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Cognitive deficits after perinatal brain lesion in preterm infants are among the most common neurodevelopmental disturbances. The relationship between structural changes on at term magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive deficits in the preschool age should be a special focus due to timely intervention. The aim of this study was to correlate qualitative and quantitative MRI parameters of perinatal brain lesion in preterm children, on early neonatal MRI and follow up MRI, with general and specific cognitive functions in the preschool age. Twenty-one preterm infants with verified perinatal lesions based on clinical and ultrasound data underwent a brain MRI at term-equivalent age and a second MRI between 3 and 5 years of age. Qualitative and quantitative MRI analyses were done. All subjects underwent cognitive assessment (3–5 years) using Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) and Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY-II). Results show that many structural changes on at term MRI and on follow up MRI in preterm born children moderately correlate with specific cognitive deficits in preschool age. At term equivalent MRI, white matter changes and cortical thickness correlate to general and specific cognitive functions in infants born preterm. By analyzing follow up MRI at preschool age, structural changes of different white matter segments, corpus callosum, cortical thickness and lobe volume correlate to some specific cognitive functions. Besides general cognitive delay, specific cognitive deficits in preterm children should be targeted in research and intervention, optimally combined with MRI scanning, providing timely and early intervention of cognitive deficits after perinatal brain lesion. Our results, as well as previously published results, suggest the importance of detailed preschool neuropsychological assessment, prior to enrolment in the school system. Although preliminary, our results expand our understanding of the relationship between early brain developmental lesions and cognitive outcome following premature birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cleft lip and palate are the most common maxillofacial malformations. Despite advances in science and medicine, research on the etiology of cleft lip and palate has not fully elucidated all possible risk factors. Today, most orofacial clefts are thought to be caused by the interaction of hereditary and external factors (medications, smoking, harmful habits). Few studies have investigated the effects of complications during pregnancy on the development of orofacial clefts and related anomalies. Materials and methods: This is a prospective and retrospective study that included children with cleft lip and/or palate treated at the National Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia for Surgical Treatment of Maxillofacial Malformations from January 2020 to July 2022. The control group consisted of children with cleft lip and/or palate whose mothers had no complications during their pregnancy. Epidemiological and clinical data on the type, extent, and form of cleft formation and the occurrence of additional anomalies were collected in the clinical database and in questionnaires for parents. Results: Based on the data collected and analyzed so far, we found a significant difference between the studied groups. Conclusion: Various complications during pregnancy may influence the severity of orofacial cleft formation and the occurrence of additional malformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant public health issue causing severe morbidity and mortality. One of the most vulnerable populations for VTE development are cancer patients. And among them, patients with brain tumors have arguably the highest risk of developing this often fatal complication. Hyperglycemia is a well-known factor which leads to a wide variety of pro-thrombotic changes. In this article, we review the current literature on the topic of VTE in brain tumor patients. We also discuss the known correlation between VTE and glycemia, as well as the importance and frequency of glycemia dysregulation in brain tumor patients. Based on the already well-known importance of glucose metabolism in cancer patients, as well as the previous research of our group, we hypothesize that there is a significant number of brain tumor patients who have chronically elevated glycemia, a fact that so-far hasn't been reported. We argue that these patients carry a significantly higher risk of VTE development and would benefit greatly from strict glycemic control. We present our hypothesis, the ways in which to test it, as well as the possible counter-arguments against it. Our hope is that other investigators will be inspired by our article to continue this type of research, since we consider the topic of VTE in brain tumor patients highly important and urgent, primarily due to its prevalence and severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]