Reference limits for osteocalcin in infancy and early childhood: A longitudinal birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The longitudinal variations in serum levels of the hormone osteocalcin is largely unknown during infancy and early childhood. Our aim was to establish reference limits for total serum osteocalcin during specific time points from birth until 5 years of age and present those in the context of sex, breastfeeding practices and gestational age (GA). DESIGN: Blood samples from 551 Swedish children were analysed at birth, 4, 12, 36 and 60 months of age. Total serum osteocalcin was measured using the IDS-iSYS N-MID Osteocalcin assay technique. Information about the mother, birth, anthropometrics and a food diary were collected. RESULTS: Sex-specific and age-specific reference limits were established for the five time points. The median osteocalcin levels over time were 40.8, 90.0, 67.8, 62.2 and 80.9 µg/L for boys and 38.1, 95.5, 78.3, 73.9 and 92.6 µg/L for girls. Lower GA was associated to higher osteocalcin at birth, and ongoing breastfeeding was associated to higher osteocalcin levels. CONCLUSION: Osteocalcin followed a wavelike pattern with low levels in the umbilical cord and a postnatal peak during the first year which then declined and rose again by the age of five. Knowledge of this wavelike pattern and association to factors as sex, breastfeeding and GA may help clinicians to interpret individual osteocalcin levels and guide in future research.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity and screen time habits of children aged 11-13 years in Sweden.

Introduction: Physical activity (PA), exercise, sedentary behavior and screen time are lifestyle factors that have been shown to significantly impact child health in different ways. These lifestyle factors were affected to different degrees by global restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated PA and screen time in a cohort of Swedish children in both 2019 and 2021, before and during the pandemic. Method: Adolescents born in 2008 in Halland, Sweden, and included in a previous longitudinal birth cohort study were invited to take part in follow-up questionnaires about PA, screen time and COVID-19. A total of 1041 children aged 11 (in 2019) and 13 years (in 2021) replied and 777 of them answered on both occasions. Results: Most children (42.1%) reported that their leisure time PA was unchanged from 2019 to 2021. Compared to unchanged PA 33.9% exercised more often (p = 0.011) and 23.9% exercised less (p < 0.001), both differences statistically significant. Roughly, 43.2% of boys and 34.9% of girls in 2021 exercised so that they became breathless or broke a sweat at least 4 times a week not counting physical education in school, corresponding figures for 2019 were 38.2% for boys and 35.2% for girls. The majority of children were able to continue attending leisure time sports clubs during the pandemic, but participation decreased from 88.3% to 76.3% from 11 to 13 years of age. Most reported that sports club routines changed during the pandemic, but only 40.9% reported fewer practice opportunities. Attending a sports club gave greater protection against loss of PA during the pandemic than not belonging to one (41.0% vs. 23.2%, p < 0.001). The majority (71.1%) of children spent more time on screens in 2021 than 2019, with a mean increase of 9.4 h (95% CI 8.6 to 10.2 h) from 20.7 to 30.1 hours per week (p < 0.001) during the study. Conclusions: Swedish children largely maintained their levels of PA during the pandemic at 13 years of age and these were possibly safeguarded by the comparably mild pandemic restrictions in Sweden in 2021. However, they did increase their screen time between 11 and 13 years of age.

Serum osteocalcin levels at 4 months of age were associated with neurodevelopment at 4 years of age in term-born children.

AIM: The hormone osteocalcin influenced neurodevelopment and cognition in mice models; this human study explored potential associations between total serum levels in human infants and neurodevelopment at 4 years of age. METHODS: The data were based on two Swedish birth cohorts from 2008 to 2009. We followed 158 healthy full-term vaginal births (51% girls) by measuring serum osteocalcin in cord blood and at 4, 12 and 36 months. The values were compared with neurodevelopment tests at 4 years of age. RESULTS: There was an association between osteocalcin at 4 months and later full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ; r2 0.031, p < 0.05). Children with osteocalcin levels in the highest quartile scored 5.6 (95% confidence interval [1.3, 9.9]) points higher than those in the lowest quartile, with mean scores of 118.8 ± 8.8 and 113.2 ± 9.2 (p < 0.05). They also scored higher on gross motor skills (p < 0.05) and showed greater ability during the drawing trail test (p < 0.005). Cord levels of osteocalcin were negatively associated with processing speed and fine motor development at 4 years, but levels at 12 and 36 months were not associated with later neurodevelopment. CONCLUSION: Osteocalcin levels in infancy appeared to be associated with later IQ and motor development, but more research is needed.

Parents with overweight children two and five years of age did not perceive them as weighing too much.

AIM: This study examined whether the parents of children who were overweight at two and five years of age perceived their children as being too heavy and related the findings to sociodemographic factors. METHODS: The data collection included parental questionnaires and anthropometric data from a longitudinal birth cohort of 2666 children born in the south-west region of Sweden in 2007-2008. RESULTS: We found that 14.9 and 11.8% of the children were considered overweight or obese at the age of two and five, but 96.4 and 87.1% of their parents perceived their weight to be just about right at these ages. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Parents who were overweight themselves and had a low educational level were associated with a higher probability of misperception: at two years of age, the odds ratio was 2.75 (95% confidence interval 1.80-4.21), and at the age of five, it was 1.92 (1.24-2.97). CONCLUSION: Most parents did not perceive that their overweight children weighed too much, but their judgement improved as the child got older. Parents who were overweight or had a low educational level were more likely to misperceive their child's weight. Health Care professionals need to be aware of this gap in perception.

The Cedell method (cerclage wire and staple) leads to less reoperations than the AO method: a retrospective comparative study of 347 lateral ankle fractures.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fractures of the lateral malleolus often require open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Despite uneventful fracture healing, many patients will suffer from long-term detriments after ORIF, such as local tenderness that requires hardware removal. In Sweden, there are 2 major fixation methods, either the AO method (plate and screws) or the Cedell method (cerclage wire and staple). The purpose of this study was to establish whether there is a difference in extraction frequency between the 2 methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective comparative study of all isolated fractures through the lateral malleolus that were operated at Skåne University Hospital, Sweden, during the period January 2007 to December 2010. 347 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria (dislocated Weber B isolated fractures of the lateral malleolus) and were categorized according to fixation method. The numbers of reoperations, with preceding indication, were established from the charts. The median follow-up time was 59 (38-86) months after the primary surgery. RESULTS: 22% of the 110 patients treated with the AO method underwent a reoperation, as compared to 8% of the 237 patients treated with the Cedell method (p < 0.001). The median time to extraction was 16 (4-55) months. INTERPRETATION: Less implant removal is needed with the Cedell method than with the conventional AO method. This favors the use of the Cedell method in uncomplicated Weber B lateral ankle fractures, provided that other clinical parameters are comparable.