Children with SCT have an increased vulnerability for adverse neurobehavioral outcomes and an increased risk for neurocognitive difficulties in the language and communication domain. This... Show moreChildren with SCT have an increased vulnerability for adverse neurobehavioral outcomes and an increased risk for neurocognitive difficulties in the language and communication domain. This vulnerability starts from a young age and may increase when children get older. Neurocognitive functions within the language and communication domain serve as early markers of at-risk pathways with unfavorable neurobehavioral outcomes. These findings come with important clinical implications for the SCT population andwill ideally fuel the implementation of early monitoring, and implementation and development of preventive support and intervention. Show less
Urbanus, E.L.; Swaab, H.; Tartaglia, N.; Cordeiro, L.; Rijn, S. van 2020
Children with SCT have an increased risk of suboptimal neurodevelopment. Previous studieshave shown an elevated risk for neurobehavioral problems in individuals with SCT.However, not much is known... Show moreChildren with SCT have an increased risk of suboptimal neurodevelopment. Previous studieshave shown an elevated risk for neurobehavioral problems in individuals with SCT.However, not much is known about neurobehavioral problems in very young children;knowledge that could help with early identification of children at risk for suboptimal development,and that could help establish targets for early intervention. This study addressedthe question of what the behavioral profile of children with SCT aged 1–5 yearslooks like. In total, 182 children aged 1–5 years participated in this study (NSCT=87,Nnonclinical controls = 95). Recruitment and assessment took place in the Netherlands and theUnited States. The SCT group was recruited through prospective follow-up (50%), informationseeking parents (31%), and clinical referral (18%). Behavioral profiles were assessedwith the child behavior checklist and the ages-and-stages social–emotional questionnaire.Levels of parent-rated problem behavior were higher in children with SCT. Difficultieswith overall social–emotional functioning were already present in 1-year-olds,and elevated scores were persistent across the full age range. Affective and pervasivedevelopmental behaviors were seen in late toddlerhood and prominent at preschoolage. Anxiety, attention deficit, and oppositional defiant behaviors were seen in preschool-aged children. Within this cross-sectional study, the developmental trajectoryof affective, pervasive developmental, and oppositional defiant behaviors seemed tobe different for SCT children than nonclinical controls.Collectively, these results demonstrate the importance of behavioral screening forbehavioral problems in routine clinical care for children with SCT from a young age.Social–emotional problems may require special attention, as these problems seem mostprominent, showing increased risk across the full age range, and with these problemsoccurring regardless of the timing of diagnosis, and across all three SCT karyotypes. Show less
