Changes of bone density in pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia major after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Thalassemia major and its treatment by stem cell transplantation can have deleterious effects on bone integrity. This study assesses the adverse effects of transplantation on growing bones of pediatric thalassemic patients. Bone mineral density [BMD] of 20 patients from three thalassemia classes whose mean [SD] age was 7.4 [3.8] years were tested with a Norland XR-46 device at baseline [before transplantation], 6 and 12 months after transplantation. At 6 and 12 months after transplantation we observed no significant changes in mean BMD. There were no Z-scores less than -2 among patients. Class 3 thalassemia did not negatively impact BMD. Calcium [Ca], phosphorous [P] and ferritin levels were not significantly related to patients' BMD scores. Transfusion duration and chelation therapy showed positive significant relationships to BMD [g/ cm2], but no significant relation with the BMD Z-score. The deleterious relation between corticosteroid use and changes in BMD was not significant. In contrast, patients who developed acute graft versus host disease [aGVHD] after transplantation showed significant adverse effects on BMD of their femur [P = 0.020] and spine [P = 0.027]. Stem cell transplantation in pediatric thalassemic patients who do not develop aGVHD does not appear to have any significant positive or negative effects on BMD

Pattern of breastfeeding in infants conceived by assisted reproductive techniques at Royan institute from birth to 6 months in Tehran - Iran

To determine the pattern of breastfeeding in infants who conceived by assisted reproductive techniques [ART]. In a cross-sectional study, 312 infants were selected by the non-random consecutive method from ART infants who referred by Royan institute to Child Health Research Department. Infants were born between Septembers 2007and September 2009 in Tehran. Infant nutrition, mother age, ART techniques, birth growth indexes, beginning time and the kind of nutrition and growth pattern until 6 months were considered. Breastfed infants were 110[35.2%], 46[14.7%] ones were formula fed and 156[50%] were both. The rate of breastfeeding on the first day after birth in neonates with the low birth weight were less than normal birth weight ones .Approximately 36.8% of infants who had normal increase of weight and height till 6 months, began feeding on the first day of life. Mothers' age and ART technique did not affect the beginning time and kind of infants feeding. The most important factor which affects ART infants' nutrition pattern is their birth weight. The beginning time of feeding affects their weight and length increase till 6 months. Based on reproductive techniques, breastfeeding was similar in different methods of ART

Congenital anomalies in infants conceived by assisted reproductive techniques

Many studies show that congenital defects in infants conceived by assisted reproductive techniques [ART] are more than infants of normal conception [NC]. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of congenital anomalies in ART infants from Royan Institute and to compare congenital anomalies between two ART techniques. In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 400 ART infants from Royan Institute who resided in Tehran were selected by non-random, consecutive sampling. Infants were examined twice [until 9 months of age] by a pediatrician. Infants' congenital anomalies were described by each body system or organ and type of ART. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 and Fisher's exact test. The frequency of different organ involvement in the two examinations were: 40 [10%] skin, 25 [6.2%] urogenital system, 21 [5.2%] gastrointestinal tract, 13 [3.2%] visual, and 8 [2%] cardiovascular system. Major congenital defects in infants conceived by in vitro fertilization [IVF] and intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI] were hypospadiasis, inguinal hernia, patent ductus arteriosus plus ventricular septal defect [PDA + VSD], developmental dysplasia of the hip, lacrimal duct stenosis during the first year of life, hydronephrosis and urinary reflux over grade III, undescending testis, ureteropelvic junction stenosis, and torticoli. Two-thirds of ART infants had no defects. A total of 7% of IVF and ICSI infants had one of the major abovementioned congenital anomalies. This rate was higher than NC infants [2%-3%]. There was no difference between the ICSI and IVF group

Prelinguistic behavior of infants of assisted reproductive techniques

The aim of this study is assessment of effects of different assisted reproductive techniques [ART] like in vitro fertilization [IVF] and intra cytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI] on prelinguistic behavior of infants conceived by these techniques. In this descriptive, cross sectional study, prelinguistic behavior of 151 full term ART infants of Royan Institute have been assessed in Children's Health and Development Research Center of Tehran from August 2007 until August 2009. Questionnaires were completed by parents at 9 months old. The questionnaire was standard according to Early Language Milestone Scale-2 [ELM-2]. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16 and using chi-square test. Twenty-two [14.5%] of infants were conceived by IVF and 129 [85.4%] by ICSI. Number of infants with delay in reduplicated babbling in ICSI method was more than in IVF. There was only a significant difference in echolalia delay in the two sexes. Echolalia was delayed more in boys. Delay of reduplicated babbling was more in infants of younger mothers. There was no relation between speech and language defect of parents and infants. This study showed that prelingustic behavior of ART infants are affected by kind of ART method, infant sex, and mother's age at the time of pregnancy

Neurodevelopmental status of infants conceived assisted reproductive techniques in Royan institute

There is a large amount of information published about ART infants worldwide but apparently the similar data did not published by Iranian ART centers till now. This study is a comparative study for developmental assessment of these infants. In one case- control study 400 ART ' infants have been compared with 420 NC ' infants. Their developments have been assessed two times with test of Denver II until 9 months old. All of them were citizen of Tehran and assessed in one center. They have been adjusted for duration of pregnancy and delivery result. Chi- Square test and Wilcoxon Singned Ranks test were used for analysis of data. From 400 infants of ART, 31/3% was preterm and 42/8% were multi fetal pregnancy, which were higher than NC. There was not significant difference in development of infants of ART and NC in different methods of ART in two times assessment [without concerning premature and multi fetal pregnancy] [P>0/05]. There was not significant difference between development of term and single fetal pregnancy of ART and NC in first and second time of assessment of development [p values were 0/7 and 0/4 respectively]. We concluded that there is not any difference in development of term and single fetal pregnancy in infants of ART and NC until 9 months old