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Purpose This is the first UK multi-centre case-controlled study with follow-up in excess of 10 years to report the neurocognitive, academic and psychological outcomes of individuals diagnosed with a brain tumour in early childhood. Children enrolled into the UKCCSG CNS 9204 trial, diagnosed with intracranial ependymoma when aged ≤ 36 months old, who received a primary chemotherapy strategy to defer or avoid radiotherapy, were recruited. Methods Outcomes of those who relapsed and subsequently received radiotherapy ( n  = 13) were compared to those enrolled who did not relapse ( n  = 16), age-matched controls—diagnosed with solid non-central nervous system (SN-CNS; n  = 15) tumours or low-grade posterior fossa pilocytic astrocytoma (PFPA; n  = 15), and normative data. Analyses compared nine neurocognitive outcomes as primary measures with quality of survival as secondary measures. Results Relapsed ependymoma participants performed significantly worse than their non-relapsed counterparts on measures of Full Scale IQ, Perceptual Reasoning, Word Reading and Numerical Operations. The relapsed ependymoma group performed significantly worse than SN-CNS controls on all primary measures, whereas non-relapsing participants only differed significantly from SN-CNS controls on measures of Processing Speed and General Memory. Relapsed ependymoma participants fared worse than all groups on measures of quality of survival. Conclusions The relapsed irradiated ependymoma group demonstrated the most significantly impaired neurocognitive outcomes at long-term follow-up. Non-relapsing participants demonstrated better outcomes than those who relapsed. Results tentatively suggest avoiding radiotherapy helped preserve neurocognitive and learning outcomes of individuals diagnosed with ependymoma when aged ≤ 36 months old. Prospective neurocognitive surveillance is required. Recommendations for clinical and research practice are provided.

Fetal exposure to maternal cancer during pregnancy with or without treatment did not have an adverse effect on cognitive, cardiac, or general development in early childhood. Fetal development is a complex process. At different stages of development, different aspects can be influenced by external factors (e.g., teratogenic drugs, alcohol, smoking, maternal stress, and altered nutrition). Among women in whom cancer is diagnosed during pregnancy, factors such as maternal illness, diagnostic tests, cancer treatment, and increased levels of maternal stress can negatively influence fetal development. Cancer treatment during pregnancy exposes the fetus to potentially toxic substances that influence cell division. Chemotherapeutic drugs can cross the placenta in varying amounts. 1 , 2 Data on fetal effects of maternal cancer treatment are based mainly on retrospective cohort studies. 3 – 6 From . . .

Mobile phones and other wireless devices that produce electromagnetic fields (EMF) and pulsed radiofrequency radiation (RFR) are widely documented to cause potentially harmful health impacts that can be detrimental to young people. New epigenetic studies are profiled in this review to account for some neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral changes due to exposure to wireless technologies. Symptoms of retarded memory, learning, cognition, attention, and behavioral problems have been reported in numerous studies and are similarly manifested in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, as a result of EMF and RFR exposures where both epigenetic drivers and genetic (DNA) damage are likely contributors. Technology benefits can be realized by adopting wired devices for education to avoid health risk and promote academic achievement.

Environmental light exposure plays a role in the entrainment of the infant circadian rhythm, which is crucial for growth and development. This scoping review aims to evaluate existing literature linking the role of light exposure in the development of the infant circadian rhythm. This scoping review is conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search strategy was conducted in a total of six databases (PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley) as of August 2024. Reviews, narrative studies, observational studies, and experimental studies published from 2012 to 2024 were extracted. These studies discussed the role of light exposure on the development of infant circadian rhythm. A total of 25 studies were retrieved (3 observational studies, 6 experimental studies, and 16 reviews). Evidence showed that cycled lighting is beneficial for the entrainment of the infant circadian rhythm according to the 24-h light–dark cycle. Cycled lighting improved nighttime sleep and daytime wakefulness, promoting optimum growth and development. Limited experimental studies were conducted due to the ethical considerations of infants as study participants. Conclusions : Given the benefits of cycled lighting in the development of the circadian rhythm development, it should be implemented in both healthcare and home settings to promote optimum growth and development of the infant.

Previous studies have demonstrated that a light-dark cycle has promoted better sleep development and weight gain in preterm infants than constant light or constant darkness. However, it was unknown whether brief light exposure at night for medical treatment and nursing care would compromise the benefits brought about by such a light-dark cycle. To examine such possibility, we developed a special red LED light with a wavelength of >675 nm which preterm infants cannot perceive. Preterm infants born at <36 weeks’ gestational age were randomly assigned for periodic exposure to either white or red LED light at night in a light-dark cycle after transfer from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the Growing Care Unit, used for supporting infants as they mature. Activity, nighttime crying and body weight were continuously monitored from enrolment until discharge. No significant difference in rest-activity patterns, nighttime crying, or weight gain was observed between control and experimental groups. The data indicate that nursing care conducted at 3 to 4-hour intervals exposing infants to light for <15 minutes does not prevent the infants from developing circadian rest-activity patterns, or proper body growth as long as the infants are exposed to regular light-dark cycles.

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) following high-dose chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for children with malignant or nonmalignant hematologic disorders has resulted in an increasing number of long-term disease-free survivors. The preparative regimens include high doses of alkylating agents, such as CY with or without BU, and may include TBI. These agents impact the neuroendocrine system in growing children and their subsequent growth and development. Children receiving high-dose CY or BUCY have normal thyroid function, but those who receive TBI-containing regimens may develop thyroid function abnormalities. Growth is not impacted by chemotherapy-only preparative regimens, but TBI is likely to result in growth hormone deficiency and decreased growth rates that need to be treated with synthetic growth hormone therapy. Children who receive high-dose CY-only have normal development through puberty, whereas those who receive BUCY have a high incidence of delayed pubertal development. Following fractionated TBI preparative regimens, approximately half of the patients have normal pubertal development. These data demonstrate that the growth and development problems after HCT are dependent upon the preparative regimen received. All children should be followed for years after HCT for detection of growth and development abnormalities that are treatable with appropriate hormone therapy.

Short stature is characteristic of Hurler syndrome, or mucopolysaccharidosis type IH (MPS IH). Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used to treat children with MPS IH. While HSCT corrects some of the metabolic features of MPS IH, its effects on growth are not well delineated. We investigated growth in patients with MPS IH after HSCT and described accompanying endocrine abnormalities. A cohort of 48 patients with MPS IH who had received HSCT between 1983 and 2005 were included. The prevalence of short stature (height <−2 s.d. score, SDS) before HSCT was 9%, and increased to 71% at last follow-up (6.9±5.1 years after HSCT). Short stature was positively associated with increased age at HSCT ( P =0.002) and TBI ( P =0.009). In total, 23% had growth hormone deficiency and/or low insulin-like growth factor-1, one female patient had premature adrenarche, one precocious puberty and 27% had clinical or subclinical hypothyroidism. Growth failure is highly prevalent in children with MPS IH after HSCT. Children who had no TBI exposure and were younger at the time of HSCT had a better height outcome.

Objective The aim of this study was to examine if prenatal use of cell phones by pregnant mothers is associated with developmental milestones delays among offspring up to 18 months of age. Methods Our work is based upon the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC), which recruited pregnant mothers from 1996–2002, and was initiated to collect a variety of detailed information regarding in utero exposures and various health outcomes. At the end of 2008, over 41000 singleton, live births had been followed with the Age-7 questionnaire, which collected cell-phone-use exposure for mothers during pregnancy. Outcomes for developmental milestones were obtained from telephone interviews completed by mothers at age 6- and 18-months postpartum. Results A logistic regression model estimated the odds ratios (OR) for developmental milestone delays, adjusted for potential confounders. Less than 5% of children at age 6 and 18 months had cognitive/language or motor developmental delays. At 6 months, the adjusted OR was 0.8 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.7–1.0] for cognitive/language delay and 0.9 (95% CI 0.8–1.1) for motor development delay. At 18 months, the adjusted OR were 1.1 (95% CI 0.9–1.3) and 0.9 (95% CI 0.8–1.0) for cognitive/language and motor development delay, respectively. Conclusions No evidence of an association between prenatal cell phone use and motor or cognitive/language developmental delays among infants at 6 and 18 months of age was observed. Even when considering dose–response associations for cell phone use, associations were null.

BACKGROUND:Recently, an association was reported between prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phones and neurobehavioral problems in children at the age of 7 years. METHODS:A birth cohort was established in Sabadell, Spain between 2004 and 2006. Mothers completed questions about cell phone use in week 32 of the pregnancy (n = 587). Neurodevelopment of their children was tested at age 14 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (n = 530). RESULTS:We observed only small differences in neurodevelopment scores between the offspring of cell phone users and nonusers. Those of users had higher mental development scores and lower psychomotor development scores, which may be due to unmeasured confounding. There was no trend with amount of cell phone use within users. CONCLUSION:This study gives little evidence for an adverse effect of maternal cell phone use during pregnancy on the early neurodevelopment of offspring.

Late effects of treatment in children diagnosed and treated for brain tumours in infancy is a major concern. Assessment of infants presenting with brain tumours is difficult and there is little information available regarding the development of infants prior to treatment and hence the impact of the tumour itself on developmental outcomes. To describe the development of children diagnosed with brain tumours in infancy and to document their cognitive and adaptive function at school entry. Infants were psychologically evaluated at the time of diagnosis of a brain tumour and during their fifth or sixth year in preparation for school entry. Children diagnosed with brain tumours in infancy display developmental delays in a number of areas of adaptive function. By the time these children are school age they display further compromise in cognitive and academic skills and adaptive behaviour. Higher levels of deficit at follow-up were associated with tumour location in the supratentorium, younger age at diagnosis and longer time since diagnosis. The effect of radiotherapy could not be determined because of differing degrees of developmental compromise in the treatment groups at baseline. Brain tumours in infancy confer a risk of poor developmental progress at the time of diagnosis. These children display additional compromise of development by the time they reach school age. Research protocols evaluating the impact of treatment in infants diagnosed with brain tumours need to take account of the developmental status of the child at diagnosis.