Objective: To examine the impact of maternal risky behaviors on the behaviors of children born to adolescent and young mothers. Methods: Adolescents and young Chinese mothers were recruited from an integrated young mother supportive program in Hong Kong between January and June 2015. Eligible mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire on their sociodemographic characteristics and history of risky behavior as well as their children's behaviors. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between maternal risky behaviors and their children's behaviors. Results: Among 201 respondents, there were 187 (93.0%) ex-drinkers, 136 (67.7%) ex-smokers, and 83 (41.3%) ex-addicts. Compared to the reference group, children of mothers with drug use behaviors were more likely to have abnormal SDQ total difficulties scores (odds ratio 2.60, P=0.01), those of ex-drinking mothers had more behavioral difficulties and more conduct problems (B=3.82 and 1.37, P both=0.01) and those of ex-smoking mothers had more conduct problems (B=0.74, P=0.01) after adjustment for confounders. Children of active drug-taking mothers also had more emotional symptoms (B=1.77, P=0.04) and hyperactivity/inattention problems (B=2.14, P=0.03). Conclusion The history of mother's risky behavior was significantly associated with the behavioral problems of the children.

Hyperphenylalaninemia is one of the commonest inborn errors of metabolism affecting approximately 1 in 15,000 livebirths. Among Chinese, BH4 deficiency leading to hyperphenylalaninemia is much commoner than in Caucasians. Exact diagnosis is important for the treatment and genetic counseling. In 2000, newborn screening for phenylketonuria is mandatory by law in China throughout the whole country. However, it is not yet included in the newborn screening program of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Published data on hyperphenylalaninemia among HongKong Chinese are largely lacking. We report a 1-year-old Hong Kong Chinese girl with severe 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) deficiency. The patient presented with infantile hypotonia and was misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy. She had very mild hyperphenylalaninemia (95 μmol/L), significantly high phenylalnine-to-tyrosine ratio (3.1), and elevated prolactin of 1109 mIU/L. Genetic analysis confirmed a homozygous known disease-causing mutation PTS NM_000317.1:c.259C>T; NP_000308.1: p.P87S in the proband. In our local experience, while the estimated prevalence of hyperphenylalaninemia due to PTPS deficiency was reported to be 1 in 29,542 live births, not a single case of phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency has been reported. Furthermore, there is a general lack of awareness of inherited metabolic diseases in the community as well as among the medical professionals. Very often, a low index of clinical suspicion will lead to delay in diagnosis, multiple unnecessary and costly investigations, prolonged morbidity and anxiety to the family affected. We strongly recommend that expanded newborn screening for hyperphenylalaninemia should be implemented for every baby born in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Female ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Infant ; Mass Screening ; Phenylketonurias ; diagnosis