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Biomedical subjects

A J Nowak

Publications and source records attributed to A J Nowak.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Characteristics of patients with autistic disorder (AD) presenting for dental treatment: a survey and chart review.

A group of 43 patients with AD (mean age, 13.5; SD, 5.9 yrs) was identified from the University Hospital School Pediatric Dentistry Clinic. We reviewed the patients' charts to obtain demographic data, dental findings, and the management techniques used for treatment. The patients were divided into groups according to Frankl's categories of behavior, ranging from definitely negative to positive. Descriptive data are provided for each group. Commonly used communications and pharmacological management techniques, as well as physical restraints, enabled us to treat all the patients in the traditional dental setting, when simple procedures were planned. Treatment under general anesthesia in the operating room was necessary in 37% of all patients when comprehensive care was required or difficult procedures were carried out. A questionnaire was also sent out to the caregivers to gather data on patients' nutrition and eating/chewing habits. In the sample surveyed, two-thirds of the individuals reportedly exhibited a normal eating pattern, while 14% pouched food. Soft, sweet, or sticky foods were preferred by 41% of the patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Non-nutritive sucking behaviors in preschool children: a longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: Prolonged duration of non-nutritive sucking behaviors may have consequences in regard to the developing orofacial structures and occlusion. Little is known as to why some children have prolonged sucking habits beyond the first 2 to 3 years of life. This paper reports on non-nutritive sucking patterns among a large cohort of healthy children from birth to 36 months of age and older, and identifies factors predictive of prolonged non-nutritive sucking habits. METHODS: Over 600 children were followed from birth to at least 36 months of age using mailed questionnaires sent when children reached the ages of 6 weeks, and 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, and 24 months, and then yearly thereafter. Parents answered questions concerning non-nutritive sucking behaviors including use of pacifier and digit sucking. The study categorized children who maintained habits to 36 months of age or older as having prolonged habits, and using multivariate analyses, compared them to children without prolonged habits on various sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: The study found that for over 20% of the children, a non-nutritive sucking habit was prolonged to 36 months of age or older. Factors associated with prolonged sucking habits included older maternal age, higher maternal education level, and having no older siblings. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying factors related to prolonged non-nutritive sucking habits may be important in developing and targeting recommendations regarding such behaviors in an effort to prevent malocclusions that result from prolonged sucking habits.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pacifier use and the occurrence of otitis media in the first year of life.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess pacifier use as a risk factor for otitis media during the first year of life. METHODS: A volunteer cohort of 1,375 infants was recruited from eight hospital postpartum units in Iowa. Parents were asked to provide detailed information on their child's health at 6 weeks, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Questions were posed concerning occurrence of specific childhood illnesses, including otitis media, at each time point, as well as other factors. RESULTS: Over 70% of children were reported to have experienced one or more episodes of otitis media during their first year of life, with its occurrence much more common during the second six months. Multivariate analyses using Generalized Estimating Equations assessed factors associated with otitis media during the entire 12-month period. These analyses showed that pacifier use, age, male sex, greater number of childcare days, and higher family incomes were significantly associated with occurrence of otitis media. CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate analyses found that the occurrence of otitis media was associated with pacifier use, one of few modifiable risk factors for otitis media.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Preventive dentistry for children: a review from 1968-1988--Journal of Dentistry for Children.

This report summarizes the progress made by pediatric dentistry over the last twenty-year period, especially in terms of prevention, with an emphasis on the role that the Journal has had in informing and guiding the readership along the lines of professional practice. Patients are younger now; parents more informed by the profession and the mass media; practitioners are more prevention-oriented toward disease, as opposed to being trained to control the disease process. A preventive philosophy has been presented to the readership in Journal volumes 35-55, in which 1,099 scientific articles were published. Prevention (16 percent), oral pathology (24.4 percent), orthodontic/growth and development (14 percent), behavior management (12 percent), and rehabilitative dentistry (9.9 percent) were the largest groups of articles published in the Journal in the last two decades.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the anterograde amnesic effect of rectally administered diazepam in the sedated pedodontic patient.

Randomly, a dosage of 0.6 mg/kg of either diazepam in solution or sodium chloride was dispensed rectally to twelve preschool children. Before the local anesthetic injection, each child was shown a toy and, before dismissal, asked to identify the toy displayed earlier. Amnesia was observed in the majority of children during the diazepam treatment appointment.

Amnesia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Double-blind comparison of rectally administered diazepam to placebo for pediatric sedation: the cardiovascular response.

The sedative and cardiovascular effects of rectally administered diazepam (0.6 mg/kg) were compared to placebo in uncooperative children who required sedation during dental treatment. Twelve healthy preschool children, who required amalgam restorations, were treated during two standardized restorative appointments in a double-blind, crossover study. Blood pressure and pulse were obtained during four specified intervals during the appointment. The behavior of the children during the treatment visits was videotaped and later statistically analyzed using a kinesics/vocalization instrument. Behavioral ratings of cooperation were significantly improved during the treatment visit following diazepam. All interfering bodily movements, patient vocalizations and operator commands for the diazepam group were reduced significantly (p≤0.0001). No significant differences were observed for noninterfering behavioral response. Rectally administered diazepam did not alter blood pressure or pulse significantly in these sedated children when compared to the placebo. These findings indicate that rectal diazepam is an effective sedative agent with minimal effect on the cardiovascular system for the management of the young pediatric dental patient.

Anesthesia, Dental↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Autistic disorder: a review for the pediatric dentist.

Dental publications on autism have been sparse since the first comprehensive article geared for the dental profession. New findings on the etiology of autistic disorder (AD) have been discovered, suggesting that it is an organic disorder characterized by abnormalities in the brain, especially the cerebellum and limbic system. This article summarizes the latest medical findings on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment approaches of AD, and reviews the dental literature since 1969. The main dental topics reviewed are: oral health status and dental needs of patients with AD, characteristics of patients with AD, and self-injurious behavior (SIB) in the context of AD. Clinical behavior-management issues such as pharmacological and communicative techniques and physical restraint and desensitization are described. The affect of the dental office's environment and appointment structure on a patient with AD are presented.

Adult↗