Face preference at birth

Four experiments are reported that were aimed at elucidating some of the controversial issues concerning the preference for facelike patterns in newborns. The experiments were devised to contrast the original and the revised versions of the sensory hypothesis and the structural hypothesis as accounts of face preference in newborns. Experiments 1A and 1B supported the structural hypothesis by showing a visual preference for the stimulus for which components were located in the correct arrangement for a human face. Experiment 2 supported the sensory hypothesis by showing a visual preference for stimuli that were designed to have the optimal spatial frequency components for the newborn visual system. Experiment 3 showed that babies directed attention to a facelike pattern also when it was presented simultaneously with a nonfacelike stimulus with optimal spatial frequency for the newborn visual system.     

Prevalence of hepatitis E in a central Italian town at high endemicity for hepatitis C virus

In the spring of 1994, the occurrence of Hepatitis E virus antibodies was evaluated in 653 subjects representing all age-groups in the general population of a Central Italian town, where a high hepatitis C virus prevalence had been reported. The overall anti-HEV prevalence was 2.6% ranging from 1.4% in the 30-49 age-group to 5.7% (p < 0.01) in the 60-70 age-group; none of the subjects under 30 years of age were positive. Sociodemographic variables, such as family size and years of schooling were not associated with HEV exposure. Anti-HEV positivity was found in 1.8% (1/56) of the subjects who were positive for anti-HCV and in 2.7% (16/597) of those who were anti-HCV negative (O.R 1.5; C.I.: 95% = 0.2-11.7). Thus no association was found between HEV and HCV infections. These data suggest a past spread of HEV in this area and underline the occurrence of long-lasting antibodies in infected subjects.     

Catecholamine release in the newborn infant at birth

Catecholamines were determined by a fluorimetric technique in umbilical blood which was collected from newborn infants immediately after birth. The mean catecholamine concentration was 62.1 nmol/liter in the umbilical artery and 29.3 nmol/liter in the umbilical vein of newborn full term infants delivered uneventfully. This value is considerably higher than in resting adults. Similar levels of catecholamines were seen after elective cesarean sections, whereas considerably higher levels were found after breech deliveries. In the full term asphyxiated infants about a 4-fold increase of the catecholamine concentration was found in both the umbilical arterial and venous blood. The amine concentration level correlated inversely to the pH below 7.25 (10 log catecholamine concentration versus pH, r = -0.71). Preterm infants had, in general, lower amine levels than full term infants both after uneventful deliveries and after intrauterine asphyxia. The catecholamine levels were considerably increased in the newborn infants who showed some kind of abnormal fetal heart rate variation during the last hour before birth; in particular baseline changes were associated with high levels whereas only a moderate increase was seen after loss of beat-to-beat variation.     

Simplified assessment of asphyxia at birth

A choroid plexus papilloma of the lateral ventricle presenting in early infancy and producing symptoms purely by secretion of cerebrospinal fluid with formation of a large cyst is presented. Initial conservative management by cyst-peritoneal shunt was followed by late recurrence of symptoms due to reformation of the cyst when the shunt blocked. Excision of the tumour afforded definitive relief.     

High anti-IgE levels at birth are associated with a reduced allergy prevalence in infants at risk: a prospective study

Development of atopic disease was prospectively studied in 148 children from birth to the age of 18 months and related to serum levels of IgG anti-IgE antibody. Children with a dual heredity of allergy, but remaining healthy, had significantly higher IgG anti-IgE levels at birth than children with a similar predisposition to allergy, who became allergic. Children with increased allergy risk, defined by elevated IgE levels at birth (> = 0.53 kU/l) and with probable allergy symptoms had also significantly higher IgG anti-IgE levels at birth than children of the same risk group, developing definite allergy. Independent of allergy risk, there was a significantly lower prevalence of atopic disease in children with cord serum levels of IgG anti-IgE above 350 AU/l than in children with lower levels. Additionally, we showed that the allergy predictive capacity of IgE levels in cord serum was slightly improved in specificity, sensitivity and efficiency by including not only the family history of allergy, but also cord serum levels of IgG anti-IgE. Our results thus raise the possibility that high levels of IgG anti-IgE protect children of increased allergy risk from early development of atopic disease and reduce the severity of symptoms.     

The development of ketogenesis at birth in the rat

In the suckling newborn rat, blood ketone bodies begin to increase slowly 4h after birth and then rise sharply between 12 and 16h, whereas the major increase in plasma non-esterified fatty acids and liver carnitine occurs during the first 2h of life, parallel with the onset of suckling. In the starved newborn rat, which shows no increase in liver carnitine unless it is fed with a carnitine solution, the developmental pattern of the ketogenic capacity (tested by feeding a triacylglycerol emulsion, which increases plasma non-esterified fatty acids by 3-fold) is the same as in the suckling animal. This suggests that the increases in plasma non-esterified fatty acids and liver carnitine seen 2h after birth in the suckling animal are not the predominant factors inducing the switch-on of ketogenesis. Injection of butyrate to starved newborn pups resulted in a pattern of blood ketone bodies which was similar to that found after administration of triacylglycerols, but, at all time points studied, the hyperketonaemia was more pronounced with butyrate. It is suggested that, even if the entry of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria is a rate-limiting step, it is not the only factor controlling ketogenesis after birth in the rat. As in the adult rat, there is a reciprocal correlation between the liver glycogen content and the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood.     

Is maternal malnutrition associated with a low sex ratio at birth?

The low male/female ratio at birth in African populations has been attributed to a variety of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. A low sex ratio at birth has been associated with maternal malnutrition in mammals, but this issue has not been studied in humans. In this study we analyzed the relation between maternal nutritional status and sex ratio at birth in 3282 children born to 684 women from a rural African society. Short maternal stature and obesity were independently related to a low sex ratio at birth. These results are consistent with animal experiments that indicate an adverse effect of maternal malnutrition on male fetuses. The results warrant further research in this area.     

Community outbreak of psittacosis in a rural Australian town

BACKGROUND: Health authorities in Victoria, Australia were notified of three men from a rural town with atypical pneumonia, admitted to hospital over 8 days. Initial serological testing suggested Chlamydia psittaci as the cause. We did a case-control study to find risk factors for psittacosis. METHODS: We searched for cases of pneumonia or severe flu-like illness through family physicians and the regional hospital. We selected three controls per case from the region's electoral roll. We collected blood for serological tests and administered questionnaires to all cases and controls. FINDINGS: We found 16 cases of psittacosis and one died. Most cases were clustered within a small geographical area, with a median age of 58 years (range 23-76), 15 (94%) of whom were male. Keeping, handling, or feeding domestic or wild birds was not associated with illness. Cases spent a median of 17.5 h per week in their garden, compared with a median of 5.2 h for controls (p=0.04) and were more likely to have mowed lawns during the 3 weeks before onset of illness than controls (odds ratio 4.81 [95% CI 1.08-33.37]). INTERPRETATION: We showed that psittacosis outbreaks are not limited to direct contact with birds and pose new challenges for disease control. Modifications may be needed to work outdoors to decrease the risk of psittacosis.     

Age of mother at last birth in two historical populations

This study uses sets of historical family reconstitutions from all of Quebec and from four villages of the Haut-Jura, France--first marriages of 2226 and 994 women, respectively--to investigate the physiological and social factors affecting age of mother at last birth before and during fertility transition. Age remained high throughout the period covered in Quebec, under 'natural' conditions, but showed a steady decline in the French material which extends to late 19th century generations practising family limitation. Age at marriage had no influence in Quebec; in France, however, women with the most surviving children at age 35 continued childbearing the latest. There was no link between biological ability to achieve a live birth, or in health status or aging rhythm, and age at last birth. Behaviour of mothers and daughters showed no relation. The variability in age at last birth thus appears to be random under natural conditions; with the onset of controls, social differences seem to influence not only the end of childbearing, but all aspects of behaviour governing final family size and child survival.     

Variation in growth form and precocity at birth in eutherian mammals

Using the flexible Chapman-Richards model for describing the growth curves from birth to adulthood of 69 species of eutherian mammals, we demonstrate that growth form differs among eutherian mammals. Thereby the commonly used Gompertz model can no longer be considered as the general model for describing mammalian growth. Precocial mammals have their peak growth rate earlier in the growth process than altricial mammals. However, the position on the altricial-precocial continuum accounts for most growth-form differences only between mammalian lineages. Within mammalian genera differences in growth form are not related to precocity at birth. This indicates that growth form may have been associated with precocity at birth early in mammalian evolution, when broad patterns of body development radiated. We discuss four non-exclusive interpretations to account for the role of precocity at birth on the observed variation in growth form among mammals. Precocial and altricial mammals could differ according to (i) the distribution of energy output by the mother, (ii) the ability of the young to assimilate the milk yield, (iii) the allocation of energy by the young between competing functions and (iv) the position of birth between conception and attainment of physical maturity.     

Geographic isolation in the geriatric population of a rural town

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of geographic isolation in the elder people from Alora (Málaga). DESIGN: A transversal observational study. SETTING: Town of Alora. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Elder people of both sexes, who lives habitually in Alora and born in 1927 or before. Home interview in a 153 individuals random sample proceeding from actual census during june to september 1992. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We found 25 individuals with the isolation conditions being the 16.34% (IC 95%: 10.48-22.20). In the 24% of them (IC 95%: 11.5-43.4) we found dependence of other person for two and more basic functions in the current life. Half of them this deficits are cover by the couple, the rest depends on their sons. We didn't found significative differences in none variables with the urban group. CONCLUSIONS: The geographic isolation affect to an important proportion of elder people in rural areas and must be used in the designs of care elderly programs.     

Attachment patterns of infants separated at birth.

The effect of minimal maternal–infant contact and prolonged separation following birth was examined in 29 premature and seriously ill full-term neonates to assess their attachment relationships to their caregivers at approximately 12 mo postgestational age. Ss were classified into the M. D. Ainsworth et al (1978) categories of secure, anxious avoidant, and anxious resistant. Secure vs insecure Ss could not be differentiated on Bayley developmental scores, birth weight, gestational age, days of neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization, or parental visiting patterns. Data suggest that attachment patterns are influenced by maternal–Ss interaction over time and provide evidence for the resiliency of Ss in their formation of attachment patterns. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dominance of global visual properties at birth.

Six experiments are reported that were aimed at demonstrating the presence in newborns of a perceptual dominance of global over local visual information in hierarchical patterns, similar to that observed in adults (D. Navon, 1977, 1981). The first four experiments showed that, even though both levels of visual information were detectable by the newborn (Experiments 1A and 1B), global cues enjoyed some advantage over local cues (Experiments 2 and 3). Experiments 4A and 4B demonstrated that the global bias was strictly dependent on the low spatial frequency content of the stimuli and vanished after selective removal of low spatial frequencies. The results are interpreted as suggesting parallels between newborns' visual processing and processing later in development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Endogenous digoxin-like immunoreactivity during pregnancy and at birth

A typhoid fever outbreak affecting 54 school students occurred in a Public School of Móstoles, Madrid. The date of onset was 11 June 1991 and the last detected case was 8 July 1991. Salmonella typhi was cultured from blood and/or stool samples corresponding to 54 patients and one food-handler. There were no secondary cases detected. Epidemiological investigation suggested a salad or a custard as the common source. Patients and the food-handler were treated with ampicillin/amoxicillin for up to three weeks. There were seven relapses that were also treated with the same antibiotics with success. None were found to be excreting the organisms when tested after four months. All the Salmonella typhi isolated strains were phagetype 34, biotype Xylose +, Tetrationate Reductase + and harboured a similar 22 Mdal plasmid, they were also susceptible to the antibiotics tested.