Behavior of 3-year old children in a prospective randomized trial of reduced saturated fat and cholesterol diet since infancy: the STRIP baby project.

Interventions aimed at decreased exposure of children to known atherosclerosis risk factors may have untoward behavioral side effects. We examined how children's behavior or parent's perception of the behavior of the children at 3 years of age was influenced by the intervention in a prospective randomized trial that began in infancy and effectively decreased serum cholesterol concentration. This Special Turku coronary Risk factor Intervention Project for babies (STRIP) began when the infant was 7 months old. Half of 1,062 children received individualized dietary counseling at 1 to 3-month intervals during the first 2 years of age and then half-yearly; the other half had an unrestricted diet. At 3 years of age a standardized questionnaire of the child's behavior was sent to 791 families (76% returned the questionnaire). At the onset of the trial the sociodemographic data of the families and serum lipid values of the intervention and control children were similar. Later, mean serum cholesterol values of the intervention children remained constantly at a level 6% to 10% below the values of the control children. At 3 years of age the parental perceptions of the child's behavior suggested minimal differences between the intervention and control children. The intervention children were slightly less jealous and more active and creative but showed slightly more negative signs of behavior (bed-wetting, problems in falling asleep, fears) than the controls. We conclude that long-term, individualized dietary and lifestyle intervention that begins in infancy slightly influences children's behavior or parent's recognition of the behavior of the children at the age of 3 years.

The persistence of rapid naming problems in children with reading disabilities: a nine-year follow-up.

In this study 9 children (6 boys, 3 girls) with reading disabilities and specific difficulties in rapid serial naming were followed from age 9 years to age 18 years. This group was taken from an earlier study sample of 82 third-grade children with learning disabilities. Tests of rapid serial naming, reading and spelling, general intelligence, articulation speed, and word fluency were administered to the subjects and to a matched control group (n = 10) in the initial study (at age 9) and in the present follow-up study (at age 18). The results showed that difficulties in both rapid naming and reading and spelling persisted into early adulthood in this subgroup. The development of naming speed is discussed in terms of a deficit model versus a developmental lag model of learning disability.

Ophthalmic findings in dyslexic schoolchildren.

The ophthalmic findings of 55 dyslexic 12 to 13-year-old Finnish schoolchildren and 50 age, sex, and social class-matched control children were evaluated. On a neuropsychological basis the children could be divided into six subgroups: general deficiency, general language, visuomotor, naming, mixed, and normal. The two groups did not differ significantly from each other in visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, the amount of phorias and tropias, stereo acuity, fusion, or accommodation. Convergence near point > or = 8 cm was, however, statistically more frequent in the dyslexic group. This finding was also significant in the general deficiency subgroup compared with the other subgroups. The most conspicuous common denominator in those with dyslexia was revealed to be the convergence insufficiency type of exodeviation, occurring in 38% of the general deficiency dyslexic subgroup and in 36% of the visuomotor dyslexic subgroup. This finding suggests a low accommodative convergence/accommodation ratio in these children.

An empirical subgrouping of Finnish learning-disabled children.

The internal and external validity of a subgrouping of 82 Finnish children with relatively mild learning disabilities and 84 Controls was explored. The sample was selected from a total population of 1607 second grade pupils. Eight neuropsychological measures from four function areas were selected as classification criteria in cluster analysis. Six consistent and clinically meaningful subgroups were derived. These subgroups were designated as follows: (1) Normal, (2) General Language, (3) Visuo-Motor, (4) General Deficiency, (5) Naming, and (6) Mixed. Most of the LDs were clustered in subgroups (2) through (6); and most of the Controls, in subgroup (1). Several internal and external validation procedures indicated at least moderate validity in the subgroups, with the exception of the Mixed subgroup. The five valid subgroups encompassed 82% of the LDs and 90% of the Controls, and moreover, resembled subgroups which previously have been found among English-speaking children. This suggests that language differences exert no significant effect on the types of the emerging subgroups.

Neuropsychological stability and prognosis of subgroups of children with learning disabilities.

A sample of 74 Finnish children with mild learning disabilities (LD) and 57 controls was followed from the third grade (Study 1) to the sixth grade (Study 2). In the initial study, the sample had been grouped into five valid subgroups (Normal, General Language, Visuo-Motor, General Deficiency, Naming) utilizing a cluster analysis. In both studies a battery of 12 neuropsychological, reading, and writing tests was administered, and teacher ratings were obtained. The results indicated that the general neuropsychological profiles of the subgroups were maintained, but some changes, consistent with the progress in reading, were noted. The developmental rate of some neuropsychological functions from Study 1 to Study 2 in the subgroups of children with learning disabilities more closely approached that of the Normal subgroup. At follow-up, 64% of the original LD sample continued to have marked reading and/or writing problems. The Naming subgroup had a more unfavorable prognosis than the other subgroups, especially in reading, and the General Deficiency subgroup in writing (spelling), respectively. Some possibilities for using the results to improve remedial teaching are discussed.