Acta Paediatrica

During my 45-year medical career, from 1973 to 2018, I spent 41 years working with sick children, especially newborn infants. But what did I learn during that time and who did I learn it from? I have witnessed not one, but two revolutions, in newborn medicine, been privileged to have met many international collaborators and remained very grateful to the fact that Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

AIM: Cardiac function is a major factor for tissue perfusion and therefore may affect the tissue oxygen saturation. Aim was to analyse possible associations between cardiac function parameters and cerebral and peripheral tissue oxygenation in neonates on the first day after birth. METHODS: Analysis of secondary outcome parameters of a prospective observational study which was performed at the Medical University of Graz, Austria between September 2011 and June 2013...

Most patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) need daily fat-soluble vitamins, but are not always able to achieve the optimal serum levels. The activity of vitamin E is the cumulative function of eight naturally occurring tocopherols. The most potent is alpha-tocopherol and vitamin E deficiency is diagnosed when the serum concentration of this tocopherol is less than 500 µg/dL. Due to its antioxidant properties, Vitamin E may play a protective role in the lungs and it has been associated with less pulmonary exacerbations and better lung function (1,2)...

The essence of the mind is consciousness. It emerged early during evolution and ontogeny appears to follow the same process as phylogeny. Consciousness comes from multiple sources, including visual, auditory, sensorimotor and proprioceptive senses. These gradually combine during development to build a unified consciousness, due to the constant interactions between the brain, body and environment. In the human the emergence of consciousness depends on the activation of the cortex by thalamocortical connections around 24 weeks after conception...

AIM: Breast milk feeding is linked to improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, though the mechanisms are not well understood. This study utilized quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) techniques to compare brain growth and white matter development in preterm infants receiving primarily breast milk versus formula feeds. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled infants born at very low birth weight (<1500g) and < 32 weeks gestational age and performed MRI at term-equivalent age...

We thank doctors Briana and Malamitsi-Puchner1 for their interest in our study. The on-going debate on resuscitation of extremely preterm infants on the verge of viability has been fueled by recent reports on improved survival in these infants. Survival of infants reported in the national population-based Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study (EXPRESS) from 2004-2007 formed the background population of our study on hypoxia and subsequent neurodevelopment.

AIM: To present specific reference values for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children with obesity, and to analyze secular trends of CRF in the studied population. METHODS: CRF, the maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), was estimated with the Åstrand-Rhyming submaximal bicycle test, in 705 Swedish children (356 girls, 8-20 years) with obesity according to the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). Data was collected from 1999-2013. Secular trends, analyzed with multiple linear regression, was adjusted for age, height, and Body Mass Index Standard Deviation Score (BMI SDS)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine whether the Kangaroo position decreased apnoea events in preterm newborns compared with conventional care in incubator. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of clinical trials published in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. A comprehensive literature search was realized until 2017. The main outcome was apnoea events. Data were extracted and combined in a fixed effects model. The quality of the evidence was assessed according to the GRADE framework (Grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations)...

Diarrhoea is a common cause of death in children under five years old and it accounted for 437,000 deaths worldwide in this age group in 2018 (1). Calcium plays a key role in some vital physiological body functions, like vascular contraction and vasodilatation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signalling and hormonal secretion. However less than 1% of the body's total calcium supply is required to support these functions (2). Diarrhoeal diseases are often associated with hypocalcaemia, possibly due to malabsor ption (3) and sepsis (4)...

AIM: To examine the association between several perinatal and obstetric risk factors and reactive attachment disorder in children diagnosed in specialized services. METHODS: In this nested case control study, 614 cases with reactive attachment disorder and 2,423 controls matched with age and sex were identified from Finnish national registers. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine the association between a number of perinatal risk factors and reactive attachment disorder...

The autosomal recessive disease cystic fibrosis (CF) was once untreatable and deadly in childhood, but now most patients survive to adulthood. Many countries have instituted CF newborn screening because early diagnosis improves outcome. CF research has greatly intensified following the discovery of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which has more than 2000 different mutations. For patients with common mutations like F508del, CFTR modulators are life transforming and may even prevent major complications if started early in childhood...

AIM: To estimate references for testicular volume measured with ultrasound and Tanner stages of pubic hair in Norwegian boys, and to compare the timing of puberty with data from similar populations. METHODS: Testicular volume was derived from ultrasound measurements of testicular volume in a cross-sectional study of 514 healthy boys. A continuous testicular volume for age reference curve was estimated with the LMS method. Tanner stages for pubic hair were clinically assessed in 452 boys...

This brief report is derived from a postgraduate project that aims to assay the influence of maternal and perinatal factors on the composition of human milk. Such research shows that the gender of the newborn can influence this composition.

AIM: To investigate the implementation of a plan of action for treatment of childhood obesity, and the effect after two years of treatment. METHODS: Children aged 6-12.9 years who started obesity treatment between 2008-2015 in a paediatric clinic in Stockholm County were included. The treatment model included staff education and support and group activities for parents and children separately followed by individual sessions to a multidisciplinary team. The main outcome was change in body mass index standard deviation score (BMI SDS), in comparison to a matched control group...

AIM: To review multiorgan involvement and management in children with Down Syndrome (DS). METHODS: A literature review of articles from 1980 to 2019 using the MEDLINE interface of Pubmed was performed using the following search terms- [Down Syndrome] or [Trisomy 21] AND [Cardiology] or [Respiratory] or [neurodevelopment] or [epilepsy] or [musculoskeletal] or [immune system] or [haematological] or [endocrine] or [gastrointestinal] or [ophthalmological] or [Ear Nose Throat] or [dermatology] or [renal]...

AIM: Evidence suggests that caesarean section is associated with a reduced placental transfusion and poor iron-related haematologic indices, both in cord and peripheral blood, compared with vaginal delivery We assessed determinants and effects of fluid status changes on placental transfusion in neonates delivered by elective (ElCD) and emergency (EmCD) caesarean section. METHODS: Placental transfusion was estimated by ∆ haematocrit (Hct) increase from birth to 48 hours of life, accounting for contemporaneous ∆ body weight decrease, in 143 women/infant pairs, 62 who underwent ElCD and 81 EmCD, respectively...

AIM: This study assessed treatment outcomes of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection among inner city children. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients aged 1-21 years who underwent initial treatment for H. pylori infection from 2011-2015. We included patients who completed 2 weeks of treatment with documented adequate compliance after H. pylori infection was diagnosed. Treatment outcomes were measured based on stool H. pylori antigen and/or histology...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.