Second borns' discrimination of sibling role concepts.

Investigated discrimination of sibling age roles and sex roles by social action dimensions (power and function) in a cross-sectional study of 578 second-born children, aged 5-13 yrs. Changes in discrimination of sibling role concepts as a function of age of child, sex of child, sibling status of child, sex of sibling, and age spacing between siblings were assessed. Results indicate that second-born children significantly used these dimensions to discriminate sibling age roles and sex roles and that the presence of an older sibling facilitated the learning of power and function in social interaction. Sex of the sibling produced markedly different perceptions and discriminations of intersibship interaction. Age changes were prevalent in the use of these dimensions to discriminate sibling age roles and sex roles. Results are discussed in relation to previous investigations concerned with Parsonian theory of the family as a social system. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex-related influences on pain: A review of mechanisms and clinical implications.

Objective: To review the literature regarding gender-related influences on the experience of pain. Methods: Medline searches and reference lists were used to locate published articles regarding gender differences in pain. Results: Women are at increased risk for many clinical pain conditions and for increased severity of clinical pain relative to men. Women typically report lower pain threshold and tolerance and higher pain ratings than men in laboratory research. Contributing factors include sex hormones, pain modulatory systems, family history, stereotypic sex roles, and affective/cognitive factors. Conclusions: The clinical implications of gender differences in pain responses are discussed, including gender differences in pain treatment outcomes. Gender-related factors affect pain considerably and merit additional attention in pain research and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender labeling, gender stereotyping, and parenting behaviors.

Are gender labeling and gender stereotyping in 24-, 30-, and 36-mo-old children related to each other and to mothers' sex-role attitudes and responses to sex-typed behavior in a free-play situation with their children? The gender stereotyping measure indicated that gender schemata include information that is metaphorically rather than literally associated with each sex. Children who understood labels for boys and girls displayed more knowledge of gender stereotypes than children who did not. Mothers whose children had mastered labels for boys and girls endorsed more traditional attitudes toward women and toward sex roles within the family. The same mothers also initiated and reinforced more sex-typed toy play with their children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender and adult roles: Role commitment of women and men in a job-family trade-off context.

The dimensionality that underlies the preferences of female (n?=?87) and male (n?=?31) college students for combining work and parent roles was investigated using conjoint measurement techniques. Both groups construed the role trade-offs and intensity of involvement with these roles differently as they applied to women and men. Results for female roles confirm and extend L. C. Coombs's (1979) findings—both women and men perceived a job–child trade-off dimension and a total involvement (percentage of time devoted to job and number of children desired) dimension for women. Results differed for male roles. Students perceived these life roles to be independent, rather than contingent, choices for men. The trade-off context is important for assessment and counseling. The perceived independence of these roles for men poses a dilemma regarding counseling practice for both sexes: whether to confirm sex role perceptions or explore discrepancies in expectations and equity implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quality of life issues: parenteral nutrition to small bowel transplantation--a review

Parenteral nutrition (PN) has given life to patients with chronic intestinal failure who would otherwise have died. Home parenteral nutrition has improved the quality of life for many children. However, morbidity from this therapy remains significant with complications of line sepsis, lack of venous access, hepatic dysfunction, and pulmonary embolism. These complications are common in younger children. Detailed discussion must take place with the family regarding risks and benefits of PN. In those children developing complications of PN, intestinal transplantation is a logical extension of treatment. Early referral of patients for assessment is vital because significant mortality occurs when liver disease is established. Time is needed to counsel families on the potential benefits and risks of this treatment, including the physical and emotional demands made on the child and family. Overall worldwide survival for isolated small bowel transplantation is currently 50% and for combined small bowel and liver transplantation 40%. Significant complications are rejection, sepsis, and lymphoproliferative disease. Postoperative management can be complex and prolonged; child and parents require a great deal of physical and emotional support. The burden of care for parents decreases significantly after the first year. Small bowel transplantation offers a realistic alternative to PN. The choice of treatments is influenced by expected quality of life, which is just beginning to be evaluated.     

A conceptual pathways model to promote positive youth development in children raised by their grandparents.

The numbers of children raised by their grandparents are increasing. These alternate families often emerge following negative life events that result in high risk for adverse child outcomes. Modifications in the traditional roles and relationships of grandparent and child may exacerbate stressors experienced by both parties. The phenomenon has implications for professionals working with these children because these families are increasing in prevalence and research suggests students’ success in school depends on both the home and school environments. Preventing problem behaviors associated with these families and promoting the children’s positive developmental trajectories entail understanding the family members’ unique needs and risks and identifying and accentuating their strengths, supports, and resources. In this paper, (a) the phenomenon of children raised by grandparents is reviewed, (b) positive youth development is advanced as a viable theoretical and applied developmental science framework to understand the children, and (c) a conceptual pathways model is described that can be used to promote their favorable school and life outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of amphetamine and phenylethylamine on catecholamine release in the glomerular layer of the rat olfactory bulb

The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of outcome in very low birth weight (< 1500 g) children. The very low birth weight sample consisted of 68 children weighing less than 750 g at birth and 65 children weighing 750 to 1499 g at birth who had been matched to the less than 750 g birth weight children in terms of hospital of birth, age, sex, and race. Mean ages for these two groups were 6.7 and 6.9 years, respectively. Outcomes were measured in terms of tests of cognitive function, neuropsychological abilities, and academic achievement and parent and teacher ratings of child behavior and school performance. A weighted sum of the number of major neonatal medical complications (Neonatal Risk Index) provided a composite measure of biological risk. Social risks were also assessed. Results indicated that the Neonatal Risk Index was the most consistent predictor of outcomes. Even after taking social risks into account, neonatal risk predicted overall cognitive ability and other achievement, neuropsychological, and behavior outcomes. Individual neonatal complications that predicted outcomes included severe cerebral ultrasonographic abnormality, chronic lung disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, and apnea of prematurity. Research and therapy to prevent or reduce neonatal complications and amelioration of social risks are of critical importance in improving outcomes of very low birth weight.     

Sex bias and sex-role stereotyping in psychotherapy with women: Survey results.

192 female former clients of 49 psychotherapists responded to a 70-item questionnaire developed around 4 themes of sex bias and sex-role stereotyping in psychotherapy. Results suggest that the majority of women were treated in a sex-fair manner. Women with the least amount of formal education and women with children experienced more sex bias in therapy. When bias was noted, it was often in acts of omission in the therapy; this was particularly true for victimized women. The most bias noted was in the areas of fostering traditional roles, lack of acceptance of anger, and lack of a sociocultural context in the therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accuracy of final height prediction and effect of growth-reductive therapy in 362 constitutionally tall children

Height reduction by means of treatment with high doses of sex steroids in constitutionally tall stature (CTS) is a well known, though still controversial, therapy. The establishment of the effect of such therapy is dependent on the height prediction method applied. We evaluated the reliability of various prediction methods together with the subjective clinician's judgment in 143 untreated children (55 boys and 88 girls) with CTS and the effect of height-reductive therapy in 249 tall children (60 boys and 159 girls) treated with high doses of sex hormones (cases). For this purpose, we compared the predicted adult height with the attained height at a mean adult age of 25 yr and adjusted the therapeutic effect for differences in bone age (BA), chronological age (CA), and height prediction between untreated and treated children. At the time of the height prediction, controls were significantly shorter, had more advanced estimated BAs (except for the BA according to Greulich and Pyle in boys), had lower target heights, and had smaller adult height predictions compared with the CTS patients (P < 0.05). At the time of the follow-up, CTS patients were significantly taller than controls for both boys and girls (P < 0.02). In controls, a large variability was found for the errors of prediction of the various prediction methods and in relation to CA. The prediction according to Bailey and Pinneau systematically overestimated adult height in CTS children, whereas the other prediction methods (Tanner-Whitehouse prediction and index of potential height) systematically underestimated final height. The mean (SD) absolute errors of the prediction methods varied from 2.3 (1.8) to 5.3 (4.3) cm in boys and from 2.0 (1.9) to 3.7 (3.5) cm in girls. They were significantly negatively correlated with CA (r = [minus 0.27 to -0.65; P < 0.05), except for the Tanner-Whitehouse prediction in boys, indicating that height prognosis is more reliable with increasing CA. In addition, experienced clinicians gave accurate height predictions by evaluating the growth chart of the child while taking into account various clinical parameters, such as CA, BA, and pubertal stage. The effect of sex hormone therapy was assessed by means of multiple regression analysis while adjusting for differences in height prediction, CA, and BA at the start of therapy between treated and untreated children. The mean (SD) adjusted effect varied from -0.5 (2.4) to 0.3 (1.4) cm in boys and from -0.6 (2.1) to 2.4 (1.4) cm in girls. The adjusted height reduction was dependent on the BA at the time of start of sex hormone therapy and was more pronounced when treatment was started at a younger BA. In boys, the treatment effect was significantly negative at BAs exceeding 14-15 yr. After cessation of therapy, additional mean (SD) growth of 2.4 (1.2) and 2.7 (1.1) cm was observed for boys and girls, respectively. The mean (SD) BA according to Greulich and Pyle at that time was 17.1 (0.7) yr for boys and 15.2 (0.6) yr for girls. These data demonstrate that height prediction in children with CTS is inaccurate in boys, but clinically acceptable in girls. With increasing age, height prognosis became more accurate. Overall, the height-reducing effect of high doses of sex hormones in children with CTS was limited, especially in boys. However, a significant effect of treatment was observed when treatment was started at BAs less than 14-15 yr, depending on the method of BA assessment. In boys, treatment appeared to be contraindicated at BAs older than 14-15 yr, because androgen administration caused extra growth instead of growth inhibition. It is recommended that referral should take place early, preferably before puberty, for careful monitoring of growth and height prediction. Moreover, it is recommended not to discontinue therapy before complete closure of the epiphyses of the hand has occurred to avoid considerable posttreatment growth.     

Cephalic measures in normal pre-school children 3 to 7-years of age

In a study designed to determine standards for the Developmental Neurological Examination (DNE) several measures of the head were also recorded. The study consisted in the examination of 200 children, half from each sex, 40 from each age group (3 to 7-years of age). These children were selected among 755 normal pre-school-age children, living in the city of S?o Paulo, Brazil). The criteria for selection were both anamnestic and clinic. The following measures of the head were recorded: cephalic perimeter, biauricular and antero-posterior distances (Diament, 1967). A new cephalic index (nCI) was also determined (Diament, 1968). This index is useful in detecting changes in head shape mainly in cases of precocious cranioestenosis (Diament, 1968; Facure, 1972). The statistical analysis consisted in determining means and standard errors for each measure. For the new cephalic index it was shown through the Kruskal-Wallis test that there were no significant difference between age and sex. Therefore we considered all groups together to find out the tolerance region for the new index which turned out to be given by the interval: 0.848-1.002. This result is based in 186 cases since 14 were excluded because of some problems in the recording process. Therefore we expect with a conficence of 95% that the above interval covers 90% of the population, in the 3 to 7 years age-groups independently of sex.     

Issues of special concern to chronically mentally ill women.

Discusses sex differences with respect to the treatment of chronically mentally ill women and suggests that attention to these areas will aid understanding of their disorders and enhance the quality of their existence. The lives of chronically mentally ill women in relation to marital and family roles, other instrumental roles, social and sexual roles, rape and sexual exploitation, and physical health are described. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Successful management of an infant with a giant hemangioma of the retroperitoneum and Kasabach-Merritt syndrome with alpha-interferon

Giant vascular neoplasms in neonates generally require aggressive medical or surgical therapy for treatment of complications. Steroids, chemotherapy, embolization, radiation, and surgery have all been used with short-term beneficial and sometimes unknown long-term side effects. A new modality of treatment, alpha-interferon, has recently been described. The majority of hemangiomas in children involute by 8 years of age. Occasionally, hemangiomas can endanger vital structures and are associated with a consumption coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia (Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome). These hemangiomas occasionally do not respond to steroids, radiation therapy, cytotoxic drugs, or embolization. The mortality rates approach 50% in nonresponders. Alpha-interferon has been used in these children with life-threatening complications of hemangiomas with relief of symptoms. This case illustrates the potential use of alpha-interferon in the management of giant hemangiomas in children. This emerging form of biological therapy avoids the risks of radiation therapy, embolization, and surgery with only minimal side effects.     

Artificial feeding of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari:Ixodidae) through silicone membrane

An observation of accelerated growth of acquired melanocytic naevi (AMN) during treatment with human growth hormone (GH) raised concerns about the potential risk of melanoma in treated patients. An increased number of AMN, rather than growth rate, is associated with a higher risk for melanoma. It is unknown whether treatment with GH causes an increase in numbers of AMN. We evaluated the effect of GH treatment on the number of AMN in a cross-sectional study of 90 children with GH deficiency. AMN counts and densities in these children were compared with those found in a control group of 100 children. Factors potentially related to increased numbers of AMN, such as age, sex, skin colour, number of episodes of sunburn and duration of GH therapy were determined. Among the various factors, only the age and colour of unexposed skin area were predictive for the total number and density of AMN. No correlation was found between the AMN counts or density and the duration of GH therapy. There was no difference in AMN counts or density between the GH-deficient patient group and the control groups. We conclude that GH therapy in children is not associated with increased AMN count and density and is unlikely to potentiate the risk for melanoma in these children.     

Patterns of inner experience: Daydreaming styles, depressive moods, and sex roles.

Used standard scales (in the original form or modified) to assess daydreaming styles, depression, and sex roles in 40 women and 23 men. Factor analyses indicated that 3 attitudes toward events characterize inner experience: Positive, Expressive, and Instrumental. Regression analyses showed that a unique pattern of inner experience is associated with each of the 2 types of depressive mood. These patterns are consistent with the 2 modes of emotional response and superego functioning—shame and guilt—that H. B. Lewis (1976) identified. Examination of sex differences and sex role differences in the data suggests that (a) psychological sex roles have more consistent relations to daydreaming styles and depressive experiences than does biological sex; (b) previous reports of sex differences in depression may be partly explained in terms of differences in distractability and sex roles; and (c) psychological sex roles have different meanings for women and men. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Familial and metabolic factors related to blood pressure in Pima Indian children

High blood pressure, abnormal glucose tolerance, and obesity are frequently associated with each other, but the mechanism of these associations is poorly understood. Studying them in children may help in understanding the pathogenesis of hypertension. Blood pressure, height, weight, and plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test were measured in 1,698 Pima Indian children aged 6-17 years who participated in an ongoing epidemiologic study. Weight relative to height was used as an index of obesity. The parents of many of the children were also examined. Fasting and 2-hour glucose and insulin concentrations, adjusted for age, sex, and relative weight, were positively related to systolic blood pressure but not to diastolic blood pressure. Relative weight, 2-hour glucose, and fasting insulin concentrations were independently and significantly associated with systolic blood pressure in a stepwise regression analysis that included age and sex. After parental hypertension was taken into account, maternal but not paternal non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, controlled for the child's relative weight and glucose and insulin concentrations, was significantly associated with higher blood pressure in children. The stronger association with maternal diabetes suggests a greater sharing of environmental factors between mother and child than between father and child, but familial similarities in obesity and glucose and insulin concentrations, the diabetic intrauterine milieu, and shared environmental factors probably all contribute to this association.     

Toward generic principles of treating parents and children: Integrating psychotherapy with the school-aged child and early family intervention.

Generic principles governing the outcome and process of the treatment of children and their families can be generated from both research on the psychotherapy of school-aged children and early family intervention. Evidence indicates that the amenability of the child or parent to treatment and the comprehensiveness, duration, and intensity of the helping process are significant parameters. Definition of significant early family intervention roles allows linkage to various therapeutic roles with school-aged children and forces the recognition that most treatment situations involve more roles than are officially recognized. This articulation of the profile of intervention roles among poverty level, 1st-time parents at risk for neglecting their infant drew on several bodies of theory: psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, social cognitive, and positive reinforcement principles, and advocacy and direct assistance as used in clinical social casework. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Television and behavior: Research conclusions of the 1982 NIMH report and their policy implications.

Research on TV and behavior in the 1970's has recently been reviewed and evaluated in a 2-volume report from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The most widely publicized conclusion of the report was that violence on TV does lead to aggressive behavior by children. The TV networks' response to this conclusion has been one of denial. Research also documented that young children are often unable to relate a series of complex actions to their final consequence. Another area in the cognitive and affective aspects of TV concerns the effects of TV viewing on child development and on academic achievement. Findings suggest a need for increased emphasis on teaching children critical TV viewing skills. TV also has the potential to affect social beliefs and behaviors, such as beliefs about sex roles, minorities, prosocial behavior, and products advertised on TV. The impact of TV on social relations, especially familial relations, and on health is also addressed. The NIMH report demonstrates a need to see TV viewing as a continuing form of informal education. What is needed is more creativity on the part of the industry and more discrimination on the part of the viewer. The teaching of critical viewing skills and parental interest in what children watch are especially important. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cardiovascular effects of desipramine in children and adults during exercise testing

OBJECTIVE: In light of recent reports of sudden death in children being treated with desipramine (DMI), 3 of which were associated with physical exercise, the authors examined the effects of DMI on exercise in children and adults before and during DMI treatment. METHOD: Before treatment, 22 subjects (9 children, 13 adults) participated in a graded treadmill exercise test. Outcome measures included exercise tolerance, cardiovascular, and electrocardiographic parameters at progressive intensity levels and serum norepinephrine (NE) levels before and after exercise testing. Subjects were then treated with DMI, titrated to an average DMI dosage of 3 mg/kg, and underwent repeated exercise testing. RESULTS: DMI treatment was associated with a significant elevation of circulating NE levels in the pre-exercise assessment. Exercise tolerance was not affected by DMI, and blood pressure and heart rate effects were modest. The cardiovascular impact of DMI treatment was similar in children and adults. One 31-year-old subject exhibited a brief episode of ventricular tachycardia associated with exercise during DMI treatment. CONCLUSIONS: DMI has only minor effects on the cardiovascular response to exercise, and these effects do not appear age-related. However, DMI may increase the risk of exercise-associated arrhythmias in rare individuals.     

Gender-schematic processing in children: The role of initial interpretations of stimuli.

When processing gender-related information, children have difficulty remembering materials that are counterstereotypic or that are associated more strongly with the other sex. The question of whether encoding difficulties account for these memory problems was investigated. Children (kindergarten through Grade 3) were shown pictures of men and women in traditional, nontraditional, or neutral roles. Some children were given stimulus labels at acquisition to simplify the encoding task. Free-recall data revealed biases in the direction of gender stereotypes, irrespective of label vs no-label conditions (Studies 1 and 2) and of slower vs faster presentation rates (Study 2). Results suggest that an inability to encode at acquisition is probably not the major cause of gender-related biases observed in later recall and have implications for the development of intervention programs designed to reduce gender-schematic processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Roles of central catecholamine and hypothalamic neuropeptide Y genome in the development of tolerance to phenylpropanolamine-mediated appetite suppression.

Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is an appetite suppressant. Repeated treatment with PPA can decrease food intake on initial days, but on subsequent days, food intake gradually returns to normal (tolerant effect). In an attempt to investigate the underlying mechanisms of PPA tolerance, the authors examined the roles of catecholamine (CAT) and hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) genome. Results revealed that pretreatment with either bupropion, a CAT transporter inhibitor, or α-methylparatyrosine, a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor, modulated the effect of PPA tolerance. Moreover, results also revealed that the alteration in NPY messenger RNA level coincided with the change of feeding behavior during PPA treatment and that infusions of NPY antisense oligonucleotide into the cerebroventicle abolished the effect of PPA tolerance. These findings suggest that cerebral CAT and hypothalamic NPY genome are involved in the development of tolerance to PPA-induced appetite suppression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)