Re: News Release -- UAMS Scientists Confirm Link between Premature Bi r
From: art fougner, md (evsono@pipeline.com)
Wed Aug 14 10:44:09 2002
Terry -
more of an editorial You - we've known about the problems of prematurity
for a long time - thus far - we've been powerless at most prevention
efforts
art
At Wed, 14 Aug 2002, Terry J. DuBose wrote:
>
>Dr. Fougner, Yes, I was aware it is old news... I am not sure why JAMA is publishing it now... again.
>
>As to what am I going to do about it... make sure my students understand the importance of accurate sonographic measurements and gestational age estimates...
>
>Peace, Terry J. DuBose, M.S., RDMS
>Assistant Professor & Director, Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
>University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, CHRP
>4301 West Markham St. Mail Slot #563
>Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205 USA
>501-686-6510
>DuBoseTerryJ@UAMS.edu
>http://www.io.com/~dubose/
>http://www.uams.edu/CHRP/dmshome.htm
>http://www.obgyn.net/us/panel/panel.htm
>
>ultrasound@obgyn.net writes:
>>Terry -
>>
>>kudos to your colleagues, but this is old news. Boss Tweed's question
>>still remains, "So what are you gonna do about it?"
>>
>>art
>>
>>At Tue, 13 Aug 2002, Terry J. DuBose wrote:
>>>
>>>Barbara, yes this is my university... UAMS, see:
>>>
>>>http://www.uams.edu/ (first article at top of page)
>>>and
>>>http://www.uams.edu/today/2002/081302/anand.htm
>>>
>>>This is not really new information, at lease folks have been suggesting it for some time. I have not seen this article yet, so perhaps it is with a larger population or better statistics now.
>>>
>>>Please do post ASAP. THanks.
>>>
>>>Peace, Terry J. DuBose, M.S., RDMS
>>>Assistant Professor & Director, Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
>>>University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, CHRP
>>>4301 West Markham St. Mail Slot #563
>>>Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205 USA
>>>501-686-6510
>>>DuBoseTerryJ@UAMS.edu
>>>http://www.io.com/~dubose/
>>>http://www.uams.edu/CHRP/dmshome.htm
>>>http://www.obgyn.net/us/panel/panel.htm
>>>
>>>Do you think we should use this?
>>>
>>>Do you have anything to add to it?
>>>
>>>Barb
>>>this IS your University isn't it??????
>>>
>>>>>From: "Mottler, Mike H" <MottlerMikeH@uams.edu>
>>>>>To:
>>>>>Subject: News Release -- UAMS Scientists Confirm Link between Premature Bi
>>>>> rth and Later Learning, Behavioral Problems
>>>>>Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 15:23:37 -0500
>>>>>X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)
>>>>>
>>>>> > For Immediate Release
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Contact:
>>>>> > Jerri Jackson, 501-686-8149
>>>>> > Office of Communications
>>>>> > University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
>>>>> > JacksonTerryJerri@uams.edu
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Note: High-resolution photo attached below
>>>>> >
>>>>> > UAMS Scientists Confirm Link between Premature Birth and Later
>>>>> Learning, Behavioral Problems
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Scientists at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)
>>>>> report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) today
>>>>> that premature babies are more likely to have significant learning and
>>>>> behavioral problems after the age of five years than babies born full-term.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Using sophisticated statistical methodology to analyze 20 years of
>>>>> research around the world, the scientists at UAMS confirmed that children
>>>>> born prematurely have much lower cognitive scores, with
>>>>> lower-than-average learning ability, and more behavioral problems after
>>>>> the age of five years than children who were born full-term.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > The scientists call for > "> concerted efforts of clinicians and
>>>>> neuroscientists to [study] the biological, environmental, and
>>>>> psychosocial mechanisms responsible for these cognitive and behavioral
>>>>> differences.> ">
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Children born prematurely have been found in numerous studies to have >
>>>>> "> huge differences> "> in cognitive scores, and to be aggressive or
>>>>> withdrawn or suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
>>>>> However, researchers who conducted the other studies over the years used
>>>>> a variety of population groups and research methods, making the body of
>>>>> knowledge about the effects of prematurity questionable.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > K. S. > "> Sunny> "> Anand, MBBS, D.Phil., FAAP, FCCM, FRCPCH, led
>>>>> the study, called a meta-analysis. Dr. Anand is the Morris and Hettie
>>>>> Oakley Chair in Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics in
>>>>> the UAMS College of Medicine and chief of critical care at Arkansas
>>>>> Children> '> s Hospital. The National Institute for Child Health and
>>>>> Human Development and the Blowitz-Ridgeway Foundation provided research
>>>>> funding to the Arkansas Children> '> s Hospital Research Institute for
>>>>> the study.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > The scientists analyzed 227 studies, eliminating studies that had
>>>>> methodological problems, before drawing conclusions from the remaining
>>>>> studies. Their analysis should > "> eliminate controversies> "> about
>>>>> the importance of prematurity for long-range outcomes.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > While the relationship between prematurity and later learning and
>>>>> behavioral problems is now clearer, the actual causes of those problems
>>>>> in children born prematurely are not yet clear.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > The UAMS investigators speculate in JAMA that the medical complications
>>>>> of prematurity; the painful medical procedures that many premature babies
>>>>> experience in hospitals; and prolonged separation from their mothers all
>>>>> may contribute to lower-than-average brain development and thus to later
>>>>> learning and behavioral problems. They also point to the stress and
>>>>> depression that having a premature baby can cause for parents,
>>>>> particularly mothers, as a potential factor in the children> '> s later
>>>>> developmental problems.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Dr. Anand commented recently that the increasing survival rate for
>>>>> extremely low-birthweight and premature babies means that > "> a larger
>>>>> and larger pool of children> "> will have developmental problems > "> as
>>>>> times goes on > ...> and the incremental costs of educating these
>>>>> children are likely to be astronomical.> ">
>>>>> >
>>>>> > "> With an improved understanding of the underlying biological
>>>>> mechanisms, we can begin to develop more focused therapeutic
>>>>> interventions to decrease or prevent these long-term impairments
>>>>> following survival after preterm birth,> "> the scientists conclude in JAMA.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > The following > investigators, all with UAMS, collaborated with Dr.
>>>>> Anand: Adnan T. Bhutta, MBBS, FAAP, assistant professor of pediatrics;
>>>>> Mario A. Cleves, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and senior
>>>>> biostatistician, Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and
>>>>> Prevention; Patrick H. Casey, M.D., FAAP, the Harvey and Bernice Jones
>>>>> Professor of Developmental Pediatric> s; and Mary M. Cradock, Ph.D.,
>>>>> assistant professor of pediatrics. The researchers formulated a novel
>>>>> method for assessing the quality of observational studies which other
>>>>> scientists will now be able to use.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Dr. Anand also is conducting multiple studies of the relationship of
>>>>> pain to brain development in premature infants. By observing the progress
>>>>> of premature infants who receive pain medication in conjunction with
>>>>> painful medical procedures, and through laboratory experiments, he has
>>>>> formed the hypothesis that repetitive pain in the first weeks of life
>>>>> causes the death or damage of certain brain cells and may consequently
>>>>> reduce learning ability and alter behavioral development. As part of this
>>>>> research, Dr. Anand is participating in a nationwide study of the use of
>>>>> pain medication to reduce or eliminate pain during essential medical
>>>>> procedures for premature infants. The National Institutes of Health are
>>>>> sponsoring the study at 11 centers around the nation and four hospitals
>>>>> in Europe.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > -30-
>>>>> >
>>>>> > > <<Sunny Anand in nursery.jpg>>
>>>>> >
>>>>
>>>Barbara A. Nesbitt
>>>Publisher, MediSpecialty.com
>>>http://www.obgyn.net http://www.otohns.net
>>>4010 Long Champ Dr. #24
>>>Austin, Texas USA
>>>Phone: 512-347-9986
>>>Email: barbara.nesbitt@obgyn.net
>>
>>--
>>art fougner, md
>>ich bin ein New Yorker
>>
>Peace, Terry J. DuBose, M.S., RDMS
>Assistant Professor & Director, Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program
>University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, CHRP
>4301 West Markham St. Mail Slot #563
>Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205 USA
>501-686-6510
>DuBoseTerryJ@UAMS.edu
>http://www.io.com/~dubose/
>http://www.uams.edu/CHRP/dmshome.htm
>http://www.obgyn.net/us/panel/panel.htm
--
art fougner, md
ich bin ein New Yorker
