Aberrations of the whole eye were objectively measured from early childhood to an advanced age, and the relationship between monochromatic aberrations and age has been shown to fit a quadratic model. The results suggest that the definition of emmetropization should be broadened to include the reduction of higher order aberrations.

Preliminary data using the Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor have not revealed a tendency toward deterioration of the optical performance after the insertion of an Artisan lens for the treatment of high myopia. The Hartmann-Shack sensor was a useful tool for the objective assessment of the image optical quality of eyes with a phakic intraocular lens.

Neonatal malnutrition and/or undernutrition of limited duration appears to permanently influence steady state amino acid content of the adult mouse cerebellum and/or brainstem. Some of the changes seem related to the protein content of the milk (glutamine), whereas others reflect the taurine concentration in the milk during the neonatal period (glutamic acid and GABA). Adult levels of taurine, serine, and glycine in the cerebellum-brainstem may in part be influenced by the degree of growth retardation which occurred during the first 16 days of neonatal life. Provided the combined adult weight of the cerebellum and brainstem can be used as one criterion to determine growth retardation during the neonatal period, it appears justified to state that mice do not recover from malnutrition/undernutrition when subjected to such conditions during early infancy.

A high incidence (over 20%) of obesity was found in 250 neonates living in a rural area of Tunisia, by using weight and ponderal index per gestational age as the nutritional index. Maternal diabetes was probably excluded. Two surveys on nutritional habits--one on the general population and the other on pregnant women--showed a tendency to consume a high carbohydrate and low protein diet. The effect of a badly balanced maternal diet on the fetus is discussed.

The effect of taurine and/or protein composition of maternal diets was examined for effects on survival rates and growth of neonates. Most of the effects observed are attributable to the influence of such diets on both the quantity and quality of the milk supplied to the neonates. The taurine and protein content of the diets exhibit an interdependent relationship with respect to regulating the protein and taurine concentration of the milk. The overall effect of dietary taurine was to increase neonatal survival during the period that the mothers received a protein-deficient diet.

No abstract

No abstract