Search

We present new estimates of the internal rate of return to early childhood education. Utilizing the nationwide expansion of preschool education in Japan between 1960 and 1980, we initially assess the impact of preschool attendance on high school graduation and college enrollment for men. Subsequently, we compute the social rate of return to preschool attendance for men by drawing upon national wage statistics to project expected wage trajectories and referencing government documents to account for the social cost of preschools. Our findings indicate a social rate of return ranging from 5.7% to 8.1%, consistent with previous estimates in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• About 40% of two-dose vaccinated nursery school children became ill with varicella. • Outbreaks at nursery schools might be transmitted from older students, perhaps siblings. • Vaccine effectiveness in the nursery school for more than one dose was not confirmed. • Vaccination using one dose or more can reduce severity significantly. In Japan, routine administration to one-year-old children of two-dose immunization for varicella was introduced in October 2014. Object The object of this study was to report outbreaks of varicella under routine immunization at a nursery school and in its surrounding area using data of surrounding areas from the (Nursery) School Absenteeism Surveillance System. Then, we measured the effectiveness of routine two-dose immunization for varicella to onset. We tentatively assessed its severity in a nursery school. The study period extended from April 2017 through March 2018. The study area comprised Nursery school B and other nursery schools, and elementary and junior high schools in City A. Subjects in Nursery school B were 120 children. We analyzed vaccine effectiveness (VE) as an observational study and assessed severity using Fisher's exact test. We also assessed VE for severity using linear regression. Severity was defined as the length of nursery school absence attributable to varicella infection. During the one month preceding a period of two weeks before the initial case at Nursery school B, there were 16 cases of varicella infection in nursery schools, 45 cases in elementary schools, and one case in junior high schools in City A. For children who had received one vaccine dose or more, VE was 48.1% for all ages and 49.2% among children three years old and older. No significant VE against infection was found. Vaccination using one dose or more can reduce severity significantly. Discussion and conclusion: Because many nursery school children who had received two doses of vaccine were infected, VE was estimated as low in the nursery school and not significant. Although VE for severity with more than one dose was confirmed, a second dose might not reduce severity compared to one dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In daycare centers, infants come in close contact with each other, and contact, droplet, and mouth-to-mouth infections may occur owing to sharing of toys. Additional effective disinfection methods should be considered aside from wiping with disinfectants—including alcohol or sodium hypochlorite solution—for environmental disinfection of daycare centers. We aimed to examine the usefulness of hypochlorous acid water atomization in the effective disinfection of the classroom environment and toys at a nursery school. Environmental cultures of the nursery and toys were prepared to evaluate the species and bacterial load and to assess the contaminated areas. Staphylococcus aureus petri dishes were placed at high-frequency contact sites, and hypochlorous acid water was atomized to achieve a 0.03-ppm atmospheric chlorine concentration. After the atomization, the amount of S. aureus bacteria on the Petri dish and the changes in bacterial count isolated from the environment and toys were evaluated. Hypochlorous acid water atomization was performed for 5 h to avoid condensation. After a 3-h atomization, ≥99.99% of S. aureus was eliminated on petri dishes; furthermore, a significant disinfection effect was observed on environmental bacteria at least 1 h after atomization. For rubber and textile toys, the significant disinfection effect was observed 1 h after atomization, and for plastic toys, the effect was observed 3 h after atomization. Hypochlorous acid water atomization is a useful strategy to disinfect nursery school classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nursery School Absenteeism Surveillance System (NSASSy), which includes 40% of all nursery schools in Japan, has a degree of effectiveness that is difficult to prove: nursery schools and areas without NSASSy cannot be evaluated for their incidence of infectious diseases as precisely as those with NSASSy. Instead, we examine nursery school countermeasures against infectious diseases by considering the endogeneity bias of NSASSy. After sending questionnaires to 500 Tokyo metropolitan and nearby nursery schools in November 2022, we received their responses through the end of 2022. Questionnaires asked about infection control measures of nursery schools: (1) cooperation with public health centers; (2) cooperation with staff; (3) cooperation with children's parents; (4) precautions among children; (5) countermeasure systems; (6) precaution systems; (7) recording of health conditions of children; (8) usefulness of studying while students; and (9) usefulness of training at nursery schools. Ordered probit with inverse probability weighted adjustment was used as the estimation procedure. The explanatory variable was a dummy variable for using NSASSy. Probability in weight was estimated using the first-step probit for NSASSy. Explanatory variables were a dummy variable for publicly funded nursery schools and a dummy variable for local governments that had adopted NSASSy. We analyzed 193 nursery schools. NSASSy was negative and associated significantly with (3) cooperation with children's parents and (7) recording of health conditions of children. These countermeasures were more likely to have been taken by NSASSy nursery schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the epidemic of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, nosocomial transmissions from healthcare workers (HCWs) to patients occur frequently. The influence of COVID-19 on hospitalized patients from nursing schools affiliated with the hospitals is a concern but it had not been well studied. We here describe COVID-19 outbreaks at the nursery school affiliated with an acute-care hospital, during the surges of the Omicron variants on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 children as well as for the patients who were judged to be the close contacts of patients of COVID-19 by contact investigation by PCR testing. A total of 36 children and five caregivers were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the study period. Of the 206 preschoolers who had close contact with the infected persons, only 16 became positive (7.6%). Secondary transmission from the 36 preschool children to the parents as HCWs occurred in 19 (61%) out of 31 parents. Three hospitalized patients were judged to have unsafe contact with the infected HCWs but this did not result in their infections, making a total of zero transmission from the nursery school to the hospital. Children at the nursery school are potential reservoirs for nosocomial transmissions at the affiliated hospital, but multiple practical measures might have prevented them to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing children to become the Rabbani, or godly, generation is the parents' choice when educating their children. In Indonesia, children are seen as an investment in the nation, state and religion as they will become the generation to change civilisation for the better. Through gardening education in nursery school, it is hoped that children's monotheism and cognitive, psychomotor and affective development will be achieved. This article offers a service-learning program, developed with the aid of agricultural science and early childhood university education, and partnered with a large social charity, Muhammadiyah. Methods used in this program are group discussion forums, gardening education for class teachers and class action by students in the class. The program involves 60 students aged six at a nursery school, Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal, in East Java Province, Indonesia. This program is important as it involves measurable assessment of the educational model, learning tool requirements, methods of delivery and evaluation of activities. The program and results shared here demonstrate that gardening education can be accomplished at the nursery school level. Gardening tools are needed, but can be modified to suit this age group. Gardening education for these young children is conducted in accordance with pre-prepared lesson plans. Multilevel learning methods, ranging from reading books, telling stories and watching documentaries to practising and reflecting on gardening activities, are part of the success of this type of gardening education. School support for the implementation of this program markedly determined its success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals who visit hospitals with neurodevelopmental disorders have recently increased. To locate the cause for this increase, various factors, such as environmental and genetic ones, are being investigated. The objective of this study is to analyze the developmental delay in children and their background. The participants were children who underwent the checkup for 18-month-old children in Togane city, Japan, from 2011 to 2021; 4,145 children—2,147 boys and 1,998 girls with a mean age of 18.8 months—were included. To examine the tendency over time and the background, we used the questionnaire about development and lifestyle reported by parents. The number of children who did not produce pointing gestures or respond to their names and low-volume sounds tended to increase over the survey period (p = 0.0125, p = 0.0435, p = 0.0275). Next, we examined the relationship between pointing gestures and lifestyle and found that there was a relationship between attending a nursery school and bedtime and pointing gestures. A slow developmental trend over the last decade has been observed among children. The background was related to attending a nursery school and bedtime, suggesting that interaction with others and sleep are important for the development of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational practice, where children and older adults come together for shared activities, has grown in popularity in many Western countries. However, research about intergenerational practice, particularly in the UK, is limited. This paper reports on the findings from an exploratory case study about a small intergenerational project between a maintained nursery school and a residential care home for older adults with dementia in the South-East of England. The methodology was informed by a narrative dialogic approach drawing on the work of Bakhtin. Data was collected using naturalistic observations of children's weekly visits to the care home and qualitative interviews with nursery school practitioners. The analysis explores how meaningful interactions were created between the children, the older adults, and the nursery school practitioners. Our findings suggest that singing, unstructured moments, continuity, context (open spaces/flexible sessions), and objects contribute to meaningful interactions between young children and older adults. The ability to be flexible and "go with the moment" were identified as key skills for practitioners supporting children and older adults. We conclude that intergenerational projects afford benefits not just for children and older adults, but also for practitioners in the form of "emotional rewards". The importance of re-establishing intergenerational practice is recognised, as well as the ways in which barriers created by social distancing might safely be addressed through the use of outdoor spaces and digital technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess the perception of families, having children attending nursery school, about learning mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs) in times of COVID-19. Data is gathered by using an opinion questionnaire on family habits. The sample corresponds to 261 families of children ages 4 to 5 years old who participate on virtual classes at 38 educational institutions in the Province of Concepción (Chile). The results show that families acknowledge learning achievements mediated by ICTs. They also recognize the importance of ICTs' educational role in a virtual context. However, families state that they lack sufficient time and technological skills to support their children's learning at home. It is concluded that the families surveyed have a favorable perception of their children's learning through virtual education, but there is evidence that they face challenges to connect to the Internet, which affects achieving a consistent contribution in their children's educational processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, research in phraseology has been developing around large oral corpus and, for example, proposes to examine the prefabricated sentences of interactions. These studies explore prefabrication in the context of oral interactions. This phraseological research has also led to the recent development of phraseology in the second language. However, there is less investigation and didactic proposals relating to the learning of preformed units in the first language. This contribution therefore intends to focus on the uses of prefabricated phrases of interactions by young native speakers, in order to contribute to the development of thoughts on the acquisition of phraseologisms in the first language. The oral corpus on which the proposals of the article are based consists of the interactions of 20 pupils of the nursery school (5–6 years old) in two types of discursive situations in order to know if the typical prefabricated sentences of each of these types can be mobilized from this age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Playing is one of the main approaches in the teaching process in early childhood, being advocated by several authors with authority on the subject, such as Vygotsky, Piaget, Kishimoto, Montessori, and described by the Common National Curricular Base as one of the rights to learning and development of the child. This study aimed to identify the vision of play as a practice used by early childhood educators from different countries. The methodology used was the Scoping Review, with a search in five databases, totaling 19 selected articles. The contributions of the articles were relevant in demonstrating that play as a practice in early childhood education is not completely widespread, and is not yet valued for its benefits in the child's learning process and in teacher formation, and the application of pedagogical practices still does not look at play as an essential focus for preschool curricular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our rapidly globalising society, already acquiring multiple languages at preschool age is becoming increasingly important, as it creates more opportunities for children to socialise with others and widens their pool of potential educational institutions and jobs. One of the most widespread opportunities for learning a second language is language immersion, which has been used in Estonian kindergartens to teach Estonian as a second language since 2003. In order to offer equal opportunities to children whose first language is Estonian and to those for whom it is Russian, in autumn 2015, the first two-way language immersion (TWI) groups were launched in Estonia, where learning activities are conducted in both Estonian and Russian. There are two teachers in these groups: one teaches the children in Estonian and the other in Russian. TWI programmes are aimed at minority- and majority-language students. Studies of children's academic achievements (Genesee, 1983; Thomas & Collier, 2002) show that children in TWI programmes outperform their peers. Marian, Shook and Schroeder (2013) state that since the aim of TWI programmes is to support the academic achievement of students regardless of the language, TWI is used as a means of shaping the view of the world and developing the knowledge and skills of both minority- and majority-language students. It is also pointed out that the ability to communicate in two languages and with a larger group of people is an advantage in an increasingly globalised world. Language immersion should, therefore, be implemented even more in the field of education (Marian, Shook & Schroeder, 2013). The parent is a key partner in supporting the development of the communication and language skills of the child in co-operation with the nursery school. According to Craig (1996), studies show that the support of the parents whose children are in these groups has been a key factor in the wider spread of TWI programmes. López (2013) claims that the methods of TWI should be introduced to parents so that they are aware of the available options and can expose their child to a bilingual learning environment if they so wish. Parents who are aware of the programme can also initiate the creation of new TWI groups by passing their knowledge, experience and expectations on to local governments and other concerned authorities. In preschool education, it is essential to promote the availability of highquality education in Estonian to all children and to ensure this opportunity is available to all children whose home language is not Estonian. It is also important, from an early age, to enable Estonians to learn other languages and provide all children with an equal opportunity to learn about other cultures and establish friendships with other nationalities. TWI is well-suited to achieving these objectives. However, since the programme has only been implemented in Estonia for a few years, it is important to receive feedback from different parties in the programme with regard to their expectations, experiences, and improvement proposals to maximise the full potential of the programme. In this article, we focused on the feedback received from a written survey filled out by the parents whose children were in the first four TWI groups, with the objective of providing an overview of the parents' expectations, experiences and evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme based on the language spoken with the child at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursery schools and (full-time and part-time) parental leave are key resources used to ensure the work and family balance of Spanish families. This work examines how the use of unpaid parental leave influences nursery school attendance during the first three years of the child's life. Data from a 2012 survey on parental leave in Spain was used. Three multivariate logistic regression models were created to analyze factors associated with nursery school attendance. The results suggest that part-time parental leave has a positive relationship with nursery school attendance, revealing a relationship of complementarity; on the other hand, it is suggested that full-time parental leave is used as a substitute for nursery school attendance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of interprofessional collaboration in the identification and reporting of a child in need. Such collaboration is especially important in the context of the global pandemic caused by the novel Coronavirus disease of 2019, known as COVID-19. The child protection system must have the capacity and resources to respond to increased demands during this time, and early childhood educators serve as an essential link for child protective services in identifying and reporting a child in need. As an effective system to accomplish these two aims requires a working collaboration among its participants, Bronstein's interdisciplinary collaboration model was used as a framework to interpret this practice. A small-scale qualitative study was conducted that included principals of nursery schools and child protection workers from one region in Estonia. Findings indicate that effective collaboration was believed to require communication and ongoing systematic relationship building. Collaboration in practice varied, as principals reported a high turnover rate for the child protection workers, which hindered the development of a working relationship and support for the process of noticing and thereby identifying a child in need. In contrast, child protection workers assessed collaboration more positively, recognizing the need to have a supportive system in place for nursery schools. Both groups of collaborators acknowledged the need to train teachers, particularly to conduct joint training exercises to foster a common understanding of the child in need and of the intervention process itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young children's mathematics abilities may be divided between symbolic and non‐symbolic skills. Lower performance of SES disadvantaged versus advantaged children has already been established in symbolic math. Aim: This study aimed to verify the effect of children's SES category on non‐symbolic mathematical (numerical) performance. Sample: The main sample comprises 4,955 children from the French longitudinal study, ELFE, tested when they were in the nursery school (4‐ to 5‐year‐olds). Method: The distinction between symbolic and non‐symbolic math skills based on the specific math assessment items used in the present study was verified on a larger sample. The SES‐related difference in non‐symbolic math skills was then examined in the ELFE sample only. Results: The children's performance in non‐symbolic maths is significantly and almost as strongly correlated with their family's income and their mother's level of education as their performances in symbolic maths. Linear regression mixed‐effects modelling shows that the score in non‐symbolic maths (out of 100) of children from families with below median income is 3.8 points lower than that of their peers from families with above median income. Conclusion: Children from disadvantaged SES backgrounds perform significantly lower than those from advantaged backgrounds in non‐symbolic maths. Even if non‐symbolic math skills retain an educational interest, they should not reduce the importance of symbolic math skills in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the incidence of early childhood caries (ECC) and factors of the daytime childcare environment among toddlers in a rural area of Japan.Material and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Data collected from 2011 to 2015 were obtained for initially caries-free, 18-month-old toddlers (N = 640). Dentists recorded the numbers of decayed, missing and filled teeth (caries incidence) of toddlers at baseline (age 18 months) and follow-up (age 3 years). In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted on guardians at baseline to record data on lifestyle.Results: In total, 159 (24.8%) toddlers had newly identified ECC at follow-up. Logistic regression analyses indicated that the incidence of ECC was significantly associated with receiving daytime care at a nursery school (odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.30; p = .029), prolonged breastfeeding (OR, 1.71; 95%CI, 1.15-2.55; p = .008), and snacking ≥3 times a day (OR, 2.39; 95%CI, 1.53-3.74; p < .001).Conclusion: These findings suggest that receiving daytime care at a nursery school, prolonged breastfeeding, and frequent snacking are associated with an increased risk of ECC among Japanese toddlers in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The actions carried out by children are a mechanism that enables them to come into contact with their environment, assimilating it, acting on it, and thereby transforming it. From this perspective, an exploratory study has been designed to analyse the actions carried out by 87 children aged 1–3 years old in two task-situations involving the manipulation of materials. These actions have been linked to the acquisition of early informal mathematics knowledge according to gender, the type of action and age. The results show that there are no differences in relation to gender and that the types of actions appear in a gradual way, depending on the type of contents and the children's age: actions related to sensory qualities and numbers and operations are the most common; actions related to positions and forms appear around age 2, and actions associated with measurable attributes appear from approximately 3 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has revealed the importance of preventing violence from early childhood. Some quantitative analyses have studied the persistence of being an aggressor throughout the different educational stages and its relationship with criminal behavior in youth and adulthood. However, there is a need for qualitative methodologies that deepen the impact of preventive actions from early childhood. Dialogic teacher training (DTT) is based on reading and discussing scientific evidences based on egalitarian dialogue, and it helps educators implement only successful actions in schools. The dialogues and reflections with two experienced educators in an urban nursery that implements DTT are presented, through which the impact of this action on their practice is evaluated. As a result, it is identified that educators have modified their practices in relation to the situations of aggression that occurred in their nursery, achieving a zero-violence climate perceived by educators, families, and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intestinal parasites determined by the helminths and protozoa accompany and characterize the underdevelopment of the populations. They are common in the suburbs of large cities and rural areas, especially in school and nursery school aged children. This study had as objective to carry out coproparasitological and epidemiological survey in children from 0 to 6 years old in the Public Nursery school Napoleão Nunes in the district of Dom Corrêa, municipality of Manhuaçu, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We submitted the students a parasitological survey and to their parents or guardians; they answered too an epidemiological questionnaire. Were performed the parasitological analysis using the spontaneous sedimentation technique (HPJ). Three (11.0%) from the 27 (58.7%) analyzed samples were positive for Giardia lamblia. There was a slight prevalence of intestinal parasites, what, according to the questionnaire responses, can be justified by the strong hygienic mindset that the nursery school professionals have with the facilities. We considered that the good hygiene practices with the children a significant factor in the prevention of health problems, what decreases the risk of infection. Parasitological surveys of this nature should be part of the routine of the school environment, in an attempt to identify, diagnose and treat the affected individuals, making the environment they live in less polluted and the children healthier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies suggest that fluoride varnish (FV) application can reduce dental caries in child populations. The multiple-component national child oral health improvement programme in Scotland (Childsmile) includes nursery-based universal supervised toothbrushing and deprivation-targeted FV applications, together with community and dental practice prevention interventions. This trial, a double-blind, two-arm randomised control trial, aimed to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the nursery-based FV applications plus treatment-as-usual (TAU) Childsmile programme interventions, compared to TAU Childsmile interventions alone, in children not targeted to receive nursery FV as part of the programme. Participating children in the first year of nursery (aged three), with or without existing caries, were randomised to either FV or TAU and followed up for 24 months until the first year of primary school. Treatments were administered at six-monthly intervals. The primary endpoint was "worsening of d3mft" from baseline to 24 months. Secondary endpoints were worsening of d3mfs, d3t, mt, and ft. Individual record-linkage captured wider programme activities and tertiary endpoints. A total of 1,284 children were randomised, leading to 1,150 evaluable children (n = 577 FV, n = 573 TAU, 10% dropouts). Mean age was 3.5 years, 50% were female (n = 576), 17% had caries at baseline (n = 195), all balanced between the groups. Most children received three/four treatments. Overall, 26.9% (n = 155) had worsened d3mft in the FV group, and 31.6% (n = 181) in the TAU group, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.80 (0.62-1.03), p = 0.078. The results for worsening of the secondary endpoints were: d3mfs 0.79 (0.61-1.01) p = 0.063, d3t 0.75 (0.57-0.99) p = 0.043, mt 1.34 (0.75-2.39) p = 0.319, and ft 0.77 (0.53-1.14) p = 0.191. We calculated a number needed to treat of 21 and a cost of GBP 686 to prevent a single worsening of d3mft. There was a modest non-significant reduction in the worsening of d3mft in the nursery FV group compared to TAU, suggesting that this intervention is unlikely to represent an effective or cost-effective addition to the population oral health improvement programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The main target of this investigation was focused on the searching for poisonous plants in gardens of nursery schools, and to assess the level of danger to children and awareness of teachers who ensure the safety of children during their stay in the nursery schools. Methods: The research was carried out in a total of 40 kindergarten gardens in the Rakovník district. Field research consisted in performing photo documentation, description and identification of plants present in the gardens of kindergartens, or in a brief description of the location of poisonous plants in relation to play elements or edible plants. A questionnaire survey was also included in order to verify the awareness of teachers and the prevalent in the kindergarten when staying outside. Results: There are often a large number of various dangerous plants containing toxic substances on the grounds of kindergartens and children use for their games some parts of such plants. As it turned out from the questionnaire survey, most of the addressed teachers are not aware of the presence of poisonous plants in the kindergarten grounds. According to the questionnaire survey, educators' awareness of plant hazards is very low. Conclusions: Although the evaluation of the actual toxicity of the plants is very difficult, there's no space for underestimating this danger. Some of the toxic plant substances have high biological activity in low doses. Teachers' awareness of plant hazards should be generally increased, especially in view of the need of control of the children's outdoor games without using dangerous plant species and thus actively participated in the prevention of possible poisoning. This work serves as a basis for creating material for purposes of public health surveillance in schools and school facilities and manuals directly for the needs of schools, because gardens of nursery schools are, due to the young age, intellectual capacity and great number of children, the riskiest place for the possibility of poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the effect of child social definitions and pedagogical norms on teachers professional difficulties. The case of French nursery schools and language acculturation shows that pedagogical norms are based on an "ideal client" that is politically autonomous (a child who behaves well by himself) and cognitively autonomous (a child who learns by himself): an ideal of social class, far from most real children. The case of oral activities shows how the ideal of a child who behaves well by himself leads to under efficient and differentiating pedagogical devices while generating concrete difficulties of implementation and uncomfortable arrangements. The case of alphabetical learning shows how the ideal of a child who learns by himself produces pedagogical norms that maintain school difficulties while preventing from the reflexion and the experimentation of democratic practices that could solve some teaching difficulties. These difficulties point out an impeded work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nursery schools, influenza outbreaks have occurred every year. However, influenza characteristics of its diffusion among nursery schools, within each nursery school, and among classes of different ages in nursery schools remains unclear. This paper presents an examination of these matters using the Nursery School Absenteeism Surveillance System (NSASSy). All nursery schools in ward A in Tokyo introduced to the NSASSy in 2015. The study period was November 2015 through March 2016. The data of influenza patients were extracted from NSASSy. We examined four definitions of 'starting date of community outbreak' (SDCO) of influenza: 1) the first recorded day of influenza patients (SDCO1), 2) the last day of influenza patients recorded for two consecutive days (SDCO2), 3) three consecutive days (SDCO3), and 4) four consecutive days (SDCO4). We evaluated those four definitions by duration of the initial case at each nursery school from SDCO and evaluated the proportion of nursery schools at which the initial case occurred before SDCO. The average durations of initial cases at respective nursery schools from SDCO1–4 were 40.3, 26.3, 23.1 and 13.3 days. The respective proportions of nursery schools at which the initial case occurred before SDCO1–4 were 3.1%, 6.4%, 9.4% and 40.6%. Results demonstrate that SDCO3 is an appropriate definition of SDCO. Robustness checks for other areas, seasons, and population size constitute the next challenge for research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this article are to document the types of signs that young children make to represent their mathematical thinking, and to determine the extent to which features of usage-based language acquisition are evident in children's early graphical communications made in mathematical contexts. Studies of young children's symbolic principles in ontogeny and research into the acquisition and development of language provide insights into the rich foundational knowledge on which they build their early mathematical inscriptions. The study conceives of children's mathematical abstractions as emergent cognitive representations, originating in their need to communicate within personally meaningful contexts. The collected ethnographic data comprise mathematical inscriptions from seven children aged three to four years in their nursery school and written observations from their teachers and the first researcher. Analysis follows an interpretive, social-semiotic paradigm; the inscriptions were analysed to show how they convey their emerging mathematical understandings, and how this supports their emergent abstractions. The findings illuminate children's strategies as they communicate their thinking, indicating the importance of symbolic number knowledge in acquiring the abstract graphical language of mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the influence of Outdoor Education (OE) on different areas of development in 1–3-year-old children attending Italian nursery schools. The sample was composed of 160 children (1–3-year-old) divided into a first group (Traditional), with 76 children attending nursery schools with traditional educational activities; and a second group (Outdoor) of 84 children following a continuous OE programme at school. In January (T1) and in June (T2), the quality of child development was assessed by teachers, appropriately trained, through Kuno Beller Developmental Scales. Comparing the two groups, the results showed that, in most of the developmental areas (cognitive, emotional, social, fine motor skills), significant improvements at T2 were detected for the Outdoor group compared to the Traditional group. The findings highlight that OE, compared to indoor activities, offers greater opportunities for the child development – playing, therefore, a crucial role as a protective developmental factor since early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents results of a research whose analytical focus was the discussion of understandings of affection in teaching in nursery schools. The investigation's discussion focused on the ways in which teachers signify the relations of affection that permeate the actions of care developed with the children. The research's theoretical field was the Gender Studies, Early Childhood Pedagogy Studies, as well as research contributions from anthropology and sociology that discuss the theme of affection. Methodologically, a focus group was held with 20 infant teachers. For that, six meetings were proposed, in which the teachers discussed the theme of affection and its relationship with teaching in Early Childhood Education. The analysis of the teacher's narratives evidenced the recurrence of two understandings of affection in the exercise of actions of care with infants: affection as an imperative, and the excess of affection as a reason for professional discredit. Although affection is understood by teachers as an imperative, it is seen, in parallel, as a reason for professional discredit when demonstrated in excess. For teachers, showing excessive affection for infants indicates a proximity to the maternal experience, a fact that generates a lack of professional recognition. Based on the research, it was concluded that the meanings of affections are cultural constructions that demand denaturation and reinvention in nursery schools in order to experiment with their own modes of teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Contamination of squares or recreational environments with geohelminth eggs is a public health problem. The soil serves as an intermediate host to helminths. It receives feces or water contaminated with parasites in non-infective stages, providing them with conditions for development, and protects parasites in infective stages for some time and then transmits them to humans. The aim was to investigate the occurrence of environmental contamination with parasites with zoonotic potential in the soil of nursery schools in two municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul state. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study was conducted. Soil samples were collected at ten schools in two municipalities, from five different school sites in terms of both depth and surface. Soil samples were processed at a laboratory using the methods of Rugai and Hoffman, Pons and Janer. Results: In total, 100 samples from the two municipalities were analyzed, 50 samples each. Soil contamination with Ancylostoma spp. eggs was 54% (n=27) in city I and 56% (n=28) in city II. Conclusions: The occurrence of Ancylostoma spp. eggs in recreational environments shows the importance of adopting strict restrictive measures to prevent animals, such as dogs and cats, from entering leisure areas. Also, these parasites may compromise human health and infect other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The effectiveness of influenza vaccine among nursery school children has not been systematically studied. We conducted a cohort study of children from 13 nursery schools in Suzhou, China, to estimate the effectiveness of influenza vaccine against laboratory-confirmed influenza during 2016–17. Methods Children aged 36–72 months were chosen from 13 nursery schools from 3 District in Suzhou. The surveillance started 2 weeks after vaccination during October 2016–February 2017. Class teachers reported the names of students with ILI (influenza-like illness) to study clinicians on each school day. Further, local physicians collected the student’s nasopharyngeal swab or throat swab, either at a study clinic or at the child’s home. The swabs were sent to the National Influenza Network Laboratory in Suzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention for influenza testing by RT-PCR. Result A total of 4614 children were enrolled, of which 15 children (vaccinated: 2; unvaccinated: 13) were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 4599 children, 558 swabs were collected. Among these swabs, 70 samples tested positive for influenza virus; 17 in the vaccinated group (B Victoria: 2; H3N2: 15) and 53 in the unvaccinated group (B Victoria: 14; A(H1N1)pdm09: 1; H3N2: 38). The overall influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) during the influenza season of 2016–2017 was 20.6%. The incidence of developing ILI symptoms and healthcare seeking behavior through clinical visits was significantly lower in vaccinated children than in the unvaccinated group. Conclusion Influenza vaccine protection in vaccinated and unvaccinated children showed no statistical difference and the VE percentage varied for different virus subtypes. However, the incidence rate of developing ILI and healthcare seeking behavior was significant lower in the vaccinated group than in the unvaccinated children. Larger studies are required to estimate the VE according to the influenza type, subtype, and lineage during influenza seasons in China in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of the study was to reveal the association between developmental defects of enamel (DDE) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ENAM, AMELX, AMBN, TUFT1, and TFIP11 genes. Material and methods: The molecular analysis was carried out in 52 children, aged 10-42 months, from four nursery schools situated in the region of Poznan, Poland (26 individuals with hypomineralization and/or hypoplasia of enamel - 'cases' and 26 unaffected children - 'controls'), chosen from 262 individuals that had prior dental examination. Six selected SNP variants (rs17878486 in AMELX, rs4694075 in AMBN, rs3796704 in ENAM, rs134136 and rs5997096 in TFIP11, and rs3790506 in TUFT1) were genotyped by the TaqMan probes assay. Genotype and allele frequencies were calculated, and a standard chi-squared analysis was used to test for deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The association between genetic variations and developmental defects of enamel was assessed by the Fisher's exact test and p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Statistically significant positive correlations were found between the rare T allele ( p = 0.005) and the TT genotype ( p = 0.0052) for rs17878486 in AMELX and occurrence of developmental enamel defects in primary dentition of children. For rs4694075 in AMBN, a higher incidence of the rare T allele ( p = 0.0157) was observed in controls compared to DDE cases, whereas the wild-type CC homozygote was more frequent in DDE cases than in controls ( p = 0.0062). Conclusions: The study showed that the single nucleotide polymorphisms in the AMELX and AMBN genes may be genetic variants that contribute to developmental defects of enamel in primary dentition of children. Clinical relevance: The single nucleotide polymorphisms of enamel formation genes may increase the risk for developmental defects of enamel (DDE) occurrence in primary dentition in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured the association between history of influenza vaccination by age 2 years and influenza virus (IFV) infection at ages 3 and 4 years by relative risk reduction. We also examined the association between history of IFV infection by age 2 years and recurrent IFV infection at age 3 years. This study included 73,666 children from a large Japanese birth cohort. Among children vaccinated never, once or twice when aged under 2 years, 16.0%, 10.8% and 11.3%, respectively, had been infected with IFV by age 3 years, and 19.2%, 14.5% and 16.0%, respectively, by age 4 years. Compared with no history of influenza vaccination, vaccination at ages 1 and/or 2 years reduced the risk of IFV infection at age 3 by 30%–32% and at age 4 by 17%–24%. The relative risk of recurrent IFV infection at ages 3 and 4 years increased in proportion to the number of prior infections by age 2. One-season-prior influenza vaccination history reduced the IFV infection risk at age 3 years by 25%–42%. Influenza vaccination most effectively protected children at age 3 who lacked older sibling(s) and did not attend nursery school. One-season-prior IFV infection increased the relative risk of recurrent infection at age 3 years (1.72–3.33). In conclusion, influenza vaccination-induced protection may partly extend to the next season. Owing to the relative risk reduction by influenza vaccination and the increased relative risk of IFV infection from prior-season infection, annual influenza vaccination is recommended. • More infection experiences increased infection probability at ages 3 and 4 years. • Vaccination experience decreased infection probability at age 3 years by 30%–32%. • At age 3, one-season-prior vaccination decreased infection probability by 25%–42%. • Vaccination experience decreased infection probability at age 4 years by 17%–24%. • Vaccination benefits children not attending nursery school and without older siblings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occupation of CPE and nursery schools teacher respectively account for over 70% and 90% of women in their overall numbers. A defect of parity which the sociology of gender allows to shine through the aspects of the care of prescribed working activity. Among the various findings generated by the study, there appears that men and women have different relationships to their work according to gender notably generated by the gender differentiated socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to collect information on experiences in the Great East Japan Earthquake (hereafter, 3.11), current preparedness, and barriers to building up stockpiles in nursery schools in affected areas. Based on the needs heard from the staff, we decided what contents should be included in our manual developed with the Japan Dietetic Association.Methods and Study Design: A group interview was held in September 2012. We interviewed a principal, nurses, and registered dietitians working for a public and a private nursery school in Town A. We also invited an administrative dietitian who was an employee of Town A.Results: One of the barriers to building up stockpiles was that they did not have any idea of what and how many items they should store. To deal with this situation, we developed a formula that could be used to calculate the quantity of stockpiles for their facilities in a newly developed feeding manual. In terms of current preparedness, the registered dietitians were not prepared for alternative menus in emergencies or how to manage garbage when the garbage collection was disrupted by disasters. The manual recommends to obtain the services of at least two food service personnel and spare space for storing filled garbage bags until garbage collection resumes.Conclusion: Some improvements in stocks were found in both of the public and private nursery schools. To improve the situation further, more financial support and detailed guidelines should be provided by the local government and authoritative organizations. Our manual should be a great asset for all nursery schools to improve their stockpiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the sensitive response of the caregiver and the formation of secure attachments in infants has been widely studied. It is within this framework that the present investigation examined the effect of an intervention that promotes sensitive response in nursery school caregivers. The intervention took place in early education centers for children between 0 and 2 years of age, from a low socio-economic background and identified as being at psychosocial risk. Using the Care Index ( Crittenden, 1985 ), 53 nursery school caregivers were evaluated at the beginning, middle and end of the intervention. The results indicate a significant increase in the sensitive response of the participants as much at the middle as at the end of the intervention. This study discusses the implications of the results for early childhood education, especially, in cases where the child is identified as being in psychosocial risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hearing loss is a disability; although invisible, it has a significant negative impact on an individual's quality of life. A regular screening of threshold of hearing in teachers is a challenge of today. During class, teachers are exposed to noise from pupils as well as to background noise (air conditioning, heating, ventilation or traffic). For teachers with any hearing loss, teaching becomes more difficult as they make efforts to listen and understand. The job of a teacher is very demanding, especially from the psychological point of view. The objectives of the study were to compare auditory threshold levels between nursery (NS) and primary school (PS) teachers and controls exposed to occupational noise and to answer the question of whether school noise may have a negative impact on teachers' hearing. Materials for this study were obtained from research in nursery and elementary schools in Ostrava Poruba. An examination of teachers' hearing by audiometry (232 respondents) is parts of the research. The control group was made by respondents of grant study IGA MZ ČR NT12246-5/2011 - Epidemiologic and genetics study of frequency of hearing defects. Probands were women who worked in the risk of noise for their whole lives (1,133 respondents). Statistical testing proved deteriorating of threshold of hearing of teachers with the length of their practice which, however, highly correlated with their age. Teachers at the nursery school had the best threshold of hearing, even though in the questionnaire research in 95% they stated they felt problems with hearing. The control group (population exposed to noise in working environment) showed significantly higher losses of hearing. At the highest examined frequencies, the oldest category (practice of the profession longer than 30 years) had losses of hearing worse by 20 dB than the group of teachers. The research did not prove the original hypothesis that assumed that noise produced in the school environment might have a negative effect on the hearing of educational workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental analysis of public nursery schools is of great interest since they are crucial in the early education of children and are expected to show high environmental standards. This paper aims to analyse the environmental profile (energy, water and transport flows) of this sector. A sample of 12 public nursery schools belonging to the Scholar Agenda 21 (SA21) of the city of Barcelona were selected given their data quality (eight centres applied to all analysis) to determine their energy and water consumption, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from energy consumption and transport use. For each centre, energy and water consumption were obtained from bills and surveys were conducted to get data regarding the transport associated with the centre. Results show that, on average, a child consumes 966 kWh of energy (electricity and gas) and 12.9 m of potable water every year. Nursery schools with more energy-efficient devices hold lower energy consumption, a trend which could not be found in the case of water and water-efficient devices. Regarding transport, car usage was the flow with highest impact, since it accounts for 69 % of COeq emissions, although only 19 % of the children commute by car. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-school teachers' representation of linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom reveals a tension between the verbalization of a positive attitude to plurality when it is theoretically envisaged, and a problematic implementation of that same theoretical stance in the daily context of teaching. That at least is what would seem to stand out exploratory research led in 2013/2014 from plural data collected from pre-school teachers working across the South of France's diverse teaching environments. Undertaken within the framework of a qualitative approach with a comprehensive aim, the study analysed 18 questionnaires completed by trainee pre-school teachers, and two semi-directive interviews carried out with experienced teachers. Our contribution, which is informed by sociolinguistics and language teaching theory, aims at highlighting zones of contact and elements of differentiation in the these teachers' discourse, as regards the perception of the plurilingualism of pupils, and the place reserved (or not) for linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

French pre-school classes cater for pupils from a diverse range of social, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This reality immediately raises the issue of otherness and diversity in the classroom and calls for current educational representations and practices to be reassessed. In this context, it may be asked what place is given to the various languages spoken by pupils, within the family unit, and more generally in the environment outside school? How are these languages related (or not) to languages taught in school and the main language of schooling, which is French? The article will first seek to understand what is at stake in primary schools' negotiation of linguistic alterity both in terms of language policy and its institutional implementation. Language representation plays a role in the analysis of appropriation and inevitably colors viewpoints and educational practices. After trying to identify the issues at play in pre-school, I will make educational proposals that recognize of the symbolic weight of languages and their cognitive value in the context of a plurilinguistic educational programme implemented from an early age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, Part II of the larger study “Children's exposure to indoor air in urban nurseries”, aimed to: (i) evaluate nursery schools' indoor concentrations of several air pollutants in class and lunch rooms; and (ii) analyse them according to guidelines and references. Indoor continuous measurements were performed, and outdoor concentrations were obtained to determine indoor/outdoor ratios. The influence of outdoor air seemed to be determinant on carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) indoor concentrations. The peak concentrations of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOC) registered (highest concentrations of 204 and 2320 µg m −3 respectively), indicated the presence of specific indoor sources of these pollutants, namely materials emitting formaldehyde and products emitting VOC associated to cleaning and children's specific activities (like paints and glues). For formaldehyde, baseline constant concentrations along the day were also found in some of the studied rooms, which enhances the importance of detailing the study of children’s short and long-term exposure to this indoor air pollutant. While CO, NO 2 and O 3 never exceeded the national and international reference values for IAQ and health protection, exceedances were found for formaldehyde and VOC. For this reason, a health risk assessment approach could be interesting for future research to assess children’s health risks of exposure to formaldehyde and to VOC concentrations in nursery schools. Changing cleaning schedules and materials emitting formaldehyde, and more efficient ventilation while using products emitting VOC, with the correct amount and distribution of fresh air, would decrease children's exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study attempts to develop the Problem-Solving Skills Scale (PSSS) intended for the identification of the problem-solving skills in preschoolers. The population of the study, which was on the validity and reliability of the PSSS, was comprised of children who attended preschool classes at formal primary schools in Malatya, Turkey. The sample contained 204 children with normal growth and development--101 of them being female and the remaining 103 being male--who lived with their parents. PSSS includes eighteen problem situations and eighteen drawings relevant to these problem situations. The PSSS was measured on a five-point Likert-type scale. The validity of the scale was tested by means of the content-validity index and exploratory factor analysis. The reliability of the scale was tested through Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability coefficient. The indexes were calculated for two aspects: The appropriateness of the items and the appropriateness of the drawings. Finally, the content-validity indexes for the two aspects were 0.99 and 0.96 respectively. The exploratory factor analysis concluded that the PSSS had a onefactor structure, which accounted for 30.68% of the total variance. Cronbach's Alpha Internal Consistency Coefficient was α=.86. The Correlation Coefficient was .60, which was significant and intermediate. The mean scores in the first and second administrations of the PSSS did not differ significantly The validity and reliability analyses demonstrated that the PSSS is an appropriate instrument for children aged 60 to 72 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Concentrations, pollution and health risks of metals in dust from nursery schools in Xi’an, China were determined. In comparison with local soil, dust samples have elevated metals concentrations except for Mn. The results indicate no distinct pollution of Mn, Ni, As and Ba in the dust, while Cu, Co and Zn are moderate pollution, Pb is significant pollution, and Cr with large pollution range. Most samples presented moderately polluted by metals. The non-cancer risks of the studied metals are within the safe range, and the cancer risks of As, Co, Cr and Ni are also within the currently acceptable range. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: It has been suggested that the daytime napping patterns of children differ according to racial and cultural backgrounds. The objectives of this study were to describe the daytime nap durations of Japanese nursery school children and to elucidate their relationship to nocturnal bedtimes. Methods: The mothers of 967 children between 0 and 5 years of age recorded sleep logs for 9 consecutive nights. Considering the fact that the subject children were scheduled to take a nap on weekday afternoons, we investigated the proportion of children napping and the relationship between daytime nap duration and nocturnal bedtime on the basis of the data obtained on weekends when children were free from a specific nap schedule. Results: The percentage of children who habitually took a nap was 100% in those under 1 year old, and the percentages were 96.8%, 81.8%, 53.4%, 28.0%, and 9.0% in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children, respectively. There were significant relationships between nap duration and bedtime in the corresponding night in 2- to 5-year-old children. The “two hours or more” nap group showed a significantly later bedtime than the “no nap” and the “one hour or more but less than two hours” groups in the 2-year-old children (p <0.01 for both). The “two hours or more” nap group showed a significantly later bedtime than the other groups (p <0.01), and the “one hour or more but less than two hours” nap group showed a significantly later bedtime than the “no nap” group in the 3-year-old children (p <0.05). In the 4- to 5-year-old children, the “one hour or more but less than two hours” and “two hours or more” nap groups showed a significantly later bedtime than the “no nap” group (p <0.01 for both). Conclusion: Daytime naps naturally become less common after the third birthday among Japanese nursery school children. The longer the nap durations in 2- to 5-year-old children, the later they went to bed on the corresponding night. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Teachers in Japan often have their children sit down simultaneously, to foster a whole-class participation structure. This study analyzed changes in the sitting behavior of 3-4 year old children after they entered a public nursery school. The process of preparation for a birthday party was videotaped monthly over a three-month period, and participants' speech and behavior was extracted from the video. Analyses indicated that the time needed to start the party became shorter over the three-months. The sitting behavior of each child suggested that two distinct changes contributed to the quicker preparation. First, children who were reluctant to take their seats when they first entered the nursery school became able to sit down immediately when their chairs were set. Second, children who often changed their posture from sitting to standing and vice versa became able to refrain from standing. These results suggest that through group experiences at nursery school children change the meaning of "standing" from a neutral behavior to a socially prohibited behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to show a nursery school change process in relation to its working project. This change process produced subjects and tasks with the children and their families adjustments and repositions. From its description, we move forward to some possible interpretations in which we try to explain this complex network that constitute the transmission between generations, particularly in an educative proposal that has the purpose of offering a way of revising the child experience in its earlier stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their article, the authors deal with the issue of school readiness of preschool-age children to start compulsory school attendance from the point of view of preschool pedagogues. The authors present the results of research, the objective of which is to analyse and evaluate the existing influence of the area of children's readiness to enter the elementary school in the context of preschool curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past ten years, the issue of inclusion has proved one of the biggest challenges facing special needs education planners and policy‐makers in developed countries. Greek educational policy has given emphasis on two points: (a) the development of new organizational structures (i.e. resource rooms, support teachers), and (b) the implementation of administrative regulations that enable mainstreaming special and ordinary education into a unified educational system (inclusion). In doing so, the content of the curriculum and the pedagogical characteristics of the educational environment were ignored. This paper reports the results of a pilot study that aimed to explore the pedagogical aspects of inclusion and integration as implemented in Greek nursery schools. More specifically, the study investigated the way special needs children participate in the learning process and their relationship with the other members of the classroom. The following hypothesis guided the study: the process of school integration of a special needs child is regulated by (a) the degree and the quality of his/her participation in the learning process, and (b) the pupil’s ability to comply with the main rules of the classroom. Data were gathered from two special needs children, their teachers and their parents through observations and interviews. Research findings seemed to reinforce the two criteria of the research hypothesis. As observation revealed, children’s actions diverged from the desired joint activity. According to research in social groups, this diversion influences the meaning classroom members attribute to ‘differences’ and causes a negative effect on children’s membership of the group. At the same time, the study points out crucial dimensions of the above criteria, particularly as regards the attitude of nursery teachers and of the other pupils towards children with special needs, an issue that needs to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBackground: The manner in which Helicobacter pylori is transmitted is of fundamental importance when considering strategies for its control, yet, to date, the exact mode of transmission remains uncertain. Methods: The seroprevalence of H. pylori in a relatively isolated rural town in Japan (A-town) was examined to analyse the H. pylori infection route. The immunoglobulin G antibodies against H. pylori in 1684 subjects who had received public health examinations in A-town were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The seroprevalence was compared in five areas according to the water source. The possibility and frequency of intrafamilial infection was analysed by comparing the seroprevalence among family members residing in the same home. Results: The seroprevalence of H. pylori did not differ significantly between the five areas examined. Seropositivity was significantly more common in the children whose mothers were seropositive (45.0%, 27/60) than in the children whose mothers were seronegative (10.0%, 2/20; odds ratio (OR) = 7.36, P = 0.0036, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.57–34.59). Seropositivity was significantly more common in the children whose older siblings were seropositive (55.0%, 22/40) than in the children whose older siblings were seronegative (23.5%, 20/85; OR = 3.97, P = 0.00051, 95% CI = 1.79–8.84). There was no significant relationship in seroprevalence between children and fathers, grandchildren and grandfathers, grandchildren and grandmothers, or within couples. Seropositivity was significantly more common in the adolescents who had attended a nursery school (44.4%, 20/45) than in the adolescents who had not attended a nursery school (25.6%, 109/426) (OR = 2.33, P = 0.0070, 95% CI = 1.24–4.36). Conclusions: The acquisition of H. pylori infection occurs by close contact with infected individuals in early childhood, especially via contact with infected mothers and other infected children. © 2000 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY A study was made of the 'cognitive demands' made of children during spontaneous conversations with their teachers at nursery school and their mothers at home. Social class differences were small compared with home/school differences. Teachers' talk contained a higher proportion of cognitive demands and 'testing' demands than did mothers' talk; however, the hourly rate of these demands was higher in the mothers' talk. Teachers used more demands for attributes, simple descriptions and interpretations, whilst mothers used more demands for recall and explanation of motives and purposes, More demands were left unanswered at school than at home. The implications for nursery education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many contexts is often underestimated the biological risk and schools can be an example. Proof of this is the exclusion of work in the school from the example of the work activities of biohazard included in Annex XLIV of Legislative Decree 81/08. Our work proposes a protocol for risk management meningitis contagious in the specific environment of the nursery taking a cue from the specific experience gained by the Service of Prevention and Protection Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital following the course accreditation Joint Commision. This is primary prevention measures (training and information) and secondary (vaccination, reporting of suspected cases, chemoprophylaxis of contacts, contact tracing, counseling) to be applied consistently even and especially in the absence of sick people, at which time the shares are aimed exclusively to control its spread to be taken and monitored, with the cooperation of all subject involved in various capacities in the protection of the health of workers, within these specific working environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]