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Aim: This prospective observational study evaluated the behavioural responses of very preterm infants to spontaneous light variations.Methods: We measured spontaneous light variations in the incubators of 27 very preterm infants, with a median gestational age of 28 weeks (range 26-31 weeks), over 10 hours. All of them had been admitted to the neonatal care unit of the Strasbourg University Hospital, France, between April 2008 and July 2009. Two independent raters examined changes in the infants' behavioural states using video recordings. The percentage of awakenings was recorded when there were light variations and during control periods with no changes.Results: We analysed 275 periods following light variations and 275 control periods. The overall percentage of awakenings was greater during periods following a change in light than during control periods (16.3% vs 11%, p = 0.03). The extent of light protection affected the percentage of awakenings. In mild light protection, there were more awakenings following changes in light than in control periods (25.6% vs 6.7%, p = 0.01). This difference was not found in high light protection.Conclusion: Very preterm infants can be woken up by small variations in light, when the light protection in their incubator is insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Compared to infants born at term, children born very preterm are at increased risk of visual dysfunctions and neonatal systemic inflammation. Here, we explore whether these two propensities are related.Methods: As part of the ELGAN study, the concentrations of 16 mediators of inflammation were measured in blood obtained on postnatal days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 from 1062 children born before the 28th week of gestation. Presence of visual field deficit, strabismus and/or impaired visual fixation was recorded at age two. The concentrations of each protein were divided into quartiles within gestational week categories. We calculated odds ratios with 99% confidence intervals for having each disorder comparing children with concentration in the top quartile of each protein to children whose concentration was in the lower quartiles on the corresponding day. Analyses were adjusted for gestational age and birth weight Z-score.Results: Only one of 80 assessments (16 proteins on five different days) was significant for visual field deficit, and one for impaired fixation. No association was found between strabismus and any inflammatory mediator.Conclusion: None of the three neuro-ophthalmologic dysfunctions assessed at two years appears to be associated with systemic inflammation measured the first four postnatal weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Previous studies have shown visual evoked potential (VEP) abnormalities in infants and animals born small for gestational age (SGA) compared with controls. The current exploratory study aims to investigate whether VEP abnormalities persist in older ages. Methods: Pattern VEP latencies were obtained in 21 children (11 girls, 10 boys), born SGA and moderately preterm, at an average age of 5 years and 8 months. Fifty-one children (24 girls, 27 boys, mean age of 5 years and 7 months), also born moderately preterm but with normal height and weight at birth, served as controls. Results: Visual evoked potential results showed no significant differences in latency between children born SGA and controls born appropriate for gestational age (AGA) for either binocular stimulation, right eye or left eye stimulation. Conclusions: Our findings do not indicate any differences in VEP latency at preschool age for children born SGA compared with children born AGA. The results may support previous studies, suggesting that children born SGA show accelerated neurophysiologic maturation during their first year of life and that previously delayed VEP latencies after catch-up stay unchanged compared with controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Within the first days of life infants can already recognize their mother. This ability is based on several sensory mechanisms and increases during the first year of life, having its most crucial phase between 6 and 9 months when cortical circuits develop. The underlying cortical structures that are involved in this process are still unknown. Herein we report how the prefrontal cortices of healthy 6- to 9-month-old infants react to the sight of their mother's faces compared to that of an unknown female face. Methods: Concentrations of oxygenated haemoglobin [HbO2] and deoxygenated haemoglobin [HHb] were measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in both fronto-temporal and occipital areas on the right side during the exposure to maternal and unfamiliar faces. Results: The infants exhibited a distinct and significantly higher activation-related haemodynamic response in the right fronto-temporal cortex following exposure to the image of their mother's face, [HbO2] (0.75 μmol/L, p < 0.001), as compared to that of an unknown face (0.25 μmol/L, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Event-related haemodynamic changes, suggesting cortical activation, in response to the sight of human faces were detected in 6- to 9-month old children. The right fronto-temporal cortex appears to be involved in face recognition processes at this age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Environmental contaminants such as persistent organic chlorines and heavy metals, which are supplied to the foetus by transplacental transfer and to breastfed infants by the milk, may impair cognitive functions. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are known to enhance development during foetal life and early infancy, may counteract the toxic effect of environmental contaminants. In this study, we have investigated whether polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) impair early development of vision, and whether such impairment can be modulated by essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Material: Healthy term infants born in Milan and its surroundings, and who were exclusively breastfed for at least 4 mo, were prospectively examined up to the age of 12 mo. Methods: Samples from colostrums, the first 2 d after delivery, and of mature breast-milk after 1 and 3 mo were collected. The samples were analyzed for PCB 105, 118, 138, 153, 156 and 180 and for DDT and DDE. In all infants, the plasma levels of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), C18:2 n-6, C18:3 n-3, C20:4 n-6, C20:5 n-3 and C22:6 n-3 were analysed within the first three postnatal days. The PCB levels in colostral milk, as well as of LC-PUFAs in plasma, were considered to mirror perinatal supply. Visual function was evaluated by P100 with latency evoked potentials (VEPs) at 12 mo of age. Statistical analysis was based on simple and partial correlation coefficients ( p < 0.05). Results: On bivariate analysis, wave latency VEP at 15 min was significantly related to the colostral levels of DDT, DDE and all examined PCBs except PCB 105 (with correlation coefficient r = 0.401 to 0.618), whereas P100 wave latency VEP at 60 min was related to DDT ( r = 0.513) and PCB 180 ( r = 0.504). Infant plasma levels of C22:6 n-3 were inversely associated with P100 wave latency at 60 min ( r = -0.418) and at 1 Hz-2 J ( r = -0.466). After controlling for C22:6 n-3, the partial correlation coefficient of P100 wave latency VEP at 15 min to the colostral level of PCB 180 was 0.403 ( p = 0.07). Conclusion: Within the population of this study, a weak relation was found between impaired visual function at 12 mo of age of healthy infants and the levels of PCBs, DDT and DDE in colostral milk. The effect of impairment was no longer evident after controlling for the plasma level of LC-PUFAs as found in the infant a few days after birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]