Perceived social support and characteristics of social networks of families with children with special healthcare needs following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) require more support than the average of their peers. Support systems for CSHCN were particularly affected by pandemic control measures. Perceived social support is a resource for health and wellbeing for CSHCN and their families.

Mental health of children with and without special healthcare needs and of their caregivers during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To describe mental health outcomes and measures of pandemic burden of children with and without special healthcare needs, and their caregivers following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

Design: This is the second of a sequential series of cross-sectional online surveys conducted among caregivers of children ≤18 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, administrated between 2 April 2021 and 31 July 2021.

Main Outcome Measures: Child and parental mental health were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and WHO-5 Well-being index.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Outcomes of Healthy Children, Children With Special Health Care Needs and Their Caregivers-Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Several studies have described widening inequalities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly for adult populations. Children and adolescents are particularly impacted by the indirect effects of the pandemic and lockdown measures, such as reduced access to or delays in health care and school closures. National surveys in several countries also show a rising mental health burden in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

High diagnostic yield of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the diagnosis of adolescent pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: The microbiological diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (Tb) in a pediatric population is hampered by both low pathogen burden and noncompliance with sputum sampling. Although endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been found useful for the evaluation of mediastinal pathologies in adults, for children, sparse data are available. Here, we have evaluated EBUS-TBNA as a diagnostic procedure in children and adolescents with suspected pulmonary Tb.

Intra-Household and Close-Contact SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among Children - a Systematic Review.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a range of emergency measures worldwide. Early in the pandemic, children were suspected to act as drivers of the COVID-19 spread in the population, which was based on experiences with influenza virus and other respiratory pathogens. Consequently, closures of schools and kindergartens were implemented in many countries around the world, alongside with other non-pharmaceutical interventions for transmission control.

Childhood vaccination coverage and equity impact in Ethiopia by socioeconomic, geographic, maternal, and child characteristics.

Background: Ethiopia is a priority country of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to improve vaccination coverage and equitable uptake. The Ethiopian National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and the Global Vaccine Action Plan set coverage goals of 90% at national level and 80% at district level by 2020. This study analyses full vaccination coverage among children in Ethiopia and estimates the equity impact by socioeconomic, geographic, maternal and child characteristics based on the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey dataset.

Comprehensive infectious disease screening in a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors in Germany from 2016 to 2017: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Information regarding the prevalence of infectious diseases (IDs) in child and adolescent refugees in Europe is scarce. Here, we evaluate a standardized ID screening protocol in a cohort of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) in a municipal region of southwest Germany.

Methods And Findings: From January 2016 to December 2017, we employed a structured questionnaire to screen a cohort of 890 URMs.