Growing rod analysis for the fusionless correction of early onset scoliosis (EOS)

Managing spinal deformities in young children is challenging, particularly early onset scoliosis (EOS). Surgical intervention is often required if EOS has been unresponsive to conservative treatment particularly with rapidly progressive curves. An emerging treatment option for EOS is fusionless scoliosis surgery. Similar to bracing, this surgical option potentially harnesses growth, motion and function of the spine along with correcting spinal deformity. Dual growing rods are one such fusionless treatment, which aims to modulate growth of the vertebrae. The aim of this study was to ascertain the extent to which semi-constrained growing rods (Medtronic Sofamor Danek Memphis, TN, USA) with a telescopic sleeve component, reduce rotational constraint on the spine compared with standard rigid rods and hence potentially provide a more physiological mechanical environment for the growing spine. This study found that semi-constrained growing rods would be expected to allow growth via the telescopic rod components while maintaining the axial flexibility of the spine and the improved capacity for final correction.

Intercultural Dialogues in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability : Embedding Indigenous Perspectives

Embedding Indigenous perspectives in early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) upholds social and political action goals that support a holistic approach to promoting sustainability in educational contexts. Such goals should be responsive to particular contexts and their histories to ensure local issues are a focus of sustainability alongside global areas of concern. This chapter explores how intercultural dialogues and priorities foreground broader themes of sustainability that attend to local issues around culture and diversity, and equity in relations between groups of people. Attending to such themes in educational practice unsettles a standard environmental narrative and broadens the scope and potential for ECEfS in early years settings. Strengthening intercultural priorities in ECEfS requires a commitment to reflective practices that attend to the influence of one's cultural background on teaching and learning processes. Educators committed to reflective practices provide even greater capacity for children to act as change agents (Davis, 2008, 2010) around multiple dimensions of sustainability.

Reconciliation and Early Childhood Education for Sustainability : Broadening the Environmental Paradigm

The uptake of sustainability initiatives in early childhood education curricula continues to gain momentum in Australia and internationally. Growing awareness about the fragility of natural environments in local and global contexts, along with prioritising sustainability in educational policy, has resulted in more broad-scale responses to sustainability in early years settings. To address issues of sustainability, many childcare centres and schools focus on environmental initiatives such as garden projects, recycling and water conservation. While important, such initiatives respond to just one dimension of sustainability. With expanding focus on sustainability initiatives in early childhood education, it is timely to consider why the environmental dimension receives the most attention and what this means for social, political and economic areas of concern.

Young Children and the Environment : Early Education for Sustainability [2nd Edition]

This book is a practical resource that illustrates the difference that early childhood educators can make by working with children, their families and the wider community to tackle one of the most important contemporary issues facing the world today: sustainable living. This second edition has been substantially revised and updated, with a new section exploring sustainability education in a variety of global contexts. Researched and written by authors recognised as leaders in their own countries, the chapters in this new section provide readers with international resources and perspectives to further their teaching about early childhood education for sustainability.

User preferences for text message-delivered skin cancer prevention and early detection

Evidence is needed for the acceptability and user preferences of receiving skin cancer-related text messages. We prepared 27 questions to evaluate attitudes, satisfaction with program characteristics such as timing and spacing, and overall satisfaction with the Healthy Text program in young adults. Within this randomised controlled trial (age 18-42 years), 546 participants were assigned to one of three Healthy Text message groups; sun protection, skin self-examination, or attention-control. Over a 12-month period, 21 behaviour-specific text messages were sent to each group. Participants’ preferences were compared between the two interventions and control group at the 12-month follow-up telephone interview. In all three groups, participants reported the messages were easy to understand (98%), provided good suggestions or ideas (88%), and were encouraging (86%) and informative (85%) with little difference between the groups. The timing of the texts was received positively (92%); however, some suggestions for frequency or time of day the messages were received from 8% of participants. Participants in the two intervention groups found their messages more informative, and triggering behaviour change compared to control. Text messages about skin cancer prevention and early detection are novel and acceptable to induce behaviour change in young adults.

Do twins differ from single-born children on rates of behavioral difficulty in early childhood? A study of sibling relationship risk factors

The hypothesis that twinning raises risk for behavioral difficulties in childhood is persistent, yet there is limited and inconsistent empirical evidence. Simple mean comparison without control for confounders provides data on prevalence rates but cannot provide knowledge about risk or etiology. To assess the effect of twin relationship on behavior, comparison of patterns of association with single-born siblings may be informative. Analyses of data from an Australian sample of twins and single-born children (N = 305, mean age 4 years 9 months, and a follow-up 12 months later) were undertaken. The outcome measure was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Predictor and control measures were obtained from parent report on the sibling/co-twin relationship behavior, family demographics, and obstetric history. We assessed difference between twins and single-born children in two respects: (a) mean behavioral difficulties, and (b) patterns of association between sibling relationship and behavioral difficulties, controlling for confounders. Results showed no differences in mean levels of behavioral difficulties between twins and single-born siblings identifying the importance of statistical control for family and obstetric adversity. Differences in patterns of association were found; for twin children, conflict in their co-twin relationship predicted externalizing behaviors, while for single-born children conflict predicted internalizing behaviors. The findings of mean differences between twin and single-born children in social background, but not in behavioral difficulties, underscore the necessity of statistical control to identify risk associated with twinning compared with risk associated with family and obstetric background factors.

“Do I really need a nap?”: The role of sleep science in informing sleep practices in early childhood education and care settings

A compelling body of studies identifies the importance of sleep for children’s learning, behavioral regulation, and health. These studies have primarily focused on nighttime sleep or on total sleep duration. The independent contribution of daytime sleep, or napping, in childhood is an emerging research focus. Daytime sleep is particularly pertinent to the context of early childhood education and care (ECEC) where, internationally, allocation of time for naps is commonplace through to the time of school entry. The biological value of napping varies with neurological maturity and with individual circumstance. Beyond the age of 3 years, when monophasic sleep patterns become typical, there is an increasing disjuncture between children’s normative sleep requirements and ECEC practice. At this time, research evidence consistently identifies an association between napping and decreased quality and duration of night sleep. We assess the implications of this evidence for educational practice and health policy. We identify the need to distinguish the functions of napping from those of rest, and assert the need for evidence-based guidelines on sleep–rest practices in ECEC settings to accommodate individual variation in sleep needs. Given both the evidence on the impact of children’s nighttime sleep on long-term trajectories of health and well-being and the high rates of child attendance in ECEC programs, we conclude that policy and practice regarding naptime have significant implications for child welfare and ongoing public health.

Assessing the value of mandatory sleep/rest periods in early childhood education and care

In Australia while "appropriate provision for sleep and rest" in early education and care settings is legislated there is no research base to define appropriate practice. This study provided the first, comprehensive documentation of sleep practices in early education and care and assessed their impacts on child health and well-being. The evidence supports development of practice guidelines to manage the complex individual and organisational factors associated with provisions for sleep and rest. The thesis contributes to significant international debate in sleep science regarding the benefits of promoting day-sleep during a period characterized by decline in biological propensity to nap.

Establishing statistical foundations early : data modeling with young learners

This paper addresses research from a three-year longitudinal study that engaged children in data modeling experiences from the beginning school year through to third year (6-8 years). A data modeling approach to statistical development differs in several ways from what is typically done in early classroom experiences with data. In particular, data modeling immerses children in problems that evolve from their own questions and reasoning, with core statistical foundations established early. These foundations include a focus on posing and refining statistical questions within and across contexts, structuring and representing data, making informal inferences, and developing conceptual, representational, and metarepresentational competence. Examples are presented of how young learners developed and sustained informal inferential reasoning and metarepresentational competence across the study to become “sophisticated statisticians”.