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Abstract: Background: Extremely low birth weight (ELBW; <1,000 g) infants are the most vulnerable babies and are at higher risk for experiencing overprotective (i.e., controlling and intrusive) parenting, which is hypothesized to contribute to the risk for mental disorders. Despite the increased risk for anxiety disorders and decreased risk for alcohol or substance use disorders seen in ELBW survivors, no research has examined the impact of parenting. This study investigated if overprotective parenting mediates links between ELBW birth status and psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Study design: Participants included ELBW survivors born in 1977–1982 and matched normal birth weight (≥2,500 g) control participants (ELBW n = 81; normal birth weight n = 87) prospectively followed in Ontario, Canada. These individuals retrospectively reported on whether either of their parents was overprotective using the Parental Bonding Instrument. Presence of a current anxiety disorder and of current alcohol or substance use disorders was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview at age 29–36 years. Results: Path analysis showed that overprotective parenting was a significant mediator of the association between ELBW status and risk for an anxiety disorder in adulthood and the risk for an alcohol or substance use disorder in adulthood in ELBW survivors. Overprotective parenting accounted for 53% of the association between ELBW status and the risk for an anxiety disorder in adulthood and 26% of the association between ELBW status and alcohol or substance use disorders. Conclusions: Overprotective parenting accounted for a substantial proportion of the increased risk for anxiety and alcohol or substance use disorders in adulthood in ELBW survivors. Despite their perceived vulnerabilities, it is important that the parents of ELBW survivors be supported in their attempts to facilitate their children's pursuit of independence during childhood and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity of tributyltin (TBT) in sediment in fresh water was determined using spiked sediment bioassays for four benthic invertebrates, (the oligochaete worm Tubifex tubifex, the chironomid Chironomus riparius, the amphipod Hyalella azteca, and the mayfly Hexagenia). Although there was some degradation of spiked TBT into dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) in the sediment-water mixtures during the equilibration phase before toxicity testing, the contribution of these degradation products to the observed toxicity was assumed to be minimalbased on evidence that TBT is up to orders of magnitude more toxic to many aquatic organisms than its degradation products. The results of this work indicated that Hexagenia was the most sensitive benthic organism to TBT of the four organisms tested (by factors up to about 7), with an IC50 (growth) value for TBT of 0.6 mu g Sn/g dry weight. This value is about six times greater than mean concentrations of TBT observed in sediment in fresh water in surveys conducted across Canada before and after the regulation of antifouling uses of TBT in 1989. However, maximum TBT concentrations in sediment before and after regulation exceeded the IC50 (growth) value for Hexagenia, and were close to the lower limits of toxicity ranges for H.azteca and T. tubifex (cocoons/adult and young/adult). Consequently,at the time of surveys before and after the TBT regulation there waspotential for adverse effects of TBT in some sediments to some freshwater benthic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]