Acta Paediatrica

It is important to identify children and adolescents infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as they are often asymptomatic and may unintentionally spread the virus. However, information on the best sampling methods are limited. Most analyse nose and throat swabs with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), but these tests are uncomfortable and young children may not co-operate, increasing sub-optimal sample collection and false-negative results. Detecting SARS-CoV-2 in adult saliva, using RT-PCR1,2 has shown promise...

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disorder of the preterm infant's gastrointestinal tract. The majority of infants presenting with NEC are successfully treated medically. Others progress to significant bowel necrosis complicated by bowel perforation. Early detection of those requiring surgical intervention is preferrable and associated with improved outcomes (1, 2).

The human microbiome is crucial for regulating normal development, but the exact point when it is established remains unknown. A sterile placenta was traditionally considered a prerequisite for a healthy pregnancy, but studies have revealed that the placenta harbours microbial communities, even under normal conditions. However, reports have failed to provide evidence for the consistent presence of bacteria in the normal human placenta, challenging the in utero colonisation hypothesis. This mini-review examines our understanding of the potential placental microbial colonisation in normal healthy pregnancies...

AIM: To compare risk-algorithms (HCMRisk-Kids, ECG Risk-score) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) without syndrome association (ns-HCM), and with Noonan-like syndromes (RAS-HCM). METHODS: A national paediatric HCM-cohort (n=151), presenting <19y of age, mean follow-up 13.3y, from all Swedish centres of Paediatric Cardiology (presenting 1972-2015), with 41 RAS-HCM-patients (61% males), and 110 ns-HCM-patients (68% familial; 65% males). The end-point was a composite of sudden cardiac death and re-suscitated cardiac arrest (SCD/CA)...

Rotavirus infections cause severe gastroenteritis in small children, with both high morbidity and mortality. The rotavirus vaccine has been recommended by the World Health Organization since 2009 and was being used by 108 countries by 2019. It joined Sweden's national immunisation programme that year, after five years of selective regional use. This review summarises the baseline facts and evidence, the most common vaccines and the global direct and indirect effects, with a special focus on Sweden. CONCLUSION: The vaccine has had a considerable impact on global and Swedish morbidity and mortality, but some indirect effects and socioeconomic differentials need research...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

AIM: To assess whether fetal mouth movement frequency changes across gestation and whether there are differences between cigarette and e-cigarette exposure conditions in comparison to a non-exposed group of fetuses. METHOD: Pregnant women underwent 4-dimensional (4D) fetal ultrasound scans at 32-weeks (106 scans) and 36-weeks gestational age (87 scans) at James Cook University Hospital, UK. The 4D scans were coded using the Fetal Observable Movement System (FOMS)...

AIM: The aim of the study was to describe age- and sex-specific prevalence of serious bacterial infections (SBI: urinary tract infection, bacteraemia, meningitis) among febrile infants ≤60 days in Sweden. METHODS: This is a retrospective study in 4 Pediatric Emergency Departments from 2014 to 2017, in previously healthy, full-term infants ≤60 days with fever without a source. RESULTS: Of the 1,701 included infants, 214 (12.6%; 95% CI, 11...

Excessive screen time during early childhood has been negatively associated with cognitive development, including poor academic success.1 Social integration2 and delayed gratification (i.e., patience), are key childhood factors that have been associated with positive achievements in later life.3 Despite this, little is known about the possible association between screen time and these childhood factors. This study fills a gap in our knowledge, by investigating the association between screen time, delayed gratification, which is waiting for a larger reward, and social integration, which was how many times a child was named as a friend by their classmates...

We read the comprehensive review of pain during venepuncture in children by Cozzi et al.1 , and were especially struck by the comments about the relative efficacies of high-technology distraction techniques (virtual reality headsets, video games) vis-à-vis less sophisticated ones like singing, reading a book etc. We would like to share our recent experience with one such relatively less described, but widely available tool, and a certain grey zone of its application.

AIM: To understand which safe sleep recommendations parents find most challenging to implement, identifying common barriers encountered; and, investigate if challenges are associated with practices employed. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 3341 Australian families with young infants who birthed a live baby during April-May 2017. Caregivers were asked about infant care practices and family characteristics. Qualitative free-text items explored challenges faced with current safe sleep recommendations...

AIM: Attendances to Emergency Departments (EDs) in the UK are increasing, particularly for younger children. Community services are under increasing pressure and parents may preferentially bring their babies to the ED, even for non-urgent problems. This study aimed to characterise the presenting features, management, and disposition of neonatal attendances to a Children's ED (CED). METHODS: Retrospective observational review of neonatal attendances (≤28 days) to the CED at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children (BRHC) from 01/01/2016-31/12/2016...

AIM: To explore child health professionals´ experiences of the early implementation of the rotavirus vaccination in the two regions that first introduced this vaccination in Sweden. METHODS: A descriptive and repeated cross-sectional study based on a digital study-specific questionnaire with a baseline in 2014, and with a two-year follow up in 2016. The study population consisted of nurses and doctors working in child health centres in the health care regions of Stockholm and Jönköping...

AIM: We investigated longitudinal adrenal androgen concentrations and any relationship between gestational age, birth size, anthropometric parameters and adrenal androgen concentrations during childhood in boys born moderate to late preterm. METHODS: This longitudinal, prospective study included 58 boys born at 32+0 to 36+6 weeks of gestation. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate and androstenedione were analysed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and anthropometric data were recorded from 5-10 years of age...

AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the rapid development of remote medical services. During lockdown periods, children's growth data were obtained from parents' home assessments. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of home height and weight measurements and analyze their utility in clinical decision-making. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center observational study. Children aged 3-18 years were measured for weight and height at home using guidance provided to parents on proper measurements techniques before subsequent professional reevaluation at our endocrine institution clinic...

AIM: To investigate the ability of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - Third Edition (Bayley-III) scores to predict later Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) performances in a cohort of children born extremely preterm. METHODS: 323 children, born <27 gestational weeks, were tested with the Bayley-III at corrected age 2.5 years and with the WISC-IV at 6.5 years. Regression analyses investigated the association between Bayley-III scores and WISC-IV full scale intelligence quotient (IQ)...

AIM: Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) neonates require a high protein intake, but this can be challenging in the very rare cases when they also have phenylketonuria (PKU). This is due to a lack of suitable parenteral nutrition or enteral formula. Our aim was to analyse tolerance to phenylalanine in these infants. MATERIAL: There are approximately 110,000 children born in the Czech Republic each year. A neonatal screening programme from 2005-2020 found that 320 neonates had PKU, including 30 premature neonates with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

In their retrospective analysis including 59 preterm infants with a birth weight ranging from 318 to 500 g (56% of neonates ≤3rd percentile) and gestational age from 23 to 29 weeks, Goeral et al. demonstrated that 88% received standard care; and survival rate was 37% for all live births and 42% for infants with standard care [1]. Neurodevelopmental outcome assessment was available in 91% of patients (Bayley Scales of Infant Development at two years) with 50% demonstrating a favourable mental development (normal or mild impairment), 75% a favourable motor development, and 45% a favourable outcome in both outcome subcategories...

AIM: We evaluated the prevalence of paediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections using antibody testing and characterised antibody titres by time from exposure. METHODS: This was a single-centre, prospective, cross-sectional cohort study. Patients under 18 years old were eligible to participate if they attended the paediatric emergency department at the tertiary Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel, from 18 October 2020 to 12 January 2021 and required blood tests or intravenous access...