Dermatoglyphic Analysis of Children with Learning Problems

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AND EPIDEMIOLOGY ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK FACTORS: CAN AMERICAN FAMILIES CHANGE THEIR DIETARY HABITS AND LIFE STYLE? Univ. of Ariz.,Col of Med., Univ. Hosp., Dept. of Peds.,Tucson Atherosclerosis r i s k f a c t o r s include hypercholesterolemia, o b e s i t y , hypertension, l i m i t e d e x e r c i s e and smoking. To inv e s t i g a t e t h e t i t l e question, we studied 199 middle c l a s s metropolitan f a m i l i e s (715 people of whom 48% were c h i l d r e n ) . Data were gathered concerning e a t i n g p a t t e r n s , e x e r c i s e , smoki n g , and family h i s t o r y . Seven hours of r i s k f a c t o r education were o f f e r e d t o p a r t i c i p a n t s . S i x months l a t e r i n 99 f a m i l i e s (403 people) we obtained complete followup d a t a concerning whether a t r i s k s u b j e c t s a v a i l e d themselves of medical s e r v i c e s . Our r e s u l t s ( s i g n i f i c a n t a t p<.05) include d e c r e a s e s i n meat (pork, b e e f , and lamb), eggs, b u t t e r , i c e cream and s a l t i n t a k e . Poultry and f i s h i n t a k e increased. Changes include cooking f a t switched from animal t o vegetable source, milk switched from whole t o skim, and cheese from yellow t o white v a r i e t i e s . There was no s i g n i f i c a n t change i n smokers but numbers of c i g a r e t t e s decreased. Fathers became involved i n r e g u l a r e x e r c i s e programs, but mothers d i d not. The only change i n family h i s t o r y was t h a t f a t h e r s found hypercholesterolemic r e l a t i v e s . P a t i e n t s a t r i s k did not a v a i l themselves t o medical s e r v i c e s . Objective d a t a such a s serum c h o l e s t e r o l , blood p r e s s u r e s , s k i n f o l d thickness and weight a l l decreased significantly. We conclude t h a t minor education endeavors can r e s u l t i n s i g n i f i c a n t changes i n l i v i n g and d i e t a r y p a t t e r n s i n f a m i l i e s . DERMATOGLYPHIC ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN WITH LEARNING PROBLEMS. Donald C. Burns and I r a S. Salafsky ( I n t r . by Henry L. Nadler) Northwestern Univ. ?.led. Sch., Evanston Hospital, Dept. of P e d i a t r i c s , Evanston, I l l . Dermatoglyphic p a t t e r n s can only be a l t e r e d by environmental f a c t o r s during the 1% and e a r l y 2nd t r i m e s t e r s . Since learning d i s a b i l i t i e s (L.D.) can have a p r e n a t a l e t i o l o g y , i t i s l i k e l y t h a t c h i l d r e n with L.D. would have a g r e a t e r f r e quency of abnormal dermatoglyphic p a t t e r n s . I n c o n t r a s t t o the c h i l d r e n with p r e n a t a l f a c t o r s , those with emotional o r s i t u a t i o n a l problems could be expected t o have normal dermatoglyphics. Dermatoglyphic analyses were performed on 49 males and 27 females r e f e r r e d t o our Evaluation Center f o r Learning Problems. Numerous dermatoglyphic parameters were s t u d i e d , and, including the following, t h e frequency of s p e c i f i c patt e r n s i n children with learning problems was s i g n i f i c a n t l y g r e a t e r than the frequency of these p a t t e r n s i n c o n t r o l s . Palmar a x i a l t r i Bilateral D-line e x i t r a d i u s i n t" p o s i t i o n Controls Left 1.9% Males 5.2% Right 2.3% Females 8.4% Scudy group L e f t 7.9% (< .001) Males 26.5% ( < .001) Females 40.7% ( < .001) Risht 17.1% (< .001) .--(number i n parentheses = p value determined by xL method) Children with emotional o r s i t u a t i o n a l problems had normal - --dermatoglyphics. Dermatoglyphics may be u s e f u l i n recognizing c h i l d r e n whose L.D. has a p r e n a t a l e t i o l o g y . . MOTHER TRAINING AS A E A N S OF ACCELERATING CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN A HIGH RISK POPULATION: Earlainti.. d e e n Bad er J a m e s S u t h e r l a n d , U n i v . o f o f Ped., C i n c i n n a t i , Ohio. Most p r e s c h o o l p r o g r a m s f o r d i s a d v a n t a g e d h a v e produced t r a n s i t o r y I Q gains. However, m o t h e r t r a i n i n g programs i n I l l i n o i s have demonstrated t h a t h i g h r i s k f a m i l i e s c a n i n t e r v e n e i n t h e i r own b e h a l f t o p r o d u c e m o r e s t a b l e d e v e l o p m e n t a l q a i n s . To confirm t h e s e f i n d i n g s and probe advantages o f even e a r l i e r t r a i n i n g , a p r o g r a m was begun i n J a n . 1973. Groups o f 1 2 mother/infant dyads were r e c r u i t e d on t h e p o s t p a r t u m u n i t a t t h e C i n c i n n a t i G e n e r a l Hospit a l ; i n f a n t s were f i r s t - b o r n , mature, and had h i q h A p g a r scores. Groups were matched f o r r a c e and s e x . A g r o u p o f m o t h e r s less t h a n 1 6 a n d a n o t h e r m o r e than.18 a t t e n d e d weekly c l a s s e s i n t h e p e d i a t r i c c l i n i c f r o m o n e month f o l l o w i n q b i r t h . Two s i m i l a r g r o u p s w e r e v i s i t e d a t home b y a n i n t e r e s t e d v i s i t o r who d i d n o t i n s t r u c t . At 6 months o f age e a r l y p r o g r e s s was a s s e s s e d b y Uzgiris-Hunt O r d i n a l Scales. Analysis o f variance o f weighted scores ind i c a t e d t h a t i n f a n t s o f mothers a t t e n d i n g c l a s s e s performed s i g n i f i c a n t l y b e t t e r t h a n i n f a n t s i n t h e o t h e r g r o u p s (pC.01). T h i s d i f f e r e n c e was g r e a t e r among c h i l d r e n o f y o u n q m o t h e r s ( p C . 0 0 5 ) . This is t h e f i r s t demonstration o f a c t i v e a c c e l e r a t i o n of development d u r i n q t h e f i r s t y e a r o f l i f e . THE LONG TERM NEUROLOGICAL SEQUELAE OF ANEMIA I N INFANCY. Ronald J. Cantwell ( I n t r . by William W. levela and) Univ. of Miami Sch. of Med. Dept. of Ped. Miami, F l o r i d a . To determine i f hypoxemia from anemia i n infancy causes b r a i n damage, 61 f u l l term i n f a n t s from comparable socioeconomic groups were studied developmentally from b i r t h t o 7 y e a r s Thirty-two of t h e i n f a n t s developed i r o n d e f i c i e n c y anemia between 6-18 months of age (Hgb range 6.1-9.5 G%) i n t h e absence of p r o t e i n c a l o r i e m a l n u t r i t i o n . Twenty-nine i n f a n t s received neonatal i r o n dextran i n j e c t i o n s and were not anemic (Hgb range 11.5-12.962). Neurological evaluation was done a t 6-7 years of age without knowledge of t h e presence o r absence of p r i o r anemia. Each t e s t was r a t e d on a 0-3 s c a l e o r by s t a n i n e s . The group formerly anemic had a higher incidence of " s o f t signs" e.g. clumsiness with balancing on one f o o t , i n tandem walking, and r e p e t i t i v e hand o r f o o t movements, e t c . and were more ina t t e n t i v e and hyperactive than t h e non anemic group. Binet I Q scores averaged 98 i n t h e non anemic and 92 i n t h e anemic group. Anemia i n infancy appears t o be one cause of minimal b r a i n dysfunction which may be permanent. A COMPARISON Or THE WIATRIC EI.'l%CTIVENESS OF THE BRAZELTON NEDNATAL ASSESSMENT TO A STNARD NEUROLUGICAL EXAMINATION CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA AND MATERNAL INFECTIONS DURING PREGNANCY Mary G. McCrea Curnen, Andre Varma, Barbara Christine. * and Livia Turgeon. (Intr. by Edward C. Curnen. Jr. ) Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons School of Public Health. New York d b t . T. Berry Brazelton, Eduard C. Tronick ( I n t r . by Charles A. Janeway), Harvard University Medical School, The Children's H o s p i t a l Medical Center, Dept. of Ped., Boston, Mass. To t e s t t h e c l i n i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e of t h e Brazelton Neonatal Examination, we compared i t s p r e d i c t i v e value t o t h a t of a standard n e u r o l o g i c a l examination. The Brazelton Assessment t e s t s and documents t h e i n f a n t ' s organized responses t o environmental events ( s o c i a l and non-social) and his use of " s t a t e " behavior a s an organizing process i n t h e n e o n a t a l period. The Assessment t e s t s f o r n e u r o l o g i c a l i n t e g r i t y a s w e l l as f o r i n d i v i d u a l d i f f e r e n c e s i n behaviors which may r e f l e c t f u t u r e c o g n i t i v e and a f f e c t i v e competence. The s u b j e c t s were a group of 53 i n f a n t s judged t o be s u s w c t by p e d i a t r i c examination. A l l t h e i n f a n t s were given t u b n e u r o l o g i c a l and two Brazelton examinations during t h e neon a t a l period and t h e n followed f o r seven years. Ilowever, t h e n e u r o l o g i c a l misdiagnosed t h r e e times a s many normal i n f a n t s a s compared t o t h e Brazelton. This g r e a t e r discriminating c a p a c i t y of t h e Brazelton examination avoids t h e problems e n t a i l e d in misdiagnoses f o r parents and c h i l d , and allows f o r a more e f f e c t i v e focusing of our c l i n i c a l skills. The Connecticut Tumor Registry has records of 431 children who developed leukemia during their f i r s t ten y e a r s of life and who were born i n Connecticut. These children were grouped into 27 annual birth cohorts f o r the y e a r s 1935 through 1961. Time/space clustering was studied by various statistical methods using the date and place of residence a t birth. The hypothesis that children born of women pregnant during e ~ i d e m i c sof infectious diseases a r e a t a hieher r i s k of d e v e l o ~ i" ne leukemia was tested extensively. Evidence was sought for a relation between the occurrence of influenza, chickenpox, measles, German measles, mumps, poliomyelitis and whooping cou& during pregnancy and leukemia in the offspring. No significant positive correlations were found. - *State of Connecticut Department of Health. Chronic Disease Control Section, Connecticut Tumor Registry, Hartford A