BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), methylmercury (MeHg), and lead (Pb) are environmental contaminants known for their adverse effects on cognitive development. OBJECTIVES In this study we examined the effects of prenatal exposure to PCBs, MeHg, and Pb on cognitive development in a sample of Inuit infants from Arctic Québec. METHODS Mothers were recruited at local prenatal clinics....

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of domestic violence (DV) against pregnant women on their infant's development in China. DESIGN 247 mothers were interviewed using the Chinese version of the Abuse Assessment Screen, and all participants underwent postnatal assessment with the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EDPS). Plasma glutamate (Glu), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and cortisol leve...

Long-chain n-6 and n-3 PUFA (LC-PUFA), arachidonic acid (AA) (20:4n-6) and DHA (22:6n-3), are critical for optimal brain development. These fatty acids can be consumed directly from the diet, or synthesized endogenously from precursor PUFA by Δ-5 (encoded by FADS1) and Δ-6 desaturases (encoded by FADS2). The aim of this study was to determine the potential importance of maternal genetic variabi...

BACKGROUND Inconsistent results continue to be reported from studies linking low-level prenatal lead exposure and child development. Because of limited earlier epidemiological studies with birth cohort follow up design, it still remains inconclusive that either the associations of cord blood level of toxic, and essential elements, and postnatal raising environment on neurodevelopment of childre...

BACKGROUND Mercury is a neurotoxin, and limited prenatal exposure to it can affect long-term child neurodevelopment. However, results of epidemiologic studies of such exposure have been inconsistent. We examined the association of prenatal mercury exposure from maternal fish consumption with child neurodevelopment in northern Italy. METHODS A population-based cohort of 606 children and their ...

OBJECTIVE To compare and analyze the clinical characteristics of children with delayed language acquisition due to two different diagnoses, which were specific language impairment (SLI, a primarily delayed language development) and global developmental delay (GDD, a language delay related to cognitive impairment). METHODS Among 1,598 children who had visited the developmental delay clinic fro...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Bayley scales of infant development (BSID) is the most widely used measure to assess neurodevelopment of very preterm (gestational age ≤32 weeks) and very low birth weight (VLBW, ≤1500 g) infants in the first three years of life. This meta-analysis determines the predictive value of the mental developmental index (MDI) and the psychomotor developmental index (PDI)/motor ...

BACKGROUND Infants may be at neurodevelopmental risk from adverse events arising in the neonatal period. This study aimed to investigate the developmental outcomes and physical activity behaviours of term infants after neonatal major surgery, at age three years. METHODS This prospective study enrolled infants who underwent major surgery in their first 90 days, between August 2006 and December...

OBJECTIVE To explore the structure-function relation of the temporal lobe in newly diagnosed West syndrome of unknown cause (uWS). METHODS Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (three-dimensional [3D] structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]) was analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) in 22 patients and healthy age-matched controls. T...