Breastfeeding Support Provided by Lactation Consultants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Breast milk offers numerous health benefits, yet breastfeeding recommendations are met less than half of the time in high-income countries.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of lactation consultant (LC) interventions on breastfeeding, maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy, and infant growth compared to usual care.

Data Sources: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and the gray literature were searched for articles published between January 1985 and July 2024.

Childhood dyslipidemia: Clinician management practices in the primary care setting.

Objectives: To describe clinician management practices for childhood dyslipidemia in the community setting.

Methods: A descriptive study was conducted for children aged 2 to 10 years with dyslipidemia as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Cholesterol in Children criteria. A convenience sample of participants from the TARGet Kids! cohort study (Toronto, Canada) was used.

Parental use of routines, setting limits, and child screen use during COVID-19: findings from a large Canadian cohort study.

Background: An increase in child screen time has been observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Home environment and parenting practices have been associated with child screen time. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between parental use of routines, limit setting, and child screen time during the (COVID-19) pandemic to inform harm-reducing strategies to limit the potential harms ensued by excessive screen use.

The association between self-reported total gestational weight gain by pre-pregnancy body mass index and moderate to late preterm birth.

Background: Inadequate and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has been associated with preterm birth. However, studies demonstrate inconsistent associations.

Objectives: We examined the associations between categorical and continuous total GWG and moderate to late preterm birth (32-<37 weeks), and evaluated differences in these associations by pre-pregnancy BMI.

Initial Effectiveness of mRNA-1273 Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Hospitalization in Young Children.

Background: Data on mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccine effectiveness (VE) in children aged 6 months to 5 years are limited. The objectives of this study were to assess mRNA-1273 vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related hospitalization among children aged 6 months to 5 years during the initial 5 months of the vaccination campaign rollout, as well as to determine whether VE varied by age group (6 months to <2 years vs 2 to 5 years).

Methods: We used a test-negative study with linked health administrative data in Ontario, Canada, to evaluate vaccine effectiveness of mRNA-1273 against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19-related hospitalization from July 28 to December 31, 2022.

Study protocol for a Prospective Observational study of Safety Threats and Adverse events in Trauma (PrO-STAT): a pilot study at a level-1 trauma centre in Canada.

Introduction: Traumatic injuries are a significant public health concern globally, resulting in substantial mortality, hospitalisation and healthcare burden. Despite the establishment of specialised trauma centres, there remains considerable variability in trauma-care practices and outcomes, particularly in the initial phase of trauma resuscitation in the trauma bay. This stage is prone to preventable errors leading to adverse events (AEs) that can impact patient outcomes.

Early childhood body mass index growth and school readiness: A longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Child growth influences future health and learning. School readiness refers to a child's ability to meet developmental expectations at school entry. The association of early growth rate and patterns with school readiness remains unknown.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among children receiving primary care in Toronto, Ontario.

Objective: Characterizing the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in children is needed to optimize the COVID-19 public health response. We quantified the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection-acquired antibodies and vaccine-acquired antibodies among children receiving primary care in Toronto, Canada.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study between January 2021 and November 2022 in healthy children aged 0-16 years receiving primary care in Toronto.

Centre-based childcare in early childhood and child obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

Objectives: Centre-based childcare has been identified as a promising environment for obesity prevention in early childhood, but the longitudinal relationships between attending centre-based childcare and child obesity are not well understood. The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the longitudinal associations between centre-based childcare attendance in early childhood and child body mass index compared with other childcare settings or parental care. Subgroup analyses will also be conducted to determine if socioeconomic factors and characteristics of the childcare setting modify the relationships.

Injury severity bias in missing prehospital vital signs: Prevalence and implications for trauma registries.

Background: Vital signs are important factors in assessing injury severity and guiding trauma resuscitation, especially among severely injured patients. Despite this, physiological data are frequently missing from trauma registries. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of missing prehospital data in a hospital-based trauma registry and to assess the associations between prehospital physiological data completeness and indicators of injury severity.

Enhancing patient safety in trauma: Understanding adverse events, assessment tools, and the role of trauma video review.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate adverse events (AEs) in trauma resuscitation, evaluate contributing factors, and assess methods, such as trauma video review (TVR), to mitigate AEs.

Background: Trauma remains a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity, necessitating effective trauma care. Despite progress, AEs during trauma resuscitation persist, impacting patient outcomes and the healthcare system.

Haemoglobin thresholds to define anaemia from age 6 months to 65 years: estimates from international data sources.

Background: Detection of anaemia is crucial for clinical medicine and public health. Current WHO anaemia definitions are based on statistical thresholds (fifth centiles) set more than 50 years ago. We sought to establish evidence for the statistical haemoglobin thresholds for anaemia that can be applied globally and inform WHO and clinical guidelines.

The mediation effect of breastfeeding duration on the relationship between maternal preconception BMI and childhood nutritional risk.

Background: Higher maternal preconception body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower breastfeeding duration, which may contribute to the development of poor child eating behaviours and dietary intake patterns (components of nutritional risk). A higher maternal preconception BMI has been found to be associated with higher child nutritional risk. This study aimed to determine whether breastfeeding duration mediated the association between maternal preconception BMI and child nutritional risk.

Association of birthweight with diabetes, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease in young adulthood: a retrospective cohort study.

Birthweight has been associated with diabetes in a reverse J-shape (highest risk at low birthweight and moderately high risk at high birthweight) and inversely associated with hypertension in adulthood with inconsistent evidence for cardiovascular disease. There is a lack of population-based studies examining the incidence of cardiometabolic outcomes in young adults born with low and high birthweights. To evaluate the association between birthweight and diabetes, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in young adulthood, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 874,904 singletons born in Ontario, Canada, from 1994 to 2002, identified from population-based health administrative data.

Plant-Based Milk Consumption and Growth in Children 1-10 Years of Age.

Background: The effects of plant-based milk consumption on the growth of children are unclear.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between plant-based milk consumption and BMI in childhood. Secondary objectives were to examine the association with height and whether these relationships are mediated by dairy milk intake and modified by age or the type of plant-based milk consumed.

Underweight in the first 2 years of life and nutrition risk in later childhood: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Children with underweight in the first 2 years have lower body mass index z-score (zBMI) and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) in later childhood. It is not known if underweight in the first 2 years is associated with nutrition risk in later childhood.

Objective: (1) Determine the relationship between underweight (zBMI < -2) in the first 2 years and nutrition risk measured by the Nutrition Screening for Toddlers and Preschoolers (NutriSTEP) score from 18 months to 5 years.

Changes in sleep and the prevalence of probable insomnia in undergraduate university students over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the U-Flourish cohort study.

Background: Sleep problems associated with poor mental health and academic outcomes may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims: To describe sleep in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method: This longitudinal analysis included data from 9523 students over 4 years (2018-2022), associated with different pandemic phases.

Xylitol for the prevention of acute otitis media episodes in children aged 1-5 years: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate the regular use of xylitol, compared with sorbitol, to prevent acute otitis media (AOM), upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) and dental caries.

Design: Blinded randomised controlled trial with a 6-month study period.

Setting: Enrolment took place at 11 primary care practices in Ontario, Canada.

Timing of introduction to solid food, eczema and wheezing in later childhood: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: The timing of introduction to solid food has been associated with eczema and wheezing in childhood. Our aim was to determine whether differences persist within the recommended 4 to 6 month age range.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study with repeated measures was conducted among children from birth to 10 years of age who were participating in the TARGet Kids! practice based research network in Toronto, Canada.

New approaches and technical considerations in detecting outlier measurements and trajectories in longitudinal children growth data.

Background: Growth studies rely on longitudinal measurements, typically represented as trajectories. However, anthropometry is prone to errors that can generate outliers. While various methods are available for detecting outlier measurements, a gold standard has yet to be identified, and there is no established method for outlying trajectories.

Association Between Family Income and Positive Developmental Screening Using the Infant Toddler Checklist at the 18-Month Health Supervision Visit.

Objective: To examine the associations between several potential predictors (child biologic, social, and family factors) and a positive screen for developmental delay using the Infant Toddler Checklist (ITC) at the 18-month health supervision visit in primary care.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of healthy children attending an 18-month health supervision visit in primary care. Parents completed a standardized questionnaire, addressing child, social, and family characteristics, and the ITC.

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination in young children.

Objective: To examine factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination (time to vaccination and vaccination status) among healthy young children participating in primary healthcare.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted between November 2021 and September 2022 through the TARGet Kids! primary care research network in Toronto, Canada. Sociodemographic information, child and parent health characteristics, parental vaccine beliefs and child COVID-19 vaccine uptake were collected through parent-reported questionnaires.

Validation of Parent-reported Gestational Age Categories for Children Less Than 6 Years of Age.

Background: Preterm birth is an important outcome or exposure in epidemiologic research. When administrative data on measured gestational age is not available, parent-reported gestational age can be obtained from questionnaires, which is subject to potential bias. To our knowledge, few studies have assessed the validity of parent-reported gestational age categories, including commonly defined categories of preterm birth.