Lingual laser frenotomy in newborns with ankyloglossia: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The study aims to describe the lingual laser frenotomy perioperative protocol for newborns with ankyloglossia with or without breastfeeding difficulties developed by Odontostomatology and Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Units of the Aldo Moro University of Bari.

Methods: Authors carried out a prospective observational cohort study. Newborns with ankyloglossia (classified by using both Coryllos' and Hazelbaker's criteria) with or without difficult breastfeeding (according to Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool) underwent diode laser frenotomy (800 ± 10 nm; 5 W; continuous wave mode; contact technique; under topical anesthesia) and follow-up visits after seven and thirty days postoperatively.

Antifungal agents in current pediatric practice.

Invasive fungal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. Increases in the incidence of systemic mycoses have been observed during the last 2 decades. Treatment of invasive fungal infections has improved through a better knowledge and application of current treatment strategies and through the development of new antifungal compounds.

Antifungal therapy in children: an update.

Invasive fungal infections are a common problem in children affected by primary or secondary immunodeficiencies. Thanks to an increased knowledge about their mechanisms of action and their pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles, the use of these drugs in common and uncommon invasive infections in immunocompromised children has improved over the last decades. Choosing the most appropriate antifungal drug is a serious challenge for any clinician, also considering that, in most cases, therapy has to be started before cultures are available, the choice being driven by clinical symptoms and statistical criteria only.

Influenza vaccination in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Influenza has a significant clinical impact on pediatric cancer patients because it causes frequent febrile episodes and respiratory tract infections, possibly severe complications, delays in chemotherapy administration and even death, all of which supports the importance of prevention and the widespread use of influenza vaccination. Results from clinical studies show that influenza vaccination can be considered safe in children undergoing chemotherapy and, although weaker than in healthy children, the immune response seems to be sufficient in patients with leukemia or solid tumors even if it is less in children receiving chemotherapy than in those who are not. However, there is an urgent need for universally accepted guidelines concerning the type of vaccine that leads to the best immunological results, the number of administrations, and their timing in relation to the severity of immunosuppression and chemotherapy schedules.