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Abstract Background Maternal trauma complicates pregnancy in approximately 7%. Long-term development of children exposed to maternal trauma is unknown. Aim To determine neurobehavioural outcome of children (6–18 years) born after maternal trauma in pregnancy compared to a matched control group. Study design Case-control study performed at a tertiary medical centre. Subjects All consecutive children born after maternal hospitalization for trauma during pregnancy between 1995 and 2005. Controls were children born at the same hospital and period after an uneventful pregnancy. Outcome measures Trauma type and severity (Injury Severity Score, ≥9: severe); information from medical files at admission (cases). All mothers filled out two questionnaires about the infant; 1. concerning health, motor development and educational level, 2. concerning behavioural development through the validated Dutch version of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results Questionnaires were returned by 34 cases and 28 controls. The traumas concerned mainly motor vehicle accidents and falls, and 3/34 had severe injuries. No differences in health, motor development, educational level and CBCL was found between the cases and controls, except for more hospitalization in the cases (p = 0.009). Conclusion Long-term follow-up of a limited population of children 6–18 years after exposure of mainly non-severe trauma before birth is similar to a control population except for unexplained more hospitalization in the cases. Highlights • This survey of children’s long-term outcome after trauma in pregnancy shows similar outcome in a trauma and control group. • There was more hospitalization in infancy and a trend of increased externalizing problems in infancy after trauma exposure. • Future prospective studies are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In non-walking children with severe spasticity, daily care can be difficult and many patients suffer from pain. Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) reduces spasticity in the legs, and therefore has the potential to improve daily care and comfort. Aim To examine effects of SDR on daily care and comfort in non-walking children with severe spasticity due to different underlying neurological conditions. Methods Medical history, changes in daily care and comfort and satisfaction with outcome were assessed retrospectively in non-walking children who underwent SDR in our center, with a mean follow-up of 1y 7m (range 11m–4y 3m). All eligible patients (n = 24, years 2009–2014) were included. Results Mean age at SDR was 12y 4m (SD 4y 3m, range 2y 8m–19y 3m). Associated orthopaedic problems were frequent. Seven patients underwent scoliosis correction in the same session. Most improvements were reported in dressing (n = 16), washing (n = 12) and comfort (n = 10). Median score for satisfaction was 7 on a scale of 10 (range 1–9). SDR resulted in reduction of spasticity in leg muscles. In nine patients dystonia was recorded post-operatively, mainly in children with congenital malformations and syndromes. Interpretation SDR is a single event intervention that can improve daily care and comfort in non-walking children with severe spasticity, and can safely be combined with scoliosis correction. Despite the improvements, satisfaction is variable. Careful attention is necessary for risk factors for dystonia, which may be unmasked after SDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Therapeutic hypothermia improves outcome after perinatal asphyxia. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire is a screening tool to detect neurodevelopmental delay. In this study we examined the outcome of patients with perinatal asphyxia (defined as Apgar score <5 at 10 min, or continued need for resuscitation, or pH < 7.00 in umbilical cord or within one hour after birth) with and without therapeutic hypothermia treatment at the age of four years. Methods Cohort study of patients with perinatal asphyxia admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam and the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Utrecht in the year 2008. Parents were asked to fill out the 48 months Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). In Wilhelmina Children's Hospital treatment with therapeutic hypothermia was implemented in 2008, in the VU University Medical Center in 2009, providing a historical cohort. Results/Discussion Twenty-three questionnaires were evaluated. Response rate of questionnaires for the VU Medical Center was 63% (n = 10) and Wilhelmina's Childrens Hospital 93% (n = 13). No significant differences were found in the mean scores between both groups. However, the untreated group scored more frequently under the −2 SD threshold. In the fine motor skills domain the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.031). In the treated group no patients developed cerebral palsy and in the untreated group two patients developed cerebral palsy. Conclusion In this study patients treated with hypothermia tend to have a better neurodevelopmental outcome. No significant differences were found between the two groups, apart from the fine motor skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Limited knowledge is available about neurodevelopmental outcome after intrauterine mechanical trauma exposure, although 7–8% of pregnancies are complicated by trauma. Guidelines advise hospital admission after trauma in pregnancy, which enabled a prospective evaluation of perinatal and neurological outcome. Examination of fetal motility facilitates assessment of the integrity of the central nervous system. We hypothesize a transient influence on fetal motility after maternal trauma and normal neurological development at one year in case of minor trauma. Methods Pregnant women admitted for trauma after 20 weeks gestational age (GA) between 2011 and 2014 were eligible. Cause of trauma and severity of injuries were analyzed. Three one-hour ultrasonographic observations were performed within 8 hours (T1), 24–72 hours (T2) and > 72 hours (T3) after trauma. Assessment of motility concerned differentiation into specific movement patterns, quality and quantity of general movements (normal values: de Vries et al, Early Hum Dev 1982 and 1988). Neurological examinations were performed at term equivalent age according to Prechtl and at 1 year according to Touwen and Alberta Infant Motor Scale. Results Sixteen women participated at a median GA of 25+6 (range 20–38) weeks. Most traumas were traffic accidents or falls and injuries were mainly minor. Motility assessment showed abnormal differentiation in 2/16; 2/14 and 0/16; abnormal quality in 2/16; 3/14 and 6/16; and abnormal quantity in 6/16, 9/14 and 9/16 at T1, T2 and T3 respectively. Neurological development at 0 and 1 year was normal in 15/16 and 13/13 respectively. Conclusion This preliminary evaluation shows that fetal motility was affected after maternal trauma in majority of the fetuses, however, not transiently in all within four days. The neurological outcome at 0 and 1 year was normal. The changes in motility support the concern that even minor mechanical trauma may have influence on the functional integrity of the central nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Anticipatory gaze behaviour during interceptive movements was investigated in children with Spastic Unilateral Cerebral Palsy (SUCP), and related to the side of the intracerebral lesion. Five children with lesions of the right hemisphere (RHL) and five children with lesions of the left hemisphere (LHL) had to walk towards and intercept a ball that moved perpendicular to the walking path. Interception accuracy and gaze patterns were measured in a no-occlusion and occlusion condition, in which the ball was occluded from view for half of its trajectory. There was a clear support for a relationship between gaze behaviour and success in interception performance, with some evidence for the presence of anticipatory gaze behaviour. There were also differences in gaze behaviour between children with RHL and children with LHL that might be related to planning, but these did not affect interception accuracy. It is concluded that gaze behaviour during interceptive movements is anticipatory, and at least partly dependent on the lesional side. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]