Effect on the child of alcohol abuse during pregnancy. Retrospective and prospective studies. Acta Paediatr Scand, Suppl. 275: 112, 1979.-Retrospective and prospective investigations of children to alcoholic women gave an incidence of fetal alcohol lesion of one per 300 deliveries of whom half had the complete fetal alcohol syndrome. Perinatal and infant mortalities were increased seven to tenfold and low birth weight (~2 5 0 0 g), preterm deliveries (<37 weeks) and smallness for gestational age (<-2 S.D.) were increased eightfold, threefold and twelvefold, respectively. Small size at birth correlated with reduced mental performance later in life, 58% had IQ below 85 and 19% below 70. 8 % had cerebral palsy. The incidence of cerebral palsy associated with maternal inebriety was 1/5000 deliveries, i.e. every sixth case of cerebral palsy. Tracing of alcoholic women during pregnancy and treatment gave favourahle effect on intrauterine growth when sobriety could be induced early in pregnancy but could not protect from functional brain disturbance measured by neurological performance and by evoked response electroencephalography. Damage to the fetus by alcohol is now the largest known health hazard by a noxious agent that is preventable.

The data in this article are based on investigations performed in 25 children with suspected septo-optic dysplasia (SOD). There are many signs and methods that help in the diagnosis of SOD. In particular, the ocular fundus, abnormalities of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis and other midline brain structures should be described. In order to achieve a more holistic and functional diagnosis, the degree of neurological, neuropsychiatric and psychological involvement should also be stated. It has been suggested that SOD is associated with autosomal recessive inheritance, and it can be speculated that it is the result of genetic and environmental influences early in gestation. An early diagnosis can favourably influence the outcome of the affected child.

Seventeen infants born to mothers who used benzodiazepines (BZD) throughout pregnancy were followed prospectively and compared with 29 infants born to mothers who had not used psychoactive substances. On the Griffiths' Developmental Scale, the BZD-exposed infants demonstrated consistently lower mean GQs and DQs for all subscales at 5, 10 and 18 months of age. The differences in GQ reached statistical significance at 10 and 18 months. The DQs differed significantly for all subscales at 10 months and for the personal-social behaviour and hearing and speech subscales at 18 months of age. We suggest that prenatal exposure to BZD may cause a general delay in mental development up to 18 months of age.

The protein sparing of exogenous lipid during i.v. alimentation. The prerequisites of a rational nutritional design for prematures receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) are the: (a) estimation of coverage of the energy cost of basal metabolism muscular activity, chemical thermogenesis and growth by the metabolizable energy (ME) intake. (b) estimation of the desirable protein and fat deposition for optimal growth and development. Using nutrient balance, indirect calorimetry (IC) and urinary nitrogen output (UN), the coverage of energy metabolism by carbohydrate (CHO), protein (P) and fat (F) were determined by studying 36 infants during (TPN). The majority of patients were 2-3 day postoperative surgical; mean gestational age 36 weeks, birth weight 2600 g, postnatal age 16 days. During initial hypocaloric infusion (18-35 Kcallkglday) of glucose (GL) the nitrogen balance was negative (-70 mglkglday). GL + amino acid (AA) infusion resulted in a positive nitrogen balance and correlated significantly with the daily protein intake (y = 0.61 X + 0.17; r = 0.54; p< 0.01; n=19) which varied between 0.5 -3.5 g/kg/day. By increasing the caloric intake with Intralipid (IL) at a fixed protein intake nitrogen retention was increased ( 51 mglkglday), resulting in 0.3 glkglday extra protein deposition. Over 50-60% of the IL was oxidized. These results suggest that this protein sparing is attributable to the preferential utilization of fat for energy metabolism. A nasogastric load of 2,7 glkg of lipids with 67 % of medium chain triglycerides and 30 % of grape seeds oil was given at the age of 48 hours to 20 preterm neonates (mean bw = 2164 g ; gest. age : 35 weeks). Its effect on the concentrations of plasma glucose free fatty acids (FFA), serum B-OH-butyrate (BOHB) and lactate was compared to their evolution in I I control preterm infants (mean bw 2102 g ; gest. age : 35 weeks). The basal levels were similar in

Among a d u l t a s t h m a t i c p a t i e n t s d i s t i n c t i o n i n t o "primary b r o n c h i a l d i s e a s e " and "emphysematic" can be made on t h e DaSlS 01 t h e e l a s t l c. r e c o i l / l u n g c o n d u c t a n c e r e l a t i o n s h i p. We wish t o know i f t h e s e f u n c t i o n a l d i s t i n c t i o n a l s o c o u l d be done i n a s t h m a t i c c h i l d r e n. The l u n g c o n d u c t a n c e i s i n f l u e n c e d by t h e s t a t e o f i n f l a t i o n o f t h e l u n g and t h e volume h i s t o r y. Thus, t h e q u e s t i o n a r o s e w h e t h e r l u n g c o n d u c t a n c e c o u l d be r e l i a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t a k i n g i n t o a c c o u n t t h e p r e s e n c e o f t r a p p e d g a s and a s y n c h r o n o u s v e n t i l a t i o n. S t a t i c l u n g compliance and l u n g c o n d u c t a n c e measurements were made on