Lynn Twarog Singer

This study investigated longitudinal changes in external developmental assets (EDA)—support, empowerment, boundaries & expectations across ecological and interpersonal contexts of family, peers, school, and neighborhood—among predominantly Black, low‐income urban adolescents. A birth cohort of 367 adolescents (47% male) was assessed at ages 12, 15, and 17 using the External Assets scale of the Developmental Assets Profile. Mixed‐model repeated measures analyses estimated changes in EDA from ages 12 to 17. From 12 to 15 years, all three domains of EDA declined for both boys and girls, with the exception of boys’ empowerment, which remained stable. From 15 to 17 years, declines in support and in boundaries & expectations sustained for both boys and girls; in the empowerment domain, girls further declined at trend level ( p = 0.057), whereas boys remained stable and reported higher empowerment than girls at age 17 ( p = 0.024; d = 0.26). While EDA tend to decline over the early‐ to mid‐adolescent years for both boys and girls, girls reported a persistent erosion in empowerment across adolescence. Gender‐responsive programming, implemented in early adolescence, that intentionally cultivates girls’ empowerment may counter these trends and promote more equitable developmental opportunities.

Risk perception is an important factor in individual and community disaster response, but there is a paucity of research on specific factors that influence it, particularly in rural and disadvantaged populations. In this observational study after the 2023 East Palestine train derailment, 288 participants (84 male; 198 female, 6 unknown; 94% white), completed a survey of their health and environmental concerns about drinking water, soil and air due to chemical exposures from the derailment. Factors potentially related to risk perception, {demographic, health (new and pre-existing symptoms), and temporal and geographic proximity to the derailment site], were measured. Binomial logistic regression assessed the relative relationships of these factors to outcomes. Residents with new symptoms had > 10 times the odds of having extreme health concerns (OR: 10.67, 95% CI: 3.90 – 29.19,) and >4 times the odds of environmental concerns (OR: 4.32, 95% CI: 1.70 – 10.99) than those without new symptoms, controlling for all other factors. Residents closer to the site had greater health and environmental concerns and had higher economic disadvantage. Environmental concerns increased over time and were higher for households with children and for non-smokers. Continued symptom monitoring and longitudinal studies are needed to accurately inform public health communications to residents. Messaging strategies in public health disasters should consider determinants of risk perception to achieve a balance between reducing perceived risk and validating community concerns.

Importance: Linking prenatal drug exposures to both infant behavior and adult cognitive outcomes may improve early interventions.Objective: To assess whether neonatal physical, neurobehavioral, and infant cognitive measures mediate the association between prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) and adult perceptual reasoning IQ.Design, Setting, and Participants: This study used data from a longitudinal, prospective birth cohort study with follow-up from 1994 to 2018 until offspring were 21 years post partum. A total of 384 (196 PCE and 188 not exposed to cocaine [NCE]) infants and mothers were screened for cocaine or polydrug use. Structural equation modeling was performed from June to November 2023.Exposures: Prenatal exposures to cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco assessed through urine and meconium analyses and maternal self-report.Main Outcomes and Measures: Head circumference, neurobehavioral assessment, Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence score, Wechsler Perceptual Reasoning IQ, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) score, and blood lead level.Results: Among the 384 mothers in the study, the mean (SD) age at delivery was 27.7 (5.3) years (range, 18-41 years), 375 of 383 received public assistance (97.9%) and 336 were unmarried (87.5%). Birth head circumference (standardized estimate for specific path association, −0.05, SE = 0.02; P = .02) and 1-year Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) (standardized estimate for total of the specific path association, −0.05, SE = 0.02; P = .03) mediated the association of PCE with Wechsler Perceptual Reasoning IQ, controlling for HOME score and other substance exposures. Abnormal results on the neurobehavioral assessment were associated with birth head circumference (β = −0.20, SE = 0.08; P = .01). Bayley Psychomotor Index (β = 0.39, SE = 0.05; P < .001) and Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence score (β = 0.16, SE = 0.06; P = .01) at 6.5 months correlated with MDI at 12 months.Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, a negative association of PCE with adult perceptual reasoning IQ was mediated by early physical and behavioral differences, after controlling for other drug and environmental factors. Development of infant behavioral assessments to identify sequelae of prenatal teratogens early in life may improve long-term outcomes and public health awareness.

Purpose: To explore whether MR fingerprinting (MRF) scans provide motion‐robust and quantitative brain tissue measurements for non‐sedated infants with prenatal opioid exposure (POE).Study Type: Prospective.Population: 13 infants with POE (3 male; 12 newborns (age 7–65 days) and 1 infant aged 9‐months).Field Strength/Sequence: 3T, 3D T1‐weighted MPRAGE, 3D T2‐weighted TSE and MRF sequences.Assessment: The image quality of MRF and MRI was assessed in a fully crossed, multiple‐reader, multiple‐case study. Sixteen image quality features in three types—image artifacts, structure and myelination visualization—were ranked by four neuroradiologists (8, 7, 5, and 8 years of experience respectively), using a 3‐point scale. MRF T1 and T2 values in 8 white matter brain regions were compared between babies younger than 1 month and babies between 1 and 2 months.Statistical Tests: Generalized estimating equations model to test the significance of differences of regional T1 and T2 values of babies under 1 month and those older. MRI and MRF image quality was assessed using Gwet's second order auto‐correlation coefficient (AC₂) with confidence levels. The Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel test was used to assess the difference in proportions between MRF and MRI for all features and stratified by the type of features. A P value N = 6), the T1 and T2 values were significantly higher compared to those between 1 and 2 months of age (N = 4). MRF images showed significantly higher image quality ratings in all three feature types compared to MRI images.Conclusions: MR Fingerprinting scans have potential to be a motion‐robust and efficient method for nonsedated infants.Level of Evidence: 2Technical Efficacy Stage: 1