A Self-Narrative Study: Changes in Physical Ability and Social Communication in Children with Autism through Taekwondo Training with Elements of Music Therapy from the Parents' Perspective.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) significantly affects social and motor skills development in early, middle or even late childhood. To promote social and motor skills development among autistic children, an intervention consisting of Taekwondo and elements of music therapy was designed and implemented in Hong Kong. The objective of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of this training, based on parents' observations of their children who had completed the key stage of the training.

Iron Deficiency among School-Aged Adolescents in Hong Kong: Prevalence, Predictors, and Effects on Health-Related Quality of Life.

Iron deficiency (ID) is a prevalent nutritional deficiency affecting children/adolescents worldwide. We reported (1) the prevalence of ID and ID with anemia (IDA) among Chinese school-aged adolescents, (2) clinical and dietary predictors of iron status, and (3) its impact on health-related qualities of life (HRQoL). This cross-sectional study recruited 183 boys and 340 girls (mean age = 17.

The relationship between pancreas steatosis and the risk of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in Chinese adolescents with concurrent obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: The incidence of childhood obesity and associated comorbidities are on an increasing trend worldwide. More than 340 million children and adolescents aged between 5 and 19 years old were overweight or had obesity in 2016, from which over 124 million children and adolescents (6% of girls and 8% of boys) had obesity.

Objective: To describe the relationship between pancreas steatosis, body fat and the risk of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents with both obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Parents' experiences of screening, diagnosis, and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder.

This mixed-methods study aimed to explore the experiences of screening, assessment, diagnosis, and intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 249 parents of children with ASD in Hong Kong. Participants completed a survey and responded to open-ended questions regarding their experiences and views of ASD service provision. The quantitative analysis focused on (a) assessing parents' experiences of key milestones, including the time to access, professional support and consultation, referral and follow-up, and (b) examining the correlates of the milestone experiences.

The Role of Child Problem Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Symptoms and Parenting Stress: A Primary School-Based Study.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) reported higher stress than those of typically developing children. The role of child problem behaviors in the relationship between autism spectrum symptoms and parenting stress is little known. A total of 731 parents of 177 children with ASD and 554 typically developing children in primary schools (6-11 years old) completed an ASD screening survey containing measures of parenting stress and child problem behaviors.

Validation of water-fat MRI and proton MRS in assessment of hepatic fat and the heterogeneous distribution of hepatic fat and iron in subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Research studies demonstrated pathologic lesions were unevenly distributed in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. As hepatic steatosis occurs prior to steatohepatitis and other late stage liver conditions, the distribution pattern of hepatic fat and iron concentration should be investigated to prevent sampling variability. The first purpose of this study was to perform comparison and validation of in-house hepatic fat measurements using water-fat MRI and MRS.

Quality of life and psychosocial issues are important outcome measures in eczema treatment.

Background: Atopic eczema (AE) is a common relapsing inflammatory skin disease in children associated with chronicity and poor quality of life. Many children also display depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, and if these symptoms are associated with disease severity, quality of life and skin biophysiology in childhood AE.

Validation of prediction equations for estimating resting energy expenditure in obese Chinese children.

Objectives: (1) To examine the validity of existing prediction equations (PREE) for estimating resting energy expenditure (REE) in obese Chinese children, (2) to correlate the measured REE (MREE) with anthropometric and biochemical parameters and (3) to derive a new PREE for local use.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Subjects: 100 obese children (71 boys) were studied.

Renal screening in children after exposure to low dose melamine in Hong Kong: cross sectional study.

Objective: To investigate the renal outcomes of children after exposure to low dose melamine in Hong Kong.

Design: Cross sectional study.

Setting: Special assessment centres, Hong Kong.

Incorporating family therapy into asthma group intervention: a randomized waitlist-controlled trial.

Asthma psychoeducational programs have been found to be effective in terms of symptom-related outcome. They are mostly illness-focused, and pay minimal attention to systemic/familial factors. This study evaluated a novel asthma psychoeducation program that adopted a parallel group design and incorporated family therapy.

Insulin and obstructive sleep apnea in obese Chinese children.

Objective: In adults, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. We aimed to establish correlation between OSA, serum lipid profile, and insulin levels in obese snoring children.

Methods: Consecutive obese children with habitual snoring were recruited.

Ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) for congenital giant ranula.

Unlabelled: Congenital giant ranula causing life-threatening upper airway obstruction is a rare condition. A well-planned ex utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT) procedure for aspiration and decompression of the cystic lesion is simple, efficacious and effective in securing a patent airway before the fetus is completely delivered, and may prevent lifelong neurodevelopmental complications associated with perinatal asphyxia in such cases.

Conclusion: EXIT could be a life-saving procedure for congenital giant ranula.

Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in assessing lung volumes, chest wall, and diaphragm motions in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis versus normal controls.

Study Design: Dynamic breath-hold (BH)- magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to evaluate lung function in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Objectives: Changes in lung volume, chest wall, and diaphragmatic motions were evaluated in AIS patients and compared with normal controls.

Summary Of Background Data: Little is known about whether pulmonary function impairment in AIS is related to restriction of lung volume, poor chest wall expansibility, or impaired diaphragmatic motion.

Sputum induction in children with asthma: a tertiary-center experience.

Our aims were 1) to report on our experience with sputum induction (SI), and 2) to determine predictive factors associated with successful SI in asthmatic children. Children with asthma attending the chest clinic of a university teaching hospital between October 2003-December 2004 were recruited. They completed a visual analogue scale for symptom severity, and underwent physical examination, skin-prick test, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) measurement, spirometry, and SI.

Once-daily fluticasone propionate in stable asthma: study on airway inflammation.

Children with stable asthma receiving twice-daily fluticasone propionate (FP) were studied. Spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) and sputum eosinophils were measured at baseline and 8 weeks after FP was changed to once-daily use while keeping the same total dosage. Visual analogue scores on asthma severity, symptoms, and dosing regimen preference were obtained.

Hepatic failure in a child with anti-epileptic hypersensitivity syndrome.

An 11-year-old boy developed severe hypersensitivity reaction to phenobarbitone resulted in fulminant hepatic failure. During the course of illness, he developed clinical features compatible with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that may have complicated the recovery of his underlying hypersensitivity reaction, which was subsequently controlled with intravenous immune globulin and corticosteroids.

Long-term sequelae of SARS in children.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) runs a more benign course in children during the acute phase. Unlike adult patients, no fatalities were reported among the paediatric SARS patients. Published data on long-term sequelae of SARS are very limited.