Melissa M. Burnham

Secretin and sleep in children with autism.

The objectives of this pilot study were 1) to examine possible effects of secretin infusions on sleep-wake state organization in children with autism, and 2) to assess the feasibility of home recordings using time-lapse videosomnography in children with autism. Participants were a subset of subjects from two double blind, placebo-control, multi-center clinical trials. One trial, the UC Irvine study, assessed the effects of porcine secretin vs. saline infusions on childrens behavior, language and IQ. The UC Davis trial assessed the effects of synthetic human secretin vs. saline infusions on behavior, language and gastrointestinal function. The sleep study enrolled some of the children from each of the two trials to observe possible secretin effects on sleep. To examine sleep, the UC Irvine trial used the Childrens Sleep Habits Questionnaire and daily sleep diaries, whereas the UC Davis study used home-recorded time-lapse videosomnography. Because of the small sample size, the results from both trials are preliminary. They suggest that secretin, porcine or synthetic, does not improve sleep-wake state organization dramatically.

Differential activation of immune factors in neurons and glia contribute to individual differences in resilience/vulnerability to sleep disruption

Individuals frequently find themselves confronted with a variety of challenges that threaten their wellbeing. While some individuals face these challenges efficiently and thrive (resilient) others are unable to cope and may suffer persistent consequences (vulnerable). Resilience/vulnerability to sleep disruption may contribute to the vulnerability of individuals exposed to challenging conditions. With that in mind we exploited individual differences in a flys ability to form short-term memory (STM) following 3 different types of sleep disruption to identify the underlying genes. Our analysis showed that in each category of flies examined, there are individuals that form STM in the face of sleep loss (resilient) while other individuals show dramatic declines in cognitive behavior (vulnerable). Molecular genetic studies revealed that Antimicrobial Peptides, factors important for innate immunity, were candidates for conferring resilience/vulnerability to sleep deprivation. Specifically, Metchnikowin (Mtk), drosocin (dro) and Attacin (Att) transcript levels seemed to be differentially increased by sleep deprivation in glia (Mtk), neurons (dro) or primarily in the head fat body (Att). Follow-up genetic studies confirmed that expressing Mtk in glia but not neurons, and expressing dro in neurons but not glia, disrupted memory while modulating sleep in opposite directions. These data indicate that various factors within glia or neurons can contribute to individual differences in resilience/vulnerability to sleep deprivation.

Child care quality: A model for examining relevant variables

Child care research has progressed over the past several decades to a level of sophistication and depth that begins to give some answers to the question, “what is the impact of child care on young children?” This paper provides a model within which this complex body of literature can be viewed and presents a comprehensive review of the literature. The Child Care Quality Model, based on ecological theory, helps to organize and conceptualize the relationship among the salient components of the child care research literature. Central to the model is the relationship of child care quality to child outcomes. In addition, both proximal and distal influencing variables are considered.The examination of the literature expands on these aspects of the model by first reviewing the elements of structural and process quality, and how these are measured. It then considers studies that report the impact of child care on child outcomes in social, behavioral/emotional, and cognitive/language development. Research that focuses on additional influencing factors, which interact with child care to impact child outcomes, are also reviewed. These include proximal variables such as family characteristics, child characteristics, and program characteristics, and more distal community and societal variables, including child care licensing standards. A summary synthesizes the literature in the context of the Child Care Quality Model, and points out some of the gaps in the current level of understanding of how child care influences young children.

Do Variables Associated with Quality Child Care Programs Predict the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities

Little research has been carried out on the inclusion of children with special needs in child care. The purpose of this study was to determine what variables predict the inclusion of children with disabilities in centers and home care. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of several indicators of quality child care and inclusion. For directors, teachers, and home care providers, the strongest predictor was having taken a course on working with children with disabilities. Larger centers and groups were more likely to include children with special needs. The somewhat surprising results and implications are discussed.

Developmental perspective dreaming across the lifespan and what this tells us.

This chapter takes on the ambitious goal of describing dreaming across the lifespan, integrating both empirical dream research and clinical case examples. Each major stage of the lifespan is discussed, from infancy (where our knowledge of dreaming is speculative at best) to later adulthood. Written from the perspectives of a developmental sleep researcher and a clinician, the chapter weaves together what is known empirically with the usefulness of dreams at different stages to inform clinical understanding. We attempt to provide an integrative view of dreaming which embraces the fundamental ambiguity of dreams across the lifespan.

Sleep architecture in infants of substance-abusing mothers

This longitudinal, year-long study compared sleep-wake state organization in two groups of infants-infants whose mothers abused substances during their pregnancies and nonexposed, typically developing, age-matched comparison infants-to determine whether differences in sleep-wake state organization existed between the two groups. Seventeen infants of mothers who were participating in a parent-infant residential treatment program for substance abuse were enrolled. Their sleep-wake state organization over the first year of life was compared to that of 17 age-matched comparison infants. The intent was to follow each infant on five occasions over the first year of life using established methods of time-lapse videosomnography to record sleep-wake state organization; however, attrition in the substance-abusing group was problematic. Some sleep-wake variables (i.e., Active Sleep%, Quiet Sleep%, Awake%, number of nighttime awakenings) were similar for both groups of infants at comparable ages across the first year. Total sleep time and the longest sustained sleep period (sleep continuity variables) differed significantly at some of the ages measured. Although overall sleep architecture appears highly resilient and well organized, some indications of sleep fragmentation and shortened nighttime sleep periods were observed in the substance-exposed infants. More research is needed to explain why sleep-continuity variables and not sleep-state proportion variables differed between the two groups.

Toddler naps in child care: associations with demographics and developmental outcomes

OBJECTIVES The objectives were to characterize the rate, duration, and factors associated with napping in a large, nationally representative sample of toddlers attending child care. DESIGN We analyzed a subset of data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, including parent report, caregiver report, and observational measures. PARTICIPANTS Data were limited to the 3050 participants reporting that their 2-year-old routinely spent greater than 1 hour per week in nonparental child care. MEASUREMENTS Interviews were completed to measure child care type (relative, nonrelative, center-based), demographics, bedtime characteristics (eg, presence of a bedtime routine, assistance needed to fall asleep), and naptime. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Research Edition was used to measure child outcomes. RESULTS Napping was reported to occur in 91% of 2-year-olds, with most naps reported to last 2 hours. Significant racial and ethnic differences were found in nap duration, with black children napping longer and Latino children napping shorter than white children, controlling for socioeconomic status and sex. Children cared for by relatives had longer naps than those in nonrelative child care. There were no significant relationships between naps and child outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Results highlight racial and ethnic differences in daytime napping duration and interesting differences in nap duration in different child care settings. Child care providers may use these results to adopt appropriate expectations, policies, and practices for 2-year-old napping.