Search

Objective. To assess whether sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), ranging from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is associated with increased behavioral morbidity. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted of school-aged children in an urban, community-based cohort, stratified for term or preterm ( Results. Forty (5%) children were classified as having OSA (median apnea hypopnea index: 7.1 per hour; inter-quartile range: 3.1-10.5), 122 (15%) had primary snoring without OSA, and the remaining 667 (80%) had neither snoring nor OSA. Children with SDB had significantly higher odds of elevated problem scores in the following domains: externalizing, hyperactive, emotional lability, oppositional, aggressive, internalizing, somatic complaints, and social problems. Conclusions. Children with relatively mild SDB, ranging from primary snoring to OSA, have a higher prevalence of problem behaviors, with the strongest, most consistent associations for externalizing, hyperactive-type behaviors. Pediatrics 2004;114:1640-1648; sleep-disordered breathing, primary snoring, child behavior disorders, epidemiology. ABBREVIATIONS, SDB, sleep-disordered breathing; OSA, obstructive sleep apnea; CBCL, Child Behavior Checklist; CPRS-R:L,, Conners Parent Rating Scale-Revised:Long; BMI, body mass index; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval., There is increasing evidence that childhood sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inattention, and aggression? 15 Improvements in behavior and learning after treatment for SDB suggest [...]

Maladaptive drinking is an increasing concern among military policy makers and healthcare providers. The goal of this study was to assess how social and psychological factors relate to alcohol problems among post-deployed US veterans and how problematic drinking is associated with well-being. Data were collected via a telephone survey from a random sample of veterans receiving their healthcare from a large non-VA hospital system in central Pennsylvania (N = 1730). Interviewers inquired about participants' current alcohol consumption, using the CAGE and AUDIT-C scales, and health-related outcomes (general psychological distress, major depression, and self-reported health status). Analyses included demographic, military and nonmilitary stressful events, use of alcohol or drugs to cope post-deployment, use of psychiatric services, and personality characteristics as independent variables. Our sample was 95% male, 96% White, and had a mean age of 59 years old (SD = 12 years). Analyses included demographic, military and nonmilitary stressful events, use of alcohol or drugs to cope post-deployment, use of psychiatric services, and personality characteristics as independent variables. Our sample was 95% male, 96% White, and had a mean age of 59 years old (SD = 12 years). Analyses for our drinking measures show that those who used drugs or alcohol to cope post-deployment were more likely to be problematic drinkers, while positive personality characteristics such as agreeableness and conscientiousness were related to fewer drinking problems. Multivariate logistic regressions for our well-being measures found that alcohol misuse was not related to distress or depression, but that a positive score on the AUDIT-C was associated with a lower likelihood of poor self-rated health. Using alcohol or drugs to cope was related to higher distress. We conclude that service providers might consider using post-deployment AUDIT-C and the drugs and alcohol coping questions when screening for possible alcohol and mental health problems among veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babies who are exposed to cocaine in the womb may have developmental delays and learning difficulties as they grow older. This was the conclusion of researchers who followed 415 cocaine-exposed babies up to the age of two years., Context Maternal use of cocaine during pregnancy remains a significant public health problem, particularly in urban areas of the United States and among women of low socioeconomic status. Few longitudinal studies have examined cocaine-exposed infants, however, and findings are contradictory because of methodologic limitations. Objective To assess the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on child developmental outcomes. Design Longitudinal, prospective, masked, comparison birth cohort study with recruitment in 1994-1996. Setting Obstetric unit of a large US urban teaching hospital. Participants Four hundred fifteen consecutively enrolled infants (218 cocaine-exposed and 197 unexposed) identified from a high-risk, low-socioeconomic status, primarily black (80%) population screened through clinical interview and urine and meconium samples for drug use. The retention rate was 94% at 2 years of age. Main Outcome Measures The Bayley Mental and Motor Scales of Infant Development, assessed at 6.5, 12, and 24 months of corrected age. Results Controlled for confounding variables, cocaine exposure had significant effects on cognitive development, accounting for a 6-point deficit in Bayley Mental and Motor Scales of Infant Development scores at 2 years, with cocaine-exposed children twice as likely to have significant delay (mental development index Conclusions Cocaine-exposed children had significant cognitive deficits and a doubling of the rate of developmental delay during the first 2 years of life, Because 2-year outcomes are predictive of later cognitive outcomes, it is possible that these children will continue to have learning difficulties at school age.

Most people will not experience as much pain during a root canal treatment as they expect to experience, according to a study of 333 patients. Although 43% expected to have substantial pain, only 22% actually did. Young patients expected and experienced more pain than older patients.