Deep data science to prevent and treat growth faltering in Maya children

The Maya people are descended from the indigenous inhabitants of southern Mexico, Guatemala and adjacent regions of Central America. In Guatemala, 50% of infants and children are stunted (very low height-for-age), and some rural Maya regions have >70% children stunted. A large, longitudinal, intergenerational database was created to (1) provide deep data to prevent and treat somatic growth faltering and impaired neurocognitive development, (2) detect key dependencies and predictive relations between highly complex, time-varying, and interacting biological and cultural variables and (3) identify targeted multifactorial intervention strategies for field testing and validation. Contributions to this database included data from the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala Longitudinal Study of Child and Adolescent Development, child growth and intergenerational studies among the Maya in Mexico and studies about Maya migrants in the United States.

Placental cord drainage after spontaneous vaginal delivery as part of the management of the third stage of labour

BACKGROUND

Cord drainage in the third stage of labour involves unclamping the previously clamped and separated umbilical cord and allowing the blood from the placenta to drain freely into an appropriate receptacle. Currently there are no systematic reviews of the effects of placental cord drainage on the management of the third stage of labour.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to assess the specific effects of placental cord drainage on the third stage of labour, with or without the prophylactic use of oxytocics.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group Trials register (July 2005), CINAHL (1982 to December 2004) and the National Research Register (December 2004).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised trials involving placental cord drainage as a variable within the package of interventions as part of the management of the third stage of labour.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently assessed the quality of trials and extracted data.

MAIN RESULTS

Two studies met our inclusion criteria in terms of quality and relevance. Cord drainage could impact the third stage of labour as the results show a statistically significant reduction in the length of third stage of labour (one trial, n = 147, weighted mean difference (minutes) -5.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.02 to -2.90). In the incidence of retained placenta at 30 minutes after birth (one trial, n = 477, relative risk 0.28, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.73) a significant difference was found, but this should be interpreted with caution due to potential intervention bias.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

It is difficult to draw conclusions from such a small number of studies, especially where the review outcomes were presented in a variety of formats. However, there does appear to be some potential benefit from the use of placental cord drainage in terms of reducing the length of the third stage of labour. More research is required to investigate the impact of cord drainage on the management of the third stage of labour.

Safety and preliminary immunogenicity of the recombinant outer membrane protein P64k of Neisseria meningitidis in human volunteers

P64k is a meningococcal protein from Neisseria meningitidis that has been obtained by recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant P64k has been extensively characterized by physicochemical and immunological methods. Lately this protein has been found to act as a versatile immunological carrier for weak antigens in mice. In the present work, a Phase I clinical trial was carried out in healthy volunteers who received three inoculations of either placebo or recombinant P64k (20 or 50 microg). No severe adverse events occurred during the trial. Only mild adverse events in ten volunteers were observed. At 1 month after the third dose, 15 out of 18 volunteers (83.3%) who received the recombinant antigen had a P64k-specific antibody titre > or =1:100, as detected by ELISA. A fourth dose, given 9 months after the third one, elicited a potent booster immune response in P64k vaccinees. Accordingly, these P64k formulations were considered safe and immunogenic in healthy human volunteers.

The epidemiological impact of antimeningococcal B vaccination in Cuba

The incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) before (1984-1988) and after (1989-1994), a nationwide intervention with VA-MENGOC-BC vaccination started in 1989, was compared. The prevaccination period incidence density (ID> 8.8/10(5) year-person) was higher than the postvaccination ID (ID< 6.5/10(5) year-person). The percentage proportional differences from the start to the end of each period of ID in the vaccinal period was higher (87%) than the prevaccinal (37%) with significant differences among vaccinated groups (< 25 years old). A break-point (Chow test) was confirmed by the decrease in the ID between 1989 and 1990 in children under 1 year old, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19 and 50-54 years. Comparison of ID using maps showed a decrease in IMD in all municipalities during the postvaccination period. These findings support the epidemiological impact of VA-MENGOC-BC vaccination in the reduction of IMD morbidity.

Groups for parents of pre-school children with severe disabilities

The emotional impact upon the family following the diagnosis of a child's disability is significant although parents feel that their needs are not specifically addressed by professionals. A series of groups for the parents of pre-school children with severe disabilities are described. The groups are designed to provide parents with an opportunity to discuss in depth the impact of their childs' disability upon themselves, their partners and their families. Feedback from group members is reported and the practical issues in providing such groups discussed.

Family characteristics and offspring growth in various countries. I. Frequency of various family types in Bulgaria, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Poland

9936 families were analyzed from Bulgaria, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Poland. A factor analysis revealed four factors: culture (F1), income (F2), genetics (F3), and family and apartment size (F4). Family types we coded as 1 if below the median and 2 if above the median. The most frequent types were represented by 1122, 2221, and 2211 (frequency 8.7-8.0%), and the least frequent by 1221 and 2111 (frequency 4.2-4.3%). Some similarity with respect to family types were found between populations: from Polish regions with heavy industry and seaside regions; from Polish towns under industrialization and from Mexico; from the Polish medium-size town of Lublin and Bulgarian towns; from Polish villages; from Polish mountain areas and north-eastern towns; from Korea; from Japan; from Polish cities.

Changes in biological status of the Jastarnia population over the last 20-year period

The objective of this paper is to analyze changes in the biological condition of the inhabitants of Jastarnia (Hel Peninsula), who were examined three times during 1963-87. A total of 1791 persons of both sexes, aged from 3 to 80 years were under study. A total of 20 somatic and physiological traits were considered. According to the data of the Central Statistical Office (available from 1976) the birth rate in Jastarnia increased in 1987 but mortality increased even at a higher rate so that the increase of the population (per 1000 inhabitants) was reduced from 6.8 in 1976 to 3.7 in 1987. A factor analysis, used to estimate socio-economic conditions of two generations of this town, has shown that the apartment size and income of a family (factor 1) explained the highest percentage of the variance of the traits considered. Education of parents was on the second position (factor 2). The next factor (3) represented biological properties of parents measured by their stature. The last one (factor 4) characterized family size in the second generation, for the first generation this trait being related with factor 2 (culture). A tendency to slim body was observed in children and youth. However, the ratio of chest circumference to stature (Marty index) did not change, which can be explained in terms of the adaptation to maritime climate. The content of adipose tissue increased in children and youth, and also the vital capacity of lungs in relation to stature (Ziemssen index) increased in children. Blood pressure at rest was reduced in 1987, but systolic blood pressure at work was increased. An increase in the minute respiration rate and reduction of chest extension in the contemporary youth seem to be rather unfavorable.