Associations of preterm and early-term birth with suspected developmental coordination disorder:a national retrospective cohort study in children aged 3-10 years

Background This study analyzed the motor development and suspected developmental coordination disorder of very and moderately preterm(<34^(+0) gestational age),late preterm(34^(+0)-36^(+6)gestational week),and early-term(37^(+0)-38^(+6) gestational week)children compared to their full-term peers with a national population-based sample in China.Methods A total of 1673 children(799 girls,874 boys)aged 3-10 years old were individually assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-second edition(MABC-2).The association between gestational age and motor performance of children was analyzed using a multilevel regression model.Results The global motor performance[β=-5.111,95%confidence interval(CI)=-9.200 to-1.022;P=0.015]and bal-ance(β=-5.182,95%CI=-5.055 to-1.158;P=0.003)for very and moderately preterm children aged 3-6 years old were significantly lower than their full-term peers when adjusting for confounders.Late preterm and early-term children showed no difference.Moreover,very and moderately preterm children aged 3-6 years had a higher risk of suspected devel-opmental coordination disorder(DCD)(≤5 percentile of MABC-2 score)when adjusting for potential confounders[odds ratio(OR)=2.931,95%CI=1.067-8.054;P=0.038].Late preterm and early-term children showed no difference in motor performance from their full-term peers(each P>0.05).Conclusions Our findings have important implications for understanding motor impairment in children born at different gestational ages.Very and moderately preterm preschoolers have an increased risk of DCD,and long-term follow-up should be provided for early detection and intervention.

Increasing prevalence and influencing factors of childhood asthma: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

Background Asthma has been a global problem,especially in children.We aim to evaluate the contemporary prevalence and influencing factors of asthma among children aged 3–7 years in Shanghai,China.Methods A random sample of preschool children was included in this study.The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was adopted to assess the childhood asthma.Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between independent variables and childhood asthma.Results Of 6389 preschool children who were invited to take part in this study,6163(response rate:96.5%)completed the questionnaire and were included in the analysis.The overall prevalence of asthma was 14.6%which increased more than six folds from 2.1%in 1990.Being male,younger age,preterm delivery,being born in spring or autumn,being delivered by elective cesarean section without indication,miscarriage,high socioeconomic status,having allergy history,and exposure to passive smoking,latex paint,and dust were potential risk factors for childhood asthma.Spending more time outdoors(>30 min/day),having indoor plants,and cleaning rooms more frequently were potential protective factors.Conclusions The prevalence of childhood asthma in Shanghai has increased dramatically during the past three decades.The findings about risk and protective factors of childhood asthma could be used to develop appropriate strategies to prevent and control childhood asthma in Shanghai and in other similar metropolitan cities.