Evaluation of bronchial asthma as risk factor for early childhood caries.

Asthma and dental caries are common chronic health conditions of childhood. The aim of this study was to determine if severity of bronchial asthma is a risk factor for early childhood caries. Asthmatic children aged 71 months or younger were examined for their plaque and caries status and were compared with controls matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status. The results showed that asthmatics as a group had a lower DMFT score than the control group. New asthma management and educational programs may be having a positive spillover effect to the dental arena.

Evaluation of bronchial asthma as risk factor for early childhood caries.

Asthma and dental caries are common chronic health conditions of childhood. The aim of this study was to determine if severity of bronchial asthma is a risk factor for early childhood caries. Asthmatic children aged 71 months or younger were examined for their plaque and caries status and were compared with controls matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status. The results showed that asthmatics as a group had a lower DMFT score than the control group. New asthma management and educational programs may be having a positive spillover effect to the dental arena.

Prenatal DDT exposure in relation to anthropometric and pubertal measures in adolescent males.

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a pesticide once used widely in agriculture and now limited to public health use, remains a controversial chemical because of a combination of benefits and risks. DDT or its breakdown products are ubiquitous in the environment and in humans. Compounds in the DDT family have endocrine actions and have been associated with reproductive toxicity. A previous study reported associations between prenatal exposure to p,p -DDE [1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene] and increased height and weight in adolescent boys. We examined a group with higher exposures to see whether similar associations would occur. Our study group was 304 males born in Philadelphia in the early 1960s who had participated in a previous study. Anthropometric and pubertal measures from one to six visits during their adolescent years were available, as were stored maternal serum samples from pregnancy. We measured p,p -DDE, p,p -DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane], and o,p -DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2-(o-chlorophenyl)-2-(p-chlorophenyl)-ethane] in the maternal serum. Outcomes examined in the boys were height, ratio of sitting height to height, body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness, ratio of subscapular to the sum of triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses, skeletal age, serum testosterone, and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. No associations between prenatal exposure to any of the DDT compounds and any outcome measure were seen.

Mandibular basal structure response to lip bumper treatment in the transverse dimension.

The effect of orthopedic or orthodontic treatment on the transverse dimension has been the subject of endless debate among orthodontists. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the response on the transverse dimension of the basal structure of the mandible and maxilla following two different modalities of treatment: group A--standard edgewise orthodontic treatment and group B--maxillary orthopedics with a bonded (tissue borne) rapid palatal expander (RPE) combined with a mandibular lip bumper. Each group had a matched paired untreated control according to age, sex, race, and treatment duration. For all subjects the width of the maxilla (Mx-Mx) and mandible (Ag-Ag) were measured on pre- and posttreatment posteroanterior cephalograms. The rate of width change in the maxilla and mandible was calculated (in mm/y). Results showed that group A had no treatment effect on the transverse dimension of the maxilla and mandible when compared with controls. However, group B had a significant increase in the transverse dimension of Mx-Mx (P < .001) and Ag-Ag (P < .001) when compared with controls. It was concluded that the RPE treatment increased the maxillary skeletal width, and the lip bumper increased the transverse dimension of the basal structure of the mandible.

Rapid weight gain during infancy and obesity in young adulthood in a cohort of African Americans.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is increasing in the United States. Evidence-based prevention is a public health priority and should target well-defined risk factors and critical periods. OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that rapid weight gain during early infancy is associated with obesity in African American young adults, a group at increased risk of obesity. DESIGN: A cohort of 300 African Americans born at full term was followed from birth to 20 y of age. A pattern of rapid weight gain was defined as an increase in weight-for-age > or = 1 SD between birth and 4 mo. RESULTS: About 29% of subjects had a pattern of rapid weight gain during infancy; 8% were obese [body mass index (in kg/m(2)) > or = 30] at age 20 y. One-third of the obesity at age 20 y could be attributed to rapid weight gain in the first 4 mo of life. After adjustment for confounding factors, subjects with rapid weight gain during early infancy were more likely to become obese at age 20 y (odds ratio = 5.22; 95% CI: 1.55, 17.6; P = 0.008). The results were confirmed by using a combination of body mass index and skinfold thickness (odds ratio = 6.72; 95% CI: 1.93, 23.4; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study provide evidence that a pattern of rapid weight gain during early infancy is associated with obesity not only in childhood but also in young adulthood. We propose that early infancy constitutes a critical period for the development of obesity. Mechanisms of action and prevention strategies require further investigation.

Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and life-course-persistent offending.

Evidence exists documenting the relationship between maternal cigarette smoking and offspring criminal behavior. Although efforts to understand this relationship in a theoretical framework have only recently emerged, attempts made have been grounded in Moffitt's developmental taxonomy of antisocial behavior. Specifically, maternal cigarette smoking is generally viewed as a potential disruption in the offspring's neuropsychological development, which is subsequently associated with life-course-persistent offending. Using a birth cohort of 987 African Americans, the authors extend previous research by empirically assessing, prospectively, the link between maternal cigarette smoking and life-course-persistent offending while using different operationalizations of Moffitt's offending categorization. The authors' findings offer some support for the relationship between maternal cigarette smoking and life-course-persistent offending, which is dependent on how this concept is operationalized.

Growth patterns of children with sickle cell disease

The growth status of 46 American Black children with sickle-cell anemia (SS) and 26 children with sickle-cell trait (AS) were compared with that of normal Black children from Philadelphia. As a group, the children with SS were shown to have lower heights, weights, sitting heights, biacromial breadths, bicondylar femur breadths, upper arm circumferences, and calf circumferences, but not triceps skinfold (girls only), than normal children of comparable chronological ages. They showed a considerable delay in skeletal maturation at all ages compared with normals. Log10 weight/height ratios indicated that the SS boys were thinner for their heights than the SS girls, as well as the AS boys or girls, and normal boys or girls. This was especially true at the taller heights. The SS girls were shown to be slightly thinner for their heights than normals at lower heights, but equal to normals at taller heights. Sickle-cell trait children showed delays in skeletal maturation when compared with normal children. Sickle-cell trait males additionally showed decreased biacromial breadth and females with sickle-cell trait showed dicreased values on all measures except sitting height and triceps skinfold thickness (AU)