Browsing by Author "Rakonjac, Marijana (57189368552)"

Introduction/Objective Antenatal maternal anxiety (AMA) can have negative impact on a child’s preand postnatal development. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of AMA on changes in fetal blood flow through the middle cerebral artery (MCA) after acoustic stimulation, on birth outcome, and on early child development. Methods Forty-three women in the third trimester of pregnancy and their children were enrolled into a longitudinal prospective study. The AMA (state and trait) was assessed using Spielberger’s questionnaire. The MCA blood flow was assessed using Doppler ultrasound before and after the defined acoustic stimulus. The data regarding neonatal body weight, Apgar score, first step and word appearance, estimated speech-language (ESLD), sensory-motor (ESMD), and social-emotional (ESED) development at the age of three were collected. Results Fetuses from mothers with high state and trait anxiety had slower reaction time and higher relative pulsatility index after defined auditory stimulation. There are more preterm deliveries, lower scores on ESLD, ESMD, and ESED in mothers with high State-Trait Anxiety Inventory personality trait (STAI-T) compared to low. There is a negative correlation between reaction time, relative pulsatility index, STAI-T and ESLD. Conclusions High levels of antenatal maternal trait anxiety could have a negative effect on both fetal reactivity to sound stimulation and early child development. © 2019, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), the most frequent microdeletion syndrome in humans, is related to a high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. About 95% of patients with 22q11.2DS have speech and language impairments. Global articulation, story generation, and verbal memory tests were applied to compare articulatory characteristics of speech sounds, spontaneous language abilities, and immediate verbal memory between four groups of Serbian-speaking children: patients with 22q11.2DS, children with clinical presentation of 22q11.2DS that do not have the microdeletion, children with non-syndromic congenital heart defects, and their peers with typical speech–sound development. The obtained results showed that children with this microdeletion have impaired articulation skills and expressive language abilities. However, we did not observe weaker receptive language skills and immediate verbal memory compared to healthy controls. Children with 22q11.2DS should be considered a risk category for the development of speech–sound pathology and expressive language abilities. Since speech intelligibility is an instrument of cognition and adequate peer socialization, and language impairment in school-aged children with 22q11DS might be an indicator of increased risk for later psychotic symptoms, patients with 22q11.2 microdeletion should be included in a program of early stimulation of speech–language development immediately after diagnosis is established. © 2024 by the authors.