived competence, sense of belonging, and emotional engagement) as predictors of children's mental health, and the potential consequences of increasing screen time in and outside of school. Participants (N = 707) were parents and their children (6-18 years) from community and clinical settings who completed prospective surveys about children's school experiences and mental health symptoms (November 2020-May 2022). Standardized measures of depression, anxiety, irritability, inattention, and hyperactivity were collected. Structural equation modelling tested longitudinal associations between screen time, school factors, and mental health outcomes. Positive associations between each of the school factors (B = 0.14 [SE = 0.04] to B = 0.43 [SE = 0.04]) suggested they may reinforce one another. Longitudinally, sense of belonging and emotional engagement at school predicted lower severity for symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability, and inattention (B=-0.14 [SE = 0.07] to B =-0.33 [SE = 0.10]). Greater screen time was associated with lower aspirations and perceived competence (B = - 0.08 [SE = 0.04] to B = - 0.13 [SE = 0.06]). Results suggest that school factors beyond achievement may be key correlates of child and youth mental health. While curriculum expectations emphasize academic achievement, an investment in supporting positive attitudes and aspirations at school is also warranted.

Unlocking the forest: An ethnographic evaluation of Forest Schools on developmental outcomes for 3-year-olds unaccustomed to woodland spaces.

Background and purpose: Early years experiences shape a child's physical, cognitive and emotional development. Spending time in greenspaces offers benefits for children's development, but access and use can be limited in urban settings. There is increasing interest in the health and developmental benefits of Forest Schools for primary-aged children, but little is known about the benefits for pre-school children. This study aims to identify these and explore the processes and activities associated with a Forest School intervention for early years children that may influence outcomes. Methods: This paper reports on an ethnographic approach involving 65 hours of observations with two cohorts of 10 3-year-olds attending 11 weekly Forest School sessions in an urban setting. The children attending had little or no previous experience of natural spaces. 14 in-depth interviews were conducted with parents, and nursery and Forest School staff. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, and outcomes were identified using the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework. Results: Despite logistical challenges, the intervention benefitted age-specific health and development outcomes, particularly personal, socio- and emotional development, verbal communication, and mathematics. Unexpected benefits were observed among nursery staff and parents attending Forest School. Conclusion: Forest Schools are a promising and feasible method to improve nature connectedness and development in children aged 3 years and support school readiness. The maintenance and protection of urban woodland spaces are paramount to facilitate this.

Early years experiences affect children's physical, cognitive and emotional development. Spending time in green spaces offers benefits for children's development, but access and use can be limited in urban settings. Forest schools have become increasingly popular for nurseries and kindergartens. The benefits of Forest Schools for primary-aged children have been explored, but little is known about the benefits for pre-school children. A Forest School programme in an urban area of Bradford was evaluated to understand children's experiences and benefits. Dr Chavez observed 20 3-year-olds attending 11 weekly Forest School sessions. Observations totalled 65 hours. Dr Chavez also interviewed 14 parents, and nursery and Forest School staff. Dr Chavez and Dr Dharni used the Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework and looked for patterns in the interview data to understand the benefits children had gained. The results showed that Forest School for this age group had benefits for age-specific health and development outcomes, particularly personal, socio- and emotional development, verbal communication, and mathematics. Forest School is a promising and feasible method to improve connection to nature and development in children aged 3 years, and help prepare them for school. Forest School can support very young children to enjoy and be safe in natural environments. It can help children cope with change from being mainly at home with family and carers, to being at school and in their neighbourhood.

The apple does not fall far: stable predictive relationships between parents' ratings of their own and their children's self-regulatory abilities.

Having control over your own behavior and impulses is a critical skill that influences children's academic, social, and emotional development. This study investigates the stability and predictive relationships between parents' ratings of their own and their children's executive function and delay aversion. Using data from approximately 1700 families collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, we employed hierarchical structural equation models and cross-lagged panel models to analyze the temporal stability and directional influences of executive function and delay aversion assessments.Our analysis revealed a substantial latent correlation (r = 0.48, p < 0.001) between parents' and children's executive function problems, indicating a shared variance of approximately 23%. Significant cross-lagged effects were found, with parental executive functions at T1 predicting child executive functions at T2 (ß = 0.16, p = 0.005). For delay aversion, we found a latent correlation of r = 0.53 (p < 0.001) and significant within-timepoint and temporal stability, but no cross-lagged effects.These findings suggest that higher levels of executive function problems reported by parents at T1 correspond to an increased perception of similar problems in their children at T2. This highlights the importance of parental self-perception in assessing children's abilities. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating family dynamics into interventions targeting executive function difficulties and delay aversion in children, and understanding this interplay enables the development of more effective, individualized approaches to support positive developmental outcomes.

Exploring risk factors for undernutrition in children aged under five years in Yemen.

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is a global health concern, particularly in low-income countries, and can manifest as wasting, stunting and/or underweight. In Yemen, the recent armed conflict is likely to have significantly increased the incidence of undernutrition in young children, particularly those living in communities that were already experiencing socioeconomic and health disparities. AIM: To explore the risk factors associated with wasting, stunting and underweight in children aged between six months and five years living in one district of Yemen. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a two-part questionnaire to collect anthropometric measurements and sociodemographic characteristics of children enrolled on an outpatient programme for undernourished children at three healthcare facilities in the Jiblah district, and of their families and households. RESULTS: Of the 120 children included in the study, 58 (48%) had wasting, 27 (23%) had stunting and 35 (29%) were underweight. Risk factors for undernutrition included being under the age of three years, being a girl, having had a low birthweight, having siblings under the age of five years, having a mother who is a housewife, living in a household relying on unimproved sources of drinking water, living in a rural area, and living in a low-income household. CONCLUSION: The nutritional status of children in Yemen is under continuing threat. The identification of risk factors for undernutrition may increase awareness of the issue and influence the policy decisions of the international community.

Acceptability and feasibility of a group-based intervention to improve outcomes for children at risk for developmental delays in Kenya: A piloted randomized trial.

The Care for Child Development (CCD) program may improve child development outcomes in resource-limited settings, but has not yet been adapted to group-based settings to facilitate sustainable dissemination. In this study, we determined the acceptability and feasibility of a group-based CCD program, with evaluation of program outcomes for child development, home environment, and symptoms of maternal depression as secondary outcomes. We evaluated this adapted program using a 2 × 2 crossover-designed pilot study administered over 10 bi-weekly sessions. Acceptability and feasibility were assessed through focus group discussions using qualitative methods. Child development, home observations, and symptoms of maternal depression were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months and assessed quantitatively. Twenty-six mother-child dyads participated. Overall, they perceived CCD as acceptable and feasible, and especially beneficial within its group-based format. Although there were no measured improvements in child development, improvements in stimulating home environments (mean difference 2.5, 95% C.I. [0.37, 4.72]) were found. Further scale-up of this intervention is needed to determine effectiveness.

The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale: Psychometric features and normative data in Caribbean preschool children.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychological assessment of preschool children is essential for early detection of delays and referral for intervention prior to school entry. This is especially pertinent in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which are disproportionately impacted by micronutrient deficiencies and teratogenic exposures. The Grenada Learning and Memory Scale (GLAMS) was created for use in limited resource settings and includes a shopping list and face-name association test. Here, we present psychometric and normative data for the GLAMS in a Grenadian preschool sample. METHODS: Typically developing children between 36 and 72 months of age, primarily English speaking, were recruited from public preschools in Grenada. Trained Early Childhood Assessors administered the GLAMS and NEPSY-II in schools, homes, and clinics. GLAMS score distributions, reliability, and convergent/divergent validity against NEPSY-II were evaluated. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 400 children (190 males, 210 females). GLAMS internal consistency, inter-rater agreement, and test-retest reliability were acceptable. Principal components analysis revealed two latent factors, aligned with expected verbal/visual memory constructs. A female advantage was observed in verbal memory. Moderate age effects were observed on list learning/recall and small age effects on face-name learning/recall. All GLAMS subtests were correlated with NEPSY-II Sentence Repetition, supporting convergent validity with a measure of verbal working memory. CONCLUSIONS: The GLAMS is a psychometrically sound measure of learning and memory in Grenadian preschool children. Further adaptation and scale-up to global LMICs are recommended.

Testing a Conceptual Model of Early Adversity, Neural Function, and Psychopathology: Protocol for a Retrospective Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Early adversity, broadly defined as a set of negative exposures during childhood, is extremely common and increases risk for psychopathology across the life span. Previous research suggests that separate dimensions of adversity increase risk through developmental plasticity mechanisms shaping unique neurobiological pathways. Specifically, research suggests that deprivation is associated with deficits in higher order cognition, while threat is associated with atypicality in fear learning and emotion dysregulation. However, most of this research has been conducted in adolescent and adult samples, long after exposure to adversity occurs and far from periods of peak developmental plasticity. OBJECTIVE: The Wellness Health and Life Experiences (WHALE) study examines the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms by which deprivation, threat, and unpredictability increase risk for psychopathology in early childhood (age 4-7 years) directly following periods of peak developmental plasticity. The objective of this study is to describe the study rationale and aims, the research design and procedures, and the analytical plan to test the study hypotheses. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study that examines associations between exposure to deprivation and threat and their hypothesized neurobiological mechanisms, how these neurobiological mechanisms link early adversity and psychopathology, and associations between unpredictability, reward learning, and psychopathology. The sample was a convenience sample of children (aged 4-7 years) and their families, identified through flyers, email blasts to listserves, school-based advertising, and involvement in community events. Data were collected during a home visit, a subsequent laboratory visit, and a final neuroimaging visit. Planned analyses include linear regression, path analyses, and functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses to explore the role of neural function in the association between early adversity and psychopathology. RESULTS: Participants (N=301) have been recruited into the study, and data collection has commenced. The expected results will be available in 2024. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study will help elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms by which early adversity increases risk for psychopathology in early childhood. This study represents the earliest test of an influential theory of biological embedding of early adversity. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/59636.

"I was very scared when I found out my son had sickle cell": Caregiver knowledge and attitudes toward early intervention for young children with sickle cell disease: Implications for policy and practice from a multi-site study.

OBJECTIVE: This study characterized caregivers' beliefs related to early intervention services for children with sickle cell disease (SCD) to gain an indepth understanding of caregivers' experiences and desires for early intervention services. METHODS: Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from caregivers of children aged 0-4 years with SCD across two sites in the United States. Caregivers completed the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory, a custom survey about their experiences with early intervention, and a qualitative interview. RESULTS: A total of 127 caregivers were approached, 47 participated in surveys, and 20 completed interviews. Caregivers expressed varying levels of confidence and understanding of developmental milestones across sites. Interviews highlighted three main themes: fear of SCD-related complications, variable buy-in to early intervention, and the importance of provider-caregiver relationships. While some caregivers appreciated early intervention, others questioned its necessity. Caregivers communicated interest in connecting with other families facing similar challenges, emphasizing the need for increased awareness of available resources. CONCLUSIONS: Fear about their child's well-being was expressed by many caregivers, emphasizing the need for a supportive healthcare team that can help families connect with preventive interventions. While about a quarter of children had been referred to rehabilitation services, caregivers were unaware of the elevated risk for developmental delay, which diminished caregiver interest in participating in programs like early intervention. This study underscores the importance of addressing knowledge gaps and overcoming barriers to enhance care for families affected by SCD.

Mediating Effect of the Parent-Child Relationship on the Association Between Maternal Nurturance and Early Child Development: A Longitudinal Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Research on the specific pathways from maternal nurturance to early child development remains limited. Grounded in transactional theory, this study is the first to examine these pathways through the parent-child relationship. Methods: This longitudinal study involved mothers of children aged 1-3 years. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, Comprehensive General Parenting Questionnaire, and Child-Parent Relationship Scale were collected at Time 1, when children were 1 year old. At Time 2, when children were 3 years old, Caregiver-Reported Early Development Instruments were measured. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore direct and indirect pathways from maternal nurturance to early child development. Results: A total of 1145 mother-child dyads participated, with children averaging 32 months (SD = 6.4) and mothers averaging 28.7 years (SD = 4.0). Maternal nurturance had significant direct (ß = 0.271), indirect (ß = 0.065), and total (ß = 0.336) effects on early child development. Direct effects accounted for 80.7% of the total effects, while indirect effects accounted for 19.3%. Maternal nurturance indirectly predicted higher early child development through increased parent-child closeness (ß = 0.048), explaining 14.3% of the total effects. Maternal nurturance indirectly promoted early child development through reduced parent-child conflict (ß = 0.017), explaining 5.1% of the total effects. Conclusion: The novelty of this study lies in its demonstration of the mediating role of the parent-child relationship in the effect of maternal nurturance on early child development. This longitudinal study provides insights for governments agencies, policymakers, and healthcare workers to develop intervention programs that enhance maternal nurturance through the parent-child relationship to promote early child development.

The Influence of Parents' Educational Expectations on Children's Development: The Chain Mediation Role of Educational Anxiety and Parental Involvement.

In the social context of the "Educational Involution", the educational expectations of parents have a potential influence on the development of children. High parental educational expectations create parental anxiety, which in turn results in a rise in parental involvement and eventually promotes the growth and progress of children. The current study administered an electronic questionnaire to 891 parents of young children in four provinces of China. The questionnaire included the Parental Educational Expectations Scale, the Educational Anxiety Scale, the Parental Involvement Scale, and the Child Development Scale. This study used SPSS 27.0 for statistical data analysis and the SPSS macro program PROCESS to explore the mediation role. We found that (1) educational anxiety plays a mediating role between parental educational expectations and child development; (2) parental involvement has a mediating effect between parental educational expectations and child development; and (3) educational anxiety and parental involvement play a chain mediating role between parental educational expectations and child development. In conclusion, parental educational expectations appear to contribute to child development, and this effect may be mediated individually and sequentially by educational anxiety and parental involvement.

"I Just Wouldn't Like Him to go Through What I Went Through as a Kid": A Qualitative Study on the Mitigating Effects of Positive Childhood Experiences in Mothers with a History of Adverse Childhood Experiences in an Irish Population.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are increasingly being acknowledged as a major risk factor for instigating and sustaining cycles of trauma between mother and child. Recently, the concept of Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) has been introduced to ACEs research as a buffer against the transmission of ACEs between generations. Positive childhood experiences such as attachment to caregivers, positive peer relations and positive sense of self have been found to counteract the effects of adverse childhood experiences. The emergence of positive childhood experiences as an adaptive capacity against ACEs should be explored as a tool for psychological change, to help break the cycle of inherited trauma between generations. The present study aims to examine the lived experiences of mothers with a history of ACEs, if they consider their positive childhood experiences when parenting, and how they use these positive experiences to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma. Three women residing in a low-support service for parenting were recruited for this study. Participants were all low-income, first-time single mothers in their early thirties. A qualitative approach was designed for the study. ACEs and BCEs questionnaires were administered to participants and scores were taken into account to contextualise participant interviews. A semi-structured interview was designed in accordance with IPA guidelines. Questions were directed towards phenomenological material, focusing on participants' understanding of their experiences as mothers. Analysis of the interview data revealed three superordinate themes (replicating positive experiences, creating new positive experiences and protecting children from intergenerational trauma) related to participants' BCEs, their children's BCEs and their desire to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma. The findings of this study, namely that participants intentionally tried to create positive experiences with their own children through drawing on their own positive experiences in childhood, supports the idea that BCEs are a legitimate source of adaptive capacity for mothers with ACEs. Parenting interventions for parents with ACEs should be developed taking into account ACE and BCE scores.

Integrating early child development into an existing health and nutrition program: evidence from a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: In low-resource settings, introducing child health programs into community services may compete for caregiver time. We analyzed the impact of a new early childhood development (ECD) program in rural Madagascar on family attendance at other health services and of adding at-home play materials on program attendance. METHODS: We randomized 75 communities where community health workers (CHWs) implement an existing child health and nutrition program (Projet d'Amélioration des Résultats Nutritionnels or PARN), the status quo. We offered two 6-month cycles of 12 ECD sessions to eligible caregiver-child dyads (6-30 months) in 25 sites [T]; we added take-home play materials in Cycle 2 to 25 sites [T+]. We used differences-in-differences with administrative data to analyze the effect of offering ECD sessions on monthly PARN attendance (T+/T vs. C) among age-eligible children and the impact of toy boxes/libraries on monthly ECD session attendance (T + vs. T). We used random intercept models to analyze characteristics associated with program registration. RESULTS: We analyzed data for 9,408 dyads; 30% and 32% registered for the program in Cycle 1 and 2 (respectively). On average, CHWs delivered 11.4 sessions (SD: 1.5). Children from wealthier households who already attended PARN sessions were more likely to register, and we found no effect of T or T + on PARN attendance. Adding play materials did not affect monthly ECD session attendance. Children from more populated sites were less likely to participate in both ECD and PARN sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating new services for ECD into the health system was feasible and did not reduce dyad participation in existing services. Investment in health services in more populated areas is needed to provide coverage to all eligible children. Novel strategies should be explored to engage the most vulnerable children in new and existing health services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AEA Social Science Registry (AEARCTR-0004704) on November 15, 2019 (prospective registration) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05129696) on November 22, 2021 (retrospective registration).

Screen Time, Outdoor Play, and Sleep Routines in Early Childhood: Longitudinal Associations with Parenting Stress during Toddler to Preschool Years.

INTRODUCTION: Our study examined the longitudinal relationship between parenting stress and screen time, outdoor play, and sleep routines in toddler to preschool-aged children. METHOD: We conducted a descriptive quantitative analysis of a prospective observational cohort study of 300 families with an 18-month-old toddler who were followed for 2 years. Parenting stress was measured using a subscale of the Parenting Stress Index-4 Short Form at child age 18 months. Screen time, outdoor play, and sleep routines were parent-reported at child age 36 months. Multivariable regression estimated associations between parenting stress and screen time behaviors, outdoor play, and sleep routines. RESULTS: Data from 280 children (42.1% female) showed that 39.6% did not have rules around screen time and 82% of families reported frequently having the television on without anyone watching. In adjusted models, a 1-standard deviation increase in parenting stress at 18 months was associated with increased odds of having a television on without anyone watching (OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.57) and decreased odds of not having rules about the amount of screen time at 36 months (OR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.96). DISCUSSION: Increased parenting stress in early childhood was associated with some suboptimal screen time behaviors and sleep routines when children were preschool-aged.

Family poverty, neighbourhood greenspace and perinatal outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between low income and adverse perinatal outcomes, such as low birth weight and developmental delays, is well established making the search for protective factors important. One such factor may be neighbourhood greenspace. This study elucidates the role of urban neighbourhood greenspace in the relationship between income and perinatal outcomes in a nationally representative birth cohort from the UK. METHODS: Data on 14 050 infants participating in the initial wave at age 9 months of the Millennium Cohort Study were used (51% male, 20% non-white, 52% living in disadvantaged areas). We tested whether the association between income and perinatal outcomes is moderated by urban greenspace (measured in deciles) before and after adjustments for confounding. The perinatal outcomes included birth weight, gestational age (in days), communication and motor delays. The models were adjusted for the infant's sex and ethnicity, mother's age, education, substance use and mental health as well as area disadvantage and air pollution. RESULTS: Neighbourhood greenspace moderated the association between income and gestational age, even after adjustment for all confounders, b=-0.11, 95% CI (-0.215, -0.004). For births in low-income households, in particular, it was associated with an increase in gestational age by an average of approximately 3 days. However, after adjustment, greenspace was not found to influence birth weight, communication or motor delays at age 9 months. CONCLUSION: The biophilic design of urban environments is a modifiable factor for improving perinatal outcomes in the UK as urban greenspaces appear to be mitigating the risk of preterm birth associated with family poverty.

Effectiveness of lipid-based nutrient supplementation during the first 1000 days of life for early childhood development: A community-based trial from Pakistan.

A community-based, cluster non-randomized controlled trial was conducted in Kurram district, Pakistan between January 2018 to December 2020. Age-appropriate lipid-based nutrient supplements and health education (sessions conducted in the households) were given to pregnant women and their born children (6-23 months) in the intervention arm (n = 40 clusters) versus health education only in the control arm (n = 40 clusters) to evaluate its effect on child development. The first and second developmental assessments were completed at ~24 months (n = 689) and ~32 months (n = 608), respectively, using the Caregiver-Reported Early Development Instrument Long form. The overall and domain-specific (motor, language, cognitive and socio-emotional) scores were computed with higher scores indicating better child development. Higher development scores, including overall (ß = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.14, 0.65; p = 0.002), cognitive (ß = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.45; p = 0.002), motor (ß = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.56; p < 0.001) and language (ß = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.51; p = 0.001) were reported for children who received the intervention compared to the control arm at first developmental assessment. However, the effect was not sustained after the discontinuation of the intervention. The LNS received by the mothers (during pregnancy and first 6 months after delivery) and by children during 6-23 months of age was beneficial for the children. The trial is registered in the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry (ID: ISRCTN94319790) on December 11, 2017.

Pre-clinical and clinical trials for anesthesia in neonates: gaps and future directions.

Literature examining possible deleterious effects of anesthesia exposure on the developing brain has increased substantially over the past 30 years. Initial concerning findings in animal models, both rodents and non-human primates, prompted increasingly thorough examinations in humans, including randomized controlled trials. This review will provide a concise overview of what we know about anesthesia and the developing brain: the background in animal studies, the most robust results we have in humans, and the work yet to be done. This is particularly relevant to a pediatric radiology audience because we have the unique opportunity to modify anesthesia exposure during imaging through innovation.

Active Child, Accomplished Youth: Middle Childhood Active Leisure Fuels Academic Success by Emerging Adulthood.

Background/Objectives: Physical activity is an important protective factor throughout life. However, little research has observed the associations between the practice of physical activity and academic success longitudinally, and none have done so with a pan-Canadian sample. This article aims to examine the prospective associations between active leisure in middle childhood and academic achievement in emerging adulthood, for both boys and girls, beyond several family factors. Methods: Participants are 2775 children from the National Longitudinal Study on Children and Youth (NLSCY) aged between 12 and 20 years. Active leisure was self-reported by children at age 12 years regarding their weekly organized sport, artistic sport, and unstructured physical activity participation outside of school hours. Academic success was measured by self-reported school average at age 18 years and the obtention of high school diploma at age 20 years. Results: Girls who engaged in more organized or artistic sports at age 12 years had better academic results at age 18 years (respectively ß = -0.082, p < 0.01; ß = -0.228, p < 0.001). Both boys and girls who partook in more organized sports at age 12 years were more likely to graduate from high school by age 20 years (respectively ß = -0.146, p < 0.001; ß = -0.071, p < 0.05). However, girls who engaged in more unstructured physical activity at age 12 years had lower academic achievement at age 18 years (ß = 0.077, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Policy makers should aim to reduce the many barriers to an active lifestyle in childhood. Parents should be encouraged to lead their children to go play outside with friends to allow them to fully reap the benefits of an active lifestyle from a young age.