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Biomedical subjects

R G Carpenter

Publications and source records attributed to R G Carpenter.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Prevention of unexpected infant death. A review of risk-related intervention in six centers.

Over seventy percent of unexpected infant deaths are registered as SIDS. Over 85,000 infants have been screened at birth and one month of age for risk of unexpected death using the Sheffield Score system. Scores range from below 400 to over 800 points. Infants with scores over 800 are at more than 16 times greater risk than infants with scores below 400. Family doctors and health visitors were alerted to high-risk infants, who were examined at home and weighed naked at home five times in the first six months. Mortality in the high-risk group was reduced by more than 50% (p less than 0.02 in one area and p less than 0.05 in another). It is concluded that with few extra resources unexpected infant mortality can be reduced by 25% by this approach.

Child Health Services↗
PubMed1985

Energy intake, weight gain and fat deposition in rats fed flavored, nutritionally controlled diets in a multichoice ("cafeteria") design.

The effect of flavor variety on diet selection, energy intake, weight gain and fat deposition was studied in male rats fed flavored, nutritionally controlled, purified diets in a multichoice "cafeteria" (CAF) arrangement. Serum insulin, L-3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels were also determined. Rats fed nutritionally balanced diets containing a variety of preferred flavors and textural forms ad libitum in a CAF design did not consume more energy nor did they gain more weight than rats fed a single choice of nutritionally balanced diet with no modifications in flavor or texture. Feeding high fat, high sucrose diets containing a variety of flavors in a CAF arrangement resulted in higher energy intake, body weight gain, lipid content in fat pads and serum T3 levels than did feeding the nutritionally balanced diet. However, the high fat diet with no added flavors also resulted in an energy intake, body weight gain and lipid content of fat pads at a level equal or close to that produced by the CAF feeding of the flavored, high fat, high sucrose diet. It is therefore concluded that the effect of a variety of food flavors on hyperphagia and fat deposition is of minor importance in purified diets compared to the stimulating effect of the fat in the diet.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1985

Apnoea monitors compared with weighing scales for siblings after cot death.

A randomised control trial was carried out on support measures given to parents with a subsequent child after previously suffering a cot death. Apnoea monitors were used in one group and weighing scales in the other. General support measures given to both groups included the keeping of symptom charts and weekly visits by health visitors. Many alarms occurred which were presumed to be false. Eleven per cent fewer symptoms were reported by parents of children on monitors than parents of children being weighed daily. Both systems were acceptable and gave parents confidence. Sixty per cent of parents were reluctant to give up using the monitor compared with 26% of parents using scales. Virtually all parents commented on the great value of the weekly home visit of the health visitor and the symptom diary.

Apnea↗
PubMed1984

Role of splenectomy in homozygous sickle cell disease in childhood.

60 Jamaican children with homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease underwent splenectomy, 14 for prophylaxis against recurrent acute splenic sequestration and 46 for treatment of sustained hypersplenism. Age at operation varied from 9 months to 16 years. Patients were followed up for 1 month to 27 years (median 6 years), with a total of 369 years of patient-observation. None of the 3 patients who died, at ages 2 1/2, 6 1/2, and 21 years, had received prophylaxis against infection. Overwhelming sepsis was possible but not confirmed in the first two deaths which occurred 11 months and 2 1/2 years after operation; the third died from chronic renal failure 11 years after splenectomy. After operation, there were no confirmed cases of pneumococcal septicaemia or meningitis, and the commonest clinical event was the acute chest syndrome.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Prevention of unexpected infant death. Evaluation of the first seven years of the Sheffield Intervention Programme.

In the years 1973-79, 39452 infants born to parents resident in Sheffield were scored at birth for risk of unexpected infant death. Before 1973 post-perinatal mortality in Sheffield was on average 11.5% above the rate for England and Wales. Since 1973 it has only once exceeded the rate for England and Wales. "Possibly preventable" deaths have fallen from 5.2 to 1.9 per 1000. 12% of this decline is associated with a rise in the average age of the mother and a fall in the number of pregnancies, 9% with a reduction in precipitate deliveries, 24% with an increase in breastfeeding, 18% with extra care given by health visitors to high-risk infants, and 36% with other factors. The reduction in mortality attributed directly to the effect of increased visiting of high-risk infants is numerically similar to the number of lives saved by treating cancers of children. This suggests that home visiting by health visitors is highly cost-effective.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1983

Reversible obesity and plasma fat metabolites.

Rats were made to overeat and gain weight (about 50 g) by long-acting protamine zinc insulin (PZI) treatment. When the PZI treatment was stopped, the rats ate much less than normal for at least seven days. During recovery from PZI-induced obesity, negative correlations were observed between food intake and plasma levels of the fat metabolites, free fatty acids, glycerol, and ketone bodies. A similar but smaller effect was observed during recovery from dietary obesity (about 15 g). The plasma fat metabolites may be the blood-borne signals which suppress hunger under these conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Plasma fat metabolites and hunger.

In order to test the hypothesis that the fat metabolites are the blood-borne signals which suppress hunger during recovery from reversible obesity, experiments were designed to manipulate plasma fat metabolite levels directly. In order to elevate plasma glycerol levels, glycerol was infused intravenously into relatively unrestrained rats for 36 hours; this treatment greatly increased plasma glycerol levels but reduced voluntary food intake only slightly. Similar results were obtained when glycerol was mixed with powdered rat food. These results suggest that glycerol is not the "lipostatic hormone" although it may contribute to regulation. Similar experiments with a synthetic precursor of the ketone bodies (1,3 butanediol), suggest that the ketone bodies contribute to the decrease in food intake after reversible obesity, but cannot be a complete explanation. Dietary fat consumption raised plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels to the range seen during recovery from reversible obesity, suggesting that plasma FFAs may be a blood-borne signal of fat utilization in both cases. Intralipid, a synthetic triglyceride emulsion designed for intravenous administration, also increased plasma FFA levels but suppressed food intake by less than predicted. However, Intralipid may tend to cause spuriously high plasma FFA readings for reasons which are discussed. These results suggest that plasma fat metabolites, especially FFAs, may be blood-borne signals which contribute to the voluntary dieting after reversible obesity.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Early streptozotocin diabetes and hunger.

The initial effect of streptozotocin diabetes is not hyperphagia, but reduced food intake. Diabetic hyperphagia reaches maximum only after many days. Utilization of body fat may account for the delayed appearance of diabetic hyperphagia; this effect may be mediated by plasma fat metabolites. Plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), ketone bodies, and glycerol are greatly elevated following STZ treatment, but return nearly to normal as diabetic hyperphagia appears.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Parents seeking help after cot death. How atypical is their experience?

A survey of 241 cases of cot death reported to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths is compared with more formal epidemiological studies. As expected the cases tend to be drawn from the higher social classes, and this selection affects some of the data--for instance, mothers' age and feeding practice. Nevertheless, data relating to the infants and their histories are remarkably similar to data from other studies. The survey provides a continuous epidemiological monitor as well as being of therapeutic value to the parents and should be continued.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Are all born equal? Incidence of febrile convulsions by seasons of birth.

To test whether the seasons of birth had an effect on subsequent experience of illness, details were obtained of all Sheffield children born between 1973 and 1977 who were admitted to hospital before their second birthday with a first febrile convulsion. Analysis by date of birth in consecutive 28-day cohorts showed that the incidence of febrile convulsions ranged from 2.5 per thousand live births to 30.2 per thousand in different "month" cohorts. Statistically significant variations were noted in the incidence rates in relation to season and year of birth. The implication is that even large scale epidemiological studies which have been confined to children born in a particular week or month may not be representative of the whole child population.

England↗