Objective To observe changes of the nitrogen balance in premature infants with extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) during hospitalization.Methods We selected a total of 64 very preterm (VP) infants admitted to Neonatal Medical Center of Huai'an Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital affiliated to School of Medicine, Yangzhou University within 24 hours after birth and with gestational age ＜ 32 weeks from May to October 2014, and divided them into EUGR group (n =18) and non-EUGR group (n =46) according to the diagnostic criteria of EUGR.All of the infants' urea nitrogen levels were detected by Kjeldahl method on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth, and nitrogen balance scores were calculated and compared between the EUGR and non-EUGR groups.Results Nitrogen balance scores of the two groups were all negative on the 1 st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth, with a tendency rising with days.A significant difference was showed in the intra-group comparison in EUGR group on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth (-492.66 ±204.39,-290.79 ± 173.78,-205.96 ± 180.59, and-145.14 ± 140.15, respectively, F =53.086, P =0.000), so was in the non-EUGR group (-383.41 ± 130.57,-278.91 ±225.80,-182.00 ± 144.70, and-61.08 ±49.71, respectively, F =41.745, P =0.000).At each observation time point after death, the nitrogen balance score in the EUGR group was lower than in the non-EUGR group, and the differences on the 1st and 28th days were statistically significant (both P ＜ 0.05);while those on the other time points were not statistically significant (both P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion The VP infants are at a negative nitrogen balance during hospitalization, among whom the EUGR premature infants may be more serious.

Objective To understand variation of weight for age Z scores in premature infants with extrauterine growth restriction(EUGR).Methods Retrospective analysis was adopted with the data of very -low -gestational age (VLGA)preterm infants who met with the following criteria:admitted to Neonatal Medical Center of Huai′an Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from January 201 1 to December 201 3,gestational age <32 weeks,more than 4 weeks of hospital stay and survived when discharged.All VLGA premature infants were divided into non -EUGR group and EUGR group according to whether the standard weight on hospital discharge was below the 1 0th percentile of body weight at corrected age.The weight for age Z scores of preterm infants were calculated at each time point.The differences and trends between 2 groups were compared.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve in diagnosing EUGR by weight for age Z scores was drawn.Results A total of 1 77 VLGA premature infants were enrolled,and among them there were was 1 04 cases of EUGR and the incidence amounted to 58.8%.The weight for age Z scores curve of EUGR group was under that of all preterm infants,and the curve of non -EUGR group was above that of all preterm infants. The weight for age Z scores of all preterm infants and EUGR group showed overall downward trend along with prolonged hospitalization.However,the weight for age Z scores of non -EUGR group did not change significantly at each week point except for the first week.The weight for age Z scores of EUGR group was lower than that of non -EUGR group at birth (-0.84 ±0.39 vs -0.31 ±0.41 ),the first week after birth (-1 .1 9 ±0.36 vs -0.74 ±0.40),the second week after birth (-1 .1 7 ±0.36 vs -0.68 ±0.40),the third week after birth (-1 .23 ±0.34 vs -0.64 ±0.39),the fourth week after birth (-1 .35 ±0.41 vs -0.65 ±0.42),the fifth week after birth (-1 .45 ±0.41 vs -0.56 ± 0.38),the sixth week (-1 .54 ±0.49 vs -0.70 ±0.36)and on discharge time (-1 .72 ±0.38 vs -0.67 ±0.42). The difference at each week point was statistically significant (all P =0.000).The weight for age Z scores on discharge were negatively correlated with start time of enteral feeding in preterm infants (r =-0.271 ,P <0.05),time of paren-teral nutrition up to 41 8 kJ/(kg·d)(r =-0.388,P <0.05),time of full enteral feeding (r =-0.332,P <0.05),a-mino cumulative dose (r =-0.298,P <0.05)and fat milk cumulative dose (r =-2.221 ,P <0.05).Area under the curve at each week point of the weight for age Z scores predicting the EUGR gradually increased along with prolonged hospitalization.There was a statistical significance in the weight for age Z scores value at each week point on the diagno-sis of EUGR(P =0.000).There was a high sensitivity and specificity at each week point.Conclusions Dynamic mo-nitoring weight of age Z scores of the premature infants can show the nutrition and growth trend,and may be a risk warning of the preterm infants suffering from EUGR.

OBJECTIVETo introduce the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3), to China, created ASQ-Chinese (ASQ-C) and carried out studies of its national norm and the psychometrical properties in the children aged 1-66 months in the mainland of China in collaboration with the author of the ASQ System and under the authorizations from its publisher on translation, researches, publication and distribution of the ASQ-3.

METHODThe ASQ-3 questionnaires were translated and adapted into a Simplified Chinese version, the ASQ-C, with six steps such as translation, back-translation and adaptation and so on to ensure consistency with the core of the original document and to have the cultural relevance in China.A stratified cluster sampling method was utilized to recruit children aged 1-66 months with respect to demographic characteristics such as the proportion of population in each administrative region and in urban and rural areas and so on that are representative of 2010 China census data.A sample size of over 200 was collected for each ASQ-C age interval.Children were excluded from the normative sample who (1) are from communities or villages at an elevation of 2 000 m or above and(or) where simplified Chinese is not the official language, or (2) had been diagnosed as having a developmental delay by any authoritative organizations.The national normative sample for the ASQ-C had a total sample size of 4 452, sample size within each age interval ranged from 218 to 227, including 2 230 male cases and 2 222 female cases, 2 236 urban cases and 2 216 rural cases.A convenience sample was recruited from the normative sample to examine inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability in all six administrative regions.Researchers completed the ASQ-C on the same child with their parents for 162 children for inter-rater reliability(the size of each ASQ-C age interval was 5-9); parents of 168 children completed another age-appropriate ASQ-C for test-retest reliability during 10-15 days after they completed the normative ASQ-C(The size of each ASQ-C age interval is 6-10). Another convenience sample was recruited from the follow-up of low birth weight infants for the concurrent validity of the ASQ-C in comparison with the Beijing Gesell.Parents of 198 children completed age-appropriate ASQ-C and professional administered to the children with the Beijing Gesell.In the ASQ-C norm and test-retest reliability, parents completed the age-appropriate ASQ-C, independently or with needed assistance. In inter-rater reliability, researchers completed the same ASQ-C after parents. In validity test, after parents completing age-appropriate ASQ-C, professional tested children with the Beijing Gesell.Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13.0 software.The mean and standard deviation of the national normative sample were calculated, reliability and validity of the ASQ-C was examined.

RESULTThe demographic characteristics of this Chinese sample match the 2010 China census data on gender, urban or rural location, and family income.All 20 intervals of the ASQ-C were standardized on 21 national normative samples.Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole measure was 0.8.The Pearson correlation coefficient between the ASQ-C total scores of the two raters was 0.8.The Pearson correlation coefficient between the ASQ-C total scores of the two times was 0.8 (all P<0.000 1). The sensitivity of ASQ-C was 87.50% and the specificity of ASQ-C was 84.48%.The percentage of the agreement between the ASQ-C and the Beijing Gesell was 84.74%.

CONCLUSIONThese findings indicate that the ASQ-C is a reliable and valid measure with a representative national sample aged 1-66 months.It can be used to screen and monitor the development of children in the mainland of China.

Beijing ; Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Language ; Male ; Parents ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Surveys and Questionnaires