Raising awareness of pre-conception care in community pharmacies: a feasibility study.

Background: There is growing evidence to support the introduction of pre-conception interventions to optimise the health of mothers and their future children. At present, there is poor awareness regarding the importance of pre-conception care (PCC) amongst healthcare professionals and couples planning a pregnancy. Community pharmacies are ideally placed to reach a range of prospective couples planning a pregnancy and could effectively provide information about PCC.

Recruiting 'hard to reach' parents for health promotion research: experiences from a qualitative study.

Objective: Marginalised populations are less likely to take part in health research, and are sometimes considered 'easy to ignore'. We aimed to describe our approach and results of recruiting parents who experience disadvantage, for focus groups exploring infant feeding on the island of Ireland. Upon receiving ethical approval, we implemented recruitment strategies that included building rapport with community organisations through existing networks, targeting specific organisations with information about our aims, and utilising social media groups for parents.

Weighing as part of your care: a feasibility study exploring the re-introduction of weight measurements during pregnancy as part of routine antenatal care.

Background: The UK does not currently have guidelines on gestational weight gain owing to gaps in the evidence base. Reintroducing routine weighing of women throughout pregnancy would begin to provide the evidence needed to fill this gap. The aim of this research was to re-introduce measurement of weight at each routine antenatal appointment in a small scale study, in order to determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the practice on a larger scale.

"The One Time You Have Control over What They Eat": A Qualitative Exploration of Mothers' Practices to Establish Healthy Eating Behaviours during Weaning.

Background: Weaning marks the transition from a milk-only diet to the consumption of solid foods. It is a time period where nutrition holds an undeniable importance and taste experiences have a long-lasting effect on food preferences. The factors and conditions that form parental feeding practices are yet to be fully understood; doing so can help target problematic behaviours and develop interventions aiming to modify them.

Solid advice: Complementary feeding experiences among disadvantaged parents in two countries.

The initiation of complementary feeding (CF; introducing infants to food/drink other than milk) is recommended close to 6 months and not before 4 months of age. Low socio-economic status (SES) is a determinant of nonadherence to CF recommendations, but there is an evidence gap around reasons for nonadherence among these parents. This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practices of disadvantaged families (in terms of SES and social support) and use of guidance for CF, in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Weight loss after pregnancy: challenges and opportunities.

It is important to pay attention to weight management before and between pregnancies, as women have an increased risk of weight gain during the reproductive years. Having a baby is a life-changing event for women and the challenge of weight management amidst this period of major physiological, psychological and social change should not be underestimated. However, the postpartum period offers an opportune time for lifestyle interventions, as women may have heightened awareness of their own and their wider families' health.

Facilitation of Fast Backward Priming After Left Cerebellar Continuous Theta-Burst Stimulation.

Traditional theories of backward priming account only for the priming effects found at long stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). Here, we suggest that the presence of backward priming at short SOAs may be related to the integrative role of the cerebellum. Previous research has shown that the right cerebellum is involved in forward associative priming.

Secretions of Bifidobacterium infantis and Lactobacillus acidophilus Protect Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function.

Objectives: The secreted metabolites of probiotics are cytoprotective to intestinal epithelium and have been shown to attenuate inflammation and reduce gut permeability. The present study was designed to determine the protective effects of probiotic conditioned media (PCM) from Bifidobacterium infantis (BCM) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LCM) on interleukin (IL)-1β-induced intestinal barrier compromise.

Methods: The epithelial barrier was determined by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) across a Caco-2 cell monolayer using a Transwell model.

How do women feel about being weighed during pregnancy? A qualitative exploration of the opinions and experiences of postnatal women.

Objective: to explore routine weighing in antenatal care and weight management in pregnancy with women who have been weighed during pregnancy.

Design: a qualitative study utilising semi-structured telephone interviews, and thematic analysis.

Setting: participants resided in Dublin, Ireland and had been weighed during pregnancy.

Using the pediatric emergency department to deliver tailored safety messages: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a computer kiosk intervention on parents' self-reported safety knowledge as well as observed child safety seat, smoke alarm use, and safe poison storage and to compare self-reported versus observed behaviors.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with 720 parents of young children (4 months to 5 years) was conducted in the pediatric emergency department of a level 1 pediatric trauma center. Enrolled parents received tailored safety information (intervention) or generic information (control) from a computer kiosk after completing a safety assessment.

Results of a randomized controlled trial of a brief behavioral intervention for pelvic inflammatory disease in adolescents.

Objective: The objective of this research was to examine the effectiveness of a brief behavioral intervention, provided at the time of diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease, on subsequent behaviors by patients who were urban adolescents in a community in which sexually transmitted infection was prevalent.

Methods: 121 adolescents aged 15 to 21 years with mild to moderate pelvic inflammatory disease were enrolled in a randomized trial. All participants received standardized care, completed baseline audio computerized self-interviews, received full courses of medication at discharge, and were interviewed after the 2-week treatment course.

Necessity of routine pelvic radiograph in the pediatric blunt trauma patient.

Background: Pelvic radiographs are obtained frequently in pediatric blunt trauma. The authors hypothesize that there are clinical indicators that can predict pelvic fracture on a pelvic radiograph in the pediatric blunt trauma patient with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 14 or 15.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study of 33 patients with pelvic fractures and 63 patients without pelvic fractures was performed.

Simulation of in-hospital pediatric medical emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrests: highlighting the importance of the first 5 minutes.

Objectives: Outcomes of in-hospital pediatric cardiopulmonary arrest are dismal. Recent data suggest that the quality of basic and advanced life support delivered to adults is low and contributes to poor outcomes, but few data regarding pediatric events have been reported. The objectives of this study were to (1) measure the median elapsed time to initiate important resuscitation maneuvers in simulated pediatric medical emergencies (ie, "mock codes") and (2) identify the types and frequency of errors committed during pediatric mock codes.

Using a computer kiosk to promote child safety: results of a randomized, controlled trial in an urban pediatric emergency department.

Objectives: The effects of a computer kiosk intervention on parents' child safety seat, smoke alarm, and poison storage knowledge and behaviors were evaluated in a pediatric emergency department serving predominantly low-income, urban families. The effects of parent anxiety and the reason for the child's emergency department visit also were examined.

Methods: A randomized, controlled trial of a Safety in Seconds program with a 2- to 4-week follow-up interview was conducted with 759 parents of young children (4-66 months of age).

Use of an institutional intervention to improve quality of care for adolescents treated in pediatric ambulatory settings for pelvic inflammatory disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a quality improvement intervention for outpatient management of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) on provider compliance with published guidelines and to explore issues affecting patient adherence to outpatient care regimens.

Methods: This study utilized an interrupted time series design. The intervention included an algorithm and clinical practice guideline based on the 2002 Centers for Disease Control STD Guidelines, a complete course of medications to be given at discharge after initial doses given in the site, standardized discharge instructions, close follow-up at 24-48 hours and after two weeks of treatment by a member of the PID team, and a referral for follow-up.

Development of injury prevention materials for people with low literacy skills.

Objective: Children living in low income urban environments are at high risk for preventable injuries, which result in thousands of Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) visits every year. The development and evaluation of written injury prevention materials used in a PED-based intervention trial are presented. The purpose is to describe the development of injury prevention materials for people with low literacy skills, and explain literacy and comprehension abilities among a sample of parents from the PED.

Maternal and child factors affecting high-volume pediatric emergency department use.

Objective: To describe maternal and child characteristics associated with high-volume nonurgent pediatric emergency department (ED) use.

Methods: We surveyed female caregivers of children aged 1 to 14 years who were brought to the ED at an urban medical center for nonurgent conditions. We analyzed characteristics associated with low-volume (1 ED visit) or high-volume (> or = 2 ED visits) use within the past year.

Pelvic inflammatory disease in adolescents: care delivery in pediatric ambulatory settings.

Objectives: To evaluate care delivery patterns in patients treated for pelvic inflammatory disease in pediatric outpatient settings and to determine the effect of practice type on care delivery.

Design/setting: Retrospective review of medical records for patients treated as outpatients in an urban academic pediatric facility. Care patterns were evaluated according to the Centers for Disease Control sexually transmitted disease guidelines.

Epidemiology of pediatric emergency department use at an urban medical center.

Objectives: Dramatic increases in emergency department (ED) use contribute to rising healthcare costs and decrease continuity of care in the United States. Yet little is known about the acuity, frequency of visits, and demographic characteristics of children using the ED. This study examines general demographic trends over a 3-year period and examines whether there are factors associated with varying acuity at an urban academic pediatric ED.

Pediatric observation status beds on an inpatient unit: an integrated care model.

Objectives: Describe the usage of observation status (OS) beds on a pediatric inpatient unit and identify diagnoses likely to be successfully discharged compared to those requiring formal inpatient admission.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of all patients (0-18 years) transferred to pediatric OS beds from the emergency department (ED) between April 1, 1997 and April 30, 1999. Outcome measures consisted of time interval between ED triage and arrival to an OS bed, total hours in observation, and need for admission or transfer.

Modulation of human intestinal epithelial cell IL-8 secretion by human milk factors.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) seems to result from the inflammatory response of an immature intestine. Human milk is protective against NEC via an unknown mechanism. We hypothesized that specific factors found in human milk would decrease stimulated IL-8 secretion in intestinal epithelial cells.