Neurocognitive and Health Correlates of Overweight and Obesity among Ten-Year-Old Children Born Extremely Preterm

Accelerated Aging and the Life Course of Individuals Born Preterm

Individuals born preterm have shorter lifespans and elevated rates of chronic illness that contribute to mortality risk when compared to individuals born at term. Emerging evidence suggests that individuals born preterm or of low birthweight also exhibit physiologic and cellular biomarkers of accelerated aging. It is unclear whether, and to what extent, accelerated aging contributes to a higher risk of chronic illness and mortality among individuals born preterm. Here, we review accelerated aging phenotypes in adults born preterm and biological pathways that appear to contribute to accelerated aging. We highlight biomarkers of accelerated aging and various resiliency factors, including both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic factors, that might buffer the propensity for accelerated aging among individuals born preterm.

Environmental influences on child health outcomes: cohorts of individuals born very preterm

The National Institutes of Health's Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program was designed to address solution-oriented research questions about the links between children's early life environment and their risks of pre-, peri-, and post-natal complications, asthma, obesity, neurodevelopmental disorders, and positive health. Children born very preterm are at increased risk for many of the outcomes on which ECHO focuses, but the contributions of environmental factors to this risk are not well characterized. Three ECHO cohorts consist almost exclusively of individuals born very preterm. Data provided to ECHO from cohorts can be used to address hypotheses about (1) differential risks of chronic health and developmental conditions between individuals born very preterm and those born at term; (2) health disparities across social determinants of health; and (3) mechanisms linking early-life exposures and later-life outcomes among individuals born very preterm. IMPACT: The National Institutes of Health's Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program is conducting solution-oriented research on the links between children's environment and health. Three ECHO cohorts comprise study participants born very preterm; these cohorts have enrolled, to date, 1751 individuals born in 14 states in the U.S. in between April 2002 and March 2020. Extensive data are available on early-life environmental exposures and child outcomes related to neurodevelopment, asthma, obesity, and positive health. Data from ECHO preterm cohorts can be used to address questions about the combined effects of preterm birth and environmental exposures on child health outcomes.

Appraisal of Clinical Care Practices for Child Obesity Treatment. Part II: Comorbidities

The objective of this technical report is to provide clinicians with actionable evidence-based information upon which to make treatment decisions. In addition, this report will provide an evidence base on which to inform clinical practice guidelines for the management and treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. To this end, the goal of this report was to identify all relevant studies to answer 2 overarching key questions: (KQ1) "What are effective clinically based treatments for obesity?" and (KQ2) "What is the risk of comorbidities among children with obesity?" See Appendix 1 for the conceptual framework and a priori Key Questions.

Development and validation of a prediction model to predict school-age asthma in preschool children

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a clinical prediction model to identify school-age asthma in preschool asthmatic children.

STUDY DESIGN

In this retrospective prognosis cohort study, asthmatic children aged 3-5 years were enrolled with at least 2 years of follow-up, and their potential variables at baseline and the prognosis of school-age asthma were collected from medical records. A clinical prediction model was developed using Logistic regression. The performance of prediction model was assessed and quantified by discrimination of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration of Brier score. The model was validated by the temporal-validation method.

RESULTS

In the development dataset, 2748 preschool asthmatic children were included for model development, and 883 (32.13%) children were translated to school-age asthma. The independent prognostic variables with an increased risk for school-age asthma were used to develop the prediction model, including: age, parental asthma, early frequent wheezing, allergic rhinitis, eczema, allergic conjunctivitis, obesity, and aeroallergen of dust mite. While assessing model performance, the discrimination power of AUC was moderate [0.788 (0.770-0.805)] with sensitivity (81.5%) and specificity (60.9%), and the calibration of Brier score was 0.169, supporting the calibration ability. In the temporal-validation dataset of 583 preschool asthmatic children, our model showed satisfactory discrimination (AUC 0.818) and calibration (Brier score 0.150). The prediction model was presented by the web-based calculator (https://casthma.shinyapps.io/dynnomapp/) and a nomogram for clinical application.

CONCLUSION

In preschool asthmatic children, our prediction model could be used to predict the risk of school-age asthma.

Growth During Infancy After Extremely Preterm Birth: Associations with Later Neurodevelopmental and Health Outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate associations between changes in weight, length, and weight/length ratio during infancy and outcomes later in life among individuals born extremely preterm.

STUDY DESIGN

Among participants in the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) study, we measured weight and length at discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at age 2 years and evaluated neurocognitive, psychiatric, and health outcomes at age 10 years and 15 years. Using multivariable logistic regression, we estimated associations between gains in weight, length, and weight/length ratio z-scores between discharge and 2 years and outcomes at 10 and 15 years. High gain was defined as the top quintile of change; low gain, as the bottom quintile of change.

RESULTS

High gains in weight and weight/length were associated with greater odds of obesity at 10 years, but not at 15 years. These associations were found only for females. High gain in length z-score was associated with lower odds of obesity at 15 years. The only association found between high gains in growth measures and more favorable neurocognitive or psychiatric outcomes was between high gain in weight/length and lower odds of cognitive impairment at age 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

During the 2 years after NICU discharge, females born extremely preterm with high gains in weight/length or weight have greater odds of obesity at 10 years, but not at 15 years. Infants with high growth gains in the 2 years after NICU discharge have neurocognitive and psychiatric outcomes in middle childhood and adolescence similar to those of infants with lower gains in weight and weight/length.

Negative Affectivity and Emotion Dysregulation as Mediators between ADHD and Disordered Eating: A Systematic Review

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with disordered eating, especially addictive-like eating behavior (i.e., binge eating, food addiction, loss of control overeating). The exact mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. ADHD and addictive-like eating behavior are both associated with negative affectivity and emotion dysregulation, which we hypothesized are mediators of this relationship. The purpose of this systematic review was to review the evidence related to this hypothesis from studies assessing the relationship between childhood or adulthood ADHD symptomatology, negative affectivity, emotion dysregulation and addictive-like eating behavior. The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. The literature search was conducted in PubMed and PsycINFO (publication date: January 2015 to August 2020; date of search: 2 September 2020). Out of 403 potentially relevant articles, 41 were retained; 38 publications reported that ADHD and disordered eating or addictive-like eating behavior were significantly associated, including 8 articles that suggested a mediator role of negative affectivity or emotion dysregulation. Sixteen publications reported that the association between ADHD symptomatology and disordered eating or addictive-like eating behavior differed according to gender, eating behavior and ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention). We discuss the practical implications of these findings and directions future research.

Risk for Behavioral Problems Independent of Cognitive Functioning in Children Born at Low Gestational Ages

This study aimed to investigate cognitive and behavioral outcomes in relation to gestational age (GA) in school-aged children born preterm (PT). Results from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition (WISC-IV), and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were analyzed in 51 children (mean age: 7.8 years [range: 7.0-8.7]) born PT (mean GA: 31 weeks [range: 23-35]; birth weight, mean: 1,637 g [range: 404-2,962]) with the majority (96%) having no diagnosed cognitive, sensory, or motor impairments. The control group included 57 age-matched typically developing children (mean age: 7.9 years [range: 6.2-8.7]) born full-term (FT). Children born PT, extremely PT (GA < 28) in particular, showed significantly lower cognitive performance and higher behavioral problem scores compared with children born FT. GA was found to predict aspects of both cognitive functioning and behavioral problems within the PT group, with lower GA being related to both poorer cognitive outcomes and elevated affective and attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems. Global cognitive functioning did not independently predict aspects of behavioral outcomes. Findings demonstrate that, even in children born PT without severe perinatal and/or postnatal complications and receiving active perinatal care, a short gestation is an evident risk factor for long-term negative effects on mental health independent of cognitive functioning. Additional findings suggest that both reduced growth and lower parental educational level may contribute to increased risk for poorer cognitive and behavioral functioning in children born PT.