Access to paediatric emergency departments in Italy: a comparison between immigrant and Italian patients.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether access to paediatric emergency departments differed between foreign and Italian patients.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study between January-December 2007 to analyse attendance's characteristics in the paediatric emergency departments of ten Italian public hospitals. The study population included each foreign patient and the following Italian patient admitted to the same emergency department.

Serum ghrelin concentration, fasting time and feeding in infants.

Background: Data on hormonal feeding control in infants in the first months of life according to the kind of feeding are scanty.

Aim: To evaluate whether serum ghrelin could be involved in feeding behaviour control of breast-fed (BF) and formula fed (FF) infants.

Methods: We studied 50 AGA healthy term infants aged 1-6 months of age.

Ghrelin and motilin concentration in colicky infants.

Aim: To evaluate serum ghrelin and motilin concentration in infants with infantile colic.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted on fasting blood venous samples obtained from 18 infants with infantile colic and 20 healthy infants to measure ghrelin (RIA test) and motilin (RIA test).

Results: Colicky infants showed higher ghrelin serum levels (2534.