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The first 3 years age, is called as infancy period, is a very important period for learning ability and basis for the skills concerning the developmental stages. Gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, social, language and oral motor development are examined as developmental parameters and occur according to a typical sequence, pattern and timing. Each stage of the motor developmental sequence has purpose and contribute to the overall development of the child. Reflexes are seen in the first stage of development and these reflexes are replaced by reactions over time. The motor developmental sequence offers a basis for understanding not only typical development, but also atypical development of the infant, this developmental sequence could be used as a basis for evaluating and treating motor delays and deficiencies in infants. Investigation of normal developmental milestones in infancy as a whole in terms of motor, cognitive, social, language and oral motor are important for early diagnosis and intervention of deviations from normal/typical development. Atypical development in one or more of these parameters is a sign of risk for other parameters. Therefore, the finding of atypical development seen in these parameters is critical in terms of evaluating the infant as a whole and referring it to the relevant health professional when necessary. The aim of this study is to describe the typical and atypical developmental milestones in the 0-3 years period and to provide a reference including developmental and oral motor functions together for physiotherapists working in pediatric rehabilitation field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human growth and development are depended on both genetic and environmental conditions. From infancy to adulthood, during the growth process the growth rate of the body ratios shows differences. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate height, upper arm, forearm, upper leg, lower leg length values of the pre-school children and to determinate the ratios, and contribute to other public health studies. The study sample consisted of 815 (402 male, 413 female) children aged between 3 and 5 years living in Ankara. Height, upper arm, forearm, upper leg, and lower leg lengths were taken in accordance with the standard protocols after receiving ethical and family permits. The statistical analyses conducted using SPSS 20.0 program and percentiles were constructed using LMS method. According to the results, children aged between 3 to 5 years, the forearm / upper ratio was 0.8 and the lower / upper ratio was 0.7 in both sexes. Positive correlation was found between all variables (p <0.001). The comparison of study results with other country values revealed that upper arm length was lower than the American children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) for the respective age groups. Constructing the country specific reference values is of great importance for to follow-up children's development, to evaluate and compare for further generations and to determinate the secular changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Premature thelarche is defined as the onset of breast development without any additional signs of sexual maturation in girls younger than eight years. In recent years, obesity, hormone-based foods intake, environmental/social change are proposed to play a role in early puberty and the signs of puberty at an early age. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in terms of adipocytokines associated with obesity in premature telarche, which is exact pathophysiology of the disease is still unknown. Material and Methods: The patient group included 19 girls aged between three-eight years who presented to the outpatient clinic of pediatric endocrinology unit with a complaint of unusual breast development. The control group consisted of 17 age-matched healthy girls. Body mass index was calculated according to Turkish reference values (BMISDS) and breast development was evaluated according to the Tanner staging. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), estradiol (E2) levels were measured by immunochemiluminometric assay and leptin, adiponectin, nesfatin-1, apelin-36, TNF-α and resistin, obesity associated adipose tissue adipocytokines, were measured by ELISA. Results: While the E2 and LH levels in the patient and control groups did not show statistically significant differences, FSH levels were higher in the patient group. When compared to the control group, significant decreases serum leptin and resistin levels, significant increases in apelin-36 and nesfatin-1 levels were found in the patient group. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and adiponectin levels did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusion: As a result, there are several factors, newly identified hormone and signaling molecules, effective on the pathophysiology of the disease known outside the classical hormonal control in premature telarche. However, we would like to emphasize that more detailed studies are needed to determine a better understanding about the main mechanism responsible for the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]