Utility of overnight oximetry indices in the evaluation of children with snoring and suspected obstructive sleep apnea.

Study Objectives: Optimal cutoff values of oximetry indices that differentiate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) from primary snoring (PS) are not well-established. Our study aimed to assess the utility of overnight oximetry indices in differentiating PS from OSA and assessing OSA severity, compared to polysomnography, in children with suspected OSA.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of children (1-18 years of age) with snoring who underwent polysomnography.

Breastfeeding Practices and Postpartum Weight Retention in an Asian Cohort.

This study examines relationships between breastfeeding practices and postpartum weight retention (PPWR) at 6 and 12 months postpartum among 379 first-time mothers participating in a clinical trial in Singapore. We categorized feeding modes at 6 months into exclusive breastfeeding, mixed feeding, and exclusive formula feeding. Participants were analyzed in two groups based on their PPWR assessment at 6 and 12 months postpartum, with complete datasets available for each assessment.

Impact of family and caregiver factors on development and behaviours in maltreated young children.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental and emotional/ behavioural concerns in maltreated children and to examine the impact of adverse family/caregiver risk factors on these outcomes.

Method: We analysed family demographic and baseline data of 132 maltreated children and their caregivers from a family support programme in Singapore. We examined the associations of 3 main risk factors (i.

Profile of hospitalised maltreated children aged 0 to 3 years and their families.

Introduction: Maltreatment adversely affects children's health and development. Knowledge of child maltreatment in early childhood is limited. We studied the demographic factors and health issues in children aged 0-3 years who were hospitalised for maltreatment.

A Community-enabled Readiness for first 1000 Days Learning Ecosystem (CRADLE) for first-time families: study protocol of a three-arm randomised controlled trial.

Background: Enhanced parenting self-efficacy (PSE) contributes to positive parenting and future parental-child health. First-time parents, in particular, are in need of support since the pregnancy until post-delivery to strengthen their early PSE. However, there is a lack of effective and sustainable relevant programmes in the community.

OneTwoTree: An online tool for phylogeny reconstruction.

Phylogeny reconstruction is a key instrument in numerous biological analyses, ranging from evolutionary and ecology research, to conservation and systems biology. The increasing accumulation of genomic data makes it possible to reconstruct phylogenies with both high accuracy and at increasingly finer resolution. Yet, taking advantage of the enormous amount of sequence data available requires the use of computational tools for efficient data retrieval and processing, or else the process could quickly become an error-prone endeavour.

ConSurf 2016: an improved methodology to estimate and visualize evolutionary conservation in macromolecules.

The degree of evolutionary conservation of an amino acid in a protein or a nucleic acid in DNA/RNA reflects a balance between its natural tendency to mutate and the overall need to retain the structural integrity and function of the macromolecule. The ConSurf web server (http://consurf.tau.

Concordance between bronchial hyperresponsiveness, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, and asthma control in children.

Background: Previous studies on association between level of asthma control, markers of airway inflammation and the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) have yielded conflicting results. Our aim was to determine the presence and severity of BHR and the concordance between BHR, asthma control, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in children with asthma on therapy.

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, children (aged 6-18 years) with asthma on British Thoracic Society (BTS) treatment steps 2 or 3, underwent comprehensive assessment of their asthma control (clinical assessment, spirometry, asthma control test [ACT], Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire [PAQLQ]), measurement of FeNO and BHR (using mannitol dry powder bronchial challenge test [MCT], Aridol™, Pharmaxis, Australia).

Pilot study of the use of Yin Qiao San in children with conventional antipyretic hypersensitivity.

Background: Children with a diagnosis of cross-reactive hypersensitivity to both paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are limited in their choice of antipyretics.

Objective: The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of using a Chinese proprietary medicine, Yin Qiao San (YQS), for fever relief.

Methods: A single centre, open label, prospective clinical trial exploring the tolerability and feasibility of using YQS for fever relief in children who are unable to use conventional antipyretic medications.

An independent association of prenatal depression with wheezing and anxiety with rhinitis in infancy.

Background: Different maternal psychological states during pregnancy have been associated with wheeze-rhinitis-eczema symptoms in children. However, previous studies were limited and it was unclear whether the type of prenatal psychological state was associated with a particular symptom. We examined the association of maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy with wheeze-rhinitis-eczema symptoms in infancy.

Compliance with noninvasive home ventilation in children with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Introduction: This study aimed to determine compliance with noninvasive home ventilation in children with obstructive sleep apnoea and the factors affecting this compliance.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 51 children who were prescribed noninvasive home ventilation for the management of obstructive sleep apnoea from 1 January 2000 until 31 May 2008. Noninvasive ventilation was started based on positive polysomnogram, i.

Paediatric anaphylaxis in a Singaporean children cohort: changing food allergy triggers over time.

Background: We have noticed changes in paediatric anaphylaxis triggers locally in Singapore.

Objective: We aimed to describe the demographic characteristics, clinical features, causative agents and management of children presenting with anaphylaxis.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of Singaporean children presenting with anaphylaxis between January 2005 and December 2009 to a tertiary paediatric hospital.

Allergic rhinitis and non-allergic rhinitis in children in the tropics: prevalence and risk associations.

Background: The age-related comparative prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) in children is poorly defined. We aimed to characterize AR and NAR in children.

Methods: This study enrolled children with chronic rhinitis who presented to a tertiary paediatric center for a diagnostic skin prick test (SPT).

Pediatric Flexible Bronchoscopy in Singapore: A 10-year Experience.

Aim: To determine the results of children who underwent flexible bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the Respiratory Medicine Service of Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital from 1996 to 2005.

Method: This was a retrospective study of all patients who underwent flexible bronchoscopy. Patients were traced from the hospital records.

Influenza vaccine concurrently administered with a combination measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine to young children.

Children aged 11 to <24 months received 2 intranasal doses of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) or placebo, 35+/-7 days apart. Dose 1 was administered concomitantly with a combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (Priorix). Seroresponses to measles and mumps were similar between groups.

Paradoxical vocal cord dysfunction: when a wheeze is not asthma.

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is an uncommon condition which often mimics asthma in presentation and severity. We present nine- and 11-year-old female siblings with vocal cord dysfunction, which is a dysfunction of the larynx involving unintentional paradoxical adduction of the vocal cords during inspiration. We evaluated the use of exercise testing in conjunction with pulmonary function testing in suspected vocal cord dysfunction.

The changing face of food hypersensitivity in an Asian community.

Background: Food allergy seems to be increasing in Asia as well as world-wide. Our aim was to characterize food protein sensitization patterns in a population of Asian children with possible food allergy.

Methods: Children presenting to our allergy clinic over 3 years with symptomatic allergic disease and at least one specific food allergen sensitization documented on skin prick testing were included in the analysis.

Hypersensitivity to paracetamol in Asian children with early onset of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug allergy.

Background: The published incidence of paracetamol cross-reactivity in adults and adolescents with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) reactions is low and all data on such reactions in young children is sparse. The study aim was to characterize the clinical presentation and cross-reactivity with paracetamol in patients with a reported onset of NSAID hypersensitivity before 6 years of age.

Methods: A retrospective case review was done of patients with cross-reactive hypersensitivity reactions to antipyretic/analgesic medications from the pediatric allergy clinic of the Kendang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore.

Epidemiology, clinical characteristics and antimicrobial resistance patterns of community-acquired pneumonia in 1702 hospitalized children in Singapore.

Objective And Background: Childhood community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The features of childhood CAP vary between countries. The aim of this study was to delineate the clinical characteristics, complications, spectrum of pathogens and patterns of antimicrobial resistance associated with hospitalized cases of childhood CAP in Singapore.

Is the childhood asthma questionnaire a good measure of health-related quality of life of asthmatic children in Asia?: validation among paediatric patients with asthma in Singapore.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) is an important outcome in the treatment of chronic childhood diseases such as asthma. However, this measure is rarely used in young children in Asia because of the difficulty of obtaining valid, reliable instruments that are developmentally and culturally suitable.

Objectives: To select, culturally adapt and validate a disease-specific HR-QOL questionnaire (Childhood Asthma Questionnaire [CAQ]-B) for asthmatic children aged 7-11 years in Singapore, and to understand the relationship between patient-reported HR-QOL domains and physician- or caregiver-rated severity.

Early presentation with angioedema and urticaria in cross-reactive hypersensitivity to nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs among young, Asian, atopic children.

Objective: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), mainly ibuprofen, are used extensively among children as analgesic and antipyretic agents. Our initial survey in the Kendang Kerbau Children's Hospital in Singapore showed NSAIDs to be the second most common adverse drug reaction-causing medications among children of Asian descent. We attempted to characterize the clinical and epidemiologic profile of NSAID reactions in this group of patients.

Sensitization to dust mites in children with allergic rhinitis in Singapore: does it matter if you scratch while you sneeze?

Background: Previously published data established Blomia tropicalis, as the major source of allergic sensitization in asthmatic children in tropical Singapore. Objective To define the prevalence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of species-specific mite sensitization in paediatric allergic rhinitis (AR) patients in this unique environment.

Methods: We performed a prospective evaluation of newly diagnosed AR patients, from 1 May 2003 to 30 April 2004, from the otolaryngology and allergy outpatient clinics of the Kendang Kerbau Children's Hospital in Singapore.