Our results provide evidence of a dose-response effect of low GA on children's friendships and perceived peer acceptance. Improvements in early parenting and motor, cognitive, and behavioral development may facilitate friendships and peer acceptance for all children across the gestation spectrum.

Objectives The aim of the study was to describe the coagulatory state of hyperthyroid cats before and after successful radioiodine therapy (RIT) compared with healthy age-matched controls, using classical coagulation parameters and thromboelastogram (TEG) as a global assessment method. The differences in coagulation activity after RIT, depending on the thyroid hormone (normal vs low total thyroxine [T4]) state, were also evaluated. Methods Fifteen hyperthyroid cats and 10 healthy age-matched controls were recruited. Hyperthyroid cats that remained hyperthyroid 14 days after RIT were excluded. Haematology, biochemistry, T4, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen and TEG were assessed in control cats and hyperthyroid cats before and 7 and 14 days after RIT. Two weeks after successful RIT, further comparisons were made between cats with normal T4 vs those with low T4. Results Fourteen days after successful RIT, 7/15 cats had normal T4 and 8/15 had low T4. Thrombocytosis was noted in 6/15 cats after treatment. Fibrinogen was significantly higher ( P <0.001) and PT shorter ( P <0.01) in the hyperthyroid cats compared with the healthy controls and these changes persisted after RIT. Persistent increases in fibrinogen, PT, TEG maximal amplitude and TEG clot rigidity, reflecting clot stability, after RIT primarily occurred in the cats with normal T4. TEG-K (time until preset amplitude of 20 mm is reached) and alpha (α) angle reflected impaired fibrin cross-linking ability prior to RIT, which significantly increased after therapy ( P <0.05). Conclusions and relevance Based on some of the coagulation parameters, cats with hyperthyroidism showed hypercoagulable tendencies, which were mildly increased after RIT, possibly due to transient radiation-induced thyroiditis.

Friendships are crucial to children's socioemotional development and quality of life. Children born preterm (<37 weeks gestation) have an increased risk for social relationship difficulties, including fewer friends, but the mechanisms underlying the link between lower gestational age and fewer friendships are not clear. The prospective Bavarian Longitudinal Study investigated potential cascading effects on N = 1,181 children's friendships at 8 years. Path modelling indicated that higher gestational age predicted good early parent–infant relationship quality, good inhibitory control, and higher friendship scores. Good parent–infant relationship quality predicted good inhibitory control, which subsequently predicted low social inhibition at 6 years and higher friendship scores at 8 years. There is evidence of cascading effects from gestational age to early parent–infant relationships, to toddlers' inhibitory control, and to social inhibition, which partially explain differences in children's friendships at 8 years of age. Highlights Preterm children are at risk for social problems and fewer friends, but the mechanisms underlying this risk are not known. Path modelling showed that gestational age predicted good early parent–infant relationship and inhibitory control, which subsequently predicted low social inhibition and higher friendship scores. Cascading effects from gestational age to parent–infant relationships, to inhibitory control, and to social inhibition partially explain differences in friendships at 8 years.

BACKGROUND: Adaptive computerized interventions may help improve preterm children's academic success, but randomized trials are rare. We tested whether a math training (XtraMath®) versus an active control condition (Cogmed®; working memory) improved school performance. Training feasibility was also evaluated. METHODS: Preterm born first graders, N = 65 (28-35 + 6 weeks gestation) were recruited into a prospective randomized controlled multicenter trial and received one of two computerized trainings at home for 5 weeks. Teachers rated academic performance in math, reading/writing, and attention compared to classmates before (baseline), directly after (post), and 12 months after the intervention (follow-up). Total academic performance growth was calculated as change from baseline (hierarchically ordered-post test first, follow-up second). RESULTS: Bootstrapped linear regressions showed that academic growth to post test was significantly higher in the math intervention group (B = 0.25 [95% confidence interval: 0.04-0.50], p = 0.039), but this difference was not sustained at the 12-month follow-up (B = 0.00 [−0.31 to 0.34], p = 0.996). Parents in the XtraMath group reported higher acceptance compared with the Cogmed group (mean difference: −0.49, [−0.90 to −0.08], p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not show a sustained difference in efficacy between both trainings. Studies of math intervention effectiveness for preterm school-aged children are warranted.

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