Fifth Percentile (fifth + percentile)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Autism spectrum disorders and low body weight: Is there really a systematic association?

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 3 2002
Sven Bölte
Abstract Objective To examine the relationship between autism spectrum disorders and low body weight. Method The effect of maladaptive social and communicative behavior as well as stereotyped features on the normative body mass index (BMI) was analyzed in 103 subjects with autism or Asperger syndrome. Statistics were controlled for medication, neurological signs, overactivity, and general intelligence. Results Twenty-eight percent of the male individuals had a BMI in the fifth percentile or below. Except for hyperactive behavior, none of the predictors showed a significant association with BMI. None of the subjects met diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. Discussion Although low body weight is often present in male subjects with autism or Asperger syndrome, results indicate that this link is inconsistent and partly mediated by hyperactivity. The co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorders and anorexia nervosa is probably due to chance. İ 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 31: 349,351, 2002; DOI 10.1002/eat.10015 [source]


Assessment and validation of bronchodilation using the interrupter technique in preschool children,

PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 7 2010
Laura Mele
Abstract Objective To determine and validate a cut-off value for bronchodilation using the interrupter resistance (Rint) in preschool children. Patients and Methods Rint was measured in 60 healthy children (age range 2.7,6.4 years) before and after salbutamol inhalation (200,µg). Four potential methods for assessing BDR were evaluated: percent change from baseline, percent change of predicted values, absolute change in Rint, and change in Z-score. These cut-off values, determined as the fifth percentile of the healthy group, were applied to children referred for the assessment of recurrent wheezing, classified on the basis of acute symptoms and/or abnormal chest examination into symptomatic (n,=,60, age range 2.9,6.1 years) and asymptomatic (n,=,60, age range 2.5,5.7 years) groups. Results The cut-off values for bronchodilation calculated in healthy children were: ,32% baseline; ,33% predicted; ,0.26,kPa L,1 sec; and ,1.25 Z-scores. Assessing BDR in children with a history of wheezing by either a decrease in absolute Rint or a decrease in Z-score gave sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value all >80% for detecting children with current respiratory symptoms. Conclusions Both a decrease in Rint ,0.26,kPa L,1 sec and a decrease in Z-score of ,1.25 are appropriate for assessing BDR in preschool children with a history of recurrent wheezing. As Z-score is a more general solution, we recommend using a change in Z-score to determine BDR in preschool children. Further longitudinal studies will be required to determine the clinical utility of measuring BDR in managing lung disease in such children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:633,638. İ 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


New criteria of normal serum lipid levels in Japanese children: The nationwide study

PEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2002
Tomoo Okada
Abstract Aim: To make new criteria of serum lipid levels in current Japanese children using the large nationwide data provided from Japan Association of Health Service for the analysis. Methods: The subjects were schoolchildren who received screening and care programs for lifestyle related diseases since 1993,1999. Serum total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and triglyceride (TG) levels were measured, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) levels were calculated. Serum lipid levels were analyzed by age and sex. For each serum lipid, we extracted age- and sex-specific group which the mean value was not statistically different from that in 1999 by Student's t -test analysis. Results: The level below the 75th percentile was defined to be acceptable, from the 75th to 95th to be borderline and over the 95th to be high in TC/LDLC. The level below the fifth percentile in HDLC was defined to be low and the level over the 95th percentile in TG to be high. Therefore, TC level was categorized as follows: acceptable < 190 mg/dL; borderline 190,219 mg/dL; and high > 220 mg/dL. The LDLC level was also categorized into: acceptable < 110 mg/dL; borderline 110,139 mg/dL; and high > 140 mg/dL. The cut-off value in TG was determined to be 140 mg/dL and in HDLC was 40 mg/dL. Conclusions: This new criteria should prove valuable in health strategies for rational prevention and intervention in children. It should be emphasized to provide some intervention for Japanese children immediately. [source]


Heart Rate Variability by Triangular Index in Infants Exposed Prenatally to Cocaine

ANNALS OF NONINVASIVE ELECTROCARDIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
M.B.A., Sudhir Ken Mehta M.D.
Background: In adults, heart rate variability triangular index (HRVi) is a highly reproducible measure of heart rate variability (HRV), which makes it more suitable for use in longitudinal studies. Although normative data have been published for newborns, studies in infants with pathological conditions are lacking. Methods: From 1997 to 2000, within the first 4 days of life, we prospectively evaluated HRVi in cocaine-exposed asymptomatic newborns (N = 97) by Holter monitoring. Their data were compared with infants from two control groups (one with no in utero drug exposure, N = 102; the other with exposure to alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana but no cocaine, N = 111). Results: In assessing concordance between and within operators for HRVi, the intraclass correlations were 0.983 (95% Cl: 0.958, 0.994) and 0.997 (95% Cl: 0.984, 0.999), respectively. Infants with in utero cocaine exposure had significantly (P < 0.0001) lower HRVi than those exposed to other drugs and to no drugs in utero. If abnormal HRVi is defined as < fifth percentile for the no drug exposed group (HRVi < 8), 10% of the cocaine-exposed newborns, in contrast to 2% in each of the control groups (P = 0.003) had abnormal values. Conclusion: HRVi is a reliable measure to study heart rate variability in newborns. Asymptomatic infants with in utero cocaine exposure have lower HRVi. Our study supports the clinical use of an abnormal HRVi as a value < 8 for newborn infants. A.N.E. 2002;7(4):374,378 [source]


Visual fields and optic disc morphology in very low birthweight adolescents examined with magnetic resonance imaging of the brain

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 8 2009
Kerstin Hellgren
Abstract. Purpose:, We aimed to evaluate visual fields (VFs) and optic disc morphology in very low birthweight (VLBW) adolescents compared with age- and gender-matched controls, and to relate the findings to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results. Methods:, Fifty-nine VLBW adolescents and 55 age- and gender-matched controls with normal birthweight were examined. Visual fields were tested using computerized rarebit perimetry (RB). Optic nerve and retinal vessel morphology were evaluated by digital image analysis of fundus photographs. Brain MRI was conducted in the VLBW subjects. Results:, Ten of the 57 VLBW subjects (p = 0.022) had subnormal VF results defined as a mean hit rate below the fifth percentile of the controls (i.e. < 89%). All of these also had significantly lower mean hit rates (p = 0.039) in the inferior hemifield. Sixteen of 57 (28%) VLBW subjects had white matter damage of immaturity (WMDI) on MRI. Six of 15 subjects with WMDI (who underwent VF testing) also had subnormal RB results, compared with four of 39 with normal MRI findings (p = 0.02). The mean neural retinal rim area was 9% smaller (p = 0.018) in the VLBW group than in the control group. The VLBW adolescents had a significantly higher index for tortuosity of arterioles than the controls (p < 0.001). Conclusions:, In the present study, 18% of all VLBW adolescents and 40% of those with WMDI had subnormal RB VF findings. The VLBW group had increased arterial tortuosity and a somewhat smaller (9%) mean neural retinal rim area than the control group. Thus sequels to VLBW appear to persist in adolescence. [source]