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Due to changing global circumstances in recent years, Iceland has experienced a sharp increase in forced migrant children, youth, and families seeking refuge. The aim of this doctoral thesis was to examine the migration experience of children and youth who claimed asylum in Iceland upon arrival and to explore psychosocial factors' role in their mental health post-migration. The study also examined participants' acculturation strategy preferences, their relationship to mental health outcomes, and whether there was support for the integration hypothesis in Iceland (i.e., integration is related to better mental health outcomes than marginalization). Two assessment interviews (including self-assessment measures) were conducted approximately eight months apart, with children and youth who fled to Iceland between 2016 and 2020. Seventy-five individuals ages 13 to 24 (M = 19.7, SD = 3.0, 67% male) participated during the first interview, while 43 participants (M = 20.16, SD = 3.1, 56% male) remained in the study and were interviewed a second time. The results presented in this thesis give valuable insight into the migration experience of forced migrant children and youth fleeing to Iceland. Study participants were, on average, exposed to numerous stressful life events (SLEs), some of which acted as push factors forcing them to leave their home countries. Low social support and traveling alone were related to greater vulnerability to SLEs exposure. Furthermore, SLEs experiences were related to an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, and externalizing symptoms). PTSD symptoms remained unchanged over two points in time. Still, higher levels of perceived social support from peers were related to less severity of PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, perceived parental social support was positively related to Icelandic language proficiency. Social support, particularly from peers, and fewer PTSD symptoms were also associated with greater mental well-being at time point two. Lastly, iv results support the integration hypothesis in Iceland as participants who favored integration showed the best mental health outcomes (i.e., fewer PTSD and depression symptoms), and those who preferred (or were forced to choose) marginalization showed the poorest mental health outcomes. These results highlight the importance of social support for a positive migration experience, adaptation process, and mental health and well-being of forced migrant children and youth in Iceland. They also demonstrate that the migration experience of these children and youth is a dynamic process involving a confluence of factors occurring during pre-migration, flight, and post-migration, which can impact their lives and mental health. Lastly, they provide needed knowledge on a field of study that has not yet been thoroughly explored in Iceland., Breyttar aðstæður í heiminum á undanförnum árum hafa valdið því að fjöldi barna, ungmenna og fjölskyldna sem leita skjóls á Íslandi fer vaxandi. Markmið þessarar doktorsrannsóknar var að kanna upplifun barna og ungmenna af því að flytja búferlum til Íslands og sækja þar um alþjóðlega vernd ásamt því að kanna áhrif sálfélagslegra þátta á geðheilsu þeirra eftir flutning. Í rannsókninni voru einnig kannaðar þær aðferðir sem þátttakendur kusu til að aðlagast menningu landsins, samspili aðferðanna við geðheilsu þátttakenda og hvort stuðningur væri fyrir samþættingartilgátunni á Íslandi (þ.e. að samþætting hafi jákvæðari áhrif á geðheilsu en jaðarsetning). Tvö matsviðtöl (ásamt fyrirlagningu sjálfsmatskvarða) voru tekin með átta mánaða millibili við börn og ungmenni sem fluttu búferlum til Íslands og sóttu um alþjóðlega vernd á árunum frá 2016 til 2020. Sjötíu og fimm einstaklingar á aldrinum 13 til 24 ára (M = 19,7, SF = 3,0, 67% karlar) tóku þátt í fyrsta viðtalinu en 43 þátttakendur (M = 20,16, SF = 3,1, 56% karlar) héldu áfram í rannsókninni og tóku þátt í seinna viðtalinu. Niðurstöðurnar sem kynntar eru í þessari ritgerð gefa innsýn í upplifun þeirra barna og ungmenna sem leita skjóls á Íslandi. Þátttakendur rannsóknarinnar upplifðu að meðaltali fjölmarga streituvaldandi atburði sem sumir hverjir ollu því að þátttakendur neyddust til að yfirgefa heimkynni sín. Þau sem fengu lítinn félagslegan stuðning eða ferðuðust ein til Íslands voru líklegri til að upplifa streituvaldandi atburði. Ennfremur tengdist streituvaldandi reynsla auknum líkum á að greina frá einkennum áfallastreitu og sálrænna einkenna (t.d. kvíða, þunglyndis og hegðunarvanda). Einkenni áfallastreitu héldust óbreytt á milli þeirra tveggja matsviðtala sem tekin voru. Engu að síður tengdist aukinn félagslegur stuðningur frá jafnöldrum færri einkennum áfallastreitu. Að auki hafði félagslegur stuðningur foreldra jákvæð áhrif á íslenskukunnáttu barna og ungmenna. Félagslegur stuðningur, sérstaklega frá jafnöldrum, og færri einkenni áfallastreitu voru einnig vi tengd betri andlegri vellíðan á tímapunkti tvö. Að lokum styðja niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar við samþættingartilgátuna á Íslandi þar sem geðheilsa þátttakenda sem voru hlynnt samþættingu var betri (þ.e. færri einkenni áfallastreitu og þunglyndis) en þeirra sem kusu (eða voru neydd til að velja) jaðarsetningu. Þessar niðurstöður sýna mikilvægi félagslegs stuðnings fyrir jákvæða upplifun af fólksflutningum, aðlögunarferlinu og fyrir geðheilsu og vellíðan þeirra barna og ungmenna sem neyðast til að leita skjóls á Íslandi. Niðurstöðurnar sýna einnig að reynsla þessara barna og ungmenna af búferlaflutningum er síbreytilegt ferli sem felur í sér samspil ýmissa þátta sem eiga sér stað fyrir fólksflutninga, á flóttanum og eftir fólksflutninga, og allir þessir þættir geta haft áhrif á líf þeirra og geðheilsu. Loks veita niðurstöðurnar nauðsynlega þekkingu á fræðasviði sem ekki hefur enn verið kannað til hlítar á Íslandi., Rannís Doctoral Grant (grant number: 217521-051, case number: 2008-0071). The study also received funding from the Icelandic Development Fund for Immigrant Affairs, financed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

Den seneste uges varmeste politiske emne har været børn og digitale medier

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. The primary aim of this study is to examine whether bursting interhemispheric synchrony (bIHS) in the first week of life of infants born extremely preterm, is associated with microstructural development of the corpus callosum (CC) on term equivalent age magnetic resonance imaging scans. The secondary aim is to address the effects of analgesics such as morphine, on bIHS in extremely preterm infants. A total of 25 extremely preterm infants (gestational age [GA] < 28 weeks) were monitored with the continuous two-channel EEG during the first 72 h and after 1 week from birth. bIHS was analyzed using the activation synchrony index (ASI) algorithm. Microstructural development of the CC was assessed at ~ 30 and ~ 40 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA) using fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess the primary and secondary aim. Analyses were adjusted for important clinical confounders: morphine, birth weight z-score, and white matter injury score. Due to the reduced sample size, only the most relevant variables, according to literature, were included. ASI was not significantly associated with FA of the CC at 30 weeks PMA and at 40 weeks PMA (p >.5). ASI was positively associated with the administration of morphine (p

A few years ago Westinghouse innovations in PWR technology resulted in a proposal for a new type of integral fuel burnable absorbers containing Gadolinium. Preliminary designs of loading patterns for NPP Krško were made for 18 month fuel cycles with standard VANTAGE+ fuel type containing Integral Fuel Burnable Absorbers (IFBA) with enriched Boron, as well as newly proposed Gadolinium based absorbers. In this paper we investigate the possibility to design 24 month cycle for the NPP Krško with VANTAGE+ fuel type and Gadolinium based integral absorbers. The key fuel cycle parameters are compared to the one based on IFBAs. The analysis is performed by the latest version of FUMACS code package capable of simulating Gadolinium based integral fuel burnable absorbers.

BACKGROUND The role of race within tribal communities is a contentious topic, and some of this acrimony emerged from 19th-century Indian policies rooted in scientific racism. There has been relatively little written on the role of intermarriage within indigenous communities. METHODS We link household data from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century to individual two-generational family trees located in legal documents to investigate the link between personal property and whether a household head had white ancestry. RESULTS We find that the racial gap in property does not follow simple racial hierarchies but rather depends on the gender of the household head. However, once selection into intermarriage is accounted for, the racial gap in property from intermarriage is eliminated. In fact, households containing a male head with close white ancestors held less property than households containing a male head without white ancestry. CONTRIBUTION Understanding who chose to intermarry and how intermarriages impacted the economic status of both families and their children as adults can provide key insights into understanding racial inequality today. Published version

"Vi kunne måske drømme om, at mobiltelefoner og apps ikke var en del af børne- og ungelivet, men det er ikke realistisk. Og derfor er det især ærgerligt, at der kun i meget lille grad er plads til børn og unges egne stemmer i den aktuelle debat," skriver lektor og ph.d. på Center for Børns Litteratur og Medier ved Aarhus Universitet

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In infants born very preterm, monitoring of early brain growth could contribute to prediction of later neurodevelopment. Therefore, our aim was to investigate associations between 2 early cranial ultrasound markers (corpus callosum-fastigium and corpus callosum length) and neurodevelopmental outcome and the added value of both markers in the prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome based on neonatal risk factors and head circumference in very preterm infants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective observational study included 225 infants born at,30 weeks' gestational age, of whom 153 were without any brain injury on cranial ultrasound. Corpus callosum-fastigium and corpus callosum length and head circumference were measured at birth, 29 weeks' gestational age, transfer from the neonatal intensive care unit to a level II hospital, and 2 months' corrected age. We analyzed associations of brain markers and their growth with cognitive, motor, language, and behavioral outcome at 2 years' corrected age. RESULTS: In infants without brain injury, greater corpus callosum-fastigium length at 2 months was associated with better cognitive outcome. Corpus callosum length at 2 months was positively associated with cognitive, motor, and language outcome. Faster growth of the corpus callosum length between birth and 2 months was associated with better cognitive and motor function. Prediction of neurodevelopmental outcome based on neonatal risk factors with or without head circumference was significantly improved by adding corpus callosum length. CONCLUSIONS: Both corpus callosum-fastigium and corpus callosum length on cranial ultrasound are associated with neurodevelopmental outcome of very preterm infants without brain injury at 2 years, but only corpus callosum length shows the added clinical utility in predicting neurodevelopmental outcome.

BackgroundThe most common alternatives in feeding preterm infants are bottle feeding and cup feeding. However, there is no clear and precise clinical evidence to show the superiority of a single method. New studies are needed to eliminate confusion on this subject.AimThe effects of oral feeding methods on the transition to direct-breastfeeding and length of stay in preterm infants.MethodsThis retrospective study was carried out in a single NICU. Data was collected from the digital records and explored the effects of bottle feeding and cup feeding. One hundred fifty-eight preterm infants (30–34 weeks) met the inclusion criteria. Seventy-eight of them were bottle-fed, and eighty of them were cup-fed.ResultsStatistical analysis (Mann-Whitney U test and t-test) has shown that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (bottle & cup) in terms of transition to direct-breastfeeding and length of hospital stay (p > .05).ConclusionsAs a result of the current study, both feeding methods are equally effective and can be used as alternative oral feeding methods.

Young children's practices with tablet computers has been a topic in parenting discourses for several years, drawing on earlier debates over technologies and media in children's lives. In this article, I analyse data from a video observation–based media ethnography of seven Danish children (aged 4–6) and engage with the research tradition attributed to parental mediation. The analysis suggests two major paths in the struggles that stand out from the discourses and in situ practices of parents and children in the empirical data. These paths encompass struggles in relation to supporting and directing children's play activities and setting boundaries in their use of tablets and content. The nuances and implications of both paths are analysed and discussed in terms of strategies that emerge to support children's agency and rapport with parents, as well as what this means for future research.

© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd., Background: Acute gastroenteritis poses a significant burden on young children, families, health care facilities and societies. Rotavirus is the most common pathogen, but rotavirus infections are vaccine preventable. Information on the epidemiology of gastroenteritis in Icelandic children has until now not been available and rotavirus vaccination is currently not offered to Icelandic infants. The objective of this study was to assess the burden of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis in young children in Iceland and determine the potential benefit of adding rotavirus vaccine to the Icelandic childhood immunization schedule. Methods: For a two-year period, children < 6 years old attending a children’s emergency department for acute gastroenteritis were recruited at the Children’s Hospital in Reykjavík, Iceland. Demographic information and Vesikari scores were registered. Stool samples were analyzed for pathogens. Duration of symptoms, treatment given, and secondary household infections were among the collected information. Annual cost of the infections in young children was estimated based on health care expenditures and lost days of parental work. Results: 325 children were included in the study, 75% of which were 24 months old. A pathogen was identified in 80% of cases, of which rotavirus was identified in 54%. Rotavirus caused a more severe disease than other pathogens, more often leading to fluid treatment in the emergency department and admissions. Median duration of rotavirus-illness was six days and caused a median of four days lost from work by parents. The estimated annual cost of rotavirus acute gastroenteritis was €2.9 million. Conclusions: Rotavirus causes significant disease burden in young children. Although rarely lifethreatening in high income countries, the costs for society are substantial. The inclusion of rotavirus vaccine in the national immunization schedule will reduce the disease burden and would be cost-saving in Iceland., RANNÍS

The total uptake of prenatal aneuploidy screening for Down syndrome (DS) is increasing worldwide. As a result of increasing prenatal diagnosis of DS and subsequent termination of pregnancy, livebirth prevalence of DS is decreasing. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of an increasing uptake of prenatal aneuploidy screening on the neonatal mortality and morbidity in DS. This is a retrospective cohort study of 253 neonates with DS born between 2012 and 2018 that were seen at the outpatient clinic of five hospitals in the Netherlands. The medical files were reviewed for maternal and neonatal characteristics and neonatal morbidities. The Dutch national birth registry (Perined) provided mortality numbers of neonates with DS. The results were interpreted in the context of other published studies. Neonatal mortality in DS remained stable, ranging from 1.4 to 3.6%. A congenital heart defect (CHD) was found in 138 of the 251 neonates (55.0%) with atrial septal defect, atrioventricular septal defect, and ventricular septal defect being the most common. The type of CHD in DS did not change over time. Gastro-intestinal defects were present in 22 of the 252 neonates with DS (8.7%), with duodenal atresia as the most reported anomaly. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate (PPHN) was found in 31 of the 251 infants (12.4%). Conclusions: Although uptake of prenatal aneuploidy screening increased, neonatal mortality and morbidity in DS appears to be stable. An increased incidence of PPHN was found. What is Known:• The total uptake of prenatal aneuploidy screening for Down syndrome is increasing worldwide.• As a result of increasing prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome and subsequent termination of pregnancy, the livebirth prevalence of Down syndrome is decreasing. What is New:• Although uptake of prenatal aneuploidy screening increased, neonatal mortality and morbidity in Down syndrome appears to be stable.• An increased incidence of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate was found.

Background: Children and adults born very low birthweight (VLBW

Dans les quinze dernieres annees, la recherche sur les signes precoces du trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA) a evolue, passant de modeles retrospectifs a des etudes longitudinales prospectives d’enfants presentant un risque eleve de developper un TSA. Alors qu’au depart, les etudes se concentraient presque exclusivement sur les freres et sœurs ayant un aine atteint de TSA, d’autres populations, en premier lieu les bebes tres prematures, sont de plus en plus examinees. Les principaux objectifs sont l’identification des marqueurs precoces et des trajectoires neurodeveloppementales des TSA afin d’ameliorer la fiabilite du diagnostic et des interventions. Dans cet article, quelques decouvertes initiales de nos recherches en cours a l’universite de Gand sont presentees, qui peuvent etre considerees comme des pistes prometteuses pour de futurs travaux. Nous soutenons cependant que des projets transdisciplinaires multi-sites a grande echelle au niveau national et international sont clairement necessaires pour realiser des progres substantiels dans ce domaine. Dans le meme temps, une attention particuliere aux preoccupations et aux dilemmes ethiques sont extremement importants.

Background Spasticity is present in more than 80% of the population with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to describe and compare the use of three spasticity reducing methods; Botulinum toxin-A therapy (BTX-A), Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) and Intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB) among children and adolescents with CP in six northern European countries. Methods This registry-based study included population-based data in children and adolescents with CP born 2002 to 2017 and recorded in the follow-up programs for CP in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Scotland, and a defined cohort in Finland. Results A total of 8,817 individuals were included. The proportion of individuals treated with SDR and ITB was significantly different between the countries. SDR treatment ranged from 0% ( Finland and Iceland) to 3.4% (Scotland) and ITB treatment from 2.2% (Sweden) to 3.7% (Denmark and Scotland). BTX-A treatment in the lower extremities reported 2017–2018 ranged from 8.6% in Denmark to 20% in Norway (p p p p Conclusion There were statistically significant differences between countries regarding the proportion of children and adolescents with CP treated with the three spasticity reducing methods, mean age for treatment and treatment related to GMFCS level. This is likely due to differences in the availability of these treatment methods and/or differences in preferences of treatment methods among professionals and possibly patients across countries.

IMPORTANCE People conceived using assisted reproductive technology (ART) make up anincreasing proportion of the world’s population.OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of ART conception with offspring growth and adiposityfrom infancy to early adulthood in a large multicohort study.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study used a prespecified coordinated analysisacross 26 European, Asia-Pacific, and North American population-based cohort studies that includedpeople born between 1984 and 2018, with mean ages at assessment of growth and adiposityoutcomes from 0.6 months to 27.4 years. Data were analyzed between November 2019 andFebruary 2022.EXPOSURES Conception by ART (mostly in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, andembryo transfer) vs natural conception (NC; without any medically assisted reproduction).MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The main outcomes were length / height, weight, and bodymass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). Each cohortwas analyzed separately with adjustment for maternal BMI, age, smoking, education, parity, andethnicity and offspring sex and age. Results were combined in random effects meta-analysis for 13age groups.RESULTS Up to 158 066 offspring (4329 conceived by ART) were included in each age-group metaanalysis, with between 47.6% to 60.6% females in each cohort. Compared with offspring who wereNC, offspring conceived via ART were shorter, lighter, and thinner from infancy to early adolescence,with differences largest at the youngest ages and attenuating with older child age. For example,adjusted mean differences in offspring weight were −0.27 (95% CI, −0.39 to −0.16) SD units at ageyounger than 3 months, −0.16 (95% CI, −0.22 to −0.09) SD units at age 17 to 23 months, −0.07 (95%CI, −0.10 to −0.04) SD units at age 6 to 9 years, and −0.02 (95% CI, −0.15 to 0.12) SD units at age 14to 17 years. Smaller offspring size was limited to individuals conceived by fresh but not frozen embryotransfer compared with those who were NC (eg, difference in weight at age 4 to 5 years was −0.14[95% CI, −0.20 to −0.07] SD units for fresh embryo transfer vs NC and 0.00 [95% CI, −0.15 to 0.15SD units for frozen embryo transfer vs NC). More marked differences were seen for body fatmeasurements, and there was imprecise evidence that offspring conceived by ART developedgreater adiposity by early adulthood (eg, ART vs NC difference in fat mass index at age older than 17years: 0.23 [95% CI, −0.04 to 0.50] SD units).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that people conceiving or conceived byART can be reassured that differences in early growth and adiposity are small and no longer evidentby late adolescence

Background: Associations between lexical processing and lexical development during the second year of life have been little studied in preterm children. Aims: To evaluate associations between lexical processing at 18 months and lexical development between 12 and 18 months in very preterm children. Study design: Correlational study. Subjects: 25 Finnish-speaking children born