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Biomedical subjects

T Markestad

Publications and source records attributed to T Markestad.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Congenital hip dislocation. Ultrasonic screening of newborn infants].

Despite the introduction of clinical screening and early treatment of congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH), the prevalence of subluxated/luxated hips in later infancy is still reported to be as high as 1-3 per 1,000 infants. Using ultrasound, it is possible to evaluate both hip morphology and hip stability. Hip morphology is best evaluated using Graf's coronal section through the deepest part of the acetabulum. Classification of the hips into different categories can then be based on measuring the angle of inclination of the acetabulum (alpha-angle) or femoral had coverage. Hip stability can be assessed by a Barlow-equivalent provocation test during the ultrasound examination. In the Norwegian newborn population approximately 85% of the infants have morphologically normal hips (based on the alpha-angle) while 12% have immature and 3% dysplastic hips. About 80-90% of infants with dysplastic acetabula show only minor changes, and many of the hips may normalize without treatment. Several studies indicate that universal ultrasound screening might reduce the occurrence of late diagnosed congenital dislocation of the hip.

Hip Dislocation, Congenital

Dubowitz assessment of gestational age and agreement with prenatal methods.

We compared assessment of gestational age by Dubowitz score with ultrasonic measurement of the biparietal diameter (BPD), and then evaluated how infants were classified by these methods as small-for-gestational age (SGA), and as pre- or post-term births. BPD gestational age was assessed at week 17 to 20 of pregnancy while the Dubowitz scoring was done at birth. "Limits of agreement" between methods and kappa values were calculated and used to evaluate agreement. Among 839 included infants, there was moderate agreement between Dubowitz score and BPD (limits of agreement; -2.3; +2.1 weeks; weighted kappa: 0.46) in the assessment of gestational age. Agreement between Dubowitz score and BPD in the classification of SGA (kappa: 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.69-0.81) and preterm infants (kappa: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.56-0.80) was good, whereas agreement on infants born post-term was no better than chance (kappa: 0.14, 95% CI: -0.02(-)+0.30). We conclude that despite moderate agreement between Dubowitz score and BPD in the assessment of gestational age, agreement in the classification of low-birth-weight infants as SGA and as premature births was good.

Cephalometry

Incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in the western part of Norway. A population-based retrospective study.

We have investigated the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) among premature infants with birth weight less than 1500 g in two Norwegian counties during the years 1989-1993. Two hundred and seven out of 244 such infants (84.8%) were examined at the neonatal intensive care unit; 66 of those examined (31.9%) had a birth weight below 1000 g. ROP was found in 21 patients (10.1%), and stage 3 disease was present in 7 (3.4%). No patient had more advanced ROP than stage 3. Assuming that no cases of stage 3 ROP were missed among the total of 244 children, the incidence of stage 3 disease was 2.9%. The frequency of ROP in this study is compared to that of other population-based studies in the Nordic countries, and incidence differences are discussed.

Cryotherapy

Behaviour and physiological responses during prone and supine sleep in early infancy.

AIMS: To study the effect of prone and supine sleep on infant behaviour, peripheral skin temperature, and cardiorespiratory parameters to aid understanding of why prone sleeping is associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. METHODS: Of 33 enrolled infants, 32 were studied at 2.5 and 28 at 5 months of age. A computer aided multichannel system was used for polysomnographic recordings. Behaviour was charted separately. RESULTS: Prone REM (active) sleep was associated with lower frequencies of short arousals, body movements and sighs, and a shorter duration of apnoeas than supine REM sleep at both ages. At 2.5 months there were less frequent episodes of periodic breathing during prone sleep in non-REM (quiet) and REM sleep. Heart rate and peripheral skin temperature were higher in the prone position during both sleep states at both ages. CONCLUSIONS: The observation of decreased variation in behaviour and respiratory pattern, increased heart rate, and increased peripheral skin temperature during prone compared with supine sleep may indicate that young infants are less able to maintain adequate respiratory and metabolic homoeostasis during prone sleep.

Female

Use of sucrose as a treatment for infant colic.

AIMS: To examine if sucrose has an analgesic effect on infant colic. METHODS: Nineteen infants with typical infant colic were given 2 ml of 12% sucrose or distilled water when crying, in a double blind double crossover study. The effect was measured by parents' score. RESULTS: Twelve improved specifically on sucrose and one on placebo (p < 0.01). Five showed a non-specific improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Sucrose has a significant ameliorating effect on infant colic.

Administration, Oral

Consequences of getting the head covered during sleep in infancy.

OBJECTIVE: To study the consequences of getting the head covered by bedding (fiber quilt) on carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation around the face, behavior, and physiologic responses during prone and supine sleep in infants to add understanding to why victims of sudden infant death syndrome are often found under the bedding. METHPDOLOGY: Of 33 healthy term, usually nonprone sleeping infants, behavior and computerized polysomnography were successfully recorded for 30 during prone and supine sleep at 21/2 months and for 23 prone and 25 supine at 5 months. RESULTS: For both ages and body positions, covering the head resulted in significant CO2 accumulation around the face, fewer apneas (3 to 10 seconds), shorter duration of apneas after sighs, higher heart and respiratory rates, and peripheral skin temperature. Differences were generally greater at 21/2 than at 5 months. While covered, the prone position was associated with higher CO2 levels close to the face, slightly higher transcutaneous PCO2, and higher heart rates and peripheral skin temperatures than the supine position. In the supine position 23% were able to remove the cover from the head at 21/2 and 60% at 5 months, whereas only 1 infant of 5 months managed to remove the cover when prone. CONCLUSIONS: The observed responses are consistent with a potential for distress when the head is covered, particularly when placed prone. Probably most important with respect to sudden infant death syndrome is the infants' inability to remove the bedding from the head upon awakening from prone sleep.

Bedding and Linens

Prediction of fetal growth based on maternal serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin, human placental lactogen and estriol.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to determine the usefulness of maternal serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), human placental lactogen (hPL) and estriol as predictors of fetal growth. METHOD: From a large cohort serum obtained serially at 17, 25, 33 and 37 weeks of gestation were analyzed for randomly selected pregnancies resulting in small for gestational age (SGA, n = 102) and non-SGA (n = 112) infants. RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between birthweight ratio (ratio of birthweight to mean weight for gestational age) and hCG, but between birthweight ratio on one hand and estriol for all stages of pregnancy (r = 0.19-0.38, p < 0.01 - p < 0.001) and hCL except at 33 weeks (r = 0.11-0.40, p ns-p < 0.001) on the other. There were statistically significant, but small median differences and substantial overlaps between the SGA and non-SGA infants for hCG at 17 and 37 weeks, for hPL at 17, 33 and 37 weeks, and for estriol at all the stages of pregnancy. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of low hormone concentrations (below the 10th percentile) in predicting the birth of an SGA infant were in the range of 6-26% and 17-39%, respectively. The corresponding specificity and prediction of a non-SGA infant from normal levels were 91-93% and 85-88%. CONCLUSIONS: HPL and estriol, but not hCG concentrations, are positively related to the size of the fetus, but the relationships are too weak to be of predictive value in an unselected population.

Adult

Cell division in placentas of appropriate and small-for-gestational-age infants. A flow cytometry study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine if placentas of small- for-gestational-age (SGA) and non-SGA infants differ with respect to proliferative cell activity. METHOD: Cell cycle distribution was studied in placentas from 181 SGA (birthweight < 10th percentile) and 528 non-SGA births by flow cytometry measurements of relative DNA content. RESULTS: The fraction of cells in various cell cycle phases (G1-, S- and G2-phases) did not differ with gestational age from 30 to 43 weeks in either of the groups. The placentas of the SGA infants had a significantly lower mean (+/-1 SEM) growth fraction than placentas of non-SGA infants (S-phase 5.2 +/- 0.2 vs 5.5 +/- 0.1, p = 0.05, and G2-fraction 5.4 +/- 0.2 vs 6.3 +/- 0.1, p < 0.001), but the overlaps of the distributions were large. Thus sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of low fractions did not differ substantially-from a purely random prediction of SGA. CONCLUSIONS: Cell division in the placenta is maintained until and beyond term. Placentas of SGA infants have on average, lower proliferative activity than placentas of non-SGA infants, but the difference is too small to be of predictive value in identifying intrauterine growth retardation.

Adult

Body proportions and early neonatal morbidity in small-for-gestational-age infants of successive births.

BACKGROUND: We wanted to examine if infants who were small for gestational age (SGA) at term had increased perinatal mortality or morbidity compared to non-SGA infants, and if this could be related to the infant's body proportions, or to whether the mother previously had delivered a low-birthweight infant ("repeater") or not ("non-repeater"). METHODS: From a cohort of 5722 para 1 and para 2 women, we compared perinatal mortality in 541 SGA (birthweight < 10th percentile) and 4737 non-SGA infants. From the same cohort, early neonatal morbidity was studied in 368 SGA and 462 control infants without congenital malformations. RESULTS: SGA infants had a 6.4 (95% CI: 2.6-15.7) higher risk of perinatal death than controls, but when infants who died with congenital malformations were excluded, this risk was not significantly increased. SGA infants were more often transferred to an intensive care unit than controls (1.7, 95% CI: 1.0-2.9). Among SGA births, infants with asymmetric body proportions (i.e. low ponderal index) more often had symptoms in the neonatal period (RR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.4-4.3) and were more often transferred to an intensive care unit (3.4; 95% CI: 1.6-7.4) than symmetric SGA infants, whereas there were no differences between SGA infants of repeaters and non-repeaters. CONCLUSIONS: We found that SGA infants had higher perinatal mortality than controls, but this was due to a higher prevalence of congenital malformations. Among SGA infants without malformations, our results indicated increased neonatal morbidity in infants with asymmetric body proportions.

Abnormalities, Multiple

Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants born at term: growth and development during the first year of life.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to compare growth patterns and psychomotor development of healthy small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and non-SGA infants, and identify factors predictive of outcome at 13 months of age. METHOD: A total of 265 SGA infants and 329 non-SGA controls were identified from a multicenter cohort of 5722 para 1 and 2 women who had been followed during pregnancy. The infants were examined at 2 days and at 13 months of age. Psychomotor development at 13 months was assessed with The Bayley Scale of Infant Development. RESULTS: The SGA infants showed partial catch-up growth, but had still lower (mean +/- SEM, p < 0.0001) weight (9750 +/- 65 vs 10505 +/- 67 g), crown-heel length (75.9 +/- 0.2 vs 77.5 +/- 0.2 cm) and head circumference (46.9 +/- 0.1 vs 47.7 +/- 0.1 cm) than the non-SGA infants at 13 months. The SGA children scored equally well on the motor (PDI 106.8 +/- 1.0 vs 107.2 +/- 0.8) but lower on the mental scale (MDI 112.1 +/- 0.8 vs 116.5 +/- 0.7, p < 0.0001) of the Bayley Scale, and the asymmetric SGA scored lower than the symmetric SGA infants (MDI 110.2 +/- 1.3 vs 113.3 +/- 0.9, p = 0.05). In a multivariate regression analysis the parents' growth parameters had the greatest effect on growth measures at 13 months while education and maternal smoking had no significant effect. SGA vs non-SGA status had the greatest effect on growth velocities during infancy. For mental development only SGA vs non-SGA status and the mothers' education made significant contributions, but only accounted for 6% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The negative impact of intrauterine factors on growth are partly abolished by catch-up growth during infancy, and growth parameters at one year of age are mostly determined by genetic factors even in SGA infants. Decreased intrauterine growth may possibly have a negative effect on brain growth and mental developmental potential.

Case-Control Studies

Developmental dysplasia of the hip: prevalence based on ultrasound diagnosis.

The prevalence of sonographically normal, immature and dysplastic hips, the association between hip morphology and gender, and known risk factors for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) were determined for 3613 randomly selected, healthy newborns. Hip morphology was determined according to a modified Graf's method, and stability was evaluated using a Barlow equivalent maneuver. A higher proportion of girls than boys had immature hips [16.9 % vs 9.3 %; relative risk (RR) = 2.0, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 1.6-2.4], minor dysplasia (4.5 % vs 1.0 %; RR = 4.8, 95 % CI = 2.9-8.1), and major dysplasia (1.2 % vs 0.2 %; RR = 5.5, 95 % CI = 1.9-16.2). An increased risk was associated with having a sibling or parent with DDH (RR = 2.2, 95 % CI = 1.0-4.6 and RR = 3.6, 95 % CI = 1.1-12.5 for girls and boys, respectively), but not with DDH in more distant relatives. Breech delivery represented a significant risk factor only for the girls (RR = 2.2, 95 % CI = 1.1-4.4). There was a strong association between hip morphology and sonographic stability (gamma = 0.98).

Female

Infant behaviour in response to a change in body position from side to prone during sleep.

UNLABELLED: The consequences of provoking a change in the sleeping position from side to prone during quiet (non-REM) and active (REM) sleep in young infants were studied in terms of ability to turn the face away from the mattress within 3 min, and in terms of ventilatory and heart rate responses in those who remained face down. Twenty-six infants were exposed to repeated tilts from the side to prone at 2.5 months, and 20 at 5 months of age. Eighteen infants were tested on both occasions. A computer-aided multichannel system was used for polysomnographic recordings. Approximately 66% of the infants did not rotate the face away from the mattress on at least one occasion. There were no significant differences in the rate of face down outcome between sleep states or ages, and no consistent pattern of final face position following repeated tilts. The face to side position was commonly accomplished after considerable difficulties involving vigorous body movements, particularly if the arm became positioned between the body and the mattress or alongside the trunk after the tilt. Apnoeas of 3-14 s in immediate response to the tilt were observed in 75% of the infants monitored electronically. In 13% of the infants, all in a face down position, the test was terminated because of increases in heart and respiratory rates, drop in oxygen saturation, or marked pallor. CONCLUSIONS: The observed difficulties of obtaining a face to side position when suddenly exposed to the prone position during sleep, may render some young infants at risk of sudden infant death (SID).

Apnea

Behavioral problems in low-birthweight preschoolers.

Preschool behavior of a population-based sample of 144 5-year-old children with birthweights less than 2000g (LBW) was compared with a random sample of 163 normal-birthweight term controls. The Personality Inventory for Children and the Yale Children's Inventory were completed by the mothers, and child behavior during psychometric testing was assessed. Nineteen per cent of the LBW children compared to 4% of controls had behavioral problems as defined by abnormal scores on more than three behavioral measures. The LBW children were more often socially insecure, anxious and difficult to manage, but inattention and hyperactivity were not prominent. The LBW children were not more sensitive to the negative impact of parental risk factors than normal-birthweight children.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity

Developmental dysplasia of the hip. A population-based comparison of ultrasound and clinical findings.

Clinical and ultrasound findings were compared in 3613 newborns examined for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) within 48 hours of delivery. Clinical and sonographic hip stability was described as stable, borderline unstable, dislocatable or dislocated, and the morphology on ultrasound as normal, immature or dysplastic. Persistent clinical or sonographic dislocatability or dislocation, major dysplasia or minor dysplasia combined with an unstable femoral head were indications for early treatment. A total of 123 (3.4%) infants were subjected to early treatment, of which 55 (45%) fulfilled the criteria for treatment on both clinical and ultrasound examinations, 52 (42%) were treated on the basis of ultrasound findings alone, and 16 (13%) on the basis of clinical findings alone. Thirty per cent of the infants with clinically dislocated or dislocatable hips were judged to have stable or just borderline unstable hips on the first clinical examination. Of 486 (13.5%) infants with sonographically immature or minor dysplastic but stable hips, 472 (97%) normalized spontaneously, while treatment was initiated in 14 (3%) of them at 1-3 months of age because of lack of sonographic improvement. Only one infant presented with late DDH during an observation period of 3 years. Accepting sonographic dysplasia as a criterion for early splinting may result in a treatment rate which is almost twice the rate based on clinical criteria, but late dislocation may be virtually eliminated.

Cross-Sectional Studies

Transient dystonia in non-handicapped low-birthweight infants and later neurodevelopment.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the long-term prognostic significance of transient increase in muscle tone during infancy (dystonia) in very low-birthweight (VLBW) infants without cerebral palsy. Motor (Peabody Developmental Motor Scales), cognitive (Wechsler Preschool and Primary scale of Intelligence) and behavioural (Personality Inventory for Children, Yale Children's Inventory) development was assessed at 5 years of age. In a population-based sample of 50 VLBW children, transient dystonia was present in 14. In explorative analyses, transient dystonia was associated with low 1 min Apgar scores, neonatal bacterial infection, and lack of breast-milk in the neonatal period. Cognitive, neuromotor and behavioural development at 5 years of age was comparable in those with and without transient dystonia, although there was a statistically non-significant tendency towards more neuromotor problems in the dystonic children.

Apgar Score

Low birthweight and neuromotor development: a population based, controlled study.

The aims of the study were to investigate: (a) the relationship between low birthweight (LBW) and pre-school neuromotor development; and (b) the predictive value of various pre-, peri-, and neonatal factors for neuromotor development in LBW pre-school children. A population based sample of 144 5-year-old LBW children (birthweight < 2000 g) with no major handicaps was compared with a random sample of 163 normal birthweight term controls. Using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, impaired performance on the balance scale was seen more often in LBW boys than in controls (odds ratio 5.5, 95% CI 1.5-20.3), while performance on the eye-hand coordination and locomotor scales was comparable for the two groups. LBW girls were comparable to controls on all these scales. On neurological examination, an increased frequency of minor neurological signs was found in LBW boys, while increased ankle tone and/or leg hyperreflexia was more common in LBW girls compared to controls. Small head circumference at birth was associated with an increased frequency of minor neurological signs in LBW boys, and lack of breastmilk in the neonatal period with impaired balance in LBW boys. None of the other pre-, peri- or neonatal factors were predictive of neuromotor development. We conclude that motor functions essential for daily activities are intact in most LBW preschoolers.

Child Development

Morbidity during the first year of life in small for gestational age infants.

Postneonatal morbidity during infancy was studied in 284 small for gestational age (SGA) and 359 non-SGA term infants. None of these babies had congenital malformations and they were born to para 1 and para 2 mothers. SGA infants had an increased risk (OR: 1.7, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.6) of being admitted to hospital compared with non-SGA infants. The principal cause was respiratory tract infections. Increased hospitalisation among SGA infants was a factor only if the mother was a smoker-that is, smoked cigarettes at the time of conception. Among subgroups of SGA babies, there was an increased risk for infants of non-repeaters (women without a previous SGA child) (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.4-3.8) and for infants with symmetric (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3) body proportions compared with non-SGA infants. The results suggest that, beginning in early pregnancy, growth retardation may have long term consequences for subsequent infant morbidity, particularly if the mother is smoker.

Adult