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Biomedical subjects

N M Newman

Publications and source records attributed to N M Newman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Adrenal hypoplasia and pituitary agenesis in a normocephalic infant, with a review of the literature.

A case of adrenal hypoplasia and pituitary agenesis in a normocephalic female infant is described. Twenty-eight other cases from the world literature were reviewed. There were 18 females and 11 males. More than one affected infant was described in five families, suggesting autosomal recessive inheritance. The mode of presentation, subsequent course, pathology and possible pathogenesis are discussed.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1987

Nerve fibre layer loss in diseases of the outer retinal layer.

We present examples of nerve fibre layer changes in diseases thought to affect primarily the outer retinal layers. These disease processes include cone-rod dystrophies, rod-cone dystrophies, juvenile macular degeneration (Stargardt's disease) and fundus flavimaculatis, vitelliform macular dystrophy, and Leber's congenital amaurosis. All were associated with alterations in the retinal nerve fibre layer, either diffuse or focal. The presence of these nerve fibre layer changes raises the question of transsynaptic degeneration and of possible primary or associated disease of other retinal cells than the receptors-namely, bipolar, amacrine, Mueller, or ganglion cells--in these disease of the outer retinal layer. Involvement of the nerve fibre layer also indicates the need to examine patients with defects in the nerve fibre layer by electroretinograms and other tests for outer retinal layer disease when no obvious optic nerve disease is present.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Neuro-ocular damage in pediatric oncology patients: predictor of long-term visual disability or tool for limiting toxicity?

We present a group of eight pediatric cancer patients with a spectrum of visual afferent pathway abnormalities. Changes include decreased visual acuity, visual field alterations, abnormal visual evoked potentials, changes in the optic disc and nerve fiber layer of the retina, radiation retinopathy, and CNS injury. These changes occur in long term survivors of pediatric malignancy (especially those with prolonged, multimodal, and multicourse therapy), but they may be minimally symptomatic. The changes appear to be analogous to the CNS changes (leukoencephalopathy) described in patients with leukemia and attributed to multimodal therapy. By taking advantage of opportunities to detect adverse effects earlier in the treatment course, the present excellent cure rate may be improved by refinements in therapy that also improve the quality of survival.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1986

Responses to partial nasal obstruction in sleeping infants.

Partial nasal obstruction was performed during a morning of quiet sleep (QS: non-REM) and active sleep (AS: REM) at ages 1 week, 2 weeks, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 months on 12 normal infants, 15 subsequent siblings of victims of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and 12 infants admitted for investigation of infant apnoea ('near-miss' SIDS). In all three groups the numbers failing to arouse after 240 s (FTA-240) in QS were significantly greater than those in AS. After 2 months of age all groups showed a decrease in the number FTA-240 in AS, whereas in QS the number did not change significantly. Subsequent siblings of SIDS had a significantly higher number FTA-240 in QS than controls. There was no significant difference in FTA-240 in QS between controls and infant apnoeas, although there was a trend for this to be higher in subsequent siblings of SIDS than infant apnoeas. It was concluded that arousal from AS is more marked than from QS, that after 2 months of age the ability to arouse from AS increases, and that in relation to SIDS, QS is the sleep state in which the infant is less able to arouse. Furthermore, subsequent siblings of SIDS differ from normal infants in their ability to arouse from QS.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1986

Sudden infant death syndrome in Tasmania, 1975-81.

A survey of all infants dying from the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in Tasmania from 1975 to 1981 showed an incidence of 4.4 per 1000 live births; SIDS comprised 68% of infant deaths. The peak incidence of death was at 3 months of age and the following factors were significant: male sex, gestation less than 38 weeks, birthweight less than 2500 g, unmarried mothers, maternal age below 24 years and unskilled fathers. Analysis of these factors in combination showed each to be independently significant. SIDS was more frequent in the southern and western regions of Tasmania, and there was a higher incidence of death in the colder months in infants over 13 weeks of age. The monthly incidence of SIDS was inversely proportional to the monthly mean temperature in Tasmania and directly proportional to monthly hospital admissions for respiratory infections and apnoea. However, admissions for apnoea were more common in infants under 14 weeks of age. From these observations it is suggested that cold and respiratory infections are associated with the onset of SIDS in older infants.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Acetabular bone destruction related to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

In a retrospective investigation of the relation between use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetabular destruction in primary osteoarthritis of the hip, 70 hips were studied in 64 patients. Cranial acetabular migration, a measure of acetabular destruction, was present in 37 hips and absent in 33. Migrators and non-migrators did not differ in age, sex, hip pain score, walking ability score, femoral neck-shaft angle, or distribution of atrophic and hypertrophic types of osteoarthritis. Regular intake of NSAIDs was noted for 31 of the 37 migrating hips and irregular intake for a further 3. Among the 33 non-migrating hips, the corresponding numbers were 7 and 5, respectively. This highly significant association between NSAID use and acetabular destruction gives cause for concern, not least because of the difficulty in achieving satisfactory hip replacements in patients with severely damaged acetabula.

Acetabulum↗
PubMed1985

Drusen of the optic nerve head. An important model.

It is proposed that drusen of the optic nerve head (ONH) may provide a useful model for the study of diseases which affect the vicinity of the optic disc. Several sensitive and revealing tests of inner retinal/optic nerve function have been applied in this investigation. Fundus Photo Perimetry has confirmed that little correlation exists between visual field defects and the location of ophthalmoscopically visible ONH drusen. The Flashing Repeat Static Test (FRST) was found to be abnormal in half of our patients, indicating probable ascending dysfunction in optic nerve fibers beyond the lamina cribrosa. Alterations in transient-like and/or sustained-like functions, found in several cases, are thought to represent effects of dysfunction descending to the retinal plexiform layers.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Low birth weight in Tasmania 1975-1983: the effect of socioeconomic status.

An analysis of all births in Tasmania from 1975 to 1983 showed that social class differences in low birth weights were almost entirely restricted to infants between 1500 and 2500 g weight at birth. There was a marginal increase in very low birth weight infants (less than 1500 g) among women whose partners were unemployed or in unskilled work but extremely low birth weight infants (less than 1000 g) were evenly distributed across the whole social spectrum.

Australia↗
PubMed1985

Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and fetal outcome in Tasmania 1981-82.

Analysis of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption patterns recorded in pregnancy could not detect a harmful effect of alcohol at levels below 2 glasses a day. Total abstainers fared very slightly worse than those who drank occasionally. Smoking was associated with lower birth-weight and a worse fetal outcome independent of socioeconomic status, parity, maternal age or alcohol consumption. There was evidence of an interaction between smoking and adverse social and parity factors in low birth-weight.

Adult↗