• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.87-91
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• 2022

Ingestion of foreign bodies (FBs) is a common phenomenon among young children. Plain radiography is the first step diagnostic modality to detect the radio-opaque FBs. And computed tomography has been recommended by several guidelines as useful modalities for diagnosing ingested FBs. However, there is a risk of radiation exposure, making it burdensome to use in asymptomatic patients. Ultrasound (US) is not a commonly used technique for diagnosing ingested foreign bodies. However, US can provide real-time imaging with good resolutions without radiation exposure in pediatric patients. Herein, we report two pediatric cases of metallic foreign body ingestion that were successfully diagnosed using US for localizing foreign bodies. This study indicates that US may be used as an alternative method for detecting the localization of metallic foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract without exposure of radiation, particularly in pediatric patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.35-41
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• 2012

Passive exposure to tobacco smoke significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality in children. Children, in particular, seem to be the most susceptible population to the harmful effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Paternal smoking inside the home leads to significant maternal and fetal exposure to ETS and may subsequently affect fetal health. ETS has been associated with adverse effects on pediatric health, including preterm birth, intrauterine growth retardation, perinatal mortality, respiratory illness, neurobehavioral problems, and decreased performance in school. A valid estimation of the risks associated with tobacco exposure depends on accurate measurement. Nicotine and its major metabolite, cotinine, are commonly used as smoking biomarkers, and their levels can be determined in various biological specimens such as blood, saliva, and urine. Recently, hair analysis was found to be a convenient, noninvasive technique for detecting the presence of nicotine exposure. Because nicotine/cotinine accumulates in hair during hair growth, it is a unique measure of longterm, cumulative exposure to tobacco smoke. Although smoking ban policies result in considerable reductions in ETS exposure, children are still exposed significantly to tobacco smoke not only in their homes but also in schools, restaurants, child-care settings, cars, buses, and other public places. Therefore, more effective strategies and public policies to protect preschool children from ETS should be consolidated.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2020

Objectives: Prenatal cadmium (Cd) exposure may be associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the relationship between Cd exposure during gestation and ADHD at 6 years of age. Methods: As part of an ongoing cohort study (the Environment and Development of Children study), 479 mother-child pairs from Seoul, Korea were included for analysis between 2008 and 2011. The whole blood concentration of Cd was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The parents were surveyed about ADHD behaviors in their children at age 6. Multivariable linear regression models were used to investigate the relationship between prenatal exposure to Cd and ADHD at 6 years of age. Results: Increased prenatal Cd concentrations were associated with increased scores for ADHD for girls, but not for boys, at age 6. A 2-fold increase in the prenatal Cd level was significantly associated with a 22.3% (95% confidence interval, 11.6 to 34.1) increase in ADHD in girls at 6 years of age, as indicated by the linear regression model. Conclusions: Our results identified significant associations between prenatal Cd exposure and ADHD scores in 6-year-old girls.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.699-710
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• 2007

The study purposes to explore the effects of individual characteristics and home environments of children on their bilingual language aquisition, that is, to examine whether their English language competency is different from their Korean language competency depending on those variables. Thus English or Korean language competency of children who had had early exposure in English learning were studied in terms of child's individual characteristics such as age, gender, exposure period to English, intelligence, and experiences of visiting English-speaking countries, and home environments such as parental age, educational level, income level, their perceived English competency, their perceived significance of English and Korean language, and the frequency of using English at home. 72 children who went to English kindergarten were tested with Peabody Pictures Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) in Korean version and in English version respectively. The results show that child's intelligence and experiences of visiting English-speaking countries influence their Korean language competency. Also child's age, exposure period to English and experiences of visiting English-speaking countries influence their English language competency. Moreover their mother's educational background, father's English fluency, mothers' English fluency, and the frequency of using English at home influence child's English language competency, whereas any variables did not influence child's Korean language competency. Accordingly, child's English and Korean language competencies are related to each other.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.247-262
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• 2011

This study assessed the health risks of childhood exposure to PBDEs via different possible pathways in children's facilities and indoor playgrounds. When PBDE contamination was measured, it was determined through multiple routes, including inhalation of indoor dust, dermal contact with product surfaces and children's hands, and incidental dust ingestion. Samples were collected from various children's facilities (playrooms, daycare centers, kindergartens, and indoor playgrounds) during summer (Jul-Sep, 2007) and winter (Jan-Feb, 2008). The hazard index (HI) was estimated for non-carcinogens, and PBDEs, such as TeBDE, PeBDE, HxBDE, and DeBDE, were examined. The sensitivity to the compounds did not exceed 1.0 (HI) for any of the subjects in any facility. However, current data about toxicity does not reflect effects that were fully sensitive in children, so there is uncertainty in the dose-response data. The contribution rates of PBDEs were 71.4 to 96.1% and 3.7 to 28.2% for intake and inhalation exposure, respectively, indicating that intake of floor dust and inhalation are the primary routes.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.1277-1287
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• 2014

As concerns have been raised about health effects of children's products containing hazardous chemicals on children, the Korea Ministry of Environment announced 135 environmental hazardous substances in children's products (EHSCP) which were subject to risk assessment. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the current status of EHSCP for management due to their various exposure routes and types. In this study, we investigated the exposure assessment of EHSCP as well as relevant policies implemented in domestic and foreign countries. Domestic and foreign cases of detection of EHSCP were reviewed in the literature and websites of related agencies. Due to the lack of reference values for child-specific toxicity of EHSCP, those for adults and regulatory status of EHSCP were also investigated and reviewed with literature. The related agencies of foreign countries provided 13 child-specific reference doses (RfDs), 76 RfDs, and 42 reference concentrations as toxicity reference values of the EHSCP. Among substances investigated in the studies to assess exposure of hazardous substances in children's products by the Korea Ministry of Environment, 23 substances were included in 135 EHSCP. The same studies identified 9 substances which were excluded from the 135 EHSCP. For regulatory status for hazardous substances in children's products, 44 substances (32.6 %) and 84 substances (62.2 %) of 135 EHSCP were under regulation in Korea and foreign countries, respectively. In the present study, we found that a list of 135 EHSCP should be revised to ensure children's safety.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2000

Objectives : To propose the referential data to evaluate the health impacts of Vietnam veterans' children whose father were exposed to herbicides in Vietnam War. Methods : Vietnam veterans who visited to Pusan Veteran Hospital for medical care were recruited from April to October, 1998. They were 71 and asked about their own combat history, symptoms and illness, and health status of their 182 children. The informations were collected by direct and phone interview. Exposure estimation was also performed as exposure score depending on year and unit of participation, and personal episodes related to exposure to herbicide in the war. It classified into three groups; lower(<18.0), moderate(18-53), high$(\geq53)$ exposure group. Results : The mean age and the period into the combat of the veterans were 52.8 years and 15.0 months. The mean exposure score was $18.1{\pm}9.9$, and mainly distributed in lower (46.5%) and moderate(52.1%) exposure group. Most(90.1%) of them were diagnosed as sequelae(21 cases) and suspected sequelae(43 cases) of the herbicides by Korean veteran's hospital diagnostic criteria. The major sequelae was peripheral neuropathy 13 cases, chloracne 5 cases, and the major suspected sequelae was hypertension 20 cases, diabetes mellitus 18 cases, liver disease 12 cases, central neuropathy 11 cases, etc. About birth, 42.2% and 16.9% experienced spontaneous abortion and stillbirth, respectively. The mean exposure score was higher in stillbirth experience group(p<0.05). About half of the children(90 cases, 49.5%) hold the abnormal health status: those were skin pigmentation 38 cases, rash 23 cases, congenital anomaly 15 cases, general weakness 12 cases, purpura 8 cases, visual disturbance 8 cases, etc. These health problems had no association with father's exposure level(p>0.05). Conclusions : These results were depend on their own answers, and expectation for compensation did not excluded, therefore, this study may have limitations: inaccuracy of informations due to recall bias and response bias. Nevertheless, through this study, we could image the fundamental aspect for health impacts of Vietnam veterans' children for preparing the national control program and policy. A large scale epidemiologic study with valid exposure assessment on the health impacts of Vietnam veterans' children is recommneded.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.159-168
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• 2018

Children's exposure to various vegetables has been associated with higher preferences and intake of vegetables. Attractive names have been reported to increase children's vegetable intake in school lunches. This study hypothesized that the number of vegetables identified correctly may be used as a measure of exposure to vegetables. The survey was administered to students (n=368) at an elementary school located in Gyeonggi-do to determine the association of number of vegetables identified correctly with factors regarding vegetable intakes and effects of descriptive menu names on consumption intentions in school lunches. Students were asked to identify the correct names for nine vegetables and rate their desire to eat six vegetable dishes labeled with general names and two different descriptive names. Descriptive menu names did not consistently increase subjects' desire to eat vegetables compared to general menu labels. Children who ate two vegetable dishes and more per meal tended to identify the names of more vegetables than those who ate less, without reaching statistical significance (P=0.057). Moreover, 5th graders who answered that they ate more than two vegetable dishes each meal had significantly higher scores in identifying vegetable names than those who did rarely (P<0.05). There was no significant association between the number of correctly identified vegetable names and children's vegetable preferences and frequency of being served vegetable dishes. Mother's vegetable preference showed a significant positive association with vegetable preferences of children (r=0.147, P<0.01) and fathers (r=0.340, P<0.01) as well as the number of correctly identified vegetables by children (r=0.183, P<0.01). The results of this study cannot support the advantage of descriptive menu labels over general menu labels. However, it suggests that the number of correctly identified vegetable names could serve as a measure of children's exposure to vegetables associated with factors regarding vegetable intake.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2022

Background: Few studies have evaluated the exposure to phthalates via inhalation of floor dust in children's living areas. Objectives: This study evaluated the concentration and exposure level of phthalates emitted from indoor floor dust in children's living areas. Methods: This study utilized the results of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Environment in 2019. Indoor dust was collected from 150 households with children aged 3~7 and 67 daycare centers or local children's centers by using vacuum cleaners. It was analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Six types of phthalates were analyzed: Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), Di-N-octyl phthalate (DNOP), Diisononyl phthalate (DINP), Di -isodecyl phthalate (DIDP). Results: The medians of DEHP concentrations were 1,028 and 1,937 mg/kg in homes and daycare centers, respectively. The median and maximum values of daily intake were calculated by applying the median and 95th percentile values (the upper 5% of the total concentration) in dust measured in the homes. The DEHP median value was 1.6 ㎍/kg/bw/day, and a maximum A value of 7.8 ㎍/kg/bw/day was calculated. When the childcare center values were applied, the median daily intake of DEHP was 3.1 ㎍/kg/bw/day and the maximum value was 29.2 ㎍/kg/bw/day. As a result of calculating the daily intake by integrating the values of home and childcare facilities, the median and maximum values of daily intake were 1.9 and 10.9 ㎍/kg/bw/day, respectively. Conclusions: This study derives phthalate concentrations among the floor dust in homes and childcare facilities where children mainly spend time, and suggests their intake of phthalates through this. In particular, it was newly suggested that the phthalate concentrations in homes and childcare facilities are different, resulting in differences in intake.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.223-232
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• 2017

Objectives: In response to increased interest in the safety of children's products, a risk management system is being prepared through exposure assessment of hazardous chemicals. To estimate exposure levels, risk assessors are using deterministic and probabilistic approaches to statistical methodology and a commercialized Monte Carlo simulation based on tools (MCTool) to efficiently support calculation of the probability density functions. This study was conducted to analyze and discuss the usage patterns and problems associated with the results of these two approaches and MCTools used in the case of probabilistic approaches by reviewing research reports related to exposure assessment for children's products. Methods: We collected six research reports on exposure and risk assessment of children's products and summarized the deterministic results and corresponding underlying distributions for exposure dose and concentration results estimated through deterministic and probabilistic approaches. We focused on mechanisms and differences in the MCTools used for decision making with probabilistic distributions to validate the simulation adequacy in detail. Results: The estimation results of exposure dose and concentration from the deterministic approaches were 0.19-3.98 times higher than the results from the probabilistic approach. For the probabilistic approach, the use of lognormal, Student's T, and Weibull distributions had the highest frequency as underlying distributions of the input parameters. However, we could not examine the reasons for the selection of each distribution because of the absence of test-statistics. In addition, there were some cases estimating the discrete probability distribution model as the underlying distribution for continuous variables, such as weight. To find the cause of abnormal simulations, we applied two MCTools used for all reports and described the improper usage routes of MCTools. Conclusions: For transparent and realistic exposure assessment, it is necessary to 1) establish standardized guidelines for the proper use of the two statistical approaches, including notes by MCTool and 2) consider the development of a new software tool with proper configurations and features specialized for risk assessment. Such guidelines and software will make exposure assessment more user-friendly, consistent, and rapid in the future.