Gestational age (GA) is thought to affect height growth in small-for-gestational age (SGA) children. However, the GA-specific trajectories in body mass index (BMI) and early appearances of adiposity rebound (AR) have not been fully investigated in a cohort of Japanese SGA children. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted with 1063 SGA children born in Kobe, Japan, with sufficient records from birth to 3 years of age. Subjects were divided into subgroups based on GA: 39–41 weeks GA (n = 723), 37–38 weeks GA (n = 256), 34–36 weeks GA (n = 62), and <34 weeks GA (n = 22). Height and BMI were assessed at 4 months, 9 months, 1.5 years, and 3 years of age. The catch-up rate for height was GA-dependent. Most children with 39–41 weeks GA (91%) caught up by 4 months of age; however, lower GA was associated with a slower elevation in the catch-up rate. The BMI trajectory during the first 3 years was also GA-dependent, with a change in GA dependency at a boundary of 37 weeks GA. Approximately 7% of SGA children had already developed AR before 3 years of age. In conclusion, growth patterns during infancy and early childhood in SGA children differ depending on GA.

Association of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with autism spectral disorder (ASD) has been suggested since 1980s. Despite the observed association, its role as a risk factor for ASD remains to be defined. In the present review, we systematically evaluated the available evidence associating congenital CMV infection with ASD using PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. Any studies on children with CMV infection and ASD were evaluated for eligibility and three observational studies were included in meta-analysis. Although a high prevalence of congenital CMV infection in ASD cases (OR 11.31, 95% CI 3.07-41.66) was indicated, too few events (0-2 events) in all included studies imposed serious limitations. There is urgent need for further studies to clarify this issue.

Background:In term infants, transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) monitoring can be used to predict hemolytic hyperbilirubinemia. However, it is not clear whether the technique can also be used to predict unexplained late-onset hemolysis in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.Case presentation: The case was an infant with a birthweight of 1154 g who developed unexplained late-onset hemolysis at 8 days of age. The hyperbilirubinemia rapidly worsened, and therefore both phototherapy and exchange transfusion were performed. TcB levels were measured using the JM-105 jaundice meter and found to have increased by >3 mg/dL since before the onset, demonstrating for the first time that the device clearly detects changes in hemolytic rate. Conclusions:Although TcB levels did not correspond directly with total serum bilirubin levels in VLBW infants, the two values exhibited parallel changes in this case. Therefore, serial TcB monitoring may be useful in the early prediction of unexplained late-onset hemolysis in VLBW infants.

The LVI value calculated via MRI may predict walking disability at a corrected age of 18 months in VLBWI.

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