ABSTRACT
Objective: Causes and risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders originate in the prenatal and perinatal periods. Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between prenatal and perinatal medical records, including maternal and paternal age at pregnancy, and the neurodevelopmental disorders, especially attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. However, previous studies showed an association between specific learning disorders and environmental toxins such as lead and tobacco smoke, but not parental age.Patients and Methods: This study included 993 university freshmen, and their prenatal and perinatal medical data was collected from maternal and child handbooks. A mental health assessment questionnaire consisting of 24 items covering symptoms associated with neurodevelopmental disorders was administered, corresponding to aspects of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and learning disorders. The relationship between prenatal and perinatal medical data and questionnaire results was statistically analyzed.Results: The number of available records was 881 (88.7%). Using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis and trend analysis, a weak but statistically significant relationship was confirmed between paternal age at pregnancy and the score for learning disorder difficulties.Conclusion: Error accumulation in meiosis during spermatogenesis may be one of the risk factors of learning disorders.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>Objective:</b> Several studies have demonstrated the relationship betweentemporomandibular disorder (TMD) and emotional stress. Nonetheless, few surveys haveexamined the relationship between type A behavior patterns and TMD. The aim of this studywas to clarify the relationships among TMD, type A behavior patterns, bruxism, andemotional stress in Japanese undergraduate students.</p><p><b>Methods:</b> This study was undertaken in Nayoro City, Japan, in 2015, amongstudents of Nayoro City University. The survey was conducted through an anonymous,self-administered, multiple-choice questionnaire. Information was gathered on itemsevaluating the extent of TMD symptoms, bruxism, type A behavior patterns, and pronenessand sensitivity to emotional stress.</p><p><b>Results:</b> The questionnaire recovery rate was 31.8% (175/551). There was ahigh likelihood of TMD in 16.1% of respondents, which is comparable to the findings ofprevious surveys on Japanese high school students. In keeping with previous studies, weconfirmed significant relationships between TMD and both emotional stress and bruxism. Aweak but statistically significant association was found between TMD and type A behaviorpatterns.</p><p><b>Conclusion:</b> We propose that TMD may be one of the diseases related to thetype A behavior pattern.</p>
ABSTRACT
<b>Objective:</b> Early life events connected with the risk of later disease can occur not only <i>in utero</i>, but also in infancy. In study of the developmental origins of health and disease, the relationship between infantile growth patterns and adolescent body mass index and blood pressure is one of the most important issues to verify.<br><b>Materials and Methods:</b> We analyzed the correlation of current body mass index and systolic blood pressure of 168 female college students with their growth patterns <i>in utero</i> and in infancy.<br><b>Results:</b> Body mass index and systolic blood pressure in adolescence showed positive correlations with changes in weight-for-age z scores between 1 and 18 months but not with those between 18 and 36 months. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that both change in weight-for-age z scores from 1 to 18 months and body mass index at 1 month were significantly and independently associated with systolic blood pressure in adolescence. Body mass index at 36 months was positively correlated with body mass index in adolescence, while body mass index at birth was negatively correlated with body mass index in adolescence.<br><b>Conclusion:</b> Our findings shows that restricted growth <i>in utero</i> and accelerated weight gain in early infancy are associated with the cardiovascular risk factors of high systolic blood pressure and high body mass index in adolescence. In Japan, an increasing proportion of low birth weight infants and accelerated catch-up growth after birth have been observed in recent decades. This might be an alarming harbinger of an increase in diseases related to the developmental origins of health and disease in Japan.