Children

Current mortality is low in cases of childhood acute leukemia. Dilated cardiomyopathy induced by anthracyclines remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality during mid-term and long-term follow-up. The aim of our study was to analyze the profile of left ventricular alterations in children treated with anthracyclines and to analyze risks and protective factors, including physical activity. Children and young adults with acute leukemia treated with anthracyclines between 2000 and 2018 during childhood were included...

Bromelain is a complex natural mixture of sulfhydryl-containing proteolytic enzymes that can be extracted from the stem or fruit of the pineapple. This compound is considered a safe nutraceutical, has been used to treat various health problems, and is also popular as a health-promoting dietary supplement. There is continued interest in bromelain due to its remarkable therapeutic properties. The mechanism of action of bromelain appears to extend beyond its proteolytic activity as a digestive enzyme, encompassing a range of effects (mucolytic, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antiedematous effects)...

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare among patients with high-type anorectal malformations (ARM): (i) short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty (LAARP) compared to classic posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) and (ii) the results of single-stage versus staged PSARP. METHODS: Using a defined search strategy, two independent investigators systematically reviewed the English literature. PRISMA guidelines were followed, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5...

Nutrition is much more than food [...].

There are few data on yellow fever (YF) and hepatitis A (HA) off-label vaccination. Given the rising trend of travel to endemic countries, there is a growing necessity to broaden vaccination coverage among the pediatric population. For this reason, we aim to assess the adverse effects associated with off-label vaccination, with the ultimate purpose of expanding the vaccine spectrum. We analyzed ambispectively ninety-four children under 12 months of age who received YF or HA off-label vaccines. The YF vaccine was administered to children aged 6-9 months and those allergic to eggs (with a prior negative prick test and no history of anaphylaxis), while the HA vaccine was given to children aged 6-12 months...

Humming is probably more effective than speech for improving mothers' cardiorespiratory function and infants' self-regulation. We intend to understand the effects of (1) maternal humming vs. speech on preterm infants' physiological parameters, (2) maternal humming vs. speech on mothers' physiological parameters, and (3) humming melodic contours and the process of the lengthening of the final note on preterm infants' physiological parameters. This study was designed as a single-group repeated measures study, using microanalytical methodology (ELAN software version 4...

UNLABELLED: 1. BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder and psychotic risk show several overlapping symptoms, so differential diagnosis is often difficult. In addition, there is a high rate of comorbidity between the two conditions, which further complicates the work of clinicians. We evaluated the presence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms and/or defined psychotic risk syndromes in autistic children and adolescents; we compared the prevalence, type, and severity of psychotic risk symptoms with those of a group of non-autistic patients at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P)...

In September 2023, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published new guidelines for the management of endocarditis. Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a significant life-threatening disease, concerning an increasingly younger age group, especially children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and young adults after multiple cardiac surgeries. This study's aim was to alert the medical community to the problem of increasing IE case numbers and IE course complexity. Of the eight patients who suffered from IE treated in 2023 in our department, we describe the four whose course was the most extraordinary...

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate long-term recurrent and residual disease after surgery for acquired cholesteatoma in children according to surgical approach. A total of 71 interventions performed on 67 pediatric patients were included in the study. Canal wall-up tympanomastoidectomy (CWUT) was performed in 31 ears (13 with endoscopic assistance), a transcanal esclusive endoscopic approach (TEEA) was used in 22, and canal wall-down tympanomastoidectomy (CWDT) was performed in 18. Overall, the cholesteatoma relapse rate estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method was 47 ± 6% at 12 years; the recurrent cholesteatoma rate was 28 ± 6% and the residual cholesteatoma rate was 26 ± 5%...

AIM: This study investigated the sex-specific association between thyroid function and various insulin resistance (IR) indices, including noninsulin-based IR indices, in euthyroid adolescents. METHODS: A total of 465 adolescents (aged 12-18 years; 255 boys and 210 girls) based on data from the 2014-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. Serum thyrotropin (thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]) and free thyroxine (fT4) were used to assess thyroid function, whereas the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICKI), glucose/insulin ratio (GIR), triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, and triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio were used to assess IR...

Vascular anomalies are a diverse group of abnormal blood vessel developments that can occur at birth or shortly afterward. Embolization and sclerotherapy have been utilized as a treatment option for these malformations but may cause moderate-to-severe pain. This study aims to evaluate the utilization of peripheral nerve blocks in opioid consumption, pain scores, and length of stay. A retrospective chart review was conducted at the UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for all patients who underwent embolization and sclerotherapy between 2011 and 2020...

Opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia syndrome (OMAS), also known as Kinsbourne syndrome, is a rare disorder that presents with myoclonus, ataxia, abnormal eye movements, irritability, and sleep disruptions, often in young children. We report a case of an infant barely 6 months old, with no significant past medical history, who presented to the emergency department with tremors, jerking motions of the head and arms, and rapid eye movements. After an extensive workup, she was found to have a neuroblastoma, which was subsequently surgically removed via thoracotomy...

An observational study was carried out in a teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia to determine the occurrence of dental anomalies among Arabian children. The study included children of Saudi nationality with primary teeth. The study assessed the prevalence of dental anomalies in their primary dentition. The assessment and data collection were conducted by a single examiner, utilizing clinical examination and intra-oral radiographs. A comparative analysis was conducted to examine dental anomalies in relation to gender (boys and girls) and arch type (maxillary and mandibular)...

We aimed to identify the steps involved in the Kumagai method-an experimental nursing procedure to feed children with cleft lip and/or palate, using a feeder with a long nipple. We conducted a descriptive study, enrolling five specialist nurses who have mastered the Kumagai method. Their approaches were examined using structured interviews. Moreover, the participants were asked to perform the sequence of actions involved in this method while describing each step. Therefore, we were able to explore the Kumagai method in depth and step-by-step, including the following aspects: correct infant posture; correct feeding bottle holding position; nipple insertion into the child's mouth; and feeding process initiation, maintenance, and termination...

This longitudinal study examined the development of executive function and calibration accuracy in preadolescents. This study's sample consisted of 262 students (127 females) from grades 4 ( n = 91), 5 ( n = 89), and 6 ( n = 82) who took measures of executive function and performance calibration in a sport task three times over 20 months. A latent growth-curve modeling analysis showed a significant relationship between the rates of change of executive function and calibration accuracy. The results also showed a dynamic interplay in the development of executive function and calibration accuracy...

This scoping review provides an overview of the relationship between physical activity, physical fitness, cognition, and academic outcomes in Latino school-aged children and identifies areas for future research. A primary search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and ERIC for original-research articles meeting the inclusion criteria; the search results were uploaded into PICO Portal and assessed by two independent reviewers. Of the 488 initial search results, 50 articles were eligible for full-text review, and 38 were included in this review...

While schools provide one opportunity to encourage physical activity, caregivers play an exceedingly important role in creating an environment conducive to preschool children's physical activity. Yet, little is known regarding the perceptions of caregivers, important choice agents for young children's physical activity behavior after participating in a motor skill program. The purpose of this study was to examine caregivers' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to children's physical activity at home among rural, low-income families who participated in a school-based early childhood physical activity program, SKIPping with PALS, designed to increase physical activity and improve motor development...

An estimated 6 million children under the age of five in Nigeria (out of nearly 31 million) risk not reaching their full developmental potential. The dearth of context-relevant measures poses a challenge to the planning and implementation of effective interventions. This study assesses the utility of the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) in Nigeria. We used the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys to track progress among 3- to 4-year-old children (n = 11,073); 3-year-old, 51%; female, 49%. Using random calibration samples, the results from psychometric tests indicate that while over half of the children were on track in their development based on the ECDI, the instrument had low to average internal consistency and weak face validity, suggesting an inadequacy in capturing ECD information of value...

(1) Introduction: This pilot study aimed to analyze neurofilament light chain levels in cerebrospinal fluid (cNfL) in a cohort of children with different acute nontraumatic neurological conditions. (2) Methods: This prospective observational cohort study consisted of 35 children aged 3 months to 17 years and was performed from November 2017 to December 2019. Patients' clinical data were reviewed, and patients were assigned to the following groups: n = 10 (28.6%) meningitis, 5 (14.3%) Bell's palsy, 7 (20.0%) febrile non-CNS infection, 3 (8...

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits refer to a cluster of characteristics such as low empathy, lack of remorse, and insensitivity to the emotions of others, delineating a group of youth at high risk for severe antisocial behavior. Two variants-primary and secondary CU-have been theorized to have different underlying mechanisms, although mixed findings have been reported. The current study examined if the variants differ in their level of anticipatory fear in 92 youths from the community (mean age = 14.2 years, range = 12...